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4 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Editorial
All Eyes on the Maine Courts in 2024
In our December editorial, we discussed the role of Maine’s state and federal courts in upholding the DIF&W Commissioner’s discretion to establish and enforce standards for becoming or remaining a Registered Maine Guide. The courts are also likely to determine two other important outdoor-related issues in 2024. The first is the pending Maine Supreme Court decision in Parker vs. DIF&W, in which a Readfield couple has challenged Maine’s law prohibiting Sunday hunting, arguing that it’s inconsistent with the state’s most recent constitutional amendment, the “Right to Food” provision. The plaintiffs claim they should be able to hunt all weekend to provide food for the family table, since the state Constitution guarantees Mainers the “unalienable right to grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume the food of their own choosing.” The second is a federal court civil action, Tait v. MSAD 61, in which the tragic death of a high school senior on a 2021 class trip gives rise to the question of whether all trip organizers leading groups into areas with spotty or nonexistent cell coverage should be equipped with satellite phones, to enable them to contact first responders in cases of medical emergencies. ***** In the Parker Sunday hunting case, the decision will serve as the first test of the state’s “Right to Food” constitutional amendment. While we expect that the high court will not use the constitutional provision as a way to strike down Maine’s Sunday hunting prohibition, the plaintiffs’ arguments are not as farfetched as some would have you believe. The challenge rocks the foundation of the Sunday no-hunting rule, which itself is one of the last vestiges of the religion-based “blue laws” intended to ensure that folks were free to attend church on the weekly “day of rest.” The Tait “Senior Awareness” case raises a critical issue, even before it’s decided, and that is whether anyone who’s responsible for the welfare of others in the Maine and New Hampshire wilderness – whether it’s a registered guide, a school trip leader, a summer camp counselor, or the organizer of a group of friends headed for a remote canoe trip – should acquire, and learn how to use, satellite communications technology, now that the prices for inReach and similar devices have dropped to reasonable levels, and the phones have proven themselves to be reliable and effective. Regardless of the outcome of this private civil action, we believe it’s time for those planning group trips into the wilderness to embrace the modern world of satellite communications that can be used should the emergency need arise.
¶
On the Cover: Sled Choreography – As the sun sets in Presque Isle, snowmobile tracks cast intricate linear shadows on the snow’s surface. Paul Cyr photo www.MaineSportsman.com
New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication
Sportsman The Maine
ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 614 • www.mainesportsman.com PUBLISHER: Jon Lund MANAGING EDITOR: Will Lund will@mainesportsman.com OFFICE MANAGER: Carol Lund carol@mainesportsman.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kristina Roderick kristina@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nancy Carpenter nancy@mainesportsman.com DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR: Jon Mulherin distribution@mainesportsman.com Second class postage paid at Scarborough, ME 04074 and additional entry offices. All editorial inquiries should be emailed to will@mainesportsman.com Phone: 207-622-4242 Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 12-Month Subscription: $30 • 24-Month Subscription: $49
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Almanac by Will Lund.................................................... 14 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves..................... 29 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia.................. 34 Big Woods World by Mike Stevens & Hal Blood.......... 33 Editorial.............................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello....................... 44 Get Out There by Staci Warren.................................... 42 Jackman Region by William Sheldon.......................... 38 Jottings by Jon Lund........................................................ 9 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon......................... 37 Letters to the Editor.......................................................... 6 Maine Sportswoman by Christi Elliott........................... 40 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour................................... 19 Midcoast by Tom Seymour........................................... 48 Moosehead Region by Tom Seymour......................... 46 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.............................. 70 Nolan’s Outdoor World by Nolan Raymond............... 57 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie............................ 54 Outdoors & Other Mistakes by Al Diamon.................. 73 Quotable Sportsman by Will Lund................................ 18 Rangeley Region by William Clunie............................. 61 Ranger on the Allagash by Tim Caverly...................... 50 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers............................. 72 Saltwater Fishing by Bob Humphrey............................ 49 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth..................... 53 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews.................. 65 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard............................. 58 Smilin’ Sportsman by Will Lund...................................... 72 Snapshots in Time by Bill Pierce.................................... 13 Southern Maine by Val Marquez................................. 56 Sporting Environment by David Van Wie.................... 52 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery................. 11 Tales from the Warden Service by Ret. Lt. Doug Tibbetts.63 Tidewater Tales by Randy Randall............................... 51 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller.................. 64 Trading Post (Classifieds)............................................... 74 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour....................................... 43 Vermont by Matt Breton............................................... 69 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.............. 66
GUEST COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS ICE FISHING SPECIAL SECTION – Organizing an Ice Fishing Derby by Steve Carpenteri.20 – Camping on the Ice by Sam Wheeler...................... 23 SNOWMOBILING SPECIAL SECTION – Snowmobiles on Katahdin by Tim Caverly............... 25 – 2024 Snow Events by Steve Carpenteri.................... 27 GUEST COLUMNS – Here’s Looking at You by David E. Petzal................. 36 – Saying Goodbye to a Best Friend by Chris Sargent.68
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6 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Letters To The Editor
A Hunt to Remember – November 11, 2023
To the Editor: I have never crossed paths with a deer exceeding 200 pounds (field dressed) during deer season, but I recently tagged a deer that came very, very close. After reading Ethan Emerson’s November article (see “Relax – It’s Just a Number,” pp. 66-67), I realized the feedback and comments I received from individuals were very similar to his – half being congratulatory and excited, and the other empathetic to me being so close to The Maine Sportsman’s “Biggest Bucks in Maine” patch club. When I backed up to the certified scale on Veterans Day, 2023, the deer I had harvested registered in excess of 190 pounds. This was my biggest buck to date. However, when telling my experience to people who asked, I learned not to mention the weight or the spread of the antlers. Rather, I talk about the experience – how the first time I heard or saw the deer, it was walking 20 yards from me. How it appeared from that one and only spot in my set-up where I’d said to myself, “I sure hope he doesn’t come from that direction, since I won’t be able to get a clear shot ….” I talk about how hard it was to let this deer walk within 10 yards of me as I sat on the ground before I was able to make the ethical shot placement.
Chase Karter and his “Big-Enough Buck”
I mention hunting with my best friend, and yelling and celebrating in the middle of the woods where no one could hear us. Calling for reinforcements on my cell phone in an area with minimal service, and knowing my best friend and I had to drag this deer up hundreds of feet in elevation out of a cedar swamp. Then driving a grueling 35 minutes to the closest weigh station to see what it actually weighed. It is those experiences that make your time in the woods unforgettable. Would it be awesome to say one day that I harvested a deer over 200 pounds field dressed? Yes. But it is those memories made in the deer woods, whether the buck is 195 lbs. or 205 lbs., that will last a lifetime. Chase Karter, Oakland, ME —
Bill Graves Must Know People
To the Editor: I am writing about Bill Graves’ No-
vember 2023 column, titled “Days of Deer and Ducks.” In the column, Bill discusses cruising roads in Aroostook County looking for deer in fields. My guess is that he is hunting in an area near where he grew up, and that he knows the landowners. I say that because his approach did not work for us. We were hunting on a back field, 30 miles north of Houlton. The landowner asked us to leave, so we did. The land was not posted – even a single “No Trespassing” sign on the access road would have stopped us. There were no houses anywhere nearby. It was our first time hunting in a field. We usually hunt the deep woods, but snow had melted, and we’d always discussed that field driving in. We’d looked for landowner, but had been unable to locate him. I guess we’ll get the onX app for our phones, since the software lists the names of landowners right on the screen. We enjoy The Maine Sportsman – great publication! Bruce Norwood, Monticello, ME The columnist, Bill Graves, responds: Bruce: You were correct about my knowing many landowners in Aroostook County. I’ve spent all but my education years at college and pharmacy school in The County, and I do know most of the farmers. I also have permission from a great many to hunt not just deer, but waterfowl, upland game, and even bear and moose on their land. Nonetheless, I am surprised and disappointed at your experience, since very few local farmers refuse respectful requests to hunt (Continued on next page)
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on their holdings. In that way, it’s quite different up here compared to Southern Maine. —
A Former Distributor Checks In
To the Editor: I walked into a store in my hometown of Corinth the other day, and there was a copy of The Maine Sportsman on the rack. It brought back great memories, since I used to drive all around Maine in the mid-1970s, delivering the publication to stores from Jackman to Greenville, and Dover/Milo to Rockwood. I also covered Bangor, Brewer and Holden. I even started a route when I moved to Machias. When I went into a new town, I had to figure out what store would be the best-seller for the publication. I was advised to find the store with the coldest beer in town – that will be our best sales. How true that was! Just had to write and say it was great to see The Sportsman again, and to tell you how much fun I had back in the day getting new stores and making new friends. Merland Clark, Corinth, ME —
Agrees that Certain Ammo Hard to Find
To the Editor: Good article by J.C. Allard about ammunition in the November, 2023 issue (see “Ammo, Once Abundant, Now in Short Supply”). Twenty years ago, I went to buy bullets for my .300 Savage, and the price was shocking! Twenty-five dollars for a box of twenty. On the next shelf over were lots of .30-30 and .308 rounds for sale at a fraction of the cost – $9.99 per box for the 308s, and $7.99 a box for the .30-30s. My late dear friend Norman DesRocher was into reloading for his .300 Savage, and he helped me get started. He worked at the Gun Cave at Cabela’s until his health caused him to retire two years ago. We bought the whole set-up there. We would use Spitzers for practice, and Grand Slams for hunting. Nothing like having custom rounds for your gun. Now, .300 Savage shells are hard to find. I miss my hunting buddy immensely. Steve Clark, Dover-Foxcroft, ME
From One Vet to Another To the Editor: As a Vietnam veteran myself, I greatly enjoyed and appreciated Randy Randall’s story of a wartime holiday spend in Vietnam (see “Christmas Knife,” December issue, page 59). The tale brought back many memories. Also, I agree with him that you can’t go wrong with a Buck knife. I always have my Stockman with me. And so from one Vet to another, I say to Mr. Randall, “WELCOME HOME!” Wayne Dengler, Danbury, CT —
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Law Does Not Reference “Live Bait”
To the Editor: The December issue of The Maine Sportsman on pages 29 and 30 included an article on ice fishing which is excellent except for something stated at the end concerning rules and regulations. The column states that if “live bait” is prohibited, that prohibition includes worms. In fact, the rule book does not use the phrase “live bait” per se. Rather, the reference to worms is found in Special Fishing Law Codes (“S-Codes”), specifically S-4: “Use or possession of live fish as bait is prohibited. (The use of dead fish, salmon eggs, or worms is permitted.)” The other place worms come into play in the law is that in an A.L.O. (“Artificial Lures Only”) water, worms cannot be used. Just thought this clarification would be helpful. Have been enjoying your publication for many years. Keep up the good work. Fern Bosse, Norway, ME The Editor responds: Thank you, Fern, for your kind words and for correcting this editorial error. And to close the book on this topic, the only other worm references in Maine fishing regulations relate to four kids’ fishing areas where those anglers who are 15 and younger can use worms as bait; namely, two specific sections of the Kennebec River in the North Zone, and two sections in the South Zone. —
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8 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Letters
(Continued from page 7)
Maine” column in the December issue, in which he was preparing to hunt with his hand-assembled traditional flintlock muzzleloader. I hunted with primitive muzzleloaders for many years in Pennsylvania and other states before moving to Maine, and I have some hints that will improve his chances at a successful shooting experience.
Val Marquez’s Muzzleloader
The trick is to load the gun but do not prime the pan until you are ready to shoot. You can walk around with the hammer back and the frizzen up till you see a deer. Then, using the 3-grain pan charger, squirt some FFFFg powder into the pan, close the frizzen, and take the shot. Only takes a few seconds to do it. This way, you don’t risk having the pan powder cake up on you. That stuff ab-
sorbs moisture like crazy – even from your breath or body heat! Just keep the pan area covered and dry (if it’s snowing or raining) until you’re ready to shoot. I can’t tell you how many deer owe their hides to hunters who charged the pan ahead of time and then had the whole thing fizzle when they pulled the trigger. Practice the procedure at home (only takes a minute to get good at it) so you’ll be familiar with the process in advance. I wouldn’t use a powder horn because it’s big (catches the deer’s attention), and sometimes the powder cakes up in the horn itself. If you’re in a blind, you can probably pre-charge the pan, but I’ve done it my way for decades and never had a misfire. Steve Carpenteri, Lyman, ME —
Two In Two
To the Editor: I had an unusual experience deer hunting this fall, and a friend suggested that I send it in to The Sportsman. I was hunting in Orrington the first week of the season. I had my regular license as well as an antlerless tag. I heard a commotion coming out of the woods to my right. A doe was stepping quickly across the field from right
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to left. I got her in my scope, but then I thought to look over to the woods at the spot from which she’d emerged. A buck came running out along the same line, and it dropped at the sound of my rifle at 4:45 in the afternoon. Then a doe came out of the woods to my left about 50 feet away, and she went down at 4:47, thereby allowing me to fill both my big game license for a buck and my antlerless deer permit, all in the space of two minutes. The buck dressed out at 130 lbs.; the doe at 112. We enjoy your publication very much. We will also enjoy these two deer all winter long at home in Florida. Bob Rourke, Florida & Maine —
Coming to Bob Humphrey’s Defense
To the Editor: After reading the letters to the editor in the December 2023 issue from both Dr. Weiss and Ms. Haggerty regarding Bob Humphrey’s November 2023 “Tilting at Windmills” article in the Maine Sportsman, I felt the need to lend Mr. Humphrey some support. In his column, Humphrey raised concerns about noise transmission from offshore wind turbines affecting sea life, and he also posed questions about the effects of electromagnets on underwater creatures. I was an instructor in the early 1960s with respect to an undersea weapons guidance system involving the conversion from magnetostrictive transducers to piezoelectric. The sensitivity of this newer system allowed us to better understand and read the changes in the doppler effects of both surface and bottom noise reflections of sound. If surface wave action can create sound, pass it through water, and reflect sound from the ocean bottom back up into the water column, surely wind turbines can. Regarding the effects of electromagnetic waves on living organisms, the Department of Defense considered the possible effects of electromagnetism on humans to be enough of a problem that in the 1980s they removed electric blankets from the military exchange system, and provided warnings for members who were looking to buy or rent homes near high-voltage transmission lines. David Miller, Lexington, ME Former Project Manager for the Electromagnetic Division for Fast Attack Submarines at the Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, RI
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Venerable Winchester Model 92 Effective at Short Range The author loaned his .35 Remington Pump to his son, and kept the modest-velocity .44-40 Model 92 for himself. If a deer made an appearance, would the stubby pistol cartridge do the job?
The author’s Winchester Model 92 was underpowered by modern standards. Would it come through when it mattered? Photo credit: GunBroker.com
a Remington pump in 35 caliber – to my son Rolf, since he did not have a deer rifle of his own at that point. The Model 92 The Model 92 was not a high-powered
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INC.
Many years ago, I hosted a swap night at my house. It started as a potluck supper, but I encouraged my friends to bring unwanted or surplus hunting and fishing items to exchange. One of my guests brought an ancient Winchester Model 92 saddle gun, in 44-40 caliber. The bluing was long gone. The tubular magazine had been shortened. The saddle ring had been hack-sawed off. It barely looked shootable. It became a swap left-over, consigned to the back of the clothes closet. We had a hunting trip planned soon thereafter. I loaned my “usual” deer rifle –
could use the same ammunition in both their rifle and their pistol. This avoided the need to carry two separate calibers of ammunition, and also simplified the reload-
ing process. The first .4440 cartridges were black-powder cartridges. Scaled-Down Model 1886 While not ever as popular as its successor, the Model 94 (the first gun designed exclusively for smokeless powder, of which more than 7 million have been sold), the Model 92 (originally called the “1892”) was a successful firearm in its own right, selling more than 1 million guns. It is essentially a scaled-down version of its predecessor, the Model 1886. Both models (92 and 94) were designed (Continued on next page)
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Jottings (Continued from page 9)
by John Browning, the independent engineer who was responsible for much of Winchester’s success. Model 92s have since experienced a resurgence in popularity, and vintage guns and reproductions are used in Western-style “cowboy shoots.” While they lack certain safety features of the later Model 94 (such as the pin under the stock that locks the trigger unless the lever is ful-
ly compressed), the short bolt-throw and fast reloading capabilities also resulted in them being featured in many early Western movies. The Hunt Rolf and I hit the woods of Shirley Mills, with me carrying the Model 92 in .44-40. Hunting together, we found a blowndown treetop, with deer tracks around it. It was clear that whitetails had been
nibbling on the “windfall” presented by the edible branch tips. We stood there a while, studying the tracks. Then I looked up, and saw a doe close by – perhaps 50 feet away (these were before the days of bucks-only seasons and antlerless-deer tags). I whispered to Rolf, “Shoot.” He responded quietly, “I can’t.” The reason he couldn’t shoot was that I was standing between him and the deer. I could have sat
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down, and hoped that Rolf would shoot over my head. Trying to figure out a strategy, I stalled for a moment. The doe stamped her foot. I figured she might jump at any moment. I brought the venerable .44-40 to my shoulder and fired, striking the deer in the center of the chest. The doe took a few jumps, and tumbled to the ground. Concentrating as I was on the doe, I did not notice there were two more does nearby,
which fled at the noise. Careful Shot at Moderate Distance The moral of the story? First, that many, many deer have been taken over the years with the Model 92 and its pistol cartridge (also called a “companion” round, because of its flexibility in being usable in both rifles and sidearms). And second, that the secret of taking down a deer is getting close enough for proper shot placement.
¶
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Sebago Trout Unlimited Mousam River Cleanup It’s on days like this that I’m very proud of my fellow fly anglers and outdoors folks. Almost 40 people answered the call by the Sebago Trout Unlimited (TU) chapter for a couple hours of cleaning up the Mousam River at the Rogers Pond Park in Kennebunk. On Sunday morning, October 22, the trash collected filled a large Kennebunk town dump truck. Many of the men and women in the group assembled by Sebago TU’s Aaron Broaddus wore waders, and the others also were dressed to get down and dirty with the accessible river banks and riparian zone, river areas that seem to draw more than a fair share of garbage, trash, and other cast-offs large and small. According to Maine Rivers, the mainstem Mousam River is about 24 miles long and has 11 dams along
Almost 40 people answered the call by Sebago TU for a couple hours of cleaning up the Mousam River at the Rogers Pond Park in Kennebunk. On Sunday morning, October 22, the trash collected filled a large Kennebunk town dump truck.
its course from Square and Mousam Lakes in Shapleigh to the sea at Parson’s Beach and Great Hill in Kennebunkport. Many of these dams, but particularly the three lower structures in Kennebunk, do not generate electricity anymore, serve no useful purpose, and do not have fish passage of any type. They were not relicensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and should come down to open up around a dozen-plus miles of spawning hab-
Two local conservation icons, Bill Grabin on the left, and John Burrows, were part of the Mousam cleanup operation. John gave a talk on the adverse ecological effects of the three lower Kennebunk dams on the Mousam. Bill is a tireless voice for sound conservation, and he runs the Kennebunk and Mousam River Alliance.
itat for a number of anadromous and catadromous fishes including Atlantic salmon, striped bass, American shad, eels, river herring, alewive, and others. (See my previous columns on the river and these dams in the March 2016 and May 2023 issues of The Maine Sportsman.) Trash Roundup Rogers Pond is a charming little town park with a small pavilion, picnic areas, parking lot, carry-in boat launch, and a portable toilet. In winter,
the pond is used for ice-skating when safe ice is present. From the site of the pond, fishing upstream along the river toward the first dam is for wading, while the lower reaches to the sea require a boat, canoe or kayak. Plus, the park is an ideal spot to hold an annual cleanup day sponsored by the Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Aaron and his associates, including Nick Sampson, Will Folsom, Tuck O’Brien, and Curtis Warren, broke us into groups to
Aaron Broaddus is an active member of Sebago TU. He also is a registered Maine Fishing Guide, and runs Headin’ North Guide Service. Here he shows some of the tools, the cleanup folks will use.
attack several reaches on both sides of the Mousam, and gave the participants large trash bags, trash grabbers, and gloves. The Rogers Pond side is fairly flat, while the opposite side has high, steep banks making cleanup along the water difficult, but some of the upper riparian areas were open for plucking garbage. My job was to hang out, take pictures, and talk to folks – three jobs I particularly like to do. Some of the trees along the little river sported autumn color, and the fall rains had the water moving pretty good. I ran into a young couple from nearby Arundel, who had seen the cleanup email call, and they answered it. Another TUer from South Portland waded in the water and snapped up stuff for the large plastic bag tied to his waders’ belt. He would have a good catch for the day. (Continued on next page)
Cleanup crews received short briefings on what to do and when to stop so trash could be picked up and taken back to Rogers Pond. This assemblage is upriver and across from Rogers Pond. www.MaineSportsman.com
12 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
The west side of the Mousam along Brown Street is quite steep and overgrown so trash-pickers have a challenge. The river below is grateful for any help we can give it.
A TUer from South Portland waded in the water and snapped up stuff for the large plastic bag tied to his waders belt. He would have a good catch for the day.
Sportsman’s Journal (Continued from page 11)
Post Trash-Picking Aaron Broaddus expressed his thanks to the assembled trash- pickers gathered at picnic tables in the covered pavilion at Rogers Pond. The remainder of the time on the Mousam River would be taken by two speakers who would address conservation topics, and end with a raffle of fishing-related gear. (Each participant in the cleanup received a raffle ticket for each bag of trash collected.) The first speaker, Kennebunker John Burrows, is wellknown in conservation circles throughout this part of Maine and statewide. He is the Maine Representative of the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF), an international organization dedicated to reestablishing wild runs of Atlantic salmon in rivers from Maine to the Canadian Maritimes. John talked about the adverse effects the abandoned dams in the lower Mousam have on the movement of marine and aquatic fishes. Poor water quality caused by the dams also is an issue for www.MaineSportsman.com
every living thing, including people. John, along with another Kennebunk conservation guru, Bill Grabin, has led grassroots efforts to remove the three deteriorating dams. Greg LaBonte from Maine Fly Guys spoke next on the ecology of the Mousam and other Maine waterways. An avid fly angler for any fish that swims anywhere, Greg also is a Visiting and Teaching Professor at the University of New England in nearby Biddeford. His educational and vocational background is in wildlife ecology and biology. He knows of what he speaks. He
highlighted the role of fly anglers and other outdoor sportspeople in being stewards of the fields, forests and streams that we all love and respect. We all live downstream, after all. The finale for the day was the raffle for a number of items donated by Sebago TU, Maine Fly Guys, Whiskey Leatherworks, and Eldredge Brothers Fly Shop. Now it was time to spread around the donated wealth. There were lots of smiles from assorted participants, and the raffle was the perfect cap to a great time on the Mousam River. Folks caught a lot more that day, without even wetting a line. ********
A young couple from nearby Arundel had seen the cleanup email call, and they answered it. It helped that on the water, it was quite beautiful.
In my fly-angling days, my vest always was home to a sturdy plastic bag used for retrieving trash along the streams, rivers and lakes that I fished. Oftentimes the bag came home full of empty earthworm containers, cigarette butts and discarded packs, beer and soda bottles/cans, tangles of monofilament fishing line, plastic bags, and other assorted crap. My “creel” wasn’t always full, but the plastic bag almost always was …. Information • Sebago Trout Unlimited: www.sebagotu.org. The largest TU chapter in Maine, covering Southern Maine from Yarmouth to NH. Note: Next fall will see
The first speaker, Kennebunker John Burrows, is well-known in conservation circles throughout this part of Maine and statewide. He is the Vice President, US Operations for the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and has been active in the Kennebunk and Mousam River Alliance.
another Mousam River cleanup day. • Rogers Pond Park: www.kennebunk.us. • Atlantic Salmon Federation: www.asf. ca. • Maine Rivers: 207847-9277, www.mainerivers.org. Mission is to protect, restore and enhance the ecological health of Maine’s river systems. • Mousam and Kennebunk River Alliance: On www.facebook. com, healthymousam@ gmail.com. Grass roots group dedicated to conserving the two rivers, with lower Mousam River dam removal a priority. • Maine Fly Guys (Greg LaBonte): www. maineflyguys.com. Online fly shop and blog. • Headin’ North Guide Service (Aaron Broaddus): 207-8388099, www.maineflyfishingguides.com. Specializes in Western Maine/Rangeley Lakes Region. • Eldredge Brothers Fly Shop: www. eldredgeflyshop.com, 207-363-9269. Located in Cape Neddick. • Whiskey Leatherworks: 496-239-7943, www.whiskeyleatherworks.com. Located in Lower Village, Kennebunk.
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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 13
“Snapshots in Time”
Historical Glimpses from Maine’s Sporting Past Compiled by Bill Pierce, Former Executive Director, Outdoor Heritage Museum
What follows appeared in the October 29, 1895, edition of the RANGELEY LAKES newspaper. As I study the old 19th century outdoor publications, I tend to gravitate toward writings of the pioneering guides and authentic woodsmen like Ed Grant, John Danforth, Billy Soule, Dan Heywood or Jock Darling, to name a few. Joshua Gross Rich (1820-1897) was a man that even the aforementioned individuals might have looked up to as a notable figure in the history of Maine’s great outdoors. Rich was a highly skilled woodsman, hunter and trapper. He was so successful in these pursuits that Professor Louis Agassiz of Harvard University, the leading ichnologist and zoologist of his day, relied upon Rich to obtain hundreds of specimens for the collections at Harvard and other leading natural history museums. Rich began guiding almost by accident, as the profession was still in its infancy in Maine. As his reputation grew, wealthy sportsman sought him out and paid him just to tag along on his regular hunting and trapping expeditions. Rich saw this as an opportunity, and moved from his homestead on Mollychunkamunk Lake (Upper Richardson)
Guests dressed up for this photo of Joshua G. Rich’s “Anglers’ Retreat,” Western Maine’s first public house that catered to fisherman. What the facility may have lacked in deluxe lodging and dining, was more than made up for by the outstanding fishing, including access to 10-lb. salmon. Rich was a guide and naturalist, and he wrote the accompanying piece in 1895 about moose yards -- the winter feeding ground and “works” of Maine’s largest land animal. Archive photo
to Upton, Maine. There, Rich ran a hotel, a general store, and later, the first public house in the Rangeley region catering to fisherman. “Anglers’ Retreat” was located at Middle Dam, on the outlet of Welekennebacook Lake (Lower Richardson Lake). The primitive accommodations and table fare did not quite live up to the standards of the gentleman anglers who made the difficult journey, but the spectacular brook trout fishing did. The catches were abundant, with some fish approaching 10 pounds! The site of the
old camps is now the home of Lakewood Camps. Perhaps Rich’s greatest contribution came from his numerous writings about Maine’s fish and game shared in the numerous newspaper columns he authored. To learn more, pick up a copy of “Joshua Gross Rich: The Life and Works of a Western Maine Pioneer and Wildlife Writer,” by William Krohn. It’s a fascinating read. And be sure to get outside and make some great outdoor history of your own!
Habits of the Moose
Rangeley Lakes newspaper, October 29, 1895 Very few people, or even sportsmen, have seen the winter feeding ground and works of the moose, which is commonly called a moose yard. In following up the late fall works or feeding of the moose, the hunter is guided entirely by the breakings of the buds of the twigs of small trees and bushes, with perhaps now and then a little gnawing of the bark of a small willow or maple. After following the “signs” a mile or two, it is easy to conjecture the mountain he is steering for, and it is quite probable that the moose have their winter yarding places decided upon in early fall, if not before mid-summer. I believe the bulls that live on the mountains in early summer remain isolated from the herd, while waiting for their antlers to harden. After they have attained their full length and are in the “velvet,” as hunters term it, and
very tender, they discover a place to live the next winter, and lead the herd there the next fall. They commence at the foot of the mountain in early winter, working up the base and along the sides of the ridge, back and forth, and before the
snow gets full winter depth, reach the top and commence working down the side of the mountain while the snows are deep, thus making it easier to break the deep snow. They peel or gnaw the bark from every small-sized tree in their way, preferring the willow, maple and moose wood, and making the woods look like new furniture. They gnaw the bark high up, ten or twelve feet, by standing on their hind feet with their knees against the tree. No one can imagine the appearance of the fresh works of a moose yard in winter – their well-trodden paths in the snow in every direction, the bright new wood as far as the eye can reach, and the sensation of knowing that you are in the immediate vicinity of the largest game of the forest and perhaps within easy range. – J. G. Rich www.MaineSportsman.com
Almanac
14 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Three Minutes with a Maine Guide by Lisa DeHart, ACanoePoler@aol.com
Tenting in a Storm Experiencing a storm from inside a tent is one of the things I love about a canoe trip. As canoeists, we know that heavy rains bring the water level up, and nine times out of ten, that’s a good thing. I’ve had some doozy storms in a tent. I love the power, the sound, the spectacle of the lightning.
Compiled and Edited by — Will Lund —
Yes, there are some safety and comfort things you need to prepare for, and here are some of those. Follow these suggestions so you can enjoy storms, too. • Pitch the tent on a slightly sloped area. I also do this each time because when I sleep, I like my shoulders higher than my hips. • Avoid setting up in any ground contour or depression that looks like a bowl and any root system you can visibly see. Lightning can strike the tree and travel the roots seeking ground and can transmit electricity to anything in contact with the ground. • Look up and make sure there is nothing that looks like it would break off in the wind and come down. •
Outside the Tent Outside the tent, use all the stakes and lines the manufacturer gave you. I keep a little bit of parachute cord in the bottom of the stake bag just for this. Pull the rain fly taut,
•
•
•
•
and sink those stakes with the tops at a 45 degree angle away from the tent. Make sure the dry bag with your rain gear is under the vestibule, not in the canoe … pro tip. I also make sure my seat pad and life jacket are under there, as well. Inside the Tent Inside the tent, I make sure my sleeping pad is blown up really tight, so when I lie down – even on my side – I can’t feel any of the ground touching me, in case of lightning when I’m asleep. I don’t fear these storms, so I usually go out like a light. I also make sure anything and everything I don’t need that night is closed up in a dry bag. No stray clothing left on the floor, and essential gear is above me in the gear loft, head lamp, toilet kit and a small micro-fiber towel. In case your tent wall develops a leak, (Continued on next page)
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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 15 (Continued from page 14)
those towels are really effective for mopping up water and hand-wringing it out the vestibule door onto the ground, sloping away from the tent. Enjoy the storm! —
Courtship is Always in Season
This kind of trip is totally different, as you are walking distance to the cabin and therefore you can bring any creature comfort you desire. Heavy Gear? Bring It! Items to consider if there are no gear limits are things like Solo Stoves, full grills, a second ice shack (complete with “Pack ‘N’ Play” and heater for kids nap time without having to go back to the cabin), generator, stereo systems, and many more items you wouldn’t dream of carrying, let alone using in the backwoods. Many may be reading this and thinking this isn’t real camping and takes out some of the fun that is going without. I think this is one of the most important kinds of trips, because in my experience it’s the highest success rate of getting people outdoors who would prefer to hit the town instead of the woods or the ice surface. Use trips like this to invite those who don’t understand why we love outdoor sports, by letting them experience the thrills of ice fishing and bonfires
While the temperatures drop below zero on the lake’s surface that’s located just outside the door, the author’s wife Anastasia and young son Jack take a cocoa break by the fireplace.
with the comforts needed to not feel uncomfortable in any way. I try to always invite a few “City Slickers” to events like these, going as far as making wild game recipes for dinner to get them trying new wild foods. Inclusion is the perfect tool for showing others why we live the lifestyle we (Continued on next page)
Remember, Gentlemen: With Valentine’s Day coming up in about six weeks, it’s important not to let a little snow cover get in the way of a proper courtship. Photo courtesy Pete Muller, NWTF
— Guide Talk by John LaMarca
Ice Fishing in Style To ring in the New Year, we try to keep a tradition of renting a cabin on a lake, hanging with friends, doing some ice fishing, and just enjoying the season in general. While we are always expecting to be out in the cold, I remember one year that low temperatures, combined with a strong wind, resulted in a wind chill factor of minus 28°. It was so cold, the moisture from my breath froze onto my beard, mustache and even my eyebrows, as it rose! But don’t think we weren’t warm and comfortable as ever during this! We spent the time ice fishing on Moosehead Lake, staying at “The Birches,” in a cottage that provided great views of Mt. Kineo, and excellent fishing right outside the door. The nice part about these kinds of trips is that the amount of gear you bring is not really an issue. Most of the time, we as outdoorspeople play the game of figuring out how few items we can bring while still having everything we will need. This is because we usually must carry it all in and out on our backs. www.MaineSportsman.com
16 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Almaanc
Maine Units of Measurement
(Continued from page 15)
do, and you never know who will enjoy it so much that you gain a new hunting or fishing buddy in the process. —
onX Mapping App Recognized by Time Magazine Time magazine recently posted its annual “Best Inventions of the Year” feature, and the GPS mapping company onX was cited for its “Recent Imagery” function. This technology shows changes to surface features, such as rising water, or forest clear cuts, using a sequence of photos that are updated every two weeks.
OnX subscribers with the “recent imagery” feature were able to watch in a rapid time-lapse sequence as the water level in Lake Mead, located in three western states behind the Hoover Dam, rose last summer.
Contributed by a Maine Sportsman reader “Right next door” = 1-2 miles “Right up the road” = 5-10 miles “A couple of miles” = 10-20 miles “Up North” = 15-300 miles “Not too far” = 20-50 minutes “A little ways” = 1 hour “A pretty good haul” = 2+ hours —
• • • • • • •
Turning 65 in 2024? No Need to Wait for your Birthday to Apply for a Senior Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Licenses Did you know... …that if you’re turning 65 any time in 2024, you don’t have to wait for your actual 65th birthday to apply for Senior Lifetime hunting and fishing licenses from DIF&W? That’s right – You can apply for these money-saving licenses any time in the year that you turn 65. Just download and fill out the form available at the DIF&W website (www.maine.gov/ifw/; search for “Maine Lifetime License”) and send it in or bring it to the Augusta office, along with a copy of your driver’s license or proof of age. And if you do wait until the year after you turn 65, you can apply on January 1st for the “Senior 66” licenses, which save you even more.
Still too much money? Wait until January 1st of the year you’ll turn 70, when all licenses for which you qualify (hunting, fishing, archery/crossbow, and even trapping) are available for a combined grand total of $8. —
Two Maine Sportsman Columnists Featured in New All-Star Book
A new flyfishing book has just been published, titled The Catch of a Lifetime – Moments of Flyfishing Glory. It’s a book of short stories edited by Peter Kaminsky, a leading angling journalist and author (his “Outdoors” column has appeared in the New York Times for 35 years). The contributors are authors, guides, artists and poets who have a passion for fly fishing. Names readers may recognize include Rachel Maddow, John The Catch of a LifeMcPhee, Joan time is a solid book Wulff, Nick Lyons, -- 288 pages, hardCarl Hiaasen, and cover. It features a Mark Kurlansky. line-up of excellent Most import- authors, including ant, the book fea- two names that are tures one story familiar to our loyal each from The readers. (Continued on next page)
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Maine Sportsman’s intrepid columnists David Van Wie and Lou Zambello. “Every fly fisher has that moment,” reads the introductory material, “that ineffable, transcendent moment they can point to and say, ‘That’s it – that’s why I fish.’” Did you forget someone important on your holiday gift list? Or perhaps you need some easy reading yourself to get you prepared for spring brookie fishing. Regardless, you’ll enjoy this book, including its connections to our state. —
Maine Hunting Seasons Still in Play in January • • • • •
• • • •
• •
Gray Squirrel (Falconry) – through February 28, 2024 Snowshoe Hare – through February 28, 2024 Bobcat – through February 21, 2024 Fox – through February 28, 2024 Coyote – no closed season for day hunting (excluding Sundays); night hunting (also excluding Sundays) is allowed through August 31 Crows (Districts 7 – 29) – January 22 to March 30 Canada Geese (Coastal Zone only) – through January 9 Snow Geese and Blue Geese – through January 31 Ducks (except Harlequin Ducks, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Moorhens and Gallinules) and Brant (all Coastal Zone only) – through January 9 No closed season on woodchuck, porcupine or red squirrel No open season on spruce grouse, cottontail rabbit or lynx —
Wilderness Health and First Aid by Stacey Wheeler RN, BSN
You Need More Vitamin D! Winters in Maine are generally cold, long and dark. Maintaining outdoor activities can pose a challenge and compromise not only our physical health, but also mental health. Vitamin D exposure is pivotal to proper muscle function, brain cell activity, and immune health. Vitamin D is an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant, and it protects neurological function. Over 40% of Mainers are deficient in Vitamin D. (Medical professionals tell us we are considered “deficient” when our levels are below 50 nmol/L.) Although we can get Vitamin D from supplements or from fortified foods, the best Vitamin D intake occurs through sunlight exposure. Living in Maine, however, poses a challenge if we are trying to make Vitamin D from sun exposure synthesis from November through February. To absorb enough vitamin D through the skin, you must expose 30% of your body and stay in the sun for 1530 minutes 3 times a week. Bundles of clothing and sunscreen to prevent snow burn can eliminate the skin’s ability to absorb any amount of Vitamin D. If going someplace warm is not an option, then it’s important to obtain Vitamin D through food and supplementation. Eat foods with natural vitamin D daily, such as egg yolks, cod liver oil, beef liver, sardines, salmon, swordfish, canned tuna, fortified cow’s or soy milk, cereal, or orange juice. Take a daily supplement, in the appropriate dose. Since there are certain prescription
medications that interact with Vitamin D, consult your physician before starting regarding your proper dosage and possible drug interactions. Getting enough Vitamin D will improve your sleep, lower your blood pressure, put you in a better mood, and help you maintain a healthier weight. That’s a pretty good list of benefits! —
Fishing is Fun, Any Way You Slice It
This photo, sent in by a long-time Maine Sportsman reader, accompanied an application for a trophy club patch we had not considered before: “The Pizza that Didn’t Get Away” club. We are pleased to say this gentleman is currently among the top five applicants in the new category.
¶
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18 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
January 2024 Sunrise/Sunset
Trophy Gallery
Bangor, ME DATE RISE SET 1 Mon 7:10 4:06 2 Tue 7:10 4:07 3 Wed 7:10 4:08 4 Thu 7:10 4:09 5 Fri 7:10 4:10 6 Sat 7:10 4:11 7 Sun 7:10 4:12 8 Mon 7:10 4:13 9 Tue 7:09 4:14 10 Wed 7:09 4:15 11 Thu 7:09 4:16 12 Fri 7:08 4:17 13 Sat 7:08 4:18 14 Sun 7:07 4:20 15 Mon 7:07 4:21 16 Tue 7:06 4:22
DATE RISE SET 17 Wed 7:06 4:23 18 Thu 7:05 4:25 19 Fri 7:04 4:26 20 Sat 7:04 4:27 21 Sun 7:03 4:29 22 Mon 7:02 4:30 23 Tue 7:01 4:31 24 Wed 7:01 4:33 25 Thu 7:00 4:34 26 Fri 6:59 4:35 27 Sat 6:58 4:37 28 Sun 6:57 4:38 29 Mon 6:56 4:40 30 Tue 6:55 4:41 31 Wed 6:54 4:42
Grand Slam at Age 11 Eleven-year-old Caleb Boudreau of Industry, ME had a very successful year in 2023. He’s shown here with a 16.4-lb. tom turkey taken on May 6 — the first step in his Grand Slam. On October 10, hunting with his father and both grandfathers, he bagged a 734-lb bull moose, which he registered at Bishop’s General Store. He then shot a bear in early October, followed by a 4-point buck on November 11. Congratulations to Caleb, and to his Mom (and biggest supporter) Erica. She wrote: “Hunting is Caleb’s true passion. He works hard to learn everything that he can about it. He has earned this Grand Slam through his determination and focus. It is a true honor that he is able to join the list of all the great hunters in Maine who have also accomplished this rare feat.”
January 2024 Tides Portland, ME DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
HIGH AM PM 2:25 2:29 3:09 3:16 3:53 4:06 4:39 4:59 5:26 5:56 6:16 6:55 7:07 7:52 7:58 8:44 8:47 9:33 9:36 10:21 10:25 11:09 11:15 11:57 — 12:05 12:45 12:56 1:35 1:49 2:27 2:45 3:22 3:46 4:19 4:50 5:18 5:57 6:20 7:05 7:22 8:09 8:20 9:06 9:13 9:57 10:02 10:42 10:46 11:24 11:27 — 12:02 12:05 12:37 12:41 1:11 1:17 1:46 1:55 2:22 2:35
www.MaineSportsman.com
LOW AM PM 8:18 8:49 9:06 9:31 9:56 10:15 10:49 11:02 11:44 11:52 — 12:42 12:45 1:38 1:39 2:30 2:30 3:19 3:19 4:07 4:08 4:54 4:58 5:42 5:49 6:30 6:41 7:18 7:34 8:08 8:31 9:01 9:32 9:56 10:36 10:54 11:42 11:55 — 12:51 1:00 1:56 2:02 2:53 2:57 3:44 3:47 4:31 4:32 5:13 5:13 5:50 5:52 6:25 6:29 6:58 7:06 7:31 7:45 8:06 8:26 8:43
Quotable
Sportsman “No lake access – Google Maps is wrong.”
by Will Lund
tainexperiences.com/blog/stateswith-biggest-wild-hog-problem — … And descriptive expressions overheard this past autumn while upland game hunting in Northern Maine: • “Limb fruit” A ruffed grouse perched on a tree branch within easy range of a 16-ga.
A sign, shown above, reportedly posted at a state park in Petoskey, Michigan — “Feral hogs were spotted in New Hampshire and Vermont.” The University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, which has been tracking feral hog sightings. See the full state-by-state report at https://cap-
• “Backflush” When a grouse flushes away into deeper woods, rather than toward hunters who are standing in a clearing or on a dirt road • “I got a double!” Uttered when two tires on the hunter’s truck go flat at the same time, having been punctured by the sharp edges of the crushed-shale road bed on the Golden Road, the Realty Road, or the Pinkham Road
��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 19
Maine Wildlife:
Snowshoe Hare by Tom Seymour
For hare hunters without dogs, open winters make for great hunting conditions. The hares have all adopted their white winter pelage by January, and if snow is scarce, they stand out in strong contrast against the brown landscape. Now, even a .22 rifle or pistol will suffice to put hares in the pot. Nowadays, except for those who pursue them with beagle hounds, few people hunt hares, and most will pass up a shot if they are afforded one. I’m still of the old school, and I enjoy the taste of wild game – any wild game. That includes any upland game birds that are in season, plus hares and even gray squirrels. Having all these different species on my list often means the difference between coming home with nothing, and having some weight in my game bag. Most people, though, go out after a specific game animal. You won’t find hunters with bird dogs shooting rabbits (hares), because they don’t want their dogs to get the idea that it’s okay to point something other than game birds. That’s fine by me. Grouse, as scarce as they were this year in my circle of travel, aren’t the only game in town. So Tasty I would wager that a great many of today’s young hunters haven’t yet tasted snowshoe hare. Fried, fricasseed and even roasted, hares make for excellent eating. I remember when our family dinner for Sunday afternoon featured hare, along with garden vegetables – fresh, frozen or canned. Grandpa and I would shoot a sufficient number of hares that we were able to freeze enough so that we could even enjoy hares for the occasional Sunday dinner in the off-season. That’s how much we relished hares. I still do. Hares are at the bottom of the food chain, and as a result, every single predator – both avian and four-legged – target them. This was true even before the arrival of the eastern coyote in Maine. Coyotes nearly wiped out hares in many local areas, and in some of those places they have not yet rebounded. I doubt they ever will – not
Hares are prey for all manner of predators. It’s a good thing they can give birth to three separate litters every year! unless coyotes decide to pack up and head for the Midwest and Canada, which isn’t going to happen any time soon. However, hare numbers remain good in Northern Maine. It’s hard for coyotes and other predators to wipe out a broadly-dispersed hare population in such a widespread area. Given all they have to contend with just to survive, it’s easy to appreciate hares’ resilience. Much of this is due to their fecundity. Hares can give birth to up to three litters per year, with an average litter size of between one and six. Even so, predation keep hare numbers quite low in most locations. Sure, some localized areas can host lots of rabbits, but these are the exception rather than the norm. Roadkill Rabbits While biologists utilize sophisticated methods of estimating snowshoe hare populations, the layman has access to a simple way to accomplish the same thing; namely, checking roadkill numbers. This may seem somewhat gruesome, but it does give an effective representation of local hare numbers, and not only for hares but for any other four-footed critters. For instance, in my general circle of travel, I am currently seeing lots of dead skunks, a few flattened gray squirrels, some porcupines, and even the occasional opossum. As for roadkilled hares, I can’t remember when I last saw one. The lack of hares isn’t attributable to lack of habitat, either. What with ongoing woodcutting operations, even
more hare habitat is being created, as pioneer species fill in the clearcuts or near-clearcuts. And we still have morethan-ample acres of mixed-growth woodlands, lined with the thick brush where hares like to hide. The only reason for the current dearth of snowshoe hares that I can discern is predation, and that’s mostly from coyotes. Conversely, I have noted instances of hare numbers increasing where coyote hunters have cleared out most of the local coyotes. But when coyotes return, which they eventually must, hare numbers will again go on the decline. Indomitable Hares Despite all the various threats they face, Maine will always have a snowshoe hare presence. Hares are indomitable, and whether or not their numbers will ever rebound to past levels, we will always have snowshoe hares. It is interesting to note, and easily explained, that hares concentrate around village areas. Here, they raid people’s gardens, so finding food is not a problem. And built-up areas don’t have high coyote populations. All-inall, these scattered oases serve to protect isolated hare populations. We might say the same for deer. On a recent trip to Rockwood Village, I saw a doe and her young standing not by, but in, a rocked-in flower garden with the sign, “Welcome to Rockwood.” There may as well have been a few hares thrown in the mix, too. Hares will survive.
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20 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
The Challenges of Organizing an Ice Fishing Derby by Steve Carpenteri
Ice fishing derbies are fun for participants, provide good exposure for sponsors, and raise funds for charity. However, organizing and operating such an event is not for the faint of heart. So you want to host an ice-fishing derby on your favorite local lake? Such an event can be rewarding for participants, but don’t go into the project without understanding the many challenges involved. We all think of ice-fishing derbies as
fun times where local folks get together, drill a few holes, tell a few lies, enjoy some great food, drink and camaraderie and, at the end of the day, receive trophies and awards for the biggest fish caught in a variety of categories. Sounds simple enough, right?
State Regulates Derbies First off, the State of Maine has promulgated rules and regulations governing ice-fishing derbies. The state’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) requires ice fishing derby organiz-
Last year’s Long Lake Derby, headquartered in St.Agatha in Aroostook County, involved 10 different lakes and 1,800 registered participants. Paul Bernier, chairman of the event, admits that organizing and running an ice-fishing derby of that magnitude is “quite an ordeal.”
ers to submit an application after September 1 for events occurring the following winter. Contest organiz-
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ers must provide their name and address, the rules of the derby, the body or bodies of water to be fished, the dates and times of the derby, and the prize structure. Fishing derbies can’t be held on lakes or ponds with surface areas of less than 100 acres if the waters are managed by the DIF&W for cold-water species (trout, salmon (Continued on page 22)
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22 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Ice Fishing Derby (Continued from page 20)
or togue), or if the issuance of a permit would be inconsistent with the fisheries management objectives of the waters involved. The total cash value of prizes to be awarded at any single fishing derby (excluding door prizes) cannot exceed $10,000, except when the derby is of a regional or statewide nature, involves more than a single body of water, or involves only waters not man-
aged by the DIF&W for cold-water fish species, in which case the total cash value of prizes awarded (excluding door prizes) can’t exceed $25,000. Watching Out for Fraud Derby organizers must also keep their eyes open for fraud. In a summer fishing derby in a Midwestern state, for example, fish were submitted that were found to have lead weights in their
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bellies. The anglers lost all their winnings and prizes (including from previous contests), and spent 10 days in jail. Here in Maine, a fish brought in for weighing at a derby last year reportedly had the wrinkled skin and opaque eyes of a fish caught weeks earlier at a different lake and kept in a freezer awaiting the derby date. Other Organizational Challenges Still want to start an ice-fishing derby? There are plenty of other important details that organizers need to think about. Of foremost concern is safe ice. Derby officials are responsible for ensuring that the ice is thick enough to accommodate all participants and staff, their vehicles and equipment. Organizers must establish and enforce sensible speed limits by those driving motorized vehicles through the derby “village.” Alcohol consumption (yes, Virginia, adult beverages sometimes make an appearance
at ice fishing derbies) must be monitored during the event. Slow Fishing; Warm Weather Given that ice-fishing derbies are often scheduled months, if not years, in advance, there is always the risk that the fishing will be slow or even non-existent. There have been some derbies in Maine (such as one held on Schoodic Lake in Brownville during the 1970s) when barely a single flag flew all weekend. Weather plays a major part in derby operations, as well. Many derbies that were on the docket in 2022 had to be canceled due to open water or thin ice. These are just some of the things potential derby organizers must consider before “going public” with their plans. Go-To Source Who better to advise and caution new derby sponsors than Paul Bernier, chairman of the Long Lake Ice-Fishing Derby. “We started out 18 years ago with one lake and about 200 participants,” Bernier
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ICE FISHING DERBY Presented by Lovell Lions Club
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said. “Last year, we fished on 10 lakes, and more than 1,800 fishermen registered for the event.” Bernier admitted that organizing and running an ice-fishing derby of that magnitude is “quite an ordeal.” “We improved every year, adding more prizes, categories and sponsorships,” he said, noting that there are six levels of sponsors ranging from $100 to $1,500. “Our opening ceremony prizes are worth $2,500 to $3,000 in fishing gear and equipment,” he added. “We gave out over $23,000 in derby prizes for winning fish last year.” Asked what potential derby organizers should expect, Bernier said it all depends on the size of the event. “The more private and corporate sponsors you have, the more you can do,” he pointed out. “We have raised enough money to run the derby plus give $120,000 to a local cancer fund, with a pledge for an additional $60,000. All of this comes from our sponsors and participants.” Bernier further advised would-be derby promoters to “get organized.” “Have a chairman, a treasurer, a photographer, and people who will handle all the applications,” he said. “We have nearly 30 outlets distributing registrations, and a web page to help make the process easier.” Bernier is generous with his time, and said that anyone seeking advice on organizing a Maine ice-fishing derby for 2024 could contact him at (207) 227-5252.
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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 23
— Ice Fishing Special —
Camping on the Ice? Stay warm with a Foam-Tile Floor by Sam Wheeler In late March, 2023 my girlfriend and I took a trip to Jackman to squeeze in a little more ice fishing and snowmobiling before the season ended. After an amazing day on trails that were still in excellent shape despite the less-than-ideal weather, we loaded the sled back on the trailer. The next day, we headed towards Big Wood Pond, also in Jackman. I was taking her on her first-ever camping trip. Some may argue taking her out in 30-degree temperatures on the ice was a little aggressive for a first-time experience, but I knew I could make it enjoyable. I’d already camped on the ice earlier in the year in much colder weather, and since then I had brainstormed a few ways to improve my setup. One of the biggest changes I wanted to make was adding some sort of flooring to my shack, so I started doing some research. About a week before our trip, I went to Home Depot and picked up 16 25”-by-25” foam tiles that were about half an inch thick. I measured the dimensions of my Eskimo four-man shelter beforehand, so I knew exactly how many tiles I needed to get. The total price was around $250. While this might seem expensive, it’s well worth the investment if you plan on winter camping as much as I do. Insulating the Floor After snowmobiling down the pond a ways, I found a good spot to set up camp right off the shore. After shoveling out a level spot in the snow, we broke out the foam tiles. The best way I can describe putting together the tiles is that it’s like piecing together a really big and simple puzzle. Each tile is exactly like a puzzle piece – none have square edges, but they came with interlocking edge pieces that help turn it into a perfect square. This entire setup process only took about ten minutes. Heat Source We then set up the shack over the floor, and started bringing some of the gear inside. This included our cots, a few
Although it’s great to survive a camping trip in a shelter on the ice, it’s better to actually be comfortable.
The author assembles the foam tiles that will insulate his ice shelter’s floor from the frozen surface of Wood Pond in Jackman.
tote boxes, and a Mr. Buddy Heater. I found a few short branches in the woods and made a makeshift stand to put the heater on, to keep it a couple of inches off the floor. Although Mr. Buddy Heaters are indoor-safe, it’s always good to err on the side of caution. Once camp was set up, we went outside to start cooking and enjoying the 30-degree weather. That was the nice thing about camping that time of year –
It’s clear that a warm ice shack makes for a very happy camper.
you could feel the start of spring in the air. However, I knew this would not be the case most of the time when winter camping. That’s why the foam tile floor is a difference-maker. No Need for Boots When I had camped on the ice earlier that year, the temperature was barely above zero at night, and although I stayed warm, I found that I had to keep my boots on inside the shack. Setting down insulated flooring not only gives you the luxury of walking around in something lighter (like shoes or socks), but it also keeps the inside of the shack much warmer, so you don’t need to be bundled up in every single layer of clothing you were wearing outside. When I’m camping in January and February of 2024, I know temperatures will be a lot colder during the day and even more frigid at night. This is when I’ll be spending a lot more time inside, and having that buffer between my feet and the ground will make an already magical experience, even better. If you are interested in winter camping or have camped before, but without a floor, I suggest getting some foam tiles or building your own floor out of wood. Either way, you will not regret it. Here’s What to Bring for Winter Camping In addition to your shack or shelter, I recommend bringing the following items on an overnight winter camping trip: • sleeping bag • collapsible chair • collapsible table • small tote boxes • pillow • extra clothing • cooler • cot • food and water • lantern • traps, bait and license • carbon monoxide detector • dishes/utensils • tarp (Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com
24 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Camping on Ice (Continued from page 23)
• • • • • • • •
propane fully-charged phone power station (with port for phone charger) floor (wood or foam tiles) heater headlamp broom grill
• • • • •
medication lighters/matches shovel extra tie-downs for shack first aid kit
Things you should do before going on your trip: • pay attention to the weather • pack plenty of gear (always better to overpack) • leave a note on your dashboard (or somewhere very visible in your vehicle)
that says where you’re camping and when you’ll be back; leave both your contact and emergency contact information. • hope for things to go smoothly, but plan for things to go wrong; be ready to make adjustments, or even to have an exit strategy if things get too uncomfortable. • if you’re a first-time camper, pick a lake you’re familiar with, and if possible, one that’s not too far from home.
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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 25
The Real Story Behind the Photo – Snowmobiles on Katahdin by Tim Caverly
Recently, a photograph of two snowmobiles on Baxter Peak, the summit of Maine’s highest mountain, circulated throughout social media. The accompanying written material mistakenly identified my brother Buzz Caverly as one of the men who had reached the summit. I contacted Buzz about the photo, and conducted some additional research. Let me share with you what I learned about the picture.
the last caribou was freed, a dangerous weather front arrived, so the pilots dropped the nettings, so that the equipment could be recovered later. “That next March, Park Supervisor Helon Taylor requested from IF&W that Warden Elmer Knowlton accompany BSP Ranger Rodney Sargent on snowmobiles to the tableland, where they were to look for caribou tracks and determine if the abandoned nets could be brought out. “Planning for the trip, Warden Knowlton perused Katahdin from the top of Powerhouse Hill on the Golden Road to seek the easiest route of travel for their Ski-doo and Moto-Ski machines. The trek to the summit was going to be difficult.
The “Sleds on the Peak” photo.
1963 was a Busy Time at Baxter Park My brother, who served the park for 46 years as ranger and director, contributed the following information: “In the fall of 1963, due to an agreement between the Province of Newfoundland and the State of Maine, there was a caribou-stocking project to place 24 Newfoundland caribou on the plateau of Katahdin. Once in Maine, the animals were penned in Caribou Pit in T2R9, near the southern entrance of BSP. “From there, the animals were transported in cargo nets one at a time by National Guard helicopters to the tableland, where they were released. After
Aerial view of Katahdin – tough sledding.
“The duo approached Katahdin from the rugged terrain of the mountain’s Northwest side. There were places where the two men lifted the sleds up and over ledges, while the steepness of other grades required them to lean their transportation into the mountain, causing the outside ski to dangle in free air. “After reaching the tableland, they found the ground covered with so much ice and hard crust that it was impossible to locate the nets.”
Upward “After proceeding from the tableland to Baxter Peak, the men used Supervisor Helon Taylor’s new Polaroid camera to record the parked snowmobiles. However, due to the cold, the photograph could not be removed from the camera, so only one picture was taken. “While authorities expected to retrieve the cargo nets later, they were unable to return that winter. The following hiking season, the park did not receive any reports about people seeing the nets.” Snowmobiles in the Park The history of snowmobile use in the park is recorded in Legacy of a Lifetime – The Story of Baxter Park, by Dr. John W. Hakola. Hakola wrote: “Snowmobiles in the park were not really noticed until 1964 or early 1965, when an article titled “A Day on the Mountain” appeared in the Bangor Daily News that featured popular drives that snowmobile owners were making in the [Katahdin] area.” The photograph of the two sleds atop Baxter Peak accompanied that feature. At that point, writes Hakola, “[a]n irate reader mailed a copy of the picture of Knowlton’s and Sargent’s machines on Baxter Peak to Governor Baxter. The Governor contacted BSP Supervisor Taylor, writing they would discuss the matter on Baxter’s trip north. Initially, Taylor recommended allowing people to enjoy the park with their motorized toboggans, while early on Baxter asked that the machines be restricted to only park roads. “Later, the Governor had a change of heart, when he wrote to Taylor, ‘These skis should be prohibited in the park, ex(Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com
26 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Snowmobiles on Katahdin (Continued from page 25)
cept one for you as Supervisor to use in case of emergencies. I feel strongly about this, for they will frighten away wild animals, and we certainly would not see a caribou again. This same reason prompted us to forbid the use of motorboats on our lakes. I can see the damage
they would cause.’” Hokala concludes with the following: “Taylor acknowledged a game warden and park ranger had made it to the top of the mountain, confirming that he had ordered the ascent to search for caribou tracks and any equipment left behind. “The Governor stressed: ‘I would be much pleased if the AUTHORITY would add this to the list of what is forbidden in their regulations. Please bring this to
the attention of the AUTHORITY members, for this is the time to kill it.’”* *Legacy of a Lifetime-The Story of Baxter Park, by Dr. John W. Hakola pp. 122123 Tim Caverly has authored twelve volumes about Maine’s northern forest. www.allagashtails.com
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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 27
— Snowmobiling Special —
2024 Snow-Season Events by Steve Carpenteri
With Maine’s snowmobile contingent locked and loaded for another season on the trails, the question of the day becomes: “What’s our destination this weekend?” Most avid riders already know that Maine has over 4,000 miles of club-maintained trails, in addition to 14,000 miles of well-maintained primary trails known as the Interconnected Trail System (ITS) throughout the state. And although trails are fun, sooner or later riders will want to enjoy some off-trail entertainment. Here’s a look at some of the snow-related events going on in Maine this winter:
Snowmobile races, dog sled races, skijoring and the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show all offer fun ways to get through Maine’s winter months.
The 2024 International Wilderness Sled Dog Race will take place in the Moosehead Lake Region. Events include a 35-mile and a 60-mile sled dog race, as well as Skijoring races (shown here) with one or two dogs. Photo credit: PhotoBobil/Flickr
Rangeley Snodeo Weekend, January 25-28 The Rangeley Snowmobile Club’s annual Snodeo Week-
end includes Casino Night, a chili chowder cook-off, an auction, a parade, snow sculptures, and fireworks. The club is especially proud of its flawless-
ly-groomed Ronald. W. Sargent Trail System. The Rangeley Region usually has trail-quality snow from December through March, but conditions
can vary from month to month. Check the club’s Facebook and web pages for updates, as well as its live trailcam images for up-tothe-minute trail conditions. In addition, the club’s various sites offer information on parking, lodging and dining opportunities for visiting snowmobilers. Log onto www. rangeleysnowmobile. com for grooming and events updates. Lincoln Snowhounds Snowmobile Races, Saturday, February 3 The Lincoln Snowhounds, located at 155 Town Farm Road in Lincoln, will host (Continued on next page)
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28 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Snow Events (Continued from page 27)
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WARNING: Arctic Cat snowmobiles can be hazardous to operate. For your safety, all riders should read and understand their owner’s manual and safety instructions. Always wear an approved helmet and other safety apparel. Be aware of natural hazards you may encounter and don’t drink and ride. All scenes depicted or described were performed by professional riders under carefully controlled conditions. Never attempt to duplicate these maneuvers or encourage others to do so. Arctic Cat recommends that all operators take a safety training course. For safety and training information, please see your local dealer. ©2024 Arctic Cat Inc. All rights reserved.
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snowmobile races on February 3. Classes include Youth 120cc, 200cc, Junior (17 and younger), women’s, Masters (age 45 and older), and six additional categories. This year, they are adding a “Run What Chu Brung” for any size cc sled (stock, modified or race). Overall winnngs: $2,000. For updates, follow the club’s progress on Facebook at “Lincoln-Snowhounds-Snowmobile-Club”. Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races, Fort Kent, March 2 Organizers have planned high quality racing events designed for the enjoyment of mushers, spectators, and dog teams. All three Can-Am Crown races (the 250-, 100and 30-mile races) offer highly accessible starts on Fort Kent’s Main Street, and comfortably-viewed finishes at Lonesome Pine ski lodge in Fort Kent. The Can-Am Crown 250 also has designated spectator points in the towns of Portage Lake and Allagash. There are no fees to view the races. Mushers can register and pay online. Last year’s winners took home a share of a $29,000 purse. For more information including race rules and online registration, log onto www.can-amcrown.net. International Wilderness Sled Dog Race, Feb. 10 The 2024 International Wilderness Sled
Dog Race will take place in the Moosehead Lake Region. Included will be the 35mile, 60-mile, 4 Dog, and Skijoring races. One of only two long distance races in New England, the 60- and 35-mile races have become very popular in the racing community. This is a well-organized race on trails that traverse mountains and lakes. This year, organizers plan a four-mile sprint race with teams of three to four dogs, as well as a Skijor race with one to two dogs. For registration details, lodging and other information, log onto www.100milewildernessrace.org. Lancaster, NH Snow Derby, January 21 and March 10 The 2024 Lancaster Snow Derby features vintage snowmobile races. Organizers offer 25 different race classes, including 1975 and older, plus 1985 and older as well as a Pro-600 2000 and under liquid-cooled class. The club usually has more than 150 registrants for each race day. Races are held at the Lancaster Fair Grounds, which feature the only half-mile track in New England. The track is 50 feet wide, and is groomed using the club’s 1979 Tucker Sno-Cat. There is also a separate kids’ track that is 30 feet wide and nearly 900 feet long. To download race (Snow Events continued on page 31)
��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 29
Early Smelting and Hare Hunting Up North Regardless of season, Long Lake is arguably the most popular and productive big fish water in northern Aroostook. Time your visit correctly, and the smelt-fishing action can be life-altering; I’ve enjoyed smelt jigging so fast it was difficult to manage two lines. On several occasions, last December for one, two handliners pulled in 100 smelt between them in just over an hour. The performance was repeated the next morning in 75 minutes! The truly astonishing addendum to this awesome angling is that open water was still visible at several sites in the deeper middle section of Long Lake. In recent years, the unpredictable global warming trend has arrived with rain and warm temperatures after a week or two of temperatures in the teens. Snow cover dissipates but ice remains – much more in some lakes than others – and on some lakes the ice will exhibit vast differences in thickness depending where you are on the lake. When and Where Early season ice fishing, regardless of time or lake, is all about testing the ice and never trusting or assuming. If you don’t live on or near Long Lake, or have a friend who does, then it’s going to mean a drive
In this month’s column, our Aroostook County columnist covers it all – from “astonishing” biglake smelt fishing action, to hare hunting without hounds, and then back to ice angling, plumbing the smaller lakes and ponds for brookies, splake and brown trout.
While a pair of snowshoes will help distribute an angler’s weight and also ease travel in deeper snow, it’s still crucial to check ice thickness this month. Photos provided by the author
and see-for-yourself outing. After a couple of weeks of frigid, well-below freezing temperatures, it’s likely several coves will have safe ice depths. Use a sharp, heavy ice chisel or auger to test
thickness; I try every 15 yards and if there’s not three inches of solid ice, I call it a day. For a couple of anglers and a portable, pop-up smelt shanty, my goal is four inches of ice; for a snowmo-
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30 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 31
Handlining for smelt – Maine’s smallest game fish – can be fast and furious this month. As soon as safe ice depths form, the author uses a multi-hook line. Once in a great while, he enjoys a rare triple on smelt.
The County
Bill Graves felt safe enough on three inches of ice to use a jig rod. This small urbanedge lake was easy to reach, and fishing proved active only 30 feet from shore.
(Continued from page 29)
crimp-on sinker about half the size of a pencil eraser goes 10 to 12 inches above the hook. A couple of Long Lake natives swear by a very small-bladed silver or pearl spinner as an attention-getter. My 30 yards of mono and terminal tackle is wound on an 8-inch wooden lathe with a V cut into each end. This rig prevents tangling when several are tossed together in my pack basket, and the rig will float when chilly fingers fumble the outfit into the fishing hole. Map 68 in DeLorme’s Atlas will overview Long Lake covering almost a dozen grids, and newcomers will be able to discern several obvious coves, but anglers will really need to be at the lake to pick out a few of the smaller ones. Use Route 161 between Caribou and Fort Kent, then turn east onto 162 which parallels the entire eastern shoreline. Lake Shore Road offers access to the opposite side and the coves there. Early season is prime, but be
sure and be safe on the ice. Hop To It Over the last decade, I’ve become less and less enamored with mid-winter hare hunting on snowshoes. Early January and late March have provided far more productive and less-strenuous outings, especially with no beagles to stir up the action. Lower snow depths allow better access wearing only mid-thigh boots into top-rate covers
offering consistent action, even at mid-day. March mating season keeps amorous rabbits out and about, hopping and bopping all day long, not just dusk and dawn, and this month the rain and warming trends frequently yield bare ground. White snowshoe hares on brown ground help even up the odds a bit for us “walk, stalk, stop and scan” hunters. Excessive spring rain really lowered partridge hatch survival, and hunting was tough this autumn. Rabbit populations
The advantages of a portable ice shanty, besides protection from the elements, is the light weight and quick set-up that allow changing locations from lake to lake, and less ice thickness for safe support in comparison to a heavy wooden shack.
suffered no such depletion, however – if my sightings during upland bird and deer season are any indication, gunning should be great. As with many game animals throughout the Crown of Maine, whether it walks, flys or hops there’s probably a cover to hunt within a 15-minute drive of home. Route 1A between Fort Fairfield and Limestone offers dozens of wood lots, hedge rows, and second-growth fields which abound with bunnies. Check adjacent
The Most Remote Hunting in the North Maine Woods Wilderness
fields along the Old East Road, and near Cloney Brook near the old railroad line and the Goodrich Cross Road. DeLorme, Map 65, B-3 offers an overview. To the south, the old B & A rail line – now an ATV/snowmobile trail – between Bridgewater and Robinson, yields access to dozens of stalk-andspot rabbit thickets. When snow depths remain 8” or less, this is a perfect locale for houndless hunters. DeLorme’s Map 59, B-4 will get visitors started just off Route 1 (Continued on next page)
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32 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
On occasion, rain and unusually warm weather will take all the snow from Aroostook woodlands, and when that occurs, white rabbits on brown ground offer a benefit to hunters.
Rudy St Peter and Beaver Pierce enjoyed easy walking and a productive hunt thanks to light snow cover and unusually warm conditions for a New Year.
The County (Continued from page 31)
across from the Packard Road. Early Local Lakes Once again, anxious Aroostook ice drillers are at the mercy of old man winter, Mother Nature and nippy Jack Frost for safe fishing conditions, but a handful of smaller urban-edge waterways will be fishable by mid-month. Arnold
Brook Lake, just off the Niles Road about 10 minutes from Maine Street in Presque Isle, is a likely option. It’s what I would call a “put and take” waterway – 1,100 fourteen-inch trout were stocked in October, and a number of large holdover fish from the spring stocking and previous years should
Snow Events (Continued from page 28)
forms and for more information, log onto www.lancasternhrotary.org 3rd Annual King of the Mountain Hill Climb, Saddleback Mountain, Rangeley, April 19 & 20 In 2023, the 2nd King of the Mountain Snowmobile Hill Climb at Saddleback Mountain attracted 310 riders and 626 entries. This event grows every year, and draws racers and spectators from all over New England. Races will be held from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The event’s Facebook page will become more active as the dates get closer. In addition, race details, registration and more information can be found at www.saddlebackmaine.com. Island Falls “Tame the Track Tour 2024” – January 20, February 17 and March 9 This winter’s races in Island Falls will be held on January 20th, Februwww.MaineSportsman.com
yield consistent action. The lake is simple to reach over wellplowed roads, and at least a dozen towns and villages are within a 30-minute drive. A large area is available for parking and an easy, short walk to set tip-ups and even watch from the vehicles makes it a great spot to take youngsters and novice “hard water fishermen.” I know local folks who
This trio of hare hunters had no problem spotting the white rabbits on the bare ground, after an unusual wave of warm rain and weather made snow disappear.
drive out during their lunch hour, set a couple of traps, and eat while they watch and wait for a flag. See DeLorme’s Map 65, grid E-1. Other possible safe early options to check out include Conroy Lake in Monticello for brook trout and splake, Hodgeon Mill Pond for brown trout, and Spaulding Lake near Oakfield for brookies. Farther north, possi-
ary 17th and March 9th. The February 17th races also include radar runs. For more information, review the event organizers’ Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/lastchancesnox. Free Non-Resident Snowmobile Weekend, March 8-10 During this weekend, a snowmobiler from another state or province may operate a snowmobile in Maine (no reciprocity necessary), so long as the operator has a valid registration from the rider’s home state or province. State of Maine Sportsman’s Show, Augusta Civic Center, Friday April 19 - Sunday April 21 And as the winter’s snows melt and trout-fishing season arrives, The Maine Sportsman magazine, in partnership with the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM), will sponsor the 42nd State of Maine Sportsman’s Show, Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21 at the Augusta Civic Center. Carol Lund, The Maine Sports-
bilities include Durepo and Trafton Lakes in Limestone, and all of these spots received generous late fall trout stocking. Be sure to check regulations for each individual location as there are specific trap and fish limits in place. More important, be safe: it’s only January, and checking ice depths is just common sense.
¶
man’s office manager and show organizer, reported that “last year’s show was a huge success, attracting more than 9,000 people, and this year we expect even more. In addition to 120 vendor booths, we will offer three days of seminars and activities for all ages, including the Art contest, the Game Camera contest, working dog demonstrations, and the Turkey Calling Contest for kids. “We are also bringing back the popular State of Maine surplus firearms auction, which will take place on Sunday April 21. Your show ticket will get you into the auction.” Lund noted that exhibitor spaces are filling up quickly with returning vendors. New vendors that are on the waiting list for booths will hear from her in mid-January. For more information, log onto www.mainesportsman.com and follow the links to the Maine Sportsman Show.
¶
��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 33
Call Me Deer by Mike Stevens The 2023 deer season has just passed us by. Seems each deer season brings stories, lessons, and memories. I have seen decades of deer seasons, but nary a bad one. Why would this season be any different? It wasn’t. I had to guide the first week of rifle season. My client George and I hunted on snow Monday morning. Too much snow, as it snowed and blew at two inches an hour for most of the morning. We hunted as hard as two old guys could for a week, and saw several deer, but failed to kill anything. On My Own The second week of the season, I was free from guiding and planned to hunt. I returned to a place we’d hunted the week before. George and I had both called in bucks here, and the deer sign was heavy. The snow had melted off, but a cold frosty morning with moving bucks suits me just fine. At dawn, I walked up an old road that ran at the bottom of a steep hillside. The deer had several travel routes at the base of the hill and across the road. I walked about a half mile, stopping several times to listen in the still morning. Suddenly, I heard the sound of running deer, but then they stopped. I could hear them walking about, then a
faint bleat. I smiled. They were moving along the bottom of the hill towards a wood-yard that formed a pinch point. I had to get there while the deer were preoccupied and far enough away from me. I hustled as fast as I could about 200 yards up the tote road, and ducked into some fir trees. As things settled down, I could hear the deer milling around about 150 yards up the beech ridge. I heard one more bleat, and then things went quiet. I blew on my bleat can a couple of times, followed by a couple of soft medium grunts. I could hear occasional rustling. I let a few minutes go by, before I grunted a few more light grunts. Now, I could hear a deer walking. At about 80 yards, the deer walked out into a grassy area. I could see it was a small buck. He stayed covered up by the swamp grass, offering no shot. I waited. He rubbed a tree, walked forward, and rubbed another tree. I raised my Henry 360 Buckhammer, and fired. He dropped, got up and turned around. I fired two more 200 grain Core-lokts at him, connecting again on the last one. Calling Deer As I stood over my buck, I relived the last 30 minutes. What a quick but exciting hunt! In recent years,
I have been successful calling my bucks in. This day was no different. Though this buck never grunted himself, he came to an area with a few signpost rubs and other random rubs, off a wellused deer trail. My scouting had told me this, explaining why I wanted to get to that pinch-point. Calling Tips: I developed my calling technique from 50 years of being in the deer woods, both guiding and hunting. I use the sounds I’ve heard the most from deer in the wild. I remember being a young hunter. I’d hear a buck grunt, and never knew what I was hearing. I remember thinking it was tree frogs or some bird. I will say, most bucks I hear in the big woods don’t grunt very loudly. So when using a grunt tube in a quiet forest setting, use soft to medium grunts, lasting 3-4 seconds. In windy conditions, increase the loudness. When using a bleat can, I remove the tape, and use my mouth to blow into the call. This method has caught on recently, as I have talked about it in my deer seminars. I believe this allows me to control the volume and tone. I have heard lots of does bleat in the wild, and seldom is it loud and drawn out. I blow to make a soft bleat, changing the tone at the end.
Mike Stevens and his 2023 buck, which he called by blowing softly on a bleat can and also using a grunt call. Note the signpost rub and other rub on the trees in the background.
I call when I feel or know that I’m around deer. This is the big piece when calling deer. When I reach a spot to call, I let the woods calm. Waiting 10-15 minutes is good before calling.
If you told me 25 years ago that I’d be calling in my bucks and not tracking, I’d chuckle. There’s a lot to be said for calling a buck out of an ugly (Big Woods World continued on page 35)
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34 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
A New Hunting Device, and New Thoughts on Hunting The big doe I’d been watching for nearly an hour, finally started walking closer to me. When she hit the 30-yard mark with no signs of stopping, I started to draw my bow. At three-quarter draw, I felt an extremely sharp pain in my shoulder, and audibly grunted. The doe must have heard me. She quickly bolted back to 35 yards. I gained my composure, attempted to take aim, and was literally seeing stars. By the time the pain subsided and I could
focus, the doe was at 45 yards. I let down, and again the pain was excruciating. With a bowhunting trip to Indiana just weeks away, I had a significant problem. If I couldn’t draw my bow, what would I do? After a call to my doctor, the realization I couldn’t get an MRI for over a month, and a call to the outfitter, I knew what I had to do. I contacted my friend, Larry Darby, at The Maine Outdoor Sportsman in Northport. He’d be assisting me in finding a cross-
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bow. As a youngster, and throughout my 44 years of hunting with traditional and modern archery equipment, I swore I’d never use a crossbow. In all honesty, they aren’t a bow. I’ve never thought they should be allowed during a regular archery season. The firearm-like accuracy, lack of movement required for a shot, and extended range of crossbows make them more efficient, all without the practice required with a primitive or compound bow. However, recently, I’d had many friends use crossbows and make a case for them. Was I changing my mind? Biting the Bullet Long story short, I received great service at Maine Outdoor Sportsman. Larry was
The author pictured with his first-ever deer with the crossbow. The adult 9½-10½ year-old doe was taken on the author’s birthday. Though Joe was excited about taking the doe, he says the feeling was different than harvesting a deer with a compound.
knowledgeable and helpful. I picked out a Ravin RX5, as it was an affordable, middleof-the-road model from Ravin. At 400 FPS or
more, this thing was 35% faster than my compound. That speed meant flatter trajectory, too. I shot it at 30 (Continued on next page)
��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 35 (Continued from page 34)
yards, and was hitting a 1” target every time. I liked shooting it, and my shoulder never hurt. I took the crossbow home, and was hunting the next afternoon. After an uneventful sit my first evening, my friend Dan called me. Dan had been hunting public land close to my home, and had seen multiple deer in a freshly-cut cornfield. He said, “This field is small – I bet it’d be perfect for the crossbow.” I agreed to meet him there later that afternoon. Fresh Sign I met Dan by 2:45 pm. I quickly found fresh sign in the corner of the cornfield, cleared out a spot five yards off the field edge, and waited. At approximately 5:15, a doe and fawn came out of the woods 30 yards away. A few branches prevented a clear shot, and the deer ended up at 50 yards before they were in the open.
I hadn’t shot the crossbow that far yet, and knew lots could happen with a shot that far, so I passed. About 20 minutes before legal, another doe and fawn came out of the same spot. These two seemed in a rush. They were being pushed by two young bucks. The tall six-point and three-point walked right to an open area, 30 yards from me. I had a clear shot, but I wasn’t using my buck tag on either of these guys. As the bigger buck fed in front of me, the younger buck turned his attention to the doe. He walked toward her, and I thought they’d leave the field. Instead, the doe doubled back, in an attempt to lose the buck. She ended up just 22 yards from me. I took aim, and pulled the trigger. At the shot, I heard the bolt hit home very quickly. I watched the doe run out into the field, stumble, but keep running back to the corner. As she
disappeared, I made note of the entry spot and listened. I heard branches breaking, but no major crash. I had a good rest, and knew the shot was good. I texted Dan that I’d shot, and he texted back that he’d meet me in 10 minutes. With five minutes of legal light remaining, I began my search for blood, and found plenty. When Dan arrived, we took the blood trail into the woods. Surprisingly, the doe had
gone about 90 yards, and expired. Usually, a double-lung hit ends a deer in 50 yards or less. Contemplating the Hunt We dragged her out and loaded her in Dan’s truck. I had my first kill with the crossbow and a birthday doe. Life was good, but the feeling was certainly different. Taking my first deer with a crossbow was satisfying, and admittedly a little cool. However, I didn’t
Big Woods World (Continued from page 33)
spruce swamp and onto a tote road for a clean kill shot. Good luck on the trail. Hal’s Thoughts Like Mike, I have called in plenty of deer over the past thirty years. On those cold, crunchy mornings, it is prime time to call, as sounds travel far. Not only can deer hear calls from a long way, but also we can also hear deer
have the same feeling I normally did after using my compound. This kill felt more like a gun kill, which I also enjoy, but in a different way. I was happy to have a deer for the freezer. I was happy to have an option to continue hunting, even though I was injured. It wasn’t the bow-kill I longed for; however, I might like it more than I thought I would.
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walking in the leaves from quite a distance. Calls don’t always work, but they work often enough to use them at the right time and place. Grunts and bleats work great, but rattling also works at times. Rattling seems to work more often before the rut. I think it’s because the bucks might want to see which other bucks are in their territory. If you put some calling techniques into your deer-hunting arsenal, you might just bring in that buck of a lifetime.
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36 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
— Guest Column —
Here’s Looking at You by David E. Petzal, Cumberland I’ve been hunting whitetails in Maine since 2003. For fifteen of those years, I’ve been parked in an elevated box blind that overlooks a trail between a swamp to the east and a high ridge to the west. Deer that made the commute from one to the other moved right along, and in the past, the blind seldom got so much as a glance. Two years ago, however, an eating-size spike paused and not only looked at the stand, he looked into it, and he looked at me. Hard. He did not like what he saw. I had seen this sort of thing before, so I knew that I was allowed to do what the Army says you are allowed to do at the position of Attention: 1) breathe; and 2) look straight ahead. After perhaps a dozen seconds, he decided that whatever I was, I was harmless, so he dropped his head for a nibble on something, and that was when he had a collision with a rapidly moving object called a bullet. Recurrence I might have written this off as an unusually curious deer, except this year, hunting in the exact same place but in a ground blind, I saw the same thing happen. A doe, coming from the ridge on my right, made a tremendous leap, starting outside my field of vision, and www.MaineSportsman.com
Do you think you are safely out of sight of the deer if you’re in a blind, and that whitetails don’t adjust their behavior if they continually encounter hunters in blinds? Well, think again!
Photo: Rivers Edge Treestands; HuntRiversEdge.com
landed 25 yards away from my blind, looking directly into it. She knew what it was there for, and was getting a good look before she proceeded. Since I did not have a doe tag, she went on her way. The area where I hunt gets very little pressure, so these are not sophisticated deer, but now they know that if they want to
stay alive, they had better take note of blinds, and check them out carefully. Important to Avoid Movement Don’t assume that camo will help you. Movement is movement, and if you twitch, sneeze, reach for your binoculars, fiddle with your rifle, or do anything else,
your cover is blown. In South Carolina, where elevated-stand hunting has been the rule for generations, the deer will not even come into the open without doing reconnaissance. They wait in the high grass, taking a long, careful look at any space without cover, and if you fidget, you’ll never know they were there.
It would not surprise me to see this in Maine before long. Taking the Shot If you’ve successfully frozen yourself and passed inspection, you then have the problem of getting off a shot without any commotion. The way you solve this is to rehearse. First, figure out how you’re going to hold the rifle or bow so that you can acquire your target without looking like a semaphore signaler. Second, figure out how to do it quickly. More than one hunter has found that his rifle stock, which slipped smoothly into his shoulder at the range, is now way too long with a winter coat added. My deer rifle has a spacer between the recoil pad and the stock which I remove when the weather gets cold and I put on my heavy coat. And finally, learn to aim fast, and figure out what you want to shoot. Do you want an eating deer? If so, any legal deer will do. Do you want a trophy? If so, you’re going to have to decide in a couple of heartbeats if what you’re aiming at is good enough. If you shoot small bucks, you’ll never shoot a big one. Decide in advance what you want, and stick to your plan. There’s no time for anything else.
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Katahdin’s Winter Playground – Something for Everyone The New Year ushers in a time of reflection, promises and even a resolution or two. A few months back, I received a photo from my cousin of a nice eight-point buck. This photo caused me to do a double-take. A perfectly identifiable head was connected to a body feasted on by, one can only assume, coyotes, stripped clean to the rib cage. Now I’m speculating that a few opportunistic crows, ravens or other predators probably took advantage of the situation, too. In the past, I had made it a habit to spend New Year’s Day hunting coyotes on my cousin’s property. But, as life would have it, that tradition has fallen by the wayside over the last few years. The photo got me thinking about taking coyote hunting a little more seriously this year. I’m re-upping an old New Year’s tradition. But not for just one day. Game on for coyotes in 2024. Chasing Coyotes The options for coyote hunting include 1) chasing them with dogs; 2) sitting over bait; or 3) calling. Hunters sitting over bait often blend in some calls while watching the bait site. Chasing “yotes” with dogs requires hiring a guide who has dogs specifically trained to chase their
ply involves getting outside more. A short jaunt on my ash snowshoes, just to knock the cobwebs off, feels great. Usually, I’ll just stop along some interesting spot, and start picking my way in. Ideally, I’ll find a snowshoe hare track that I like the looks of, and see where that leads me. Of course, I always enjoy the jaunt more with my hands wrapped around my Savage Model 24. That multi-caliber gun has turned into my go-to stalking gun. It’s an over and under .410/22-magnum. Moving hares get a charge of number six shot. Bunnies holed up tight, gambling I don’t see them, get a single .22 magnum. I’m a big fan of the .22 magnum. There
The author is planning his activities for the New Year, including matching wits with coyotes, and seeking snowshoe hares with his Savage Model 24 .410/.22 magnum over-and under combo. wild cousins. Maine Sportsman columnist William Clunie has written about this pursuit in some of his excellent columns. I’ve never had the experience, but I hope to try it someday. Many guides maintain bait sites and even have heated shacks to wait out a cunning coyote’s next move. Hunting these canines over bait provides a clear path to success, because it’s well known that coyotes live hungry and die hungry. Hunger rates as their Achilles heel. Calling coyotes is a low-cost alternative for do-it-yourself types. A simple, mouth-operated dying rabbit call can easily start the ball rolling. For a little more investment, an electronic call can take
the guesswork out of “speaking coyote.” Circling Coyotes The internet is awash with tutorials on how to speak to these hungry predators. A key element of any hunt involves scent control. Easier said than done, because coyotes have a self-preserving tendency to circle before coming to a call. On one particular hunt, my dying rabbit call worked better than I could have imagined. I called in two coyotes in one session. The problem was one varmint came from a side I did not expect. That cagey coyote cleared the tote road before I could get a shot. Seconds later, out of the corner of my eye, I located another yote sneaking up behind me. I turned
quickly, but not quickly enough – gone in a flash. What I learned there was that it’s probably better to have two hunters working together. One strategy has the two separated, with one calling and the other watching for the circle move. Another approach has two hunters in the same blind, each covering 180 degrees. Had I done that, I really believe two shots would have rung out at the same time. I also learned to never assume I was hunting a lone coyote. Model 24 Shotgun/ Rimfire Combo A second re-up for the New Year sim-
(Katahdin Country continued on page 39)
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38 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Ice Fishing has its Challenges Frigid temperatures; gusty wind; near-zero visibility in the blowing, drifting snow – perhaps there was a reason why the parking lot next to the lake was empty on a frigid Sunday. I tucked my chin deep into my jacket as I trudged across frozen Lake George in Canaan (DeLorme Map 21, B-2). Steady gusts of wind rearranged a dusting of new snow. Visibility hovered near zero. Considering the conditions, I thought it best not to stray too far
from the boat ramp located off Route 2. I lost sight of that boat ramp a dozen steps later. Undaunted, I picked a spot and broke out my ice auger. Nothing like cranking on a manual powered ice auger to take one’s mind away from any semblance of common sense. Most
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rational thinkers were home watching a football game and drinking adult beverages on that cold, blustery Sunday afternoon. I guess I drove into the empty parking lot thinking, “Great, I’ve got this place all to myself.” Only a pessimist would wonder why everyone else stayed home. Fishing Policy Of course, my personal fishing policy mandates that I go fishing whenever time allows, regardless of conditions. Needless to say, this has resulted in some unpleasant and unproductive days on both water and ice. On the brighter side, I’ve done a lot of fish-
Many ice anglers take their hard-water fishing very seriously. All these “ice towns” lack is a town hall and a library. These towns light up the night when shack occupants are fishing for deep-water cusk. Photo: James Kirkikis
ing. I often quote my fishing buddy, Steve Carter, with one of his sayings that rings true to me. Carter’s comments have kept my fishing plans rolling forward regardless of weather. He firmly believes that there is no such thing as bad weather conditions, just bad gear. Carter’s comments have kept me fishing, regardless of what the always-wrong professional weather fore-
casters predict. Big Wood Pond Cold weather, a fair shake of snow, and the opening of the hard-water season bring out the dedicated ice anglers this month. Not all area ponds are open to ice fishing. Before heading out, please check the DIF&W website for updated regulations on specific ponds. With easy in-town access, Big Wood Pond, in Jackman (Map 39, (Continued on next page)
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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 39 (Continued from page 38)
B-4) gets hit pretty hard. That’s because it has a nice population of salmon, brook trout and splake (a hybrid brook trout/lake trout cross). However, astute observers might notice the “lighted” city of ice shacks operating well after the sun goes down. Those night owls have tilts set specifically for cusk (a form of freshwater cod). Big Wood has a reputation for not only having a large cusk population, but also having some very big specimens finning below the ice. Multiply all that information with cusk’s sweet tasting fillets, and it’s easy to see why so many ice shacks burn the midnight oil. Spencer Lake (Map 39, D-4) takes a little more effort to access. It’ll take 15 miles or so of traveling on Hardscrabble/Spencer Road. Backwoods travel this time of year rates as sketchy at best, so it’s important to be prepared for a rough passage.
Spencer Lake boasts populations of salmon, togue and some elusive brook trout. Also, some of those sweet-tasting cusks mentioned earlier also call Spencer Lake home. Ice Gear 2.0 It amazes me how far ice fishing gear has come since I started watching tilts. As I young lad, I remember getting cold. When I look back at old photos, it’s easy to see why. Back to Steve Carter’s comment about gear. We didn’t have bad gear; we had no gear. Today, it’s portable ice tents, propane or wood heaters, and battery-powered augers. Outdoor clothing has come a long way. Heated jackets look wind chill in the eye and don’t blink. I’ve jumped on board with updated winter clothing, chemically activated heat packs, and modern insulated underwear. However, I’m not planning to give up my wool Stormy Kromer hat anytime soon. Naming Ice Traps I still use the wood
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tilts that my father and grandfather used. Oh, I’ve updated the lines and replaced a few red felt flags, but they serve me just fine. Keeping it simple with a hand-powered auger has its ups and downs. The new battery powered units have caught my attention. I’m not a fan of wres-
tling with small gasoline engines – especially those that see only seasonal use. When ice fishing with my late friend Lenny Potvin, I observed how he had some of his ice traps named for friends and family who had passed on before him. Only Lenny would think up doing that. Now that he has passed, there will definitely be a “Lenny” trap in my arsenal. Weather Wins On that blustery afternoon I drilled five holes along Lake George’s shoreline.
Katahdin Country (Continued from page 37)
are a lot of .410/.22 long rifle Model 24’s out there. I had to really look around to get the .22 magnum. I just feel the extra powder gives me a little more range. Winter Wonderland Many outdoorsy types will take full advantage of the snow this year. Area snowmobile clubs do double-time, grooming trails. Some riders just enjoy cruising the region’s winter playground. However, those looking to hunt the aforementioned coyotes or the
By the time I finished the final crank on hole five, the previous holes had filled in with snow and had iced over. Tilt four, just a short distance away, disappeared in the white out. Call it bad gear, but regardless, I could see that I was done. As a rule, I don’t like to admit defeat. On this day I raised my red flags, packed up and headed for the parking lot. I chuckled when I found my formerly red, now white truck in the parking lot. Yup, all by itself.
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ever-concealed snowshoe hare will take advantage of the snowmobile’s ability to cut deep into the heart of Katahdin Country. Snowmobile trails also offer sharp-eyed hunters the chance to scan for tracks and game trails. Because most trails get groomed nightly, an early-morning ride serves up the freshest intel. A smaller but steadily growing portion of our outdoor community will take to cross-country skis, snowshoes, fat-tired bikes with snow studs and winter camping this month. Katahdin’s winter playground is open for business.
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40 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
2023 Maine Sportswomen Year in Review Maine has a powerful legacy of female sportsman, from Fly Rod Crosby, the first Registered Maine Guide, to Judy Camuso, the first female Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. As we enter 2024, let’s look back on some highlights and accomplishments by Maine sportswomen in 2023. Maine Women Hunters Maine Women Hunters (MWH), a Facebook community of nearly 7,000 members I founded in 2018, organized 18 events for over 200 women in 2023. The events are tailored for all experience levels, and provide opportunities to network and find friends in your area. Many women new to hunting feel more comfortable learning in an environment with other women. The 4th annual MWH ice fishing meet-up was at Lower Range Pond in February. Anglers brought friends and family, and grilled food to share, including beaver and venison. Johnna Ferland caught the biggest fish of the day – a 4-lb brown trout, on a shiner.
The 4th annual Maine Women Hunters ice fishing meet up was at Lower Range Pond. Credit: Travis Elliott
Women’s-Only Tracking Clinic In May, Hal Blood hosted a special women’s-only deer tracking clinic at his remote camp near Jackman. For three days, attendees learned about how to find sign post rubs (rubs used annually
It was another productive (and adventurous) year for the growing ranks of Maine sportswomen. in the same location), how to scout from the road, and how to age and identify buck tracks in the snow. We also received a refresh on map and compass skills. Year-Round Maine Outdoorswoman In the news, Jesika Lucarelli was featured as “Year-Round Maine Outdoorswoman” by North American Outdoorsman magazine. Saltwater Angling June saw ladies getting out on the water, and many rods were bent by striped bass. Two large head boats – the Bunny Clark and the Touch of Gray – were chartered for ground fishing trips, which took 40 anglers offshore in search of haddock, pollock and whiting
Forty anglers set out on the Bunny Clark and the Touch of Gray for a day of groundfishing. Credit: Touch of Gray
An all-ladies trip on the Allagash River. Many women feel more comfortable learning in an environment with other women. Credit: Canoe the Wild
her first fish ever, and nobody joined the swim team in Chase Stream Rapids! Hunting and Trapping Bear season seemed slow, due to the amount of natural food in the woods. However, Maine Guide Erica Jewell trapped a 463-lb bruin in Shirley.
Guide Erica Jewell trapped a 463-lb boar in Shirley. Credit: Erica Jewell
Hunters warmed up for upland and waterfowl seasons with two sporting clays clinics at L.L.Bean, for the fourth year in a row. The instructors were wonderful, and the lesson is appropriate for first-time firearm handlers and seasoned veterans alike. Kudos for Terrie McDaniel, who never missed a clay, and Laurie
Andrea Kelley with a pollock aboard the Touch of Gray. Credit: Andrea Kelley
Hal Blood hosted a deer-tracking clinic at his remote camp near Jackman. Credit: Christi Elliott www.MaineSportsman.com
Allagash Trip A group of ten women spent five days canoeing the Allagash River with Canoe the Wild. We had high water, and the bugs were not bad. Tessa Marino caught
The 5th Annual MWH Pheasant Hunt is a great place to practice hunting over dogs and shooting birds on the wing. Credit: Silverton’s Sporting Ranch (Continued on next page)
��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 41 (Continued from page 40)
Gonyea, who shot her first grouse on the wing after the class! Small game hunts are always action-packed. Shooting skills were put to the test at the Maine Women Hunters’ 5th annual pheasant hunt at Silverton’s Sporting Ranch in Canaan. Here, some ladies hunted over a dog for the first time. Other hunts included hunting sea ducks with Marsh River Outfitters,
hunting puddle ducks with Reddog Guide Service, and hare hunting with Briar Run Outfitters. Whitetail Season The most popular pursuit for female hunters in Maine is for white-tailed deer. Kari Leighton shot her first deer in fifteen years – a 221-lb brute Downeast in Deblois. Amanda Jandreau shot a 241-lb eight pointer in Caribou. Trends Over the past decade, the number of
women hunters in Maine has increased by about 40%. In 2020, there were approximately 23,723 licensed female hunters, making up nearly 15% of all licenses. Men, women and families are taking advantage of all our great state has to offer, from fishing for brook trout after work, to hunting moose in the North Maine Woods. I can’t wait to see what 2024 brings!
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Jody Collins with a long-tailed duck. Credit: Marsh River Outfitters
Kari Leighton with a 221-pound buck, shot in Deblois. Credit: Kari Leighton
Erin Argraves of Shirley shot a 786-lb, 47” spread bull moose in Zone 2, and also completed her grand slam. Credit: Erin Argravest
Katie White, Samantha Simmons, Breanna Beauchesne and Becky Unobskey had a great day hunting snowshoe hare. Credit: Briar Run Outfitters
Amanda Jandreau shot a 241-lb buck in Caribou. Credit: Amanda Jandreau
Jess Edwards of Biddeford with 22-lb tom that had 1.25” spurs and a 10” beard. Credit: Jess Edwards.
The number of women hunters in Maine has increased by about 40% in the last decade. Credit: L.L.Bean www.MaineSportsman.com
42 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Ice Fishing for Northern Pike Members of my family are avid ice fisherman, so I know the impatience that ensues waiting for ice to become safe enough to fish one of the many lakes in the Belgrade Lakes region, where we live. For the past few years, it seems our ice shack spends less and less time on the ice. A year ago, at the end of January 2023, Maine’s largest lakes were still unsafe to venture on, many smaller ponds weren’t much better, and there were at least two fatalities, according to the Sun Journal. In 2018, nine people across Maine fell through ice within a 24-hour period. If you are fortunate enough to have ice – good thick safe ice – then you’ll need to try fishing for Northern pike. Patience is the key to safety, and also the secret to ice fishing. Pike Population Spreads According to the Maine DIF&W Northern Pike Assessment 2008 report (Maine Pike Report), pike were initially introduced to the state in the 1970s, as the result of an illegal stocking into the Belgrade Lakes. Subsequent migration within the Belgrade Lakes drainage and additional illegal introductions are responsible for an expanding distribution within Central and Southern Maine, such that pike are now www.MaineSportsman.com
The most popular bait and leader set-up, according to the author, is an extra-large shiner on a single No. 2 hook, with a two-foot, 50-lb. fluorocarbon leader. Pike have large, sharp teeth that will razor a thinner leader in an instant, she says.
The author’s son-in-law Aaron Sucy and grandson Brody Sucy, of Rome. Aaron and and Brody are avid — and excellent — pike fisherman. Photo by Briana Landry
found in 28 non-flowing waters and an additional 15 waters. I’ve had a difficult time embracing the pike; however, I had another avid pike fisherman tell me that the landlocked salmon and brown trout we once caught regularly in Great Pond and Long Pond, are also not native. While I cringe at the illegal stocking of any fish, several other states stock northern pike for their popularity as a sportfish. Maine, however, does not manage northern pike. Massive Sizes “Northern pike are generally considered predators, consuming prey between 1/3 and 1/2 the length of the pike,” according to the Maine Pike Report. “Spawning males average 26 inches long
and weigh 5 pounds, whereas spawning females average 31 inches long and weigh 9 pounds. “Diet studies on the Belgrade Lakes indicate that pike eat white perch, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, smelt, landlocked salmon, minnow species, and insects.” With those lengths and weights, and its reputation as a major sport fishery, pike fishing has increased dramatically in Maine, particularly in the winter. Technique Fishing for Northern pike requires a different technique than that employed for bass, perch or brook trout. Pike have large, sharp teeth that will razor your line in an instant, and they are strong. A pike puts up a mean fight, and reg-
The author’s husband John when he was 15 years old. He’s holding a four-pound brown trout from Great Pond, in the days before pike.
ular tackle often won’t do the job. You don’t need the most expensive setup that’s available, but pike fishermen attest that bigger gear does help. You’ll need a good strong tip-up – one with a large reel that allows for more line, since pike will make long runs when you’re fighting them. Also, more line means your traps must be spaced farther apart, and bigger traps are easier to spot at distances. The most popular bait is an extra-large shiner on a single No. 2 hook with a two-foot, 50 lb. fluorocarbon leader attached to regular waxed ice fishing line. When your flag goes up, be ready to set the hook like any other fish, but then be ready to let that fish run for as much as 15 min-
utes before you land it. Pike will fight, and if you don’t let them run to tire, you could end up losing the fish. Where to Fish In early winter, fish shallow, weeded areas with drop-offs. Larger fish tend to be on the outskirts of these areas, and smaller pike within the weeds. By mid-January, move to deeper water, but stay in depths of 20 to 30 feet. If the area you’re fishing contains bait fish, then you’ll have pike nearby. By March, fish close to shore in shallow water for pike as they head to their spawning grounds. (Be careful, however, as the ice can become thin and soft along the shore-side edges.) Some of my best pike fishing has been in late winter and early spring. There is still a lot of debate about releasing pike back into the water. I personally prefer not to put pike back, and will leave them to feed the raptors, whereas my sonin-law releases them back into the lake. His thought is that it’s not going away, so might as well embrace it. I’m not there yet. While I do admit that catching pike is fun, I don’t like how they made their way here. I just keep reminding myself that if I’m lucky, I might just land a nice brown trout, even though I’m fishing for pike.
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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • January 2024 • 43
No One Knows the Mind of a Trout It’s true that no one knows the mind of a trout, or a togue or a salmon either. We present lifelike offerings, thinking that we have fooled the fish into thinking they are attacking a smelt or a minnow, but are we really fooling them? Or does our lure attract fish’s attention for other reasons, such as how it reflects light, its color, or how it moves through the water? Attractor lures, for instance, can take as many game fish as other lures that attempt to mimic a specific natural prey. Sometimes on dark days in early spring, I’ll troll with an all-orange trolling spoon, and with good results. But except for one small species of spider, I know of nothing in nature that is all orange. No fish or baitfish that ever swam in Maine waters was all orange, except perhaps a goldfish that someone illegally released into the wild. And goldfish don’t usually live in our deep, cold trout lakes. So why do trout, salmon and togue hit orange lures? Because something about them stimulates the attack mechanism. I don’t think for a second that trout think about what they are doing when they slam a brilliantly colored lure. Salmon, for instance, go crazy for all-orange lures. I’m convinced
The author waxes philosophical in an effort to figure out what fish think. For example, he has excellent results when he trolls with a brilliant orange spoon. But what baitfish in Maine’s natural world is bright orange?
What is it that makes certain unnaturally-colored lures so effective? The author provides some informed theories. Photo: Helin Tackle Co. archives, and Etsy
that they do not say to themselves, “Look! An orange smelt! I gotta have that.” No, it’s instinct, instinct that responds to a trigger, in the form of our orange Mooselook Wobbler or whatever other wobbler we may use. Similar Story Streamside Back in my fly-fishing days, I tied a little wet fly that consisted of an orange wool body and a sparsely-wound brown hackle. I sometimes added quill ribbing, just to keep trout teeth from tearing the
body apart prematurely. These attractor flies took lots of fish, especially on cloudy days. Today, while I no longer fly-fish, I still pursue trout in brooks, streams and small rivers. And as during my fly-fishing days, I will turn to an orange offering, this time an orange-bodied Trout Magnet, when all else fails. Trout Magnets, with their multiple-color body choices, illustrate my point well. These little lures look like nothing in na-
ture, but they attract trout under all conditions, and because of that, I consider them a must-have. These lures offer something others don’t, and that’s the option of changing not only jighead colors, but also body colors. I find that when fish stop taking my go-to, black-body, silver-jighead lure, simply switching body color puts trout back on the feed again. For instance, I might switch to a lime-green body. If that doesn’t work, I may go for a red body. Eventually, I’ll hit
upon a body color that really lights fish up. Spinners, Too And then we have spinners. These absolutely do not resemble anything present in Maine waters. But sometimes they work very well on finicky trout. Why is this? Why would trout want to bite on a whirring, metal blade, attached to a painted metal body? For sure, we all know that we are not casting any kind of imitator when we lob our Mepps out to midstream. But there is no denying that spinners can be highly effective, which is why I always carry a few small spinners along with my other trout lures. I’ve always wondered who conceived the notion of using spinners in the first place. Either someone had great insight, or else they just made a very lucky guess. No matter their genesis, spinners work, and that’s all there is to it. Vibration must be at play here – the whirring blade sets up little sound waves that travel some distance through the water. Trout must home in on the source of the vibration, see the spinner, and the rest is history. Or at least that’s my theory. Such theories are difficult to prove, or to disprove. (Trout Fishing continued on page 45) www.MaineSportsman.com
44 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Maine Sportsman Readers Share Their Secret Flies – and How to Tie Them! Innovative Maine fly-tyers create new patterns every year that become go-to flies. Then they give the flies to friends and family. Often, these creations are not widely shared, and are fished by only a chosen few. This is understandable, since if too many anglers cast the same pattern, the fish get wise to it. But this intrepid columnist sent out a request for anglers to send in their favorite creations, and with a little urging, a few agreed to share. And so, our Maine Sportsman readers benefit! Of course, few patterns are uniquely new, but instead are based on, or inspired by, earlier efforts. They might be tied with new materials, since fly-tying material catalogs and websites seem to grow exponentially larger with each passing year. Sometimes, simply
adding a new wrinkle to an older pattern creates a gangbuster fly for certain waters or fish species. So, here goes – four new patterns to try, listed in alphabetical order. The first one is for stripers; the second and fourth ones are primarily trout patterns; and the third one will catch many species. Alien Crab The growing invasive (or alien) green-crab population in coastal Maine has been devastating for softshell clams in local flats, but the crabs have provided a new food source for striped bass. The tiers who
For detailed tying instructions for the Alien Crab, see Author’s note, at the end of this column.
Gene Bahr MASTER FISH CARVER & WILDLIFE ARTIST
ply the salt now tie green crab imitations, and they really work. Here is a good-looking one provided by Vic Trodella. From my communications with Vic, I get the impression he is not a man who likes to sit idle. This past summer, he dug by hand his own 10,000-gallon pond, and moved 20 tons of stone in a wheelbarrow. The Dream Fly Vic also sent me his own zonker-like pattern for trout. He calls it The Dream Fly.
For detailed tying instructions for the The Dream Fly, see Author’s note, at the end of this column.
I haven’t tried it yet, but any fly with
white fibers that wiggle freely in the water is going to work well for brook trout and salmon, and this fly looks like a killer. Hutnak Special Steve Hutnak fly-fishes throughout New England, including Casco Bay for stripers. I know his daughter, who creates beautiful fly rods as the senior rod maker for The Maine Fly Company, a rod maker in Yarmouth (www. MaineFly.com).
For detailed tying instructions for the Hutnak Special, see Author’s note, at the end of this column.
The Hutnak Special is essentially a Woolly Bugger with a twist. The Woolly Bug-
ger may be the world’s most-fished pattern, for the simple reason it works for almost every species that swims. Steve’s pattern is a modified Bugger, with yellow dumbbell eyes. Eyes are a triggering feature for game fish, so putting eyes on a Woolly Bugger seems like a brilliant idea to me. In your hand, this fly just looks fishy. Steve explained, “My friends named this fly because it was so effective. They used to just ask me for another Hutnak Special. I never bothered to give it a proper name.” He added, “This fly doesn’t mimic anything exactly, but it’s similar to many things fish eat, including baitfish, dragonfly nymphs, large caddis, and stone-fly nymphs.” Kidney Stinger Steve Wanzer tied this pattern for Baxter State Park ponds, and has had success with
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For a detailed list of materials needed to tie the Kidney Stinger, see Author’s note, at the end of this column.
it for years. He ties it in sizes 10 to 14, and he believes the yellow body stands out in the tannin-stained water of Kidney Pond and other Park stillwaters. His experience is that the more beat up it gets from getting slammed, the better it fishes. He told me that smelts live in Kidney Pond, so the brook
trout are always on the lookout for a fishy meal. The Kidney Stinger contains elements of other proven patterns, such as the Warden’s Worry, Black-nose Dace, Kennebago Smelt and Gray Ghost, but these elements are combined in a unique way. I can’t wait to try this pattern.
***** Author’s note: For detailed list of materials and tying instructions for the Alien Crab, Dream Fly, Hutnak Special and Kidney Stinger, go to MaineSportsman.com, click on the “Additional Links” tab at the top, and select “How to Tie Sportsman Readers’ Flies.”
***** If this column motivates you to share one of your fly patterns with our readers, please contact me at LouZambello@ gmail.com, or my fellow “Fresh Water Fly Fishing” columnist, William Clunie, at WilliamClunie@gmail. com.
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This young salmon was enticed by a bright-orange Mooselook Wobbler. Tom Seymour photo
Trout Fishing (Continued from page 43)
Diving Plugs Various companies offer very lifelike diving plugs. These, too, take their share of coldwater game fish. I seldom use these because I dislike dealing with multiple treble hooks. The one set on the end of a metal wobbling spoon is enough for me. But for those who don’t mind working with these hook-laden lures, some of these make good choices when trolling for trout. One of my fishing buddies
loves using Rapala lures for togue. He often takes massive togue, too, as well as the occasional huge salmon. Like so many other effective lures, diving plugs come in a multitude of body colors. Some are emblazoned with lifelike, hologram images and they do a fine job of simulating naturally-occurring prey. Others feature bright colors, often in bizarre herringbone patterns. And of course, we have the orange plugs. But instead of wasting time wondering why our trout lures work, I say just use them, and have fun catching fish.
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46 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Hardwater Season Begins: Snow Machines Out in Force I would wager that for every boat you see on Moosehead Lake on a summer’s day, you will see 10 times that number of ice fishermen on any given day in winter. Ice fishing has a great following. The day that everyone waits for, January 1, opening day of ice-fishing season on Moosehead, will see an onslaught of anglers on the ice. That is, if there is sufficient ice. Given today’s whacky weather conditions, good ice on opening day is no longer a given. But this is the Moosehead Re-
With ice fishing and snowmobiling, the requirements are simple: 1) know the rules; and 2) be safe on the ice. With those principles in mind, both anglers and sledders will find that the Moosehead Region rolls out the red carpet, welcoming and encouraging the annual influx of enthusiasts. gion, and it seems very likely that conditions leading up to the first of January will be sufficient to form at least 4 to 6 inches of ice. Nonetheless, especially now in the early season, and in fact all season long, it is important to check ice thickness as you go,
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and to stay away from pressure ridges, river mouths and other often-treacherous areas. No fish is worth the icy bath that could follow. That said, remember that the first few weeks of ice-fishing season are always the best, not only on Moosehead, but also
on any of Maine’s lakes and ponds. Togue, Trout Given that the taking of salmon on Moosehead Lake is prohibited until February 15, togue and trout are the primary quarries. Moosehead has special regulations in place for both togue
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and trout; namely, the minimum length limit on brook trout is 14 inches, except that all brook trout between 18 – 22 inches must be released alive at once. There is no minimum length limit on togue, except only 1 of the 5-fish daily bag limit may exceed 18 inches. As if this weren’t enough to keep in mind, remember that the method of measuring fish in Maine has changed, at least for minimum length. Here is where things become dicey. The rule book says you
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can squeeze the tail together to achieve a minimum length. In the language of the rule, “Minimum Legal Length” is defined as “[t]he total length of a fish measured from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail, with the lobes of the tail squeezed together.” A call to the Maine Warden Service set the record straight. Yes, it is legal to squeeze the tail fins, or manipulate a fish in any manner that will cause the fish to exceed a minimum length. Regarding the slot limit, however, according to the Warden Service, anglers are advised to continue measuring from end of jaw to tip of tail. A warden also mentioned that individual wardens may have their own ideas on this subject. Indeed, I am told that some anglers fishing Moosehead Lake have taken brook trout just
under 18 inches (the slot limit for Moosehead states that all brook trout between 18 and 24 inches must be released alive at once), measured in the standard way, and thought they were within the law, only to have wardens checking their trout squeezing the tail fins together to put the fish over the limit. I have not been able to verify these accounts. But the Warden Service’s last word on this is, don’t bother with squeezing the tail for slot-limit measuring – just measure from tip of jaw to tip of tail. Snowmobiles, Too Again, with our unpredictable climate, nothing about the weather is carved in stone, but in most cases, snowmobiles are already out in force by January. Snow machines are a regular presence in the towns around Moosehead Lake. In fact, I would estimate that Green-
ville is just as busy in winter, with visiting snowmobilers, as it is in summer, with anglers, ATV riders and sightseers. For instance, when filling the fuel tank on your automobile, a snowmobile could just as likely pull in behind or in front of you. Snowmobiles are ubiquitous here. And restaurants? Sure, they are open in winter, and usually see a full complement of visiting snowmobilers. In other words, Greenville and surrounding towns are more than a little bit snowmobile-friendly. Here, you can rent a machine, have a mechanic fix a machine, and find advice on local trails. If you have wanted to break into the sport of snowmobiling but haven’t taken that first step, make this the year to get involved, and the best way to do that is to head to the Moosehead Lake Region.
Trophy Gallery
This fisheries biologist is measuring a togue by the standard tip-of-jaw to tip-of-tail method. Seymour photo
Stocked Waters If Moosehead Lake seems a bit too large to tackle, ice-fishers have a near-guarantee of catching fish in nearby small ponds. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (DIF&W) stocks several local ponds annually with catchable-size brook trout. My first recommendation, Fitzgerald Pond, saw 1,400 13-inch brook trout stocked on September
27, 2023. This 550acre pond has easy road access, and plenty of parking space. Next, 421-acre Prong Pond in Beaver Cove received 1,100 trout on the same date as Fitzgerald Pond. Prong Pond, unlike Fitzgerald, also holds smallmouth bass and white perch. The Moosehead Region abounds in ice-fishing opportunities, so enjoy.
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48 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Tom is an Ice-fishing Minimalist The author has figured out how to fish light and fish fast. By limiting his ice-angling to jigging, he avoids having to lug heavy tip-ups onto the ice. And moving from hole to hole in succession, he stays active and therefore stays warm. For the last several January 1 opening days of ice fishing, area lakes and ponds did not have sufficient ice for walking. A few people always venture out a short distance from shore, thinking that if they break through, they won’t go under because the water is too shallow. Perhaps I’m “spleeny,” but I don’t even want to get my feet wet in January. So instead of taking unnecessary risks, I monitor the thermometer and make frequent trips to local ponds to determine if the ice is safe. I suggest that everyone do the same. No fish is worth breaking through the ice and, of course, the fish will still be there, waiting, when safe conditions finally do arrive. Trout, salmon and togue rank among my favorite fish. But when fishing for them, sometimes there is a long wait between flags. For me, standing on
the ice, waiting, takes some of the fun out of it, because being a bit underweight, I chill easily. So if possible, I’ll spend most of my time on the ice with a jigging rod in hand, fishing for crappies and white perch. I like to drill a lot of holes first – as many as possible. Then, I go from one hole to the next, giving each one five minutes before moving on. When I get a bite, whether I hook it or not, then I’ll spend time on that hole. When the hole plays out, I’ll begin the routine again, visiting each hole in succession. This keeps me active, and being active keeps me warm. Packbasket The old-fashioned Maine-made packbasket stands as a must-have item for me during ice-fishing season. Since I use jigs rather than live baitfish, there is no need to carry ice-fishing traps. This takes a
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lot of weight and bulk away, making things easier from the start. Also, an average-size packbaskets has adequate room for a ice skimmer, jigging rod, a small box of ice jigs, a thermos and a lunch. This compact outfit suits those without a snowmobile well. The more gear I must carry, the less fun I have. Going light, an ice drill and a packbasket, allows me the luxury of stopping at new waters and giving them a quick try. As with spinning rod and creel in summer, in the winter I usually carry an auger and backpack filled with gear everywhere I go. This allows me to answer the question, “I wonder what kind of fish are in that pond?” Think of it. During our summer’s travels, we often pass by good-looking waters, but have no way to fish them. But when these same waters are encased in a layer of ice, our only impediments are our determination, how far we wish to walk, and how long we want to stay. In winter, so equipped, the world is our oyster. We can easily fish most waters where there is public access. Which explains why some people who
Tom’s motto - “Have packbasket, will travel.” Photo by Tom Seymour
don’t own a boat or canoe, only fish some waters in winter, when they can simply walk out on the ice and begin fishing. The Tackle First comes the jig rod, a compact version of a traditional spinning rod. These should not exceed 24 inches long, and most are somewhat shorter. The idea is to be able to stand close to the ice hole and let your jig down. Longer rods require that you stand farther away, which is fine, but when you are closer to the hole, and using a short rod, chances of hooking fish increase, the shortest distance between you and the fish being a straight line. Along with the jig rod comes the reel. Any ultralight spinning reel will suffice. I usually use 4-pound test line, but 6-pound line probably makes more sense, in case a monster fish hits your jig. Next come the jigs. I use the same weighted jighead, plastic-bodied panfish jigs that produce so well
in spring and summer. As for brand or type, I haven’t found any that don’t perform. Remember, too, that old favorite, the Swedish Pimple, the three-sided, metal jig with the small treble hook on the bottom. These always take fish. When using a Swedish Pimple, it sometimes pays to tip a hook point with a bit of minnow or even an earthworm. Barring natural offerings, I have used plastic fish eyes to good effect. And I recently came upon a plastic pouch filled with soft-plastic salmon eggs. These slippery, orange offerings should be just the cat’s meow for adding to a Swedish Pimple hook. Those salmon eggs we buy in a jar work well, so the imitation ones should work just as well, plus they are more durable. Be Prepared So fill up that packbasket, and leave it in the truck or car. You’ll be able to hit the water at any opportunity. Good luck.
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Happy New Fishing Year The start of another year is upon us with renewed hope and optimism. Some folks look to the stars, the zodiac or the message in their fortune cookie for signs of what the future holds. For the better-grounded individuals, however, data and the recent past offer a more realistic prognostication. Striped Bass Last year was an interesting one. Big bass showed up early and stayed around, offering ample angling opportunity. There was plenty of catchand-release fishing, in large part due to an emergency action contracting the legal slot limit for keepers. That was a result of the 2022 stock assessment that showed another year of poor recruitment and higher-than-projected fishing-related mortality. On the bright side, last year certainly suggests it should be another banner year for big bass. For as many as were found inshore, there were even more offshore. The downside is that they are aging out of the slot, and aren’t being replaced by enough younger fish. Preliminary results from the 2023 recruitment surveys don’t offer much hope, as it was another year of poor production. At the very least, we can expect the emergency
The author walks us through each of Maine’s popular saltwater species, forecasting what the next 12 months will hold – and it’s truly a mixed bag! slot limit to become standard, and there’s a legitimate possibility of seasonal closures and possibly even a “no-targeting” rule, which would prohibit even catch-and-release fishing. Mackerel Unfortunately, the picture is equally bleak for this recreational fishing foundation. Recent surveys seem to substantiate the previously-contested results with a similar story: low recruitment. With further restrictions on the recreational and especially commercial fisheries it is hoped the species can bounce back, and mackerel have the potential to do so more rapidly than stripers; but only time will tell. Groundfish The groundfish forecast varies by species. With new assessment and management protocols, some stocks seem to be recovering – as anyone who’s been offshore fishing will tell you. Haddock had an enigmatic season. They were virtually absent on the recreational fishing grounds, while commercial fishermen could barely set a net without catching their annual quota, forcing many of them to stop
Bluefish Ever the teases, bluefish made enough of an appearance last year to offer at least some hope. Even the biologists don’t know what drives their cyclical nature, if you can call it that. With more restrictions on pogies, the bluefish, bass and other larger predators should benefit. Regardless of whether it’s a weather event or a trend, warmer waters won’t hurt either. Let’s hope they show up in similar or greater numbers this year.
In recent years, bluefish have been appearing more consistenly than in the past. Photo provided by the author
fishing. Where the previous year we were only catching 15% of our allowable catch, last year’s assessment resulted in significant cutbacks. Even the managers aren’t sure what’s going on, but they have to be cautious until they figure it out. Meanwhile, pollock filled that niche and then some, providing a much-needed alternative to the forhire fleet. Every year is different, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Bluefin By all accounts, bluefin tuna are back, and likely for the foreseeable future. While assessments show a similar trend of a strong older age class, they also show strong recruitment with more younger, smaller fish every year. If we
weren’t bound by international treaty, limits and quotas could probably be increased substantially. On the commercial side, we just need to build stronger domestic markets. On the recreational side, you might want to buy some stronger tackle, and give them a try. Conclusion The interesting, and sometimes frustrating thing with saltwater fishing is that every year is different – sometimes dramatically different. Just when you finally perfect your tackle and techniques for schoolie stripers, they grow up and change habits. Haddock that provided limits on every halfday charter one year suddenly move and stay in deeper water. Effectively targeting bluefish is like a watery game of Whack-aMole. Like the old cliché says, “That’s why they call it fishing.”
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50 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Before the Creation of the Allagash Waterway In 1966, the Maine Legislature created the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Due to overwhelming approval by Maine voters, a $1.5 million bond was issued “[t]o develop the maximum wilderness character of the waterway.” To that end, the Parks and Recreation Commission promulgated rules and regulations to enhance and protect the wild character of the area. Speak with any of the guides from yesteryear, and you’ll learn that before state and national protection, people floating the Allagash River found a very different experience than what is enjoyed today. Open Dumps, and Bears The following description comes from guide friends such as the father and son team of Norm and John Wight, who operated Maine Canoe Trips. The duo guided parties safely down the Waterway for over 80 years. Before the creation of the State-administered wilderness park, portions of the Allagash trip were devoid of wilderness character. Canoeing parties stopped and camped or crowded together wherever they desired. They constructed all manner of rudimentary tables, benches, campfire seats, and latrines for the latenight calls of nature. In addition, garbage was often piled up in open dumps, which attracted bears. Live trees were cut down with chainsaws, and campfires were commonly left unattended in temporary blackened-rock fireplaces. Many sites did not have latrines or outhouses, nor was it clear where campers could find clean springs from which to obtain drinking water. Maine Guide John Wight recounted, “One day in the late 1950s, I was setting up camp on Round Pond at Little Allagash Falls in T8R13 when I heard two men approaching upstream by canoe. I walked to the shore to greet the new arrivals. Immediately they asked if I planned to camp at the falls that night, to which I answered in the affirmative. “Then the newcomers suggested that I should pole upstream to Allagash Lake or continue downstream to Chamberlain to set up camp. “When questioned, they explained there was a group totaling 50 youths www.MaineSportsman.com
Open dumps, green trees cut for campfire wood, and – a toilet seat 15 feet up in a tree? about to arrive. “Within a brief time, I heard whooping and hollering, as a hoard of canoes pulled into shore. Immediately, councilors barked orders for cutting wood, constructing makeshift toilets, and clearing ground for canvas tents. Clothesline ropes were threaded like a spider’s web throughout the woods. “In time, the group had cut and stacked nearly two cords of firewood. In addition, a 10-foot-high cribbed log pit was built for garbage, and enough latrines constructed to accommodate everyone.” Then, and Now According to historic records of the Allagash, before State protection, there were over 80 large parties containing up to 50 people per group canoeing each summer. By contrast, the current rules and regulations for group size read as follows: 2.3 GROUP SIZE. Groups of more than 12 persons of any age, including trip leaders and/or guides, are prohibited from traveling on the Allagash watercourse or camping at Allagash Waterway campsite cells. In another remembrance, John continued. “When Churchill Dam washed out, it took all day to canoe from Chase Rapids to Chisolm Brook in T11R13 at the south end of Umsaskis Lake. Aerial Privy
Merrill’s Aerial Privy, offering a vantage point from which users could “enjoy the most scenic views of the water and woods north of Long Lake.” Photos: T. Caverly Collection
According to John, “On Long Lake, we found a different type of latrine at Grey Brook. It was dubbed Merrill’s Aerial Privy, and someone needing to do their business was required to climb a rough ladder to an elevation of about 15 feet off the ground. There, a toilet seat was found, perched among the branches of a large softwood. Once someone was settled in, they enjoyed one of the nicest, most scenic views of the water and woods north of Long Lake. “One distraction from the landscape, however, was evident when the user climbed down. As they descended, they could see strands of toilet paper strung from branch to branch of white birches and other trees, after northwest breezes carried the shredded tissue throughout the forest.
This whitetail deer met its demise when it got its head stuck while trying to reach discarded food left under a metal cooking grate at an abandoned campsite.
“On another trip,” John continued, “we arrived at Long Lake Dam in T12 R13 to camp for the night, where we found a dead deer. A previous camper had left food in the primitive fireplace that had a crude steel grill. A whitetail had come along, smelled the food, and stuck her head sideways through the grate. Unable to escape, the poor creature met her final days.” Fortunately, today’s visitors to Maine’s world-famous Waterway discover an area well-maintained by caring parties, professional guides and dedicated rangers. Coming next month: “Allagash River – the Industrial Years” Tim Caverly has authored twelve books about Maine’s northern forest.
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Cast Iron Pans are Heavy “This thing’s too heavy,” Jean said to me, scowling. “Why do you guys keep these cast iron pans? I have a hard time lifting any of them.” Well, she was right about that. The larger ones are heavy and unwieldy, and she can’t lift one down off the hook on the wall and put it on the stove. Maybe cast iron is a man thing?
The author wonders whether cooking with weighty cast-iron pans is a “man thing.”
Which Brand’s the Best? Cast iron cookware has almost a cult following. Plus, there’s a lot of folklore and knowledge surrounding the use of these iron skillets. How to clean them. How to season them. How to build up a patina. And which skillets are valuable. A good way to start an argument at deer camp is to declare that Griswold or Wagner or some other small company made the best cast iron. Everyone, it seems, has their favorite skillet. You’ll often find a booth at the sportsmen’s shows with people buying and selling antique cast iron frypans, spiders (featuring three short legs), and griddles. Big Collection We have a collection at our cabin. I think there are six or seven frying pans of various makes and sizes. We have Griswold, Lodge, Wagner and one or two without any markings. One of the pans is a single-serving size. Just big enough to fry an egg or maybe two. And then we have a massive Wagner, about 15 inches across. This thing weighs a ton. Even I can’t use it, but the boys make a big deal out of cooking with it. The Wagner is big enough so that it covers two of the gas burners, and that’s good, because it takes a lot of BTUs to warm that skillet up and get it hot. And of course, it retains the heat and stays warm long after you turn off the stove. Gourmet Meals Matt and Jeremy use the big pan to cook mounds of fried potatoes and onions. It will handle an eight-egg Western omelet with ease. No spilling or slopping over the edge. There’s one medium-size Griswold I like. About 9 or 10 inches. Of all our cast iron spiders, this one has the smoothest surface. It has a very nice patina built
The author recently found this Wagner #8 cast iron fry pan, circa 1915, in his attic. The raised rim on the pan’s underside (shown here) was called a heat ring, and if the cook removed one of the round covers on the top of the stove, the ring fit neatly down into the hole, allowing the direct heat of the stove’s firebox to reach the pan. Randy Randall photo
up over years of careful use, so almost nothing sticks to the pan. The Wagner pans are good, too. Sometimes I’ll have two going at once – one for the scrambled eggs, and another for the bacon and sausages. The wire toaster is on the back burner. If you balance a slice of bread across the top of the wires, you can toast five pieces of bread at once. E-Z Serve Bringing the hot food to the table is a matter of simply turning around. There’s a wooden cutting board on the table, and a metal trivet. We use an old glove to grab the hot handle, pick up the skillet, turn around, and set it on the table. The beauty of cast iron is that it
holds the heat, and by the time everyone has pulled their chair up to the table and grabbed a fork and knife out of the jar, the food is still warm and tempting. Origins a Mystery We don’t know where all our pans came from. A few were in the cabin when we bought the place. I think we found one at the scene of a burned down cabin. The handle was sticking out of the black ashes. And one or two have come from my mother or grandmother. We’ve never purchased one. Hanging beside the cast-iron frypans is grandmother’s griddle. I know that came out of grandmother’s kitchen. My mother used it for a while, and then she donated it to our camp. It’s a round plate of cast iron with a sturdy wire bail arching over the center. We use that to pick it up and move it around. This griddle is especially good for blueberry pancakes and grilled cheese sandwiches. Dutch Ovens And we have two cast-iron Dutch ovens, one with legs and one without. I practiced baking and cooking in a Dutch oven in the Boy Scouts. We learned to shovel hot coals underneath and on top of the ovens to bake our biscuits and cherry cobbler. The legless oven is a large cast iron pot with a tight-fitting lid. As with all the cast-iron cookery, its main value is that it holds the heat. We make a pot of chili or a chowder or stew and set it on the table, where it stays warm for the entire meal. I remember years ago when Edmund Ware Smith wrote stories in Field and Stream about Jake Day and his famous group of friends called “Jake’s Rangers.” In one episode, they were all going canoe camping, and one of the things they were most looking forward to was taking along a cast iron skillet, because in a canoe, the excess weight was not a problem. And if they were in a hard chance, they could tie a rope to the handle, and heave the skillet overboard for an anchor.
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Maine’s Mighty Mustelids Northern New England is home to six species in the weasel or mustelid family. Known scientifically as Mustelidae with over 60 species worldwide, Maine’s mighty mustelids include members of three subfamilies: • Subfamily Lutrinae: River otter (Lontra canadensis). • Subfamily Guloninae: Fisher (Pekania pennanti) and American marten (Martes americana), also called pine marten. • Subfamily Mustelinae: Mink (Neogale vison), Long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata), and American ermine (Mustela richardsonii). All six species have distinctive long, narrow bodies, short legs, roundish ears, extremely sharp teeth, and long tails of varying proportion to their bodies. Speedy, agile and efficient, they each employ unique hunting strategies relative to their habitat and preferred food sources. Tough to Spot How many mustelid species have you seen? It takes good luck and plenty of time spent outdoors to spot them all. Anglers often encounter mink prowling streamside, and otters splashing in a river. Rural homeowners might spot a weasel or ermine hunting in the woodshed. Deer hunters may notice a marten lounging on a high branch. Motorists might catch a blur of fur in the headlights when a fisher dashes across a rural road with its distinctive lope.
A 2021 scientific reclassification reclassification placed the long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata) in the same subfamily as mink. Photo: Creative Commons, by Keith and Kasia www.MaineSportsman.com
Members of the “Mustelid” family found in this region include otter, fisher, martin, mink, weasel and ermine. They make for a fascinating study, as they are well-adapted to survive and thrive in New England’s varied woodlands and wetlands.
It’s surprising to some that mink are often found along Maine’s saltwater shoreline, as was the case with this mink, which was photographed on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia. Photo by WolfArtist (Creative Commons)
Which Weasel? Before 2021, the short-tailed weasel, also called stoat or ermine, was classified as Mustela erminea across North America and Eurasia. But a recent reclassification split out the American ermine (Mustela richardsonii) while placing the long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata) in the same subfamily as mink. Both of these “new” species are native to Maine. The DIF&W website has not caught up, and still shows only the short-tailed weasel as Mustela erminea. Maine’s ermines and long-tailed weasels look similar. The long-tailed weasel is larger (11 to 16 inches) than its short-tailed cousin (7 to 13 inches) which is distinguished by a white line down the inside of its leg. Both are ochre brown in summer, with a creamy white bib and black tip on the tail. And both turn fully white in winter except for the
black tip of the tail. A third, smaller species called the least weasel (Mustela nivalis) resembles both Maine weasels, but lacks the black tip on the tail. Least weasels are not regular residents of New England. They live in Quebec north of the St. Lawrence River and down through the Great Lakes to Pennsylvania. Both of Maine’s native weasels slink through woods, fields, and suburban areas hunting for small rodents. They climb trees to eat birds and eggs, and swim to catch frogs. When they kill mice or squirrels in their burrows or nests, weasels may adopt the nest as their own. Both species have sensitive whisker hairs on their legs to guide them in tight spaces. More whiskers on their tails help them back up to escape. A 2022 study by Bryn Evans and Alessio Mortelliti of UMaine, Orono, used “camera trapping” to understand how American ermine and long-tailed weasels respond to forest harvesting in Maine. Ermine occupied 54% of the sites studied, favoring stands in the northern counties with a high percentage of conifers. Long-tailed weasels were found in 16% of the sites, more to the south, with no preference for conifers. Studies in Germany have shown that shorter winters from climate change are causing a “camouflage mismatch” when weasels turn white but there is no snow on the ground. Predation of white wea(Sporting Environment continued on page 55)
A pine martin’s diet marten’s diet includes squirrels, voles, chipmunks and other rodents. Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service
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Hunting and Small-Pond Fishing Start Our New Year Hunting rabbits and crows, and pursuing toothy Northern pike in Sabattus Pond or on a quiet bend in the Androscoggin River, will help ease the region’s sportsmen and women into 2024. Another year is upon us, and there’s no time to waste looking back on the past year – the coming year has so much many opportunities. And right now, January is ready to offer up her bounty to local outdoors-persons. For hunters, nothing gets your blood pumping like a good old-fashioned rabbit – or more precisely, snowshoe hare – hunt. If you are lucky, you have beagles, or a friend with beagles or another of the hare-chasing breeds. Standing on frozen ground with your breath steaming as you exhale, listening to the ever-nearing hounds baying, gets the adrenaline flowing. For the houndless hunter, success can be had by pushing the thickets and low-growing junipers. Walk slowly, step by step, and watch for the slightest movement. You will likely see a flash of black as the mostly-white hare makes a move. Hare hunting solo is challenging and fun, and you can often get several cracks at a hare, as they typically only flush a few dozen yards away.
Hare Habitat Hare habitat is best where low-growing brush surrounds swampy areas. Aptly-named Rabbit Road in Durham (DeLorme Atlas, Map 6, B-1) has just that type of habitat. Another great spot with acres of land that is open to hunters is the L.L.Bean land off Webster Road in Freeport (Map 6, C-1). This huge plot of land is not marked, but a small access road is located across from the Webster Cemetery on Webster Road. With maintained trails and plenty of thick growth, this is a top hare destination. I hunted this lot for years during deer season, and always saw hare and hare sign. After your hunt, you can drop in on ol’ L.L. himself, and thank him for the access, as he is buried in the Webster Cemetery in a marked grave. Crow Action Toward the end of the month, on January 22 to be exact, crow hunting opens, and nothing sharpens your aim for wing shooting like a crow hunt. Last year my buddy Paul Bissonnette called me and asked me if I wanted to do some crow hunting. He knew a
local farmer with an abundance of crows that were becoming a nuisance. Apparently, they were getting into his sileage pile, and he did not want them around. I asked Waleed, my girlfriend’s 15-year-old son, if he wanted to do some crow hunting, and he was more than eager to get in on the hunt, although he did not know what to expect. He used his mom’s 20-gauge semi-auto, a gun he was familiar with, since he’d used it to bag two turkeys. I grabbed my dad’s old Remington Model 11 12-gauge auto. This humpbacked gun was heavy, but sentimental reasons made me want to use it. We loaded up with some number 2 shot and our camo, and met Paul. He had his crow call set up, and hit the “play” button. In no time, the birds were circling overhead. It took Waleed a bit of coaching and practice to figure out how to lead a bird, but once he did, he was dropping them like a champ. I liked the thrill of folding up a few of my own with my old family heirloom. After a while, we had bothered enough of them so they
Waleed Rabbat of Cumberland shows off the first crow from his first-ever crow hunt. Photo by Tom Roth photo
stopped coming in to the call, but we had a blast, literally. Crow season runs through March 30, so you have plenty of time. Ice Angling We may only have
ice on our smallest and shallowest ponds, but several of them ice-up early, and may help scratch that itch before the bigger waters (Sebago to Auburn continued on page 55)
Royal River Rod & Gun Club Annual
ICE FISHING DERBY Lower Range Pond State Park
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2024 7AM–2PM • Tickets: Adult $20, U-16 $5 Door Prizes • 50/50 Raffle Prizes include Ice Auger, Traps, Ice Shack Rods & Garmin Fish Finder!
HEAVIEST TROUT WINS THE DERBY!
Tickets Sold at Mooney’s Live Bait, Carl Clan BJJ, Sebago Bait, Mainestream Health Co., and Dag’s Bait & Tackle —
All proceeds benefit our annual Youth Field Day event in the spring! Contact Will Bartlett at (207) 576-0433 or rrrgc41@gmail.com for more info.
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Finding Your Way, High-Tech Style Most everyone has heard the statement, “I’ve never been lost, but I have been turned around a few times.” What the person is trying to say is that they weren’t completely lost, and they were eventually able to find their way out. I have been in this situation plenty of times, as I suspect many readers have. I’ll be moving along, when suddenly I realize I am completely unfamiliar with the area, and I’ve lost all direction. After gathering my thoughts, getting
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The author has discovered the wonders of modern mapping/tracking systems – applications that can turn your smartphone into a full-featured GPS , even in remote areas without cell coverage. a compass reading and taking a breather, I slowly begin to get a feel for where I am and which direction I need to travel. At one point this past November, I was driving through an unfamiliar remote section of woods in Western Maine and came to a T intersection. I decided I needed to take a right turn, and headed in that direction.
The old logging road went on and on until I realized I had gone far enough and that I needed to go back to the T intersection and take the other direction. I traveled back to the T intersection and went the other way, only to find out that this road also just seemed to go on forever. I stopped to regroup and check the
map. The paper map I had didn’t even show the road I was on, so I grabbed my phone and found I had no cell coverage. When I pulled up my onX Hunt GPS app (onxmaps.com) on the phone, my device indicated I had no cell coverage. However, I could still use the onX mapping function. In no time, I was able to find my exact location on the screen
map and see where I needed to travel to get back to civilization. As a matter of fact, the road I was on would take me directly to an area that I’d been hunting earlier in the day … I just never realized the road looped around the whole region, only to come back to a location that was familiar to me. GPS Mapping I have always carried a DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer (garmin.com) with me when I travel in the big woods. It’s easy to (Continued on next page)
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check the map to find general directions and an overview of where you are at. However, determining your exact location in relation to the map is more difficult. The GPS apps available now are so advanced they give your exact location without cell coverage (off-grid). The apps show your movement, roads and terrain, and satellite images of the area. Even without cell coverage, you can find your way out of a tough spot. I still carry the Atlas and Gazetteer with me, in case I lose the charge on the phone. There are several other GPS mapping options available that also have this off-grid
feature. It works perfectly for me, because I often travel in locations without cell coverage … conventional mapping apps would be useless to me if they didn’t have this offgrid mapping feature. High Tech Win Although I highly recommend learning how to use a traditional paper map and compass, I cannot stress enough how convenient and efficient the latest GPS technology is, and how easy it is to use. I’m not a hightech kind of guy, so if I can do it, anyone can. Most folks already have been using GPS technology, and I’m just now catching up. If you are like me, get on the bandwagon and enjoy complete ease of
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sels and ermine on snowless ground selects for animals that molt later or not at all. Mink: Made for Maine Mink are semi-aquatic mustelids with partially-webbed feet for swimming, making them well adapted for Maine’s five million acres of wetlands, hunting in and along streams, ponds, and ocean shoreline. Up to two feet long, mink have thick dark fur (with a light speck on their chin) that doesn’t change to white in winter. They eat almost any type of
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freeze. One early spot is always the Range Pond Chain in Poland (DeLorme Atlas, Map 5, A-3). Heavily stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout, this three-pond chain is a good producer early in the season. Pike angling is becoming a popular sport, as anglers seek bigger fish close to home. Two top spots in the region
travel, even in remote locations without cell coverage. I have become accustomed to the fact that I can carry my cell phone in my jacket pocket, knowing that it’s a top-notch camera and GPS mapping unit all in one. With coverage, I’m able to place a phone call or text. I can also take great photos, and find my way easily in the most remote sections of the woods. Instead of carrying the weight of several devices to accomplish these tasks, I have one cell phone that does it all. This revelation might seem laughable to those who have been using these tools in the woods for years, but I cannot stress my high level of stub-
The remote wilderness is no place to lose your bearing. Modern GPS-based navigation applications can help you find your way back to camp. William Clunie photo
born thinking when it comes to high-tech gear, compared to traditional, tried-andtrue equipment. Let it be known that I am all on board with these GPS mapping apps at this point, even though I still carry a traditional compass with me anytime I’m in the woods. When I was much younger, my father would take me along hunting, and when we
fish, crayfish, frogs, ducks and mussels. Martens and Fishers Two larger members of the mustelid family – pine martens and fishers – are adapted to mature, closed canopy forests. Both have retractable claws suited for hunting in trees and prowling the forest floor. Martens are 21 to 26 inches long with fluffy tails. They den in tree cavities. Martens are usually lighter in color with a buff bib and a tan to dark brown body compared to the larger fishers, which are mostly dark brown to black. Fishers often exceed ten pounds, and have a more pronounced muzzle. The omnivorous marten’s diet includes squirrels, voles, chipmunks
produce big northerns – Sabattus Pond (Map 12, E-1) in Sabattus, and the Androscoggin River in Auburn (Map 11, E-5). Sabattus gets busy as soon as the ice catches, and anglers use big shiners for big pike. A variety of shacks pop up on the pond as the season progresses. Sabattus is also home to some good bass angling and white perch fishing, so bring some smaller offerings, as well. The Androscoggin River by Gulf Is-
got way back in the woods, he would take my compass from me and have me lead the way back to the truck. This really honed my sense of direction to the point where I can still find my way in the woods, usually. This “usually” part is the “been turned around a few times” part, and that’s where the hightech stuff comes in.
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and other rodents. Fishers take larger prey: snowshoe hares, bobcats or lynx, grouse and, famously, porcupines (by attacking the face and then the belly). River Otter Who doesn’t find Maine’s river otters fascinating and loveable? Well, except anglers who know that a family of otters can wreak havoc on a good trout pool or pond. But still, intelligent and fun-loving otters are amazing to watch. Even their winter tracks in snow make it look like they are having fun. At twenty pounds and 40+ inches, they are Maine’s largest mustelid. More on otters in a future column.
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land Dam is a good spot to try for long, toothy pike. Concentrate on the coves where the current slows. Big shiners work here, too. The river is full of snags and submerged brush, so have some stout line on your reels, along with a steel leader. It is always fun to start the New Year out on a spirited adventure. Having options to hunt or fish makes the winter that much more enjoyable. Have fun, and be safe!
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Young Anglers and Newcomers Can Ice Fish on the Cheap So you want to start ice fishing? You believe it would be a great way to get your family together and spend a day on one of Southern Maine’s ice-covered lakes. You have walked the ice fishing sections in a few “big box” stores checking gear, and decided it could get expensive outfitting the family with equipment. Like most folks, you’re on a limited budget and don’t want to spend on unneeded items. So how to get started? Before buying gear, you should consider a few things, such as: 1) How often will you fish?; and 2) What’s the minimum amount of gear you need to catch fish? Don’t be “that guy” (or gal) who jumps in whole-hog, buying everything available, like a portable ice shack, ten tip-ups, and a gas auger, and then decide you’re not going out on the ice because it’s too cold. Start with basic gear, and then you can make additions as your interest evolves and you decide to continue. Essential Gear To get started, you will need a jigging pole, and an ice-chisel (spud bar) or hand-auger. You can catch any fish species in Maine through the ice with just these two items. However, a few tip-ups can enhance your fishing, by allowing you to set a tip-up in one hole and then fish with a jigging pole in another. If you want more than this basic gear, then the sky is the limit as far as equipment goes. Now let’s consider lures and bait. I suggest shopping at a local tackle and bait shop. To locate one, check out the “Bait Dealer Directory” on page 24 of this issue of The Maine Sportsman. A local dealer will set you up with bait and lures that are producing well on the body of water you plan to fish. Even more important, local dealers know which waters are producing, and the methods that are being used. The proprietors will also explain how to use the gear they sell. If you are on an extreme budget, you may find that you have everything you need stored in your garage. A crowbar will work to make holes in the ice; you can make a jigging stick with a piece of wood, a line and a hook; and if you have a hunting popup blind, it can be used eiwww.MaineSportsman.com
Don’t have a gas or electric auger? Use a hand-auger or ice chisel (spud bar). Don’t have a jigging rod or tip-up? Make one – it’s been done for centuries. Need good advice on bait? Talk to the good folks at the local bait shop – they know what to use, and where to fish. So bring hot dogs and cocoa – and have fun. ther on shore (to warm up) or on the ice. You can also “tailgate-fish,” watching nearby tip ups drilled just off the shoreline, from the comfort of your truck. I made a jigging stick that works well, and which can also can be used instead of an ice tip up. I cut Vs in each end of a 14-inch 1”x2” pine board. Then, I
Kids enjoy ice fishing, but they need to keep busy. They will quickly become bored waiting for a flag to wave. Fishing with a jigging pole, and preparing hot dogs and hot chocolate, will help keep them happy. Photo by Val Marquez
wrapped it with about 20 feet of ice-fishing line, and nailed paper clips onto it, to hold the line in place. I put one clip in the center of the rod, and clipped the baited hook and line in it so it would pull free if a fish hit the bait. I found that if I ran a loop of line on the ice, it gave the hooked fish a little time to move before the hook set. I even placed a one-foot wooden ruler on it, to measure fish. Homemade devices are part of our area’s heritage. Native Americans made simple ice fishing devices using sticks. Designing one would make a good educational and fun project for kids – it would be exciting for them to catch fish with their homemade devices. Locations If you are new to ice fishing and plan to bring the family, I suggest starting out fishing for warm-water fish species, such as perch, pickerel, bass and crappie. These fish are easy to catch, and are more widespread than trout. Warm-water fish feed during the day and provide more action, while fishing for trout (browns in particular) generally involves longer times between bites. Trout often feed only at dawn or dusk – not good times of day to get the family involved. Parking during the winter is an issue. Once snowbanks appear, roadside parking is often impossible, so you should choose waters with ample parking and access. For example, spacious plowed parking is often available at public boat launch sites. Southern Maine lakes and ponds that offer good parking include Lower Mousam, at the launch site on Route 109 in Shapleigh; Little Ossipee Lake, in Waterboro; Horn Pond in Acton; and Sokokis Lake and Pickerel Pond in Limerick. If there are no plowed snowbanks along the roads, and if roadside parking is available, I like fishing Horn Pond (Acton) on the New Bridge Road. The New Bridge Road travels along the shoreline, with easy access to the ice. Safety First Anglers should always wait until ice is thick, avoid open water areas at (Southern Maine continued on next page)
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Ice Fishing on a Student’s Budget Walk into any store that sells ice fishing gear, and you’ll feel like walking right back out, if you’re tight on cash. Ice fishing equipment can be very expensive, setting the entry barrier very high. Ice augers – ranging from hand-powered, to gas, to propane and electric – can vary from $50 to $600; pop-up ice shacks can run well over $1,000. And even the total cost of tip-ups, jig rods and gear can become unrealistically expensive. Luckily, there are ways to avoid breaking the bank, while still enjoying Maine’s hard water. And, luckily for you, I’m on a tight budget, and I can help out. Tip Ups While you don’t necessarily need tip ups to go ice fishing, it will certainly increase your catch rate … and since more fish equals more fun, tip ups make ice fishing more fun. Simple as that. That said, you don’t need to spend a ton of money on the newest, greatest traps. While you usually get what you pay for, there are exceptions. For days that aren’t terribly harsh – not too cold or slushy – the inexpensive tip ups from big box stores will often suffice. I bought a tip up last year, just to try it out – it was made of some inexpensive-feeling wood, sported no drag nut, and had a simple spring steel flag. It came already spooled with line. Although it was easily the most primitive tip up I’ve ever owned, it does the trick – as long as it doesn’t get frozen up too badly, and as long as a toothy Northern pike does not decide to unspool all the line. Augers Ice augers are another controversial topic. There are a ton of options, and a wide range of prices. For ice less than
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all times, not drive vehicles onto the ice, and also carry ice safety picks to enable someone who’s in the water to pull themselves onto the ice’s surface. IF&W has information on ice fishing
Our young but experienced columnist considers how to catch fish through the ice without breaking the bank.
This photo was taken from shore, where the author and his friends — who were fishing without a ice shelter — retreated in order to stay out of the wind. They enjoyed a shore lunch and, with landowner permission, a campfire. Nolan Raymond photo
about a foot thick, I have no issue with a hand auger – especially if you can keep the blades sharp. And that doesn’t mean taking the file from your Leatherman to them once a month. I mean having them professionally sharpened, or done carefully yourself with a stone after being removed from the auger. safety, along with regulations on lakes and ponds that are open to ice fishing. Read the law book carefully, since bag limits and even trap limits vary on different waters. Folks should check the state’s website (maine.gov/ifw/) for more information. Ice fishing here in southern Maine can be excellent. Warm days without wind are a good way to spend a day
For larger holes, or thick ice, it’s a good idea to upsize. I really like a classic gas-powered auger – easy to work on, and reliable. They are also the most affordable of the power augers. Propane isn’t bad either, although the canisters do tend to freeze in extreme cold. Last, and usually most expensive by far, comes the electric auger (the smartcar drill). With lithium-ion batteries, their light weight and efficiency is impressive. However, they are very expensive. Ice Shacks You don’t really need an ice shack to enjoy a day on the hard water. If it’s windy or cold, you may well want one, but on a mild day, it’s unnecessary. Even when the wind picks up, my friends and I often retreat to a shoreline (where it’s allowed), and sit just inside the trees with a campfire. If you choose to get an ice shack, you have two real options: hard side, or portable. Hard side (or permanent) shacks have some advantages: they give you a place to return to every time you go fishing, a place to store gear, and are quieter and more substantial-feeling. They feel more like a cabin than a tent. You can also get pretty involved with add-ons such as woodstoves, TVs and solar systems. However, they’re heavy. And expensive. Once the shack is set for the season, it’s not moving. Unless you bribe some buddies. Then, they may help make it move. Depending on the bribe. Ice fishing can seem intimidating, until you break it down and recognize that the basics are affordable. Just stay realistic, and shop around.
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with the family. It doesn’t have to be expensive, either. For added fun, bring along a camp stove and cook hot dogs and heat up hot chocolate. Kids can ice skate, as well. Ice fishing is an easy sport to get into, and you don’t need to empty your bank account on gear. Try it!
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Giving Old Marlin Designs New Life Founded in 1870, the Marlin brand still excites hunters and shooters 153 years later. That was the year John M. Marlin left his job with Colt in Hartford, Connecticut, moved to nearby New Haven, and formed the company that bears his name. Within about 20 years, he had built a product line and reputation to rival all other American firearms manufacturers. After decades of successes, Marlin found it increasingly challenging to compete
To appeal to traditionalists while still manufacturing a rifle that can handle modern ammo, Ruger has released new Marlin designs that look forward by looking back and paying tribute to the lever-action’s storied history. in the 21st century. In late 2007, Remington Arms Company, itself facing challenges in the marketplace, purchased Marlin from the heirs of John M. By 2010, Remington relocated Marlin’s assets to its own facilities in Ilion, New York and Mayfield, Kentucky. In 2020, a bankrupt Remington corpo-
2nd Annual
ration cut their losses and sold Marlin, lock, stock, and barrel, to Sturm, Ruger & Co. Ruger immediately moved Marlin’s production assets to facilities in Mayodan, North Carolina to keep up Marlin’s successes with .22 rimfire lines and the large-bore lever-action Model 1895. Seemingly unaffected by the Covid pandemic, Ruger also designed and produced two new Marlin product lines for release in 2023. The company calls these their “Classic” lines. Actually, these are continuations of Marlin’s highly-successful
Model 1894 and Model 336 lever-action rifles, on which so much of Marlin’s previous reputation rides. Two months ago, Jeremiah Knupp published in American Rifleman, “While the Marlin company has produced nearly every type of firearm over its century and a half of existence, from machine guns for the U. S. military to small pocket revolvers, the company name has become synonymous with lever-action rifles.” Knupp, the Field Editor of American Rifleman, goes on to state, “While Marlin lever-actions had al-
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ways played second fiddle to the ubiquitous Winchester in the waning days of the Old West, in the post-World War II era, Marlin rifles went head-to-head with Winchesters when competing for a place among a new generation of hunters.” Model 336 Knupp’s November 2023 piece provides additional historic perspective: “All modern Marlin lever-actions have their roots in the first Marlin rifle designed to be used with smokeless cartridges, the Model 1893. The 1893 used Marlin’s then-standard solid top frame and flat-sided, sideeject bolt. Nearly 1 million were made, before the design was discontinued in 1935. It was replaced by the modernized Model 1936 (later ‘Model 36’) which was produced through 1947.” That year, the company released the even more evolved Model 336. Ruger’s version of the 336 is a faithful copy of the original, including such details as the hooded brass front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight, and the Marlin horseman logo on the grip cap. The serial numbers all carry the prefix RM for “Ruger made,” and Marlin’s long-used plastic bull’s-eye inlaid into the stock has turned from black and (Continued on next page)
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white to a Ruger red and white. Otherwise, there are few discernable differences from an original Model 336. The 336 mounts a pistol-grip stock of American black walnut with checkering pressed into the gripping surfaces and a corresponding curved actuating lever. The buttstock carries a red recoil pad similar to those found on Ruger rifles. There is a crossbolt safety button located just above the trigger housing and just below the external hammer. The 20.25-inch barrel is forged from alloy steel and has a fulllength tubular magazine that accommo-
dates six rounds. The 336 is chambered for the venerable .30-30 Winchester cartridge so familiar to Maine and other East Coast deer hunters. Hopefully, the company will achieve some success with this model, and will consider bringing back some other original chambering, such as .32 Winchester Special and .35 Remington. The new 336 is designed to operate using all modern bullet types, including polymer-tipped projectiles, something the originals could not do. In truth, what we have is a thoroughly modern, technically up-todate rifle that looks and handles like the
Under the parentage of Sturm, Ruger & Co., Marlin Firearms now offers a new “Classic” line of lever-action hunting rifles made in North Carolina. Photo: Marlin Firearms
rifles from which it descends. Model 1894 With the exception of its straight-grip stock and squared-off actuating lever, the 1894 looks identical to the Model 336. It carries the same black walnut stock and forearm, the same distinctive barrel band, the same matt blue finish on the metal parts, and the same sights. Both rifles are drilled
and tapped for scope bases – a distinct advantage over the Winchester Model 94. The 1894 chambers pistol cartridges – in this case, the .44 Remington Magnum and the .44 Special. It will certainly take deer-sized game at short range, but is more of a home-andfarm defense rifle or a recreational target rifle. It would be nice to see future variants of the 1894 chambering
the .357 Magnum and/ or the .41 Magnum. Both rifles carry an MSRP of $1,239, or about five times what I paid for a Model 336 in 1990. But that one has a birch stock and forearm, with no checkering. The walnut stock alone is reason to think about this new version. Here’s hoping they do offer it in .35 Remington before too long.
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Trophy Gallery
Youthful Success Brody Miller of Brunswick, age 12, earned his Maine Sportsman Youth Deer patch when he tagged his first-ever whitetail, a spike-horn buck, on Opening Day, October 28, 2023. Brody was hunting in his hometown, using a 7mm-08. The buck was registered at Johnson Sporting Goods, on the Bath Road in Brunswick. Photo: Josh Miller
Nice Buck for Lilly Lilly Bouchard, age 12 of Wallagrass, earned her Youth Deer patch from The Maine Sportsman with this 175-lb, 8-point whitetail buck on the second day of Maine’s two-day 2023 Youth Deer Days, October 21. Lilly was hunting in her hometown, using a 7mm-08. The hunt was supervised by her Dad, Benjamin. The impressive deer was registered at Lake Road Grocery on the Sly Brook Road in New Canada. Photo provided by Benjamin Bouchard www.MaineSportsman.com
60 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
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Enhance Your Outdoor Skills with Instructional Videos For many, January is a month to look back on the previous year to learn and grow. Sometimes the lessons are tough, and we don’t like admitting there might be something we should change in our lives. Other times, we can look at what we have done and be pleased with how life is going. I’ve learned a few things in the course of my life, and one of the biggest lessons that sticks in my head is that to become better at anything, I must keep my mind open and be willing to change. Now this doesn’t mean I keep my mind so open that my brains flop out on the floor – it just means to understand that there are opposing views that I can learn from and use to better myself. Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” I need to “think
Need to install a trigger kit? Tie a complex trout fly? Obtain a coveted sheath knife for your collection? The internet awaits – just learn to budget your expenses! outside of the box” to solve problems and better myself. Once an individual begins to use their brain in this manner, they really start to improve their life in any situation. Lessons Learned Most folks already know this, but I learned that I could do almost anything as long as I have YouTube to take me through the process step by step. If I ever get in trouble with a project that seems over-my-head, all I have to do is watch an instructional video to help me understand it. For example, I installed a “drop-in” trigger kit for my Ruger 10/22 rifle by watching a YouTube video. I’m not a mechanically-inclined person, so this was quite an accomplishment for me. If I
encountered a tough part of the instructions, I simply stopped and replayed that portion of the video as many times as it took to make it clear for me. I had every screw or bolt removed from that rifle, all laid out on newspaper on the kitchen table. My wife Nancy came in and saw the mess and asked, “What are you doing? You’re never going to get that back together again.” I avoided the temptation to gloat when I showed her the finished product.
Tying flies is another area where I’m lacking, and once again, instructional videos come to the rescue. My favorite fly-tying videos come from Tim Flagler, Kelly Galloup, and other fly-tying professionals. The videos really make it clear and easy to understand. They give you a list of materials you will need to tie the fly, and then show you how to do it. Another time, I needed to refinish an old shotgun stock, and I was failing at the
methods I’d used in the past. I pulled up several videos, and finally found one that showed me a few new tricks that made the process much easier. The Internet As much as folks like to complain about the Internet, I find it fascinating. It’s a virtual library at your fingertips, and a worldwide marketplace where you can find and order unique items that might otherwise be difficult to obtain. Take for instance the knife I just purchased online – the Grohmann #2 D.H. Russell, Trout and Bird knife. I had read (Continued on next page)
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62 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Rangeley Region (Continued from page 61)
about this knife since I was a kid way back in the 1950s and 1960s. As a young man, I must have seen a photo of the knife in some outdoor magazine, and I really wanted one. Then later in life when I was able to afford this knife and before the Internet, I could never find the company through a phone directory or magazine advertisement. Now that the Internet is available, I simply typed in “D.H. Russell knives” and came up with the company that makes them – Grohmann Knives in Canada (grohmannknives.com). After
scanning their website, I typed in my address and credit card information, and a few weeks later had the awesome knife in my hands. Now, don’t get me wrong … this online activity can get you in trouble, if you don’t watch your spending. I have become a little too familiar with the UPS, Fed Ex and other ground transportation drivers. But overall, my purchases aren’t frivolous. Most merchandise is really needed – dog food, dog treats, dog hunting gear, and parts for the vehicles, as well as hard-to-find
The author recently went online to GrohmannKnives.com to purchase this D.H. Russell #2 Bird & Trout knife -- an item he’d coveted since he was a boy. William Clunie photo
items such as specialty soaps, organic teas, and seat covers for the truck. Don’t get me started on how easy it is to find classic, old double-barreled shotguns online. I spend a great deal of time on the lap-
top looking for double shotguns or Savage 99 rifles. At this very moment, I’m fighting the urge to start collecting and fishing with antique bamboo fly rods. I have been reading John Gierach’s books
– he’s one of my favorite writers – and he charms and tempts me with his mystical love of traditional bamboo rods. I’m a huge sucker for mystical tradition.
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Trophy Gallery
Happy Hunter Andrew A. Bean, Sr. of Rumford earned his Biggest Bucks in Maine patch from The Maine Sportsman magazine for this 206.8lb, 8-pt. whitetail, which he shot in Rumford using a .308. The buck was registered by Rebecca Willson at Mills Market, located on South Main Street in Andover. www.MaineSportsman.com
Most Impressive Horns Jeremy Burbank of Vassalboro was hunting in Hartland on November 9, 2023 when he dropped this 200-lb, 9-pt buck with his .45-70. The impressive whitetail was registered by TrueLynn Preble of the Skowhegan Fire Department. Jeremy has been awarded a Biggest Bucks in Maine patch for his successful hunt. Be sure to pick up the February, 2024 issue of The Maine Sportsman when it appears on store shelves next month. It will contain many Biggest Bucks trophy photos, as well as the list of all those hunters who qualified for the Sportsman’s Biggest Bucks in Maine patch club during the fall season.
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So What? Whenever my wife and I are driving along Route 2 in West Pittsfield, and we pass by the Higgins Road, I say, “There’s the Higgins Road,” and she replies, “So what?” I’ve never taken the time to explain, so here goes. It was the night of November 25, 1972, and Warden Norm Gilbert and I were on the Higgins Road, sitting in Norm’s 1971 Plymouth Fury patrol vehicle. We were staking out a field. Norm said it was a favorite place for local residents who preferred to hunt after dark. At 10:30 p.m., a vehicle approached. When it was adjacent to our location, it slowed, and a spotlight beam appeared, illuminating the field to our left. Norm got our vehicle moving, without lights, and we quickly fell in behind a four-door sedan. Norm turned on all the lights, including the blue lights. The car slowed down, but did not quite come to a stop. While one suspect was behind the wheel, we noticed a second man, holding a rifle, open a rear door, preparing to get out and escape. Norm pulled up alongside the vehicle so close that the man could not get out. To counter our maneuver, the driver of
On two separate occasions, two years apart, the Higgins Road in West Pittsfield was the scene of fleeing night hunters being pursued by determined members of law enforcement. the other vehicle accelerated forward, allowing the rifle-carrier to squeeze out the door. I jumped out in pursuit, but he had a head start. I chased him across the road and down over a ditch into the woods. Running at full speed, I tripped at the edge of the woods and crashed, headfirst, hitting the ground so hard I saw stars. Regaining my senses, I continued the chase. I had an advantage now, since I’d hung onto my flashlight, while the suspect was running in the dark, and he was also lugging his heavy rifle. He was forced to slow as he ran into several tree branches. After we’d run another 100 yards, I tackled him and got some handcuffs onto him. As I worked my way back toward the Higgins Road, I hollered to Norm that I had my guy. Norm also had his suspect in tow. We transported the two gentlemen to the Pittsfield police station, and called a bail commissioner. As we sat in the office, I realized my right thigh was throbbing, and there was something sticking out of my upper leg. Also in
the station was a doctor, who’d been called to take a blood sample in a different case. He looked at my leg and told me to come to his office as soon as I was done with the paperwork from our arrests. At midnight, in his office, the doctor injected some pain killer into my leg, and proceeded to pull out a piece of tree branch that was imbedded about an inch into my thigh. He then cleaned the puncture wound and put in a couple of stitches. I thanked him, went outside where Norm was waiting, and we returned to work at the same spot on the Higgins Road. About 1:30 in the morning, the pain killer in my leg wore off and I began to complain some, but Norm didn’t want to leave our lucky spot, so I hung in there until about 3:00 a.m., at which point we called it a night. I was a little sore the next couple of days, but didn’t tell my supervisor, for fear he would not let me work those last few days of hunting season. Return to the Higgins Road The next time I had the opportunity to
work on the Higgins Road was two years later, November 14th, 1974, and I was again there with Warden Norm Gilbert, but this time we were in my 1972 Rambler Ambassador. There was only one residence within sight of our location. About 9:00 p.m., beyond the house, a bright spotlight swept across a field. Since we had not seen a vehicle, we concluded that whoever had the light had walked from that residence. We got out of the Rambler and scurried up to the house. We had just arrived there when the spotlight came on again, farther up the road. We decided to just wait, taking separate positions near the driveway of the residence. I tucked in behind a large maple tree. Several minutes later, I heard footsteps coming down the road. Two men walked past me. I could see that one was carrying a long gun, and the other had some kind of spotlight. I slipped out onto the road behind them as quietly as I could. However, they heard me, and took off running. I ran after the
fellow with the rifle, and tackled him in an area cluttered with junk and burdocks. My guy kept trying to get free. I had him in a headlock, and I pushed his rifle away with my free hand. He reached out and grabbed the rifle again. I had a flashlight in my right hand, but I didn’t dare try to smack him, since I didn’t want to lose my grip on him. I flipped him back over on my right and he let go of the rifle, but he landed on top of me, and I couldn’t get up. I could see that Norm had lost the other guy, so I yelled for him to help me out. He came back, grabbed the rifle, and unloaded it. Meanwhile, my suspect was trying to bend my fingers back one by one to get loose. Finally, we subdued the suspect and cuffed him. Later, we learned the other fellow, the one with the light, lived in the nearby house, so we were able to identify him and successfully charge him. Now, if my wife reads this, the next time we pass by the Higgins Road I predict the conversation will go like this: I will say, “There’s the Higgins Road,” and she will reply, “Yeah, yeah – I know.”
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www.MaineSportsman.com
64 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Natural and Homemade Baits Last month, we covered some homemade lures and scents. Now we will talk in general about commonly-used baits. The meats most commonly used as bait by Maine trappers are beaver, muskrat, and deer scraps, along with fresh and tainted fish. The following are some of the better-known baits and attractants that will draw the interest of various furbearers: Beaver – Sticks of poplar, apple, willow, and maple Muskrat – Slices of apple, carrots, parsnips, and chunks of sweet corn Coyotes and Red Fox – Fresh or tainted ground or chunked-up meat or fish Gray Fox – The same as coyotes and red fox, plus rotten eggs, and some fruits Fisher and Marten – Chunks of fresh or tainted meat and fish, along with raspberry and strawberry jams Weasel – Bloody meats or pieces of fresh rabbit Otter and Mink – Fresh fish or muskrat Skunk – Fresh or tainted meat or fish, along with rotten eggs Bobcat – Fresh meat or fish; attractants may include such things as hanging objects, including CDs, feathers, or strips of fur dangling from tree limbs over the trap site; these get the attention of the bobcat, bringing it closer Raccoon – Fresh or tainted fish, sweet corn and muskrat meat Opossum – Jellies, jams, fruits (fresh or sour) and meats (fresh or rotten Odiferous Be forewarned that the making of some of the following baits will result in a very smelly and nasty product. One example that comes to mind is rotten eggs. Normally, three or four dozen eggs are broken into a large glass jar (keep shell pieces out of the jar), shaken up well to mix, and covered so as to prevent flies from getting into the mixture. It is then placed in a safe location in the sun for a number of weeks. Some trappers take canine baits to a whole other level, a process in which the ground meat is allowed to rot down over a long period of time. I have a mixture of ground beaver and bobcat meat in a flyproof container that is about four years old. The resulting liquid will be thinned down a little with either glycerin or vodwww.MaineSportsman.com
Making your own baits can be an effective, if odiferous, process. Furbearers have surprisingly diverse preferences – from wood and meat to rotten eggs and even jellies and jams.
According to the author, the baits most commonly used by trappers to attract fisher are chunks of fresh or tainted meat or fish, as well as raspberry or strawberry jam.
ka, then strained to remove any particles such as hair or bone fragments. Both the egg and the liquid byproduct of the meat will be placed in small glass bottles to carry on the trap line. Enhancements Some trappers place a small amount of beaver castor, skunk essence, asafetida or several drops of lovage oil into the liquefied meat product to enhance it. Note: As a rule of thumb, an ounce of asafetida powder (straight or tinctured) is enough for a gallon of bait or lure base. Another coyote bait not listed above but used out West for canines is boiled horse hooves. If you have a friend who is a farrier or blacksmith, get some hoof trimmings, and give it a try. More Furbearer Baits A fresh poplar stick with some of the bark peeled off is the preferred bait for attracting beaver. Slices of parsnip or apple are best for muskrat. The apple needs to be replaced every couple of days, as it turns brown and is less attractive to the muskrat. Ground fresh or slightly tainted meat is most commonly used for the canines, while fresh is best for bobcat. Good-sized chunks of beaver meat are normally used for fisher and mar-
tin. Martin are the ones with a real special sweet tooth for the jams and jellies. Fresh fish or muskrat are both good baits for otter and mink. I personally have found fresh or frozen tinker mackerel to be a very good bait for fisher and martin, along with otter and mink. As noted above, fresh and bloody is best for weasel. Skunk like the rotten eggs, along with tainted meats or fish. Raccoons seem to prefer their fish or muskrat served fresh, with a nice ear of sweet corn on the side. ’Possum Opossum seem to eat whatever is put on their dinner plate. Trapping down south will convince you that Mr. Possum will eat about everything and anything out there, and that they are also attracted to just about any lure or scent used by trappers. There are Rules Always check the annual “Summary of Maine Trapping Laws” when using any type of bait and/or visual attractants. Both have special requirements on how each may or may not be used during the various trapping seasons. If you’re unsure, call your local warden to clarify whether your proposal is or is not legal. There are two other furbearers that I haven’t addressed. One is our biggest, and the other may just be our smallest. The biggest is the bear, which is also one of our big game animals. I will not address bear bait here. The other is present in all our northern and western woods – the red squirrel. I have weighed a couple of our short tailed weasels (the smallest of our two species), and they run just a couple of ounces. I can’t imagine that the red squirrel can weigh more than an ounce or two more, even if it is full of nuts. The red squirrel is internationally listed as a furbearer and is sold through the international auctions as such. I do not know of anyone who utilizes them as a furbearer, and have never seen any at fur auctions in Maine. The market usually lists them for a dollar or two – about the same value as our short tailed weasel.
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Who Would Purposely Hike with Weights in their Packs? 300 Members of Maine’s “Ruck” Club! Before I had even so much as the hint of facial hair, I was unknowingly introduced to a sport craze that would bloom into a multi-million-dollar business in my seventh decade. My uncle Al Yates and I were somewhere in the high mountainous terrain of Albany Township. We were trapping bobcats. Or at least Al was trapping bobcats, and I was a wide-eyed school kid who had come along for the ride. He drove us up a mountainside through deep fresh snow until the woods road ended in unsurmountable drifts. When the truck would go no farther, we got out. Steep hardwood ridges rose above us to granite ledges. It was a bright day, but a gusty northwest wind deepened the 10-degree cold. We strapped into snowshoes. My head was full of mountain-man tales from 150 years in the past and a full continent away from my Maine roots. I didn’t hesitate when Al pushed a heavy packbasket filled with leghold traps and other gear toward me across the tailgate. “Put this on,” he said. “It’ll keep your back warm.” Who Knew? Humans have been carrying heavy items across the landscape for thousands of years. We’ve given this activity many different names. Only in the last few years, however, has it become
The author and his friends have not yet felt the need to enter the competitive world of rucking -- they are too busy carrying real packs over long distances. Here, former Army Ranger Wayne Sturdivant practices “not rucking.” Photos provided by the author
“Rucking,” says the author, which consists of carrying heavy packs over pre-determined distances to build strength and endurance, has become the newest outdoor fitness phenomenon.
The author engages in rucking, but with a purpose — winter camping.
known as the newest outdoor fitness phenom, called “rucking” Strapping heavy stuff to your back and walking with it, sometimes for many miles, is something that I used to call “backpacking.” But “rucking” eliminates the trail navigation, overnight camping, outdoor cooking and woodlore parts of backpacking. The idea is simply to build strength and endurance by carrying heavy packs over a pre-determined distance. The trail condition, weight of the pack and speed of the march determine how strenuous the ruck is. With its roots in military training, rucking is often a group endeavor. Maine’s Dirigo Ruck Club boasts 300 members. Any regular walking exercise is great for cardiovascular health, but rucking enthusiasts claim that their sport builds strength, bone density and endurance – like weightlifting. At least one small study found that rucking with a 20 lb. pack, slightly uphill at 4 mph burns more calories than jogging the same amount of time at a moderate
pace. Outside is Key Component And while any new fitness craze deserves our scrutiny, at least this one focuses on an outdoor experience. It also serves a theoretically-practical purpose, should the participant ever want to move across the outdoor landscape for some reason other than just strong quad muscles and improved bone density. So many of the recent exercise fads have been indoor gym or studio centered. The kettlebell lifters compete with spin classes on stationary bikes, running treadmills, circuit-training weightlifters, and mechanized stair-climbers for real estate in the University of Maine Farmington gym near me. In a fitness world where we mimic movement across the landscape but often stay inside and in one place, rucking should be a welcome addition. Gear For Rucking Of course, even a deceptively simple activity like rucking is not immune to the reach of the outdoor gear industry. The weight that is carried needs to be standardized for easy comparison with others. And since the load has no other purpose, padded steel plates in various weights will do, with attachment points and handholds for hefting ($75 - $165). It’s like secretly slipping rocks into a (Self-Propelled continued on page 67)
More “not rucking” activity, and at high altitude. www.MaineSportsman.com
66 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Chasing Those Rascally Rabbits into the New Year Pursuing rabbits, especially with a beagle or two, is a memorable experience, says the author. The peaceful tranquility of the snow-covered Maine woods combine with the sounds of the beagles to immerse the hunter into a world unknown to most folks. For me, January starts the New Year off with days spent chasing snowshoe-hare with beagles, deep in the snow-covered mountains of Western Maine. Deer hunting has ended, and all the wet swamplands that rabbits love to inhabit have frozen over and can be easily accessed by hunters. When I was a young hunter, nothing could have been more exciting. Most of the Christmas presents I received back then had something to do with hunting – wool
socks, shotgun shells, gun cleaning supplies, or larger-size hunting clothing for a growing boy. After the joy of receiving the new (or passed down) hunting gifts at Christmas, my immediate thought was, “Thank you – now when are we going hunting?” Best Gift – Getting Out There Some of the best gifts I ever received came in the form of hunting memories. My father gifted me with many glorious days
afield, most of them running snow-white hares with beagles. We always owned at least one beagle, and friends and family members would occasionally join in the hunt – some of them even had their own rabbit dogs. One of my father’s hunting buddies, Jessie Speer, had a whole pack of beagles … sometimes numbering six or seven. When those little dogs joined our dogs and they all opened up on a rabbit, the whole woods lit up with a chorus of
Winter in the Western Maine Mountains holds a special place in the author’s heart. William Clunie photo
hound-like music. I have often felt sorry for folks who’ve never had a chance to get out deep into the winter woods. The peaceful tranquility that fills your soul while standing kneedeep in fresh snow, way back in the woods, really cannot be explained in mere words, nor can it be duplicated by any means – you have to be there to understand. My father passed away in 2006, but I thank him to this day for the times he took me hunting, along with all the other adventures my parents created for me and my two brothers. My Son’s First Rabbit One of my favorite moments hunting rabbits came when I had a chance to take my own son, Brian Clunie, rabbit hunting just outside of the town of Fayette. The dogs had one going, and when it circled back to our position, we were in a place that offered a good, clean shot. My son was only ten or eleven years old, and he had a
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hard time sighting the fast-moving hare against a white background. I told him I would point at the hare when it came in sight, and that he could also point that way and when he spotted it, if it was a safe shot, he could take it. The plan worked perfectly, and my son’s shot was true – he dropped his first rabbit with his little .410 single-shot Thompson/ Center Contender carbine like a champ. The rabbit was on a dead run, and he rolled it over. To say I was surprised would be a huge understatement. The first thing he said when I hollered, “You got it!” was, “I did?” I could not have been prouder. Hunting Recommendations I highly recommend hunting snowshoe hare with beagles for anyone, especially those new to hunting. It immerses the hunter into a world unknown to most of our current population. It takes the hunter places they normally (Continued on next page)
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would not go to, and will create some lifelong memories. Gear; Guns Get a good pair of insulated winter boots, some snowshoes, and lots of warm wool clothes – and have at it. And do not forget the beagle – it just isn’t the same without a little hunting com-
panion. Do not worry about training a beagle – most of these dogs have a built-in drive to chase bunny rabbits. All the hunter needs to do is get the dog out in the woods as often as possible … not a hard task, once hunters find out how fun it really can be. Most rabbit hunters prefer to use a
Self-Propelled Sportsman (Continued from page 65)
tenderfoot’s backpack on the Scout hike, only more expensive. No ordinary pack will suffice. Top-end specialty rucking packs start at $335. They are built with custom-sized interior pockets for the custom-sized padded steel plates. And unsurprisingly, there are specialty shoes and boots for rucking, technical clothing with gear logos, gear bags, and hydration bladders. Rucking, Formerly Known as Working Carrying packs full of heavy items has been going on for a very long time, mostly not with the primary goal of decreasing the carrier’s resting heart rate or jump-starting a weight loss pro-
shotgun, but I am partial to a .22 LR rifle or handgun. When I use the shotgun, I usually use a 12 gauge with number fives or sixes. My favorite .22 LR caliber rifle to use for hare is a Marlin 39 TDS lever-action, and my handgun preference would have to be the Ruger MKII in the same caliber. I like the CCI Stinger ammo for
gram. Ancient nomadic people would have been shocked to learn about the cardiovascular benefits of moving from winter hunting grounds to summer fishing areas. It’s possible that we are so far removed from the idea of physical activity as a part of our modern life that we have created a fitness sport that mimics carrying firewood or making multiple trips carrying building supplies to a remote access camp. Or even spending a day tending bobcat traps. And it’s possible that we have become so disconnected from nature that it serves us primarily as an outdoor playground, or a less-complicated treadmill, where we can test our physical fitness against others. An appropriate penance might be paying $350 for a backpack that is useful only for carrying otherwise-useless heavy steel plates.
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either rifle or handgun. Carry It On Your Back I also like to carry a small backpack for carrying a lunch, extra ammo, extra clothes, and a few survival items like matches, lighter, petroleum-soaked cotton balls, folding saw, water filter straw, and a lightweight survival
blanket, in case I get stuck overnight in the woods. The backpack does not weigh much at all, and I can carry any rabbits I might take. It can also hold various extra dog supplies, GPS unit, and items that make the trip into the winter woods enjoyable and comfortable.
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Trophy Gallery
Perfect “Ten” Blake Blanchette, age 14, was hunting in Lebanon on October 20, 2023 when he tagged this impressive, 197-lb, 10-pt buck. The massive whitetail was registered by Tim Sansoucy at Tim’s Taxidermy, Whicher’s Mills Road in Alfred. Blake is shown here with his Dad, Adam.
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68 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
— Guest Column —
Goodbye to a Best Friend by Chris Sargent, Bucksport, ME Never his owner, master or handler, I was always his student. He taught me the true meaning of love, companionship and unwavering loyalty, without ever saying a word. The bond we shared was profoundly special and a true gift. He was a champion in every way. Energetic, happy and extraordinarily smart, he approached each moment of his life, even the last few, with vigor, wide eyes and a wagging tail. Made better were the lives of anyone who knew him, and he brought smiles to countless faces. On a warm, sunny afternoon in May of 2008, I parked my truck in the driveway of a woman I’d never met. She’d placed a newspaper advertisement regarding Chocolate Labrador puppies for sale. I was 22 years old with barely a penny to my name, but I was missing something in my life – a good dog. I’d researched various breeds and had come to the conclusion that a Lab’s even temperament, docile nature and trainability suited me just fine. I was hesitant to make a decision that day. The puppies were going for $350, roughly the balance in my checking account, but I had to at least take a look. Last Puppy Down the Ramp An odd excitement overtook me as the owner, Jodi, walked me to the back yard area, where a wooden ramp extended from a small doggie door out to the lawn. She instructed me to wait while she went inside to let the litter and their mother out. Moments later, the doggie door opened, and a flood of chubby, clumsy, happy Lab puppies spilled out like water on rocks. I grinned ear to ear as they ran toward me. The little dogs didn’t have a care in the world, and they were just happy to feel the grass under their paws. One by one, they ran past me. Some stopped to sniff, then carried on. A couple even jumped on me as I knelt down, but none showed much interest as they made their way to the play area beyond. As the door shut, one last puppy made his way down the ramp and began barreling in my direction. I expected him to follow suit with the others, but instead he piled directly into me. He regained his footing, then jumped up onto www.MaineSportsman.com
The author mourns the loss of Gunner, his Chocolate Lab, whom he said was “not your standard upland dog.” It’s a loss felt by every hunter when that sad time arrives.
The author and his Chocolate Lab, Gunner.
my knee as he licked my hands and face. My heart melted, and without hesitation, then and there, I told Jodi I would take him. A few weeks later, I brought that little pudgy brown pup home and gave him a name – Gunner. I’d prepared a crate for him next to the bed, complete with a blanket, toys and everything else I thought he’d need to be comfortable. No Kennel for Gunner That first night, certain he was tired from a day of playing, I closed the kennel door and settled in. After an hour of listening to the most pitiful, sad crying I’d ever heard, I lifted Gunner up onto the bed, where he snuggled in next to my chest and fell sound asleep. He never stepped foot in that kennel again. Like Something Out of a Catalog He didn’t need it, nor did he ever need a leash or to be told twice. From the beginning, Gunner was a star. Even as young as I was, I recognized I’d hit the lottery as far as dogs go. Soon,
Gunner had mastered every trick in the book. Sit, paw, play dead, speak and spin were child’s play for him. He wanted to be challenged, and within a year, we were communicating with only hand signals, whistles and finger snaps. Labs aren’t your standard upland dog, but then again, Gunner was anything but standard. I didn’t duck hunt, so we began our own training regimen for grouse and woodcock. I was shocked at how quickly he picked up on his new mission, and that second fall, we hit the woods in search of our first bird. Without embellishment, the scene was like something out of an L.L. Bean catalog. As we made our way down an ancient grassy road leading to an old homestead littered with apple trees and stone foundations, Gunner looked back at me as I whistled. At the snap of my fingers and a quick arm motion to my right, Gunner sailed into the woods and began zig-zagging down an old rock wall. Woodcock I stood in the road, gun at the ready, as I watched him suddenly stop and turn 90 degrees, while his tail stiffened and raised. The bird flushed feet in front of him, and I swung my Remington 870. The trigger broke just as the woodcock made its whistling upward drive. The bird crumpled in a cloud of feathers, landing stone-dead in the road. Gunner was on him in seconds, and pranced his way back to me, proud as could be. For a good five minutes, I sat in the middle of that grassy road while I praised and petted him, and shared in his excitement. It would be the first of countless birds and a lifetime of adventures we would enjoy together. Fell Asleep Over 14 years later, as we played ball and fought over a grouse wing one last time in the warm September sunshine, I smiled, laughed and hugged him. A short time later, beneath the shade of a maple tree, with our heads pressed together, he peacefully fell asleep, and then died in my arms. I cried like a baby. Tears finally dried as the heartache faded, but I will always miss my best friend. Here’s to you up there, Gunner Ol’ Boy. Thank you for everything. We’ll see you again someday.
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The Big Tree I think winter, with snow on the ground, is one version of paradise. I like the closeness of snow on the trees as I float along on my wooden snowshoes, usually looking for a snowshoe hare to round out the hunting season that kicks off in October for me. I love the transition from the intensity of chasing bucks across northern New England, to chasing hare closer to home. This fall, I spent another opening weekend at our family camp for the start of VT rifle deer hunting. By my estimate, I’ve been going for 40 years. I’ve only missed one or two, for reasons like being in Iraq. I’ve tromped around the woods there long enough to see several cycles of logging on some of the properties nearby, to notice changes in the weather, to see more gray in the hair of the guys in camp and, I’m afraid to admit, in the mirror. Yet youth abounds. We had a new addition to our camp scene with the first of the next generation of hunters joining us. My cousin’s 9-year-old son attended camp as a licensed hunter. Having him in camp, with his own rifle and bunk, brought back a flood of memories for me. I remember lying in my bunk listening to stories
The walk to the huge yellow birch seemed endless when the author was a boy. Now, he enjoys accompanying the next generation of hunters to the tree, where they, too, are awed and inspired when they see the tree’s size and realize it’s likely more than 150 years old. into the evening, as the wood stove popped and hissed. Getting bundled up in clothes that didn’t fit quite right, being chastised for forgetting gloves, and receiving reminders about gun safety – all those situations hit home for me. We’ll have to work on the young fella, since he was a little slow on bringing in wood and fresh beverages – things I remember as my chief duties so many years ago. Rite of Passage All the camp life stuff is great, but we’re deer hunters. On Sunday, the young man’s grandfather took him for a walk. This walk is one we’ve all repeated for decades. Like many camps, we have place-names for things that nobody can find on a map, and spots that hold memories. The old sugarhouse has nearly been swallowed by the swamp, “the white shack is now brown, and “the Big Tree” is indeed quite large. When I was a kid, making it to the Big Tree was an epic adventure. Swamps needed to be crossed and hills climbed to get there. In my mind,
headed for the Big Tree!” One of the guys who stayed there ran into my uncle and told him that while he didn’t know where we hunted, he’d sure as heck sit by that big tree. It’s one of those spots where, if you could sit there for the entirety of the 16day rifle season, you’d shoot a buck. We’re all wanderers, however, so none of us are inclined to sit all day. The base of the Big Tree, with the author’s much-carried deer rifle resting against the trunk for scale. The tree is located in an isolated wet area, and has been therefore been protected from loggers. It has served as a touchstone and landmark for generations of hunters. Matt Breton photo
it was an all-day event. I remember being cold and wet, in my blue jeans and Bean boots. As it turns out, the tree lives just a halfmile from camp. It is a great deer crossing when deer are being pressured. A camp some miles away had a scanner, and the owner would frequently hear us back when we used radios – “He’s
Wandering By I take a couple of walks by the Big Tree every year. Usually, one happens early in the fall while I’m bird hunting. I travel by again at least once during rifle deer hunting, and then a final time after the season, when I’m just enjoying the winter woods. The giant yellow birch seems old and is noticeably big in comparison to its neighbors. It has been left alone by loggers, since it sits down in a wet spot. Uncle Ron told me it had been known as the Big Tree as long has he’d hunted the area. A forester friend told me that a few things can influence size, so that
makes it hard to age a tree on that characteristic alone, but he shared a USDA website that says yellow birch can live over 300 years. I like to ponder what that tree has witnessed if it’s lived there even half that long. Our new young hunter got to see the Big Tree, and he was introduced to some of the lore of camp. I walked around the tree, accompanied by a slew of memories from over four decades of wandering. I’ve tracked a few bucks by it, saw my first deer as a hunter in the 1980s there, and shot some deer within the swamp where it’s located. Thinking about who has trod that ground over the century-plus that the tree has existed makes me feel small and insignificant, which I think is a good thing for all of us. Over the hill and across the swamp sits our camp. It’s not nearly as old, but it’s getting there. It was great to witness our roots grow a little deeper with some young blood joining us. There are a few more kids to add to our ranks in the next few years. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope they get to wander around with memories of bucks that took them past the Big Tree.
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70 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
What Makes a Good Hunting Partner? When I was younger, one of my hunting mentors quipped to me, “It’s harder to find a good hunting buddy than it is a good wife.” He was right. I was 19 when I knew I’d found the girl I wanted to marry. I was 29 before I knew I’d found a good hunting buddy. Wonderful Influences I had the great fortune to come of hunting age under the guidance of some
The author explores the chemistry that makes for a good crew at his family’s deer camp – including mutual respect, a willingness to put aside competition, and a strong back. of the greatest hunters in northern New England. My dad was well-regarded as one of the better deer trackers around, and the small group of guys he assembled to hunt out of our family camp every Thanksgiving week each have their own storied styles and
successes in the deer woods. On top of their competence, they have something else – something more important than success. It’s something hard to describe, but I will try my best to articulate in the following paragraphs. The fun-
ny thing is, this group of guys aren’t “best friends” of my Dad’s. They don’t come over for dinner with their families every week, or go bowling or drinking on the weekends. Actually, other than a few friendly “Hey, how you doing?” encounters that occur by
chance, they don’t associate much, outside of hunting season. So how has the same group of guys made it work for the past 30+ years? What makes a good hunting buddy? Transformative Time Our Thanksgiving crew has had the same core 4-5 guys forever. Then there are a handful of others who have come or gone, or (Continued on next page)
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who’ve made occasional appearances over the years. As I’ve come of age and made my own bones into the hunting world and proved myself to our crew, I felt it time to invite my own hunting buddies to join us. Problem was … I didn’t have any hunting buddies. I knew a lot of people who hunted – some I would even call buddies of mine. But they weren’t hunting buddies. So what’s the difference? Match Making Although it may help for discussion on long trips, hunting partners don’t have to share the same non-November interests. Obviously, however, they need to view November as the sacred month that it is. They don’t need to utilize the same hunting tactics: among our group of guys, one is a hard-core tracker; one is completely committed to silent, stealthy still-hunting all day; one does numerous short walk-abouts in different areas each day; and one, due to age and health, is a sitter. A couple of guys prefer to hunt high on the ridges, while a couple of others prefer the softwood valleys by the river. I believe it’s actually to our benefit that our styles differ this much. There is less stepping on toes and competing with one another. Competition, I believe, ruins many outdoor pursuits – and friendships. What good hunting partners share, as our group of guys does, is the same level of enthusiasm and reverence for their pursuit. We all live for the autumn woods. We all respect
Among the most important qualities of the author’s hunting buddy is his strength and ability to drag -- and his willingness to share in adventurous outdoor pursuits without complaint. Here, he helps the author haul out a Wyoming antelope.
the process, albeit in different ways. None of us put the ends above the means. Although we all desire to tag a deer, we all wish to accomplish that in a legal, ethical, and meaningful way. Sincere Success One of the other things that my aforementioned mentor has told me about hunting buddies is, “If the other guy isn’t as happy for you when you get a deer as he is happy for himself when he gets one, it’s not going to work out.” As I mentioned before, competition and envy ruin hunting. Our hunting crew is unusual in that we all go our separate ways each day. We all hunt solo, and typically don’t see each other again until dark back at camp. There, we share our stories of the day. This practice helps avoid the “He shot my buck” quarrels. I admit, as much as I love being in the woods, some days I can’t wait to get back to camp, because I just want to hear how everyone else did – especially if I hear shooting! I think we each are sincerely over-
the-moon when we find out that one of the other guys had some luck. No Judgment Different guys have different standards – that’s great. A couple of our guys are happy with any legal buck. A couple want at least a 2.5-year-old. And another typically doesn’t settle for much less than a real brute. The underlying glue is that regardless of what the other person’s deer is, we are ecstatic about it. And there is zero judgment about why they chose to shoot it – or why they chose to pass one up. Passing the Torch Before my dad had his crew of guys, my grandfather had his. Most of them are now in the happier hunting grounds. Two of our current crew are in their 50s, three are in their 60s, and one’s in his 70s. I admire these men and what they’ve instilled in me. They’ve made me the hunter – and man – that I am. But they’ve always been my dad’s hunting buddies. In order to keep the camp tradition alive
The author with his longtime mentor, Jack Cormier, who, at 78 years old, tagged a Maine buck out of the author’s deer camp this past fall.
(and the group-effort lease paid), I’m going to need my own crew someday. It’s proving quite hard to find people my age who share the same vigor and oldschool respect for deer hunting that I do. So far, I have only one hunting buddy. But I am most thankful for him. He is up for adven-
ture, rarely complains, shares my morals and ethics, and challenges me to be a better hunter. He truly loves being in the outdoors. And best of all, he is 6’ 3” and a rugged 240 pounds – attributes that come in handy when I need help dragging!
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Trophy Gallery
Congratulations to Delaney Delaney Woods of Peru, a former writing contributor to this magazine, earned her Maine Moose Hunters Club patch from The Maine Sportsman when she tagged this 673-lb bull on October 10, 2023 in Zone 5. Hunting with her subpermittee (her brother, Colton), she used a 7 mm-08. The trophy was registered at Gateway Variety in Ashland. www.MaineSportsman.com
72 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Smilin’ Sportsman
“I tell you, it was amazing,” said one fisherman to another. “I watched a squirrel reaching for an acorn on a flat rock by the shore of the pond. Just as the squirrel grabbed the acorn, the biggest largemouth bass I’ve ever seen jumped out of the pond, and ate the squirrel!” “That’s unbelievable!” said the friend. “And that’s not the half of it,” contin-
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ued the first fisherman. “A minute later, I saw the bass carefully placing the acorn back on the rock!” — “Now it all comes back to me,” said the skunk, when the wind reversed direction. — Snow White arrived to see her cottage on fire. As she searched frantically through the burning rubble calling the names of her seven dwarfs, she heard a voice from the collapsed basement say: “Hunting bear over bait is just wrong!” “Thank goodness!” she exclaimed. “At least I know Dopey’s alive!” — “Mommy — am I a werewolf?” “Hush up and comb your face.” — She: “I can hardly believe that such a beautiful fur coat can come from such a small, sneaking beast.”
He: “I may not ask for thanks, my dear, but the least you can do is show respect.” — Husband: “How many men have you been in love with?” Wife: “Hmmm, let me count – One, two, three, four, you, six, seven!”
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Charged Up I had exciting plans for upgrading my house this past summer. First, there was going to be a giant walk-in beer cooler with lots of space for cans, bottles and draught taps. Then, the barn was going to be converted into a rickhouse – a storage facility for enough whiskey barrels to tide me over through the apocalypse. Neither of those things happened. My wife vetoed the beer cooler on the flimsy grounds that she didn’t want to give up her closet full of clothes she doesn’t wear, the laundry room (which I never use) and part of the kitchen (not the part where I keep my cocktail supplies) to accommodate a bunch of kegs and a few dozen cases. As for the rickhouse, it turns out a single barrel of good bourbon costs more than a debauched weekend in Vegas. Also, I don’t have a barn. With all the money we saved by not doing those fun projects, we did something (ugh) practical. We put in a generator. Trees and Ski Bums As much as I hate to admit it, this makes a certain amount of sense. We live in a rural area where the power goes out a lot. These outages are usually caused by the interference of one of two annoying entities: 1) Trees. 2) Drunken ski bums.
Our columnist finds it’s not easy making sure the lights stay on
With a generator and a big propane tank, the author is prepared for the apocolypse, although not in the manner he first envisioned.
It’s not clear why something hasn’t been done about the former. Trees are allowed to grow wherever they like, with no ordinances requiring permits, no bureaucratic inspections, and no legislative investigations of tree-related violence to the power grid. The tree lobby has branches reaching into every corner of government, and deep roots extending into the wealthy elites of both the left and right. If you are brave enough to challenge the political might of trees, you’ll probably find your vehicle covered in pine sap, your gutters clogged with leaves, and splinters in your fingers. As for drunken ski bums, there’s nothing to be done because they’re a mainstay of the Western Maine economy. Without inebriated downhillers to
buy pricey gear, pricey lift tickets and pricey drinks, the ski industry would collapse. To preserve our economy, we’re forced to tolerate them plowing their pricey SUVs into utility poles, knocking out the juice to entire townships nearly every weekend. Challenges Given that the causes of electrical outages aren’t going away until climate change wipes out both forests and icy roads unsuitable for travel by inebriated individuals who’ve forgotten to take off their ski boots, there didn’t appear to be any way to keep my pipes from freezing, except to make my own electricity. This proved to be more complicated than I expected. Couldn’t I just put a few solar panels on my roof? No, and the reason should have
been obvious: It was trees. They were soaking up all the sunlight, creating giant shadows that blanketed my house in darkness. A mess of them would have to be cut down, which raised a tricky legal issue, since the worst offenders were located on my neighbors’ properties. Those people were almost certain to object to unauthorized persons in their yards revving up chainsaws. So, solar was out, but there was still wind. Or so I thought. I had barely begun exploring the idea of erecting a turbine tower when I was approached by the president of the Maine Association of Drunken Ski Bums. “If you put that thing up,” he said, “my members are gonna feel compelled to run into it. It’ll be just too much of a temptation.”
Hydro? It appears that requires a river, stream or tidal inlet, none of which happens to exist on my property. Geothermal energy? Only if I wanted to drill through 100 feet of granite ledge. Home nuclear power? The local transfer station refuses to accept the waste. Rats on exercise wheels? As noted in a previous column, I’m fresh out of rats. Succumbed to Pressure I came to the sad conclusion that my only viable option for keeping the lights on was a generator. I had hoped to find one I could power with some sort of alternative fuel, such as wood from uppity trees or ski gloves scavenged from drunken bums, but none of the generator installers I spoke with was enthusiastic about those options. Something to do with them being impractical, illegal or stupid. In the end, I succumbed to their pressure and got a big, white propane tank. It now sits in my yard looking as ugly as a drunken ski bum recently extracted from a wreck by the jaws of life. If only, instead of propane, it was filled with whiskey. Al Diamon writes the monthly column Politics & Other Mistakes for The Bollard magazine.
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74 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
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Integrity Homes Real Estate Group 11 Violette Way, Suite 2, Manchester, ME cell 207-441-9317 | office 207-213-6650 lindsey@integrityhomesregroup.com www.integrityhomesrealestategroup.com
Caryn Dreyfuss, Broker • (207) 233-8275 caryndreyfuss@morton-furbish.com www.realestateinrangeley.com
RANGELEY – Rangeley’s newest neighborhood! Nicely wooded 1.42 acre parcel offers elevated mountain and field views. Property has been surveyed, soils tested, UG power available at the road. Easy snowmobile trail access from your door. Great spot for your get away or fulltime home, just off the beaten path and yet minutes to town amenities, Saddleback, four-season adventures. Don’t miss out on this one – inquire today! MLS #1576107 – $135,000 RANGELEY - Four-season two bedroom waterfront cottage on Haley Pond. Kayak, swim, ice fish, ATV/snowmobile from your door. Recent improvements include new wiring, plumbing, insulation, windows, doors, bathroom kitchen, and waterside deck. Town water/sewer. Walking distance to all Rangeley Village amenities, restaurants, shops, library, movie theater. Enjoy the panoramic water views, listen to the loons – this pondside gem is sure to please! MLS #1571706 – $419,000 RANGELEY – This 7.5 acre lot offers country setting yet it’s just 2 miles to Rangeley Village. Direct access to snowmobile trails and close to nearby recreation. Lot abuts 18 acres of common land for additional privacy. Property is surveyed with 900’ of road frontage, has a completed soil test, underground power and high speed internet. Owners of these lots will have first priority with contractor for driveway, septic and foundation when it’s time to build. MLS #1573819 – $179,000
www.MaineSportsman.com
56 Liberty Drive Hermon, ME
(207) 848-2866
www.overheaddoorofbangor.com
Urban-Edge Trophy Reece Reed of Brunswick had good luck on Thanksgiving morning in the dense, urban-edge woods of his hometown, using a Remington Wingmaster 870 loaded with double-aught buckshot. Rattled antlers brought the whitetail within range. The 8-point trophy field dressed at 151 lbs., and was registered at Johnson’s Sporting Goods, on the Bath Road in Brunswick. Discover the versatility and convenience of Northeastern’s Camp and Cabin kits. Perfect for vacation homes or retirement retreats, these log cabin kits are easy to build and very affordable. They feature simple, open designs and come complete with pre-cut Eastern White Pine Logs, insulated doors, windows, rafters, roof sheathing and subflooring, plus step-by-step instructions.
Just imagine relaxing in your very own Northeastern log retreat!
10 Ames Road, Kenduskeag, ME
1-800-624-2797 • (207) 884-7000
www.northeasternlog.com
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Ed’s Sheds & Cabins CABINS • SHEDS • GARAGES • HORSE BARNS
WHY RENT When You Can Lease-to-Own One of Ed’s Sheds? T3 R1 – Brand spanking new cabin with detached woodshed/privy. Deeded across to Bill Green Pond (across the road). Partially furnished and cute as a button. Possible owner financing. $89,900
Danforth – Lot offers relaxing sunset’s views, has electricity available at the road and is level and well wooded right on Lower Hot Brook Lake. This is a beautiful, quiet part of northern Maineready for you. $99,000
Lincoln – This large lakeside home has an oversized garage, lawn to the lake and a paved driveway right on Mattanawcook Lake. Many mechanical updates completed, leaving cosmetics up to you to make your own. $250,000
Lakeville – Large cabin is unfinished on the inside and sits on a half acre of land. End of road privacy in quiet, rural location on Duck Lake. It has a one car, drive in full foundation with a 400amp underground electrical feed. $229,000
Handcrafted in Maine
Lakeville – This cute, well-constructed cabin on a small hidden cove on Lower Dobsy Lake. Private 10 wooded acres. Light a fire and sit near thousands of acres of additional lakes and ponds of Northern Maine. $149,000 T3 R1 – Remote. Private. Wooded and beautiful. With deeded access to Bill Green Pond, this would be a wonderful place to build your seasonal cabin right off Engstrom Road. POSSIBLE OWNER FINANCING. The driveway is shared with lot 17 and is partially installed. $24,900 Lee – Year round road with electric available on Thomas Hill Road. Well wooded. Near ATV and snowsled trails, with dozens of lakes all within an hour’s drive and being a wonderful place for your getaway cabin, home or the RV. $24,900
Bangor (207) 738-5315 edwardl@edssheds-cabins.com
www.EdsSheds-Cabins.com
207-794-2460 • 1-800-675-2460 cwa@cwalakestreet.com R E A L
E S T A T E
5 Lake Street, P.O. Box 66 LINCOLN, ME
— Call any of our brokers to work for you! — “Tate” Aylward 207-794-2460 Peter Phinney (207) 794-5466 • Kirk Ritchie (207) 290-1554
Visit www.cwalakestreet.com for more listings!
www.MaineSportsman.com
76 • January 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————
THAT SKI-DOO FEELING Discover it. Share it. Repeat.
REBATE UP TO
2,000
$
or 3 YEARS OF COVERAGE
*
on select 2023 Ski-Doo models now through January 7, 2024
Visit Your Local Ski-Doo Dealer for Details! AUBURN GREENVILLE JUNCTION Wallingford Equipment Moosehead Motorsports 2527 Turner Road 13 Industrial Park 207-782-4886 207-695-2020 www.wallingfordequipment.com www.mooseheadmotorsports.com
LEEDS Reggie’s Kawasaki Ski-doo 255 US Hwy 202 207-933-4976 www.doitatreggies.com
AUGUSTA North Country Ski-doo 3099 N. Belfast Ave. 207-622-7994 www.northcountryh-d.com
JACKMAN WILTON Jackman Power Sports Mountain Side Powersports 549 Main Street 912 US Route 2 East 207-668-4442 207-645-2985 www.jackmanpowersports.com www.mountainsidepowersports.com
DETROIT Huff Powersports 284 North Road 207-487-3338 www.huffpowersports.com
LINCOLN Lincoln Power Sports - Access Auto 265 West Broadway 207-794-8100 www.lincolnpowersports.com
WINDHAM Richardson’s Boat Yard 850 Roosevelt Tr, Rt 302 207-892-9664 www.richardsonsby.com
© 2023 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Offers valid in United States only from Friday 1st December 2023 to Sunday 7th January 2024. The terms and conditions may vary depending on your state and these offers are subject to termination or change at any time without notice. Offer may not be assigned, traded, sold or combined with any other offer unless expressly stated herein. Other conditions may apply. Void where prohibited by law. Always consult your snowmobile dealer when selecting a snowmobile for your particular needs and carefully read and pay special attention to your Operator’s Guide, Safety Video, Safety Handbook and to the safety labelling on your snowmobile. Always ride responsibly and safely and wear appropriate clothing, including a helmet. Please observe applicable laws and regulations. Remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. See your authorized BRP dealer for details and visit ski-doo.com.
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