The Maine Sportsman - March 2017

The Maine

March 2017 • $5.70

BIG FISH THROUGH THE ICE

Page 42, 66

DRIFT BOATS

For River Lunkers

What’s Your Opinion?

Readers’ Opinion Poll Page 17

Page 21

Aroostook County

TRIFECTA

Page 71

Sportsman’s Show Preview Page 40

2 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————————————

—

— The Maine Sportsman’s Featured Maine Sporting Camps —

Grand Lake Lodge Grand Lake Lodge, with its six cozy cabins, sits right on the shore of West Grand Lake, in Grand Lake Stream. West Grand Lake offers miles and miles of pristine waters, the perfect habitat for landlocked salmon, lake trout and smallmouth bass, with waters so crystal-clear that anglers say you can see the fish before you catch them!

Owners Chris and Lindsay Wheaton and daughter Ali are in their 14th year of welcoming guests to Grand Lake Lodge. Chris, a Registered Maine Guide, offers guests topnotch fishing experiences on the 31 lakes that make up the Grand Lake Watershed.

West Grand Lake is open for fishing from ice-out through October 1, and stays open for

catch-and-release angling from October 1 20. Grand Lake Stream, a world-class landlocked salmon fishery, is open from April 1 through October 20, and offers a three mile long, fly-fishing-only stream full of healthy landlocked salmon.

Hunting for white-tailed deer, birds (grouse, woodcock), moose and black bear is phenomenal. Guides are available to assist hunters in navigating the thousands of acres of remote land surrounding the lodge.

Each of the comfortably-heated six cabins offers a screened-in porch with a shoreline view, a fully-appointed kitchen, a full bath with hot water and showers, and sleeps between five and seven people.

Grand Lake Lodge boasts gorgeous scenery and abundant wildlife, making it the perfect family vacation destination. Guests will enjoy fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, exploring, swimming and much more. Boats are available for rent, and if kayaking or canoeing are your passion, paddling to many islands and exploring hidden beaches will satisfy the adventurous spirit.

To book your next fishing trip or family vacation, call the Wheatons at (207) 7965584, e-mail them at info@grandlakelodgemaine.com, or visit their website at www. grandlakelodgemaine.com.

¶

Tea Pond Lodge & Cabins Tea Pond Lodge & Cabins began as a logging camp, and through the years evolved into what it is today – an angler’s paradise.

And with a new lodge (opened in April of 2016), a restaurant that’s open to the public, and full bar, it’s a vacationer’s dream!

Tea Pond Lodge & Cabins sits on Tea Pond, a gorgeous 90-acre pond just west of Eustis with a depth of 115 feet, filled with landlocked salmon, brook trout, and togue (lake trout).

Tea Pond Lodge and Cabins has something for all vacationers, including, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling (ITS 84/89), ATVing, hiking, canoeing/kayaking, wildlife watching, biking, swimming, cross country skiing,

and downhill skiing at nearby Sugarloaf USA or Saddleback Mountain.

Guests appreciate the historic quality of Tea Pond’s turn-of-the-century cabins, as well as the availability of year-round adventures, and often exclaim, “Tea Pond Lodge and Cabins has it all.”

Tea Pond guests may choose from one of seven cozy cabins, ranging from remote and rustic to full housekeeping – five cabins fully equipped with kitchen and bath facilities, and three remote cabins for the more adventurous at heart, feature cozy made-up beds, a woodstove with a glass front, and an outhouse nearby. Hot showers and flush toilets available just a few steps away at the bathhouse.

And the new lodge has three rooms for rent – with a shared bath. Tea Pond offers a variety of lodging options, with meal plans available upon request. With an overall sleeping capacity of 54 people, Tea Pond is available for weddings, retreats or other large events.

For your next fishing or hunting adventure, family vacation or big event in the mountains of Western Maine, call owner Sandy Lamontagne or Craig House at: (207) 670-3009; find them (and the public restaurant’s operating hours) on Facebook or on their website www.SportingCampsMaine. com.

¶

o t T b c

P

t o o

a l l

w

www.MaineSportsman.com

g

r

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 3

— The Maine Sportsman’s Featured Maine Sporting Camps —

Castle Island Camps, Belgrade Lakes Castle Island Camps, family-owned since 1929, is located on Long Pond in the heart of the Belgrade Lakes Region. At this traditional Maine sporting camp, guests enjoy three home-cooked meals a day, housekeeping, and a comfortable cabin nestled at the water’s edge. Amenities include electricity, screenedin porch, heat, linens, dorm-sized fridge and private bathrooms.

Fifteen years ago, the owners made a giant leap of faith and purchased this amazing business. They brought with them their two daughters, ages five and three. Where did the time go? Their oldest, Lydia, is now a junior in college and the lead waitress. Middle daughter, Elizabeth, heads off to college this fall and is their part-time waitress.

And yes, they were blessed with a third daughter in the middle of their second season. How they got through that year they’ll never know! Paige enters high school this fall, and is considered the camp coordinator

of fun and games.

Oops, almost forgot Moose, the lovable chocolate lab who likes to greet and visit with guests. So yes, they can guarantee you’ll see a moose during your stay.

Fishing is still the number one “lure” to the camps. Guests enjoy small- and largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie, white perch and the occasional brown trout and salmon.

Long Pond was once famous for salmon.

The ecology of the lake changed and was no longer a viable fishery.

In the fall of 2016, Maine DIF&W stocked the first rainbow trout, some weighing over three pounds. This spring will be our first opportunity to fish these beauties.

Once summer arrives, the camps become a vacation destination, bringing family and friends back year after year. They are situated on a two-acre island accessed by a bridge, so guests can enjoy majestic sunrise and sun-

sets, rolling hills, calling loons, camp fires, eagles, and the occasional beaver swimming by.

Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards are free for guests. Castle Island maintains over 20 rental boats, from 14’ aluminum boat to 17’ bass boats. Docks are available for your own boats, and gas available on site.

The Belgrade Lakes region has plenty to offer including; hiking, golfing, frisbee golf, boating, kayaking, farmer’s markets, arts, antiques, day trips to the coast, geo caching and more. There is always plenty to do and plenty of time to do nothing at all.

To join the Castle Island Family or FMI, please call 207-495-3312, or email castleisland@gwi.net. A big welcome home will be waiting for you!!! Your hosts: John and Rhonda Rice (and Lydia, Elizabeth, Paige, and Moose).

¶

Red River Camps The Red River Camps, built in 1886 and operating commercially since 1926, are nestled in Aroostook County’s famed Deboullie Township. The area is known for its short but rugged mountains, rock slides, and glacier-carved lakes.

The township has been part of the Maine Public Reserve Land system since the early 1980s, and boasts seventeen wild or native trout waters, four arctic charr waters, and one lake that also supports landlocked salmon and togue.

Approximately half of Deboullie’s ponds are restricted to fly-fishing only, while its larger lakes are suitable for trolling and have less-restrictive regulations.

Deboullie hikers enjoy over 30 miles of well-maintained trails, taking visitors to sheer cliffs, granite talus slopes, ice caves,

small beaches and waterfalls. Deboullie’s famous fire tower is on the national historic fire lookout registry and remains open to visitors brave enough to climb the 48-foot steel ladder to access its cab.

Situated on Island Pond in Deboullie’s southeast corner, the Red River Camps caters to both American plan and housekeeping guests. Their nine charmingly rustic cabins are built from hand-hewn logs, and are private to a single party, with comfortable beds, an en-suite bathroom with pressurized shower, gas lights, and wood stove. Three cabins feature their own fully-equipped kitchen for guests who want to enjoy their own meal schedule.

Red River’s main lodge was completely rebuilt after a lightning strike in 2008 – a comfortable space to enjoy a delicious meal

cooked by Red River chef Gloria Curtis, and swap fish tales with other guests.

One of Red River’s most notable features is its island cabin, nestled on a 2-acre island on the far side of the pond. The island cabin, built in 1886, features a two-story fireplace and sleeps eight guests.

Second-generation owner Jen Brophy wouldn’t trade Deboullie for the rest of the world on a silver platter, and everyone at Red River is committed to making sure their guests love the township as much as they do.

It’s the perfect place for sportsmen, hikers, paddlers and families to leave the rat race behind and get back to the real world for a spell. For reservations, call Jen at 207-4356000 or visit redrivercamps.com.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

4 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————————————

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication Readership The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 534 • www.mainesportsman.com PUBLISHER: Jon Lund

Lawmakers Should Increase Wild Turkey Bag Limits This legislative session, lawmakers are considering a bill sponsored by Senator Paul Davis of Piscataquis, descriptively titled “An Act to Eliminate Permits for Wild Turkey Hunting, Expand the Bag Limits and Expand Opportunities for Registering Wild Turkeys.”

The measure, drafted by The Maine Sportsman’s “Capitol Report” writer George Smith, would eliminate the requirement for turkey hunting permits and fees, allow online and telephone tagging, and expand the bag limits to three toms in the spring season and three birds of either sex in the fall season.

Seemingly in response to this proposal, good friend and Maine Sunday Telegram writer Bob Humphrey ran a column in January in which he likened wild turkeys to the “Golden Goose,” and urged a conservative approach to proposals to expand hunting opportunities for turkeys.

While Humphrey’s Golden Goose analogy was imaginative and entertaining, in this case we support Senator Davis’s proposal.

First of all, in the parable there was only one Goose that Laid Golden Eggs. Currently in Maine, there are tens of thousands of wild turkeys.

Second, if the rules were liberalized and the turkey population was reduced as a result, farmers with silage would cheer. If the turkey population continued to decrease, the rules could be made more conservative again, and turkey numbers would quickly recover. If we’ve learned nothing else, it is that these are tough, resilient birds, not fragile like pheasant, and the wild turkey flocks can scratch out an existence given the barest of mast crops each year, supplemented by raids on farm feed intended for domesticated animals.

The Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has requested more discretion to increase bag limits in certain areas. We feel the biologists are being too conservative, and we urge lawmakers to seriously consider the proposals in Paul Davis’s bill.

Voluntary Deer Yard Protection Not Working In a special section in this issue, renowned former wildlife biologist and writer Ron Joseph interviews a Maine guide in Highland Plantation who feeds whitetail deer in the early winter.

The feeding program is intended to counteract the effect of the systematic removal of the “closed canopy evergreen cover” that is the key factor in creating deer yards. Snow does not readily penetrate the canopy and accumulate on the ground underneath, so deer are able to move freely to feed and escape predators.

Deer wintering area protection has been the subject of voluntary agreements between property owners and DIF&W. There have been three big weakness in that approach: First is the lack of manpower to check to see if the agreements are being followed; second, even if violations are discovered, there is no enforcement mechanism; and third, timberlands have been bought and sold with dizzying frequency, and, as described by Ron Joseph, many of the new owners – realizing some of the best timber is in locations previously identified as deer wintering areas – feel they aren’t bound by unrecorded voluntary agreements with prior owners.

It’s time to strengthen protection for deer wintering areas, such as by purchasing cutting rights to the areas and to connective game corridors entering and exiting those areas, and by monitoring compliance of the agreements. It’s no mystery why deer populations have plummeted in certain areas that have been heavily cut, and it’s time to do something about the problem.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

MANAGING EDITOR: Will Lund will@mainesportsman.com OFFICE MANAGER: Kelly Allen kelly@mainesportsman.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kristina Roderick kristina@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nancy Carpenter nancy@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER:Mike Moreau mike@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER:Chris Brawn chris@mainesportsman.com Second class postage paid at Scarborough, ME 04074 and additional entry offices.

All editorial inquiries should be emailed to will@mainesportsman.com Advertising and business information: Phone: 207-622-4242 Fax: 207-622-4255 Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 12-Month Subscription: $30 • 24-Month Subscription: $49

TABLE OF CONTENTS Allagash by Don Eno ........................................................ 32 Almanac by Will Lund ....................................................... 12 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves ........................ 71 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia ..................... 49 Bird of the Month, by Erika Zambello .............................. 14 Bowhunting by Chris “Bubba” Johnson ......................... 37 Capitol Report by George Smith .................................... 19 Danger in the Outdoors by David Van Wie ................... 30 Editorial ................................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by William Clunie ......................... 62 Greater Penobscot Bay by Jim Lemieux ........................ 34 Jackman by William Sheldon .......................................... 68 Jottings by Jon Lund ........................................................... 8 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon ............................ 64 Kate's Wild Kitchen by Kate Krukowski Gooding ........... 56 Letters to the Editor ............................................................. 6 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour ...................................... 18 Maine Wildlife Quiz by Steve Vose .................................. 72 Midcoast Report by Tom Seymour .................................. 61 Mid-Kennebec Valley by Shawn Simpson ..................... 54 Moosehead by Tom Seymour ......................................... 66 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson ................................. 76 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie ............................... 58 Quotable Sportsman by George Smith .......................... 20 Rangeley Region by William Clunie ................................ 43 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers ................................ 77 Saltwater by Barry Gibson ................................................ 53 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth ........................ 35 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews ..................... 57 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard ................................ 51 Smilin’ Sportsman by Will Lund ......................................... 77 Smilin' Sportsman - Kids Edition by Will Lund ................... 77 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery .................... 10 Southern Maine by Val Marquez..................................... 42 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller ..................... 60 Trading Post (Classifieds) .................................................. 78 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour .......................................... 24 Washington County by Steve Vose ................................ 38 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie................. 74 Young Maine Sportsman by Alyssa Sansoucy ............... 46 Young Maine Sportsman by Luke Giampetruzzi ........... 45

SPECIAL SECTIONS Boating: Drift Boats by Michael Jones ............................ 21 Deer Yards by Ron Joseph ............................................... 47 Snowmobiling: Pull-Behind Sleds by Will Lund ................ 28 State of Maine Sportsman’s Show .................................. 40 On the Cover: Holly MacKenzie of Oakland, ME caught this 37” Pike with a Jack Trap last month on Messalonskee Lake.

Holly has been an avid fisherwoman for over 10 years and this is the biggest fish she has caught to date!

—

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 5

A True Maine Tradition...

Sporting Camps Trophy Fishing, Hunting & Four-Season Recreation!

Fully Equipped Lakefront Cabins & Guide Service • Open Year Round

www.WilsonsOnMooseheadLake.com 207-695-2549 Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine

Whisperwood Lodge & Cottages Open May-September

(207) 465-3983 American P Plan Sporting Camps

whisperwoodlodge.com hi Allagash Lakes Region

GRAND LAKE LODGE

Quality Cabins and Lodge on Haymock, Spider and Cliff Lakes

Located on West Grand Lake

Fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming ...and more on West Grand Lake!

Guides Available 207-796-5584 | info@grandlakelodgemaine.com www.GrandLakeLodgeMaine.com

RESTAURANT & BAR IN NEW LODGE

Euustis, Eu s Maine

Thu 4PM-9PM Fri-Sat 12PM-9PM Sun Brunch 9AM-3PM

American Plan Lodge • Housekeeping Cabins • Year Round

Haymock Lake (T8 R11) • 207-307-2115 P.O. Box 598, Millinocket, ME 04462 Mailing Address Only

Historic Log Cabin Rentals ~ Cabins Open Year Round teapond@sportingcampsmaine.com • 207-670-3009

www.macannamac.com

www.sportingcampsmaine.com

The Pines Lodge & Camps “A step back in time”

5 Waterfront Camps • 2 Island Camps Full American Plan • Housekeeping Plans Available Landlocked Salmon and Smallmouth Bass

207-557-7463 • thepineslodge.com Guide service and Seaplane fly outs BrookTrout & Salmon Fishing Wild ruffed grouse, bear, deer and moose Hunts

HUNT ~ FISH ~ RELAX Cabins ~ Campground ~ Hunting ~ Fishing ~ Guide Service

Matt and Jess Libby • T8-R9, Maine

207-435-8274

Matagamon Wilderness ~ T6-R8 ~ The Matagamon Families 207-446-4635 ~ mainebearhunts.com ~ matagamonwilderness.com

www.libbycamps.com • mattandjess@libbycamps.com

BOGGY BROOK OUTFITTERS Booki king g Guid ided d Fishi hing g Trips, ip Bear, Moose, Turkey & Deer Hunts

ww www.spencerpond.com www ww p ww rp E-mail: spc@spencerpond.com Phone: 207-745-1599

Housekeeping Cabins Guide Service • Fishing • Hunting Family Vacations • Boat Rentals Located in the Rangeley/Errol Area

207-486-9308 sturtevantpondcamps.com

Lodge & Cabin Accommodations Master Guide Jesse Derr 20 077-66 667 7-72 77 71 7 ~ jdc dcon dcon o @y @yah ahoo.c .com com o Bran Br anch an ch Lak ake e, Ellllsw e, swor sw orth or th,, ME th

boggyb bogg bo ybrook okou kou outf tfit tf ittte it ters.c ters .com com

C h a n d l e rp s Lake Cam P.O. Box 27 | Ashland, ME 04732 (207)290-1424 | chandlerlakecamps.com

im Pond CAMPS

Native Brook Trout Upland Game Bird Deer Hunting Moose

Box 22 | Eustis, ME (207) 243-2947 (camp) relax@timpond.com www.timpond.com www.MaineSportsman.com

6 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————————————

To The Editor “Absolute Hog” of a Yellow Perch To the Editor: I am writing to ask why there is currently no “One That Didn’t Get Away” patch for yellow perch.

You have white perch listed (any white perch over 1-1/2 pounds).

I caught a few jumbo yellow perch, and was hoping to enter them (see accompanying photos of 1 lb., 7-oz. yellow perch).

– Chris Everett Editor’s response: Congratulations – that’s the largest yellow perch we’ve seen. We checked the current state records (1.74 pounds for a yellow perch; nearly 3.4 pounds for white perch).

We also spoke with fisher-

ies biologists, who agreed that, in technical scientific terms, your perch is an “absolute hog.” Consensus among the biologists was that a yellow perch 1.25 lbs. or heavier is truly One That Didn’t Get Away, so that will be our standard. We look forward to receiving your patch application, Chris.

More Feedback on Salty’s Deer Season Proposals To the Editor: Thanks to Joe Saltalamachia for writing about ideas to improve the quality of Maine bucks in the January “Big Game” column.

I live in Belgrade. As

passionate bow hunter, I too have spent countless hours in Iowa and Ohio tree stands thinking about how Maine could have better deer hunting.

My take on why the Midwest is so good is because they have a tradition of scheduling their gun season to take place after they have harvested their crops, and this causes it to take place after the rut.

As Joe outlined, Maine does not have this tradition. Instead, hunting pressure during the entire rut prevents most bucks from getting old enough to carry a good set of antlers.

Maine also allows hunting on land that is not posted, while Ohio (maybe most all of the Midwest?) requires that you have written permission to hunt on private land - I think that creates more sanctuaries for bucks to hide during the gun season.

I find that the best hunting in Maine is where the most land is posted or developed. The expanded archery zones can be great if you can find a spot that is also not gun-hunted too hard.

I bought land in a part of Gardiner that is in the Augusta expanded archery zone and where it is against the law to shoot a gun. (Unfortu-

nately, during November some folks do not seem to be aware of the gun ordinance.)

I support the changes Joe outlined. If those changes were implemented, Maine could become a great place to hunt trophy deer.

I hope Joe keeps pushing this idea forward, and I hope he lets me know if he needs help.

– Chris Bradley

Wild About Kate’s Wild Kitchen To the Editor: I really enjoy reading Kate Krukowski Gooding’s “Wild Kitchen” column in The Maine Sportsman each month, as it gives me new ideas to try.

In the January issue she has a recipe for Baked Salami, which sounds good and I intend to make. I do have a couple of questions for her first.

The meat mixture totals 1-1/4 lbs. The directions call for dividing this into 4 equal portions and forming these into a 3” dia. roll.

Are these proportions right? I just want to be sure before I use my highly valued deer meat for this.

Also, where might I

find the Quick Pink Curing Salt? Any help she could give me would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance, and tell her to keep up the recipes coming!

– Randy Nightingale Kate responds: Thank you for reading the columns, Randy. I understand how precious game meat is.

I don’t hunt as frequently as I used to, and so I have to rely on my brother for beaver meat. So yes, I make my salami rolls 2-3 inches. I use them for appetizers, so this works perfectly. I purchase my curing salt at TheSpiceHouse.com. If you are ever curious about a spice I mention, this is the place to go! I been to Patty Erd’s stores and have done cooking demos there, and her product is by far the best I’ve found in the last 10 years – and I have tried many purveyors.

Nice Archery Buck in Iowa To the Editor: Regarding Joe Saltalamachia’s January and February columns – having hunted in Iowa with a friend, I support Joe’s proposals.

We did a “do it yourself” hunt on a private farm.

I am providing you with a photo of my archery buck in Iowa (see below, left).

Now my friend wants to come to Maine in the near future to hunt bear.

– Jean Leblanc

Tagged Bucks in Maine Getting Smaller

Chris Everett shows off his monster yellow perch that weighed in at 1 lb. 7 oz. and measured 14 inches long. www.MaineSportsman.com

Jean LeBlanc bagged this big buck while bowhunting in Iowa.

To the Editor: I enjoyed Joe Salty’s column in January about changing the hunting seasons. Perhaps if one zone was picked for three years to do a trial, the proposal would prove its (Continued on next page)

—

I r

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 7 (Continued from page 6)

merits and become acceptable to most everyone. Hunters might begin to understand the intent is to improve buck numbers.

This season I only saw one small racked six-pointer. The weights of the bucks tagged are getting smaller.

In the end, the solution will be when someone thinks outside of the box and it works. – Dan Joslyn

greatly appreciated. – Jim Owen Registered Maine Guide Hope ME

tailed insights and specific recommendations have been a great help as I’ve equipped myself for the upcoming season.

I agree with him that the most valuable and most frequently-used instructional tool is the written word. His experiences, well shared with his many readers, are both a genuine help and

Reader Shares Mountain Lion Experiences To the Editor: I am a subscriber to The Maine Sportsman

(Continued on page 9)

38TH ANNUAL BANQUET & MEETING

Loves to Fly Fish for Bass To the Editor: I wanted to thank William Clunie for his articles on fly fishing for bass in The Maine Sportsman! I’m getting back into fly- bass fishing after 40 years, and I’m excited to re-experience that special top-water thrill.

I’ve saved William’s articles from 2015 on fly fishing for bass. His de-

to say he is deceased now and so he cannot verify what I want to report, but here it is anyway.

I had hired Willard for the third week of deer season. This incident happened during the second week.

Willard had a party from Connecticut. One

Don’t miss the Maine Professional Guides Association’s

r

r

and I read Val Marquez’s article about his sighting of mountain lions. I am 82 years old, and I’ve hunted in the Eustis, Maine area for 60 years The incident I am about to relate to you happened about 1968. I hired a guide named Willard Ryan of Stratton, Maine. I am very sorry

April 8, 2017 Jeffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catering /LWWOHÃ&#x20AC;HOG :D\ %UHZHU 30 +DSS\ +RXU &DVK %DU 30 :HOFRPH 6SHHFK DQG $QQXDO 0HHWLQJ 6:00PM - Dinner 6($76 *2 48,&./< (PDLO SJURVV#PDLQHJXLGHV RUJ IRU UHVHUYDWLRQV 6HQG FKHFN WR 03*$ F R 3DW *URVV 1RUWK 6WRQLQJWRQ 5RDG 6WRQLQJWRQ 0(

Letter-writer Peter Popieniuck, shown here with a caribou from Leaf River in Quebec, is author of the book Adventures of an Amateur Sportsman.

See you there!

ANTICOSTI ISLAND

d

c

MORE AFFORDABLE THAN EVER

AMERICAN PLAN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WITH GUIDE Starting at

$

2,588 (USD)

/hunter

HUGE, SAFE, EXCLUSIVE TERRITORY (40 mi2*/group) 2 DEER/HUNTER

Come to Sépaq Anticosti in Quebec, Canada, right in the middle of the Gulf of St.Lawrence. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an unspoiled hunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paradise, teeming with deer.

THE PACKAGE INCLUDES: â&#x20AC;¢ 7 nights of accommodation, 6 days of hunting â&#x20AC;¢ 3 meals per day â&#x20AC;¢ 4 x 4 truck (6 passengers) â&#x20AC;¢ 1 guide and ATV â&#x20AC;¢ Air transportation from Mont-Joli

NEW

Taxes and hunting licence are extra. The price may change without notice. Certain conditions apply. Package price for September and October 2017.

Price in U.S. dollars may vary according to the ï¬&#x201A;uctuation of exchange rates and exchange fees charged by credit card issuers. * Average area.

Photo: Steve Deschênes

g S Ã&#x2030; PA Q

BOOK NOW sepaq.com/anticosti

|

1-800-463-0863

www.MaineSportsman.com

8 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Tightwad Questions Added Value of “Premium Model” Graphite Rods Gummed tape.

That was the product of the paper mill where my father worked before our family moved to Maine more than eighty years ago. With old-fashioned gummed tape, the user wetted the surface of the tape to make it stick, and it stuck well to a cardboard box.

The roll of regularpriced gummed tape came on a core made of natural- colored wood.

The mill also made and

In the dark, if you handed a master fisherman a manufacturer’s basic-model graphite fly rod and told him to cast it, could he distinguish that economy model from the same company’s higher-priced, deluxe version? sold a premium grade of gummed tape, called “Orange Core” because the wood core had been dyed orange. The price of “Orange Core” was a little higher than the regular tape.

The sales people sold the Orange core tape to

SCREEN PRINTING & EMBROIDERY T-Shirts $6.00 Heavyweight 100% Cotton Pre-shrunk

customers who wanted a premium grade of tape.

However, the Orange Core gummed tape was exactly the same as the regular gummed tape.

The only difference between the regular tape and “Orange Core” tape was the different color of the wood core.

On to flyrods made of graphite, or carbon fiber, as the Brits like to term these miracles of modern engineering: Graphite flyrods enable a novice flycaster to make good casts as soon as he or she learns to let the fly line straighten out behind

them before making the forward cast. Graphite flyrods are incredibly light and strong.

Most of the fly rod makers sell them in two or more price grades for each style of rod. But looking at the information on the spec sheets for one of the popular brands of graphite flyrods, I note that the specifications for the basic and the pricier models often appear to be the same.

Could it be that the graphite rod blank from which the two models are made are essentially the same?

A great deal of engineering, and perhaps an equal measure of trial and error, go into developing the shape and taper of the mandrels around which the graphite and plastic are wrapped in the manufacturing process.

Is the manufacturer going to use the latest, most improved mandrels on the pricier rod, and not on the base model rod? Who knows?

Of course, the pricier model has fancier fittings, made with fancier hardware, a higher quality cork handle, improved materials in the guides, a nicer finish, perhaps a more expensive rod case. But if at dark, you handed an expert fly (Continued on next page)

Satturda ay, y y,, A April pril 29, 29, 2017 2017 • 1 10:00am 0:00 0am Wild l wo wood Func ction ct tio on Ce Cent Cente nttter er • R Route Ro oute ou te11 te113 113, 3, Ste Steep teep ep p Falls Fal alls ls, Maine ls Maine Ma Main e PR P REV EVIE IEWS EWS WS: Frriid day a , Ap A ril 28 28, 10AM– AM–4PM AM M and Saturda ay, Apr prill 29, 8AM AM–1 – 0A AM W are now Acc We ccep ep pti ting n Consi sign gnm men nts and d/or Purchasing It Item ems, s, Sing gle Pi Pie eces es s to o En E tire ire re e GUNS OF AL GUNS ALL L KI KIND NDS ND S & HU UNTIN NG EQ EQU UIPME PM MENT • TAXI XIDE DERMY GAME MOUNT TS & TR TRO ROPHIES OPHIES F SHIN FI NG TA TACK CKL LE & EQUIP QUIPM MENT T • KNIVES & SWORDS OF ALL KIND DS BOATS, S, MOT OTOR ORS OR S, TRA RAILER RS, CAN ANOES, KAYAKS & INFLATAB A LES ATV AT TVs Vs, SN Vs SNOW OWMOB BILE BI ES, JET E SKIS S • CA CAMPING G EQUIPMENT & TRAILERS RS TRAP TR TRA RA APS PS & T TR RAP APPI PING ITE PIN TEMS M • ARC MS CHERY HER & BOW OWHUNTING EQUIPMENT T SP S SPORT POR R RTING TING A TI ART RT R T OF AL A L KI KIND NDS ND S & DE DEC COYS Y • VINTA AGE SPORTS-RELATED ADVERTISING ISING ITEMS IT TEM E S

FREE set-up on orders of 72 pieces or more!

Prices on 36 pieces ($20 set-up) Price includes garment and 1 color 1 location screen print Rush Service Available ~ Call for free catalog

Hats $7.00

T-Shirts-Jackets-Sweatshirts-Sweatpants Hats-Aprons-Totes and more

BERG ACTIVEWEAR 852 DEXTER ROAD • CORINNA, MAINE

1-800-242-2374 • 207-278-7740 WWW.BERGACTIVEWEAR.COM www.MaineSportsman.com

in th in theese se,, orr any othher caatteg e or o iees, s, to se sellll or co cons n ign, ns n pleasee ca c ll us todaay and let us make money for you! u!!!!!!!!!!

FMII, Ple FM leas a e Ca all ll:: JE ERR RY GI G GU GUER RE att (2 (207 07 7) 892-3800 • (207) 07) 233 233-8724 3 -8724 4 au a uct ctio on ns s@f @fai airp ai rpo rp ointt.net e • www et w .g .gig gue uere rea eauction.com auct ction.com ion.com m

—

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 9 (Continued from page 8)

caster the two rods and had him try them both, could he tell whether he was casting with the base or the pricier model?

Perhaps, but I doubt it.

More important, could the wary trout, lurking under the overhanging bank tell that you, being frugal, were casting with the basic model and not the fancier rod, and decide it was not going to rise to the fly of a cheapskate?

Russian River On a trip to Alaska some years ago, I had the opportunity to fish the

If a brook trout saw you were using a less-expensive economy model graphite rod, would it refuse to rise to the fly of a cheapskate?

Russian River, described to me as the premier roadside rainbow trout fishing opportunity in the United States. The rainbows were there in good numbers to eat the eggs of salmon that entered the river to spawn. The flies used were little pink fuzz balls that imitated salmon eggs.

But the angler had to use split shot to keep the eggs moving slowly along the bottom of the

Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 7)

afternoon during a warm sunny day as the hunters re-assembled to hike back out to their vehicles, a couple of them settled down on the edge of an old woods road [Willard always called them a “RUUD”]to wait for the others.

Willard came along and also sat down in a sunny spot.

After a spell they heard some woods noises, so they thought the rest of the gang was coming along.

Well, no one showed up. Hearing more noise, one hunter and Willard stood up. The hunter yelled “Holy Crap – Did you see what I just saw?”

Willard did, of course, and told me it was a large cat-like animal, tawny in color and had a long tail. He said it probably weighed 100 pounds.

This happened in the Sawyer Brook country, off of Tim Pond Camps road.

One incident I can tell you actually I was a witness to happened when Willard and I were hunting on Kennebago Mountain

fast flowing water like a real salmon egg. The casting is tricky because of the weight of the split shot, and the technique is known in some quarters as “chuck-and-duck.”

I was chucking and ducking when my fly and split shot combo became snagged on the bottom of the river. I worked my rod this way and that to no avail, so I started prodding the bottom with the tip of my Orvis fly rod.

Eventually, I freed up the

fly and split shot, but the last inch and a half of my graphite rod had broken off and was dangling just above the split shot.

Trying to save the snagged fly and split shot with the tip of the fly rod proved to be poor economy. Definitely not a good idea.

Once home, I sent the rod section and broken tip off to Orvis. At modest cost, Orvis sent back a new rod tip section along with the broken section

and I came across a dead deer all covered up with leaves and brush. The predator had disturbed a really big area – it had to be a 20- or 25-foot circle, all scraped up into a pile to cover this kill.

I called Willard over and asked him, “What the hell is this?” He said something made a kill. He had a knowing smile on his face, but walked off leaving me hanging to draw my own conclusions.

That’s about it, I love Val’s articles – tell him to keep up the good work.

– John Kenyon Brockton, MA

Another Fan of Kate’s Wild Kitchen To the Editor: I’ve been a subscriber to The Maine Sportsman for about 30 years. I am writing about “Kate’s Wild Kitchen,” and Kate’s recipe for moose mincemeat that was in the February issue.

I’m looking forward to trying the recipe, and I have one question: The recipe says it

and broken tip piece.

I couldn’t just throw away the broken pieces, so I hunted around and found another old broken rod of suitable diameter, cut off about an inch of the old rod tip, and epoxy-glued a tightfitting sleeve that neatly mended the break. The patched-up section casts as well as before, and is probably stronger. Now I have a graphite fly rod with an extra tip section.

But I am more cautious about freeing up snagged flies with my fly rod tip.

¶

can be canned in jars. Does this need to be pressure canned, or will boiling water-bath canning do the job?

FYI, I tried the baked salami recipe from the January issue. I made it with caribou meat. The only change I made was to add in some spiced-up pistachio nuts. Tastes really good!!

– Pete Popieniuck Lunenburg, MA Kate responds: Congratulations on your caribou, Pete (see photo, page7)! Regarding your canning question, I learned from a good friend some easy ways to can, and they do not always include pressure or water boiling. When I canned the mincemeat, I had sterilized jars that I had added scalding water to. As I finished cooking the mincemeat (and it was very hot), I dumped out the hot water, one jar at a time as I needed, and I spooned the mincemeat into jars, cleaned the tops, covered and turned them upside down for a fast seal. I never did use pressure cooking or water, and they came out perfect.

¶

Providing Worldwide Sporting Adventures and Maine’s Premier Guide Training Program for 30 Years!

World-Class Hunting & Fishing Adventures

0 L 0DLQH 4XHEHF /DEUDGRU 1HZ %UXQVZLFN 4 E / 1HZ %UXQVZLFN 1HZ )RXQGODQG %DKDPDV &KLOH CUBA! Moose • Bear • Brookies • Lakers • Pike • Walleye Landlocked & Atlantic Salmon • Browns & Rainbow Trout Also Offering Wilderness Hiking

Furs Fins & res Adventu

TM

Carroll & Lila Ware, Master Maine Guides & Instructors

207-474-5430 H PDLO ¿QVDQGIXUVDGYHQWXUHV#EHHOLQH RQOLQH QHW

Start a Lifetime of Adventure at our Maine Guide’s School 4-Day Course!

FREE SILVA COMPASS INCLUDED IN TUITION! s ndidate Our Ca in an 85% ta ! in te a M ss Ra Succe

— NEXT CLASSES — MARCH 20–23, 2017 Allagash Sporting Camps

APRIL 6–9, 2017 Skowhegan Elks Lodge

N APPROW FOR OVED BEN VA EFIT S!!

MAY 4–7, 2017 Phippsburg Sportsman’s Club (Bath) ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN OF THE OUTDOORS APRIL 20–23, 2017 Women Only Class • Location TBD

FinsAndFursAdventures.com

)HH ± 'HSRVLW 5HTXLUHG ± $6. )25 5()(5(1&(6

www.MaineSportsman.com

10 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Sunfish Also Rises The author describes “sunfishes,” a family of fish that includes many of Maine’s most popular warmwater species – largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseeds and crappies. Here’s where to find them, and how to catch them.

The sunfish family comprises the second largest freshwater fish family indigenous to North America, second only to the catfishes.

There are dozens of species of these prolific and sporty fishes swimming in our ponds, streams, reservoirs, lakes, and rivers.

One prominent group of sunfishes is the black basses—primarily largemouth and smallmouth— which despite their names are not true basses at all.

But perhaps the most well-known and the most angler-friendly of the sunfishes are bluegills, crappies, redear sunfishes (shellcrackers), redbreast sunfishes, pumpkinseed sunfishes, and rock basses or redeyes (also not a bass).

Sunfishes get their name for their tendency to suspend near the surface of the water, as if sunning themselves.

During the spring, sun-

fishes move into shallower water as the days grow longer and water temperatures slowly rise.

They begin feeding heavily on crustaceans, insects and smaller fishes. They are hungry after the long winter, the warming water has increased their metabolic rates, and they need energy for the upcoming spring spawn.

A Family Affair Bass and sunfish reproductive behavior is interesting, primarily because the males, unlike most other fish species, play a major role in the process from start to finish. When the time is right, “sunnies” excavate a shallow, generally circular nest, with a diameter about two to three times the length of the fish.

The nest, called a “bed” or “redd,” is cleared with the tail fin, waving vertically in the water like a whisk broom.

The word “redd” comes from the Old English

and means “tidy” or “in order”; you can usually see this for yourself, since nests are typically found in water from one foot to less than five or six feet deep.

Gravid females enter the redds, are briefly courted by the males, and then select a redd in which to lay their eggs.

As the eggs stream from the female, the nearby male fertilizes them with milt.

The females leave after their eggs are deposited. The males, on the other hand, keep the egg-filled nests clean of choking debris, and chase away other fishes and creatures who would dine on the eggs.

This babysitting continues until the newly-hatched sunfishes can fend for themselves.

During this time, the fish readily attack a fly, probably out of reflex and instinct to protect the redd, the eggs, and the fry. (I prefer not to fish bedding

The Pumpkinseed sunfish is very common in many Maine waters. It, like all the sunfishes, is very tasty when deep fried, pan sauteed, baked, grilled -- and isn’t bad as a ceviche either. www.MaineSportsman.com

The sunfishes comprise the second largest freshwater fish family indigenous to North America, second only to the catfishes. There are dozens of species of these prolific and sporty fishes swimming in Maine’s ponds, streams, reservoirs, lakes and rivers. All photos © King Montgomery

smallmouth and largemouth, but will target bluegills, pumpkinseeds, and crappie when they are spawning.)

Spawning always does not end with spring/ early summer; in some places, sunfishes will spawn again into the summer months. Keep an eye out in the old spring spawning beds, because they could be occupied later.

Habitat – Places to Fish Find the food and you find the fish. Food gravitates around natural and man-made structure, such as fallen trees and

bridge pilings.

The aquatic food chain begins with phyto- and zooplankton that attach to plants, pilings, rocks, and deadfalls lying in relatively shallow water. Small fishes, crustaceans, and insects eat the plankton and are, in turn, eaten by others.

Sunfishes, predators near the top of the aquatic food chain, eat those animals and each other. As a result, bass and sunnies are usually located near “things,” such as bridge pilings, boat docks, riprap, rocks, brush piles, fallen trees and beaver (Continued on next page)

One prominent group of sunfishes is the black basses — primarily largemouth and smallmouth — which, despite their names, are not true basses at all. This is an Androscoggin River smallmouth bass.

—

d

t

w

t n

s c

a s r e

r

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 11 (Continued from page 10)

lodges.

When the fish are not around obvious structure, they usually will be found in one of two places: 1) They will back away from their fallen tree and congregate near the bottom along the first drop in depth from the structure, the nearest breakline.

2) Or, once the aquatic insects such as the caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies, damselflies, dragonflies, and others, begin to hatch into winged adults, the sunfishes, tightly-schooled for protection, roam the water, and rise to pluck the flies from just beneath and on the surface before the insects take wing. The larger bass prowl just below the sunfishes and pick off the stragglers and weaker fishes.

Breakline, subsurface, or on structure—all locations are good possibilities, but the sunfishes usually opt for structure that provides the optimum cover and food they need.

Yes, they are called “sunfish,” but the direct sun can bother them.

They don’t have eyelids— this means their eyes are open all the time, and they usually seek out shaded areas when the sun is high and hot.

This is a good thing, since we don’t particularly care to be out the blazing summer sun when it’s 80- or 90-plus degrees, sometimes with attendant humidity. Follow the shade around a lake, pond or reservoir; and fish the

shaded-sides of streams and rivers. Once shade is gone during the day, the fish, at least the larger ones, pull off from the banks and environs into deeper water where they can find some respite from the bright rays of the sun.

Angling for Sunfishes Crappies school tightly in spring and hang around wood structure such as fallen trees, brush piles, beaver lodges, bridge pilings and boat docks. The mottled, silver fish – and invasive species in Maine – spawn near this structure if they can, usually in deeper water than the other sunfishes and the black basses.

Crappies, also called specks, speckled perch and papermouths, are the most piscivorus of the smaller sunfishes – their diet is largely small fishes. Cast for crappie with small streamers like the Clouser deep minnow in a size 6 or smaller or large trout nymphs such as the prince nymph in sizes 4 and 6. Floating lines and mini-tip lines both work, depending on how deep the fish are laying. Storebought knotless tapered leaders and tippets to 4 or 6 pounds are best.

Crappies and other panfishes usually take the bait on the fall, so keep a tight line from the time the fly hits the water. If you favor a strong hook-set, control yourself; just raising the rod tip is more than enough.

If you strike too hard, the hook will tear through

the crappie’s paper-thin mouth, leaving you with nothing and the fish with a sore mouth. Bend down the barb on all your hooks; barbless hooks are easier on the fish and make it easier to unhook them (and yourself, if need be!).

Cast poppers—there are dozens of patterns available, or it’s easy to build your own—toward shoreline cover along the banks. Let the popper sit for a bit, then twitch it ever so gently, and let it rest again. Just when you are about to lose patience, the fish will hit and the fun begins. Often the best retrieve is none at all.

When fishing from a boat, our tendency is to cast perpendicular to the shoreline; putting the fly close to the bank and working it back to the boat. This often is all it takes to find and hook sunnies.

However, if this isn’t working, try something different: put the boat near the bank and cast parallel, first close to the bank working out in a fanning method. And, if there is room for backcasts, throw the fly out from the bank and work it in. Fan casting works here, too.

Advanced Sunfishing Sunfishes are relatively easy to catch, but some “graduate school” tricks may help you find the fish when they’re not up on the shoreline, and result in catching larger fish on average.

• Tandem Lures/Flies.

The sunfishes, like this largemouth black bass, are most agreeable gamefishes; they are almost everywhere and relatively easy to catch regardless of your age, experience, equipment or lure.

The concept that “two are often better than one” certainly applies to sunfishing. When searching for recalcitrant bass or panfishes, use a popper with a nymph on a monofilament dropper of 12to 18-inches; or cast two nymphs or small streamers, and let them sink on a tight line.

• “Pull” Retrieve. Before picking up the line and fly for a backcast, pull the popper or slider slowly toward you with the line hand, while gently raising the rod tip to keep a tight line. Once the rod tip reaches 10 to 11 o’clock, pick up into a backcast. Often a fish hits as the fly slides across the water. This is a killer trick I’ve never heard or read about, but it works remarkably well.

• Bigger is Better. For larger fish use bigger flies or lures that are too much of mouthful for smaller fishes, but just right for the hogs and slabs. This is particularly true for bluegills and such who really suck in a popper.

I use the largest popper/ slider that a large fish can take the fly without inhaling it. You’d be surprised how small a fish still will smash or sip a big fly.

• Back it Off. Many of us beat the bank and catch nothing or a few

dinks now and then; it could be time to move out from the shoreline and work the water. Or just turn around 180 degrees and cast outward. It is not unusual to fish one, two or more casts away from the bank.

The sunfishes are most agreeable gamefishes; they are almost everywhere, and are relatively easy to catch regardless of your age, experience, equipment or lure. They provide beginning anglers an excellent chance to practice rod and line control, and also offer great sport to advanced anglers.

My fishing buddy Lefty Kreh and I occasionally go fishing for these feisty fish. Get to know our diverse variety of sunnies; they’ll give you a great fishing experience, any way you like it. And you can’t beat a few in the frying pan at the end of the day!

Note to readers: On this month’s column heading is an updated photo of me. The one that’s been there for the past two years was taken by Lefty Kreh almost a decade ago on Pennsylvania’s Yellow Creek, when Susan LaPierre joined us on a fly fishing outing. I wish I still looked like that!

¶

Fresh caught smallmouth bass sizzle in a cast iron skillet to be appetizers, while chicken grills over an open fire. (After decades of catching smallmouth, I’d never eaten one; so we kept a few to sample, and they were great. Now I am back to just doing catch-and-release for smallies.) www.MaineSportsman.com

12 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Compiled and Edited by Will Lund This Month The Maine Sportsman’s Humble Beginnings – 46 years ago

by Bill Sheldon I recently came across a 1971 Maine Outdoorsman’s Guide and Almanac. It was produced by “All Outdoors.” That’s the same name that appears on the top corner of writers’ checks issued by The Maine Sportsman.

I quickly connected the two publications.

Soon, editor Will Lund confirmed this was indeed the humble beginnings of The Maine Sportsman and that his father, publisher Jon Lund, played a founding role in its publication.

The 120-page guide opens the pages to a simpler time in both information and advertising. It’s amazing in both directions. Some of the businesses that advertised have bit the dust, like the longgone International Scout, while others, like Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), have grown dramatically throughout the years.

Next month we’ll delve into the details and compare information in the 1971 Maine Outdoorsman’s Guide and Almanac to today’s outdoor world as reflected in the current issues of The Maine Sportsman.

—

U.S. Army’s New Pistol – Sig P320 According to the Washington Post, the US Army has selected a new official sidearm to replace the M9 Beretta. The choice? The Sig Sauer P320.

In military-speak, the winning bid was for a “modular handgun system,” rather than a pistol. The “modular” designation is likely the result of the new pistol’s versatility – it can accommodate different laser sights and flashlights on rails, and pistol grips can be swapped out www.MaineSportsman.com

quickly so the firearm fits larger or smaller hands. Barrel lengths and calibers are also easily interchanged.

The Sig beat out stiff competition from other manufacturers, including Beretta (with an updated version of their current military offering) and Glock.

Other armed forces (Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force) are sticking with the Beretta for now. Navy SEALs reportedly have been using a different Sig Sauer model, the P226, for several years, but are considering a switch to Glock.

—

ny Shores of Albion pulled out a 6.69-pounder in 2015.

“No, I’m talking about Channel catfish you catch from the levees – more than 27 pounds. And that big Blue catfish a Mainer caught – 80 pounds!”

“Umm, where are you seeing this information?” we asked.

“That ‘All About Fishing’ website (www.

AA-Fishing.com); just click on ‘Catfish’ and ‘Maine.’”

Sure enough – the lunkers appeared on our screen:

Channel catfish: ME State Record: 27 lbs 15 oz

Aroostook Deer Look Healthy Regular reader Stacy Belanger has a new hobby – taking excellent outdoor photographs.

“I am a native of Aroostook County and I enjoy nature,” she wrote. “I am a teacher by day, but I enjoy photography in my spare time.”

Here’s a recent image from the Allagash.

“The deer up here are thriving,” she said.

Stacy and her husband Mark – who is in the logging business and also guides bear hunts – live with their young son in Eagle Lake.

—

80-Pound Catfish in Maine?

It Must be True – I Saw it on the Internet The call came from down south – “I can’t wait to get up to Maine and hook into some of those huge catfish!”

Huge? We know our state has some bullheads and hornpout, but frankly, they are small, just like the farm ponds you catch them in at night from the rowboat.

We also know about some medium-sized new comers, the white catfish, that are making appearances in Merrymeeting Bay. Dan-

Blue catfish: ME State Record: 80 lbs 12 oz So we did what anyone would do in this situation—called our friendly fisheries biologist (and sometimes contributor to these pages), Wes Ashe.

“No, we’ve never confirmed channel or blue catfish in Maine,” said Wes. “Maine has just two catfish species – brown bullhead (native), and white catfish (non-native).”

“Brown bullhead rarely grow larger than a foot,” he continued. “They are tasty, but few anglers target them. They are present in most lakes, ponds, and rivers in Maine. Your writer Tom Seymour is an excellent bullhead fisherman – he used to target them in small Midcoast ponds such Levenseller Pond in Searsmont. Swan Lake in Swanville also has a very robust population.

“White catfish are invasive and currently present in the Penobscot and Kennebec Rivers – and likely other coastal river drainages.

I don’t believe we’ve confirmed them in any inland lakes/ponds. They have become very popular in the lower Kennebec, as they grow to a larger size (3-6 lbs) and provide a decent fight.”

Six-pound white catfish, for sure. But not 27-pound Channel catfish, nor especially 80-pound Blue catfish. Regardless of what the internet says.

(Continued on next page)

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 13 (Continued from page 12)

Landowners Protected from Liability for Allowing Others to Recreate on their Property Maine has a very protective “landowner liability” law, designed to encourage property owners to open up their lands for public use.

Under most circumstances, according to the Department of Conservation and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, if someone uses your land or passes through your premises for outdoor recreation or harvesting, you assume no responsibility and incur no liability for injuries to that person or the person’s property.

Likewise, if you permit volunteers to maintain or improve your land for recreation, you are protected from liability for injuries to them.

Moreover, if a person is injured and brings a civil action, not only will you likely win, and the court will make the injured person pay for your reasonable attorneys fees.

There are a few exceptions to this law (which is found at 14 MRS sec. 159A), relating to commercial recreation or “malicious” failure to warn others of obvious man-made dangers, but overall this important Maine statute is intended to put landowners’ minds at ease if they permit the recreational use of their property by others.

east to Prouts Neck.

In case there is any question among the patrons of this fine establishment that they are looking at a bar napkin and not at a detailed and reliable maritime chart, printed on the napkin are the following words: CAUTION: Not to be used for navigation.

—

Tannerite – Things That Make You Go “Boom!”

In certain rural areas of Maine after last the December holiday, it was clear which neighbors got Tannerite exploding targets under their Christmas tree.

Friends of ours in Pittston reported that during the last week in December, the area’s hills were alive with the sounds of thunder-like booms.

Tannerite is what’s called a “binary” explosive – because it takes mixing two inert powders together to create the powerful combination.

The ingredients, ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder, can be safely transported separately, and even the mixed powder is not flammable if touched with a lit match.

But fire a high-speed rifle slug into

—

This Month’s Sign of the Apocalypse – OOB’s Unchartered Waters Study the accompanying photo of the bar napkin served with drinks at Josephs By the Sea restaurant in Old Orchard Beach.

If you look closely, you will see that the napkin contains a rough diagram of Saco Bay, from Biddeford Pool north-

the combined mixture, and the results are astounding.

The manufacturer suggests using no more than 2 pounds per bang. But of course, it’s the American way to learn just how big a bang one person can make, much to the delight of YouTube.

One hundred pounds of the stuff will reduce junk cars, small shacks and even Winnebagos to rubble.

Predictably, Tannerite is no longer permitted in some jurisdictions, including certain national forests and grasslands, which are prone to catching fire.

And equally predictably, some folks have required medical care after getting too close to their own explosive demonstrations.

Be safe out there!

(Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

14 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Study of Avalanche Fatalities Finds People’s DecisionMaking is Biggest Factor

+ INNOVATED FOR THE INEVITABLE Contact your local BOSS Snowplow retailer at one of these locations:

AUBURN Auto City of Maine, Inc. 1009 Center Street 207-333-3390 autocityofmaine.com

BOWDOIN J.L. Custom Fab, Inc. Rt. 201 (North of Topsham) 207-666-5800 jlcustomfab.com

DOVER-FOXCROFT Rowell’s Garage 191 East Main Street 207-564-3434 rowellsgarage.com

The BOSS Snowplow. No one knows more about snow plowing equipment. No one!

On average, 30 Americans and 110 Canadians and Europeans die in avalanches each year. These are mostly skiers and snowmobilers, according to a recent article in the New York Times.

Professor Jordy Hendrikx, of the University of Montana Snow and Avalanche Laboratory, studied the physics of snow for ten years before concluding that the best way to reduce avalanche accidents is to learn more about the behavior of humans in the backcountry. It was found that avalanche forecasts have about an 80 percent accuracy rate, and human behavior is the major variable.

Commencing in 2013, the researchers collected reports from more than 800 skiers and snowmobilers, and found that in 90 per cent of the cases the victims set off the avalanche themselves.

They studied the process of decision-making, and found that older people, most notably those with children, are more cautious; that younger all-male groups follow riskier behavior; and surprisingly, although going out solo is seen as more risky, those who go it alone tend to make safer choices than those in larger groups.

It was found that larger groups may make riskier choices, perhaps because they were relying on advice of expert participants, who often choose steeper terrain where avalanches are more likely to occur.

—

Bird of the Month – European Starling

by Erika Zambello

CARIBOU, ME Gary’s Yamaha 574 Sweden St. 207-498-2549 garysyamaha.net

NEW GLOUCESTER, ME Tripps Trading 1151 Lewiston Rd. 207-926-5650 trippstradingco@gmail.com

MANCHESTER, ME Manchester Motors 1011 Western Ave 207-622-2400 manchestermotors.net

SKOWHEGAN, ME Whittemore & Sons 257 Waterville Rd. 207-474-2591 whittemoreandsons.com

In the 1890’s, an interesting and unique man named Eugene Schieffelin decided that every bird named in a play by Shakespeare should also find a home in the United States. With that aim, he released 60 European Starlings into Central Park in New York City, never imagining what his experiment would become.

Over a century later, the range of these starlings now covers the entire United States, and they number more than 200 million individual birds.

Though their large population means these birds can be pests, European Starlings are quite striking when seen up close. They appear black, but during the summer, their shiny feathers glint in shades of purple or green, while bright yellow bills add to their colorful appearance.

The can live a long time – one starling was found to be than fifteen years old!

Starlings are both easy to identify and easy to find, as they are loud. In addition, starlings are brilliant mimics, incorporating calls from other birds as well as human sounds into their songs.

During warmer months they form large flocks, impossible for anyone to miss or mistake for other species.

Because they don’t mind people and can eat just about everything, starlings are found in yards, fields, cities, and more. However, they do not live in dense forest or desert habitats.

Unfortunately, their huge numbers and aggressive (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 15 (Continued from page 5)

behavior make European Starlings a problem for native bird species. They like to nest in cavities or nest boxes, and compete with Wood Ducks, Purple Martins, Eastern Bluebirds, and Northern Flickers for space. They are particularly harmful to woodpeckers like sapsuckers, but most other native species have been able to fend them off without too many negative effects on their own population numbers.

—

This How-To Ice Fishing Book is Informative and Entertaining An Introduction to Ice Fishing,

by Frank R. Richards

Reviewed by George Smith Frank Richards moved to Maine in the mid-1980s and quickly fell in love with ice fishing, something he’d never done before.

Maybe that was because his first ice fishing experience was on Moosehead Lake at a local sporting camp, where his friends rented an ice shack with a woodstove.

Yes, that’s the best introduction to ice fishing I can imagine!

And Frank really understands why ice fishing is so much fun. “An uninitiated observer may not see the entertainment in running around in the middle of a frozen lake, heavily dressed. In reality, those who participate in this sport are usually feeling quite comfortable, having a good time, and catching fish.”

Frank also recognizes that “[t]here is something about the simplified, quasi-Arctic landscape that is peaceful and relaxing.

At the same time, the experience can be highly social.”

That it can be, Frank – that it can be.

I appreciated his recognition that “ice fishing te Co is well-suited for small . .L children.” I must have been only 5 or 6 when my Dad first took me out on the ice to catch some fish.

Frank has written a how-to-ice-fish book that is perfect for the beginner, but also has lots of tips for experienced ice

anglers. And he covers it all, from safety to clothing to gear (including ice shacks) to how and where to find the fish. He tells you how to jig – my favorite way to ice fish – and even has suggestions for nutrition while fishing – and no, that advice does not include drinking lots of beer!

Frank’s An Introduction to Ice Fishing is available on Kindle and Amazon, and includes some wonderful photos.

As Frank notes in the closing, “Ice fishing bears many similarities to that observation about Texas Hold’em poker – someone can learn the basics very quickly, but a lifetime isn’t long enough to master all the nuances. I have learned something new on nearly every trip. It’s a pleasurable learning curve that doesn’t end.”

I can only thank Frank for sharing all that he has learned about ice fishing so far, and assure you that you will both enjoy the book and learn some things from it.

¶

TAX F REE NH

T 31S SARY ER V I N AN

March 31 — April 2, 2017

Sports Ce

nt e

r

L

SAVE THE DATE! Don’tt Miss Savings in Every Department!

Over 50,000 Square Feet of the Best Sporting Goods, Clothing, Footwear & More!

Gas Station • Subway Home of the White Moose!

7 Main Street • Errol, NH • 1-800-287-7700 • llcote.com www.MaineSportsman.com

16 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

March 2017 Hunting & Fishing Information Hunting Seasons and Rules Snowshoe Hare season ends March 31, 2017 (February 28 on Vinalhaven) Fox season ends February 28, 2017.

Bobcat season ended February 14, 2017.

Crow season in WMDs 7 through 29 started January 20, 2017 and runs through March 31, 2017. In WMDs 1 – 6, the season started February 4, 2017 and runs through April 15, 2017. No bag limit.

Night Hunting for Coyote: Night hunting started December 16 and runs through August 31, 2017. To avoid violating Maine’s prohibition on Sunday hunting, night hunting for coyotes must cease at midnight each Saturday, and resume at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.

Others: There is no closed season for coyotes (daytime hunting), red squirrels, porcupines and woodchucks.

Hunting is prohibited at all times for cottontail rabbits, lynx, spruce grouse and ravens.

Spring Turkey Season runs May 1 through June 3, 2017 in WMDs 7 – 29. Limit 1 bearded turkey in WMD 8*; 2 bearded turkeys in WMDs 7, 9 – 29.

In WMDs 1 – 6, turkeys hunters born in “odd” year can hunt in Season A (May 1 – May 6, 2017 and May 15 – May 20, 2017), while hunters born in “even” year can hunt in Season B (May 8 – May 13, 2017 and May 22 – May 27, 2017). All hunters can hunt May 29 – June 3, 2017. One bearded turkey limit in WMDs 1 – 6*.

Youth Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Day –

April 29, 2017. Youth hunters may take up to 2 bearded turkeys from WMDs that have 2-bird limits. *Hunters may take a second turkey during the season, but the second turkey must come from a WMD that permits the taking of two birds.

Note: Turkeys must have a securelyattached tag containing the hunter’s name, address and hunting license number, then must proceed to a registration location and pay a $2 fee for registration.

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

See “Night Hunting for Coyotes” section above for applicable coyote rules.

Ammunition: Non-toxic shot only for migratory game birds.

Dog Training: Dogs may be trained on fox, snowshoe hare and raccoons through March 31. Firearms with live ammo may be used during the opens seasons on the game being pursued; otherwise, only dog trainers may use only pistols or shotguns loaded with blanks.

the lake, pond, river or stream you want to fish, and interpret the codes that apply.

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

Learn the open-water season, the ice fishing season (if any), whether you are limited to artificial lures, or catch-and-release, and whether there’s a slot limit.

SOUTHERN & EASTERN COUNTIES (Androscoggin, Cumberland, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford south of the Androscoggin River, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York) – Unless indicated by special rule, Lakes and Ponds can be fished year-round, either open water or ice fishing.

Fishing Seasons and Rules

NORTHERN & WESTERN COUNTIES (Aroostook, Franklin, Oxford north of the Androscoggin River, Piscataquis, and Somerset) – Lakes and Ponds: Unless otherwise indicated under the appropriate county in the rule book, closed to open water fishing from October 1 to March 31. Unless otherwise indicated under the appropriate county, rivers, streams and brooks are closed to ice fishing. Waters open to ice fishing are listed with an A or a B code, which defines the winter fishing season. All other waters are closed to ice fishing.

If you are 16 years old or older, don’t forget to purchase your new 2017 license before going out fishing for the first time this year.

Go to http://www.eregulations.com/ maine/fishing/general-law-information/ , find

***** Atlantic Salmon can’t be targeted, and if caught they must be released immediately.

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

—

Sunrise / Sunset

Tidal Chart

MARCH 2017

MARCH 2017

Portland, ME

Portland, ME

DATE 1 Wed 2 Thu 3 Fri 4 Sat 5 Sun 6 Mon 7 Tue 8 Wed 9 Thu 10 Fri 11 Sat 12 Sun 13 Mon 14 Tue 15 Wed 16 Thu

RISE 6:14 6:12 6:10 6:08 6:07 6:05 6:03 6:01 6:00 5:58 5:56 6:55 6:53 6:51

SET 5:32 5:33 5:34 5:35 5:37 5:38 5:39 5:40 5:42 5:43 5:44 6:45 6:47 6:48

6:49 6:49

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

31 Fri

6:47 6:50

www.MaineSportsman.com

RISE 6:46 6:44 6:42 6:40 6:38 6:37 6:35 6:33 6:31 6:29 6:27 6:26 6:24 6:22 6:20

SET 6:51 6:53 6:54 6:55 6:56 6:58 6:59 7:00 7:01 7:02 7:04 7:05 7:06 7:07 7:08

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

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

15 16

HIGH AM PM 12:31 12:51 1:15 1:40 2:03 2:32 2:55 3:31

LOW AM PM 6:38 7:01 7:27 7:48

DATE

9:16 9:35 3:53 4:35 10:19 10:38 4:57 5:45 11:27 11:46 12:38 6:07 6:56 7:16 8:02 12:56 1:44 8:20 9:01 2:01 2:44 9:17 9:52 3:00 3:37 10:08 10:38 3:53 4:24 11:55 5:40 6:07 12:20 12:38 6:25 6:48 12:59 1:18 7:06 7:26

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

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

Wed

1:37

1:58

7:47

31

Fri

Thu

2:14

2:39

8:27

8:19

8:39

8:03 8:41

HIGH AM PM 2:52 3:21 3:33 4:06 4:17 4:55 5:07 5:50 6:02 6:49 7:01 7:47 7:59 8:41 8:53 9:30 9:43 10:14 10:29 10:56 11:14 11:38 12:00 12:21 12:46 1:05 1:34

LOW AM PM 9:08 9:21 9:52 10:04 10:40 10:52 11:33 11:46 12:31 12:44 1:30 1:43 2:25 2:39 3:15 3:29 4:00 4:16 4:43 5:01 5:25 5:46 6:08 6:32 6:52 7:20 7:39

1:52

8:11

2:26

8:29

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 17

2017 Maine Sportsman Opinion Poll 1) Should Maine’s recently-enacted law permitting children of any age to hunt under supervision, be modified to establish a minimum hunting age of 8 years old?

YES _____ NO _____

28) Only 3% of all bears killed each year are harvested by trapping. To remove an emotional issue from future bear hunting debates, should the state end the recreational trapping of bears?

YES ____ NO ____

2) Should there be a minimum age requirement to enter the moose lottery?

YES ____ NO ____

29) Should municipalities that regulate deer hunting in the expanded season zones be barred from charging fees for permits?

YES ____ NO ____

3) Should the state constitution be amended to prohibit citizen petition-derived initiative ballot questions relating to wildlife issues?

YES ____ NO ____

30) Should landlocked salmon be managed to promote larger fish?

YES ____ NO ____

4) Should the law be changed to permit deer baiting?

31) Should nonresidents be permitted to hunt deer on opening day of the firearms season?

YES ____ NO ____

YES ____

NO ____

5) Should the law be changed to prohibit deer feeding? YES ____ NO ____ 6) Do you believe game wardens should be allowed to violate hunting and fishing laws while carrying out investigative duties?

YES ____ NO ____ 7) Do you believe the legislature should enact a law requiring all occupants in a canoe to be wearing a life jacket?

YES ____ NO ____ 8) Should the law require a gun lock to be sold with each new firearm?

YES ____ NO ____ 9) Should forest rangers carry firearms?

YES ____

NO ____

32) Were you checked by a game warden this past year?

YES ___ No ____ 33) Should an outside agency investigate complaints against Maine game wardens?

YES ____ NO ____ 34) Do you believe that many hunters in Maine tag deer that they didn’t shoot?

YES ____ NO ____ 35) Should the owners of land with conservation easements be required to post online maps showing the public’s right of access?

YES ____ NO ____

10) Have you removed all lead sinkers and lead split shot from your freshwater tackle boxes?

YES ____ NO ____

36) Do you believe we should replace copper jacketed lead bullets with non-toxic bullets in high-powered rifle ammo?

YES ___ NO ____

11) Did you hunt coyotes within the past year?

37) Should the Secretary of State issue all registrations for boats, ATVs and snowmobiles if proceeds go to DIF&W? YES ____ NO ____

YES ____ NO _____

12) Should the required archery hunting education course be combined with the required crossbow hunting education course into one course covering both activities?

YES ___ NO ____

38) Should the price of a Maine hunting license include the right to hunt all game animals without additional fees?

YES ____ NO ____

13) Should the application fees for keeping exotic animals be raised to cover the whole cost of regulating and inspecting this activity?

YES ___ NO ____

39) Should DIF&W game wardens participate in criminal investigations unrelated to fish and game matters?

YES ___ NO ____

14) Did you hunt with a crossbow this past year?

YES ___

NO ____

40) Should hunting with crossbows be allowed wherever hunters can use regular bows?

YES ____ NO ____

15) Did you hunt with a muzzleloader this past year?

YES ___

NO ____

16) Should the tax break known as the Tree Growth Tax be limited to landowners who satisfactorily protect deer wintering areas?

YES ___ NO ____ 17) Do you believe global warming is a real environmental threat?

YES ___ NO ____ 18) Should ice fishing be allowed in salmon and trout waters now closed each winter, if anglers use artificial lures?

YES ____ NO ____ 19) Should cat owners be prohibited from allowing their cats to run at large, as is now the case with dogs?

YES ____ NO ____ 20) Should turkey bag limits be increased?

YES ____ NO ____

21) Should buyers of auto and truck tires pay a returnable deposit as we do on beverage bottles, which we would get back when we returned the used tires?

YES ____ NO ____ 22) Should anglers be encouraged to kill any pike they catch?

YES ____

NO ____

23) Should a system be developed to allow an any-deer permit to be used in more than one Wildlife Management District?

YES ____ NO ____ 24) Should the state recover the costs of a wilderness rescue from those who were rescued, if the individuals act recklessly and were unprepared for foreseeable risks?

YES ____ NO ____ 25) When wardens spend time on search and rescue activities unrelated to fish, game activities, should the state’s General Fund pay for their time?

YES ____ NO ____ 26) Do you approve of DIF&W’s current practice of stocking brook trout in marginal, put-and-take waters where these fish cannot survive warm summer water?

YES ____ NO ____ 27) Did you spend time fly-casting for trout this past year?

YES ____ NO ____

41) Do you believe some large landowners abuse the preference given to them in the any-deer permit drawings?

YES ____ NO _____ 42) Should Legislature repeal the law enacted to allow open-pit mining on Bald Mountain in Aroostook County?

YES ____ NO ____ 43) Should mechanized gold mining in Maine rivers and streams be prohibited?

YES ____ NO ____ 44) Did you hunt or fish outside of the state of Maine this past year?

YES __ NO ___ 45) Do you support the proposal to expand the instant background check of purchasers of firearms to include sales between private individuals?

YES _____ NO _____ 46) Have you (or has anyone you know) seen a cougar in Maine?

YES _____ NO _____ [If you answered “Yes,” write Will@MaineSportsman.com and tell us about it.]

Thank you for sharing your opinions with us. You may respond anonymously, but the first 25 readers to respond and include their contact information will receive a copy of The Maine Sportsman’s Book of 122 Great Places to Fish in Maine!

Name: ____________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________ City, State, Zip: ____________________________________ Email:____________________________________________ PLEASE RETURN TO THE MAINE SPORTSMAN 183 STATE STREET, SUITE 101, AUGUSTA ME 04330 www.MaineSportsman.com

18 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Wildlife: Striped Skunk

by Tom Seymour

The old Barney Google and His Friend Snuffy Smith comic strip made use of several phrases that at least for a while, were part of the American lexicon. The term frequently used in the comic strip, “Shif’less skonk,” was applied to lazy or untrustworthy people.

The comic strip artist didn’t coin the term, however. It was already in place years before the strip’s appearance in newspapers.

In fact “Three Shif’less Skunks” was the name of a popular 1938 song.

But what popular sentiment clung to for so long was absolutely wrong. Skunks, or as Snuffy would say, “Skonks,” are not shiftless.

In fact, skunks are among a number of mammals that remain active all winter. While skunks do take to dens once cold weather sets in, they are not true hibernators, and on any warm day in winter, skunks will arouse themselves and leave the comfort of their dens for a walk outside.

Skunks are a fur animal, although it’s been some time since I’ve seen anyone wearing a skunk skin coat or shawl. Some people, especially re-enactors of the muzzleloading era, wear skunk skin hats.

While four different kinds of skunks live in America, Maine is home to only one kind, the striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis. And for many, one kind of skunk is more than enough. Skunks cause problems for pet owners, especially dog owners. Some dogs get sprayed once and learn their lesson. Others seem unable to profit from their mistakes and continually pursue every skunk they find, usually with unpleasant results.

For some time, much to my chagrin, I was the local de-skunker, at least among my immediate circle of friends and family. When someone’s dog got sprayed by a skunk, they would call me to come over and apply tomato juice to their smelly pet. Skunk smell never much bothered me and I was happy to help people out. But the odor often transferred to me and especially to my clothes. At one point, I smelled like a skunk on a pretty regular basis.

This had an adverse effect upon my social life and upon realizing that people were avoiding me because of my skunky aroma, I decided to let people wash their own, skunked-up dogs.

Skunk Time Poets once made hay with the colors and scents of early spring. Sweet-smelling spring flowers and so on figured not only into poetry but also into music. But not a single poet or www.MaineSportsman.com

song composer ever incorporated skunks into their vernal themes. And that omission was a real disconnect between arts and the real world. In fact, the famous skunk smell is a true harbinger of the change from winter to spring.

Some time along about late February, skunks become quite active and go out courting. At this time, anecdotal evidence points out that skunks are more prone to spraying. Early evenings from late February to late March are filled with skunk scent. In some areas, the odor is ubiquitous. This is especially true in towns where skunks live in numbers, living on trash and even robbing food from pet dishes left out on porches.

When I was a child, we had a jet-black cat. And my parents let the cat run outside (a big mistake and something I am much opposed to), and that being the case, a big dish of cat food was always on the back porch.

One night I heard my mother chastising the cat. It was eating food from the dish and despite mother’s quite loud admonitions, the “cat” refused to budge.

It was only upon bending down to pick the cat up that my poor mother saw the error of her ways. She shrieked, ran back inside and slammed the door. The animal she was trying to coax inside wasn’t our cat but rather, a very hungry skunk. The wonder was that the skunk declined to spray.

A recent television ad depicted a similar event, but the skunk on TV took to the next level and went inside and jumped up on the obviously-myopic lady’s bed. Thank goodness for my family, things didn’t progress to that point.

Annoying Pests From time to time a skunk or skunks will spray very near my house. Often, the powerful scent permeates the place. But it soon disperses and if that were my only gripe regarding skunks, then that wouldn’t be too bad. But unfortunately, skunks have another habit, and this one makes me want to become a professional skunk hunter.

Raccoons and even my neighbor’s cats make it a habit to rifle through my garbage.

And while torn bags and trash strewn over a 10-foot square area stands as a very real problem, skunk damage is far worse.

Skunks take this trash-raiding thing to a new level. While the other pests feast on food scraps, skunks are not content to stop there. Instead, a skunk will nibble the paper or anything else that has much as touched food. And worst of all, skunks have the disconcerting habit of chewing on aluminum foil (makes your teeth hurt just thinking about it, doesn’t it?) and not stopping until all that remains are near-microscopic bits of foil.

Anyone who has ever had the dubious honor of cleaning up after a foil-mincing skunk knows how difficult this can be. It is a near-impossible task to pick up tiny bits of foil once they become distributed in the grass. If aluminum foil were magnetic, then a powerful magnet would take care of the problem. But that just isn’t the case.

As someone who loves to cook on an outdoor grill, much of my cooking entails wrapping certain foods in foil. In fact, one of my favorite outdoor writers, the late Ted Trueblood, once wrote a chapter in one of his books about “tin-foil” cookery. And Ted was right.

Aluminum foil is the camper’s and outdoorsman’s friend. But skunks love it too, and thus the rub.

The only way to stop these skunk raids is to remove every bit of foil used in cooking, put it in a plastic bag and tie off the bag so as to keep any scent from escaping. Then put the bag in the trash and after that, put the trash in a place where marauding cats, ’coons and skunks cannot find access to it.

In addition to spraying and trash raiding, skunks make forays onto manicured lawns, there to dig small holes in search of grubs. The only way for a homeowner to get any amount of satisfaction while replacing divots is to remember that the grub’s skunks dig for are mostly June bug grubs. And June bug grubs can damage perennial plants and shrubs as they chew on the roots while underground. So now skunks have at least one thing to their credit – kind of.

Besides all of that, skunks are a carrier of rabies.

We can like skunks or we can hate them.

But it makes no difference either way, since skunks aren’t going anywhere any time soon.

¶

There’s not much good to say about skunks – they spray, and they dig through garbage. Maine has only one type of skunk, but for some residents, that’s one too many.

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 19

Lots of Issues of Concern at the Legislature It’s all about the legislature this month, with dozens of far-reaching bills of concern to sportsmen and women being considered. In this column I’ll tell you about some of them, but let’s start with a look back, and remind ourselves that most legislative bills are defeated.

It may have been the worst hunting bill ever, during my 18 years as executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine.

LD 1186, introduced in the Maine legislature in 1997, was titled “An Act to Ensure Hunting Safety.” When I reported on the bill in the SAM News, I left out the name of the sponsor to save her from embarrassment.

The bill would have required hunters to quit hunting at 2 pm on Halloween, ostensibly to protect trick-or-treaters.

The bill was sponsored at the request of a woman from southern Maine who apparently believed her kids were in danger of getting shot by a hunter on Halloween.

“Some of the kids actually wear animal costumes,” she exclaimed.

Taking an opportunity to have some fun with the bill at the public hearing, I thanked the sponsor for putting in the bill, “because I do like to get out of the woods by 2 p.m. to get my mask and costume on for trick-ortreating.”

That was actually the truth. One of the best things about Halloween was that I got to go with my kids, with my own costume and bag for collecting treats.

I suggested at the

hearing, tongue in cheek, that because the greatest actual danger to kids on Halloween is from automobile traffic, hunters should be allowed and encouraged to stay in the woods and hunt until 10 pm, rather than leave the woods and hit the roads, crowded with trick-ortreaters.

Someone else at the hearing suggested that the better arrangement would be to prohibit trick or treating until after sunset.

After the entertaining public hearing was completed, the bill was quickly and quietly killed by the legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.

2017 Legislative Bills Legislators have filed nearly 2,000 bills this session, and there’s a lengthy list of proposals that will be of interest – and concern – to sportsmen and women and all others who enjoy the outdoors.

Here’s a quick look at some of the more interesting and provocative bills.

Sunday Hunting: Hope springs eternal. There are eight Sunday hunting bills. One would allow owners of more than 25 acres of land that is open to the public, to hunt on Sundays. My final effort to win some Sunday hunting opportunities was the same bill. And of course, it failed.

A similar bill would allow Sunday hunting by landowners and with landowner permission, and another would allow Sunday hunting on private land only.

Another bill would

allow federal migratory birds to be hunted on Sunday, while one would allow deer hunting on Sunday with the landowner’s written permission and a positive vote by the town.

Another would allow bird hunting with shotguns only on Sundays, while a similar bill would allow bird hunting on Sundays only in Aroostook County and the Unorganized

Townships of western Maine.

The first serious Sunday hunting bill I submitted, on behalf of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, called for Sunday hunting in the lands managed by North Maine Woods. NMW supported our bill, but it still failed. By the next session, NMW had changed its position and no longer

supported Sunday hunting.

Deer: There are quite a few deer bills, including one to establish antler restrictions.

Downeast hunting activist Mike Look published a column in the January/February issue of the SAM News about antler restrictions, (Continued on next page)

Be Sure You’re Ready!

Call Us Now for Boat Tops, Covers & Interiors Repairs and Alterations Welcome!

Protect the Interior

Your d n a u o !

Keep Y n & Dr y a e l C t a Bo

Waterville Upholstery & Canvas www.watervilleupholstery.com 1-1/2 Miles West Exit 127, I-95, KMD • Oakland, Maine • 207-465-7847 A FULL TIME, FULL SERVICE SHOP WHERE EXPERIENCE COUNTS! www.MaineSportsman.com

20 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Capitol Report (Continued from page 19)

something he has been championing for several years. For sure, Mike will be there to advocate for this.

One bill prohibits feeding deer until December 15, while another moves in the opposite direction, removing the prohibition on deer baiting by hunters.

There’s a bill to change the process for distributing any-deer permits, and another that would allow owners of 25 acres or more of land that is open to the public to shoot any deer without a special permit.

One bill would allow senior hunters to shoot antlerless deer, and another would allocate 10% of the any-deer permits available in each WMD to hunters 70 years of age or older. Twenty five percent of the any-deer per-

mits currently go to junior hunters, 25 percent to landowners, 15 percent to nonresidents, and 2.5 percent to Superpack licensees. Less than 1/3 are therefore available for adult hunters. So allocating another 10 percent to seniors probably won’t be a very popular idea.

Moose: There are seven moose bills. One is my proposal, sponsored by Representative Denise Harlow, to dedicate the money raised from the moose lottery and sale of permits to moose research and management.

Representative Peter Lyford has submitted a similar bill. I expect the two bills will be combined.

Another bill would increase the number of moose auction tags to 20. Representative Peter Lyford is sponsoring

Quotable

by George Smith When I ask SWOAM members about turkeys, I never get a smile.

Tom Doak, Executive Director of the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, talking about landowner problems with turkeys. DIF&W Big Game Steering Committee meeting, December 8, 2016.

— Maine’s small population and connected communities make it a great location to field test messaging in a cost effective manner.

Field tested messages in a rural state will be beneficial to the organization beyond the 2016 efforts…. Legislative and electoral work in Maine will continue to be a priority post 2016, and this work will require a broad network of grasstops and grassroots volunteers.

From the Maine gun sales background checks campaign plan of Everytown – the group financed by Michael Bloomberg. 2016.

— I fear (eider) duckling survival has been reduced to perhaps as low as 5 percent on many coastal nesting islands.

Brad Allen, DIF&W’s bird group leader, reporting that the feds have finally www.MaineSportsman.com

a moose bill that would eliminate subpermittees on moose hunting permits (to keep 2 and 3 year olds out), and eliminate cow moose hunts (as they may be pregnant).

Other Interesting Bills: There are surprisingly few fisheries bills, and five of them are my own proposals to create a Hatchery Commission, simplify the fishing rules, extend fall fishing opportunities, protect spawning areas for our native and wild brook trout, and add waters to the State’s Heritage Fish list.

Rep. Bryan Hubbell has submitted a very interesting and provocative fisheries bill. An Act Related to Management and Stocking of Inland Fisheries is a “concept draft” to reorganize the fisheries division so that it matches the organizational structure of the wildlife division, including combining all fisher-

ies managers under one roof, presumably in Augusta.

Rep. Hubbell’s bill would also create a 5-year sunset provision on all fisheries management rules and all stocking plans, meaning they would have to be reconsidered and reenacted every five years.

There’s a bill to allow hunters whose religious beliefs prohibit them from wearing hunter orange to instead wear red clothing. Reminds me of the bill last session to allow female hunters to wear pink instead of orange.

That didn’t pass, nor do I expect the red proposal to be enacted. It’s simply a matter of safety.

The only turkey bill is mine. It would eliminate turkey hunting permits and fees, expand bag limits, and create an online opportunity to register harvested turkeys.

One of the more controversial bills will be

reduced eider duck bag limits. Allen also noted that a big decline in eider numbers led to a reduction in sea duck hunters and guides. Bob Humphrey story, Maine Sunday Telegram, January 1, 2017.

— Ice fishing is like a bird hunter sitting in the fireplace and looking up the chimney on the chance a duck might fly over.

Tom Watson, former legislator and current SAM Board member. In response to a column in “George’s Outdoor News.”

January 3, 2017.

— Twice this week at the Union post office I heard turkey complaints. Boy, people hate turkeys. You could sell a lot of turkey poison.

Don Kleiner of the Maine Professional Guides Association, at DIF&W’s January 5 Big Game Steering Committee meeting.

— It’s a communication challenge to convince the public that we should increase moose permits, when they are seeing fewer moose.

Judy Camuso, DIF&W’s Wildlife Division Director, at DIF&W’s January 5 Big Game Steering Committee meeting.

— Washington State banned bear baiting and hounding and now harvests more bears than they did in the past.

the one that would eliminate the authority of game wardens to violate the hunting and fishing laws when carrying out their duties. This became a huge issue after a Portland Press Herald series on an undercover warden operation in Aroostook County. Afterwards, the Warden Service actually announced that it would no longer use those tactics. It will be interesting to see if DIF&W supports this bill.

There is a bunch of bills on ATVs and snowmobiles. Lots of gun bills too, including one that would require background checks on all private sales of firearms.

Yes, that issue is not going away, despite the vote last November.

Plenty to keep us busy until the legislature adjourns in June!

¶

Katie Hansberry, Maine lobbyist for the Humane Society of the United States, at DIF&W’s January 5 Big Game Steering Committee meeting.

— Maine’s wild turkey restoration program continues to be an unqualified success. But there’s a dark cloud looming.

Bob Humphrey, hunting columnist for the Maine Sunday Telegram, concerned about proposals to increase the turkey bag limit and hunting opportunities. MST, January 8, 2017.

— In the fish world, we manage water by water, in thousands of waters. It’s very difficult to come up with statewide goals that are meaningful.

Francis Brautigam, DIF&W’s Fisheries Division Director, at the January 6 meeting of the agency’s steering committee working to create new fish management plans.

— I am very reluctant to turn over planning for resources of state and national significance to regional biologists.

Don Kleiner of the Maine Professional Guides Association, at DIF&W’s January 6 Fisheries Steering Committee meeting.

¶

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 21

Drift Boats Catch On in Maine

by Michael Jones

Lefty Kreh, Bonnie Holding and author Michael Jones drifting-boat fishing on the Androscoggin. King Montgomery photo

The first drift boat I ever saw in Maine was when I encountered John McCloud drifting below the Big Eddie on the Penobscot River just above Little Amberjacmocomus Falls. I was a kayak photographer at the time, taking photos of rafting trips and getting paid to play in the river in my kayak! John McCloud was the original pi-

When we guided our customers using our drift boats, they learned they could experience every inch of a river without getting their feet wet. Drift boats put the angler in the right spot, and that is everything in the fishing and guiding world! oneer of drift boating on Maine’s rivers, and was a distinguished member of the Maine fishing community – everyone knew John.

As I floated toward him, John cast a long line with a giant feather-wing streamer, and immediately hooked up one of the biggest landlocked

salmon I had ever seen.

I was also hooked! What an image: this elegant boat, Mt. Katahdin in the background, a leaping salmon, and John just

playing the fish like second nature. I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.

A Drift Boat of My Own Years passed, and I was guiding more and more fly fishing trips, but I never forgot that indelible image of the drift boat and John McCloud.

In 1998, Bob Dionne and I purchased a (Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

22 â&#x20AC;¢ March 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Boating Special (Continued from page 21)

new drift boat for the fly shop we were running in Farmington called Aardvark Outfitters.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been diligent in our research. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d purchased every book and video available on the subject, and quick-

ly learned two things: 1) how to use a drift boat; and 2) that it was everything we ever dreamed it would be for our guide service.

I was eager to spend most days guiding in the boat, so I began work-

ing with Dan and Penny Legere out of the Maine Guide Fly Shop in Greenville. Between both shops, I was a busy and happy young guide.

Our guests learned that you could experience every inch of a river without having to get your feet wet. Drift boats put you in the right spot, and that is everything in

the fishing and guiding world!

Other Drift Boaters Join In Other fellow rafting industry friends also crossed the line into drift boat fishing, including Ian Cameron, Chris Russell, Scott Snell and Brett Trefethen. Soon, it was no longer an anomaly to see a drift boat on the river, but rather a common sight. Every major fly shop had one of these iconic dories parked outside in the front yard. Every guiding client wanted to join in this new experience.

We all learned from one another, and soon we

were all friends linked together by a common interest and skill set.

Bob Dionne and I were actively selling boats out of Farmington, and it appeared that even the private fishing people (read: not being guided) were purchasing boats. Those who could not afford new fiberglass boats imported from the west, were building them out of marine plywood.

These wooden boats are some of the most impressive looking craft on the water. Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friend, Bill Pierce, affectionately refers to Mike Butler of Bangorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ma(Continued on next page)

Rang Ra ngel ng eley el ey Aut uto o Su Supp pp pply ply ly 27 717 1 Mai ain n St St., .,, Ran ange ge ele ley, ey, y ME 20720 7 866474 288788|r |ran ange an gele ge leya le yaut ya u om ut me@ @ya yaho ahooo. o coom Seba Se b sttic icoo oo o ok Rec. Rec. Re c & Spo p rt r 16 66 Mo Moose oseh os ehea ehea e d Tr Trl.l., l., Ne ewp por ort, t, ME 20720 7 336688 5377 553377 77 | seb bas astititico coook okre rec@ re ecc@ @yya ahhooo. o.com coom L L Co Cote te e Spo port rts Ce en ntterr 7 Main Maiin Ma n St. t., Er Erro Erro rol,l, New ew Ham a ps p hi hire r 8 00--28 80 2877-77 7-77 7700 700 0 | web e st sttor orre@ e@llllllcoote.c te.ccom te om

See Your Local Dealer for a Complete Aluminum Dock System

CU C US STTOM OM Flo loat at Se at errvi vice ces 11 1 1 Wa allla lace ace e Ave ve.,, So. ve., o. Por ortl tlan nd, d, ME

_ LQI QIR# IR# R#FXXVWRP R#FX VWRRP VW PÊ&#x152;RD Ê&#x152;RD Ê&#x152;R DWW FFRP R

Drift boats may be simple in design, but especially when built of wood they can become works of art.

MAINE BOAT SHOWS

PORTLAND BOAT SHOW: March 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ Portland Sports Complex AUGUSTA BOAT SHOW: March 10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;12, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ Augusta Civic Center BANGOR BOAT SHOW: March 17â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ Cross Insurance Center STATE OF MAINE SPORTSMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SHOW: March 31â&#x20AC;&#x201C;April 1, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ Augusta Civic Center

BOAT SHOW SPECIALS

SALES â&#x20AC;¢ SERVICE â&#x20AC;¢ STORAGE 780 78 0 Ro Roos osev evel eltt Tr Trai aill, Rou oute te 302 02, Na Napl ples es, Ma Main ine e (207 (2 07)) 69 693 3-68 6832 32 OR (2 (207 07)) 69 699 9-84 8477 77

www.C CausewayMarina.c com www.MaineSportsman.com

See Crest Us for liner Boats !

Clark

Marine

57 Puddledock Road, Manchester, ME 207-622-7011 â&#x20AC;¢ www.clarkmarinemaine.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 23

Drift boat fishing provides an exciting adventure on the river.

(Continued from page 22)

hogany boat as the Steinway of the Kennebec.

Mike was a perfect fit for drift boating as he is an expert fish carver, guide, and an excellent steward of the river. His wooden boat is a specimen to behold!

Competition Arises Fly fishing, like many outdoor activities, is a sport of numbers – a 17inch fish, 4-pound test line, a 90-foot cast. Predictably, there was a drift boat competition on the Androscoggin in Bethel, and it drew attention.

Rocky Freda and his wife Lisa joined forces with the Bethel Chamber of Commerce and the local Molyockett TU chapter to sponsor the event.

The first year, there were three boats. Now, the popular event draws as many as twenty teams, piloted by a drift boat captain rowing.

Fishing Not Even Necessary Piloting a drift boat down a river is as much fun as the fishing. I have put my boat in the water many times, and not brought a rod to fish with.

A couple of sandwiches, some drinks, fun magazine or Sunday paper, and a bathing suit and towel.

These boats are simply a great way to intimately discover the intricacies of a new river section.

They are not without limitations. Drift boats

should really not be used to navigate whitewater over class III, and are not forgiving around rocks.

For more challenging water, an inflatable raft with a rowing frame becomes the preferred craft for bouncing off rocks and taking on water over the sides. Ian Cameron guided me down the upper Penobscot through Rip Gorge in a 13 foot Super Puma raft; we were wearing helmets and type V life jackets, and we caught nice fish everywhere we were able to stop and cast.

If you have not experienced a drift boat before, it is a great way to begin your fly fishing career, as it is a comfortable platform to stand on without overhanging trees and slippery rocks. Many guides are available in both Maine and New Hampshire, and they post informative websites that explain the activities in which they specialize.

If you have a relative or friend who needs to get away, a guided trip makes for a thoughtful and greatly appreciated gift – a gift of an unforgettable experience. Most guides prefer two guests, working from either end of the boat while the guide rows the boat from the center position. Naturally, it is a great experience for couples.

¶

Fiberglass drift boats may require less maintenance than wooden versions.

Contact Your Local Tohatsu Dealer Today!

BAR HARBOR Lake & Sea Boatworks 204 Knox Road 207-288-8961 lakeandsea.com

EASTPORT Moose Island Marine 5 Sullivan St. 207-853-6058 mooseislandmarine.com

PORTLAND 1RUWK $WODQWLF ,QÀDWDEOHV 400 Commercial St. 207-844-1742 QRUWKDWODQWLFLQÀDWDEOHV FRP

SPRUCE HEAD J&H Marine 670 Spruce Head Rd. 207-596-5511

www.MaineSportsman.com

24 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Limited Open Water Offers Rare Opportunity for Concentrations of Togue and Brown Trout Barring an unscheduled early opening of trout season on brooks and streams, anglers must confine their efforts to lakes and ponds. Some rivers remain open yearround, but these usually remain high until late in the month. Even so, there are lots of options now for anglers to get out, wet a line and perhaps catch a trout or two.

Ice-fishing season continues on most waters that fall under general law regulations. But since warm temperatures coupled with rain, have made for unsafe ice conditions, at least in coastal and southern Maine, ice may not prove safe in March. But if it does, fishing for both togue and brown trout heat up during the third month.

While togue fishing now may not be fast and furious, the largest fish of the year are often tak-

Clark

Trout Magnets, left, and Trout Slayers, right. Note the long-shanked, black-painted jigheads and hooks.

en in March. Smelt and shiners both work well as bait, but a medium-sized Swedish Pimple sometimes takes fish too. It may help to tip the hooks with a tail section of a dead shiner.

Brown trout begin searching for food in earnest now. In lakes and

ponds, hardwater anglers would do well to concentrate their efforts in coves with mud bottoms.

Browns now aren’t necessarily in deep water, and will seek food in 10-12 feet of water or even shallower.

Fish with a shiner or an earthworm, letting the

Marine

SE S ERV RVIC VIC I E IS S OU OUR UR BU BUSI USI S NE NESS S Come See Us at These Upcoming Shows!

Port Po Port rtla l nd la d Boa o t Sh Show Show w March 2nd–5th Portland Sports Complex A gu Au gust sta a Bo B at Sho how w March 10th–12th Augusta Civic Center Maine Sp M por o ts t man n Show ow w March 31st–April 2nd Augusta Civic Center

57 Puddledock Road Manchester, ME www.clarkmarinemaine.com www.MaineSportsman.com

Open Op en n Hou ouse se April 22nd–23rd Clark Marine, Manchester

(207) 622-7011

bait sit on bottom. Brown trout prowl muddy bottoms in search of freshwater snails, and if they see a bait in their circumambulations around a cove, they will usually scoff it up.

The Edge If ice conditions in March don’t warrant going ice fishing, then we can still take fish from lakes and ponds by fishing from shore in areas of open water. Usually, the south-facing side of lakes and ponds opens up first.

Where conditions permit, a small boat or canoe can open the way to at least some limited trolling. Be sure to bring a fish locator, since the picture on the screen may make a lasting impression. Oftentimes, hundreds of salmonids swarm just off of the retreating ice cover. Never again will so many fish show up in a limited space.

But watercraft aren’t needed to take fish. This may prove the best time of all to fish from shore.

I like to cast my angleworm so that it lands on the ice and then I’ll slow-

ly pull it toward me so that it falls into the water with a “plunk.” Waiting trout eagerly grab a worm when fished in this manner.

This method works particularly well in stocked waters, since trout stocked in fall often spend their time near the point of introduction.

Take note that this specialized type of fishing offers us just a limited window of opportunity.

When lanes of open water widen to the point that the pond or lake is half ice and half open water, salmonids disperse. But while it lasts, anglers can find some exciting and often unexpected open-water fishing.

This special type of fishing tends toward the sedentary. But on the other hand, what’s wrong with that? A folding chair, a thermos of coffee or tea and a picnic lunch can make for a most enjoyable day sitting in the warm spring sun, waiting for a trout to bite. Later, after lakes and ponds become free of ice, we can become more active as we seek fish by slowly trolling. More on tips on early-season trolling in next month’s issue.

Best Baits For fishing from shore in late March, certain baits work better than others. For trout, shiners and earthworms make the list of preferred natural baits. Nightcrawlers don’t work well, and here’s why.

Common earthworms sometimes naturally enter the water, perhaps carried by spring freshets. Earthworms occur almost everywhere (al(Continued on next page)

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 25 (Continued from page 24)

though some places in northern and northwestern Maine have remained worm-free ever since the last glacier melted), and therefore, trout are used to seeing them. Nightcrawlers, however, usually only occur on lawns and in rich, garden soil.

As such, they rarely, if ever, wash into ponds and lakes.

None of this is intended to mean that trout won’t take a big juicy nightcrawler now. But chances are far less than when fishing with the smaller earthworms.

For artificial lures, my old favorite Trout Magnets work well on all salmonids. For shore fishing in late March, it pays to carry a selection of magnets.

My favorite and most productive color scheme is a silver jighead with a black body. It seems to me that trout might take such a lure for a hellgrammite, there being a pretty good general similarity between the two.

Let me add that despite new rules prohibiting use of bare lead jigs, Trout Magnets remain legal for use, since the jighead is completely painted over with a durable, silver finish.

Lifelike Offerings Spinners and wobbling spoons are only moderately effective now, because trout bite best on a slow-moving offering.

To that end, let me recommend another lure, also made by Leland’s Lures, maker of Trout Magnets.

These work in a way similar to Magnets, but instead of being a generic, looks-like-most-anything lure, Trout Slayers depict crayfish, a common and favorite food source of trout. The difference between Magnets and Slayers is the jig size and shape. Trout Slayers use a black, size 6, longshanked hook. The hook gap here is more substantial than on the smaller Trout Magnets.

These are effective

lures for tight-line fishing. Tight-line fishing denotes a method where the angler allows no slack line, since a bite may come as a near-undetectable tap. A tight line allows the angler to feel the bite.

Fish these as slowly as possible. If it takes three or four minutes to retrieve the lure, that’s okay.

This lure works best where crayfish are prevalent. Areas with a rocky bottom are perfect, since crayfish hide among rocks and boulders, and that’s where trout seek them.

A light rod, reel and especially line, are needed in order to not miss a single bite. Use no larger than a 4-pound test line and don’t worry about it breaking, since modern 4-pound lines are strong beyond belief. Also, make sure to have the reel spool filled to maximum capacity in case a truly large trout takes the lure.

So while others sit home waiting for ice to melt, savvy trout anglers head out now in order to take full advantage of the wonderful but brief opportunity to take trout from lakes and ponds in March. Good luck.

¶

See your authorized participating Yamaha Outboard Dealer today for details! Other restrictions and conditions may apply.

BRUNSWICK New Meadows Marine 450 Bath Road 207-443-6277 NewMeadowsMarina.com

HAMPDEN Hamlin’s Marina 581 Main Road North 207-907-4385 HamlinsMarine.com

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

BAR HARBOR Bowden Marine Service 713 Norway Drive 207-288-5247 BowdenMarine.com

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

WATERVILLE Hamlin’s Marine 290 West River Road 207-872-5660 HamlinsMarine.com

FREEPORT New Meadows Yamaha of Freeport 353 US RT. 1 207-869-4007 NewMeadowsMarina.com

LINCOLN Lincoln Power Sports 265 W. Broadway 207-794-8100 LincolnPowerSportsME.com

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

OFFER VALID THROUGH MARCH 31, 2017. *PROGRAM TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Consumer bene t for purchasing a new (unused, not previously warranty registered) select eligible Yamaha 2.5 to 300 HP four-stroke outboard is a choice of either a 24-month Yamaha Extended Service contract (choice offered in Florida is a 24-month Yamaha Limited Warranty), or a credit based on MSRP toward the purchase of goods and/or services at the authorized participating dealer that sold the outboard, at no extra cost to consumer. NO BENEFIT SUBSTITUTIONS. To be eligible, outboards must also have been manufactured since January 2010. Promotion is only applicable from authorized participating Yamaha Outboard dealers in the USA, sold to purchasing consumers residing in the USA. Promotion is limited to available stock in dealer inventory that is sold, PDI completed, delivered and warranty registered on YMBS by the dealer in accordance with Yamaha’s Promotion and warranty registration requirements during applicable dates. Applicable models may vary. Any new models introduced after December 1, 2016 are NOT eligible for this Promotion. No model substitutions, bene t substitutions, extensions or rain checks will be allowed. Outboards sold or provided for commercial, camp, resort, rental, promotional/demo, government agency, competition, tournament or sponsorship use are not eligible. This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other Yamaha offer. Some exceptions may apply. See authorized participating Yamaha dealer for complete details. Yamaha reserves the right to change or cancel this Promotion at any time. Other restrictions and conditions may apply.

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal oatation device and protective gear. © 2017 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

LAKE & SEA BOATWORKS

RICHARDSON’S BOAT YARD

Bar Harbor, ME 207-288-8961 lakeandsea.com

Windham, ME 207-892-4913 richardsonsby.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

26 â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Pull-Behind Sleds for Your Snowmobile

by Will Lund If there is an overriding limitation to using snowmobiles for utilitarian purposes such as ice fishing or winter camping, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s their lack of cargo room.

Employing space planning techniques derived from motorcycles and ATVs, manufacturers have installed small compartments and locking, contoured containers be-

Need to haul gear? Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pull-behind sled for that. And if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people you need to transport behind your snowmobile, the skyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the limit, so long as your credit card also has no limit. hind the seat, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no place for ice auger, tip ups, a bait bucket, a cooler and lunch or overnight gear â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and if two parent are on one sled, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly no room for a

couple of young kids.

Enter the pull-behind sled, designed to triple or quadruple the carrying capacity of the average snow machine, and, for enough money, to provide

a way to transport additional members of your family in comfort and style.

Moving Gear The simplest, no-frills pull-behind model is usu-

ally referred to as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;tub sled.â&#x20AC;? Made of tough plastic and featuring molded runners, it lacks tall sides, tie-downs or other extras, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helpful if you have a relatively flat ride to your destination â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example, allowing you to travel from your vehicle at the public landing, across the ice to your fishing destination.

(Continued on next page)

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

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

LEEDS Reggieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kawasaki Ski-doo 255 US Hwy 202 207-933-4976 doitatreggies.com

PITTSFIELD Huffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forest Products Route 100 207-487-3338 huffforestproducts.com

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

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

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

WINDHAM Richardsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boatyard 850 Roosevelt Tr, Rt 302 207-892-9664 richardsonsby.com

Š2016 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ÂŽ Â&#x152; DQG WKH %53 ORJR DUH WUDGHPDUNV RI %53 RU LWV DIÂżOLDWHV 3URGXFWV LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV 86 DUH GLVWULEXWHG E\ %53 86 ,QF $OZD\V ULGH VDIHO\ DQG UHVSRQVLEO\ 2EVHUYHG +3 PHDVXUHG RQ LQWHUQDO '\QR WHVW LQ RSWLPDO FRQGLWLRQV IRU VWURNH HQJLQHV

www.MaineSportsman.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 27 (Continued from page 26)

One example, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;cargo mooseâ&#x20AC;? from Edge Xtreme Sports, retails for just under $100, and it includes molded fittings to accommodate a tow bar.

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cargo Moose.â&#x20AC;?

Credit: Edge XTreme Sports

On the subject of tow bars, regardless of what type of sled you intend to haul, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important

understand whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needed to make towing safe.

First, you need a tow hitch on your snowmobile. If the back frame on your machine is already reinforced, a simple hinged hitch can be fastened directly to the back of the sled.

Lighter-weight sleds, however, will require a hitch with reinforcing bars that are fastened along both sides of the rear frame, for strength and support.

The tow bar, which attaches to the hitch, is a solid length of square or tubular metal, designed to pull the sled securely,

This reinforced hitch is designed specifically for certain model Ski Doos.

but more important, to keep the pull-behind sled a fixed distance away if the snowmobile decelerates or is traveling downhill.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mistake to haul gear of any weight using a flexible line or strap, since the trailing sled will â&#x20AC;&#x153;catch upâ&#x20AC;? to a slowing

snowmobile, risking damage to the sled or a wrapup of the hauling strap in the snow machineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s track or rear suspension system.

To increase the carrying capacity of a low-sided sled, some folks build up the side height, either with solid or â&#x20AC;&#x153;fencedâ&#x20AC;? panels. These models can

Cabelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offers this solid tow bar for snowmobiles and ATVs.

make an attractive way to transport ice fishing gear and other accessories to the outer reaches of a frozen pond or lake.

(Continued on next page)

Fenced or racked siding on a pull-behind sled increases capacity and makes for an attractive, utilitarian transporter. Credit: Smitty Sled Concept

4-SEASON ADVENTURES AT LEAD MOUNTAIN

Ride the trails right up to our door! â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Middle of â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Whereâ&#x20AC;?

Tel: 207.638.2301

â&#x20AC;˘ www.airlinesnackbar.com â&#x20AC;˘

3752 Airline Rd. (at Rts 9 & 193) ATV 511 & ITS 81 Beddington, Maine 04622 Frank & Maryann Janusz, Proprietors

Home of the

See Your Local YamahaÂŽ Snowmobile Dealer Today!

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

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

TOPSHAM Woodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Performance Ctr. 70 Topsham Fair Mall Rd. 207-729-1177 woodysyamaha.com

*Customer Cash offer good on select 2017 and prior year models models between 1/4/2017 to 3/31/2017. **12 Month Y.E.S Yamaha Extended Service Contract. Purchase a new 2017 Snowmobile model (Spring Power Surge, LE, and SRX 120 units not included) between 10/7/16-3/31/17 and receive a Free 12 month Y.E.S. (Yamaha Extended 6HUYLFH &RQWUDFW IRU D WRWDO RI \HDUV *HQXLQH <DPDKD &RYHUDJH ,QFOXGHV PRQWK )DFWRU\ :DUUDQW\ PRQWK < ( 6 %HQH¿W RIIHUHG LQ )ORULGD DQG :DVKLQJWRQ LV D PRQWK <DPDKD /LPLWHG :DUUDQW\ 6HH GHDOHU IRU GHWDLOV Always wear an approved helmet and eye protection. Observe all state and local laws. Respect the rights of others. Ride within your capabilities. Allow extra time and plenty of distance for maneuvering. Do not perform stunts. Š2014 Yamaha Motor Corp, U.S.A. All rights reserved.Š 2016 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

SNOWMOBILE S NOWMOBILE RENTALS RENTA TALS S & TRAILSID AILSIDE DE LOD DGING DGING G Gree Gr G re een ee env nviillle le

OUTFITTERS OUTF RS

ww www ww ww. w.maineoutďŹ tter.co om m

www.MaineSportsman.com

28 â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Snowmobiling Special (Continued from page 27)

The higher sides prevent gear from falling out if the operator encounters hilly terrain or bumps along the trail.

Visit V isit Y Your our Local Local P Polaris olarisÂŽ D Dealer ealer T Today! oday!

6HH <RXU 3RODULV 'HDOHU IRU &XUUHQW 3URPRWLRQV GORHAM Wescott & Sons, Inc. 500 Ossipee Trail 207-839-4500 wescotts.com

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

TOPSHAM Woodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Performance Ctr. 70 Topsham Fair Mall Rd. 207-729-1177 teamwoodys@outlook.com

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

OQUOSSOC Oquossoc Marine Inc. 87 Carry Road 207-864-5477 oquossocmarine.com

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

Always wear an approved helmet and eye protection. Observe all state and local laws. Respect the rights of others. Ride within your capabilities. Allow extra time and plenty of distance for maneuvering. Do not perform stunts. Š2014 Yamaha Motor Corp, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Moving People Basic, open sleds are a practicable way of transporting gear to your ultimate snowmobiling destination, but what about transporting passengers? If parents, for example, have two small children, the options are to purchase two snowmobiles and have a child passenger on each one, or two look into pull-behind sleds specifically designed to transport people.

Some open sled manufacturers promote the idea that their products can transport kids, but keep in mind that operating a snowmobile at 15 miles an hour subjects any unprotected passengers to the equivalent of a 15 mph wind. Especially if there is already a headwind, or in bitter cold temperatures, this is a recipe for an uncomfortable trip.

So enter the people-moving pull-behind sleds.

Some of them are just downright attractive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; downsized versions of the adult-sized snowmobiles.

Other versions are well beyond the finan-

cial reach of mere mortals with average bank accounts. As an example, Ăźber- retailer Hammacher Schlemmer offers The Snowcraft, which looks like one of the old fiberglass Sugarloaf gondolas, tipped in its side, streamlined, with extra windows and runners added.

Hammacher Schlemmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Snowcraftâ&#x20AC;? is among the ultimate ways to transport kids along the trail or across the lake, in comfort, style and safety.

The futuristic hauler-transporter comes with a lifetime guarantee. Features include rotational hitch, two swingopen doors, gas shocks for a smooth ride, air vents, and padded seats with belt restraints, and running and brake lights.

While we have not seen any yet plying the frozen lakes of Maine, at â&#x20AC;&#x153;onlyâ&#x20AC;? $2,400 itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only a matter of time before someone decides itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the must-have item for family fun.

Âś

On trail or off, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never been a machine like the all-new 2017 XF Cross CountryTM Limited. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designed to go wherever your passion takes you. With its ARSTM front suspension, SLIDE-ACTION Rear SuspensionTM with a 137â&#x20AC;? Backcountry X track and FOXÂŽ QS3 shocks, it lets you ride more in more conditions than almost any other sled. Come in and check out the new XF today.

AUBURN Ames Sport Shop /LWWOHĂ&#x20AC;HOG 5RDG Â&#x2021; 6HH 8V RQ )DFHERRN

JACKMAN Jackman Power Sports 0DLQ 6WUHHW Â&#x2021; MDFNPDQSRZHUVSRUWV FRP

SKOWHEGAN Whittemore & Sons :DWHUYLOOH 5RDG Â&#x2021; ZKLWWHPRUHDQGVRQV FRP

GORHAM White Rock Outboard 6HEDJR /DNH 5RDG

ZKLWHURFNRXWERDUG FRP

SIDNEY Kramerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inc. :HVW 5LYHU 5RDG

NUDPHUVLQF FRP

Contact Your Lcoal Arctic Cat Dealer Today!

Youngsters will be excited to ride in a pull-behind thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designed to be a clone of their parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; snowmobile.

Credit: Fitz Family Blog www.MaineSportsman.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

r

y

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 29

— Maine’s Premier Snowmobile System —

LANGTOWN OUTFITTERS & GUIDE SERVICE TheraSauna * Infrared heat Stress relief * Relax muscles Cozy Cabin Rental • Sleeps 8 Direct Access to ITS 89 Snowshoeing & Wildlife Watching Women’s Weekend Retreats

207-364-POOL(7665) 454 River Rd., Mexico, ME 04257

8 Miles from Stratton, 12 Miles from Rangeley

Mert & Carol Buzzell

coulthardspools@roadrunner.com

Registered Maine Guides

coulthardspools.com

LangtownOutfitters.com 207-576-4536 LOONEY mOOSE cAFE

Putt's Place B & B

Gourme Gour mett Co Cook okin ing g wi with th Down Do wnHo Home me Atm tmos osph pher ere! e!

8 Main St. Stratton • 207-246-4181

A Local Family-owned Business Groo Gr roooom meed tr t ai ails l to ITTS 8899 ls

Folks love our Ulti Ul tima mate te Fre renc nch h To Toas astt & for lunch: THE STEAK EAK BOMB!

Open winter months - $80/double Snowmobile • Ice Fish Ski • Snowshoe • Hot Tub Sugarloaf & Saddleback just minutes away Enjoy Elaine’s Country Breakfast Hearty, Delicious & Memorable!

W W!!

WOW! 9 Main St., Stratton, ME

(207) 246-7932

The White Wolf Inn & Restaurant Home of the Wolf Burger!

Grreat Food & Unusual Beers in a Casual Atmosphere!

11:00 am - 8:30 pm Lun nch & Dinner Served Up with Homemade Goodness!

24/7 Gas & Diesel Craft Beer & Wine Fresh Deli Meats Sandwiches, Pizza & Hot Food Wicked Joe Coffee Check us out on Facebook 108 Main St., Stratton (Right on ITS 89)

207-246-2300

What’s Your Sign?

W THIS IS OURS!

10 Roooms, Private Bath/Shower, Cable TV, Microwave, Fridge Pets Always Welcome!

Efficiiency- Sleeps 5 with Kitchenette, Cable TV & Bathroom

STAY 2 NIGHTS MIDWEEK GET 3RD NIGHT FREE! Thou usands of Miles of Spectacular Mountain Riding Await You Just Outside Your Door!

The Largest, Most Varied Terrain in the East Over 2 Million Acres of Spectacular Mountain & Lake Riding

Rt. 27, 146 Main Street • Stratton, ME 04982 2077-246-2922 • www.thewhitewolfinn.com

www.Snowmobile-Maine.com

FRANKLIN COUNTY • MAINE

www.MaineSportsman.com

30 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

A Royal Rescue Across the Pond In writing “Danger in the Outdoors” for the past two years, I have covered the gamut of backcountry risks and mishaps, including falls through the ice, mountaintop rescues, capsized kayaks and snowmobile accidents.

I also wrote recently about the Maine Army National Guard’s helicopter crew in Bangor that flies daring rescue missions into our deep woods, remote waters, rugged mountains, and along the rocky coast.

So it was a bit of a surprise to learn about a dramatic backcountry helicopter rescue in Great Britain when I was in England over the New Year holiday. Like many people, I think of the British Isles as a gently rolling, bucolic landscape with open heaths, hedgerows

The rugged coast of Wales on the Isle of Anglesey is similar to the rocky Maine coast.

Credit: Creative Commons

and scenic woodlands, with Robin Hood and his merry band hiding in the trees.

Mountains, treacherous terrain, and wilder-

ness do not come to mind.

Nor do helicopter rescues.

But I was wrong.

A Pint in the Pub My family and I were

MAKE SAFETY A PRIORITY! THIS WINTER, STAY SAFE WHEN SNOWMOBILING. ICE AND WATER CONDITIONS NEAR HYDROELEECTRIC FACILITIES CAN CHANGE QUICKLY AND WITHOUT NOTICE. Please respect authorized trails, signs and warning signals and pay attention to your surroundings.

Be cautious of guy wires and poles that may not be as noticeable during the winter season.

brookfieldrenewable.com/publicsafety

www.MaineSportsman.com

DANGER THIN ICE

sitting in a pub enjoying a pint of malty ale when we heard the story from a friend from New Hampshire who is currently living in London. Ruth teaches outdoor skills and leadership. She was explaining how the culture of hiking (in Britain they call it “walking”) and camping differs from America.

Then she told us the story of a Canadian woman who was rescued in 2012 when she was broke her leg while hiking on an isolated trail along the Welsh coast. And, incredibly, the woman was rescued by a Prince! And this was no fairy tale.

Rugged Country There are some rugged places in Great Britain, such as the Scottish Highlands, the White Cliffs of Dover, Snowdonia National Park in Wales, and the rocky coast of Cornwall. So, yes,

people get lost or injured in rugged, remote terrain and need to be rescued.

The British and Canadian press reported that Darlene Burton, 58, was on a 10-day “walk” with her husband around the Isle of Anglesey in northern Wales when she slipped on the trail near the picturesque Point Lynas lighthouse.

“I slipped and did a turn and I could just hear the bone crack,” she told CTV Barrie (Ontario).

“I fell to my knees and I knew right away what had happened. It was just like it happened in slow motion.”

“It was a really awkward place for the paramedics to work on her,” said her husband, according to The Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper. But it was high and clear enough for a helicopter to be called in.

A Royal Air Force Sea King helicopter flew from a base nearby to transfer Ms. Burton to a hospital.

That was when the couple learned that Prince William was the pilot.

Daring Duke Yes, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and future King of England, flew over 150 search and rescue missions as helicopter pilot for the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 2010 to 2013 while stationed in Wales.

And, being the Prince, his dramatic rescues were well-covered in the British tabloids.

In case you don’t follow the British Royals ev(Continued on next page)

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 31

The author, who has written in these pages about helicopter rescues in Maine, learned of similar heroism during a recent trip to England – except in those cases, there was a “Royal” at the controls of the copter. Here’s a clue -- married to Kate Middleton.

(Continued from page 30)

ery day, I will remind you that William is married to Kate Middleton (oh, that one!). Younger Brother Harry (a/k/a Prince Henry of Wales) also pilots a helicopter, and famously flew Apache helicopter missions in Afghanistan.

But big brother “Wills” is the hero in this story.

Where’s My Lipstick?

When she realized it was Prince William flying the helicopter, Ms. Burton told CTV, laughing: “I thought, ‘Where is my lipstick?’”

Prince William was all business, however, helping to unload her when she got to the hospital in Bangor, Wales (not Maine!) where she underwent surgery and had plates inserted into her leg before returning home to Canada.

An Epidemic of Injuries?

When Ruth told us the Prince William rescue story, she joked that, once word got out that the handsome prince was flying rescue missions, hundreds of women began flocking to the hills in Wales and mysteriously spraining their ankles.

This theme was picked up on Twitter: “There are going to be a lot of female tourists falling in England.” “A prince to the rescue; how sweet.” And: “Makes me want 2 fly to England and break my leg.”

Joking aside, the Prince’s job is serious work. Just like the Maine

Army National Guard rescue team, any rescue involves risk for all concerned, including the air crew.

Sea Rescue Just four days earlier, Prince William had rescued a 16-year-old girl who was caught in a riptide and had to be plucked from the Irish Sea. According to The Daily Mail (U.K.), the girl’s younger sister, age 13, had been swept out on a riptide while body-boarding. The older sister had swum out to help her.

The younger girl made it to safety with help from a surfer, but the older sister became exhausted and was close to drowning when the RAF helicopter arrived.

Luckily, Prince William had just landed his helicopter at its base nearby when the lifeguards called the RAF. It took only 38 seconds for the helicopter to travel to the site and find the girl, who was being battered on the rocks and struggling, having swallowed water.

Flight Lieutenant Wales, as Prince William was known in the RAF, steadied the Sea King overhead, while Master Aircrew Harry Harrison dropped down on a winch to pull the teenager out of the water.

Princely Service After ending his service in the RAF, Prince William joined East Anglian Air Ambulance service, also as a pilot. He

His Royal Highness Prince William piloted this RAF Sea King helicopter in over 150 search and rescue missions. Credit: Creative Commons

needed to complete additional training to fly a civilian aircraft. In 2015, he began his new job (paid, but he donates his salary to charity) in the civilian service, but now only works part time in order to balance his formal duties with the Royal Family.

In June 2016, the Prince transported a man who had been knocked unconscious and suffered broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder while cutting a limb from a tree.

The man awoke during the flight and was surprised to see that Prince William was at the controls: “It wasn’t until they

were actually loading me into the helicopter and I said, ‘Willsy better not be flying this thing,’ and [the Prince] turned around and said, ‘Oh, I’ve been holding your head for the last thirty minutes’“ According to The Telegraph (U.K.), William was worried how people would react during an emergency when they realized who he was.

“I have to say I was a little bit anxious of some of that when I first started, because I didn’t want to bring any chaos or any sort of unhelpfulness to the scene.”

“Actually, it’s worked out better than I could

possibly have thought.

Fortunately, they don’t really care who turns up as long as they’re getting the care and the help they need.”

Whether in Maine, or overseas, search and rescue teams provide an essential public service that many people take for granted until they find themselves in distress. Danger and injuries are the great equalizer. Whether the pilot is a prince or a neighbor, we owe our gratitude to the people who put their lives at risk to save others.

¶

An official photo of Prince William and his East Anglian Air Ambulance. (Royal Family website photo) www.MaineSportsman.com

32 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

—

o

Fort Kent “Transformed” to Host Can-Am Sled Dog Races Here in the Allagash, snowmobilers sometimes find themselves sharing the trails with mushers. It can be unsettling to see six, eight or more dogs pulling a sled when you round the corner on your Arctic Cat. The relationship between the two groups has been rough at times, but with the growing popularity of non-motorized winter sports, people have been learning how to adjust and share.

Each March, the town of Fort Kent hosts the Can-Am Crown International Dog Sledding Races. Now in its 25th year, the Can-Am takes place March 4 - March 7 this year. The 250-mile race is a qualifier for the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest events. Can-Am also hosts a 30-mile race and a 100-mile race.

It is quite something to see downtown Fort Kent transformed into a staging area, starting line, bazaar and stadium.

The Most Remote Hunting in The North Maine Woods Wilderness

Booking 2017 Deer Hunts. $300 per Person per Week (Lodging Only), Double Occupancy Required.

NOW BOOKING 2017 ICE FISHING

Book Your 2017 Black Bear Hunt Now While Your Book Now to Get First Choice of Dates is Still Available!

Your Choice of Dates!

Visit us on the web: W W W.

ROSSLAKECAMPS

.C O M

ON CHEMQUASABAMTICOOK LAKE

Map 55 in Maine Gazetteer

For Fastest Response, E-mail:

info@rosslakecamps.com or call to leave a message at 207-227-7766 Andrea Foley and Donald Lavoie, Registered Maine Guides

Year Round Hunting and Fishing Opportunities www.MaineSportsman.com

ed injury, the musher sustained a broken arm.

For the most part though, sledders and racers get along. The event is a highlight for many snowmobilers who visit the area for some late-season riding. With so many miles of trails to ride, the need to slow down for some mushers on a few sections is not a real inconvenience.

b f o w i

o

P.O. Box 598, Millinocket, ME 04462 Mailing Address Only

A Lot of Snow This Winter This year, wet and heavy snow came early, causing so many bentover trees and trail obstructions. Initially, local volunteers had difficulty clearing all the side trails.

Even so, riders were able to make their way to Estcourt, Quebec, located just across the border in the most northern part of Maine (see DeLorme Atlas, 66). Although this trip requires some local knowledge of exactly where to go and involves some slow going on what are not much more than rabbit paths, the payoff is being able to step out the Maine wilderness and into a Quebec diner for lunch. Make sure to have your passports handy.

For a nice trip that does not require international travel, consider combining ITS trails 85, 120 and 92 (Maps 66 and 67). This scenic loop takes you through Fort Kent, Winterville, St. Francis and the Deboullie Lakes area. Highlights include the rolling hills and surprisingly-rugged mountains west of Eagle Lake, and the rural St. John River valley. With plenty

www.macannamac.com

(Continued on next page)

Sled dogs and mushers train all year so they can shine at events like this month’s CanAm Crown International Race in Fort Kent. Dave Dugdale photo

Starting the night before, crews of volunteers cordon off Main Street and bring in dumptrucks full of snow in order to create the first half mile of race trail that runs straight through town.

Mushers then run along the international St. John River, with

b

Canada on their right.

For this event, organizers have a course that is mostly off the snowmobile trails. Volunteers have spent many hours clearing, packing and marking the race course.

Where the Can-Am races do share the trail with snowmobilers, orga-

nizers have tried to place not only signage warning other users, but also volunteers to talk with snowmobilers and warn them about dog teams on the trail. In 2016, inexperience and blowing snow caused one snowmobiler to strike a dog sled team.

Although the dogs avoid-

American Plan Lodge • Housekeeping Cabins • Year Round

Allagash Lakes Region Quality Cabins & Lodge on Haymock, Spider and Cliff Lakes A great place for a quality Family Vacation!

Ice Fishing • Snowmobiling • X-Country Skiing • Snowshoeing

Time to make plans for your ICE FISHING TRIP!

Haymock Lake (T8 R11) • 207-307-2115

i w t

o w

t

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 33 (Continued from page 32)

of places to stop for gas and some great food, it’s a trip worth making.

Last Days of Hard Water Fishing For March fishing, brook trout and salmon are drawn to inlets and shallow water. As things begin to melt, these freshets bring down bits of food, and the moving water attracts fish. Keep in mind that, by now, many of the popular fishing spots will have been worked over. Therefore, the greatest success will accrue to anglers who are mobile and adaptable.

For landlocked salmon, an important factor will be the gathering of smelt for spawning. Most often hunkered down in deeper water in the winter, these salmon will move into depths as shal-

low as 15 feet if food is available. If fish are actively feeding, it’s worthwhile to drill some holes and try some lure fishing.

Of course, ice angling is not limited to the traditional trout, salmon and whitefish. Monster cusk and muskie have been landed through the ice.

Both make for great eating, too.

Since cusk have rows of small, sharp teeth, use of a tough monofilament or braided line is warranted. Because these fish can run big, consider using at least a 10-pound test line. While “set and forget” cusk line set-ups are used, jigging

will keep anglers more engaged. Traditional lake jigs should work to attract cusk, such as Crippled Herrings and Swedish Pimples.

Even though they are under the ice, cusk still prefer feeding at night feeding or on dark, cloudy days. Water depth is not as important for cusk in the winter as is food source. Crayfish are a favorite, so cobbled bottoms are a good choice. Baiting with chum or adding a fish bit to a jig, where allowed, can also be a magnet for cusk.

bit of a mixed bag. While many folks are still reveling in winter (or at least making a brave effort to do so), some are chomping at the bit for open water, fly casting, ATV riding or simply walking around in shorts and a tee shirt.

We are, no doubt, spoiled by the availability of such a wide variety

Changing Times, But Fun Times March up north is a

¶

Loon Lodge in the Allagash Lake Region “Just the Way You Like It”

SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE FOR 2017 BEAR HUNTS! Reserve Your Space Today!

OFF-TRAIL SLEDDING IS JUST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT! www.loonlodgemaine.com loonlodgemaine@gmail.com • SEE US ON FACEBOOK! P.O. Box 404, Millinocket, ME 04462 • 207-745-8168

— The Maine Sportsman —

y

BAIT DEALERS DIRECTORY DAG’S BAIT & TACKLE AUBURN

559 Minot Avenue • 207-783-0388 Complete Line of Ice Fishing Supplies

HOLBROOK’S LIVE BAIT

AUBURN

TACKLE & MORE www.bethelbait.com • 7 Mechanic St. BETHEL MONMOUTH Fishing/Hunting - Sporting Goods Live Bait, Fresh Fish/Lobster, Guns/Ammo 207-824-HUNT (4868)

UNC’L LUNKERS BAIT & TACKLE

Open Daily • 6 Gage St. Shiners, worms, all kinds of tackle, traps, augers, jiging equipment

JOHNSON’S SPORTING GOODS

6KRW *XQV 5LÀHV 3LVWROV $PPR Smelts • Suckers • Shiners • Worms • Ice Tackle Open Mon-Thu 9AM-6PM • Fri 6AM–6PM • Sat 6AM–4PM

JEFF’S BAIT & TACKLE

SALLY MOUNTAIN CABINS ON BEAUTIFUL BIGWOOD LAKE SMELTS • SHINERS • TOMMIES • ICE SHACKS %DLW LV JXDUDQWHHG WR FDWFK ¿VK RU GLH WU\LQJ 9 Elm St., Jackman, ME 04945 • 1-800-644-5621

MOOSEHEAD BAIT & TACKLE ROCKWOOD

207-933-9499 • www.jacktraps.com

JOHNSON’S SPORTING GOODS OXFORD

(207) 890-6367 • 136 Fore Street Sun-Wed 5AM-4PM, Thu-Sat 5AM-9PM After Hours Please Call Ahead

ELLIS POND VARIETY LIVE BAIT ROXBURY

FISHING SUPPLIES & LICENSES DAILY SPECIALS-GROCERIES-GAS OPEN 6AM-9PM

207-545-2713 • 1255 ROXBURY NOTCH ROAD

BAIT, BOLTS & BULLETS $OO <RXU ,FH )LVKLQJ 1HHGV SOLON

LIVE BAIT & FULL TACKLE SHOP

SHAKER HILL OUTDOORS LIVE BAIT • SMELTS & SHINERS ICE FISHING SUPPLIES WINDHAM 271 Main Street, Route 26 • 207-998-5390 Open: Tuesday-Friday 8AM-5:30PM Saturday 8AM-4PM • Sunday 9AM-3PM

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

Smelts ($5.50/doz), Shiners, Suckers Fat Head Minnows, Worms, Crawlers, Dillies, Spikes and Mousees

POLAND SPRINGS

LIVE BAIT Shiners • Bloodworms • Night Crawlers Worms • Jiffy Ice Augers • Ice Fishing Supplies

Open 6AM 7 Days • 151 Ridge Rd, Monmouth, ME

207-647-8100

LIVE BAIT

51 Park Street • 207-594-2916 • 7 Days ROCKLAND

JACK TRAPS ,FH )LVKLQJ 2XW¿WWHUV Smelts • Shiners • Pike Bait

SMELTS • SHINERS • SUCKERS • WORMS • CRAWLERS 3DFNHG LQ R[\JHQ ¿OOHG EDJV IRU WUDYHO Bait Shop Open 5am Thurs, Fri Sat 1/2 Mi. East from I-95 Exit 197 • 207-827-7032

Shiners • Bloodworms • Night Crawlers Worms • Jiffy Ice Augers • Ice Fishing Supplies

JACKMAN

WHITNEY’S OUTFITTERS

Complete Line of Ice Fishing Tackle

206 Bath Road • 725-7531 • 7 Days BRUNSWICK

Shiners • Bloodworms • Night Crawlers Worms • Jiffy Ice Augers • Ice Fishing Supplies

OLD TOWN TRADING POST OLD TOWN

LIVE BAIT

PORTLAND Shiners • Emeralds • Smelts • Tommy Cods Suckers • Dace • Ice Fishing Accessories Open Mon-Fri 6AM-6PM, Sat 5AM-5PM, Sun 5AM-12PM

274 West Broadway • 207-403-8000 LINCOLN

BETHEL BAIT

BRIDGTON

1183 Congress Street • 207-773-5909 • 7 Days

4 Oak Street • 207-320-1848 JAY

Open 7 Days 5am-8pm

Call for an appointment Shiners • Suckers • Tommy Cods Over 50 Years Licensed Dealer 207-754-0170 • 207-782-1249

JOHNSON’S SPORTING GOODS

SPRUCE MOUNTAIN BAIT & TACKLE

Smelts • Shiners • Suckers • Tommy Cods • Worms

y

y

Fort Kent hosts the Can-Am Crown International Dog Sledding Races March 4 – 7, featuring a staging area, starting line and stadium – and a halfmile of race trail that runs right down Main Street.

of outdoor winter activities. For those of us who take advantage of those, March is one last opportunity to take it all in.

I have some great “winter” memories that actually occurred in March. I have also seen some massive snow storms this time of year.

These serve as reminder to us that we live in northern Maine and not in southern California.

And thanks goodness for that.

SMELTS - SHINERS - SUCKERS Licenses, Tackle, Augers, Sleds

Rt. 201, Solon • 207-643-2766

SEBAGO BAIT - Ice Fishing Supplies & Tackle 483 Roosevelt Trail, Rt. 302 207-894-7141 • Open 7 Days Reserve Your Bait Online at www.SebagoBait.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

34 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

—

Branch Lake and Beech Hill Pond – Hancock County’s Best Salmon Waters Public access to Branch Lake has permitted a resumption of salmon stocking there – 1,000 fish per year -- while Beech Hill Pond offers both landlocked salmon and lunker togue.

I trudged along on the frozen surface of Branch Lake in Ellsworth. The wind blew out of the north at 20 mph. The temperature held steady at 30 degrees, while the blowing snow nearly obscured the rising March sun.

After setting up a shore camp, I drilled my first ice hole, skimmed out the ice, and hooked

After several endeavors, the fish’s head came through the ice. I clipped the leader and freed the 16-inch salmon. I landed a 17-inch salmon and a 20-inch lake trout in the next two hours.

Fishing for brook trout with two tip-ups close to shore can produce results, while the other three tip-ups can be set up just below the surface of the ice to locate bait-stealing salmon, or setting a cut-up bait on bottom to entice a slow-feeding lake trout.

Shiners are the usual bait; however, local anglers claim to have better success when using smelts to fish for salmon

a lively emerald shiner onto the line of my Heritage trap. I moved 40-feet from my first trap and began drilling my second ice hole.

Within seconds of setting my ice auger down, I observed that the flag on my first trap had popped up. A line-spooling fish had gulped my shiner and was spinning line off my reel.

I set the hook and excitedly started my retrieval. The icy line slid through my chilled fingers before I was able to grip it tightly and start the fish up the ice hole.

Gingerly, I pulled the rocketing, silver-sided salmon toward the hole.

ICE FISHING SUPPLIES Ice Fishing Shelters by ,ZRPTV by

In Stock 8", 9" and 10" Propane & Gas Ice Augers

Tag-A-Long Sleds

:OHWWLS 6[[LY Pack Baskets & Liners Interest Free Christmas Lay Away Old Town Trading Post Just 1/2 Mile East off I-95 Old Town/Hudson Exit 197

207-827-7032 www.MaineSportsman.com

Shiners Smelts Bugs Firewood Firewood can lug bugs!

Buy it where you burn it don’t give bugs a free ride!

The Maine Legislature has banned all out-of-state firewood

BUY LOCAL Tell your friends to leave their smelts, shiners, bugs and firewood at home.

For more information

www.maine.gov/firewood or call (207) 287-2791

Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

A

Salmon and togue are not the only fish being caught through the ice in the Penobscot Bay region. Here, the author’s nephew, Kevin Pendexter, holds a typical winter brook trout. Lemieux photo

or cut-up suckers to fish close to bottom for togue.

tions before drilling your first hole.

Salmon Status Regained Branch is a mid-sized water containing 1,728 acres of well-oxygenated water. It’s considered the top-producing salmon water in Hancock County. Refer to Delorme Atlas, Map 23, D-5 to locate this fishery.

According to Greg Burr, biologist with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W), “Branch Lake anglers are again experiencing good salmon fishing.”

Several years ago, a new access road and a boat-launching facility was completed on the 1,200-acres of stateowned land near the narrows. Therefore, IF&W has been able to stock 1,000 salmon there annually. There are several new rules concerning Branch Lake, so check Maine Fishing Regula-

Game-Fish Galore Ice fishers often choose Beech Hill Pond (Map 24, C-1) over all the other lake-trout waters in our region. This body of water produces togue in the 8- to 10-pound range for cold-weather anglers on a regular basis. Monstrous lake trout in the double-digit numbers are not unheard of from this water.

Beech Hill Pond is a mid-sized pond containing 1,351 acres of solid water surface for winter sports to set out their ice-fishing equipment.

One popular spot where togue are plentiful is located along the northeast shore from School Cove to the outlet.

Another area where togue devotees spend a lot of their time is located on the south-central part of this water. Several good lake trout holes exist along this shoreline, (Continued on page 36)

–

A

A

Y

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 35

Fur, Fin and Fowl on Tom’s Agenda This Month Standing motionless among the bare maple trees on the edge of the field, I could see bits of snow still clinging to the soil. My owl decoy sat out on a high patch of ground silently watching the field.

My little buddy Anthony Correa was standing behind me, watching anxiously.

Chad Syphers fired up his crow call while his son Matt sat ready.

A raucous symphony of what sounded like a crow gang fight instantly brought the birds in – Hitchcock style. I started blasting, but only managed to down one of these evasive birds.

This was crow hunting, and it made me wonder why it had been so many years since I had returned to the sport.

With mild March temperatures, crow hunting comes back strong.

On top of this, there is still plenty of ice fishing to be had, as well as some first class hare hunting. Open water season may be just around the corner, but don’t give up on Ol’ Man Winter just yet.

Crow hunters have from January 20 through March 31 to lure in their quarry. On that day in the field, Chad and I leapfrogged all around Auburn hitting corn fields or pastures that were ringed with woods.

Although we could rarely see them, the minute he hit his call, they came out of the woodwork.

Yes a mouth call might have worked, too, but his loudspeaker allowed us

March’s longer days and reduced snow pack offer the perfect setting for crow hunting, chasing snowshoe hare with beagles, and enjoying warm, sunny days with the family tending to ice fishing traps. to set it away from our locations and lure the birds in without spotting us.

This was fun and I plan on doing it some more this month. We found shot size like #5 or #6 worked well as crows are tough to down. I stayed away from highbrass shell, but next time out I’m using the magnums.

Snowshoe Hares, Too For the smoothbore crowd, March also heralds some of the best snowshoe hare hunting of the year. The snow depth is typically reduced, so dogs can run on the crust or in shallow snow, pursuing the white hares like they were born to do.

Rural portions of Auburn, Lewiston and Sabattus are good spots,

as are rural southern towns like Raymond, Naples and Casco. Just find some low-growing evergreens, raspberry thickets or brushy spots and work the dogs around while looking for telltale tracks – then let the dogs do their thing. Hare hunters have until March 31 to chase their quarry.

Warm Days on the Ice For diehard winter anglers, March signals the end of the season.

Mild days and sunshine cause water to run into the holes, shacks are pulled, and fewer anglers venture out. However, March is a great month to get in a few more ice trips.

Ice came early this season to the smaller ponds, and will likely hold through March.

Range Pond State Park Open ALL-YEAR! • Enjoy ice fishing (only plowed access to Lower Range Pond). Early Fishing permits available for access before gate opening at 9 A.M. Stocked with Brook and Brown Trout

That being said, March anglers need to be ultra cautious on the ice.

To the south, the Otter Pond chain (DeLorme Atlas, Map 5, D-1) in Standish continues to produce into March. Otter Ponds #2 and #4 received healthy stockings of brook trout in a variety of sizes, and those water bodies provide great action all season long.

Another top lateseason spot is Crystal Lake (a/k/a Dry Pond) in Gray (Map 5, B-3).

Crystal receives a heavy dose of brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout.

This lake gets heavily fished, especially around the boat launch access area, but still produces.

To the north, the Range Pond Chain in Poland (Map 5, A-3) is

(Continued on next page)

Ice Fishing Your Ice Fishing Headquarters

• Kids only ice fishing Derby March 4th sponsored

by Kittery Trading Post and Sebago Rotary Club • Pop-up shack, ice auger, and traps for rent; call ahead

Jiffy Power Augers Complete line of Ice Fishing Equipment Ice Chisels • Bait Pails • Baskets Line • Jigs • Otter Sleds Portable Ice Fishing Shelters ALSO Guns • Scopes • Archery

• 2 miles of groomed x/c ski trail, 1.5 miles of groomed snowshoe/ walking trail and 4 miles of additional trails • Park and Ride snowmobile access to Southwestern Maine • Remember, the park is open to hunting; special rules apply

Entrance Gate Closed Tuesday and Wednesday Call park for more information at 207-998-4104 26 State Park Road • Poland, ME Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

also heavily stocked.

I fished Range Pond a number of times this winter and we always got into the stocked trout.

Decent browns were most common on Upper Range, and respectable holdover fish of epic proportion exist in this body of water.

Range Pond State Park is open during the winter, with plenty of access to the pond chain along with groomed snowmobile trails, snowshoe trails and even fat-bike mountain biking trails.

To the north, Brettun’s Pond – just over the Turner line into Livermore (Map 11, B-5) – is well stocked with brown trout and is also home to a super smallmouth bass fishery. Anglers should concentrate on the southeastern end of the lake near the boat launch on Route 4. A narrow channel runs through the middle of the lake at this end of the pond, with

Upper Main Street Ext. Winthrop, ME

ACE HARDWARE

207-377-2711 www.MaineSportsman.com

36 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sebago to Auburn (Continued from page 35)

depths reaching about 20 feet. Small shiners or smelt fished in the middle of this channel should entice the brown trout in no time.

For bass fans, I have had luck with smallmouth bass on the northwest corner of the lake. The shoreline area is shallow, but there is an abrupt drop-off where fish seem to gather in the winter.

Cochnewagon Lake in Monmouth (Map 12, D-2) is another often overlooked spot for decent wintertime brown trout angling. Repeated stockings provide instant angling for brook and brown trout. Two-pound holdover brown trout are common.

Cochnewagon Pond also provides a diverse array of other species for ice-anglers to pursue.

This small pond, located at the headwaters of the Cobbosseecontee drainage, has an

excellent bass, white perch and pickerel fishery, but brown trout seem to be the species of choice among most visiting anglers. Annual stockings of brown trout have changed the water from a strictly warm water fishery to a popular spot for trout anglers.

Access to Cochnewagon Pond can be easily found at the town beach. Turn onto Beach Road from Main Street (which is also Route 132) and follow it a short distance. A boat launch sign on the right will take you to a small parking lot adjacent to the town beach. There is ample parking for vehicles and snowmobile trailers.

For those seeking brook trout, Hall’s Pond in Paris (Map11, A-4) is a great bet. Hall’s Pond is perhaps the smallest of the small ponds around this region, comprising only 51 acres. Most of the

LUNDBOATS.COM

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

Annex: Route 302 • Windham, ME • 207-892-9664 Hours: Tue/Wed/Fri 8AM–5PM, Thu 8AM–6PM, Sat 8AM–3PM

www.richardsonsby.com www.MaineSportsman.com

stocked fish congregate around the northeast corner of the pond, in eight to ten feet of water.

The entire shoreline around Hall’s Pond is quite shallow, which brookies typically prefer, but the deeper spots in the middle of the lake may hold some of the lunker brook or brown trout that were recently stocked.

Family-Friendly Brook trout devotees – especially those with young families – will also find their quarry on Worthley Pond in Poland (Map 5, A-3), a small gem of a pond located just outside of Auburn.

Frequent stockings of brown trout and brook trout, along with a healthy pickerel population provide enough action to keep even the youngest anglers excited. It is common to see a pick-up game of ice hockey on Worthley Pond as many

Six year old Connor Farrington and his dad Adam show off Connor’s brown trout, caught on the Range Pond chain in Poland. Tom Roth photo

anglers choose to bring their skates along when they come to fish.

Access to Worthley Pond is not well posted, but if you were to travel toward Poland on Hotel Road in Auburn (Route 122), a dirt road on the left hand side of the road (Worthley Pond Road) approximately two miles from the intersection of Bald Hill Road and Route 122 leads to a small

parking lot.

Many angling families set up impromptu tailgate picnics in the parking lot, and the aroma of hamburgers frying atop a gas stove is not uncommon. Just don’t park in or block the sole resident who lives on the road – he supports anglers, and keeps the access cleared.

¶

Greater Penobscot Bay (Continued from page 34)

especially the waters northwest of the boat landing. Winter folks typically ice lake trout ranging from 3 to 5 pounds; however, enough record-book trophies have been caught from this pond to keep winter anglers coming back year after year.

Ice-fishing regulations at Beech Hill Pond include no bag limit togue under 23 inches. Daily limit on togue greater than 33 inches – 1 fish. All togue between 23 inches and 33 inches must be released alive at once. From January 1 to February 29, all landlocked salmon must be released alive at once; therefore, anglers should experience fast salmon fishing here in March.

According to fisheries biologist Burr, IF&W stocked 350 8-inch landlocks in the spring of 2016. Burr also mentioned that fall surveys revealed salmon at Branch Lake and Beech Hill Pond are “looking good,” and that in his opinion “these two locations [Branch, and Beech Hill] are among our best salmon waters.”

Beech Hill Pond has good winter access due to the numerous camp roads on the north side of the pond

that are maintained all year long.

Small Waters, Big Opportunities Two recent prospects that should offer excellent brook-trout fishing this winter are Rainbow Pond and Anderson Pond in T 10 SD. Because of their size, these two waters often remain ice-bound well into March.

Anderson, a 16-acre pond, was stocked with brook trout in 2014; Map 25, D-1. Hatchery personnel stocked 250 9-inch fall fingerling brookies last September. This remote pond requires some determination to access, but could provide anglers with some surprises. Biologists would appreciate angler reports from those who fish it this winter to help them evaluate the success of their stocking program.

Rainbow Pond, a 17-acre pond located a mile west of Tunk Lake, is lightly fished because of its location, yet yields some nice brookies; Map 24, D-5. Rainbow was stocked with 700 6- to 8-inch brookies last September.

This pond has a limit of five trout per day.

¶

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 37

Philosophizing About Life, Politics, Kids’ Cartoons and Archery Championships While waiting on stand for game, bowhunters have plenty of time to consider human frailty, the influence of wealth on Maine elections, Elmer Fudd and the upcoming state finals.

The older I get, the more I seem to philosophize about life, which in part is elicited by the passages of life itself. I recently lost a 51-year old friend who suddenly died of a heart attack while watching football. He had fallen asleep in his chair and never woke up.

His 12-year old daughter found him. In addition, my stepfather is finally home after a stint in the hospital. My mom and hospice are caring for him as he battles cancer.

But these recent events weren’t the onset of my thinking about “stuff.” I think as bowhunters we are natural-born philosophers already—because if not, we probably wouldn’t be bowhunting in the first place. Gun hunters hunt with friends; they stillhunt toward each other to push deer; they strategize during breakfast; and at sundown they come out of the woods and tell stories for hours about how they almost got one.

Bowhunters are different. We are solitary and we are loners. We are also thinkers. We escape to the woods, get on stand and wait. Of course we dream a monster will walk by, but after the hours and days wear on, we realize we’re in the woods simply to forget all the stresses that lie beyond the tree line in that place called society.

This past bow season I could have harvested some does and at least two small bucks, but chose not to. I drew back

on a button buck just below me, held for a minute then decided to let down. As I did, the deer looked up and saw me.

We stared at each other for three minutes before it walked off. I smiled as it did and felt good about it. I still have some meat in my freezer so I chose to observe these beautiful animals in their habitat.

It was a successful season.

No on Question 3 Last September I spent 25 hours in stand during a week bowhunting bear on the Canadian border north of Jackman. I didn’t see a single bear, so I had plenty of time to philosophize my life away. As the fight in Maine for gun control was in full force, I thought about the couple of times I’d met Michael Bloomberg in New York while he was mayor.

Through my work I’d spent quite a bit of time traveling to that concrete jungle. I had a few consulting jobs with his company, and thus with him.

I must say, he struck me as a nice guy. He had a soft smile, was respectful, and presented himself with a humility I imagine many billionaires don’t. By all accounts, New Yorkers felt he had done a good job as mayor, and he was pleasant to be with.

Fast forward to the wilderness north of Jackman. As I sat in my stand for hours with no bear, I enjoyed the thought, “At least I’m not in New

York.” I also reflected on how a single person – or an organization with money – can buy his or its way onto a state’s ballot in a state without ever having stepped foot here. Or more importantly, without understanding our way of life. After all, it was only because we defeated Washington, D.C.’s HSUS two years earlier that I was even sitting in this stand bowhunting bear in the first place! If that had been successful, the good folks of Jackman and elsewhere would have suffered.

Kids and Cartoons Another subject I’ve pondered on stand is today’s children. I often say (and hear) colloquial comments about how kids aren’t what they used to be. “Why?” is probably a question for adolescent psychologists and not for an average bowhunter from Maine like me, but I’ll take a shot.

I say it’s our cartoons.

That’s right. Not technology, not video games, not smartphones, not a slow progression toward institutional laziness, but rather, our cartoons.

I mean, what happened to the good stuff? The old stuff used to be about—or take place in—the outdoors, and would often be about hunting or based on animal caricatures.

Now they are about aliens or zombies or something I can’t even figure out. I turn on Pokémon, watch it for 5 minutes and I’m still trying to fig-

Scoring arrows after a Maine Archery Association friendly shoot this winter. Chris Johnson photo

ure out what—or who— Pokémon is and what the heck the story is about.

In the old days, I could watch Tom chase Jerry around the house for days and not get bored. I knew that mouse would outsmart Tom every time but I didn’t care.

And what about poor Elmer Fudd? He tried to kill the wabbit for decades but never got him. Instead, Bugs Bunny would somehow convince him it was duck season, so Daffy Duck took the heat every time. And the only coyote I’ve ever felt bad for was Wile E. Coyote. That poor coyote tried every trick in the book to catch Road Runner.

Cartoons used to be simple and fun, and they presented conflict, drama and pain in a manner that was indirect and impersonal, but humorous.

Cartoons today include violence which is perpetrated by the heroes themselves. In the old stuff, Tom never caught Jerry, Elmer never shot a wabbit and Wile E. Coyote never caught Road Runner.

Sounds like

hunting in Maine – but I digress.

State Archery Championships Lastly, as March winds down, folks should know the Maine Archery Association’s winter competitions culminate this month with the State Championships.

Folks can either participate or just show up and watch.

Maine is home to some of our country’s best target archers, and it’s quite impressive to watch some of our own state’s residents shoot stick and string.

The state finals take place at Howell’s in Gray on March 25th and 26th.

Call Tom at Howell’s for more info.

Also, the National Field Archery Association’s New England Indoor Sectionals are scheduled at Lakeside Archery in North Yarmouth on April 1st and 2nd. Steve at Lakeside can answer any questions folks may have about watching the event. Both Howell’s and Lakeside offer spectator areas for folks to watch.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

38 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Ice Fishing Self-Sufficiency – Trap Your Own Baitfish Licensed Maine fishermen are permitted to trap their own baitfish – but only certain species. Here’s how to cut the hole and bait the trap, and where to find ponds full of baitfish.

In years when the ice is safe, March is the perfect month to introduce a child to the sport of ice fishing. Increasingly longer hours of sunlight create days where the mercury creeps high and anglers are able to tend ice traps in t-shirts.

These are the best days to ice fish, and every year I relish being able to enjoy days like these with family and friends.

While I used to enjoy ice fishing “the Grands” in pursuit of big togue and salmon, my favorite ice fishing trips now are those made with my young children and their friends to local “pickerel ponds.” These bodies of

water may not hold trophy sized fish, but the fast action is practically guaranteed to keeps the kids busy chasing flags, re-baiting traps and catching lots of fish.

One thing I learned quickly when ice fishing with kids on pickerel ponds, is that they go through A LOT of bait in a very short amount of time. Not only are pickerel ravenous eaters but kids also tend to kill and lose a fair number of baitfish while attempting to learn how to properly place bait correctly on a hook. On a typical outing, it’s common for me to bring 8-10 dozen baitfish just to make it past

Guided Trips: Recreation, Fishing, Exploring, Swimming, Snorkeling Full Canvas Lund, Grand Laker Canoe, ATV

lunchtime. Considering baitfish are now being sold for $4.50 per dozen, a half day of ice fishing can get expensive! To solve this problem, as well as introduce kids to another fun angling endeavor, this winter we started trapping our own bait.

Licensed Fishermen Can Trap Baitfish Maine state regulations allow any person who holds a valid fishing license to take live bait for their own use with hook and line or bait trap. Baitfish traps must be marked with the name and address of the person who is taking or holding the baitfish, and must be checked at least once every 7 calendar days by the person who set them.

It is also important to note that not all baitsized fish are legal to possess. The only ones allowed are smelt, Lake chub, Eastern silvery

Steve Vose tends his bait traps using an old spud handcrafted by his grandfather.

minnow, Golden shiner, Emerald shiner, Bridle shiner, Common shiner, Blacknose shiner, Spottail shiner, Northern redbelly dace, Finescale dace, Fathead minnow, Blacknose dace, Longnose dace, Creek chub, Fallfish, Pearl dace, Banded killifish, Mummichog, Longnose sucker, White sucker, Creek chubsucker, and American eel.

To ensure anglers harvest only legal bait-

Mike Remillard • 207-796-2553 • www.exploregls.com

Cowger’s Lakefront Cabins on East Grand Lake OPEN YEAR ROUND

“The Hybrid”

Housekeeping Cabins — ICE FISHING — Ice Shacks Available by Request — WINTER RECREATION — Ice Fishing, Snowmobiling, Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing ...or Just Plain Relaxing!

20 7-4 4 8-24 5 5 • 1- 8 0 0- 5 6 2- 3 8 2 8 P.O. BOX 97, DANFORTH, ME 04424 • COWGERSCABINS.COM

www.MaineSportsman.com

“The Hybrid” a cross between “TheaFisher” and “The Angler”. A UHMW upright that is UV resistant and will not freeze or break.

View complete list of products at

WWW.MAXTRAPS.COM BRIAN MAXHAM • East Dixfield, ME • 207-645-4423

fish, IFW maintains a website (www.maine.gov/ ifw/fishing/species/identification/baitfish.htm) listing most of the above species along with full color pictures.

Chop an Oversized Hole To trap bait in the winter, it helps to have an auger, an ice scoop and a chisel. The auger quickly drills the large hole needed to accept the bait trap; the ice scoop cleans slush from the hole; and the chisel chips out ice on future visits, when the hole is frozen over.

The best place to locate baitfish is on weed edgings in close proximity to the shoreline where small fish tend to feed and hide from larger fish.

Start by drilling a single hole and using sounder to check the depth. I prefer bait fishing in 4 feet of water or less.

If the depth seems right, drill three more

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 39

holes (for a total of four) that are all touching each other, then use the chisel to connect the four holes, thus creating the one large hole needed to accept the bait trap.

Lastly, use the ice scoop to clean out the slush and large ice chunks so the bait trap can be easily lowered through the hole.

Always start out with a larger hole than seems necessary, as it helps immensely later. Maine’s extremely cold weather can cause the edging of the hole to close in quickly with ice, becoming rapidly smaller with every visit.

How to Bait Your Trap I bait my Gee’s minnow traps with a cup of dog food and a slice of bread. The two choices seem to encourage more and a wider selection of baitfish to enter the trap than if they had just one food option. Other anglers swear by Cheetos, spearmint gum, hotdogs, corn, dry cat food and even Styrofoam! Half of the fun with bait trapping is working to find that perfect combination that will lead to big hauls.

Order Now & Save $3 Per Ticket!*

The 37th Annual

State of Maine

Show

ADVANCE TICKETS $5!* With baitfish selling for $4.50 a dozen, bait trap are good investments for those who are passionate about ice fishing. This Frabill bait trap is available at Dick’s Sporting Goods and West Marine.

Once baited, the traps are lowered down the ice hole on a rope until the trap rests about a foot off the bottom. The other end of the rope is then tied to a long straight branch suspended above the hole using two forked sticks.

The sticks help keep the rope and the branch from freezing into the ice directly above the hole.

I then mark the hole opening with evergreen branches, warning people of the large opening in the ice and also ensuring that in even after the deepest snow fall it can still be easily found.

For those looking to

try catching their own baitfish, Simpson Pond (DeLorme Atlas Map 26, D-3), located in Roque Bluffs State Park, offers easy access and a multitude of Golden Shiners. Other good choices include Montegail Pond (Map 25, B-4) located in Columbia Falls, which contains a wide variety of dace and minnows; East and West Pike Brook Pond (Map 25, C-3) and Pineo Pond (Map 25, C-2), all located in Cherryfield and containing healthy populations of Golden shiners.

¶

March 31–April 2, 2017 Over 100 exhibitors in the main auditorium, Kid Zone with trout fishing pond, New Outdoor Opportunities for Veterans exhibit, Taxidermy, Outdoor Art & Photography Order online at: show.mainesportsman.com Or Mail To: 183 State St. Ste 101, Augusta, ME. 04330

I want ____ tickets at $5 Each.* Full Name: _______________________________________ Address: _________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________ State: _________________ Zip: _____________________ email: ___________________________________________ Phone: __________________________________________ Visa/MC/Disc#: ___________________________________ Exp: ___________ 3 Digit CVV (On Back) _____________

TICKETS WILL BE MAILED IN MARCH *PREORDER TICKETS BEFORE MARCH 20TH 2017 TO GET $3.OO OFF PER TICKET!

Grand Lake Stream Area Maine’s Outdoor Sporting Paradise

Chamber of Commerce • www.grandlakestream.org

Bellmard Inn and Cabins

Shoreline Camps Camps, Cottages and Boat Rentals on the Shores of Big Lake

Hazelwoods Cottage Rentals

Family Vacations and Large Groups Easy Access to Big Lake, West Grand Lake and Grand Lake Stream

Full-Service Sporting Lodge Premier Destination for Landlocked Salmon & Smallmouth Bass 207-796-2929 Grand Lake Stream, ME. leenslodge.com

Kitchen Cove Point West Grand Lake

Old Time Hospitality Reasonable Rates Home Cooked Meals 86 Main Street • Princeton, ME 207-796-2261 www.bellmardinn.com

207-796-5539 www.shorelinecamps.com

207-796-5364 2 Hazelwood Lane Grand Lake Stream, ME 04668 nan45@midmaine.com hazelwoodsofmaine.com www.MaineSportsman.com

40 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ����������������������������������������������������

Top 10 Reasons to Go to the Show Friday March 31st 1pm-7pm

TICKETS: Adults $8 Kids Ages 5-12, Active Military & Seniors $6 Advance Tickets $5

Order Advance Tickets Online by March 15th at Show.MaineSportsman.com

Saturday April 1st 9am - 7pm

Augusta Civic Center

3

Sunday April 2nd 9am-4pm

4

Meet Maine Sportsman Writers All Weekend!

Luke Giampetruzzi, Young Maine Sportsman Columnist, Conducting Demos and Seminars in TMS Booth

Full Auditorium • Over 100 Vendors Raffles Galore • Seminars All Day Every Day!

7

8

NAVHDA Hunting Dog Show www.MaineSportsman.com

Veterans Outdoor Networking Room

1

���������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 41 (Continued from page 41)

2

LLBean-Major Show Sponsor See the LLBean Bootmobile Donated Kayak Package-Use Ticket Stub to Enter to Win

5

Whitetails of North America Taxidermy Display

6

Art, Photo, Carving, and Maine Duck Stamp Contests Judging Friday Friday

9

Kid Zone-Inside Trout Fishing Pond, Bow Shooting, Face Painting & Clown

10

Expert Hunters Big Woods Bucks, Maine Hunters TV Jos Saltalamachia & Lee Schanz

Honoring Maine’s Youth in the Outdoors www.MaineSportsman.com

42 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Where to Catch Huge Trout During the Ides of March Southern Maine lakes and ponds produced the state-record brown trout and brook trout. Reportedly, there are even bigger ones where those came from!

In 1996, Robert Hodson of Sanford caught a 23-pound, 5-ounce brown trout while ice fishing on Square Pond in Acton. The trout gained national attention and was featured in newspapers across the country.

In a subsequent interview, Robert recalled that ice fishing had been slow on Square Pond that winter, and most of the anglers had moved to other waters. Regardless, he didn’t give up on this terrific brown trout water, and his persistence and patience paid off.

He revealed he was fishing baitfish at a depth of 35 feet when the brown inhaled his bait. Then the fight was on!

The trout was so large it had to be pulled up through the hole by hand.

His reward was a new state record brown trout. He also said that he had hooked even larger browns that got away – they were too large to

fit through the hole in the ice.

Today, Square still holds large trout, and it’s the “go-to” water for large browns in March.

Bigger than a “pond,” Square Pond is actually a 910-acre lake with a maximum depth of 44 feet.

It’s located in Shapleigh and Acton. Robert caught his record brown on the Acton side of the lake.

There’s a large parking area on West Shore Drive in Acton that provides access. To locate the lake check DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 2.

Record Brook Trout During the winter of 2010, Patrick Coan from Waterboro caught a 9-pound, 2-ounce brook trout that became the new state record. He was ice fishing on Mousam Lake in Acton and Shapleigh. Patrick caught the fish on the Shapleigh side of the lake within view of the Route 109 Bridge.

Mousam Lake – 900 acres, with a maximum

Fred Boudreau of Berwick caught this chain pickerel while fishing on Horn Pond in Acton. The fish inhaled a shiner in 12 feet of water. Marquez photo www.MaineSportsman.com

depth of 88 feet – can be located by studying Map 2 of the Atlas. Square and Mousam Lakes are joined

by Goose Pond.

Goose Pond is on the Pond Road in Shapleigh.

This pond also offers good trout fishing; however it has no parking whatsoever during winter months.

Mousam Lake, on the other hand, has ample parking at a launch site on Route 109, or at small parking area at the intersection of Route 109 and 11 on the south side of the lake.

Open water fishing is a good option on Mousam.

Anglers can fish from the Route 109 Bridge – the water there is always open during winter months.

Parking for this area is adjacent to the Route 109 and Route 11 intersection; anglers should walk to the bridge from this parking area and not park at Acton Trading Post, a store located on Route 109. (By the way, the store has good pizza and sub sandwiches, and their coffee is always hot!)

Sea-Run Browns Tom Joyce of West Newfield fishes for searun browns near the Route 9 Bridge that crosses the Mousam River in Kennebunk. He has caught browns there during winter months.

Hardcore anglers can fish on warm afternoons and take fish. Start fishing under the bridge that crosses the river; see Map

March brings warm days on the ice -- great times for family outings. Here, the author’s granddaughter Madison helps to set tips-ups on Mousam Lake. Marquez photo

3 on the Atlas.

There’s parking at a launch site at the bridge and limited parking along the road. Bridge fishing is an option – the river remains open winter long.

Generally, upstream portions of the river are choked with ice during mid-winter months, but it is an option when conditions are right. Also consider tides when fishing – low tides make it the sport very challenging. The river can have ice along its edges, but it will not be totally iced in on the lower section.

Abundant, active feeders, sea-run browns can be caught in other river systems, including the Ogunquit River. Inland Fishers and Wildlife (IF&W) biologists advises that flies and lures that imitate shrimp or small minnows will work best on these waters.

Rainbow Trout Southern Maine also

has rainbow trout fishing.

Rainbow lakes include Crystal Lake in Gray (Map 5), Kennebunk Pond in Lyman (Map 2), Little Ossipee Lake in Waterboro (Map 2), and Stanley Pond, located in Hiram (Map 4). Stanley and Little Ossipee rainbows were introduced into these waters in 2009, according to IF&W biologists.

Experienced anglers recommend jigging with small lures and tip-ups with worms or crawlers – these are more effective than traditional use of baitfish. ’Bows are much easier to catch than browns and offers better catch rates.

Shed Antlers Shed antlers hunting is a great pastime for those willing to brave mid-winter weather.

Folks can locate cast antlers around apple orchards in Acton and Wa(Continued on page 44)

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 43

Snowmobile Trails Plus Hare Habitat Equals Rabbit Stew for Dinner Before the sound of my beagles echoed through the dense forest, the extreme silence made the setting so still and tranquil that a deep peace settled my mind and soothed my soul.

As the musical barking of the dogs neared my position amongst the snow-covered evergreens, my eyes searched the white surroundings for a speedy hare with the same white color – a difficult task, but not impossible.

The hopping hare jumped out from behind a clump of snow and sat there right in front of me, with his long ears raised up to the sky. The furry

Bagging a snowshoe hare with a .22 rifle presents a greater challenge than with a shotgun, but sharpens the shooting eye for bigger game. Cooking up a sumptuous rabbit stew makes the effort all worthwhile. critter took off like a rocket as soon as I pulled the trigger on my Marlin 39, .22 caliber rifle and left me standing there feeling like a rookie hunter.

I worked the lever-action rifle, racked another round into the chamber of the handy little rifle, and reset the safety. I like using a .22 long rifle instead of a shotgun, and realized that I would miss more hare than I would with the shotgun, but accepted

Revive your senses...

this difficulty as a practical challenge – hunting hare with a rimfire rifle helps increase my big game shooting skills and keeps me entertained with all of the tricky shooting situations.

This particular hare, pursued aggressively by my beagles, made a big loop and circled back around to where I patiently waited, making the fatal mistake of offering me a second shot.

Rangeley Lakes Region

As I dressed the hare I couldn’t help but think of what a nice meal this hare would make.

Rabbit Stew Nothing warms the heart during a long, cold winter like a bowl of rabbit stew. Served steaming hot, with homemade biscuits, the dish seems to permeate with warmth the very soul of anyone blessed with this hearty meal.

I cut the hare into

three pieces for easier frying, by taking each leg off at the hip. Then I coat the pieces in a thin layer of flour, salt and pepper, and lightly brown them in one big pot with hot olive oil and butter.

When the hare pieces get browned, I pour enough water in the pot to cover the meat by about and inch or two. Then I chop up carrots and potatoes and add to the pot.

When the pot comes to a boil, I turn the stew down to simmer.

Next I take sliced parsnips and fry them in a separate pan. Then I do the same with a big (Continued on next page)

MCOUNTAIN VIEW &G S OTTAGES

UIDE

ERVICE

Ra angelley Lak akee • Oq Oquosssoc o , ME

• Privat ate Waterf rfro ront nt Cotttag gess witth Docks & Mo Do Moorings • Booat a Renta tals & Gui uide de Serrvice Avai ailablee • WiFii & Direc ectt TV

2 7-864-3416 20 info o@m @ ount ntai ainv nvie iewc wcot ottages. s.ccom

www.mountainviewcottages.com

North Camps The private world of

- on Rangeley Lake -

Fly Fishing or Trolling for Salmon & Trout Fall Hunting for Birds Guide Service Available Twelve Modern Housekeeping Cottages with Woodstove & Screened Porch Boats & Canoes to Rent

E.B. Gibson Off Mingo Loop Road Oquossoc, ME • 207-864-2247

www.northcamps.com www.MaineSportsman.com

44 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Target practice before the season makes a better coyote hunter. Clunie photo

Rangeley Region (Continued from page 43)

onion. After frying these two ingredients, I add them to the pot with a few bay leaves and let the mixture simmer all day long.

Like I said, the stew really warms up the soul, taming even the most bone-chilling weather.

The biscuits go good with the stew, and if you started simmering this stew in the morning it will be ready to go at dinner time… “Bon appétit.”

Hare Trails The extensive snowmobile trail system north of Rangeley Lake, between the towns of Oquossoc and Rangeley (DeLorme Atlas, Map 28, E-3 and E-5), runs directly through some of the best hare-hunting territory in the area.

While riding the trails earlier this year, I noticed the abundance of hare tracks every time the trail swooped down in el-

www.MaineSportsman.com

evation, winding through huge frozen swampy areas. The big frozen swamps usually have thick evergreen growth surrounding them, offering the wintering hare a source of food and protection from the wind.

In several places that I stopped to check the hare sign, I noticed where the hare had chewed the bark right off the low-hanging evergreen boughs. Like wintering deer, the hare enjoy a diet of browse during the colder months, especially cedar boughs that can be reached.

As the snow depths get higher, observant hunters notice that the cedar trees get “trimmed” at a higher level. When spring comes, the browsing by deer and hare can be noticed well above ground level, indicating sometimes the extreme snow depth of the past

Remington’s highly-accurate R-15 in .223 caliber for effectively thinning the coyote population. Clunie photo

winter.

Eating a hare that has been on a diet of cedar for any length of time can be made tastier by first soaking the meat in vinegar overnight. The acidic vinegar eliminates the rank flavor of cedar and lets the excellent flavor of the wild game animal come through for a more scrumptious meal.

Cross Country Coyote In late January, a thaw warmed and compressed the snow received earlier in the winter.

When wet snow subsequently freezes, the crust will support the weight of the heaviest coyote and force whitetails to stick to the trails near their yarding areas – easy prey for the hungry predator.

Several hunters I

Both Marlin rifles, a 1895 CB deer rifle (top) and a Model 39 rabbit rifle (bottom), wear ghost ring sights from XS Sights (xssights.com). Clunie photo

know are setting up bait sites along snowmobile trails in this region. Some also plan to hunt trails on foot or by ski, attempting to call predators within shooting range. A hunter who knows how to use a mouth call or electronic call can perform superb coyote control around these winter yarding sites.

Rangeley Lakes Trails Center (RLTC), located at the base of Saddleback Mountain (Map 29, E-1) can help new hunting skiers learn to glide along the trails. The RLTC maintains 35 kilometers of smoothly-groomed Nordic trails, with skiing instruction packages for both beginners and experts. Contact RLTC at their website (Rangeley-

Southern Maine (Continued from page 42)

terboro. Another region with orchards is in Parsonsfield. Woods adjacent to these orchards are a good bet.

Shed hunters should check south-facing ridges that offer sunlight most of the day. This orientation toward the sun has several advantages, including the fact that snow melts faster here, providing exposed ground on which it’s easier to locate antlers.

A great place for these conditions is the Vern Walker Wildlife Management Area in Shapleigh (Map 2, B-2).

As you travel north on Route 11, it’s easy to see the ridges on the right.

There are ancient town ways that crisscross the area. Access and parking are at the gate on Route 11.

This area is a popular snowmobile spot and there are many trails leading into the interior of the forest. Snow-

LakesTrailsCenter.com) for information on trail conditions and skiing packages.

Once hunters become confident on cross-country skis, they can go to the Rangeley Lake Snowmobile Club (RLSC) website at RangeleySnowmobile.com to find maps of the many miles of trails throughout this region.

One word of caution for skiing on these designated snowmobile trails – listen for approaching snowmobiles, and move off the trail to let them pass. Set up calling sites well off the groomed trails, and stick to hunting well into the woods rather than right on or near the snowmobile trails.

¶

packed trails offer snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Deer also use the trails, and these areas are good spots to search for antlers, as well.

Bass and Pickerel Rock Haven Lake (also known as Adams Pond) in West Newfield is a 210-acre lake with a maximum depth of 22 feet. It offers good habitat for warm water fish. It can be located by checking Map 2.

A few parking spots are found along Route 11, which runs along the south shore of the pond, or on Maplewood Road along the northwestern shore. Parking is very limited in both areas.

Sportsmen have plenty to do this month. Those with cabin fever certainly have a cure available – get outdoors and take part in southern Maine’s winter actives!

¶

—

w T t h t c y t

p fi l

c fi l f

fi t n p T h i j w

n

c t w f t t

f

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 45

The Young Maine Sportsman with Luke Giampetruzzi

183 State Street, Suite 101 Augusta, ME 04330 Twitter: @LuckyLukesFlies LuckLukesFlies@juno.com

Night Time Cusk Fishing Home Away from Home The first time I really got a good look at a cusk (also known as a burbot) was on Moosehead Lake.

Then I found out they taste good! I would never have thought something that looked like, well, a cusk, would be edible! If you think about it, bottom feeding fish always seem to taste best. Like say catfish, which a lot of people seem to love; crayfish, which is very popular in the south; lobster; eel; and halibut. Now cusk – the white flakey filet on a cusk is definitely up there on my list of favorite fish.

I have never tried fishing for them during the open water season, nor do I know many people who have tried to.

The only time I have ever heard of someone catching one in open water is jigging off a boat in deep water.

Cusk Fishing Up North I was ice fishing up north with some guys and they were setting cusk lines. What one guy told me was the cusk would come into 30 to 40 feet of water in the winter, but then retreat into the deeper water in the spring, summer and early fall.

They had set ups that

were just a piece of wood around 10 inches longer than the hole with string wrapped around the center and a one ounce sinker and a hook. The rig included two angled wooden pegs sticking out to push into the snow.

The other fishermen baited their hooks with chunks of white sucker and put them on bottom.

I did the same thing, only I had tip ups.

Every hour by state law you have to check your cusk lines. The other guys were catching them left and right, but I was not getting any flags.

It was about 11 p.m. and I decided to call it a night and pull the traps.

I went to the trap that was farthest out – and in the deepest water – I felt something heavy on the line. It didn’t take me long to figure out I had a fish on. (Later, I found out cusk almost never trip flags.)

Coldest Hands – Ever I pulled the cusk up out of the hole and I was so excited! I had one!

Then, looking around, I realized I was a half-mile from shore, it was pitch black, and everything was freezing up on me.

I don’t think my hands have ever been so cold. I had taken my glove off to

reach down and grab the fish to get him on the ice quickly.

I wrapped up the line on the spool. Then I grabbed the trap and the fish by the lip, but it kept slipping out of my fingers, so I dragged the fish across the ice to shore. As I reached the shore, the line snapped.

I got the fish inside and put the trap by the heater to thaw out. I was tired, it was about midnight, but I still wanted to catch another one!

The farthest hole out seemed to be the only one that the cusk wanted to bite, so I wanted to reset the trap, but the line was broken. So I ran out to the ice shack, grabbed some more tippet material for the trap and threw that on with a hook. I ran all the way out to the hole. The hole was already starting to freeze, and I had also forgotten my sinker!

I lowered the bait (it was very, very slow because I’d forgotten my sinker), then stuck the trap in the hole.

An hour later, I ran back out to check my traps. I was too tired to go out again, so I pulled my traps. Sure enough, the farthest trap out was the one with something on it!

The fresh water cusk (or burbot) is an unusual-looking fish. Source: Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources

The author quickly hauls a cusk out onto the ice.

Again the flag was never tripped.

When I pulled it up, I realized it was bigger than the one before, 25 inches; about three pounds.

I reeled up all my traps, got back to camp, and was so tired I fell asleep just as soon as my head hit the pillow.

¶

Chloe Chute, age 10, shot this 235-pound, 8-point buck in Southern Maine on November 8. She writes: On Monday November 8, I went out hunting with my dad. We drove to my brother’s house and got on the fourwheelers then rode out to the tree stand, which is about a ten minute drive. I was really excited because my dad shot a four pointer from that stand a week before.

When we got to the stand I sat on the left side and my dad sat on the right side. About 30 minutes in, we heard a deer from behind us. Once it came into view we realized it was a doe, but about 15 seconds later a buck came in right behind it. It was really close to us.

I used my Muddy Girl 20-gauge shotgun. I had to stand up to shoot, but when I got up the buck heard me and it paused for a good 2-3 minutes.

My dad clicked off the safety, and as soon as it took a step, I pulled the trigger and … BANG!!!

The deer traveled only 100 years before dropping, and Chloe and her dad needed help from his brother Nick, Nick’s grandfather and a 4-wheeler to get the huge deer to their truck.

Congratulations, Chloe! www.MaineSportsman.com

46 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Young Maine Sportsman with Alyssa Sansoucy

183 State Street, Suite 101 Augusta, ME 04330

Smelt Fishing Home Away from Home Smelting is fun activity you can do in the winter. I go to Jim’s Smelt Camps up in Bowdoinham.

My first time going was last year, and I only caught about a dozen. But I have already been once this year, and my dad and I both caught our limit of a half-gallon each.

When you get there, you will see a lot of shacks close together along the shore. You are assigned a shack, and that’s where you fish for the allotted time. They also give you some sand worms for bait.

When you get into your shack, you will see rectangular holes in the ice along either side, and you have room in the middle to sit while you

fish. Above the holes, there is a piece of wood supported by bungee cords so when you’re fishing, you can bounce all the lines up and down at the same time. There are about 10-12 lines on each side attached to the wood. There are weights and hooks on each line.

Some people bring all of their own equipment, but for people new to the sport, using the gear provided will still get good results.

The number of smelt you get depends on the time and tide, and the location of your shack.

Smelt are really good to eat, but they are quite small. It’s exciting to see how many you catch considering you can catch

up to a gallon a day!

Usually they swim in schools, so you may catch many around the same time. Sometimes all of the smelt bite on one side of the shack and not the other for a little while, and then the same thing happens on the other side.

The depth that your bait is at really matters, because the fish are not always at the same depth as your hook.

If you have never tried smelt fishing, I encourage you to. It is a very fun and exciting activity, especially for kids. There is a lot of action and you don’t get cold, because the shacks are heated.

¶

Alyssa shows off part of her one-gallon limit of smelt.

It takes a mess of smelt to make a meal but once cooked up in a fry pan, it’s easy to see these bite-sized fish are well worth the effort!

8-Year-Old’s 2016 Grand Slam

by Brycen Waugh My Turkey: April 30, 2016 My Mom and Papa and me went turkey hunting early in the morning. We drove out to where we were hunting and set up a decoy.

Then we went into a deer blind to sit and wait.

Then my papa got his turkey call and we sat there and called in a big Tom. I shot at it and missed and then we called in another small Jake and then I shot it. It dropped right there by our decoy. I carried it to the jeep and it was heavy. We brought it to the fire station and tagged it.

My Bear: September 3, 2016 My Dad and my Mom and me went to the tree stand. Then my Dad stood up fixing his belt and said, “Don’t move. There is a bear right there,” to me and my mom. He slowly sat down, then reached behind him and gave me the gun. Then the bear took a big piece of bait and took off. I was not scared because bears are scared of you except if there are cubs and a sow that thought you were trying to hurt her cubs. Then the bear came back for more www.MaineSportsman.com

bait and then I shot the bear and it fell right there. Then my Dad dragged it out and put it in the six wheeler. Then we brought it to Pines Market to tag it and weigh it.

My Moose: October 26, 2016 My Dad and Pepere and Great-Grampy and me drove 5 hours to a cabin in the woods.

Then the next morning we went hunting for ten hours and we saw a cow with her calf I didn’t shoot this cow because she had a calf with her. Then we kept going and we saw a bull across the river but I had an antlerless permit so I couldn’t shoot this one either and then we kept going and didn’t see anything else that day. The next morning we went back out and never saw any moose. The next day we went back out hunting and saw another bull and cow across the river so we drove really fast to get to the other side. When we got out of the truck the moose must have winded us because they took off running. Later that day we saw another cow and we got out but it took off and we couldn’t find it. The next

day was the day I shot my moose. Early in the morning we saw a small cow up on a hill on a skidder trail so we all got out and walked into the woods and I shot it. It took off running up the mountain so we followed the blood trail and it was bedded down and I shot it again. It took us 5 hours to drag it out of the woods to the truck. Then we packed up and went home to show my Mom and Great-Grammy and my Memere the next day.

My Deer: November 11, 2016 My Pepere and my Dad and me went hunting down at my Pepere’s friend’s house in Readfield and he let us use his tree stand. Me and my Dad sat there for three hours. Then a doe came in then I shot at it but I missed and that one took off running. I tried to shoot it again but the gun jammed. Then another doe came in then I had to shoot it with my Dad’s 30-06 and it dropped right there. Then we brought it to the fire station and tagged it and weighed it. It weighed 110 lbs.

¶

—

e a o

l t o e y

t n e n d t r y n t

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 47

— Special Feature —

A Maine Guide’s Perspective on Feeding Winter Deer, and the Ineffectiveness of Voluntary Deeryard Protection

by Ron Joseph

The task of protecting deer habitat is fraught with difficulties and consequences. Some say it’s just not working.

Two days before Christmas, 2016, Greg Drummond, a registered Maine guide, received a surprise present under a tree: a large buck dubbed “Big George” dropped his antlers fifty feet from Drummond’s front door.

The handsome buck has been a regular visitor to the hunting guide’s deer feeding station each of the previous four winters.

“Big George had antlers at daybreak that morning,” Drummond recalled, “and when I checked 30 minutes later, he was antlerless. Since he hadn’t wandered far from the apple tree, I knew the antlers had to be in my yard.”

Feeding deer is a popular winter activity in western Maine communities, where most of the deeryards have been decimated by excessive logging. Drummond feeds deer in mid-December, but the animals retreat to fragmented softwood cover for most of the win-

ter before reappearing in March.

Deer Need Closed-Canopy Evergreen Cover “When I moved to Highland Plantation in the mid-1970s,” said Drummond, “there was a 6-mile stretch of unbroken mature softwood cover from my house to Gilman Pond. That’s where many deer wintered.

That large softwood stand has been heavily cut, and only portions of it remain. Lots of residents here feed deer.”

People are motivated to feed deer for a variety of reasons. Some feel that observing deer from a kitchen window adds greatly to the quality of life. Drummond simply enjoys seeing winter deer and giving them a little energy boost when quality nutrition is lacking.

“Closed evergreen canopy cover is the best deer wintering habitat,” Drummond explained,

“because snow levels are kept to a minimum beneath the trees. Deer accumulate fat reserves in the summer to survive the winter. We need those dense mature softwood stands to allow deer to avoid burning precious fat wading through deep snow. Lots of deer in large deeryards translates to a network of deer trails, which makes it harder for coyotes to pick them off. But our large deeryards are gone, replaced by smaller, fragmented ones. That, in turn, allows coyotes to wreak havoc.”

IF&W Recommends Against Feeding Deer A Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) website advises landowners against feeding deer in winter, stating: “The citizens of Maine can best help Maine’s winter deer herds by taking an active role in managing their lands to improve deer

Lemon Stream Gamelands BU UFF FFA ALLO HU HUNTTS! CALLLL FO CA FO OR R DETA ETTA TAILLS

Trophy Hunting Red Deer • Fallow Deer • North American Elk Anson, ME 207-696-3006 www.lemonstreamgamelands.com

NOW W OFFERING WILD BOAR / PIG HUNTS! U S SEASON STARTS SEPT 1ST ENDS MARCH 1ST, 2017

This handsome buck has visited Greg Drummond’s feeding station for the last 4 or 5 winters. Ron Joseph photo

habitat naturally. Feeding deer in late fall may disrupt deer migration to natural wintering areas.”

“In early winter, deer normally migrate to preferred wintering habitat, in some cases more than 20 miles from summer range,” according to the IF&W site. “Deer that are ‘short-stopped’ by supplemental feeding operations are often more vulnerable to malnutrition, because they do not have access to the right type and amount of foods found in traditional wintering habitat. Also, without the protection of wintering habitat, deer are particularly vulnerable to severe winter weather and predation.”

“The key,” according to IF&W, “is to main-

tain sufficient amounts of high-quality wintering habitat. Rather than expending limited Department resources on quick fixes such as emergency feeding programs, biologists will achieve better long-term benefits by ensuring that deer have access to high-quality wintering habitat. This, in the long run, will minimize the effects of severe winters, reduce deer losses during normal winters, and provide for a more sustainable population of deer.”

Voluntary Deeryard Protections Worthless?

Greg Drummond agrees with IF&W about the importance of maintaining winter softwood (Continued on next page)

FUNDY OUTFITTERS

Trophy Bear Hunting in New Brunswick, Canada Guided Spring and Fall Bear Hunting Trophy Whitetail Deer • Moose • Grouse •ATVing

Come join us and enjoy the Outdoor Experience of a Lifetime!

Malcolm “Mac” Rossiter New Bruswick, Canada 506-887-2113 • www.fundyoutfitters.com www.MaineSportsman.com

48 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Deer Yards (Continued from page 47)

cover, but he questions the state’s commitment to protecting deeryards.

“Maine has dropped the ball on deeryard protection,” said Drummond.

“The timber industry lobbied against protecting deer wintering areas, and state government sided with them. As a compromise, IF&W and forest landowners developed a voluntary landowner cooperative agreement program.”

“The voluntary program looks good on paper and made everyone feel like they’d accomplished something,” he said, “but in reality the so-called deeryard protection agreements actually protect nothing.”

Large forest landowners who signed voluntary deeryard cooperative agreements have since sold many of those forestlands, and new owners have basically said, “We didn’t sign it; we’re not legally bound to the document; and therefore we’re not honoring the agreement – the most valuable timber is in the deeryard.” Several vocal IF&W biologists foresaw

this problem and argued against voluntary agreements, but they were silenced. The voluntary deeryard protection program is a product of the decade-old anti-regulatory environment in Augusta.

Other Factors – Coyotes, Snow When Drummond and his wife Pat moved to Highland Plantation in the mid-1970s and opened Claybrook Mountain Lodge, deer populations were recovering from losses in heavy snow years from 1968 to 1972.

The herd didn’t bounce back until 1980.

Deer densities per square mile remained relatively positive throughout most of the 1980s and into the 1990s, according to Drummond.

“We had good hunting back then, but in winters with significant snow you could see a real impact of fewer deer the next fall. The most dramatic deer decline was 2009 – a winter that had heavy snow and crust that could support coyotes but not deer.”

Greg Drummond holds dropped antlers from the large buck. Ron Joseph photo

Winter has long been the bottleneck of deer survival in western and northern Maine. And without adequate winter softwood cover, deer mortality skyrockets in prolonged winters with deep snow.

Following one difficult winter, Drummond said that “in a 3-mile stretch of trail along Alder Stream, I found nine carcasses of deer that simply lay down and died from exhaustion and malnutrition.”

IF&W Between Rock and Hard Place?

Drummond believes IF&W is caught between a rock and a hard place on the issue of deeryard protection. On one hand, the agency is responsible for managing deer, a publicly owned resource. On the other hand, the vast majority of the remaining deeryards are privately owned, and managing each one pits private property rights against

www.MaineSportsman.com

safeguarding a public resource.

Since sporting lodge owners depend on deer hunters for income, they’re caught in the middle of the deeryard battle.

A buck board on Drummond’s lodge underscores the issue: upwards of a dozen deer were shot annually in some years during the 1980s and ’90s. Since then, following heavy snow years, zero or one deer were recorded on the buck board.

It’s a reminder that protecting and managing winter habitat for deer, deer hunters, mom and pop businesses, and the forest products industry is fraught with difficulties and consequences.

Unstated Goal – Manage for Moose?

Several current and retired IF&W biologists advocate managing northern Maine for moose, not deer, for two principal reasons. First, they believe backing

away from deer management will ease a highly contentious atmosphere with foresters and landowners. Secondly, fewer deer, advocates contend, would mean a reduction of brain worm, a disease which deer transmit to moose, where it’s almost always lethal.

This unstated goal – if true – would represent a stark priority departure in IF&W. In the 1970s and ’80s, when deer yard documentation and management was all-consuming, those of us working as state biologists in Greenville and Ashland jokingly referred to our employer as the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Deeryards.

Ron Joseph is a retired wildlife biologist.

He worked for both the state and federal governments.

¶

—

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 49

Our Readers Take Deer Hunting Seriously!

My writing career started nearly 10 years ago. In that time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had over 150 articles pertaining to big game hunting published. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve written articles about people, cooking, the loss of my dog, good friends and more.

Most of my writing is focused on deer and deer hunting. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obviously my passion. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the passion that prompted former Maine Sportsman editor Harry Vanderweide to offer me an opportunity to share my deer hunting experiences on these pages each month.

Over the last nine years my articles have generated significant conversation among readers.

However none generated the feedback via email, social media or in person equal to that of my January 2017 article (see â&#x20AC;&#x153;If You Were in Charge of DIF&W, Tell Joe What Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Doâ&#x20AC;?). Any doubt I might have had about our readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest in deer hunting has been forever erased.

We published many of those responses in our February edition (see â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joe Wanted Feedback â&#x20AC;&#x201C; He Got It,â&#x20AC;? pages 47 and 49 of the February issue). This issue contains a few more. I asked readers to respond with ideas and their opinions.

We werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappointed.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m both appreciative and humbled by the tremendous feedback, both the positive and less-positive.

Joe doubles down on his idea to delay regular firearms season to December in some southern and coastal WMDs, and expand the use of blackpowder, archery and crossbows in those regions.

Great Idea!

Now What?

There were a few negative responses to my idea of a newly-structured deer season for southern and coastal WMDs. Over 90% of responders were quite positive. As one person exclaimed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve struck a nerve and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m ready to have a discussion.â&#x20AC;? Good friend and former director of the Sportsmans Alliance of Maine, George Smith, suggested a serious conversation should be started among the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Game Committee. With so many deer hunters taking an interest in a potential new idea, whether positive or not, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make sure our voices are heard.

Before describing how we advance the conversation, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take

a look at my modified, potential plan. It would be foolish not to first acknowledge the hunters all over Maine who are satisfied with the status quo. Maine may not be the deer hunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paradise that the mid-west is, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty damn good in some WMDs. Over the last 18 years, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve killed some great bucks and will admit to being mostly happy with the hunting Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced here.

However, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced deer hunting thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much better and I know Maine deer hunters could experience something similar without traveling to the Midwest.

Think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m wrong? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll use Islesboro in WMD 29 as an example. Look what happens when archery is the primary weapon used

Trophy Whitetails in NorthCentral Pennsylvania

BEST HUNT FOR TROPHY BUCKS FOR THE MONEY IN THE USA

to harvest deer. Fewer deer are killed and far more bucks make it to maturity. The rutting activity is phenomenal.

Bucks grunting, chasing, rubbing, scraping, fighting and coming to calls more there, than in any other town Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hunted in Maine.

Sure, the deer population exploded without a firearms hunt, but there are other reasons this happened. My point?

Reducing mortality of yearling bucks by reducing the length of time they can be hunted with firearms, during the rut when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re most vulnerable, will increase the

number of bucks making it to adulthood.

The Details Before everyone gets upset â&#x20AC;&#x201C; letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be clear Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not calling for an elimination of the firearms season. Quite the contrary.

My idea would actually increase opportunities to hunt deer with a firearm.

Let me explain.

The current seasons in most Maine WMDs wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change. The state would only modify the season in a few southern and coastal areas where deer densities are high, the human population is larger and the winter severity index is significantly lower on average than other areas in Maine. â&#x20AC;˘ The archery season would open the Tuesday after Labor Day for tra(Continued on next page)

Now Booking 2017 Bear & Turkey Hunts Moose Hunts in WMD 7, 8, 18 & 19 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Registered Maine Guide â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

George E. Feero Jr. 207-852-5679 â&#x20AC;˘ redoakoutfitters@gmail.com

www.redoakoutfittersofmaine.com

DISCOUNTS FOR GROUPS OF 4 OR MORE HUNTERS

*SLHYĂ&#x201E;LSK 7( 200+ lb. P&Y Bucks

6 DAY HUNTS ONLY $695

Available Dates Oct. 21 HUK -PYZ[ >LLRZ VM 5V] 30 Trail Cameras Starting in July

+H` /\U[Z PUJS\KL 4LHSZ 3VKNPUN -YLL >P-P :LTP .\PKLK )\JR +VL

Crossbows Legal

LITTLE GENERAL OUTFITTERS

9PJOHYK 3H\YLU[ 6^ULY Â&#x2039; 3H\YLS 9\U 9VHK 7LUĂ&#x201E;LSK 7( Â&#x2039; SP[[SLNLULYHSV\[Ă&#x201E;[[LYZ'NTHPS JVT

^^^ 3P[[SL.LULYHS6\[Ă&#x201E;[[LYZ JVT

Historic Log Cabin Rentals ~ Cabins Open Year Round Restaurant & Bar in New Lodge Restaurant & Bar Hours: Thu 4-9 â&#x20AC;˘ Fri & Sat 12-9 â&#x20AC;˘ Sun Brunch 9-3

teapond@sportingcampsmaine.com â&#x20AC;˘ 207-670-3009

www.SportingCampsMaine.com www.MaineSportsman.com

50 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

2010

2011

2013

2015

2014

2016

Say what you will about Joe’s season-changing ideas, but you have to admit -- he’s earned the right to speak with some authority. Here are his last six Maine bucks. In most cases, they were the largest ones he saw all season. In contrast, on his last two hunts in the Midwest, Joe estimates seeing at least 60 bucks of similar caliber, including at least 10 he considers world class (170”+, with some approaching 200” of antler). “It takes a buck at least three years to grow a decent rack,” he said recently. “If Maine hunters desire more 200-pound deer and larger racks in the population, we’ll need to do something to give our bucks a chance to live longer.”

Big Game (Continued from page 49)

ditional archery equipment until the end of the month.

• Muzzleloader season would open the first Monday of October and last two weeks.

• In order to help the state achieve desired doe harvests, the first week of muzzleloader would be antlerless only. Hunters who say they’re only it for the meat will have a tremendous opportunity to

fill their freezer.

• The second week of muzzleloader would be open to bucks and does for hunters receiving any-deer tags.

• Archery season would then resume until the end of November. During this season, crossbows would be allowed as a legal method of harvest.

This will allow hunters who are disabled, unable to draw a bow, or favor-

ing crossbows, the ability to enjoy the long modified season.

• The new firearms season would begin on December first and last two weeks.

• From mid-October through the end of the firearms season, any-deer hunting would also be available to youth hunters and hunters who’ve documented they’ve never killed a deer and who purchase a license prior to February 1st of that year. We’ll still need to achieve the desired doe harvest in these areas.

Remember, the state isn’t looking to increase deer populations in the south-

ern or coastal portions of the state.

This plan provides meat hunters with ample opportunity to fill the freezer. Anyone wishing to hunt the traditional Maine rifle season could still do so by visiting one of the non-modified WMDs. Talking it Out So, how do we get the conversation started?

Well, we’re lucky to have an organization like The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) to speak for us at the highest level. We have groups like the Maine Guides Association, Maine Farm Bureau, Small Woodlot

ATTENTION MOOSEHEAD LAKE REGION GUIDES & OUTFITTERS Need more rooms for your clients?

Luxury 4 bedroom, 2 bath cabin with full kitchen & laundry.

(YHU\WKLQJ \RX·OO QHHG (

JEFF DUBE, Founder nder jeffdube21@gmail.com • 610.945.5444

MaineWildAdventures.com www.MaineSportsman.com

Owners Association of Maine and more. We can start by joining or speaking with representatives of these organizations.

Social media pages like the Maine Deer hunter’s Group on Facebook have grown. This group in particular has nearly 25,000 members now. To say we could quickly and effectively get a message out via this medium is an understatement.

The next thing we can do is to speak with our state representatives at the local level. These representatives are elected.

It’s their job to speak for their constituency. These people work for us.

Whether people favor change or not, one thing is sure – our deer population, human population and the dynamics of our state have changed since the current season structure was created. Do we not owe it to ourselves to at least have a conversation about the current season structure?

Whether you favor these changes, want APRs (antler point restrictions) or want no change at all, let the conversation begin!

¶

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 51

Another Winchester Legend Lives On A legendary – nay, iconic – shotgun such as the Winchester Model 12 deserves the many mentions it receives here and in other publications. It was, after all, one of the most influential and popular firearms of the twentieth century.

First offered to the public 105 years ago, the Model 12 (then called the Model 1912) continues to appear in art, literature, and in the field. Gun shops all across America have one or more vintage Model 12s for sale, even today.

Most often showing the effects of their age and hard use, surviving Model 12s still command respect and more than a little admiration. In our high-tech, high-energy world, legions of contemporary sportsmen and women hold fond memories of their own or a treasured companion’s Model 12.

Out of production since 1976 except for a run of some 24,000 Browning reproduction

The Colonel’s purchase of an old-school 16-gauge Model 12 Winchester will make for some fine days afield next fall. Allard photo

guns made between 1988 and 1992, the Model 12 continues to influence shooters 17 years into the 21st century. There is something of that golden era before the Second World War that lingers.

It was a time when the Model 12 led the pack, but Browning’s Auto-5, Remington’s Model 11, and the Ithaca Model 37 nipped at its heels.

L.L.Bean Hunting & Fishing Store WE BUY, SELL, TRADE GUNS One Gun or Entire Long Gun Collections

In July, 2011, The Shooter’s Bench devoted the entire column to the development, design, and features of the Winchester Model 12. My column this month, however, focuses on a particular

Model 12 – an 88-yearold survivor still going strong. An everyman’s gun built for the field, this is one example of the 2,027,500 Model 12s that Winchester made during 64 years of production.

Depression Baby “Your gun has arrived,” my wife said as I came into the kitchen from some errand, snow dripping off my boots.

“Mrs. Marshall called from the shop.”

Finally, after a lifetime of interest and years of checking sale racks in gun shops and display tables at gun shows, and hours of perusing internet sites, finally I would own a Winchester Model 12. I hurried to the shop the next morning to unwrap the package from the West Coast and complete the transfer paperwork.

What shop owner Brad Marshall of Marshall’s Firearms and I unwrapped was Model 12, serial number 593,3XX, a sight-unseen purchase picked out for me by a trusted friend and expert (Continued on next page)

GAME RANCH HUNTS YEAR ROUND BOOK YOURS NOW!

We Pay Top Dollar! Please Contact One of Our Gun Buyers at

1-800-221-4221 207-552-7746 x27746 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed ~ Since 1912 ~

GUN SHOWS DiPrete Promotions, Inc.

CONCORD, NH

April 8–9, 2017

Everett Ice Arena, 15 Louden Rd, I-93 Exit 14-East

BIDDEFORD, ME

May 6–7, 2017

Buffalo • Russian Boar • Silka Deer • Red Stag • Fallow Deer • Elk

Biddeford Ice Arena, 14 Pomerleau St, I-95 Exit 32, RT 111

Show Hours: Sat 9–5, Sun 9–2

(603) 225-3846 • www.dipromo.com www.MaineSportsman.com

52 â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Shooterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bench (Continued from page 51)

appraiser.

Forewarned that the gun was â&#x20AC;&#x153;used, not abused,â&#x20AC;? and advised that $350 was a good price, I felt confident in buying without seeing.

Pulling back all the protective packaging revealed an old gun, a veteran of many seasons afield, worn in the expected places but not tired.

The wood remains intact and the varnish bright though lightly scratched here and there. The blue steel edges toward a gray patina where many hands have rubbed it over the years. The narrow solid rib runs down the 28-inch barrel straight and unblemished.

ALWAYS BUYING, SELLING & TRADING QUALITY FIREARMS ŕ Ž 3L-L]LY 5P[YV :WLJPHS :_: .H\NL =LY` .VVK ŕ Ž )YV^UPUN .H\NL :LTP (\[V =LY` .VVK ŕ Ž 9LTPUN[VU *HYIPUL =LY` .VVK ŕ Ž 5,- :) <S[YH ;HZJV _ 3PRL 5L^ ŕ Ž *=( (WL_ )\ZOULSS _ ,_JLSSLU[ ŕ Ž (;0 *H]HSY` .H\NL V \ *; 5,> 5PJL ŕ Ž :H] :[L]LUZ .H\NL V \ 5,> ŕ Ž :WVY[LYPaLK 2YHN )LH\[PM\S *OLJRLYPUN ŕ Ž 9LTPUN[VU :WVY[ZTHU .H\NL 9L )S\LK 5PJL ŕ Ž 9LTPUN[VU 4VK .H\NL =LY` .VVK 5PJL ŕ Ž )YV^UPUN ); .H\NL 4VK *; ,_JLSSLU[ ŕ Ž 9LTPUN[VU .H\NL ;V\YUHTLU[ :RLL[ (50)

ÄŚGUNS WANTED ÄŚ

WOODMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SPORTING GOODS OPEN: Mon., Wed., Thurs - 9-5; Fri. 9-6; Sat. 9-3

Visa MasterCard & Discover Accepted Layaways

207-743-6602 427 Main St., Norway, ME

I had two offers to buy it before I even left the shop, but I resisted and bundled it into my car to rush home and check the serial number in my book of Winchester production.

Number 593,3XX left the inspectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bench in late October or early November 1929, just as the country began to reel in the wake of Black Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stock market crash.

If it sold that first year, number 593,3XX likely debuted during the hunting season in the fall of 1930.

Upland Gun I was introduced to the Model 12 at Hunt-

erâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barbershop in Goffstown, New Hampshire about 1958 or â&#x20AC;&#x2122;59. There I devoured the pages of Outdoor Life and Field & Stream magazines while waiting to get my hair cut. Or perhaps it was on one of those beautifully-rendered Winchester wall calendars hanging on the wall of the Western Auto store in Lyndonville, Vermont. In any case, I was young, but old enough to know that the Model 12 was a gun for guys like me.

I became serious about owning one under the influence of my friend, the late Tom Peterson of Brunswick, Maine. Tom, his wife, Ellie, and a string of golden retrievers were hunt-

VARNEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLAY SPORTS Wing Shooting Instructor NESCA, NRA & State Certified Over 45 Years Instructing Experience Home of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have Gun - Will Teachâ&#x20AC;?

Shooting School Sporting Clays â&#x20AC;˘ Skeet â&#x20AC;˘ Modern Skeet Super Clays - â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Hunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gameâ&#x20AC;?

Lessons and Shooting by Appointment or by Invitation

502 Langdon Road, Richmond, ME 04357 Brad Varney: 207-737-4993 â&#x20AC;˘ www.varneysclaysports.com

ing companions for more than 50 years. Tom carried a 12-gauge Model 12, and Ellie always used a 20-gauge version.

Wanting to emulate Tom a bit, I started looking for a Model 12 to buy.

Earliest Model 12s were 20 gauge with 2½ -inch chambers.

Winchester added 12-gauge and 16-gauge guns in 1914 with 2 9/16-inch chambers until 1927, when all gauges were standardized with 2ž -inch chambers.

I wanted the 2 ž-inch chamber and the preWWII solid rib. I knew I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want another 12-gauge or 20-gauge to add to my battery. And I knew I did not want the very common Model 12 with a 30-inch barrel and a full choke, or one with a Cutts Compensator attached to the muzzle. I wanted a more open choke for hunting grouse and woodcock.

Number 593,3XX is chambered in 16-gauge with a 28-inch nickel steel barrel, a solid rib and 2 ž-inch chamber. Slender,

Maineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 41st Annual Twin City

GUN SHOW March 25-26, 2017

Saturday 9AMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;4PM â&#x20AC;˘ Sunday 9AMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;3PM OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Lewiston Armory â&#x20AC;˘ Central Avenue, Lewiston, ME â&#x20AC;˘ Sponsored by the Auburn Exchange Club Admission $8.00 per Person â&#x20AC;˘ Children under 12 FREE, Must be accompanied by an Adult

250 8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tables Available $65 Each Exhibitors may set up 3:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7 p.m. Friday Night and 7:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9 a.m. Saturday Morning Guards on Duty 24 Hours Daily â&#x20AC;˘ Food Available at Show â&#x20AC;˘ Plenty of Free Parking

ALL FIREARMS LAWS WILL BE OBSERVED

Applications for table reservation must be submitted on our official table application form obtainable from Jamie Pelletier, J.T. Reidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gun Shop, Phone 207-777-3579, Fax 207-333-3399.

light, and lithe, it comes to the shoulder as nicely as any shotgun Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever used. Its barrel is marked â&#x20AC;&#x153;full chokeâ&#x20AC;? but in some careful modification, a competent gunsmith polished the bore out so that it now measures as a modified choke. Most would have cut the end of the barrel off to open the choke but, fortunately, this gun avoided that assault.

Bright Future The launch in 1950 of Remingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Model 870 slide-action shotgun ended the reign of the Model 12. Winchester faced perpetual production and labor cost problems and replaced the Model 12 with their cheaper Model 1200.

Remingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 870 went on to total dominance as the largest selling shotgun in the world, with some ten million made thus far.

The Remington 870 is a fine shotgun. But I like to contemplate the long history of old number 593,3XX. Where has it been in 88 years? What sorts of owners have cradled it? What types of birds have fallen because of it?

Because I have used 20-gauge side-by-sides or over/unders almost to the exclusion of anything else in recent years, this slide-action is a game changer. I like that. I also like knowing not everyone wants to use the 16-gauge shell. Bucking the crowd feels good sometimes. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll bet Tom Peterson would agree.

Âś

LIMITED TIME OFFER! REDUCED SUBSCRIPTION PRICES! One Year $30 NOW $24.99 Two Years $49 NOW $39.95

Name ___________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________ State __________ Zip _________________ VISA/MC __________________________________________ Exp._________________ Phone_______________________________ Mail Check or VISA/MasterCard info to:The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ 183 State Street, Suite 101 â&#x20AC;˘ Augusta, ME 04330 www.MaineSportsman.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 53

Understanding Saltwater Hooks I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever tallied up the number of different styles and sizes of fish hooks available in the world today, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got to be in the tens of thousands. Hooks have steadily evolved since the Stone Age, and show no signs of slowing up. Suffice it to say that someone, somewhere, manufactures a size and style for just about every species and size of fish on earth, and for every type of fishing and circumstance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yup, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a hook for thatâ&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;?

Although entire books have been written about hooks, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a bit of confusion over sizes, materials and basic styles, so perhaps this is a good time to straighten some of this out.

First off, there are no

industry standards for the sizes of fish hooks.

One manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 7/0 wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily match up with a 7/0 of the same style made by another company. Furthermore, size variations between hook styles (either from the same manufacturer or different ones) can be significant.

A case in point â&#x20AC;&#x201C; particularly important for Maine saltwater anglers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is that the actual size of a circle hook may be quite different from that of a J-hook of the same size designation. Therefore, unless you are absolutely certain of the hook size and style you want, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often better to look the selection over at a tackle store rather than order sight-unseen from an internet retailer.

This illustration shows the relative sizes of larger saltwater hooks designated by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;oughtâ&#x20AC;? system, compared to smaller freshwater hooks that are sized by straight â&#x20AC;&#x153;numbers.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oughtâ&#x20AC;? hooks get larger as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;oughtâ&#x20AC;? number increases, but the smaller â&#x20AC;&#x153;numberâ&#x20AC;? hooks get smaller as the number increases (just the opposite), which often causes confusion.

The Numbers Game Second, be aware of correct size designations.

Basically â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and this is a rough rule of thumb â&#x20AC;&#x201C; freshwater hook sizes are designated by â&#x20AC;&#x153;number,â&#x20AC;?

and the higher the number the smaller the hook.

A #1 hook is the largest of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;numberedâ&#x20AC;? series (about the size youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d use for freshwater bass) and they continue to get

Here are the major components of a modern fish hook. This is a circle hook -- notice that the point is at right angles to the shank. If the point was parallel to the shank, it would be a J-hook.

smaller as the numbers goes up. A #12 hook, for instance, is a popular size used for many trout flies, and a #24 hook is so tiny that most people canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t (Continued on page 55)

HANDS ON CLINIC & SEMINARS Join Peter & the SBT Crew at The Clambake Restaurant

Marstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marina - O N T H E S AC O R I V E R T I D E WAT E R -

Pine Point Road â&#x20AC;˘ Scarborough, ME 04074 Slips and Moorings Week, month or full season Open 9am - 6pm all summer 8 miles to Tantas 20 miles to Jefferyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 30 miles to Platts

207-283-3727

MarstonsMarina.com

Saturday, March 25, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 9AMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;4PM Early Season Specials!

Call 207-284-4453 to Pre-Register

5DIĂ&#x20AC;HV Prizes and More!

Food and Drinks!

www.sacobaytackle.com

US Route 1, Saco, ME 04072

Stripers and Tuna seminar...also touching base RQ JURXQG ÂżVKLQJ DQG VKDUN ÂżVKLQJ Hands on clinics. Representatives from big name PDQXIDFWXUHUV DQG IRONV IURP 'HSDUWPHQW RI Marine Resources....

Members of ABTA....will also be there. $25.00 Admission for the Day

For Information About Display Booth Space, Contact Saco Bay Tackle at 207-284-4453 or info@sacobaytackle.com www.MaineSportsman.com

54 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Embden Pond Offers Solid March Angling Opportunity Embden Pond in Embden (Delorme Atlas, Map 30, E-3) offers reliable fishing this month for anglers targeting brook trout, salmon, lake trout and smallmouth bass. Embden has a reputation for slow fishing, so isn’t a place for folks who need blistering action to enjoy their day. However, it often gives up quality fish to its patient faithful, making the slow action more tolerable.

With a surface area of 1,568 acres, Embden is an awfully big “pond,” so its name is a little misleading. Much larger waters certainly exist in the Mid-Kennebec

Embden Pond’s excellent salmonid habitat – including good spawning areas and a robust smelt population – means many fish reproduce naturally here, while generously-stocked fish also thrive.

Valley Region (MKVR), but few hereabouts even come close to Embden’s incredible 180-foot maximum depth. The northern half of the pond tends to run shallower, with few depths over 100 feet.

Still, even in that section, most depths run in the 50- to 90-foot range, so locating fish proves challenging even there.

Embden is blessed with very good spawning habitat for salmonids, so wild fish make up a lot of

the catch here. The lake trout population is entirely sustained through natural reproduction, while wild landlocks make up a significant portion of the salmon caught. Wild brookies swim in Embden as well, although not in the same numbers as salmon and togue.

Stocked fish, mostly brook trout, supplement the natural reproduction to keep catch rates acceptable for anglers. In 2016, Embden received six different planting of brookies spread across several different months that totaled 2,523 fish in all for the year. Those trout measured anywhere from nine to 17 inches in length when stocked.

This was the most brookies Embden has received since its 2012 planting of 3,000 trout. As for salmon, the pond receives around 750 every other year, most recently in

2016, to supplement the natural reproduction.

Most of the brookies taken by winter anglers measure in the 12- to 16-inch range, but with a few specimens stocked at larger sizes, plus plenty of holdover fish from the prior year or two of stocking, a fair number of 17- to 20-inch trout, and occasionally larger, show up each year in Embden.

Salmon tend to run in similar sizes as the brookies. As with most waters where winter fishing for salmon is allowed, Embden isn’t known for producing many trophy fish, and any specimens larger than four pounds prove rare. Still, many anglers are enthused to catch a 3-pound salmon, and Embden certainly has plenty of those.

Embden has the potential to give up 20-pound togue and in fact has in the past on

WE NOW CARRY PACIFIC ENERGY P W od • Gas t Wood Gas •• Pell Pellet St t Stoves & & IInserts

occasion, but most of the lakers taken here run in the 3- to 6-pound class.

Smallmouths grow well in the pond. Embden is full of 10- to 14-inch bronzebacks, but 3- to 5-pound examples show up often enough to keep bass aficionados coming back.

Embden has a very good smelt population, thanks largely to numerous tributaries and restrictive regulations to severely limit angler harvests of these important forage fish. As March progresses, smelts begin massing in closer and closer proximity to inlet streams, making such areas great options for anglers as the predator species target the heavier concentrations of smelts in these areas.

Kennebec River Folks eager to get a jump on open-water angling this month might consider the Kennebec River in Madison (Map 20, B-4). The fastest action of the year still lies a couple months or more away, but this stretch offers surprisingly good fishing throughout the winter months for salmon, brown trout and the occasional brook trout or, even rarer, rainbow trout. Fishing in this section is limited to artificial lures and flies only.

Salmon usually run in the 12- to 16-inch range in this area with the occasional fish measuring a couple of inches longer. Most browns mea(Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 55 (Continued from page 54)

sure in the 12- to 16-inch range as well, but larger specimens are far more common than big salmon here, and anglers have an excellent chance of taking browns up to 20 inches on any trip. Larger fish swim here as well, but those 22- to 26-inch browns possess a Ph.D. in angler avoidance, so fishermen rarely connect with them.

As with other stretches of the Kennebec, the Madison area boasts abundant insect life that provides outstanding dry-fly action during warmer months.

However, anglers can forget about such techniques in March, as low water temperatures keep a lid on hatching insects.

Abundant populations of baitfish make minnow-imitating lures and

flies a good choice this month, and fly fisherman also do well fishing with nymphs. No matter the offering, fishing it slowly and close to bottom produces far more strikes this month.

Hare Hunting Hunting snowshoe hares in March ranks among this writer’s favorite pastimes, in large part because we’ve enjoyed so much success this month versus other months during the hare-hunting season. A couple of factors work together to make March perhaps the best month to hunt hares in the MKVR. First, the hares’ mating season kicks off this month, making them far more active than in the prior five months of the hunting season. Active hares prove much more visible, as they spend

Saltwater (Continued from page 53)

tie it to a tippet or leader without a pair of strong magnifying eyeglasses.

Saltwater hooks are normally designated by the “ought” system, written as “X/0,” and unlike the numbered hooks, get larger as the “ought” number goes up. The smallest in this series is a 1/0 (“one-ought”) hook, just a tad larger than the freshwater #1 hook.

A 6/0 hook (about right for striped bass) is significantly larger than that, and we go up from there to mammoth 12/0 and 13/0 hooks for giant tuna and marlin.

You’ll sometimes hear saltwater “pros” on TV talk about a “number 5/0 hook” but there is no such thing. It’s either a #5 hook, or a 5/0 hook – two completely different sizes, and never the twain shall meet.

X-Rated Saltwater hook strength generally has to do with the diameter of the steel “wire” that it’s made from, and is often designated by the “X” system. A size and style of saltwater hook may be offered in standard, 2X, 3X, and 4X. The 2X is said to be twice as strong (thicker wire) than the standard hook, 3X is about three times stronger, and so forth.

This brings us to the subject of hooks “dissolving” or “rusting away” in a fish’ jaw or gullet after the fish has broken the line

less time holding in tight cover. For those of us who opt for hunting hares without the aid of a good rabbit hound, increased visibility makes all the difference in the world.

And in some years, warm weather eliminates most snow cover before March closes, helping the still-white hares stand out far better against the brown background of local woodlands.

Nevertheless, despite their clear color disadvantage under such conditions, the hares prove remarkably adept at hiding, so think of March hare hunting as “less difficult” rather than “easy.”

It still takes a lot of effort and skill to bring home the fixings for a hare dinner.

¶

Embden Pond features an incredible 180-foot maximum depth, and offers brook trout, togue and salmon.

LakesOfMaine.org illustration

and escaped, or the leader has been clipped and the fish released. No hook will “dissolve harmlessly in a week or two” as well-meaning outdoor writers sometimes opine.

A hook in a saltwater fish’s jaw may rust away eventually, but the thickness of the wire has a lot to do with that length of time.

The message here is that it’s best to avoid extra-strong hooks whenever possible. The finer the wire, the faster it will rust through if a fish swims off with it.

Also, avoid stainless steel hooks. Yeah, I know they are appropriate in some applications, and come standard on some plugs and lures, but stainless hooks don’t rust away.

Not in the fish’s lifetime. ’Nuff said.

Circular Arguments As most Maine saltwater fishermen know, non-offset circle hooks are required in state waters when fishing with bait for stripers and bluefish. But just what is a circle hook?

It’s basically defined as a hook where the point is bent around inwards so that it’s perpendicular to the shank (a standard J-hook’s point is normally parallel to the shank).

The “non-offset” designation means that the bend of the hook (the curved part) is in line with the shank. An offset or “kirbed” hook is one where the bend is kicked out at a slight angle. An offset hook is more efficient,

in that the point is more likely to catch in a fish’s throat or gullet, but that’s not always a good thing.

The idea of a non-offset circle hook is that the fish can swallow the bait and hook, but when pressure is applied to the line by the angler, the hook is pulled harmlessly back out the throat and the turned-in point catches in the fish’s jaw hinge. This supposedly reduces gut-hooking and increases the chances of the fish’s survival after release.

Perhaps, but I will proffer my opinion on this subject in a future column.

Capt. Barry’s Choices People often ask me what brand and size circle hook I use for stripers. I favor the Gamakatsu Octopus Circle, standard wire and nickel finish, in sizes 4/0 to 8/0. I use the smaller hooks on the little “pre-schoolie” bass we’ve been seeing the past couple of seasons, and the 8/0 size with big mackerel chunks fished on bottom for jumbo stripers.

Besides Gamakatsu, there are excellent circle hooks offered by Daiichi, Eagle Claw, Mustad, and Trokar, but remember, the designated sizes don’t always exactly match from brand to brand.

Saltwater hooks? Hey, choose wisely!

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

56 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

—

Stumped, Pumped, Lumped and Dumped?

(Yes – it’s food related!)

Each month I excitedly look through my recipes, or create a new one for you, our readers.

I take into consideration what you or your family might enjoy, depending upon the season. I feel I contribute better with your feedback. I am al-

ways up for a challenge and really enjoy creating new dishes.

STUMPED - Can you come up with a challenge for me? It can be an idea like the reader who wanted a good mincemeat recipe, or a game meat you do not know how to cook,

or even some spices you are not sure of using – or all of the above. I’ll try almost anything. (I even have a recipe for stuffed porcupine stomach!)

PUMPED - Let’s make this fun. Over the next 8 months I will look at all your requested reci-

pes, and try as many as I can. I am pumped up for the challenge!

LUMPED – I will try out many recipes, and may even lump a few together for a new creation.

and they will have prizes dumped on them in the December, 2017 issue with a “Thanks for the challenges,” and they’ll receive my cookbook, “50 Ways to Eat a Beaver.”

DUMPED – The winners will get recognition,

w t w

t S Sometimes omet om etiim et imes I jjust imes ustt li us lik like ke easy ke easy, y, a and nd d tthis his hi is de d del delicious eli lici ciou ious and hearty spaghetti sauce works for me. The flavors of roasted garlic, smokey chipotle pepper and (who doesn’t like) bacon take you on a palate pleasure ride. With mud season looming, this robust sauce will stay with you both in flavor and comfort.

And I always make extra for the freezer.

Are you are game to take this to another level? Replace diced tomatoes with 3-4 cups of oven-roasted tomatoes. The more subtle layers of flavors you add, the bigger the reward in the end.

t f t c t p

c h A t

———————————————————————— • 1 garlic head, roasted • 4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped fine • 1 large onion, chopped fine • 1 yellow pepper, chopped • 1 orange pepper, chopped • ½ teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes • 1 28-ounce can tomato purée • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes • 1 teaspoon dried thyme • 1 teaspoon dried basil • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 1 cup red wine (Cabernet or Rioja style) • 2 tablespoons tomato paste (or tomato powder*) • Salt and pepper • Fresh basil and leaves (optional) ———————————————————————— Preheat oven to 375 °F. Cut top of garlic head off, revealing cloves. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Squeeze cloves out of skin when slightly cooled enough to handle; set aside.

In heavy 5-quart saucepan, cook bacon until crisp; set bacon aside. Add onion to same pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, 4-5 minutes until softened. Add pepper flakes, tomato purée, diced tomatoes, herbs, www.MaineSportsman.com

red wine, roasted garlic cloves, chopped bacon, tomato paste, salt and pepper.

Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes, covered.

Just before serving this over your favorite pasta, I like to add in ¼ cup fresh basil chopped with leaves for garnish. The added freshness in winter gives us hope of spring on our palate.

w

f c – c l t

t p

*Tomato Powder is a great invention from TheSpiceHouse.com. I cannot tell you how many times I have found a can of tomato paste in the back of the fridge that’s almost unrecognizable. This tomato powder is a real find and a savior if you have no usable paste. Keeps in the fridge, almost forever!

¶

p i t M

t w

y h k t

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 57

A “New” Boat Joins the Fleet in March In pre-Internet days, we bought used boats locally, from friends or neighbors. Now we can sit in our PJs and view boats from all over the country on our computer screens. Is that progress?

March can be a cruel month in Maine for those of us yearning for open water. It means seductively longer days, often with maddeningly bright sunshine. But the winter ice lingers on like the early-morning memory of a bad dream.

One surefire distraction is shopping around for a new boat to fill in the gaps in our personal canoe fleet. Outdoor retailers, never shy about pushing the season, start advertising their latest canoe models with the help of glossy catalogs.

And the used boat sections of various online market places come alive with fresh listings.

So, that’s where I found myself one bitterly cold morning last March – sipping hot coffee and clicking through online listings for used boats on the internet.

Pre-Internet Boat Shopping Back when word-ofmouth was the best way to find a used canoe, shopping for one was vastly different. You would approach a potential seller in person. And because the social grapevines in Maine were much shorter in those innocent days, this person almost always lived locally.

The potential seller might be well-known to you. On the other hand, he could be someone known only by reputation and several extended

layers of genealogy and hearsay.

After exchanging remarks about the weather, the local economy, or the government – you might ask something like, “Where would a man find a good fishing canoe for sale?”

If the seller was in the mood to sell on that day, negotiations would begin. But if he had reconsidered his earlier inclination to sell, or if the boat was already sold, he might simply reply that he had no idea where such an object could be found.

It could take months of these friendly dooryard conversations before an appropriate boat at an appropriate price would emerge from a dusty garage or barn loft. It was a slow, pleasant process.

The internet changed everything, of course– even the micro-market of used canoes. Now I can sit at home in my pajamas and instantly have access to photographs, descriptions and asking-prices for used boats across the nation. For better or worse, we call this “progress.”

Old Town Tripper Genealogy The ad that caught my eye was a rarity even in the age of nationwide listings. A used Old Town Tripper XL was for sale in southern Maine.

I’ve owned a smaller, 17-foot Tripper for over

25 years. The canoe has been a fixture in my life since its purchase. It predates my marriage, and my kids — it has outlasted two houses, two jobs, several trucks, and a faithful bird dog. I have paddled it in Class IV rapids, saltwater bays and tiny trout ponds. I have slept in it and underneath it. I have portaged it, poled it, rowed it, motored it, lined it, dragged it, dropped it from barn lofts, lost it from roof racks of moving vehicles and scraped the hull over innumerable rocks and ledges.

Old Town’s super-tough Tripper model was popularized in the early 1980s when the company began using Royalex™ to build the iconic wilderness boats.

The space-age poly ma-

The author in his old reliable 17-foot Tripper.

terial was lightweight, extraordinarily durable, and slippery enough to slide harmlessly over unforgiving river beds.

But Royalex™ material went out of production in 2014, and both the 17-foot Tripper and its bigger brother, the 20-foot XL disappeared from Old Town’s catalog in 2015. Seventeen-foot Trippers on the used market immediately became rare and pricey. But second-hand listings for the 20-foot XL model were simply non-existent.

Niche Market Even in its heyday, the Tripper XL had always been a niche market. It’s a huge canoe – twenty feet long, and 41 inches wide at the center thwart. Its three monster cargo bays, between the seats, are 16 inches deep. The boat is rated for a 1,500-lb. carrying capacity by the folks at Old Town. But this river barge will easily swallow a full ton of gear and paddlers without flinching.

Of course, the pay(Continued on page 59)

The author’s”new” purchase (right) after a successful 2016 moose hunt (note the antlers). www.MaineSportsman.com

58 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Riding Technique – A Day in the Life of a Hunting Snowmobile In this month’s column, let me detail a typical day of coyote hunting with hounds using a snowmobile in the Western Maine Mountains.

Let’s pick up after I have already loaded up the truck with hunting gear, filled the truck and sled with gas, and headed out to meet my hunting buddies.

A day of hunting coyotes with hounds starts with various members circling the areas we hunt, looking for coyote tracks. When someone finds a fresh track, the hunting party gathers and formulates a plan.

From there, each hunter

www.MaineSportsman.com

The author takes us step-by-step through the process of off-loading a snowmobile from the truck bed, powering through fresh powder on unpacked trails, and getting into position to intercept a coyote as the hounds chase it into range. gets an informal assignment.

On this particular day, the owner of the hounds recommends that each of us hop on our sleds and take various positions along the extensive system of snowmobile trails in the surrounding woods.

The snowmobile has been sitting in the bed of my truck overnight,

in temperatures that reached well below zero. I climb into the bed of my truck and peel the frozen canvas cover from the snowmobile. I remember the old adage about starting a Ski-Doo Tundra in sub-zero weather … pull and push the primer three times, leaving the choke pulled out (open), and then pull the cord and turn it over – never

EVER prime it more than three times, or it will flood.

With the Tundra that I own, a 2004 model, I do it a little differently. I prime it twice, leave the choke open and give it a try, and if it doesn’t start I prime it one more time – but no more. Depending on the temperature, my sled always starts on the first couple of pulls. The

old machine never fails me, which is exactly what a coyote hunter needs for hunting coyotes with hounds in the winter.

Unload ’N’ Go Once the sled engine turns over, I leave the choke open and let it run while I fiddle around with my gear and get myself ready to ride. I strap a backpack loaded with my gear onto the rear of the sled and remove the cargo straps that hold the sled into the bed of the truck.

I don’t use a ramp to unload my sled. Instead, I just back up to (Continued on next page)

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 59

Author’s fully-loaded Ski-Doo Tundra, used for hunting coyotes with hounds on the mountainous trails in Western Maine. Clunie photo (Continued from page 58)

a snow bank that sits at the same level as the tailgate. I have to make sure this snow bank gives me a clean shot at reloading the sled after finishing the hunt. I prefer a reloading point that gradually rises to the level of the tailgate, but sometimes I don’t get so lucky and have to deal with a steep grade. No problem – it just makes reloading the sled a little tricky.

Now that I’ve got the truck backed up to a perfect snow bank and I have all of my gear loaded on the sled, I move on to unloading the sled from the truck. Sometimes the track gets frozen to the bed of the truck, so in order to free it up I hop on the sled and rock it before backing it out of the truck bed.

Never use a snow bank that sits lower than the tailgate – exiting the truck bed works okay, but reloading back up again after the hunt can be

risky. I learned my lesson and won’t make the same mistake again, catching a ski under the tailgate and coming to an abrupt stop. The tough old sled wasn’t damaged, but my truck still wears the scar from the incident.

Other folks use trailers and ramps, but I find the truck bed provides the quickest launch and reload. Speed is imperative on coyote hunts, because of the way a hunter routinely jumps from one area to the next over the course of the day.

On the Trail Once the sled gets unloaded, I close the choke and get ready to ride to my chosen hunting position. The Tundra has to be one of the loudest sleds around, so I wear hearing protection (ear plugs) that really helps later in the day when I need clear hearing to listen for the location of distant hounds.

Some folks always wear a helmet when rid-

Self-Propelled (Continued from page 57)

back comes on the portage trail – weighing in at 105 pounds, it’s a two-person job to move the XL. Plus, that mountain of gear stashed between the thwarts will require lots of extra portage trips.

Nonetheless, this boat has been the wilderness workhorse. Guides and outfitters across North America rely on it to carry mammoth loads, slide over mid-stream obstructions, and make novice clients look like pros.

Closing the Deal The online listing photo of the big boat showed an exterior hull that was sun-faded but relatively unscathed by rocks and

The mountainous horizons in Western Maine seem to go on forever, as do the winding trails that lace the region. Clunie photo

ing, but I have made a personal choice not to while hunting. A helmet would be an inconvenience, and I ride super slow and way over to the right of the trails anyway.

Each of the other hunters in the party warns other hunters when snowmobiles approach on the trails, too. I’ve never been in a situation on a trail that seemed dangerous enough to warrant the use of a helmet.

I wear a hunting cap instead, lined with rabbit fur that has huge ear flaps for warmth – kind of like the Elmer Fudd hat, only furry. The hat won’t win any fashion contest, but who cares about fashion when you’re in the deep woods?

I painted my sled completely white to blend in with the snowy surroundings, so, when I stop along the trail I make sure to pull well off the groomed path so I don’t get run over by another rider. I also wear a

white camouflaged hunting suit to blend in with the surroundings.

Big Woods Riding Some hunters just have a knack for smoothly whipping through the snow on a sled – not this guy. My riding technique has been developed over the many years I have put in on the trail. I learned how to get around on perfectly-groomed trails, but had to relearn everything once I started hunting with a sled.

It seemed like hunting buddies just assumed that I already knew how to ride and just let me learn on my own. I imagine the fellows had quite a fun time watching me figure out how to get around on a snowmobile in the big woods.

In remote hunting locations, the trails don’t often get groomed right after a snowstorm – and sometimes they don’t get opened up unless one of our guys decides to break the trail open. Let me try

to explain the technique here.

First of all, you just can’t go into it slowly – in deep powder you have to keep rolling and maintain a steady throttle. This comes to point #2 – you have to be looking ahead for the next opening between fallen branches, twists and turns, and other obstacles that spring up when a secondary trail hasn’t been maintained for a while.

Riding off the main trails requires land owner’s permission, so our hunters only ride on traditionally-established trails. To get better at riding in deep powder, get landowner permission and practice often. Riding on a frozen lake that has huge snowdrifts and solid ice offers plenty of room to practice this technique – an excellent way to perfect hunting-sled skills.

¶

At 20 feet long and with a capacity of 1,500 pounds, the Old Town Tripper XL is known by guides and outfitters as the wilderness workhorse. ledges. I set my coffee cup aside, shut down the computer, made a call to the owner and pulled my pants on. Two hours later my truck pulled into the driveway of a tidy home just south of Biddeford.

The hull was in even better shape than I expected. The seller had inherited the boat.

A prior owner had used it for duck hunting in Scarborough Marsh and it had obviously seen very little whitewater use.

Those ugly plastic bucket seats that Old Town inexplicably used for many years would have to go. And an acre’s worth of

saltwater mud would need to be cleaned off the inside of the hull. But overall the opportunity was too great to pass on. I paid the man his asking price.

He seemed like a nice enough guy. “What are you going to do with it?” he asked.

I started into a long description of Allagash trips, off-road moose hunting adventures and family camping on Moosehead Lake.

“Yes,” he said. “I read about that stuff online all the time.”

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

60 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Beaver Castors (Castoreum) In several past articles, I have touched on beaver castors and their uses in our modern world such as in food preparations, perfume, medical, and research. Trappers can realize an increase in profit from beaver trapping by preparing these large glands for those markets. Many fur buyers buy the glands, while some trappers sell castors directly to the fur auction houses. A few trappers sell to lure manufacturers, while some retain them for use in making their own lures and baits.

Removing the Castor Glands Once a beaver is caught and brought into the fur-shed, care should be used in removing the pelt so as to not damage the glands, which are located just forward of – and on either side of – the vent hole. They come as a pair and have the winkled grey appearance of brain matter, so they are easily identifiable.

The castors are easily removed with the aid of a knife and your fingers right after the beaver pelt has been removed.

If one makes their own trapping lure or sells to an individual who does, the oil glands (sacks) may also be harvested, for use in the preparation of some lures. The oil sacks look like two oblong reddish objects adjacent to each castor. The sacks contain a milky substance that beavers use to waterproof their fur. While the sacks are not as valuable as castor glands, some lure makers do use them. Note: The oil sacks are not to be shipped with castors, as there is no other market www.MaineSportsman.com

Proper removal, drying, storage and shipping of beaver castors can make beaver trapping more profitable, partially compensating for current low fur prices. or use for them.

To remove the castors, a cut is made a couple of inches above the vent hole, you will see one castor on each side under the skin. Do not to cut into or damage the castor glands, and be careful while slicing away the red membrane that surrounds them.

They should be removed as a pair, so always try to remove the castors connected together and then clean off any remaining membrane or fat.

area that was touching to also dry. After the two or three days of drying time, remove them from the wire and place them in a freezer until ready to ship. Just before shipping remove them from the freezer, place them on a piece of cardboard, and allow them to dry one more day. Most trappers leave them out of a freezer and this is where you lose money, by letting them dry out too much.

Most castors start out at a high grade and end up being of a lesser value because of being dried too much.

The castors are hung over a wire or string to dry for two or three days. They are then placed in a freezer until ready to sell.

Once removed, they should be hung over a wire while connected together (as a pair) to dry at about 60º F for a couple of days or until the castors are dry to the touch.

If selling to dealers or directly to the auction houses, the maximum value may be realized by doing the following: After about one day of drying, carefully remove from the wire and turn back over onto the wire so as to allow the inside center

Shipping Castors If you are sending your furs and the castors directly to the fur auction houses, shipping is easy.

It’s a good idea to put them in a net bag (like an onion bag) before placing them in a plain paper bag (never place in a plastic bag). You may also place them in a cardboard box if you want to, instead of a paper bag. Include them in your fur shipment by placing the paper bag or box in the bottom of your fur-shipping bag.

Castors are Sold by the Ounce Castoreum (castor) is sold by the ounce, based on a price per pound.

They are graded into three categories, which

are: • No. 1 Castoreum is big and full, and normally brownish in color.

• No. 2 Castoreum is darker in color and not as full.

• No. 3 Castoreum is mostly black in color, and glands feel empty or are just empty shells.

The greatest value is realized when they are handled properly. Remember do not over-dry them and do not place in plastic. Keep them away from extreme heat, and ship preferably in an onion bag and a paper bag or cardboard box. Dried castors can be safely kept in a freezer to keep them fresh until being shipped. Do not forget, with today’s low fur prices, a trapper who properly handles castors can increase his profit from beaver harvesting.

If one is interested in making lure or bait for their own use or to sell, even more profit can be realized. Most trappers just make some of their own lures and baits. To get into the lure and bait business commercially takes much effort and time. To become profitable, good lures and scents “must be proven” to become competitive in an established and limited market.

Beaver castor may just actually be the best universal appealing attractant there is. Castor is used in many lures and baits for other furbearers, including attractants for bobcat, lynx, grey fox, red fox, fisher, marten

and coyote. In addition, American made trapping lures have been used worldwide for attracting various wild animals for estimating populations, research, and/or capture.

For one’s own use, a simple and effective beaver lure may be made by mixing ground or finely chopped castor with glycerin and adding a little sodium benzoate. The addition of a few drops of spearmint, poplar bud, or sweet flag oil may enhance the lure.

Beaver castor is good for making more than just beaver lures. A simple and effective coyote (canine) lure can be made by placing the anal glands of several coyote in a glass container and covered with coyote urine.

It is then buried under ground for a year or two with a loose cover, which allows gases to vent, preventing the container from exploding due to gas buildup. This also prevents insects from getting in while allowing the contents to decompose for several years. A very small amount of castor is then added with a little sodium benzoate; glycerin usually is added which helps to reduce freezing at lower temperatures and thickens the lure.

This process may be duplicated for red fox, gray fox or bobcat by using their anal glands and urines in place of the coyotes’. Beaver castor may also be used in the preparation of some baits.

Baits are a topic for another time – stay tuned.

¶

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 61

Opening Day Trout, Grouse, and Pipe Music March 2016 came in warmer than usual, and so on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife declared general law open-water fishing officially open.

This meant that the little brooks on my traditional opening-day visit list could legally be fished. Upon hearing of the unanticipated early opener, I packed my gear and headed out.

Water levels were good – ideal, in fact. And trout were ready and willing to bite. But one thing stood in the way of a glorious opening day.

A year prior, a wet November snow had broken down not only large trees, but also streamside alders. The combination of big trees down, broken limbs and the near-impossibility of walking through springy alders made even reaching streamside pools a difficult task.

But impediments or not, it was opening day, and with due diligence coupled with some colorful language, I made it to one of my favorite pools.

And after catching and releasing many sublegal brook trout and losing a few decent-size keepers, I managed to add four trout to my bag – one fewer than the daily limit, but plenty for a great meal for me.

Incidentally, on my way down the brushstrewn hillside to the big pool, a grouse flushed practically underfoot, startling me greatly. But any encounter with a grouse always comes as something uplifting, and so the wily bird made it a bit easier to negotiate the tangled path to the stream. It was tough go-

ing, but after seeing ol’ Pat, I made the trip with a smile rather than a frown.

At day’s end, it being St. Patrick’s Day, I took out my Uilleann (Irish, bellows-blown) bagpipes and played several jigs before preparing my trout for the table. After playing my fill of lively tunes, it seemed proper to take a photo of my opening day trout alongside the pipes.

So now, seeing the accompanying photo, you know the reason for the unusual juxtaposition of trout and musical instrument.

Off Schedule For many years, I have fished tiny brooks in the Midcoast region, brooks that lead into the sea. Usually, anadromous (sea-run) brook trout reward my efforts.

But not in 2016.

High water levels can serve as a put-off for anglers looking for trout.

But some of these diminutive brooks are at their best during periods of high, discolored water.

However, where water levels were already low early in the season, my usual haunts gave up no sea trout. The big pool mentioned earlier sits well upstream from the sea, and holds not sea-run fish, but regular stream-run trout.

Anyway, this was disconcerting. But such things are a result of natural, not manmade, events, and as such it’s hard to become too upset.

Unfortunately, something else, not natural but entirely human-caused, may have had an effect upon sea-run trout populations. Elver nets set near the mouth of streams may thwart upstream migration of trout returning from estuarine

areas. And last year, nets were out early.

Even some streams that may still host fragmentary runs of Atlantic salmon are open to placement of these nets.

For sure, I don’t wish to dampen anyone’s chances of making a whole lot of money in a relatively short time. But I wonder what effect, if any, multitudes of elver nets may have on upstream migration of salmonids.

So this year, 2017, could answer that question. Given the usual early-spring high water, trout should begin their annual springtime upstream migration. If the fish return as expected, then maybe everything’s okay. But if not, this may stand as a problem looking for a solution.

Free Food March, with its gradually warming temperatures, signals the beginning of the foraging season for edible wild plants – free food from nature. While emerging green things will not become available for another month or so, a few wild items are there for the taking now. One of them is something everyone is familiar with, too – the common cattail, which offers the first wild plant food of the season.

What we look for now is the underwater shoots that, if left undisturbed, will become this season’s new cattails. But since it is impossible to harm a cattail colony by harvesting, it only makes sense to go out and pick some shoots now. Here’s how to do it.

First, don knee-length rubber boots and head for a cattail marsh or other place where these ubiquitous plants grow.

St. Patrick’s Day brook trout alongside Tom’s Irish bagpipes.

Look for the dead brown leaves and seedstalks of last year’s cattails. Admittedly, these don’t look too appetizing. But trust me, they hold a hidden reward.

With a spading fork or similar implement, stand with a foot on either side of one of these dead clumps and with the fork, wiggle the plant so as to partially dislodge it.

Then grab the clump as near to the water as possible and pull straight up.

Swish the roots around to remove any clinging clay or mud, and look for a whitish, curved projection sticking out of the root mass. This is the new shoot.

Break off the shoot and put it in a container.

Continue harvesting until you have accumulated a healthy helping of cattail shoots.

Back home, rinse in cold, fresh water. These shoots can range from one inch to several inches long. The cleaned shoots can also be nibbled as is, no chopping, or they can be cut up and used in a stir fry dish. The ways and cooking methods are limited only by the cook’s imagination.

Patched Hares Snowshoe hares have become scarce in the Midcoast region, partly due to predation by coyotes.

All the same, pockets of bunnies exist here and there. And there’s no better time to find hares than in March.

By now, increasing hours of daylight have caused hares to lose some of their white winter pelage, leaving the animals “patched,” with white and brown fur. And with snow melting rapidly, late March sees only small islands of snow in our woods.

And just as if hares know that their whiteness, even partial whiteness, will stand out against a brown background, they seek out these isolated patches of snow. So anywhere snow remains, the astute hunter will likely find hares.

For those who love handgun hunting, this makes the perfect time to get out with a small-caliber handgun and shoot some sitting hares.

March has much to offer and to think – the season has only just begun.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

62 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Improve This Year’s Fly Fishing Season Now Start planning, preparing and practicing now, says the author, and by the time the season opens you will be “ready to attack the water like a welltrained, fly fishing ninja.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t grow up with a fly rod in my hands. My first fishing memories are of days spent lying on a dock on a little lake in Michigan, dropping a line with a hook and worm under the dock by hand and catching small bullheads.

I begged the adults to take me out fishing in the row boat, but there just wasn’t enough room for more than three anglers – and I was quite young, maybe seven or eight years old.

After the adults left me at the shore, my grandmother told me to fish under the dock. She offered to cook up any fish I brought in to her from the lake. I found some line, a few hooks and a bunch of worms,

and went to work.

My kind grandmother showed me how to clean the bullheads, and then she fried them up for me.

I had never eaten anything that ever tasted better. From that point on, I became a dedicated bullhead fisherman, and I enjoyed fishing by myself.

For the large portion of my life, I used spin tackle to fish for a wide variety of freshwater species and some salt water fish as well.

Then, when I was about 45 years old, I became interested in fly fishing. I’m now 62, so I have been fly fishing for only about 17 years.

Let me just say I fell head-over-heels for fly fishing, realized how much I had been missing,

Gene Bahr MASTER FISH CARVER

and put myself on a fasttrack to learn as much as possible so I could enjoy this wonderful sport for the rest of my life.

Fast Track Lesson In order to help you become better with a fly rod in a hurry, let me tell you a few things I have learned over the years.

Those who have been fly fishing all their lives might have a different perspective, but in my view I’ve had to jump on this learning process to take advantage of a dwindling number of year left on this earth – I never had the luxury of growing up with fly rods at a young age.

First lesson – don’t waste any time. Get out before the season starts this year and take a fly casting lesson from a pro-

Author’s brother, Jim Clunie from Michigan, lays the line out on a warm and lazy summer day. All photos: William Clunie

fessional. When you are hauling in excellent game fish later this season, you will thank yourself for spending the extra money and time on improving your casting. And this advice applies to anglers at all levels of experience.

Once you take the casting lessons, don’t just

Back in the Maine Stream — A Fishing Program for Disabled Veterans —

Sebago, Maine • 207-647-5238

SEE US AT THE STATE OF MAINE SPORTSMAN’S SHOW Augusta Civic Center • March 31-April 2

Taxidermist, Fish Carver, Fish Restorations and More

info@backinthemainestream.org

www.genebahr.com

BackInTheMaineStream.org

www.MaineSportsman.com

sit around and wait for the season to start before you get the fly rod out.

Have a fly rod all set up at the back door, with a piece of yarn tied to the end of the leader. Grab that fly rod and practice casting right there in the back yard as frequently as possible.

Even if you only have a few minutes, grab the rod and practice. Work with your left hand if you are right-handed. Cast in the wind and work on tightening your loops.

Shoot for objects under overhanging branches to simulate actual fishing experiences.

When the season rolls around, you should be well into good rod handling techniques and be able to get right out onto the water without waiting a few months while you work out the bugs from a long winter layover.

(Continued on next page)

—

y

g

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 63 (Continued from page 62)

Guided Trip Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another way to improve your fly fishing success this season, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one you need to pay attention to right now: Call a highly-recommended guide, and set up an early fishing trip.

Most of the good guides get booked up quickly, so get a jump on this plan and make the call now to reserve a spot.

Guided trips with competent guides always turn out to be learning experiences, no matter what level of fly fishing skill you have attained.

For me, fly fishing happens to be a life-long learning process â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I learn a little more each time I go fishing, and that learning gets tremendously enhanced with a seasoned guide present.

When you make your reservation, be sure to point out to the guide what you are looking for.

All guides assume you want to catch fish, but be honest with your skill level and coach them a little on what you want to do â&#x20AC;&#x201C; improve a weak cast, get better at nymphing, learn better techniques for dry fly presentation, etc.

Let me emphasize againâ&#x20AC;Śbe honest with your skill level or lack of skill. Nothing ruins a fishing trip more than getting halfway downriver with a client and finding out that they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perform at the level they stated initially. Guides can easily accommodate anglers at any skill level, but they really need to know what they are dealing with well ahead of the day of the trip.

Prepare for Battle Get all of the tackle needed well ahead of the opening day of the season. Dump it all out on the floor and organize it all in a vest and gear bag, so when the time comes you can be confident you

Handsome brook trout in the net.

havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forgotten anything. If you are like me, you will unfortunately forget something, but at least it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a slew of highly-important items.

Go to YouTube, enter â&#x20AC;&#x153;How to clean fly line,â&#x20AC;? and follow easy instructions for cleaning fly line.

Do other maintenance chores, such as cleaning and lubing reels, re-organizing flies, and sorting out leaders and tippets.

When the season opens, you will be ready to attack the water like a welltrained, fly fishing ninja.

I like to change out old flashlight batteries to make sure my lights wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fail me when needed. The old batteries that have been left in place all winter might still have juice, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not taking

any chances.

This might sound odd, but I like to â&#x20AC;&#x153;psychâ&#x20AC;? myself up for the upcoming season by attending fly fishing shows, and reading books about the topic. At the shows, I get to meet other anglers and thrive on their stories and fishing information. If thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not enough, I dive into fly fishing books and dream of the approaching fishing seasonâ&#x20AC;Śof casually laying a line out on the smooth water surface, with the warm and lazy sun on my backâ&#x20AC;Ś and then looking in disbelief as a 20-inch brook trout rockets itself to the surface, grabs my fly and somersaults back into the dark water.

Âś

Another brookie falls for the feathers.

All Your Fly Tying Needs

207-864-5615 2529 Main St., Rangeley, ME NOW SHOP ONLINE at rangeleyflyshop.com

/RangeleySportShop

!

0

*/450/ ; #055 ; !5#) ; *"02 ; #)0 ; !5%3703+4; !.40/ ; *4)10/$ ; *..4 ; *0; ; 03% ! ) ! # )() $ ) ) &) " ) !# ) ") % # # !) ")# ) ) &) ! #) ! ' ")

! "" ) &) ) "#! # ") ! ) )() ! ) # $ ) ) ! " " ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

; ; 065%;,;:; !1%; %$$*#+; 03+ ; ; ;

; ;:;

Renzetti, Regal & Dyna-King Vises

Whiting Farms Hackle

WESTERN MAINE FLY FISHING EXPO 6DWXUGD\ 0DUFK $0Âą 30 %HWKHO ,QQ &RQIHUHQFH &HQWHU

ÄŚ ([KLELWV Â&#x2021; 6LOHQW $XFWLRQ Â&#x2021; 5DIĂ&#x20AC;HV ÄŚ Adults $5 â&#x20AC;˘ 15 and Under Free

*XLGHV 2XWÂżWWHUV 6SRUWLQJ &DPSV $XWKRUV $UWLVWV (TXLSPHQW 0DQXIDFWXUHUV DQG 5HWDLOHUV )O\ 7\LQJ 'HPRV ,QVWUXFWLRQDO 6HPLQDUV DQG 7UDYHO 7DONV

)/< )/< ),6+,1* ),/0 7285 30 /< ),6+,1* ),/0 72 7285 30

6*4*5;/63; %7;//-*/%; 503%

in Advance Â&#x2021; at Door Sponsored by the Mollyockett Chapter of Trout Unlimited

778 %-$3%$(%&94)01 #0.

ZZZ ZHVWHUQPDLQHĂ \Ă&#x20AC;VKLQJH[SR FRP www.MaineSportsman.com

64 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Winter Sports Dominate the Region’s Outdoor Scene This Month!

From the first wooden Hula Popper whittled from my jackknife some 45 years ago, to the completion of the “East Coast Drifter” this past year, ol’ Bill Sheldon has enjoyed building as much of his own outdoor gear as time would allow.

Why would any sane person spend six hours building and painting a “custom” top water bass lure when sporting retailers sell perfectly fine “mass produced” plastic plugs for relatively cheap money?

Short of submitting to a thorough mental exam, I’m sticking to the claim that success in the field with home-built gear raises the satisfaction several octaves. While it’s not for everyone, creating quality outdoor gear adds another exciting element to recreating in the great outdoors.

That’s why when a local Boy Scout troop asked for help building snowshoes, I jumped at the chance. With a set

of instructions off the internet, some “green” ash and a hand-built bending form, the first dozen or so sets came steaming out of my “hot” box.

Since that first group of scouts snow shoed off into the snow nearly 20 years ago, I’d estimate that my old steamer has “cooked” somewhere around 50 sets of those “Abenaki” style snowshoes for up-and-coming Boy Scouts throughout the years.

Many of these snowshoes have survived multiple back-country trips.

When I came across a set my son, Willie, made along with the rest of his scout troop, I decided to bring them along on last year’s rabbit hunt. While the rubber bindings needed a bit of attention, the ash and rawhide shoes themselves still looked as good as the day 13-yearold Willie, with help from his dad, wrapped the steaming hot ash around his hand-built form.

Snowshoe Opportunities Snowshoeing has skyrocketed in popularity for many reasons. Consider that snowshoes and a set of poles won’t break the bank; the exercise value beats going to the gym; and the views in and around the Katahdin Region during the winter rate as second to none.

Many folks wait for March to snowshoe so they can take advantage of longer days, warming sunshine and a snow base that has settled enough to make for ideal snowshoeing conditions – some say the best of the year.

The Katahdin Region has countless acres of paper company land, The Woods and Waters National Monument and the old standby – Baxter State Park, which all allow access to folks looking to enjoy the region’s beauty one step at a time.

The many un-plowed logging roads that crisscross the region make perfect routes for winter

Denise Sheldon navigates deep snow just fine in her modern aluminum-framed snowshoes. Bill Sheldon photo

travelers to slosh along and get an inside glimpse into the pristine Maine wilderness without having to worry too much about getting lost.

With that said, any-

one heading into the wilderness needs to take certain precautions. This includes a backpack loaded with some form of hydration, an assortment of (Continued on next page)

DISCOVER THE

Katahdin Region Two Rivers Canoe & Tackle

Katahdin Mountain Lodge & Guide Service

Northern Maine’s Fishing Headquarters

Dry Flies to Carrying the Complete Line from SCOTT CANOE Lead Line Everything for Special Early Pre-Season Pricing! the Fisherman

Guns Used Canoes Trailers & Outboards www.MaineSportsman.com

Open Tuesday - Saturday • (207) 746-8181

www.tworiverscanoe.com

We offer Snowmobile lodging with access to trails at the door of the lodge!

Lodge accommodates 8 people!

• Family-style accommodations in our main lodge • Our cabin sleeps four adults and two children • Home cooked meals available, nice variety • $45.00 per couple per night

207-242-6353 katahdinmountainguideservice.com

—

f

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 65 (Continued from page 64)

protein-rich food, a first aid kit and, most importantly, a means to quickly build a fire.

And, of course, a good paper topo map, along with a Global Positioning System (GPS) and a serviceable compass, should find a home in a sealed, waterproof section of that same pack.

Because many of these off-trail routes do lead deep into “no-man’sland,” some type of satellite communicator makes sense. Companies like Spot and Garmin offer small units geared towards two-way texting, a must for the many areas devoid of cell phone towers.

I’ve always felt that a viable cell phone connection means I haven’t gone far enough. Satellite communicators allow deep wilderness travel with the peace of mind that help is never out of reach.

The weak link with electronics usually comes at the hands of dead batteries. That’s relatively easy to overcome. Some hikers use small solar battery chargers – a good deal for sure. I always put a set of new batteries in the previously mentioned waterproof section of my pack. A little due diligence should erase those fears.

Last Chance Hares The snowshoe hare season extends until the end of this month (March 31), and many bunny-busters also take advantage of ideal snowshoeing and hare-hunting conditions.

Hunters utilizing a guide with dogs now also take advantage of “snow settle” and longer, warmer days while pursuing Lepus americanus.

During daylight hours, hares sit tight. That means either stepping on one or having a sharpnosed beagle take charge.

With travel by snow a bit easier this time of year, putting one foot in front of the other and slowly following the “runs” left by hares offers the best chance to stum-

ble into a bunny “hole” full of fast-moving white fur.

Hares prefer lowslung conifers, the types that create a little bit of a shelter between the bottom branches and the snow. Be especially diligent of these situations, and try looking for the rabbit’s eye as opposed to the entire rabbit – a trick my grandfather taught me many moons ago.

Sledding Rocks Expect the snowmobile action to continue throughout this month.

With a solid base and exceptional grooming most everywhere in the Katahdin Region, snowmobile jockeys will continue slapping the throttle on the miles of groomed

trails that cut through the region.

The growing popularity of “off-trail” sledding fits well into the Katahdin region’s March résumé. A little bit of snow settle helps keep sleds from bogging down in ungroomed snow.

The best way to “offtrail” ride without ending up in someone’s driveway is to hire a guide or visit a lodge that specializes in customized snowmobile touring.

Rick LeVasseur, owner of 5 Lakes Lodge (www.5lakeslodge.com) has his finger on the pulse of both the groomed and “off-trail” riding situation. Working with a professional like LeVasseur rates as critical when

venturing off the groomed highway.

Off-trail riding offers plenty of rewards but also comes with more risk. A thorough knowledge of the region’s remote trails only comes with years of experience and spending a few dollars to access what these guides and outfitters have accumulated in their heads rates as money well spent.

Winter’s final month roars with opportunities throughout the Katahdin Region.

¶

These Abenaki-style snowshoes, made years ago

by Boy Scouts, still do a serviceable job and make great conversation pieces. Bill Sheldon photo

BOULET SPORTING CAMPS Located in T4R15 Township off North Maine Woods 490 Road American Plan or Housekeeping Zone 4

Millinocket, ME • 207-723-8800 boulet2camps@aol.com

www.BouletSportingCamps.com

Nesowadnehunk Campground & Guide Service NOW BOOKING 2017 BEAR HUNTS Bear overr Ba Bait or wi with h Hounds A ti Ac tive ve Bai aitts ts Refe Re fere renc re nces nc es Ava vail ilab il ablle ab le

P.O. Box 345, Millinocket, ME 04462 Winter Phone Dec–April: 207-746-0008 May–Nov: 207-458-1551

www.nesowadnehunk.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

66 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

—

Anglers Brace for Big Brook Trout Resurgence in Moosehead Lake Tim Obrey, who is the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries And Wildlife (DIF&W) Regional fisheries biologist for Region E, has exciting news, not only for those who regularly fish Moosehead Lake, but also for others around the country looking for some of America’s best fishing for native brook trout.

The news is, look no further. Moosehead Lake is experiencing a resurgence in its native brook trout population.

Obrey cited the over-

all growth in size of Moosehead Lake brook trout in the years 20082012. Fish of 4 and 5 pounds became, if not common, at least far more widespread than in the past. These great fish continue to show up from time to time. Now add to that a great spike in brook trout numbers.

The end result is nothing short of fantastic.

We should note that unlike a certain percentage of landlocked salmon in Moosehead Lake, brook trout here are com-

GET 10% OFF YOUR STAY WITH THIS AD! Come and enjoy our newly renovated 5 bedroom, 2 bath 2400 sq. ft. vacation home just steps away from Beautiful Moosehead Lake in Rockwood, ME! We sleep up to 12 people. Whether you want to relax and enjoy or participate in the many activities in the Moosehead area, our location is very central for enjoying all that Moosehead has to offer.

Like us on Facebook at Northern Nights on Moosehead. MENTION THIS AD FOR A 10% DISCOUNT ON YOUR STAY! Call Julie at (207) 651-1001 or email her at northernnightsonmoosehead@gmail.com.

pletely wild, the scions of trout that first populated Maine’s largest lake.

While some stocking of salmon takes place in order to supplement the lake’s wild and reproducing population, brook trout were never stocked.

That should come as big news for fans of wild brook trout. Maine has the best wild brook trout fishing in the nation, and Moosehead Lake stands at the top of the list of wild trout waters.

Survey Results The folks at DIF&W regularly monitor salmonid numbers, growth and condition in Moosehead Lake. They also count angler-days, and quite surprisingly, the total of reported days anglers spent fishing Moosehead Lake has gone down considerably over the years.

For instance, in 1986, anglers put in an esti-

mated combined total of 54,000 days fishing Moosehead Lake during the open water season.

That dropped to a low of 10,000 days in 2015, increasing in 2016 to near 14,000 days.

With the current brook trout boom, these figures should rise dramatically. Once people become aware of the fantastic opportunity to take large, wild brook trout, anglers from all over should begin hitting Moosehead. And remember, the minimum length limit on Moosehead brook trout is 14 inches.

On most any other water, a 14-inch brook trout would be considered a good fish. But at Moosehead, many anglers release trout of this size in anticipation of hooking a far larger specimen.

Togue Looking Good, Too As for current condition of all salmonids in Moosehead Lake, DIF&W uses something called the “K” Factor. Fish are collected for these surveys using both gillnets (set for lake trout, or togue, in deep water) and trapnets.

Trapnets utilize a long, fan-like net to direct fish into a holding box where they are later weighed, measured and released.

For summer gillnetting for togue, the K Factor was the highest it has been since 1989. Without getting into all the details, the K Factor is an overall measure of fish condition.

A high K Factor, which is what togue in Moosehead are currently experiencing, means that fish are as big, fat and healthy as they can get. This is great news for togue anglers.

(Continued on next page)

Welcome to www.MooseheadLake.org • 1-207-695-2702 OPEN YEAR ROUND Fully Equipped Lake-front Cottages Guide & Fly Shop AUBURN – BANGOR BELGRADE – BOOTHBAY BRUNSWICK – DAMARISCOTTA FAIRFIELD – FARMINGTON GREENVILLE – PEMAQUID PORTLAND – SKOWHEGAN Wilton

Fly-Fish the World Famous East Outlet of the Kennebec River Right from Your Cottage Door!

Hunting Packages Available for Trophy Deer, Grouse and Woodcock – On Your Own or With a Guide –

Toll-Free

1-866-HAMMOND

www.hammondlumber.com www.MaineSportsman.com

Fish • Hunt • ATV • Snowmobile Your Hosts: Alison and Scott Snell, Master Guide

207-695-2549 Route 15, Greenville Junction, ME 04442

www.WilsonsOnMooseheadLake.com

Harris Drug Store Full Service Pharmacy Digital Self-Developing Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain Gifts & More

207-695-2921

A

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 67 (Continued from page 66)

And as a sidebar to these summer trapnetting results, a large number of brook trout showed up in gillnets along with togue. Again, without getting into details – many of which I find difficult to understand, even though Tim Obrey kindly offered to explain it all to me – the number of brook trout taken as an incidental catch in gillnets set for togue is the highest ever for the last 15 years.

And if records were available before that, it may be safely assumed that the current numbers are among the highest ever.

Salmon, Trout Healthy Landlocked salmon, too, have experienced a good boost in the K Factor.

Trapnetting results at Moosehead Junction show a greatly increased K factor, with 3-year-old fish having the highest rating since 1997 and 2-year-old fish achieving the highest K ranking since 2004.

Finally, according to Tim Obrey, brook trout examined in the Junction trapnet were in the best condition in over 20 years.

Warmwater Species It seems a shame to even need to examine warmwater species in Moosehead Lake. Two new additions are smallmouth bass and white perch, both of which are apparently doing well.

White perch seem not as widespread as bass, and most of these fish are taken in spring, from Spencer Bay. And suffice it to say, these are large perch. What with the great amount of water and forage species, it seems likely that the next state record perch will hail from Moosehead.

But again, these are illegally-introduced species, and shouldn’t be here in the first place.

Smallmouth bass are a different story. These began showing up in the Lily Bay area in recent years and have since spread to the west side of the lake. Bass are taken

in Rockwood and even in Moose River, one of two premiere spawning sites for Moosehead Lake salmonids.

In instances where bass are illegally introduced to brook trout waters, the bass usually out-compete the trout, ruining the trout fishery.

But Moosehead Lake has one saving grace – it has so much deep, extra-cold water that young-of-theyear bass cannot survive the winter if they don’t reach a certain size by autumn. This means that while finding their way around to places where they were never expected, bass in Moosehead have a hard row to hoe in order to out-compete salmonids for forage in the big lake.

Moosehead Coalition The Moosehead Lake Fisheries Coalition (MLFC) and DIF&W are developing a written procedure on smelt larvae.

This is to ensure that problems with tiny smelt slated for stocking will not crop up in the future.

Also, the group con-

A fine brookie taken through the Moosehead Lake ice in front of Lawrence’s Lakeside Camps, Rockwood.

tinues to work hard at restoration on streams leading into Moosehead Lake. However, as member Larry Farrington says, “…those who have always done it are aging.”

This means that some new members are needed to continue the fine work done by this all-volunteer group over the years.

Finally, MLFC is planning to work along with DIF&W in building

brook trout reproduction boxes. As anglers, we all owe members of this coalition a debt of gratitude and a great big, thank you.

Given the greatly improved condition of Moosehead Lake brook trout, togue and salmon, the future of Maine’s largest – and some would say, best – lake looks rosy indeed.

¶

Lawrence’s Lakeside Cabins and Guide Service OPEN YEAR ROUND ON MOOSEHEAD LAKE

The perfect getaway community for your four-season vacation.

207-695-2702 www.MooseheadLake.org MAYNARDS ROCKWOOD, MAINE

Overlooking Moose River & Blue Ridge

Dining room and American Plan Cabins open May through Columbus Day weekend Housekeeping Cabins available Mid October til April 1-888-518-2055 • 207-534-7703 e-mail: gmaynards@hotmail.com www.maynardsinmaine.com

GRAY GR RAY GHOST CAMPS CA

Waterfro ont Cabins, Islan nd Co C ott ott ttag ages es & Pri riva vate va t Hom te o e Re R ent ntal als al ls on Moo oose sehe se ehe head ad d Lak ake, ke,, Sebe Se bec La Lake Lake k & Moo oose se Riv ver Rent nt night htly y, we eek ekly ly or sea easo sona n lly. y.

Fishing g & Sa Sailin Sai ilin ng charte ters ers r on Mo Moos ooseh ehea e d La Lake ke e.

Moto Mo torb rboa oatt Re Rent n al nt alss Av Avaiila labl be bl ~ Open Yeaar Roun und~ d d~ 161 16 1 Ja Jack ckma man n Rd • Roc ockw kwoo ood, d, ME

207-534-7 7362 207-9 943-3 3815 ww ww.GrayGhostCaamps.ccom

Vacations - Modern Housekeeping Cabins Fishing - Salmon, Lake and Brook Trout Hunting - Moose, Deer, Grouse

BOB LAWRENCE, MASTER GUIDE PO Box 101, Rockwood, ME 04478

207-534-7709 www.lawrencescabins.com VISA/MASTERCARD ACCEPTED

THE BIRCHES RESORT Four Seasons of Recreation and Relaxation on Moosehead Lake

Rustic Cabins, Luxury Private Home Rentals, Yurts, Cabin Tents and New Kozy Cabins Fish for Salmon, Togue and Brook Trout Moose Cruise, Marina, Motor Boat Rentals, Canoe & Kayak, Mountain Biking, Hiking Raft the Kennebec, Penobscot and Dead Rivers

wwld@aol.com • www.birches.com

1-800-825-WILD

Hunting Packages • Meals • Guide Service The Best Hunting and Fishing in Maine

www.MaineSportsman.com

68 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Jackman a Hub for Snowmobiling and Fun It’s winter in Jackman, and snowmobiles may just outnumber automobiles in town this month. The hamlet of Jackman, long known throughout the northeast as a “hub” for trail runners looking to kick up snow, continues to excel in all aspects of motorized winter travel.

Often, folks point to the miles of groomed trails that receive up to 10 feet of white powder year after year. Others would say it’s the strategic location that places this friendly village within striking distance of multiple ITS trails connecting to such name destinations as Rangeley, Greenville, Rockwood and Canada.

It’s fair to say all of the above help create an ideal location from which to dial up a destination and slap the throttle for-

THE LAST RESORT

The most important factors in Jackman’s success as a snowmobile hub are the folks who run the lodges, pump gas, serve meals and otherwise support the riding community. ward towards either a known objective or even parts unknown. But it takes more than physical real estate mixed with a heavy dose of snow to attract the attention of national snowmobile publications.

It’s the People The final and most important ingredient is the people of Jackman, who tirelessly run the lodges, gas stations, restaurants and multiple other support businesses that turn a bunch of buildings and land into a community.

However, these fine folks often receive little or no recognition for their efforts.

Need to know where

8 housekeeping log cabins on Long Pond in Jackman, Maine

207-668-5091 www.lastresortmaine.com caseys@lastresortmaine.com

FISHING & HUNTING Deer, Hare and Great Grouse Hunting Hosts: Ellen & Tim Casey Master Guide

Rustic & Remote Yet Accessible

Fishing for Brook Trout & SM Bass Spring Fishing & Oct. Small Game: $25 p.p.p.n.

Nov. Whitetails - Hskp & Meal Plans PO Box 777, Jackman, ME 04945

SNOWSHOE MAKING WEEKENDS Build your own snowshoes in one weekend and take them home! Fun for all ages!

May 19–21, 2017

to go, what to do? More often than not the friendly answer finds itself somewhere along Main Street in “downtown” Jackman.

Winter travelers, especially those visiting Jackman for the first time, often need to follow a finger pointed in the right direction.

“Is it okay to park my truck and trailer for the day at the Border Riders Sportsman’s Club while we ride the trails?”

It won’t take long for someone to nod “Yes.” It’s the little things that turn a small town into a destination hub. Yes, the fine people who keep the lights on in Jackman got the message a long time ago – treat people right, and they’ll be back next year.

Snow Hub Convenience also plays an important role in welcoming trail runners. Most of the local lodging hosts have trails from their accommodations that directly access

the main trail system.

Main Street has a good selection of restaurants and pubs to complement the various hotels, motels and lodges.

Jackman attracts two types of winter travelers.

One group takes up residence for a few days and spends time doing day trips to and from Jackman. On the other hand, “gypsy” sledders might spend a night in Jackman on their way to Canada or Pittston Farms.

I know I’ve enjoyed staying in the lower parts of the region, West Forks, and snowmobiling up to Jackman, where I roll up my sleeves and wolf down a cheeseburger at Mamma Bear’s Restaurant on Main Street. The fries are great too!

For the best source for snowmobiling information in and around the Jackman Region contact the Border Riders Sportsman’s Club (www.borderridersclub.com). The Jackman Region Cham-

OVER 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN OUR AREA Call for a Free Brochure & Information on other Great Prices & Packages

www.maineguides-specialists.net

(Continued on next page)

The Specialists Guide Service Bear with Hounds ..........$1,600 Bear over Bait (Sept)......$1,000 Moose - 2 People ..........$1500 (Permit Only - Oct) Deer - Bow (Oct) ..............$700 Rifle (Nov)..........................$700 Muzzleloader (Dec) ..........$700

Grouse (Oct) Ducks (Sept/Oct) Hare with Hounds (Oct-Mar) Coyote (Year Round) Weekly Hunts Include Lodging, Transportation & Trophy Care

207-668-7642

www.MaineSportsman.com

Off-Trail Off-trail riding ramps up this month. The weight of the snowpack and the softening temperatures help to compact the snow’s depth, making unplowed logging trails a bit easier to navigate with the average snow machine.

Serious off-trail riders have taken to modifying sleds to better handle deep snow conditions.

These modifications, like special lightweight tracks and “powder skis,” all contribute toward better flotation and a trouble-free ride.

A left side throttle and risers on the handlebars also improve rider control. At the end of the day anything that lightens the sled helps when navigating through deep powder.

Once again, many of the local business folks can point riders looking for this type of action in the right direction.

Bright Lights Those sledding by Big Wood Pond (DeLorme Atlas Map 39, B-4) might notice ice fishing shacks burning the midnight oil.

Like stars in the sky, this sprinkling of lights across the frozen pond causes astute observers to stop and reflect.

The madness behind these lights in the night

P.O. Box 611 • Jackman, Maine 04945

Pine Grove Lodge • (207) 672-4011 • pinegrovelodge.com

ber of Commerce (www. jackmanmaine.org) also carries current snowmobile trail reports along with an assortment of helpful information for incoming trail runners.

—

g f r

k

t g

w

t

r

n

f

g n

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 69 (Continued from page 68)

involves Big Wood Pondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthy cusk population.

The white, sweet tasting fillets from these bottom-hugging fish rival that of fresh caught Atlantic cod fish, at least in the opinion of this writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taste buds.

Ice shacks have come a long way in comfort over the years. Many of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shanties look more like â&#x20AC;&#x153;hard waterâ&#x20AC;? palaces. On cold nights, the wood or propane heat feels great.

Visitors coming into Jackman looking to get in on the opportunity to haul in cusk that weigh up to 10 pounds can bypass calling in a contractor to build an â&#x20AC;&#x153;ice palaceâ&#x20AC;? by renting one from Sally Mountain Cabins (www. sallycabins.com).

Once again, local venders make it easy to recreate in this mountain hamlet. The eight-foot by ten-foot ice shack comes

complete with firewood, making a night on the pond toasty warm.

Comfort rates as important, because hard water anglers pursuing cusk must check their traps each hour by Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) rules.

For complete rules and regulations please check the DIF&W website at www.maine.gov/ifw .

People Power While the internal combustion engine rules the month, a growing handful of outdoorsy types use â&#x20AC;&#x153;people powerâ&#x20AC;? to navigate in and around the Jackman Region.

Cross country skis and snowshoes find favor with those willing to subscribe to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;less is moreâ&#x20AC;? theory.

On the â&#x20AC;&#x153;lessâ&#x20AC;? side of the equation, skis and snowshoes definitely cost a lot less than a snowmobile. And, of course, plan (Continued on next page)

ATTENTION SPORTSMEN %HIRUH KHDGLQJ KRPH DIWHU \RXU KXQWLQJ RU ÂżVKLQJ H[SHGLWLRQ VWRS E\ WR SLFN XS VRPHWKLQJ IRU \RXU VLJQLÂżFDQW RWKHU ,W PD\ MXVW PDNH \RXU QH[W WULS HDVLHU â&#x20AC;˘ Jewelry â&#x20AC;˘ Maine Souvenirs â&#x20AC;˘ Postcards â&#x20AC;˘ Yankee Candles â&#x20AC;˘ Toys & Games â&#x20AC;˘ And More!

Also, pick up a bottle of MOOREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FLY DOPE as seen on Bill Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OUTDOORS

E.W. Moore & Son Pharmacy Big Enough To Serve you ~ Small Enough To Care Main Street, Bingham, ME

207-672-3312 www.ewmooreandson.com Chet Hibbard, R. Ph. ~ Pharmacist/Owner

Open Year Round

Bill Sheldon getting ready to kick up some snow. Disclaimer: The author notes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;My helmet was removed for photo purposes.â&#x20AC;?

Welcom me to

THE GATEWAY

TO THE NORTH MAINE WOODS ~ UPPER KENNEBEC VALLEY ~ Solon â&#x20AC;˘ Binggham m â&#x20AC;˘ Mooscow â&#x20AC;˘ Carratunkk The Forkks â&#x20AC;˘ West Foorks

Gateway Recreation & Lodging

g

t

d t

Hunting, Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking and ATV Direct Trail Access Fully furnished housekeeping cabins with showers

Camps located in Solon & Eustis, Maine Reasonable Rates â&#x20AC;˘ WiFi and Dish TV

www.breezyacrescamps.com Hosts & Owners: Dale & Edie Dunlap All major credit cards accepted

Cabins with Kitchens, Satellite TVs and Bathrooms â&#x20AC;˘ Guided Fishing and Hunting Trips

Snowmobiling on ITS 87 & 84 â&#x20AC;˘ Wireless Internet â&#x20AC;˘ Large Parking Area Trailer and Sled Storage â&#x20AC;˘ 1/4 Mile from Gas, Restaurants and Parts

www.gateway-rec.com â&#x20AC;˘ 1-800-440-0053 â&#x20AC;˘ Bingham, ME www.MaineSportsman.com

70 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Jackman (Continued from page 69)

on covering a lot less terrain. Speed enthusiasts and those only interested in racing from point “A” to point “B” need not apply.

On the “more” side of the equation, both forms of people-powered travel definitely offer more in the way of exercise. Also, participants can expect to see more of the surrounding landscape in an up close and personal way.

One step or glide at a time allows for an intimate view of the forest, and results in wildlife sightings that folks

traveling at snowmobile speeds simply miss. This connection with nature definitely falls in the “more” column.

The Jackman Region has many unplowed logging roads that make perfect trails for folks looking to connect with nature. Working the edges of ponds and lakes in the region also makes for great day trips.

Winter fun this month starts in Jackman and spreads from here.

-DFNPDQ 0RRVH 5LYHU 5HJLRQ &KDPEHU RI &RPPHUFH 207-668-4171 -DFNPDQ0DLQH RUJ ³$GYHQWXUH ,W¶V 2XU 0DLQH $WWUDFWLRQ ´

¶

Here’s the author’s 1971 “Jay Hawk,” lined up next to his regular ride. Older equipment works just fine, he reports, with proper maintenance and a little TLC. Bill Sheldon photo

JACKMAN MOOSE RIVER REGION

– MAR RCH 5 – 7XUQHU 7X HU 3RQG G %UHDNIDVW 8A AM-11A AM

Photo Courtesy of Nora Gleason-Dore of Manchester, ME

BALD MTN RENTALS

Sn S Snowmobile Sno n now owm owmo wmob mobi ob bil iile le le Rent Ren Re en nta tal tals als! ls! s!

Campground & Guide Service Direct Access to Moose River Cottages Sleep up to 12 People Modern Facilities

• Old Town Canoe & Kayaks Available • Direct Access to ATV Trails BOOKING 2017 FALL MOOSE, BEAR & DEER HUNTS

Full guided Big & Small Game Hunts John Bashaw, Master Maine Guides P.O. Box 396, Jackman ME 04945 Tel: 207-668-5601 e-mail riverview17@myfairpoint.net www.rvcgs.com

– MARCH 4 – 5HJJLH *ULI¿Q 0HPRULDO 5H 6 RZPRELOH 5LGH 6Q %HHQH Q ¿WV WKH H 5H 5 JJLH *ULI¿Q 6FKRODUVKLS )XQG DQGG /RFDO 7UDLO 6\VWHPV )X

River View Cottages OPEN YEAR ROUND!

DATES TO REMEMBER

R REGISTRATIONS

LE L E FISHING ING

Snowmobiling and Ice Fishing gear, general merchandise, and an Extensive Kitchen Menu.

Open 7 days a week, year round

464 Main St. Jackman, ME 207-668-3411 www.bishopsstore.com

Route 201 (Main St.) Jackman, Maine 04945

In The • • • • •

of The Jackman Woods

Serving breakfast, lunch & dinner Cozy, warm atmosphere • Daily Specials Reasonable Rates • Big Portions A full menu of down-home cooking Homemade soups and desserts Our famous charbroiled Angus burger

207-668-4222

SALLY MOUNTAIN CABINS ON THE SHORE OF BEAUTIFUL BIG WOOD LAKE

Located at Spruce Meadow Cabins 4 Miles from Jackman 852 Main Street • Dennistown, ME 207-668-7800 jone jo nesp spon ond@ d@ho hotm tmai aill.co com m

BaldMtnRentals.com SpruceMeadowCabins.com

JACKMAN POWER SPORTS YAMAHA, SKI-DOO, POLARIS, ARCTIC

Year Round Vacation Headquarters for Sportsmen and Families for over 50 years AFFORDABLE RATES $38 Daily per person $230 Weekly per person Kids 1/2 Price Under 5 Free!

• On ATV Trails • Boat, Canoe & Kayak Rentals

WINTER AT ITS BEST Call or Write for More Info: Corey Hegarty 9 Elm Street, Jackman, ME 04945

1-800-644-5621 www.sallymtcabins.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

Also at Sally Mt. Cabins: MODERN LODGING Awesome, spacious accommodations for groups of 4-24.

Same low rates!

:L¿ Cable TV • Clean Cabins • Pets Welcome •

ATV Sales & Service 207-668-4442 • 1-800-287-SNOW Fax: 207-668-7741 549 Main St. Jackman, ME 04945 www.jackmanpowersports.com Open Monday-Saturday 8-5 Sundays 9-2 November-March

—

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 71

Seeking Aroostook’s Trout Trifecta Interrogate Crown of Maine hard-water anglers regarding their favorite finned quarry, and most will waffle. Favorite lakes are mentioned, specific times of day and even certain months, but few want to be tied down to one prized species.

One huge bragging size musky a winter pleases some fishermen, while others can’t wait to spend an evening in a comfy ice shanty handlining smelt by the dozen. Most ice drillers opt for variety and consistent action over specific “makes and models,” so to speak.

Not me, I like trout – especially brook trout, with their sleek heads and broad bodies highlighted with multi-color vermiculations and kaleidoscopic-hued spots and dots. Their hard runs and deep-diving, head-shaking refusal to give ground brings a smile to my face and a chill to my spine.

Whether a brookie slides from a rocky stream bed or a snow-edged ice hole, that sleek and colorful body always causes a bit of awe.

Truth be told, I’m pretty taken with county cousins, the brown trout and lake trout, too.

Round Hole, Square Lake I like to add a bit of a challenge to some of my outings; that’s why I hunt black bear with a crossbow or different handgun each year. A few seasons ago, I attempted and succeeded taking Canada geese with each legal gauge of shotgun as well as a black powder scattergun, and a couple of winters past I decided to attempt icing all three species of trout in a three-weekend period.

The author’s goal? To catch big examples of all three species of trout in a three-weekend period – a 2 ½-pound brookie, a 3-pound brown and a hefty lake trout. Lofty aspirations to be certain, but attainable on the right Aroostook waterways.

I set my minimum goals at a 2 ½-pound brookie, a three-pound brown and a double-digit lake trout – lofty aspirations, but certainly attainable on the right Aroostook waterways.

Over several decades of visits during all seasons, Square Lake has provided me with dependable action on smelt, salmon, and especially brook trout. A surprising number were bragging size brookies in the 2- to 3-pound range, so of course this sister of the Fish River chain of Lakes was my first stop to accomplish my trout triad.

As with many regional lakes, winter access presents a few more hurdles than in other seasons. Plowed roads often change from year to year and a snowmobile is almost required, especially to explore the far reaches of this vast bed of frozen

ice rather than set tip-ups near shore and the nearest snowplowed road.

Many veteran visitors to Square Lake use Route 161, then turn onto the Disy Road to the boat ramp and make a quick jaunt across the thoroughfare between Cross and Square. Care must be taken as ice thickness often varies each winter as temperatures dictate.

I prefer to continue up Route 161 past Guerette and the northern tip of Cross Lake, then take the Square Lake Road to the Burnt Landing boat launch. Some years this passage is plowed all the way to the shoreline; other times, fishermen must use a snow sled from the main road. The Perrault Camp Road offers access to the southern end of Square Lake, but the trip certainly requires a snowmobile.

My most productive

trout action often centers at that southern portion of the lake, especially near Goddard Brook inlet and up along Barstow Point. My first piece of the three fish puzzle, a chunky brookie just over 2 ½ pounds, came within the first hour from this very location.

I always like to set a few traps in about 12 to 20 feet of depth out from Limestone Point, as well.

While watching and waiting for flags, I often jig

a line with cut bait for smelt, and more often than one might suspect a salmon or trout will strike the twitching offering.

More recently, I offer a Swedish pimple or DBsmelt, and entice a surprising number of trout.

Check out Delorme’s Atlas, Map 68, E-2 – it’s rare to visit Square Lake and not catch brook trout.

Small Pond, Big Fish At just over 300 acres, Carr Pond offers a wide selection of smelt, brook trout, salmon and an attractive population of togue. Since this waterway is simple to reach using Rocky Brook Road from Portage, and easy to fish, it’s a great spot for (Continued on next page)

Booking for the 2017 Bear Season!

Hunts Over Bait and/or with Hounds

ALSO BOOKING 2017 DEER HUNTS! — ZONE 2 MOOSE HUNTS — In the Heart of the Allagash and Fish River Waterways....

Camp Rentals for Spring and Fall Fishing, Summer Canoeing, Kayaking and Moose Watching Booking Deer and Grouse Hunts Specializing in

Northern Maine Bear Hunts on Fish River Portage Lake, Maine

David Prevost Registered Maine Guide

Catering to Hunts in Small Groups At Highlanding Camps, life is quiet and guests quickly unwind from busy lifestyles in one of our log cabins.

603-381-0080 or 603-381-8376 highlandingcamps@gmail.com www.highlandingcamps.com www.MaineSportsman.com

72 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The County (Continued from page 71)

rookie sports attempting to land their first lake trout.

Although most togue average 2- to 6-pounds, a fair number of double digit fish fin the depths, making Carr my easy choice to fulfill part two of my trout trio.

There are at least five creek inlets and outlets where smelt and trout seem to congregate in shallow water, 10-15 feet – well worth a jig hole or a couple of tip-ups. For lake trout I’ve found setting bait between 6 and 15 feet below the ice in about 25 to 40 feet of water yields the most consistent action.

While large, lively

shiners will work, small smelt generally prove more attractive, especially to the togue over five pounds. An active bait is essential, so check your minnow frequently and change out any lethargic ones for fresh, feisty swimmers.

Most togue enthusiasts recognize the importance of sturdy lines, reels and traps if a double-digit fish hooks up, so have three or four special rigs set up just for these tough trout. I have been experimenting with circle hooks to ensure a more solid hook up with live bait, and I seem to be losing fewer fish during the tug of war. Others might

In his quest to catch three species of trout in three weeks, writer Bill Graves turned to Drew’s Lake when it came time to coax up a big brownie. He was lucky enough to fill the bill within the first 90 minutes.

Caleb and Amos Ward joined Graham Jackson for a morning away from studies at The University of Maine in Presque Isle for a 15-minute ride to Arnold Brook Lake. They were rewarded with limits of tasty brook trout.

want to investigate the option.

Peruse Map 63, C-3 for an overview of Carr Pond and its access roads.

I did manage to land a couple of togue with several salmon and brook

There are many togue fishing options over The Crown Of Maine, and Jesse Saunders favors Eagle Lake for the best chance to hook a “double digit” lake trout like the 10-pound, seven-ounce beauty he proudly displays.

MAINE WILDLIFE QUIZ Maine’s Striped Skunk The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) belongs to the family Mephitidae (meaning “stench”). The skunk’s range includes the continental United States, southern Canada and northern Mexico. Highly adaptable, skunks can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from field and forests to agricultural and urban areas.

A skunk’s coat consists of pitch-black fur with a distinctive broad white strip running down its back, making them uniquely easy to identify. Despite this obvious and memorable signal warning, many household pets Questions 1. To what family of animals does the striped skunk belong?

2. What is the home range of the striped skunk? www.MaineSportsman.com

trout. The largest togue was just over five pounds, half the brute I’d hoped to catch. Nonetheless, I’d caught two of my three species on two consecutive weekends; now for the toughest trout of the

Ryan Scopino of West Enfield holds a togue taken at Carr Pond during the first half hour of the outing. Lakers in Carr seldom surpass the 10-pound weight, but a plentiful number of 2 to 5-pounders keep flags flying.

trio.

Drilling at Drews Brown trout are a rare commodity and unique reward for Aroostook anglers regardless of season, but perhaps a bit (Continued on next page)

There’s a lot to be said for a comfy portable fish shanty on a frigid day afield. You can jig a handline out of the wind, and still keep a watchful eye on the tip ups.

by Steve Vose

never seem to learn the “Stay away!” lesson, repeatedly finding skunks irresistible.

About the size of an average house cat, skunks weigh from 3 to 14 pounds, and grow to a length of 25-32 inches.

For their relatively diminutive size, skunks possess an impressive defense system. Scent glands on each side of the anus produce a foul-smelling fluid, potent enough to ward off almost any predatory attack. Direct contact with the fluid will cause severe skin irritation and temporary blindness.

Skunks are neither diurnal (day) nor strictly nocturnal (night) creatures, but instead categorized as “crepuscular” (twilight)

creatures, most active during dusk and dawn. Skunks encountered during daylight should be avoided, since this uncharacteristic behavior is typical of skunks carrying rabies.

Omnivores, skunks eat a wildly variable diet of plants and animals, including insects, birds, frogs, fruits, grasses, buds, grains, nuts and carrion. In residential areas, skunk’s burrowing and feeding habits frequently conflict with humans, making them extremely undesirable pests.

Breeding occurs in February through March, with young born in April and June.

Litters average 6-7 young.

3. How much does the striped skunk weigh?

4. Though relatively diminutive in size, how does the striped skunk defend itself?

7. When is the striped skunk breeding season?

8. How big is a striped skunk litter?

5. When is the striped skunk most active?

6. What does the striped skunk eat?

Answers on Page 78

—

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 73 (Continued from page 72)

tougher target through the ice. Meduxnekeag Lake, also known as Drewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake by locals, remains one of only two County ponds with an appreciable number of browns.

Because brown trout are predominantly nocturnal and wary, with a keen caution around baits, hooking a fairsized brown is a true accomplishment. They are tough and crafty fighters,

so actually bringing one from the auger hole deserves further accolades.

Having ice fished and open water trolled Drewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake several times a season, more times than not Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve landed brook trout, salmon, perch and pickerel without a sign of a brown trout.

Skill is a must, but ice fishermen need a bit of luck, as well. Drewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually has three segments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the small lake near the boat ramp and outlet, the larger main lake, and

the Fishing Grounds. My luck for all fish, but especially brown trout, has always been better along the edges of the small lake and along each point where the narrow neck attaches the small lake and larger lake sections.

Drill holes 15 to 20 yards from shore in 12 to 15 feet of water, and set your live baits at various depths from 4 to 18 feet.

Perch and pickerel were my nemesis for the first two hours, keeping me running and draining my

shiner supply.

Then my luck finally came through, and within 3 minutes of setting the hook I know it would be a hefty fish â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and no pickerel or salmon by the tenor of the battle. The one and only brownie of the day weighed over 3 ½ pounds, and my trout trio quest was a triumph.

Map 53, section A-1 of the Atlas shows Drewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake and the I-95 or Route 1 main roads.

Then Routes 2 or 2A onto Drewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake Road guide

newbies to the boat ramp and parking area. By the way, these byways go right past Nickerson Lake, the only other viable brown trout lake in the region.

If any of you attempt a trout quest of your own, these lakes Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mentioned are top rate. If you have the free time, try accomplishing it in a week! Or just visit them for a regular outing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be disappointed.

Âś

experience smooth riding.

THE CROWN OF MAINE Central Aroostook Chamber 207-764-656 centralaroostookchamber.com

Fort Fairfield Chamber 207-472-3802 fortfairfield.org

Free parking & easy access to the ITS 88 snowmobiling trail.

We love having you here

Limestone Chamber 207-325-4704 limestonemaine.org

768 Main St. â&#x20AC;˘ Presque Isle, Maine

207-760-9292 www.presqueisle.hamptoninn.com

207-834-6310

AMP BU W S E

Northern Door Inn

CK

TH

Greater Houlton Chamber 207-532-4216 greaterhoulton.com

Greater Fort Kent Chamber 800-733-3563 fortkentchamber.com

Fort Kent, Maine

Restaurant & Lounge

Evenings or Emergency: 207-231-1203 â&#x20AC;˘ 207-231-1205

OPEN 7 days â&#x20AC;˘ Lunch & Dinner

545 Caribou Road Fort Kent, ME 04743

On Trail 17 off ITS 85 250 West Main St. Fort Kent, Maine 04743

mikesandsons@yahoo.com

207-834-3055

â&#x20AC;˘ 73 Spacious Rooms â&#x20AC;˘ Hair Dryers, Irons & Coffee Makers â&#x20AC;˘ Greenhouse Restaurant

19 Main Street, Intersection of US 1 & Route 164 Caribou, Maine 04736 800.235.0466 or 207.498.3733 www.caribouinn.com Locally owned and operated

â&#x20AC;˘ Albieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lounge

CAN-AM CROWN

International Sled Dog Races Fort Kent, Maine

March , 201

â&#x20AC;˘ Banquet Facilities â&#x20AC;˘ Gift Shop

â&#x20AC;˘ Gram Russoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Italian Restaurant

www.presqueisleinn.com Locally owned and operated

www.northerndoorinn.com

â&#x20AC;˘ Indoor Heated Pool & Jacuzzi

â&#x20AC;˘ Hair Dryers, Irons & Coffee Makers

116 Main Street, US Route 1 Presque Isle, Maine 04769 800.533.3971 or 207.764.3321

1-866-834-3133

â&#x20AC;˘ Fitness Center

â&#x20AC;˘ 118 Guest Rooms & Suites

207-834-3133

Irving Woodland Can-Am 250 Willard Jalbert Jr. Memorial Can-Am 100 Allen's Coffee Brandy & Pepsi Bottling Can-Am 30

â&#x20AC;˘ The Connection Lounge with Live Entertainment â&#x20AC;˘ Fitness Center â&#x20AC;˘ Indoor Heated Pool & Jacuzzi â&#x20AC;˘ Banquet & Conference Facilities â&#x20AC;˘ Gift Shop

For more information please visit our website

www.can-am-crown.net or Call

RU

www.MaineSportsman.com

74 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

2017 Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo Draws Crowds In between hunts for coyote and snowshoe hare this winter, I’ll be trying to attend as many outdoor shows as possible. With so many shows to choose from, folks will have to mark their calendars and fit them into their busy schedules for this year.

The grand-daddy of them all, of course, is the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show, held at the Augusta Civic Center on March 31, and April 1 and 2, jointly produced

by The Maine Sportsman magazine and Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine.

Another of my favorite shows, the Sixth Annual Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo, takes place on Saturday, March 18 at the Bethel Inn Resort and Conference Center in Bethel, Maine.

This year I’ll be working in the booth for “Back In The Maine Stream” (BITMS), a non-profit organization that helps Maine disabled veterans heal through fishing. I really enjoy this show and look forward to seeing the forty-some other vendors, kid’s fly-tying bench, silent auction, raffles, guest speakers, visitors, and the evening “Fly Fishing Film Tour” show at 6p.m.

This show has helped the Mollyockett Chapter of Trout Unlimited raise over $30,000 for a wide range of projects. Their website (mollyocketttu. org) lists some of the results made possible through the generous donations generated by this Western Maine Mountain angling event.

I like connecting with old fishing buddies and always seem to find the need to purchase some kind of new angling item at these shows. I also www.MaineSportsman.com

like re-filling my fly fishing vest with old standby items like tippet material, leaders, and number 20 and smaller nymphs and dry flies that are too teeny for me to tie…but the interaction between angling friends tops it all.

Hare Time In between shows I get a little hare hunting in when snow conditions reach their prime.

Hare hunting with a dog works better with a layer of snow, making it easier to see where the beagles take wrong turns and lose the trail. Even the best beagles lose a track now and then.

Finding a place to hunt snowshoe hare in the Western Maine Mountains (WMM) involves locating a frozen, evergreen swamp. The area east of Andover (DeLorme Atlas, Map 18, D-4), overgrown with loads of swampy rabbit cover, offers plenty of hunting opportunities. Moose and whitetails abound in the thick growth here, so take the proper measures to keep the dogs from running the wintering ungulates.

Keep an eye out for the same kind of hare thickets anywhere around the Roxbury Pond Road (Map 18, C-4) in that same region. A portion of Roxbury Pond Road doesn’t get plowed, so a snowmobile comes in very handy.

Good hare-hunting territory south of Number 6 Road (Map 19, C-1) can also be accessed with a snowmobile. Hunters in this area get a full view of the Tumbledown Mountain Range in all its winter glory.

Areas of lower elevation around Mount Blue State Park (Map 19, C-2) also hold a good hare population. A lot of deer win-

ter in these areas too, so keep an eye out for coyotes while bunny hunting here. Thinning the coyote population helps hare and deer survive tough winters.

WMM Trails A well-packed snow base on snowmobiling trails in the Western Maine Mountains offers many miles of sledding pleasure. The parking area at the end of Poplar Hill Road (Map 19, D-1) connects snowmobilers to a beautiful starting point for heading out to ride on the Interconnected Trail System (ITS).

A favorite east/west connecting trail runs from the northern tip of Webb Lake, where the Number 6 Road (Byron Road) meets West Road (Map 19, C-2) at Weld Corners, to the town of Byron.

Number 6 Road offers precious winter access to the snowed-in beauty of the Jackson Mountains and picturesque Tumbledown Mountain Range.

Most of the road won’t be getting plowed this winter, and in essence remains a snowmobile trail during the winter months. For safe travel, drive slow and to the right while on the road itself.

Corridor 17 offers snowmobilers another convenient access trail into this pristine area.

The state changed the number of the trail to 117, but older maps and trail signs read “17.”

The well-groomed trail parallels Route 17, from Mexico to Oquossoc, and connects ITS 82 and 84.

Some of the most spectacular views in the WMM originate from the peaks of the mountains that act as guidepost for those who travel this scenic trail.

Herb Macomber ties a fly at the “Back In The Maine Stream” booth at the Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo in Bethel. Clunie photo

These trails and others like them in the WMM lead to great hare hunting, provide snowy highways for cross-country snowmobilers, and allow access to remote areas for folks interested in anything outdoors.

March in the WMM gives sports folks ample opportunity to burn off the cabin fever that late winter can sometimes bring.

Hardwater Hotspots Initial reports this year indicate a good population of hungry brook trout thriving under the icy surface of Webb Lake (Map 19, C-2). Several local anglers told me they’ve hooked into some nice brookies up close to the shoreline.

Anglers can access this lake at Dummer’s Beach on the east shore, off Route 142 before it enters the town of Weld. A few ice shacks can also be spotted on the west shore, where the West Brook enters the lake. Access here requires a long walk from the north shore, or permission from camp owners on the shoreline.

Another WMM favor-

ite, Lake Anasagunticook (Map 11, A-4), appeals to ice anglers with young families. The locals refer to the 568-acre lake as Canton Lake. Anglers enjoy a wide variety of fish species that inhabit the depths of this scenic body of water.

The adult ice fishers dangle a line for big brook trout and brown trout here, while the kids keep busy with white perch, smelt and an occasional pickerel.

Most of the trout come from shoreline depths of one or two feet, while others can be hooked anywhere from the shallows to the center of the lake in deeper water.

Anglers access this lake from a shoreline parking lot off Route 140, on the west shore. The parking area sits on the west side of the paved route, and often gets overlooked. Several ice shacks can be seen at the southern end of the lake also, but access here requires landowner permission.

¶

—

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 75

Ge

njoy joy

ine ne! e!

W

/,77/( 7,0 6 1' $118$/ ICE FISHING DERBY

CASEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GUN SHOP Sell ~ Buy ~ Trade ~ Repair

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Safe Firearm is a CLEAN Firearm!â&#x20AC;?

In Memory of Timmy Holland

Qualified Gunsmiths for all your service, repairs & cleaning

CNL Welding & Fabrication Custom Fabrication Aluminum Welding Custom Aluminum Dog Boxes Reclaimed Wood Decor

297 Roxbury Road Mexico, ME

Carmine Nile (DVW 'L[ÂżHOG 0( Â&#x2021;

207-357-5658

Sales & Service Whirlpool â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchenaid Maytag â&#x20AC;˘ Amana Refrigerators â&#x20AC;˘ Ranges â&#x20AC;˘ Washers â&#x20AC;˘ Dryers Freezers â&#x20AC;˘ Dishwashers â&#x20AC;˘ Microwaves Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Sat 9am-Noon, or by appointment

160 Congress St., Rumford

207-364-8293 advantageinsuranceservices.net

364-7062 Family Owned & Operated for over 50 Years

LARSENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

13 Main St., Mexico

Electric

Whirlpo ool

Appliances

BE READY FOR WINTER

0DUFK WK $0 30 :RUWKOH\ 3RQG 3HUX 0DLQH

Lisaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barber Shop 178 Main Street Mexico, Maine 04257

Lisa Cormier - owner

Walk-ins: Tuesday - Friday 8:30 - 5:00 Saturday 9:00 - 12:00 closed Sun & Mon

231 Main Street Mexico, Maine 04257 phone: 207-369-0551 fax: 207-369-0554

www.hebertrealtygroup.com .....y .yyou you o have come to the right agency agency.

357-3824 Rumford Eagles g

Aerie #1248

New Members Always Welcome HOMEMADE DAILY SPECIALS Best Breakfast, Burgers & Sizzler Steak around!

Signature, Homemade Soups, Breads & Desserts!

Homemade Haddock Chowder Serving Beer & Wine Open Mon-Wed 8-2, Thu-Fri 8-7, Sat-Sun 7-2 EASY ACCESS FROM ITS 82

FISHER PLOW SALES, INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE

HALL RENTAL Seating for 300 BINGO Every Tue & Sun Doors open 3pm | Early Birds 6pm

HOURS: MON-FRI 8AM-5PM 207-369-9302 or 207-357-9444 625 Crescent Ave. Rumford, ME

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT EVERY THURS 7-11 & SAT 8-12 (Members & Guests)

dansautomotiverepairandsales.com

129 Rumford Ave., 369-9760 ext. 3 www.MaineSportsman.com

76 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Part 2 of 2

The Pursuit Continues ….

Fast-forward to 1:30 in the afternoon— Ed and my dad were still following the buck! They had jumped it out of bed several times and seen it twice, with my dad firing a failed Hail Mary.

The deer crossed a roaring nineteen-inch deep brook (meaning that it can’t be easily and dryly crossed with eighteen-inch rubber Lacrosse boots) – not once, not twice, but six times!

It had weaved in and out of a thick softwood swamp that would make a rabbit blush. All the while, it was still falling down (though the blood was scarce and sporadic now).

Literally Running the Deer Down Ed and my dad decided that given the obvious hurt the deer was in, and www.MaineSportsman.com

With daylight fading and snow in the forecast, they determined the best option was to push the deer as hard as they could until either they – or the deer – couldn’t go any farther. the incoming snow overnight, the best option they had was to just push the deer as hard as they could until either they or the deer couldn’t go anymore. So they started running on the track!

Two hours later, they were nearing the brook for an eighth time. They were approaching some beaver-dammed backwashes surrounded by an alder thicket. My dad heard an odd noise: ice breaking.

They tore through the alders trying to get a glimpse into the opening of the icy backwater.

They both were breaking through white ice themselves. Ed was hopping from alder island to alder island when he came down off of one and broke through the ice into some deeper water. From his low, precarious position, he was able to get a clear sight out to the open ice.

Lo and behold, there was the massive buck, broken through the ice

and about to gain footing on the other side of the water. Ed—from waistdeep water—snapped his rifle up and ended the buck’s struggle right there.

One More Challenge – Getting the Deer Back to Camp Ed’s struggle, however—even after fourteen miles of trailing through the worst hellhole in the county—had only just begun. Now he had to get the deer out of the icy water, up the steep bank, and dragged out of the massive swamp and to the nearest road—and then go find his truck.

All said and done, he and my dad had traveled over thirteen miles that day, over the course of sixteen hours! It was 9:00 p.m. before they were back to camp with the deer hung up.

(Can you believe that those selfish individuals didn’t even come back halfway through the day

Ed Samson “drags” his 7-pointer across the shallow end of the beaver pond where he finished off the deer after trailing it for 14 miles on Thanksgiving Day, 2016. The massive buck dressed out at 215 pounds.

to put the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven for us, with the result that we were forced to eat ham steaks for our holiday dinner?)

Ed said, “I was prepared to spend the rest of the season following that one deer, if that’s what it took—because I knew that deer was going to die.

And it was my responsibility to see through what I started.”

The Important Ethical Lesson What makes this story great is the fact that it is not one of a hunter’s first or biggest buck that drove the rare devotion. Ed has taken over a hundred big-game critters, and to see him still demonstrate that ethical drive is pretty remarkable—as well as the physical feats it took to do it for someone in his late fifties.

In fact, this is the second wounded deer Ed has trailed miles to end

T

L d Z L e s Z L

A Hunter’s Ethical Responsibility to Track Down Wounded Game Editor’s note: In last month’s “Part 1” column, the author recounted that his friend Ed carefully aimed his .25-06 at a buck that was just clearing some brush. As the buck prepared to bolt, Ed fired, and the deer disappeared.

Ed followed a clear blood trail, but kept bumping the deer out of its beds. Because it was getting dark, Ed made the difficult decision to stop the pursuit and take up the track the next morning.

At 5:30 a.m. the following day, he resumed the chase, now accompanied by the author’s father, Brian Emerson.

Fully expecting to have the ordeal over with within a couple of hours, they had no idea what they were in for. Ethan Emerson picks up the story here.

—

up finishing off in a river. Several years ago he chased a wounded buck on bare ground without blood using an absolutely incredible blood-trailing dog (Northwoods Dog Tracking Service; Grovetown, NH) until midnight that night; he then returned in the morning to have some fresh snow to pick up the tracks. He eventually shot it as the deer was preparing to take a suicidal bound into the Connecticut River.

Hunters like this may be few and far between.

It is too bad these aren’t the stories that are being touted by the Outdoor Channel. Could all of us honestly say we would have stuck with this deer?

It makes me both proud and genuinely moved to be associated with hunters who show this kind of unparalleled ethical devotion. It is my sincere hope that the sharing of this story will prompt others to reconsider their own convictions and think twice about leaving wounded game.

¶

Ed Samson poses with his 2014 204-pound 9-pointer that he trailed to the very edge of the Connecticut River.

L o Z L b h

L Z L

w g p H

t

t

m v

I c T i

————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Maine Sportsman • March 2017 • 77

The Smilin' Sportsman Youth Edition

Luke: I signed up for one of those internet dating services.

Zeke: How’s it going so far?

Luke: Not too good – I told them I wanted someone small and cute who likes water sports and group activities.

Zeke: And? Luke: They fixed me up with a penguin!

••••••••••••••••••••••••• Luke: “Man, it was cold out there ice fishing on the pond!”

Zeke: “How cold was it?”

Luke: “It was so cold that if Superman had been out there with us, he would have frozen his “S” off!

Luke: “Hey Zeke – you know, the ocean’s really deep.”

Zeke: “That’s right – but what’s your point?”

Luke: Well, just think how much deeper it would be if there were no sponges!”

••••••••••••••••••••••••• Q: If there’s a Dysart’s truck stop situated on the international border in Calais, and if you’re a Canadian when you go in, but you’re an American when you emerge, then what are you when you’re in the bathroom?

A: You’re-a-peein’!

¶

Kids! Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com

Smilin’ Luke: “My ex-wife still misses me.”

Zeke: “But …?”

Luke: “But her aim is steadily improving.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••• A warden was walking along a path toward a popular trout stream when he saw a glint of metal in the dirt. Reaching down to pick it up, he realized it was a magic lantern.

He rubbed its side, and a genie appeared.

“I can grant you any wish you want,” said the genie. “Just name it.”

“I wish for peace in the Middle East,” said the warden.

“I’m sorry,” replied the genie. Producing a map of the Middle East and pointing to the various countries, the genie explained, “Here’s Syria, and here’s Jordan, and here’s Iran and Iraq – these countries have been feuding for centuries. The boundaries are all disputed.

The cultural tensions are deep-rooted and irresolvable. I am sorry – I can’t bring peace

Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com

to the Middle East, but I promise you, I will grant any other wish you desire.”

“OK, then,” said the warden. “Let’s go with an easy one. Please simplify Maine’s fishing laws and regulations.”

The genie was silent for a moment, then stroked his chin thoughtfully and said: “Hey, let’s take another look at that Middle East map, shall we?”

•••••••••••••••••••••••• While on vacation in Old Orchard Beach the self-centered man and his girlfriend got matching tattoos.

Hers read, “I love Bob.” His read, “I love Bob.” •••••••••••••••••••••••• After a brief conversation with a young lady at a Greenville bar, the suave fellow tried his best line: “Your place, or mine?”

Her response? “Both – you go to your place; I’ll go to mine.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••• Undeterred, he tried his second-best line: “Can I get you a Whiskey and Sofa?”

Again, her answer shot him down: “No thank you – I’ll stick with Gin and Platonic.”

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

78 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

MAINE WILDLIFE QUIZ ANSWERS 1. The striped skunk belongs to the family Mephitidae (meaning “stench”).

2. The striped skunk’s range includes the continental United States, southern Canada and northern Mexico.

3. Striped skunks are about the size of a house cat, weighing between 3 and 14 pounds.

4. Scent glands on each side of the striped skunk’s anus produce a foul smelling fluid, potent enough to ward off almost any predatory attack.

From Page 72

5. Striped skunks are crepuscular (twilight) creatures and are therefore most active during dusk and dawn.

6. The striped skunks eat a wildly variable diet of plants and animals, including insects, birds, frogs, fruits, grasses, buds, grains, nuts and carrion.

7. The breeding season for the striped skunk occurs in February and March.

8. A striped skunk litter averages 6 or 7 young.

CLASSIFIED RATES Subscribers may place one free 20-word classified ad per month, limited to three months. Items for sale must include a price. Real estate ads must include an address or location.

The regular rates are $15 for up to 20 words and 60¢ for each additional word. Include a black and white photo for an additional $10. Check, money order, MasterCard, VISA (Credit or Debit) and AMEX are accepted.

You may submit your ads by: Phone 207-357-2702 • E-mail classifieds@mainesportsman.com, Mail: 183 State Street, Suite 101, Augusta ME 04330 • Website: www.mainesportsman.com

THE DEADLINE FOR ARPIL’S ISSUE IS MARCH 1.

ALL LINE CLASSIFIED ADS MUST BE PREPAID.

FOR RENT PARKMAN, MEBUCKS CROSSING WMD 17, turkey, deer, moose, upland game.

All amenities inc. Great rates- nightly, weekly, monthly. $75/night for two people.

207-277-3183 LAKEFRONT CABIN On Little Narrow Basin of Upper Cold Stream Ponds. 4-season cabin with cable, internet, kayaks, canoe, access to ATV & snowmobile trails. Depending on season, can be rented nightly, weekly or monthly. Call Tate (207) 794-4208

–––––––––––––––––

LAND FOR SALE GOFF BROOK ROAD, RUMFORD ME 367 +/- acre wooded lot.

Gated access. Beautiful views. Asking $190,000.

FMI call Al Yates 207890-1926

Also, earliest deer-tracking snow in the east. Dan Wagner - 207-398-3330 MaineTrophyOutfitters.com –––––––––––––––––

WANTED DEER/MOOSE SHEDS BUYING any size deer & moose shed antlers/ racks or antlered skulls.

All grades bought by the pound. 802-875-3206

–––––––––––––––––

GUIDE SERVICES

FOR SALE

BY OWNER

TOP-WATER SMALLIES Remote waters, day trips and overnights. Shore lunches. Fly, Spin, Bait.

May-Oct. Eastern Maine.

207-796-2342

ELLIS POND VARIETY Turnkey restaurant, gas station, convenience, plus more! Located on approx.

ALLAGASH BEAR HUNTS Self-Guided, $995. 500 sq. mi. exclusive area.

–––––––––––––––––

www.MaineSportsman.com

one acre, Rt. 120 W., Roxbury, ME. Call Dennis 207-357-1617

VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE Looking for pre-1980 vintage motorcycle, scrambler, enduro, or off-road motorcycle. Have cash will travel. Text 207-7124303.

¶

—

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Maine Sportsman â&#x20AC;˘ March 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 79 The Maine

Fishing & Hunting Moosehead Rockwood, Maine (Moosehead Region) FOR SALE BY OWNER

Interested in Advertising in the next issue of The Maine Sportsman?

The deadline for the April 2017 issue of The Maine Sportsman is

Wednesday, March 1st.

Contact us at 207-357-2702 to reserve space!

All season easy access to Moosehead Lake. Year round log cabin a must see with a warm wood interior and only 100 yards from Kineo Landing and the public launch. Skiing on Squaw mountain is just 10 minutes away.

Sleeps 8 comfortably. Wood stove with newer 275 Oil tank, deep drilled well, 110 electrical service, cablevision, cedar log wood shed, mostly furnished with vintage hand-hewn beds and much more. If you have ever been to Rockwood, Maine you have likely driven by just beyond Kineo Landing.

Yearly Taxes $284.76. Easy maintenance and always year round access.

Private approved septic. $189,900 Contact Owner Walter at 508-737-1776

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; FOUR-SEASON GETAWAYS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; BACK ROAD, LEXINGTON PLT.

WING ROAD, EUSTIS

Snowmobile trail near. Hunting, Ă&#x20AC;VKLQJ KLNLQJ DQG PRUH EHGURRPV EDWK JDUDJH ZDWHU VHSWLF DFUHV $115,000

)XUQLVKHG EHGURRP EDWK \HDU URXQG FDPS ZLWK JDUDJH 0HWDO URRI GRFN V\VWHP ZDVKHU GU\HU %RDWLQJ KXQWLQJ VQRZPRELOLQJ VNLLQJ ,W¡V DOO WKHUH $179,000

EUSTIS 7KLV EHGURRP EDWK KRPH KDV URRP IRU DOO RI \RXU HTXLSPHQW ERDWV ZKHHOHUV HWF $WWDFKHG JDUDJH SOXV WZR ODUJH GHWDFKHG JDUDJHV $195,000

LAND. LAND. LAND.

:H KDYH ODUJH VPDOO ZDWHUIURQW ZRRGHG UHPRWH DQG LQ WRZQ ORWV <RX QDPH LW ZH KDYH LW %H UHDG\ IRU VSULQJ FRQVWUXFWLRQ

More Camps and Land Available. Call Janet Peruffo at

CSM REAL ESTATE

207-265-4000 â&#x20AC;˘ e-mail janet@csmrealestate.com 259 Main Street, Kingfield, ME â&#x20AC;˘ www.csmrealestate.com

Lincoln- Attractive 1+/- acre lot ready IRU EXLOGLQJ 'HYHORSHG ZLWK GULOOHG ZHOO VHSWLF HOHFWULF SROH JUDYHO SDG GULYHway and lawn. Just minutes from lakes and downtown amenities on Lee Road. $24,500

Winn- 2.8+/- acre riverfront lot, electricity available, year round access, outdoor recreation in every direction, minutes to Lincolnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amenities, 265â&#x20AC;&#x2122;+/- on the mighty Penobscot River. $23,500

T6 ND- Beautiful 1.32 acre lot, huge hemlock trees, little undergrowth, driveway, SULY\ HOHFWULF RQVLWH QLFH YLHZV GHHS FROG ZDWHU Ă&#x20AC;VKLQJ ZLWK DFFHVV WR PRUH 224â&#x20AC;&#x2122;+/- along West Grand Lake. $110,777

Burlington- Use year round as a home or FDPS HDV\ WR KHDW EHGURRP FDELQ ORIWV SRUFK GULOOHG ZHOO VHSWLF IXOOWLPH RQ demand generator, garage, 1.06 acre lot with frontage on Eskutassis Pond. $79,000

Woodville ([FHSWLRQDO DFUHV QHDU ATV and snowmobile trails, borders timber RZQHU ODQG W\SLFDOO\ RSHQ WR WKH SXEOLF RZQHU Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLQJ GULYHZD\ LQVWDOOHG ¡ on Butterfield Ridge Road. $17,000

Lowell- Close to Cold Stream Pond waitLQJ IRU D FDPS RU KRPH EHDXWLIXO DFUH ORW RZQHU Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLQJ \HDU URXQG access, electricity available, 230â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; along Route 188. $17,900

Burlington- Private 4.5 acres, sellers motiYDWHG WR FRQVLGHU RIIHUV RZQHU Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLQJ JUHDW UHFUHDWLRQDO DUHD RZQHU Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLQJ 827â&#x20AC;&#x2122; of beautiful frontage on Eskutassis Pond. $36,500 Springfield 5HPRWH SDUFHO LQ UHFUHDWLRQDO DUHD IRU KXQWLQJ Ă&#x20AC;VKLQJ VQRZPRELOLQJ and ATVing, 50+/- acres, interior roads, Bog Brook frontage, sited off Moores Road. $29,900

15 miles south of Moosehead Lake, start of 100 miles Wilderness. 40 acre lots, 35 mile panoramic views of lakes and mountains.

Gated gravel road 5 miles to village. Just 3/8 mile on local snowmobile trails to Lake HeIYVU MVY NYLH[ PJL Ă&#x201E;ZOPUN TPSLZ I` [YHPSZ [V the Village, 1 mile to ITS 85. Starting at $1250 WLY HJYL ^P[O V^ULY Ă&#x201E;UHUJPUN KV^U

FMI Call 207-343-2797 or Visit Greyledgelodge.com

CAMP FOR SALE Great Pond Road â&#x20AC;˘ Aurora, ME

- Private 4.5 acres, 3 bedroom ORJ VLGHG FDELQ EHDXWLIXO ZRRG Ă RRUV KXJH Ă&#x20AC;HOGVWRQH Ă&#x20AC;UHSODFH Ă&#x20AC;QLVKHG EDVHPHQW EDFNXS JHQHUDWRU YLHZV H[FHSWLRQDO IURQWDJH DORQJ Junior Lake. $325,000

Lincoln DFUH SDUFHO ZLWK YLHZV GULYHZD\ LQ SODFH HOHFWULFLW\ DYDLODEOH PLQutes to downtown amenities, motivated sellers, 539â&#x20AC;&#x2122; frontage on Birch Lane. $15,000

MONSON: Abutting Appalachian Trail

322 acres on Beaver Pond.

Well, septic, generator, sleeps 8, fully furnished, full bathroom and fu kitchen. Trout and wild game. $250,000 For More Info Call 207-584-2004

Order Now & Save $3 Per Ticket!*

The 37th Annual

State of Maine

Show

ADVANCE TICKETS $5!*

March 31â&#x20AC;&#x201C;April 2, 2017 Over 100 exhibitors in the main auditorium, Kid Zone with trout fishing pond, New Outdoor Opportunities for Veterans exhibit, Taxidermy, Outdoor Art & Photography Order online at: show.mainesportsman.com Or Mail To: 183 State St. Ste 101, Augusta, ME. 04330

R E A L

E S T A T E

5 LAKE STREET, P.O. BOX 66, LINCOLN 207-794-2460 www.cwalakestreet.com E-mail: cwa@cwalakestreet.com om

1-800-675-2460 Call any of our brokers to work for you!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tateâ&#x20AC;? Aylward ................ 794-2460 Peter Phinney.................. 794-5466 Kirk Ritchie...................... 290-1554

FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION FORMATION ON OUR PROPERTIES VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT CWALAKESTREET.COM

I want ____ tickets at $5 Each.* Full Name: _______________________________________ Address: _________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________ State: _________________ Zip: _____________________ email: ___________________________________________ Phone: __________________________________________ Visa/MC/Disc#: ___________________________________ Exp: ___________ 3 Digit CVV (On Back) _____________

TICKETS WILL BE MAILED IN MARCH *PREORDER TICKETS BEFORE MARCH 20TH 2017 TO GET $3.OO OFF PER TICKET!

www.MaineSportsman.com

80 • March 2017 • The Maine Sportsman ����������������������������������������������������

FISHING SEASON CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH Stop by our Hunting & Fishing Store in Freeport, open 24/7

NEW ANGLER FLY-ROD OUTFITS A starter set designed with our own expert guides

NEW RAPID RIVER LUMBAR PACK

Award-winning pack lets you efficiently organize all your gear NEW RAPID RIVER MICRO CHEST PACK

Its slim profile and smart details let you pack fast and light

RAPID RIVER VEST PACK

NEW BREATHABLE EMERGER WADERS

Loaded with innovative storage so everything you need is right at hand

With strong, stitchless Super Seam® Technology and a Quick-Fit belt

100% SATISFACTION GUAR ANTEED

Trusted gear. Legendary service. Expert advice.

All at our Hunting & Fishing Store.

Come in and check out our extensive selection of new and used long guns firsthand – available from over two dozen manufacturers. We can also special order firearms, ammunition, optics and more. Contact our firearms experts at usedguns@llbean.com or call 207.552.7728.

Check our calendar for free clinics & events at

LLBEAN.COM/FREEPORT

www.MaineSportsman.com 17SPAD5241.indd 1

12/5/16 11:31 AM