The Maine Sportsman March 2024 Digital Edition

Special Moose Patch Club Issue

Sportsman The Maine

March 2024 • $4.99

For Over 50 Years!

Moose Hunt Patch Club Winners & Trophy Photos P. 40-42

Catch More Smelt Through the Ice P. 47 Fishing with Sandra Day O’Connor P. 10

Ice Fishing for Cusk P. 60 More on Canadian Belt Knives P. 35 The Case of the Bounding Sow P. 50

2 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Sporting Camps & Lodges — An Historic Maine Tradition — Shoreline Camps

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Allagash Lakes Region

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Shoreline Camps on Big Lake, Maine Cabins and boat rentals; family vacations; events and reunions Shoreline, on Big Lake at the mouth of the fabled Grand Lake Stream, has been welcoming sportsmen and families to the pristine shores of Big Lake for over 60 years. Shoreline offers eight great cabins in a wonderful location.

Shoreline Camps provides facilities for group events, family reunions, club events, corporate retreats and workshops, destination weddings, ATV and Fishing Clubs. Let Shoreline Camps help with planning your next event or reunion.

Waterfront decks and fireplaces are perfect for enjoying a quiet cup of coffee while watching the sun rise, or for sharing the day’s adventures with friends and family. Join them for an unforgettable vacation, sporting trip, corporate or club retreat or family gathering.

Open-water fishing season opens at April ice-out. Spring fishing is world class. Fly fish Grand Lake Stream, or slow-troll Big Lake for salmon.

May & June begins smallmouth bass season. Big Lake is one of Maine’s trophy smallmouth bass lakes.

Summer brings families that enjoy swimming, canoeing and kayaking, hiking and fishing, July through August.

Fall brings on the landlocked salmon run, and group-event season.

Whether you’re vacationing with two or 20, Shoreline Camps is the place to be. Well-appointed seasonal and yearround housekeeping cottages provide everything needed for a long weekend, week- or month-long stay in the quiet beauty of the Down East / Grand Lakes Region.

Big Lake and the surrounding fields and forests are well known for excellent ATV and Backwoods trails. The islanddotted lake is a kayak paddler’s paradise.

With boating, swimming, snowmobiling and ice fishing, hiking and ATV trails Shoreline Camps is a Maine experience for every outdoor enthusiast.

Big Lake is one of Maine’s largest lakes, encompassing almost 18,000 acres, a maximum depth of 70 feet, and offering 70 miles of shoreline. It draws anglers

from across the country, and Grand Lake Stream fly fishing is world-renowned.

Local Registered Maine Guides are available for hire to assist you in catching trophy fish, or finding a bear, moose or inland game birds. Guide services are offered in traditional Grand Laker Canoes that are made right here in Grand Lake Stream.

Each camp – waterfront or water view – has from one to three bedrooms, a full kitchen, living room and private bathroom with shower, including fresh linens, blankets and towels. Shoreline Camps offers complimentary firewood, boat docks, boat launch and trailer parking.

Shorelines Camps is the ideal place for seasoned hunters and anglers to introduce nature and the great outdoors to the next generations of their children and grandchildren. Whether you are fishing, hiking, bicycling, bird-watching, swimming, or simply relaxing, Mike and Jean Lombardo are there to make your stay enjoyable.

For more information about planning your visit, go to www.shorelinecamps. com, or contact them at 207-796-5539; email shorelinecamps@gmail.com.

Spencer Pond Camps Established in 1901 by Mose Duty, a trapper and guide for the William Tell Hunting Club, the Spencer Pond Camps are operated May–November and staffed 24/7 by Glen Horne and Holly Todd, who are both registered Maine Guides.

They provide a family and pet-friendly atmosphere in a remote, quiet and extremely scenic location.

The camps are located on the north shore of Spencer Pond, just north of Spencer Bay on Moosehead Lake. To the east, rising majestically out of the pond, is Little Spencer Mountain. Behind the camps are logging roads to Little Spencer Pond, Lobster Mountain, Eagle Mountain, Big and Little Kineo Moosehead Lake, Big Duck and Little Duck, Golden Road, and Tom Young and Kidney Ponds.

The remoteness of the area provides almost private fishing and hunting, with proximity to thousands of acres of forestland and Moosehead Lake. The pond has perch, bass, bullhead and brook trout. The Roach River and Moosehead Lake are minutes away, offering trout, salmon, bass and togue fishing.

Numerous brooks and beaver flowages provide plenty of opportunities, as does the West Branch of the Penobscot River.

For hunters, game abounds in the

area’s ridges, mountains and swamps, with little pressure from competing hunters. Bear, moose, deer, grouse, and spring turkey hunters are welcome.

Photographers enjoy frequent sightings of moose, bear, loons and eagles. For hikers, more than five miles of trails extend from the camp yard. Both of the Spencer Mountains, White Cap, and Kineo provide a challenge for the more avid hiker.

Six fully furnished cabins do not have electricity and are non-modernized; however, they are completely comfortable and functional. Cabin rentals include a fully furnished housekeeping cabin, canoe, kayaks, sailboat, rowboat, mountain bikes, all linens, seasoned dry firewood for your wood stove, “camp wood” for the fire pits, dishwashing soap, matches and toilet paper. Every cabin has rocking chairs, games, a library, woodstoves, screened porches, and a

charcoal grill.

Life here comes at a slower, simpler pace. There is no Wi-Fi service, and the owners pride themselves on an electronicfree camp yard. Cell phone coverage is sporadic at best. Plumbing is “out back,” and relaxation is everywhere.

In the spring, fisherman, hikers, and bird watchers abound. In the summer, guests swim along the shore during the day, and toast marshmallows at night.

Seaplanes take guests up for rides. Holly is a massage therapist, and depending on schedules, Spencer Pond Camps now offers massages and spa treatments by appointment. As both are Registered Maine Guides, Glenn and Holly provide guided hiking, canoe trips, fishing and hunting, as well as wildlife tours.

Autumn brings couples, those who enjoy the foliage and hiking in cooler weather, along with the loyal hunting clientele. And winter brings snowmobiling and ice fishing. Spencer now offers winter rentals and snowmobile rentals, as well as guided snowmobile and ice fishing trips.

Reservations and more information can be found at www.spencerpond. com; 207-745-1599; reservations@ spencerpond.com www.MaineSportsman.com

4 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

Expand No-Cut Buffers Along the Allagash Brook trout in the Allagash are finding themselves in hot water – literally.

Trout thrive in water that’s 64.4 °F or colder. In the words of fisheries biologists, at this temperature the fish experience no “thermal stress.”

When the water warms to 68°F, trout start looking for cooler water. At 73°F, trout experience thermal stress. 77°F is considered lethal to trout; they die in less than 24 hours.

On June 26, 2023, on a teleconference call, the members of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Advisory Council heard what should have been some startling news – the preliminary results of a Tributary Temperature Monitoring Project, in which a biologist summarized the careful measurements that were taken in 2022 of nineteen streams and brooks that flow into the Allagash.

According to the minutes of the meeting, the Council members were told that the Allagash River itself (referred to as the Mainstem) is too hot for brook trout during July and August. Therefore, trout must rely on finding cooler water in the tributaries.

Of the 19 tributaries monitored, according to the minutes, “17 appeared to provide cold water to the system (cooler than the Mainstem) [but] many were marginal, vulnerable to tipping points, droughts and warmer summers.”

Following the presentation, one of the Council members asked the biologist whether a more extensive protection area around the tributaries would help cool the water temperature. The response was unequivocal: “As buffer strips increase, temperatures decrease.”

We believe it’s time for the Bureau of Public Land to seek to expand the current 400 – 800ft “Protected Zone” over which the state has As this Google Earth aerial photo makes clear, the absolute jurisdiction, banks of the Allagash — and the tributaries that and to prohibit cutting flow toward the river — receive incredible pressure and development with- from timber harvesting activity. Streams and brooks in that zone. The only without shade don’t stay cool enough to support way tributaries to the brook trout. waterway are going to get cold again, is if trees are allowed to shade those streams and brooks as they flow toward the river. The trees and the tributaries could recover in time for our children and grandchildren to experience the river’s wilderness character that establishment of the Allagash Waterway was intended to preserve.

¶

On the Cover: This month’s cover photo, “Moose in Spruce,” was captured

by Maine wildlife photographer Mark Picard.

View three pages of moose trophy photos and the list of Maine Moose Hunter patch club winners, starting on page 40.

Be reminded that 2024 moose permit lottery applications will be accepted (online only) from April 1 to May 15, 2024 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time, and that Maine’s moose permit lottery drawing will be held on Saturday, June 15 in Fort Kent.

For more of Mark Picard’s images, visit www.MarkPicard.com. www.MaineSportsman.com

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 616 • www.mainesportsman.com PUBLISHER: Jon Lund MANAGING EDITOR: Will Lund will@mainesportsman.com OFFICE MANAGER: Carol Lund carol@mainesportsman.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kristina Roderick kristina@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nancy Carpenter nancy@mainesportsman.com DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR: Jon Mulherin distribution@mainesportsman.com Second class postage paid at Scarborough, ME 04074 and additional entry offices.

All editorial inquiries should be emailed to will@mainesportsman.com Phone: 207-622-4242 Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101,­ Augusta, ME 04330 12-Month Subscription: $33 • 24-Month Subscription: $54

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Almanac by Will Lund.................................................... 13 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves..................... 30 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia.................. 38 Big Woods World by Matt Breton & Hal Blood............ 37 Editorial.............................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello....................... 66 Get Out There by Staci Warren.................................... 53 Jackman Region by William Sheldon.......................... 51 Jottings by Jon Lund........................................................ 8 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon......................... 48 Letters to the Editor.......................................................... 6 Maine Sportswoman by Christi Elliott........................... 47 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour................................... 18 Midcoast by Tom Seymour........................................... 59 Moosehead Region by Tom Seymour......................... 54 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.............................. 73 Nolan’s Outdoor World by Nolan Raymond............... 34 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie............................ 64 Outdoors & Other Mistakes by Al Diamon.................. 76 Quotable Sportsman by Will Lund................................ 17 Rangeley Region by William Clunie............................. 62 Ranger on the Allagash by Tim Caverly...................... 33 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers............................. 75 Saltwater Fishing by Bob Humphrey............................ 22 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth..................... 58 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews.................. 57 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard............................. 45 Smilin’ Sportsman by Will Lund...................................... 75 Snapshots in Time by Bill Pierce.................................... 12 Southern Maine by Val Marquez................................. 60 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery................. 10 Tales from the Warden Service by Ret. Lt. Doug Tibbetts.50 Tidewater Tales by Randy Randall............................... 56 Trading Post (Classifieds)............................................... 77 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour....................................... 68 Vermont by Matt Breton............................................... 72 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.............. 70

GUEST COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS

2023 MOOSE PATCH CLUB.......................................40–43 Boating by Bob Humphrey............................................ 19 Ice Fishing by Stephen D. Carpenteri.......................... 24 Ice Fishing Pictorial by Jonathan Wheaton................ 26 Snowmobiling by Blaine Cardilli................................... 27 GUEST: Canadian Belt Knife by David E. Petzal.......... 35 GUEST: Grandfather’s Passion for Maine

by Andrew Sharp....................................................... 36

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www.MaineSportsman.com

6 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters To The Editor

Happy to read that they have been preserved!

Jim Duncan, Mirror Lake, NH —

Bought Model 92 for $10 from Friend in Need

To the Editor: Jon Lund’s column on the Winchester To the Editor: Model 92 brought back many nostalgic Tim Caverly’s article about The but wonderful memories.

Allagash Industrial Forest in the I still possess the Win. 92 in 38-40, February issue brought back memories purchased one night by my father, when of a snowmobiling/ice fishing expedition wakened by a friend who needed $10 to to that area in early March of 1985. elope – approximately 100 years ago.

Here’s a photo of me, taken by one Since then, the 38-40 has taken of our party, checking out one of the many deer shot by different hunters, Eagle Lake and West Branch Railroad including my first two in 1956 and 1959. abandoned locomotives.

However, the most impressive whitetail was shot by my father, Harry, in the 1940s on a hunting trip up to Third Machias River – and it wasn’t even a buck!

On the morning of the last day of the trip, my Dad was in the bow of a canoe, paddled by the guide, when a huge doe appeared on the bank. Upon being struck by the 38-40’s 180-grain bullet, the big deer tumbled dead into the river.

Returning from camp via a horsedrawn sled, the hunting party was I assume this was before completion stopped by two wardens, who wanted to of the project to stabilize the engines know where the antlers were from the to prevent them from tipping over, as big deer (my father’s doe!). shown in Tim’s photograph.

Three days after being dressed out, with everything removed from nose to tail, including tongue, throat, all fat and connective tissue, and having been — 2,500 Sq. Ft. of Sporting Goods — transported to Kezar Falls, the deer was weighed, and the scale read 182 pounds.

Presently, I’ve found no source of ammo for the 38-40.

Two years ago when sighting it in, the old ammo failed to 186 Sabattus Road, Sabattus, ME • (207) 375-6253 fire three out of five times.

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Consequently, I no longer carry it afield.

Information on source of ammo would be greatly appreciated.

Keep writing those nostalgic columns!

Incidentally, I believe my father, Harry Hadlock, to be the youngest licensed guide in Maine history.

Barry O. Hadlock, Gorham, ME ***** Editor’s note: The doe’s weight of 182 pounds is within three pounds of the current state record doe, 185 lbs, taken in 2004 in Lower Enchanted Township.

—

Hunting Friends are the Best Friends

To the Editor: I enjoyed Ethan Emerson’s column, “What Makes a Good Hunting Partner?” in the January, 2024 issue. It hit the mark on a tough subject most people, including hunters, don’t understand.

I was very lucky to find a lifelong hunting partner when I was 21. I had finished my army service in 1967, and I was on the second date with my future wife Sandi when she got a call from her cousin Carl. Carl was returning from military training, and he needed to be picked up at the bus station.

Carl and I hit it off right away. We started hunting locally, then Carl found a 90-acre farm to hunt. The elderly owner, Helen, charged us $25 each to hunt. She liked us so much after the first year she didn’t charge us anymore.

In 1980, we started going out of state. We had a core four of hunters, just like Ethan described in his column. The core four remained in touch for almost 40 years.

We hunted in West Virginia, and we also bowhunted in Illinois and southern Ohio. Then we tried a hunt in New Brunswick.

To get to Canada, we drove through Maine, and we liked what we saw, so we started hunting there. I did one year each in the Allagash, Oxbow and with Hal Blood. The next year, both Carl and I got 200-pound bucks in the same week.

We were hunting with Miller Guide Service out of a tent, camping north of Jackman.

Eventually, many in the group got too old to hunt. Some, like my best friend Carl, are no longer with us.

But we couldn’t have asked for a better (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

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The author (left) and his best friend Carl Swanson each tagged a 200+ pound buck during the same week hunting north of Jackman in 2002.

run. We were very blessed.

I am still hunting. I hunt from the ground, and I don’t go very far.

I read the Maine Sportsman cover to cover as soon as it arrives – keep up the good work.

Paul Fisher, North Brunswick, NJ —

Vermonter Says Thanks, Goodbye for Now To the Editor: I wanted to write an open letter to thank the people of Maine for allowing me decades of hunting in the Rangeley area north for deer, partridge and moose. (Yes, moose, as I was drawn twice and a subpermit holder. A nice harvest each

hunt.)

Mobility issues are limiting me now, so I will be staying away, at least for a while. I do not wish to road hunt.

I’m a Vermont native, and an Abenaki Nation card-holder with a love for the peace of a forest.

Thanks to everyone, Kermit Spaulding, Stowe VT —

From One Writer to Another

To the Editor: I enjoyed reading the recent guest column on reloading, and I thought I recognized the name of the author, David Petzal.

Then I remembered his name from Field & Stream. I read that magazine since I was a kid, and when I started doing freelance writing it was always my goal to break into it.

Imagine my surprise when I realized he lives here in Maine.

What a wealth of information to have in our state. I hope he becomes a regular with the Maine Sportsman.

Tom Roth, Cumberland, ME (Letters to the Editor continued on page 9)

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8 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Eighty-Five Years of Skiing When the author first started skiing in the late 1930s, many kids used bindings fashioned from inner tubes.

In the fall of 1938, my family moved to Augusta, and – being ten years old – I came, too.

We settled in a bungalow on Fuller Road, across Western Avenue from where Damon’s Pizza is located today.

My older brother Mort and I attended Lincoln School, often ride-sharing to school with neighborhood kids in the back of a pickup truck.

After school in the wintertime, one of our favorite activities was skiing. We had plenty of hilly terrain on our side of Western Ave-

nue, plus Gannett’s Woods on the other side. Since there were no mechanical lifts, that meant cross-country skiing.

Our skis were multi-purpose – good for climbing up hills and then skiing back down.

The skis were made of solid hickory, and were about four inches wide. They were made in South Paris.

Bindings In those days, most kids’ skis were held on by a wide toe strap that ran through a slot in the middle of the ski.

In addition, the boot

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was secured by a rubber band cut from an automobile inner tube that extended behind the heel of the winter boot. These primitive bindings kept the boot on the ski, but did not provide a solid connection between the boot and the ski. I did not realize how sloppy the old strap/ski rubber band bindings were, until I tried out a pair of skis owned by another youngster. The bindings provided almost no right or left lateral control.

Mort’s boots and mine were sturdy leather hiking boots.

They were held to the skis by metal bindings that gripped the edge of the boot soles.

The heel of each boot was secured by a thick leather strap and buckle that extended around the back of the boot.

Early Ski Area Behind our house, the slope increased, and we found a steep pitch toward Western Avenue. The hill was near a flat area known locally as the “Muster Field,” a designation likely left over from a time when troops were gathered there (mustered) before going out on a mission.

Once we reached high school years, skiing became more complicated, with different cross-country and

The author reports that his childhood skis were “multi-purpose” – good for climbing up hills, and then skiing back down.

downhill skis.

But we learned to apply a pine tar base, and the various waxes that gripped the snow surface on the kick, and allowed the ski to slide during the glide portion of a stroke.

We learned to apply the sticky wax where the camber (upward bend) of the ski lifted the ski off the snow’s surface, to minimize the drag.

Family Competition One of the local events we looked forward to each year was the Rangeley Ramble, a citizen’s race for oldsters and youngsters alike. The course crossed the lake, climbed into the shoreline woods, came back down to the lake, then came back across the lake and to the finish

line. It provided an opportunity for everyone to show their stuff.

One winter, I entered the race, as did my daughter Carol and my younger brother, Erik. Unbeknownst to me, Erik tried to pass me in the final stretch to the finish line, but I was able to eke out a narrow victory. I tried not to rub it in.

One Ramble entry consisted of two skiers on one pair of skis. On one steep uphill stretch, we heard “Herringbone left! Herringbone right!” as the two skiers coordinated their difficult uphill herringbone strides.

On the straightaways, they did double-poling, alternating. They were the fastest skiers in the pack on those sections (Continued on next page)

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of the trail.

Skiing Baxter State Park The years that followed took me to college and law school, and my skiing became less frequent. However, that changed when I became an ex officio member of the Baxter State Park Authority and could include occasional visits to the Park as part of my official duties.

I became familiar

with some of the more remote areas of the Park and the folks who worked there. I developed great respect for those I got to know.

In addition, I made a few friends who shared my enthusiasm for backpacking trips on skis and afoot. We have had some good times together.

One of the thrills of back country skiing in Baxter State Park is traversing Wassataquoik lake, a high-country tributary

Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 7) Enjoyed Hadley; Reads Pierce First To the Editor: I really appreciated the “Shot Placement” column by Jeff Hadley in the November, 2023 issue.

I also enjoyed Bill Pierce’s discussion of “moose wood” in his January column. I turn to Bill’s “Snapshots in Time” column first every month.

Thank you for providing one of the few enjoyable and informative magazines out there.

Erik Warren, Port Clinton, OH —

Biggest Bucks List Should Indicate Bow-Hunted Deer To the Editor: I had a quick question regarding the Biggest Bucks club list that you recently posted on your website. I see an asterisk on certain names. I assume these are youth hunters due to the day that most occur, but was just curious.

Also, is there a way to tell which bucks were archery harvests?

Jared Richards, Dedham ME The editor responds: 1) Yes, an asterisk denotes a youth hunter.

We have a “key” telling readers that fact in our printed version of the list found in the February 2024 issue, but we may have neglected to include the explanation in our online list.

2) Your suggestion about indicating bowhunted (or crossbow-hunted) deer is a good one, and we may incorporate that idea in future years. In the meantime, your best indicator of deer taken during the expanded or regular archery seasons is the date of the harvest. Those listed at the very end of August, or in September, and up until Youth Day in October, are bow-hunted.

(elevation: 4,100 feet) of the East Branch of the Penobscot. It’s 1.3 miles long, and oblong in shape – a feature that led an occasional moose to attempt to cross it, rather than going the long way around.

On a ski expedition years ago, our group saw a dark shadow on one end of the lake, and detoured to investigate. We found that the dark shadow was the body of a dead moose, frozen onto the smooth surface of the lake. A close inspection of the area around

the carcass revealed scratch marks on the ice’s surface where the animal had tried to regain its footing and failed, or became exhausted. It served as a grim reminder of the price paid by living creatures for errors in judgment.

On another winter crossing of the same lake, we noted the body of a songbird, perhaps a chickadee, frozen a few inches below the ice’s surface.

We saw nothing that gave us a clue as to its cause of death.

We never had to

spend a night without shelter in the park, but we did come close, when on a leg to Russell Pond, the snow was so deep that the tree blazes we were looking for were beneath the snow’s surface. We had to leave one group member at the location of each last known blaze, while the rest of us scoured below the surface of the snow to find the next blaze.

Good headlamps came in handy on that trip.

¶

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10 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Bass Fishing with Sandra Day O’Connor Sandra Day O’Connor was an avid fly angler, an overall outdoors enthusiast, and an advocate for wild rivers. The future Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court was born in Texas in 1930, and was raised mostly on a huge Arizona ranch, where she learned to ride a horse and shoot a gun before she was 10 years old.

She probably also learned to fish around the same time.

Clerks In Tow On an early summer morning in 1996 when she stepped onto my 20’ Ranger bass boat at a marina in Washington, DC, she was in her mid-60s, and wanted to fish for largemouth bass in the tidal Potomac River.

Justice O’Connor was not alone, but it was not her security detail of US Marshals that accompanied her – they were not present at all. But her four young law clerks were in tow, so friend and fellow fishing guide Ralph Capasso took three of them aboard his Ranger, and one came in my boat. The law clerks rotated throughout the day so all four had the chance to fish with their boss and mentor.

Not a Secretary A Supreme Court Chambers Law Clerk is a practicing attorney who has clerked for a judge at a lower court, and the competition to clerk at the highest court probably is pretty intense.

Each Justice of the Supreme Court may have four clerks for each court ses-

From left: Ralph Capasso (guide), Gretchen Rubin (clerk), Justice O’Connor, Sean Gallagher (clerk), Ken Penrod (owner of Life Outdoors Unlimited), Julia Shelton (Ambrose) (clerk), and Simon Steel (clerk). Where is the author? He took the dang photo – the only one he can find of the trip! www.MaineSportsman.com

It’s not every day you get to take a U.S. Supreme Court judge fishing in your bass boat.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor served on the Supreme Court from 1981 to 2006.

Nominated by then-President Ronald Reagan, she was confirmed by the Senate on a 99-0 vote.

sion, and they assist the Justice in drafting bench memoranda, researching and drafting opinions, and advising the Justice on any number of legal issues.

Life Outdoors Unlimited In 1996, I was working at the Defense Intelligence Agency at DC’s Bolling Air Force Base after retiring from the US Army in 1990. I also was a part-time fishing guide for my friend Ken Penrod

A zillion vehicles a day pass over the tidal Potomac River on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, but, while a bit noisy, there is no traffic under the bridge except for the fish that hug the pilings to feed or to seek cover. This is where Sandra Day O’Connor landed her several largemouth bass.

who has, as of this writing, has owned Life Outdoors Unlimited guide service for 42 years.

KP has written a number of books on fishing the tidal Potomac River, he runs an outdoors camp for youngsters, and he is the chief guru on fishing the Potomac River from top to bottom (penrodsguides.com, 240-447-2206).

Away We Go All participants were buckled up in life jackets and seated when we motored out of the marina and headed for our outing on the Nation’s River. The wind had picked up considerably, as it often does, since I’d headed out of the Belle Haven Marina across and down the river from Washington, DC at Alexandria, Virginia earlier that morning.

I suspected fly rods weren’t going to work in that wind, and I tried to find some protected area out of the wind where we perhaps could use them. But it was not to be, so the spinning rods I had rigged and ready in the rod locker would be our fishing tools for the day. It looked like a crankbait kind of a day.

First, I checked out everyone’s casting ability with the Bomber 7A in firetiger color. Then I began working known spots from near the marina southward to the US 295/495/95 Woodrow Wilson Bridge linking Alexandria, Virginia with Washington, DC, and Southern Maryland. Several of the bridge pilings usually hold some fish at all stages of the tide, (Continued on next page)

Gretchen Rubin did not continue in law because, while clerking for Justice O’Connor, she realized she wanted to be a writer. Since then, she has written several bestselling books on happiness and human nature. She also hosts a popular podcast. I enjoyed having her on my boat. See www.gretchenrubin.com.

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 11

Sean Gallagher is a partner at BartlitBeck LLP in Chicago, and is recognized as a very accomplished trial attorney in a host of commercial litigation matters.

Sean joined his law firm immediately after his clerkship with Justice O’Connor.

I thoroughly enjoyed his company on the fishing trip. See www.bartlit-beck.com.

Julia Shelton (Ambrose) became a partner with the law firm of Brooks Pierce in Raleigh, NC, where she is an experienced litigator and counsel specializing in media companies involved in the everevolving video programming industry.

She was delightful during the day on the water. See www.brookspierce.com.

Simon Steel does litigation and alternative dispute resolution at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, where he is a partner. He focuses on federal appellate matters, but has experience in other areas of law, as well. Aboard my boat, Simon was affable and inquisitive, and he usually wore a genuine smile. See www.dentons.com.

(Continued from page 10)

camera, so I used a little point-and-shoot film camera for client photos. I sent a packet of 4 x 6 inch photo prints to Justice O’Connor after our day on the river, and received a nice thank you letter from her. It’s in a box in the basement, too.

fishing trip out West. I used a length of light anchor rope to demonstrate several knots she might use, including an improved clinch knot (that we had used on the Bomber crankbaits), and a double surgeon’s knot. She practiced tying the knots with the rope, and was thankful for my instruction.

All four clerks were excellent company. They were nice, respectful, attentive, and curious about the life of a fishing guide on the river. We all enjoyed our time together on the water.

Since the trip, I sometimes wondered what had become of them in their lives and careers. I searched online for such information on all four, and a synopsis of what I found is under each of their photographs, also from online sources, that accompany this column. ***** Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Sandra Day O’Connor passed away this past December 1, 2023 at 93 years of age. I count myself very fortunate to have spent some time with her fishing on the Potomac River. She was a true gem.

and the fish are active when the water is moving. And the tide was slowly coming in when we arrived.

The Justice Caught 2 or 3 Bass I attended to the law clerks as they rotated through, but spent much of the time with Justice O’Connor. She was no stranger to fishing, so it made my job easier.

The boat was positioned so she could cast close to and down the pilings with the tide. Fish face into moving water, so you want to bring the bait to “the eatin’ end” (as Lefty Kreh used to say) of the bass, and not the tail end.

The tide in the Nation’s Capital is much gentler and not as high as we have here in Maine. Tide fluctuation is less than three feet.

Justice O’Connor caught two or three largemouth bass, as I recall, all around 1-1/2 to 2 pounds. And yes, I have photos of her with the fish, but they’re prints and in a box in the basement, which I haven’t located after almost 10 years in this house! It’s too bad digital was not around then in a useable, affordable

After leaving the Supreme Court, Justice O’Connor served on the board of the Wild Salmon Center (WSC), and was active in helping to halt the Alaska Pebble Mine project. Here, she is shown with WSC CEO Guido Rahr, who holds a small steelhead from Oregon’s lower Deschutes River.

See www.wildsalmoncenter.org. Photo

by David Moskowitz

Lunch At noon, we motored the short distance from below the Wilson Bridge to the Belle Haven Marina for lunch and a bathroom stop. The marina has a nice restroom and some picnic benches.

Justice O’Connor had packed sumptuous lunches for all four of her clerks, and one for me, as well. I’d packed my own, but was taken with her consideration of me.

While we munched sandwiches, she explained that each year at the end of the clerk’s year-long term, she takes them on a field trip somewhere. The prior year had been on a charter fishing boat on the Chesapeake Bay, while another was a hike somewhere scenic.

Knots I do recall that Justice O’Connor wanted to learn some flyfishing knots in preparation for an impending trout

Justice O’Connor is a member of the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. It honors “women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneering fortitude.” See www.cowgirl.net.

¶

From left: Ken Penrod, owner Life Outdoors Unlimited guide service; Lefty Kreh; and King Montgomery. We’d just finished fishing the upper Potomac River for smallmouth bass. Justice O’Connor occasionally fished the Potomac River with Ken. www.MaineSportsman.com

12 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

“Snapshots in Time”

Historical Glimpses from Maine’s Sporting Past Compiled by Bill Pierce, Former Executive Director, Outdoor Heritage Museum

What follows appeared in the October 29, 1895, edition of the RANGELEY LAKES newspaper.

Anyone who has spent any significant time enjoying the shooting sports, has at least one good story about witnessing or making a remarkable or lucky shot. My best friend’s dad was a retired Air Force Colonel and once led

the Air Force Competition Shooting team – needless to say, he was a crack shot. I witnessed him “call his shot” of a woodchuck at over 600 yards with a .22-250. “Behind the left ear.” My buddy and I ran our little butts up the ski slope to find the previously unseen woodchuck with a hole exactly where it was claimed it would be. This wonderful dad and

veteran flyer of B-25’s in WW2 was special in many other ways as well.

The shot described below, made with a mid-19th century muzzleloader, was both skilled and lucky.

Enjoy what follows, and be sure to get outside and make plenty of great outdoor history (and lucky shots) of your own!

The Glancing Bullet

To the Editors of Rangeley Lakes: While visiting a friend in this city, my attention has been called to a story in Rangeley Lakes, of Oct. 10, which tells of a deer being killed by a glancing bullet. I was very much interested in the account, as it recalled an incident somewhat similar, which I related to my friend and which he wishes me to send you.

It was in 1859 or 1860, when quite a party of us met at David Quimby’s, in Rangeley, from which place we entered the wilderness for a few days’ trip in the woods as far as the Canada line.

It was, in those times, nearly a day’s journey to Kennebago Pond, the outlet of which we reached late in the afternoon.

It was at this point the shot was made by the late Dr. Randall, of Farmington. On the top limbs of a dead tree, way across the swampy land at the outlet, were two large hawks; they were separated at least three feet, on different limbs.

It was a long shot, but the doctor wished to display his marksmanship.

Carefully he loaded the rifle, a muzzle-loading affair, and took his posi-

Oct. 12, 1895

Carefully he loaded the rifle, a muzzleloading affair, and took his position. A quick aim was taken, and the trigger pulled.

tion. We were all standing near to see the sport, and had indulged in a great deal of good-natured chaffing, one directing the doctor to “Select the nearest and not try to split the difference and so miss both,” and “Quiet your nerves, or your bullet will go on a circle and come round and hit some of us.” This was taken in good sport and as the doctor raised the gun, he quietly remarked, “The left-hand bird is my first choice.”

A quick aim was taken and the trigger pulled, and you can imagine our astonishment at seeing the lefthand bird fall without a flutter, while the other made a feeble attempt at flying, but quickly fell not far away.

Daniel Hoar and Thomas Boodry were along as guides. They built a raft and poled and paddled down to the tree and secured both birds.

The head of the left-hand one had been shot entirely away, and the bullet had gone through both thighs of the other, which was dead when the guides reached him.

Of course, we were all of one mind as to how both birds had been hit, but Thomas, like a former person of his name, was a doubter and could not be convinced till he had made a second trip, cut down the tree and examined its top. This he brought back.

The spot where the bullet had struck, after beheading the first bird, was clearly marked – a hard, pitchy place had turned it from its direct course.

I took the skin of the last one home.

This was mounted and kept for many years.

There was no more jesting with the doctor on that trip.

Hoping I have not infringed too much on your columns in reciting this old story, and wishing you continued success with your very bright and witty paper, I am, Very truly yours, I. W.

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 13

Three Minutes with a Maine Guide

by Lisa DeHart, ACanoePoler@aol.com

Compiled and Edited by — Will Lund —

It’s More Than Just a Drop When it comes to a long-distance canoe trip, it’s more than just a drop. The rapids, or drops as we call them in canoeing, are always different depending on the water level and the people you are with.

One of the great things about canoeing is, it’s never the same river twice.

You can canoe a river multiple times and have it look and behave differently every time, depending on weather and water level.

A rapid or drop that you might not even scout on a day trip, can sometimes become something different on a long-distance canoe trip. As a canoeist, you have to gauge the situation in the moment.

A lot of factors can come into play.

• Has the group done a portage each day for the last three days, and they’re feeling it?

The author steadies her canoe against the current. Photo by Fred Tripper

• • •

Do you have young children with you?

Did it snow four inches the night before?

Do you have $70,000 worth of sponsored electronics in those canoes?

So … now is it runnable?

No Shame in Any Option As a Guide, I try to avoid running a group through a big rapid at the end of the day. If I have to, I stop for a snack and water break, tell them what’s coming, and stress that they should pay attention to this last one of the day, and that camp is next.

I also try to avoid it at the beginning of a trip. I don’t like to have them run anything big after they’ve bounced along a road for seven hours to get there.

I watch them stagger out of those white shuttle vans as if we’d had to drug them to get them there.

And sometimes when it’s late in the day, and the group is tired and no one is feeling it … you just know, maybe we don’t run this one. Maybe we wait until tomorrow. Maybe we line the one really sketchy spot, and run the rest. Maybe the Guides run all the boats.

There are lots of options, and most importantly, there’s no shame in any (Continued on next page)

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Toddler- and BabyFriendly Trapping and Hunting Phil Moss prepares to take a drop.

of them. Nobody is gonna meet you with a clipboard at the end of a river and say, “Well, you lined this one and didn’t run it …..”

As long as you keep the hair side up, that’s all that counts.

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Brian was aboard the fishing boat “My Reel Job,” which is berthed in Pine Point, Scarborough. He used a live mackerel for bait.

Congratulations, Brian!

For more information on the Maine Saltwater Angler patch club, go to www.MaineSportsman.com, click on “patch club forms,” and scroll down to the “Saltwater Angler’s Club” link.

— Guide Talk

by John LaMarca

Brian Boyt of Old Orchard Beach recently received a Maine Saltwater Angler Club patch from The Maine Sportsman for a large Tautog caught off Cape Elizabeth on June 30, 2023.

More important, Brian also received a letter from Maine’s Department of Marine Resources confirming that the 7-lb, 13.2-oz, 22- inch long lunker is a new State of Maine record.

As many before me know, and many after me will learn, being an outdoorsman and raising a young family can be very frustrating. Having little ones at home means not as much time to do the things you used to. When they are very young you can’t go as far, or as long, or you need 10 times more gear just to make it doable.

The trick is, rather than accepting the “We will do it together some day” mentality, it’s good to adopt a goal of “What can I change about how I do this sport to make us able to do it together today?”

There are many outdoor sports that you can do with a little one, several of which I started with my sons before they could walk. We “Puddle Jump” ducks, meaning that we go to huntable rivers along dirt paths, I put on my waders and (Continued on next page)

Brian Boyt with this state-record tautog. Photo courtesy of Brian Boyt www.MaineSportsman.com

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 15 (Continued from page 14)

have my son Jack or Tom in a Child Backpack with hearing protection.

We would walk the river, and when the ducks flush out of the reeds, I would take them down with the ol’ 870. We would then go back to the truck to put the shotgun away and take hearing protection off. We’d then wade in the water and retrieve the ducks, with whichever one of the boys is with me safe and dry high up on Dad’s back.

Then we get to examine the duck, in my case usually a Wood Duck or Mallard. We get to look at the beautiful feathers together, touch them and admire them. Best yet, then we

try grilled duck with apple butter for dinner! We even had a Triple Curl Mallard drake mounted – it was a duck we shot together before they could walk or even say the word “Duck.”

Even better than the duck hunting for Baby/Toddler Friendly activity is beaver trapping. The beauty of beaver trapping is we could drive to the spots I preset traps (thank you, Momma, for letting me preset the locations!). I always set traps within eyesight of where I park, since this way I can get out and do a quick walk of the sets myself before the boys come with me, to verify (Continued on next page)

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16 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Almanac

that we have good catches. I then go back and get them to go one by one to collect our catch, and once again admire, learn and be thankful for Maine’s wild bounty.

Now that my kids are a little older (1 year old and 2 1/2 years) and they took forward to it, so it’s common for the older one to ask me: “Dadda ride? We look for ducky and beaver and deer.”

All of which is music to Dadda’s ears!

— Wilderness First Aid

by Stacey Wheeler RN, BSN

(Continued from page 16)

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John LaMarca with his sons Jack and Tom after a successful trip “puddle jumping” mallards together. The kids wear hearing protection while on the hunt.

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Dispelling Outdoor Health Myths For centuries, people of Maine and across the United States have followed medical advice from their ancestors that dates as far back as the 1800s and even earlier.

Many of these tidbits of advice have been skewed out of context, and many more disproven with advances in medical technology.

The following are a few myths to consider when enjoying the Maine outdoors. #1) You Lose More Body Heat Through Your Head This myth came about possibly to get children to wear hats in winter. It is true that you lose body heat

through your head, but you also lose heat through any uncovered portion of your body. Heat loss is directly related to the amount of surface area that is exposed. Wearing a hat and no shirt would result in a larger loss. #2) Put on Your Coat or You Will Catch Your Death of Cold This myth is one of the oldest health myths, and relates to the ability to catch the flu or pneumonia because of cold weather.

Cold weather does not cause sickness. Although the flu virus thrives in the cold, that’s primarily because cold weather forces people to gather inside more during cold and flu season, thus passing germs. #3) If You Run Out of Water, Eat a Lot of Snow While it’s one thing to grab a handful of snow if you are thirsty, it’s another thing completely to rely on snow if you are already very cold.

In fact, this myth has the potential to be harmful, depending on your circumstances. Although snow will provide a small amount of water, the fact is it takes a large amount of energy for your body to melt the snow internally. If you are already getting cold, eating a lot of snow can reduce your core temperature, possibly leading to hypothermia.

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 17

Quotable

Sportsman “With recreational fishing, we operate under the myth that the sport brings us back to nature, and that fishing is how we escape the technological world.

The reality, however, is that fishing is about the most hightech industry you can possibly imagine.”

Sid Dobrin, in his presentation “How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Your Fishing Business,” National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) meeting, January 7, 2024. Dobrin cited the use of forward-facing sonar as an example of the application of AI technology to the sport.

— “I consider this winning the lottery when it comes to filming wildlife.”

Canadian wildlife photographer Derek Keith Burgoyne, who captured drone footage of a bull moose shaking its head and shedding both its antlers simultaneously. The rare incident occurred in January, 2023 in the deep woods near Plaster Rock, New Brunswick.

— “Researchers led by the University of Oxford have developed a new test to assess how dangerous robotic lawnmowers are to hedgehogs.”

January 15, 2024 press release from the University of Oxford (UK).

British homeowners with large lawns are increasingly turning to unmanned (robotic) lawn mowers, which often run at night. “In re-

by Will Lund

cent years,” according to the release, “hedgehog rehabilitation centers have reported a significant increase in the numbers of hedgehog injuries caused by robotic lawnmowers.”

Testing may result in changes to mower design, leading to certification of “hedgehog-safe mowers.”

March 2024 Sunrise/Sunset Bangor, ME

DATE RISE SET 6:09 5:24 1 Fri 2 Sat 6:08 5:26 3 Sun 6:06 5:27 4 Mon 6:04 5:28 5 Tue 6:02 5:30 6 Wed 6:00 5:31 7 Thu 5:59 5:32 8 Fri 5:57 5:33 9 Sat 5:55 5:35 10* Sun 6:53 6:36 11 Mon 6:51 6:37 12 Tue 6:50 6:39 13 Wed 6:48 6:40 14 Thu 6:46 6:41 15 Fri 6:44 6:43 16 Sat 6:42 6:44

DATE RISE SET 17 Sun 6:40 6:45 18 Mon 6:38 6:46 19 Tue 6:37 6:48 20 Wed 6:35 6:49 21 Thu 6:33 6:50 22 Fri 6:31 6:51 23 Sat 6:29 6:53 24 Sun 6:27 6:54 25 Mon 6:25 6:55 26 Tue 6:24 6:57 27 Wed 6:22 6:58 28 Thu 6:20 6:59 29 Fri 6:18 7:00 30 Sat 6:16 7:02 31 Sun 6:14 7:03

March 2024 Tides Portland, ME

— “As part of the poaching scheme, officials say, one defendant created a fake Facebook profile posing as a female wildlife photographer. He would contact other wildlife photographers to learn where big urban bucks lived so he could find them in areas closed to hunting.

He and his co-defendant would go out disguised as hikers, hiding their bows in their backpacks and their arrows in their walking sticks.”

Outdoor Life, January 22, 2024, in an article about poaching in Western New York, titled “Poachers Posed as Photographers, Hikers in Elaborate Scheme to Kill Big Urban Bucks”

Become a Member of The Maine Sportsman

PATCH CLUBS You’ve been successful at the hunt, now wear your pride by entering one of The Maine Sportsman’s exclusive patch clubs!

To find a club and download an application, go to

www.mainesportsman.com/patch-clubs Print and mail your application with fee to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 Don’t have a computer or printer? No problem!

Give us a call at (207) 622-4242 and we’ll mail you an application.

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

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

HIGH AM PM 2:15 2:44 2:56 3:32 3:44 4:27 4:40 5:30 5:43 6:39 6:52 7:44 7:56 8:41 8:55 9:33 9:49 10:23 11:41 — 12:10 12:33 12:57 1:23 1:44 2:15 2:33 3:08 3:24 4:06 4:21 5:09 5:22 6:15 6:29 7:24 7:39 8:29 8:43 9:25 9:37 10:12 10:24 10:53 11:05 11:29 11:43 — 12:02 12:19 12:33 12:53 1:03 1:26 1:32 2:01 2:04 2:37 2:40 3:18 3:23 4:07

LOW AM PM 8:33 8:43 9:20 9:30 10:13 10:23 11:13 11:23 — 12:20 12:30 1:27 1:36 2:26 2:36 3:19 3:32 4:08 5:25 5:56 6:17 6:43 7:08 7:30 7:59 8:18 8:52 9:08 9:49 10:03 10:50 11:03 11:55 — 12:08 1:05 1:19 2:14 2:27 3:13 3:25 4:02 4:13 4:43 4:55 5:19 5:33 5:52 6:08 6:22 6:41 6:52 7:14 7:22 7:48 7:55 8:24 8:31 9:05 9:13 9:52 10:01

*Daylight saving time begins March 10, 2024 at 2:00 a.m.

www.MaineSportsman.com

18 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Wildlife:

Smelt

by Tom Seymour

Smelt, both the freshwater and saltwater varieties, signal the approach of spring. Smelt used to figure prominently into everyday life in many coastal communities.

For instance, Frankfort, where I live, has a long history of both recreational and commercial smelting. This is typical of so many towns up and down the Maine coast. In years past, Marsh Bay, a large bay on the lower Penobscot River, once saw legions of smelters out on the ice, all hoping to land a good haul of smelt.

Then in spring, when ice became unstable and not safe to walk on, recreational smelters plied the small streams running into the bay with long-handled dipnets.

Even today, hopeful anglers stand below the tide line at night and dip for smelts. I’m even told that the brook that bounds my backyard has smelt runs, and witnesses have reported seeing smelt ascending the little stream during daylight hours. Not aware of this until now, I never looked for smelt here, but that will to change this year.

Dipping Etiquette A slightly larger stream, just south of Frankfort, also sees annual springtime runs of saltwater smelts. These runs usually occur beginning in late March.

The path to the one good dipping

Prepared correctly, smelt offer good eating! pool is fraught with hazards. It winds down a steep hill, full of potholes and gulleys. Hawthorn trees line the path, and to grabbing onto a hawthorn limb for support can result in one of hawthorn’s ferocious spines penetrating your flesh. I know, because this happened to me.

But once down to the pool, it’s time to begin dipping. It’s best to arrive during an incoming tide. After that, the rest is simple. Swing your net downstream as far as you can reach and then, holding it close to bottom of the handle, slowly draw it back. Hopefully, the net will have picked up one or several smelt.

If others are present, be sure to minimize your use of flashlights and lanterns. Some dippers feel that light shone in the water turns away migrating smelt. For the sake of peace and tranquility, it pays to observe this unwritten law of smelt-dipping etiquette.

Preparing Smelt If you are fortunate enough to return home with a quantity of smelt, then it’s time to prepare them for the frying pan. The age-old method for

smelt cookery requires salt pork, black pepper (optional) and cornmeal.

But first, the smelt must be cleaned and rinsed. I’ve known people who never bothered to eviscerate their smelt, but for me, that never sat well. Besides, smelt roe ranks as a great delicacy.

I like to remove the insides, along with the roe, if any is present, and then save out the roe, and remove any veins.

Gather the roe together and roll it into a ball, and then flatten the ball with a rolling pin, making small “roe cakes.”

Back when flounder was common on seafood market shelves, flounder roe was treated the same as smelt roe.

After rinsing your fresh smelt inside and out, put a quantity of cornmeal in a plastic bag and then add the smelts and roe cakes. After this, inflate the bag, seal it off by twisting and shake smelt, roe and cornmeal together. Then, using small sections of salt pork, heat up a cast-iron fry pan and add the salt pork.

Cook until the pork has rendered its liquid fat. Add the coated smelt and roe and fry to a golden brown. Drain on a paper towel, and enjoy.

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 19

The Hull Truth

Which is the right hull design for your new boat?

by Bob Humphrey Shopping for a new boat can be a daunting task, particularly when it comes to hull design. A lot depends on where, how and why you boat. Because no boat fits all applications, you’ll have to compromise, and should prioritize based on the most common application.

Vessel hulls can be separated into three basic categories: • Displacement (D) hulls lie mostly in the water, and push it aside as they move.

They’re most common in sailboats, which tend to have a seamless curve in cross section, so you can’t tell where the sides end and the bottom begins.

• Semi-Displace-

in slower-moving motor yachts or larger fishing vessels.

• As their name implies, Planing (P) hulls allow boats with sufficient power to plane on the surface, reducing the power-tospeed ratio.

These categories are further divided into five general hull shapes.

Round-bottomed These D (displacement) hulls are best suited for rough water, slow speed and heavy loads, or sailboats.

Many Mod-V hulls start with a deep V in the bow, and taper to a shallower deadrise and a hard chine aft. This provides greater stability, while still offering lift and speed. Photo by the author

ment (SD) hulls, inspired by the advent of power boats, have a

A Shallow to Mod-V hull offers some advantage in choppy seas, but still allows access to relatively shallow areas. Photo by the author

harder chine – the angle or point where the sides meet the bottom.

This provides slightly more lifting action, and is more common

Most bass boats have a flat bottom that provides a stable platform and shallow draft. Photo courtesy of Nitro Boats

Flat-bottomed These P (planing) hulls are very stable, require less power, are easily maneuvered and have a shal(Continued on next page)

Pontoon hulls provide a very stable platform for heavy loads on calm water, yet are still relatively efficient. Photo courtesy Lowe Boats www.MaineSportsman.com

20 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Boating

(Continued from page 19)

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low draft. This makes them a better option for activities like bass fishing, where one or more anglers might be standing and casting in shallow weed beds; duck hunting, where you need to get into the shallows; and water sports like skiing and tubing.

They’re a good option for shallow or calm water, and are also a common hull type for inflatables and dinghies.

Multi Multi-hulls like the catamaran and trimaran represent sort of a hybrid, providing the sleek efficiency of a round bottom D hull with the stability of a flat P hull.

Pontoon Though round, the pontoons are considered a P hull because they run mostly on top of – rather than in – the water. They’re very stable, and their buoyancy makes them efficient. They’re not designed for rough water and are less maneuverable, but are a great choice for calm water cruising with a crowd, or for trolling.

“V” Offers Three Options Now we get to the shape most recreational boaters are probably interested in. V hulls (named for the “V” shape formed by a cross-section of the hull) provide a combination of stability in rough water, and speed, and come in various configurations.

While often further sub-divided into three distinct classes, the realm of hull options is more of a continuum.

There are countless designs that blur the lines between classes, which means more options for those who use their boats for a range of different activities.

Option 1: Deep V Retailers and builders sometimes incorrectly use the term “Deep V” in describing their boats. Boats with a transom deadrise – the angle between the center of the keel and a horizontal plane – of 21-25 degrees are considered deep V, while those between 21 and 17 are modified V’s.

A true deep V hull requires more power and is more trim-sensitive, (Continued on next page)

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(Continued from page 20)

but if you just want to go fast and aren’t concerned with how much fuel you burn, it is an option.

Option 2: Mod-V With very few exceptions, modified V is the way to go if most of your boating occurs on saltwater. Even on the nicest days, and especially on the not-so-nice, there’s always some chop on the ocean. The V cuts through waves rather than absorbing them, making for a much smoother ride in rough water. The hull is also designed to push water aside for a drier ride, and as their name implies, spray rails will further enhance this effect.

There are a few cons. With a mod-V boat, you’ll need to be more cognizant of avoiding shallows, since they draw more water. Because more of the hull is “in” rather than “on” the water,

there is more drag, which requires more power, even on plane.

On flat water, they’re slightly less stable than flat-bottomed boats, but in most cases not enough so you’ll notice the difference.

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Option 3: Shallow V The shallow V has a more flattened hull that tapers to a V toward the bow. You’ll see this most often in johnboats and skiffs.

It’s a great option for activities like duck hunting, fishing on smaller, calmer waters or launching and hauling in shallower water. It might also be an option for someone who fishes both fresh and coastal saltwater, the latter only on calm days.

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22 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

The Allure of Ice Fishing for Maine Smelt The current was particularly strong that night, and it wasn’t long before I pulled up a stray line from an adjacent shack, lifted it off my hook and let it drop back down. The second time, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attach an empty adult beverage container to their hook before letting it descend; then listened intently for the reaction. It started with excited shouts, followed by loud laughing and then some mock threats – relatively mild hijinks compared to what can occur while smelting on a cold winter’s eve.

Sea-run smelt are the same species as

shack “rig” consists of a pole suspended horizontally on springs with a series of perpendicular pegs, each with a line and hook.

Bait the hooks, unspool the line by hand, and watch carefully for the pole to bounce.

Experienced anglers often bring their own tackle, including a light spin rod (4 lb. test) and a weighted Sabiki rig, which will out-fish traditional tackle by a wide margin. The bite is very subtle, so forget your generic trout or salmon rod. Those delicate and much shorter rods you use for jigging trout and panfish through an ice hole are

The author covers the art of winter fishing for smelt in Maine, including what traditional and modern gear to employ, and whether to use a shack or even a lighted riverfront dock. their landlocked cousin but are anadromous, living in estuaries and offshore waters and migrating into shallow freshwater in the spring to spawn, and like salmon and alewives, grow larger than their freshwater counterparts. In this case, the term “spring” is used loosely as the migration typically starts while even the largest rivers (usually) still have enough ice to support smelt shacks and their occupants.

Hard core smelters hit the huts early,

hoping for harbingers of the run to come.

Casual anglers go when it’s convenient, while sagacious veterans wait for word that the run has begun. For some, it’s simply an excuse to get out of the house and bend elbows with their buddies. For others, it’s a tradition with a long history.

Prospective smelters can set up their own smelt shacks, but the easiest and most popular method is to rent a shack from one of several concessions on the Kennebec and

its tributaries. Costs generally range somewhere between $10 and $14 per person, which includes bait (seaworms), hooks, lines, sinkers and firewood. You can go most any time, day or night, but night fishing on an incoming tide, or on either side of high, tends to be more productive.

If you want to go that route, make your reservation well in advance, because spots fill up quickly when optimal time and tide coincide.

The traditional

(Continued on next page)

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 23

The scent of wood smoke and the sound of excited anglers fill the air when the smelt are running.

(Continued from page 22)

a much better option, particularly considering the close confines of an ice shack. A portable sounder can be helpful, as it will show you when the fish are there, and at what depth.

You don’t need a shack. Another meth-

od, which I learned in some of my earliest smelt forays, involves fishing off a dock, which is handy because you can do it anywhere you can find a dock, preferably on a river or near its mouth. Here too, night tends to be better, and lighted docks attract

more fish. If the docks aren’t lighted, bring your own. Bait and tackle are much the same, but you can use longer rods, with softer tips to detect the subtle bite.

There are, of course, more nuances regarding what tackle and techniques to use,

but part of the fun is learning. Another part is simply sharing time in the shack, or on the dock, with family or friends, and later consuming your catch.

Snip off the heads, remove the entrails, roll them in batter, and they’re ready for the fryer, bones and all.

A portable sounder can prove quite handy while smelting.

Anglers are always advised to check the regulations, particularly when it comes to smelt, as they can be complex and confusing. For example, bag limits are listed in quarts, which I’d venture to guess is unique among fish regulations.

¶

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24 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Ice Fishing for Cusk

by Stephen D. Carpenteri

Most Maine inland anglers are familiar with the state’s glamor species, including landlocked salmon, the trouts, even bass, muskies and pike.

However, only a select few have ever seen or fished for the cusk, also known as freshwater cod, or burbot.

This most ugly of freshwater fishes is well-known to winter fishermen, who drop their lines to the bottom of our largest, deepest lakes and ponds when the sun goes down. They know the cusk is a denizen of the darkness, most active at night, and most commonly caught in water that is 100 feet deep – or more.

Who stays up

all night in hopes of catching a fish that looks like a cross between an eel and God knows what? Sample a steaming cup of hot cusk chowder and you’ll have your answer – and you’ll be hooked, as well.

What Are They?

According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, cusk are relatively slow-growing and are a long-lived species, attaining ages up to 20 years.

In Maine, cusk average 18 inches and 24 ounces in their eighth year of growth, 20 inches and 32 ounces in their 10th year, and 24 inches and 62 ounces (nearly 4 pounds) in

2024 COBBOSSEE ICE FISHING DERBY MARCH 2, 2024 SUNRISE TO 3:00 PM ON COBBOSSEE LAKE

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their 13th year. The largest angler-caught cusk recorded in Maine weighed 18 pounds 8 ounces. It was pulled from the depths of Eagle Lake in Aroostook County in 1986.

These slippery, slithering fish have an elongated body with a broad, flattened triangular head. The mouth is large and wide. A single chin barbel adorns the lower jaw.

Scales are small and embedded, giving burbot the appearance of being slimy. The upper and lower fins run nearly half the length of the body.

In Maine, coloration ranges from a tan to dark brown background overlaid with dark brown to black mottling or spots. Some of the fish may be uniformly dark brown or black.

Although occasionally taken during the open water season, cusk are readily caught during the winter ice-fishing season.

This coincides with the most active feeding period for the species. Mid-February to early March is a great time to target cusk in deep lakes with sandy or gravelly bottoms.

Cusk spawning habits are unique, as they spawn during late winter under the ice. Cusk will spawn

Cusk are found by ice-anglers who are willing to fish through the night on deep, cold, clear lakes, especially in northern and western Maine. And the fish make for really good eating – earning them the unofficial moniker of “poor man’s lobster.”

in pairs or in groups ranging from a dozen to even hundreds, in shallow water over sand or gravel bottoms. Eggs are deposited randomly, as cusk do not build individual nests.

Cusk are categorized as a non-sport fish, and are not specifically managed in Maine. There are no length, weight, or bag limit restrictions on cusk, which is good news for chowder-hounds statewide.

One taste of cusk chowder will convince any angler to leave the haddock for those who can afford it.

How to Catch Them Because of the species’ nocturnal feeding habits, fishing at night generally produces the best catches. Most of Maine’s deepest, clearest lakes provide night fisheries for cusk.

Successful methods used while ice-fishing include fishing on or near bottom, using live or cut bait. Jigging with artificial lures or dead bait is also effective.

Cusk are very opportunistic feeders.

Food habit studies conducted on Moosehead Lake indicate that cusk feed heavily on smelts and crayfish.

Other forage items consumed by cusk include various minnows, insects, invertebrates, and the remains of dead fish.

Fish species commonly observed in cusk stomachs include freshwater sculpins, sticklebacks, yellow perch, and suckers.

Let’s call cusk bottom feeders and be done with it, although they do seem to seek out and thrive on the same prey species as our beloved lake trout (togue, if you will).

So just set your traps at night, and then go inside the camp where it’s warm and wait until morning, right? Wrong! Although it’s legal to ice fish all night, Maine law (12 MRS §12659A) requires that each trap be checked at least once every hour throughout the night (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 25 (Continued from page 24)

by the person who set them.

Where Are They?

Cusk are often found in the same habitat as with other coldwater species, especially brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. They thrive in cold, clear lakes, at depths ranging from 25 to over 100 feet.

According to Scott Roy, assistant regional fisheries biologist, cusk are typically found in Maine’s larger lakes. One-half of the lakes with cusk populations are greater than 1,000 acres in area.

Maine’s largest lakes, including Moosehead (74,890 acres), Sebago (28,771 acres) and Chesuncook

(26,200 acres) contain cusk. Together, these three lakes comprise 28 percent of the area of all Maine burbot lakes.

An additional 155 lakes known to contain cusk average 2,125 acres in size. For example, good populations of cusk can be found in Schoodic Lake in Brownville, Sebec Lake in Sebec,

and other, similar waters in central and northern Maine. Suffice it to say that if a lake is cold and deep, and if it contains trout and salmon, it likely also has a fishable population of cusk.

Why Cusk?

If you want to focus on pretty fish, by all means stick with trout and salmon. In fact, even muskies and pike

have more eye-appeal than cusk.

But if you want some of the best-eating fish in Maine, drop your lines to the bottom after dark. The fish’s firm white meat is often compared to cod, but some argue it’s much better – good enough to earn the unofficial moniker of “poor man’s lobster.”

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26 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Ice Fishing in Maine A Pictorial by Jonathan Wheaton

A great day on the ice begins with a beautiful sunrise.

Spring Lake, located north of Flagstaff, is the perfect place to get together with close friends for an ice fishing trip.

Icing a fish makes all the effort worthwhile. www.MaineSportsman.com

Some folks prefer jigging ...

... while others wait for the tip-up’s flag to fly.

What’s a trip on the ice without good food?

“The trip to Spring Lake took place on a pristine day,” reports Jonathan. “We had light snow all day long, and no wind -- just the type of day you want to spend on the ice. We cooked in a cast iron pan over an open fire, and enjoyed our Maine roots.”

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 27

Maine Snowmobile Club Wins $10,000 Grant, and the Timing Could Not Have Been Better

by Blaine Cardilli

In November, 2023 we learned that Polaris, Inc. had issued grants to a select number of snowmobile and ATV clubs across the country as part of its “trail grants” program.

What caught our eye was the news that

one of the organizations receiving a grant was the Lexington Highlanders Snowmobile Club, located in Lexington Township, Maine.

The wording of the grant stated the funds were to be used to “help

support the club’s project to re-establish a local bridge, enhance safety measures on 40 miles of trail, and add culverts to decrease erosion and eliminate water crossings.”

To find out more about the Lexington

Township grant, we contacted Lori Nunes, vice president of the Highlanders club.

“Quite Generous” “We believe the Polaris trails grant program is quite generous,” Ms. Nunes told us. “We’re greatly

appreciative of being selected. It’s a nationwide program, and our club was one of only two selected in the State of Maine.”

(A second Maine non-profit, the Mollyockett Sportsman’s (Continued on next page)

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28 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Snowmobiling (Continued from page 27)

Club in West Paris, also received a grant, to contribute toward the cost of removing and replacing a crucial bridge that connects two trail systems.)

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More Needed, Especially Volunteers Despite being very pleased with the $10,000 grant from Polaris, Lori Nunes made clear that fixing and maintaining trail systems will take more money, and also more than money. “Volunteers are the backbone of the clubs all across the state,” she explained. “All those folks who enjoy using the trail systems should be aware of the amount of work accomplished by those volunteers.

“Riders should do all they can to support one or more clubs with membership fees, contributions, or

by offering to donate their labor,” she continued. “Further, all riders should respect the landowners, as they are kind enough to allow all of us to use their land, and they don’t have to!”

Nunes discussed the recent damage caused by storms and also the economic importance of snowmobile activity in Maine.

“The devastation caused by Mother Nature will get repaired by hard-working members who care about the sport,” she said.

“Everyone will need to do their part to help out. I am glad The Sportsman is helping to publicize the needs of the various clubs, which provide an economic boost to the area.”

Nunes said that the sport directly and indirectly brings about (Continued on next page)

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 29

Snowmobilers count on one trail being connected to another trail, and when a bridge washes out, it can mean loss of access to multiple routes and loops. Here, riders head out near Coburn Mountain and Parlin Pond Lodge.

All photos: Al Swett (Continued from page 28)

$775 million into the state, and unless state and federal emergency management agencies can help fund repairs from damage from the May 1st and the De-

Snowmobiling can attract big crowds, as shown here on Rangeley Lake at the Bald Mountain Camps in Oquossoc. According to Lori Nunes of the Lexington Highlanders, Maine’s trail system brings in travelers who spend a combined $775 million each year.

cember 18 storms, it’s going to be a real challenge to restore and maintain the trail system.

The club does what it can to raise funds, putting on two community barbecues

each year to attract donations.

However, whenever another bridge is washed out by a storm, it takes a combined financial and volunteer effort to reconnect the sections of the trail.

Why do sledders come from all over New England to ride Maine’s trails? It’s because our state offers mountain scenery and outstanding views like the panorama shown here.

“We appreciate anything The Maine Sportsman can do to help us get the word out,” Nunes concluded.

Consider it done, Lori – congratulations on the Polaris grant, and best wishes for

continued success in your club’s efforts to obtain additional resources from state and federal emergency management agencies.

¶

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30 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Make the Most of March Regardless of how late winter arrives or how mild it may be in certain years, Aroostook gets plenty of snow and cold compared to the rest of the state. Residents just accept from experience that March is still a winter month, while down south spring is well on the way.

It’s been my experience, however, that a few late-season ice fishing and rabbit hunting jaunts can be enjoyed during the Ides of March mild weather.

A Grand Idea While the bulk of my recommended ice fishing destinations tend to be in central or northern Aroostook, I have a couple of favored lakes to the south. East Grand Lake tops my list, especially for spring trolling, but offers dependable “hard water”

Get to East Grand, Spaulding, Cochrane or Bradbury Lakes for some ice fishing, while the air temperatures are warmer but the ice is still thick.

And hunters can also enjoy snowshoe hare season for the entire month of March.

East Grand Lake offers a wide variety of species to keep anglers busy, and even when the big ones aren’t biting, tasty perch and smelt are usually active.

All photos provided by the author

fishing as well.

Multiple species make it an exciting waterway to fish, but its real uniqueness is that it’s half in Canada as well as about half in Aroostook and Washington Counties.

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ter. However, if you go into a cove on the Canadian side to fish, or if you tie up to the Canadian shoreline, you’ll need a Canadian fishing license.

There are dozens of locations along the lake to park and wade

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or snowshoe out and set tip-ups all winter long. But March, with its longer days, warmer weather and receding snow depths, offers a much more comfortable outing.

Crowding and over-fishing certain locations isn’t a problem.

Nonetheless, on this 16,000-acre “Grand” lake, a snowmobile offers less work and far more options.

Several boat launch areas and other access sites are kept plowed by local and visiting hard water anglers, so parking, unloading and reloading isn’t a hardship on most portions of East Grand.

Those aiming to fish the northern end of the lake near Orient should visit Pete’s Cove or across the lake near Caribou Point for salmon and trout.

Drill a few holes near Halfmoon Island for perch, or in Work Cove for some trout and pickerel action.

Dependable action can usually be had between Meetinghouse and Davenport Points at mid-lake as well.

Check Delorme’s Atlas Maps 45 & 53 to overview this huge lake, and drive Route 1 from Houlton or Route 169 from the south to Danforth to reach East Grand Lake.

Terrific Trio Still on the subject of southern Aroostook ice fishing options, March is a great time to visit one or more of (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 31

East Grand Lake is a perfect spot to introduce youngsters and rookie ice drillers to a new sport. Ethan Cushman of Mars Hill found this outing very rewarding.

(Continued from page 30)

a triad of small lakes near the villages of Bennett and Ludlow.

Spaulding Lake in Oakfield was heavily stocked with brook trout this past year, accented by a small load of 17- to 18-inch brood stock.

Ten minutes up the road, side by side, are Cochrane and Bradbury Lakes (also known as Barker) – a pair of multi-species waterways that are full of brookies and perch.

All these spots are excellent choices to introduce youngsters and newcomers to the sport of ice fishing, since they are very easy to reach along a well-plowed highway.

Although a snowmobile and tote sled are great for hauling gear and faster for farther travel, it’s certainly not a requirement on these lakes, especially this month.

Most beneficial while visiting one of the neighborhood lakes is the opportunity to quickly switch locations if action is slow for a couple of hours where you started fishing.

Bill Levasseur of Sinclair Leaves his ice shanty out as late as is safe in March on Long Lake.

He takes full advantage of the sunny, warm days to catch late-season lunkers.

Use 95 to Oakfield, then the Spaulding Lake Road or Route 2 from Houlton to reach the shoreline for all three lakes. Check DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 53, grid A-1, for Cochrane and Bradbury, and Map 52, section A-5 for Spaulding Lake.

Take a jig rod and use a pearl DB Smelt or orange Swedish Pimple – perch love them, and trout will grab one occasionally, as well.

The March Hare For the most part, snowshoe hare are crepuscular by nature, meaning they are most active around dawn and dusk. March, however, is mating month,

and the instinct-driven bunnies can be found bouncing around looking for a playmate most of the day.

This is particularly convenient for hunters without hounds, since stopand-go woods-walking bumps more bunnies.

It’s even more productive when two or three shooters can slowly push through brush and second growth side by side, 10 or 20 yards apart.

Snow levels along tree lines and hedge rows, as well as in fields, deplete daily as March progresses.

There are even plots (Continued on next page)

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Jered Young of Mars Hill treks south occasionally to some of the smaller lakes near New Limerick that are well-stocked with trout. More often than not, he’s rewarded for his efforts.

Some years by mid-March spring wind and longer, sunny days take most of the snow from some lake surfaces. Here, Tom Tardiff of Robinson takes advantage of a warm afternoon.

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32 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

The County (Continued from page 31)

Twelve year old Nate Shaw traveled all the way to Long Lake from Milbridge and was rewarded with this 4lb. 12 oz, slab of silver.

Greg Palm of Presque Isle brush-busts for rabbit right up until season’s end.

Occasionally in late March, a few will be returning to their brown phase.

of bare ground where white rabbits stand out acutely – an unusual and much-needed advantage for the gunners.

As I’ve mentioned frequently for various Aroostook game animals, there’s often a likely hunting spot within a 15-minute drive of home. For Easton and half-a-dozen surrounding towns and villages, the Hersom and Ladner Roads make a big loop off Route 1A. Dozens of likely rabbit warrens can be visited along this route, especially

along River de Chute Brook near the Canadian border. DeLorme, Map 65, E-4 will guide newcomers to the region.

Out toward Scopan Lake, off Route 163 and the Walker Siding Road, are many productive snowshoe hare covers that become more accessible this month. Peruse DeLorme’s Map 64, E-3 & 4 for an overview, and take advantage of comfortable weather and walking conditions for late-season hare hunting.

¶

Aroostook County — The Crown of Maine

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 33

Allagash – the Industrial Forest Part 2: Working in the Woods

My wife’s family has a proud history, since they are the descendants of loggers who trekked into the forests of Baxter and the Allagash. Work in the timber industry, while demanding, delivered employment to hundreds of lumberjacks, cooks, teamsters, and others who cut down and transported trees, or who supported those doing the harvesting.

Susan’s grandfather worked as a foreman, driving logs down the West Branch of the Penobscot. Her grandmother cooked for Great Northern Paper Company at the Ambajejus Lake boom house in T1R9. As a young child, Susan was taught how to tie her Girl Scout knots by these independent men.

While we applaud their superhuman accomplishments, we should also remember the price paid by our natural world. One of the primary goals of industry is to make money, delivering a return to investors and lenders by any legal means, and as quickly as possible.

In pursuit of that goal, every stream, river and lake from Katahdin to the Allagash was dammed, altered, distorted and dynamited, to excavate watery channels to float logs to market.

To cite one example: Every summer, crews would use explosives and equipment to dig horse channels in the lower Allagash. This involved excavating rocks and gravel to create the shortest route for horses to pull barges. These passages were quarried large enough to accommodate flat boats at high water to haul 8-9 tons of supplies, and at low water, 2-4 tons.

Then there was a proliferation of water impoundments, such as Long Lake Dam in T12R13. When water was released through the 18 eight-foot-wide gates of the 700-foot impoundment, the impact was felt at the Van Buren Mill, 100 miles away.1 Of little concern with the massive overcutting was the amount of silt, erosion and flooding which choked spawning beds of game fish. Nor was there concern about leveling deer yards and habitat used by wildlife. All along the corridor, the land was flattened from shore to shore, leaving behind a moonscape landscape.

Chase Rapids in 1930s

After the trees were limbed, they were delivered to market. Two famous landmarks along the Allagash are 1) the endless conveyor of the Tramway that moved 100 million feet of timber over a six-year period; and 2) the Eagle Lake and West Branch Railroad, which carried 6,400 cords per trip, until it was abandoned in 1933.

Tramway – Eagle Lake end

“With a long Aroostook winter in which to cut wood, and a short summer season to haul it, speed was critical,” one historian noted. “Steaming through the woods, the locomotives killed as many as 18 deer a night.”2 Today, exhibitors such as the Maine State Museum, Maine Forest and Logging Museum, the Patten and Ashland Lumberman’s Museum, and the Allagash Historical Society, chronicle this important past. In my opinion, to help us appreciate that history to the fullest,

Logs piled on the ice at Heron Lake, T10R12

to make it more accessible, and to protect the relics along the Allagash, items of significance should be moved to those facilities, where they could be sheltered from the elements.

In 1966, Maine voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum to create the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, with a mandate “to develop the maximum wilderness character” of the area. In essence, the Allagash had been dammed, dug, diverted, and over-harvested long enough.

As we celebrate our past, we should applaud the resilience of our natural world. While scars remain, some disfigurements have healed, allowing today’s visitors to catch glimpses of the great forest that existed years before.

Want to learn more? The Allagash Wilderness Advisory Council generally meets twice a year. For more information, and to see minutes of past meetings, visit www.maine.gov/dacf/ and type “Allagash Wilderness Waterway Advisory Council” into the search field.

Notes: 1 Judd, Richards W. Aroostook a Century of Logging in Northern Maine.

The University of Maine Press, Orono Maine 04469 1989. Pg. 158 2 Id, at pg. 185 Tim Caverly has authored twelve books about Maine’s northern forest.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

34 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

If You Have a Choice, Stay Local in Fishing Gear Local fishing tackle manufacturers know what’s up. Whenever I’m prepping for an ice fishing excursion, and I need to buy some terminal gear – jigs, leaders, and such – I will always try to go to a local outdoors shop and find gear designed and built by Mainers.

My reasons go beyond simply supporting local businesses. The fact is that local retailers always have what I’m looking for.

One of my pet peeves is the selection of fishing tackle at big box stores. Although some of their gear is reasonable for Maine pursuits, there’s something to be said for a locally sourced, locally tested piece of equipment. It seems that the tackle sections at big box stores are often full of tackle for walleye, carp, and other species that aren’t frequently targeted in Maine.

When purchasing tackle, says the author, first try to select products that were designed and made in Maine. Buying local keeps the dollars here in the state, but more important, you’re buying from someone who knows what works here.

“Sebago Slammer” Jig I recently had the opportunity to talk with a local ice fishing jig manufacturer: Brady Ouellette, co-founder of Sebago Slammer. Ouellette seems to share the same ideology as I do. He and his business partner have been manufacturing lake trout jigs since 2022, and they have come up with a very clever design.

The Maine-made “Sebago Slammer” jig exhibits great swimming action as it’s lowered down under the ice, and again when it’s being retrieved.

Drawing on their 7 years of experience in making fishing tackle, they’ve designed a jig that has proven itself to the Maine ice fishing community. It’s designed to “swim” around beneath the ice – both as the jig is dropped, and as it is pulled upwards. The stubby, stamped aluminum wings and snub nose allow it more movement than other jigs, and unlike other lake trout jigs, it exhibits desirable action throughout the entire drop.

In Maine, where togue often inhabit depths of 50 feet or more, that’s a sigwww.MaineSportsman.com

A friend of the author shows off a nice brown trout caught on a Maine-made spoon purchased at Hookmore Leader Co.

Here, the author’s father holds a brook trout. All gear involved in the catch, from the tip-up to the leader and the terminal tackle, was manufactured in Maine.

nificant increase in time that the jig is performing its attractive action, instead of freefalling. “We pour the metal into the mold,” Ouellette explained. “Once they cool down, we powder coat and then tie the bucktails on and stinger hooks.”

Ouellette and his partner are proud to do all the work themselves.

Their jigs are available at a handful of local trading posts right now, but they hope to expand.

Hookmore Leaders Another made-in-Maine company I’ve come to appreciate is Hookmore Leaders. They produce and sell all sorts of ice fishing leaders and trolling spoons

which have been designed specifically for Maine’s target fish.

They sell a wide selection – from pike and muskie leaders, to thin trout leaders, and everything in between.

I’ve fished with these leaders for a couple of years now – all of my tip-ups sport them. I really like that they’re made by local fishermen.

Charity Begins at Home Another big draw to local tackle companies is that the money you spend stays in Maine, and helps local causes. Hookmore Leaders, for example, supports a number of Maine-based non-profits, including Operation Reboot Outdoors, House in the Woods, and the Travis Mills Foundation.

That’s not to say that big brands don’t make good gear. I use plenty of equipment that’s made outside of Maine.

Sure, a lot of it isn’t perfect, or of the highest quality, but it can be convenient and sometimes more affordable.

In my opinion, however, if you’ve got the option, gear made with local input is always the better choice.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 35

— Guest Column —

Deane H. Russell’s Remarkable Knife

by David E. Petzal, Cumberland, ME In his January “Rangeley Region” column, William Clunie mentioned that he had bought a Russell Canadian Belt Knife (RCBK), thereby identifying himself as a guy who knows what he’s doing in the outdoors. The Russell knife has been around since 1957. It’s probably the most versatile outdoor/hunting knife you can lay against a sharpening stone.

The RCBK came about because one Deane H. Russell, an Ontario outdoorsman, took offense at the fact that there was no such thing as a Canadian-made hunting knife, and determined to do something about it. Through a newspaper article, he joined up with a cutler named Rudolph Grohmann, who owned a little knife factory in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

The two men then surveyed hunters and trappers, a lot of them, and asked “What should a knife do?

(This was the same process that Gaston Glock used when he designed his revolutionary pistol.)

Once they knew what would be expected of it, they created a design. It was an odd-looking shape with a 4-inch-long tool-steel blade that came to a symmetrical point. The handle, which was quite slender, was made of rosewood, and was offset above the centerline of the blade. This was

The author would rather part with his shooting eye than with his Russell Canadian Belt Knife.

The Russell Canadian Belt Knife has won 25 international design awards, and has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as an example of design excellence. Photo by the author

done so that whatever you cut into, your knuckles would not get involved. The knife rode in a Scandinavian-style sheath that dangled freely from a belt loop. It had no keeper strap; instead, it swallowed the knife, except for an inch or so of handle.

The RCBK would do just about every-

thing well, and a lot of things extremely well.

Gutting, skinning, caping, chopping onions, slicing bacon, zipping open packages, you name it. Warren Page, who was Shooting Editor of Field & Stream magazine for 25 years, made a practice of conducting autopsies on whatever he shot to see how his

bullets performed. He did it with a Russell Belt Knife because, he said, it handled like a scalpel.

Since its introduction, the RCBK has won 25 international design awards, and has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as an example of design excel-

lence. It’s also one of the most copied knives in the world. At last count, there were 18 companies producing Russell imitations.

Grohmann Cutlery offers variations on the original knife, and to simplify your life, here are some suggestions.

You want a tool steel blade, not stainless.

I’ve tried, and have never been able to get a really good edge on stainless Russells.

The tool steel knives sharpen just fine. As for handles, the original rosewood works as well as anything.

Rosewood is an oily tropical hardwood that resists blood, grease, water, and whatever else you want to get on it. Micarta is even tougher than rosewood. Stag looks pretty, and makes an excellent handle.

I’ve gone through a number of Russells, but the one I now have is the last one I will own. It belonged to a late friend of mine named Joe Caccamo.

Joe and I hunted all over, from the Ungava Peninsula of Quebec to South Africa.

One day I noticed him wearing a Russell with a very handsome stag handle, and said how much I’d like to own one that pretty. He took the knife off his belt and gave it to me.

The only thing he said was “Here.”

I would rather part with my shooting eye than that knife.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

36 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

— Guest Column —

You Couldn’t Keep Him Away: My Grandfather’s Passion for Maine

by Andrew Sharp, Delaware Delaware, where I live, is clogged with deer, thick as chiggers. They’re fat with soybeans, and crammed into small woodlots. From a venison perspective, it makes no sense to drive to Maine to hunt, but we do it anyway. It’s my grandfather’s fault.

For more than 50 years, my grandfather made the long drive up I-95 to Maine for a week of November deer hunting.

It was a rare occasion when he missed the trip. One such time was in 1954, when my dad was born in early December. Grandma apparently didn’t relish the idea of waiting alone in their Delaware farmhouse so close to her due date.

Simon (“Sim”) Sharp and his brother, my great-uncle Crist, shared a lifelong bond, and one way they maintained it was hunting trips together.

I wish I knew how their Maine hunting trip tradition started, but Grandpa and his brother are both gone now.

It All Started in PA Sim downed his first buck in 1943 in McKean County, Pennsylvania with a Winchester .25-35, and spent the rest of his life pursuing more. But why did he and Crist start traveling to Maine?

What conversations led them north?

What article in a hunting magazine, or tales from neighbors, tipped them off that Maine was a great state to bag a buck?

From old postcards I dug up, it appears their first trip was around 1947.

Did they know it would launch an annual ritual? Traditions almost never start that way. They are a careless choice of this destination over that one, and a “Why don’t we do this again next year?”

Then a decade goes by, and it’s an institution: The Maine Trip, with capital letters. By the time I can remember, it was on the calendar like Christmas and Thanksgiving. If it was November, Grandpa was leaving for a week in Maine.

Although family legend came to hold that Grandpa only ever missed the one hunt, I know he had to skip a few more when the children were young. Among the postcards, likely purchased at Bishop’s Store in Jackman, are messages from Uncle Crist about the great huntwww.MaineSportsman.com

follow that, since rivers always end up at civilization eventually.

A seasoned Maine tracker might have smiled at Dad’s tone, but it was a wise precaution for green hunters from the flatlands whose idea of a big woods was a 200-acre lot.

The author’s grandfather and the gang with a full game pole of white-tailed deer and a black bear, at Parlin Dam Camps in Jackman in 1949. “Grandpa” is on the right, his brother Crist is next to him, and on the far left is the author’s great-grandfather, Eli Schrock.

ing Grandpa was missing.

In ’57, Crist reported shooting a big 8-point along Crocker Pond Road. In 1959, he wrote of downing a 10-point over 200 pounds. These are not the kind of messages that make a diehard hunter happy to be home working on the farm.

The Allure of Maine Part of what hooked Grandpa on the State of Maine was its wild country.

When you’ve been raised in Delaware farm country, the chance to walk, and walk, and walk and never get to the end of the woods is deeply alluring.

When my brother and I first started going along on the trip, Dad gave us stern warnings about venturing into the mountains. Consult your compass and map frequently. Always know which way the road is. If you get lost, stop and build a fire, because if you keep going, you could get lost for good. If you’re turned around but have a river handy,

The author’s grandfather, right, and his great uncle Crist, in their happy place — a snowy Maine woods road.

Where’s Grandpa?

Maybe one of the reasons Dad was so vehement about us not getting lost was that he didn’t want to go searching for us at night like groups did for Grandpa. Sim, while an accomplished hunter, could get enthusiastic about exploring the wilderness, and he didn’t always find his way out immediately.

The saying in deer camp, I’ve been told, was “We hunt deer all day, and Sim all night.”

While my brother and I didn’t get lost, some memories stick in my mind.

Like slogging my way through a bog in a driving wet snow, searching vainly for dry hummocks. I had time to reflect on my poor choice of boots, as icy mountain water poured into my dry socks.

Or the disbelief and euphoria when I shot my first elusive Maine buck, dropping it on the spot with a shot to the neck.

And perhaps the best part: Sitting around the stove in the tent or cabin, telling yarns and solving the world’s problems, having a beer or a cup of hot coffee, the day’s strains behind you and your leg muscles weary, your feet warm again as the glow radiates out from the stove and your wet coat steams on a hook on the wall. ***** Grandpa was a loyal man. Going to Maine energized him in a way that simply sitting at home remembering could not. As his health declined, and he couldn’t handle hiking in the woods, he stubbornly sat in the truck, parked where he could look out over a logging spur or open stretch of trees. His Maine trips ended only with his death at 82 in 2005.

If God gives me the years, I hope that, like Grandpa, I’ll ignore the pleadings of my family, and hunt until the end.

I know he’d be pleased.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 37

“A Fourth P”

by Matt Breton I’ve got a buddy, Chad, who picked up hunting several years ago. He started bowhunting, and subsequently progressed into rifle and muzzleloader hunting.

Unfortunately for him, he hangs out with our crew, so he now hunts rugged country with low deer densities after October archery season.

He keeps coming back, so he must enjoy it. I know he does, since he likes to wander new country and explore the woods. He has shot a couple of deer, but hasn’t specifically been a deer tracker.

Two seasons ago, I had to scoot home due to a furnace problem, so he and my dad headed to a new section of woods, and he picked up what he thought might be a buck track. He followed it for a while and then he thought it was headed somewhere it shouldn’t, so he didn’t think it was a buck and left the track.

One of the reasons I wrote my book Bucks That Got Away was to fill in a gap I felt existed between experienced big buck trackers like Hal, and the people who were new to tracking like I was.

I’m still trying to fill in that gap.

This season, Chad and I tracked bucks together a couple of times. We got to discuss many of the smaller

Hal Blood has always preached the importance of the Three P’s, according to the author – practice, persistence and patience. But the author believes an additional word should be added to Hal’s list: precision.

Matt’s buddy Chad, out in front on a buck track. Matt Breton photo

details of the tracking world – things I think a lot of newer trackers miss, and that some hunters never think about. All these minute details add depth to the hunting process, helping a hunter gain insight on the buck being tracked, and enriching the experience of the woods. We discussed things like day and night beds based on location, tarsal stains, foot placement locations (ours and the buck’s), feeding sign when browsing, tine marks in the snow, tree identification, and dissecting rubs and scrapes based on topography.

Be Precise One thing that really caught my attention when Chad was leading on the track was how imprecise he was. This isn’t a knock on him; rather, it’s just a skill he needed to first know about and then develop.

He was challenged by the track in several ways. He lost it when the deer track was covered over with moose tracks, and he didn’t catch where it swung away. He missed it when the track was mixing with other deer. He misplaced it when there were old tracks, and the buck we jumped was run-

ning on top and veered off.

Tracking deer is the art of noticing, and

Chad hadn’t learned that part of the process yet. Attention to detail makes all the difference. Balance is needed between staring at the track, and properly keeping it in front.

I’ve decided that Hal’s “three P’s” need a fourth leg of the stool – precision. This might be considered bold, coming from someone who hasn’t knocked down the number of bucks that Hal has, but hear me out.

The three other legs on the stool – practice, patience, and persistence – all lead to successful tracking, but I feel that each of those is made better and more refined by being precise. At a certain point, if a tracker isn’t paying attention to details, he’s going to miss out on opportunities. Everything (Big Woods World continued on page 39)

www.MaineSportsman.com

38 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Meeting a Bowhunting Icon I learned to read in first grade. I was thrilled when I could finally read bigger books. By the end of the school year, I was signing out a book per week from the school library.

I enjoyed reading fiction. However, my father’s hunting magazines were my favorites. From 1975 until I was in high school, Bowhunter Magazine was my favorite thing to read. I especially enjoyed articles by

M.R. James is a true celebrity in the bowhunting world. Would I be able to arrange a visit with him, and keep it a secret from my father? the magazine’s editor, M.R. James.

James’ articles and stories of his hunting adventures were thrilling. I often felt like I was there, watching the events of those white-tailed deer, elk, mountain lion and mule deer hunts unfold. His descriptive writing style kept me coming back.

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I’d steal my father’s monthly subscription and make it my own. Dad even hole-punched the early issues so he could go back and read articles.

I think I read through two years of the magazine in one summer when I was in fourth or fifth grade.

I ran across M.R. James on Facebook a few years ago. I sent him a private mes-

sage, telling him that my father and I had been fans from the beginning.

James was super-nice. He responded to my message, thanking me for being a subscriber and reader for so long.

Though he retired from the magazine in 2006, he continues to write, stays involved with the hunting world, and bowhunts.

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In fact, at 83 years of age, he killed a beautiful 12-point buck this past year.

This guy is a living legend of the bowhunting world, and a role model to many.

He has seen the sport grow, and has been intimately involved in that growth. In fact, there are few people alive who have seen and done the things he has.

The Indiana Spoof When I booked our hunting trip to Indiana last year, I thought about M.R. James. He lives in Indiana, and though it felt a bit invasive, I reached out to him. I explained how we’d met the legendary Fred Bear when I was 13 years old, but the photos had been lost. I told him we’d be in Indiana and if he’d be open to it, we’d love to meet him.

I was humbled when he responded, “I’d love to meet you and your father. Please stop by the farm, and I’ll show you around.”

My father is nearly 78 years old. He can’t hunt the way he used to, and long trips can be painful for him now. I wanted to make this trip special for him, and it needed to be a surprise. So, with the help of my new pen pal, I forged a plan.

I asked my father if he’d mind taking a drive to see “my old college buddy, Ray” while we were in In(Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 39

It’s hard to keep a secret when there’s a sign like this at the end of the driveway.

Thankfully, the author was able to distract his father, who never saw the black iron sign.

(Continued from page 38)

diana. Dad was game, and had no idea what was up. So, on the last day of our hunt, with 65-degree weather killing daytime deer movement, I put my plan into action. We left the lodge and headed for James’ place, which was just over an hour away.

I had M.R.’s phone number, and as we got close to the house, I alerted him to our arrival. Upon turning into the driveway, there, on a large boulder, was a cut metal sign that read “M.R. James.” Thankfully, I saw it before Dad did, and I quickly distracted him by pointing at the beautiful home on

Joe’s father (right), with bowhunting icon M.R. James, founder and former editor of Bowhunter Magazine. James is also a past president of the Pope & Young Club. Joe’s dad is 78, and James is 83. Both these guys are still bowhunting.

the hill.

As we neared the home, I saw James walk out of the house.

I asked Dad, “Do you recognize that guy?”

My father responded, “How would I recognize him? I didn’t go to college with him.”

As we got closer, my father’s eyes grew wider. I again asked, “Do you recognize that guy?” Dad was speechless! He turned to me and said, “You spoofed me.” With tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, I said, “I did what?” Dad’s repeated, “You spoofed me.”

Then he exclaimed, “That’s M.R. James!”

When I stopped the car, Dad leaned over and hugged me.

Big Woods World (Continued from page 37)

else in tracking is made better by precision, too, from shooting, to gear choices, to finding, aging, and selecting buck tracks.

As that buck track unwinds in front of us, we’re essentially reading a story written in the snow. From that story, we’re making predictions about where that buck is and what he is doing, and then we’re making decisions about how to take advantage of that situation. The story gets better when we know more, and we get there by paying attention to the small details that make a difference.

“I don’t know how you did this, but thank you.” As he got out of the car, I exited and watched him walk up to one of his heroes and shake M.R.’s hand like he was greeting an old friend.

Wiping tears of joy from my eyes, I approached the old man and reached my hand out, thrilled to be faceto-face with a bowhunting legend.

James ushered us into his house, introduced us to his wife Janet, and commenced one of the greatest tours I’ve had in my life. His home is a virtual archery and bowhunting museum.

Words could never do it justice.

The author (right) and his father (left) with Marion Ray James, in front of James’ fireplace. The author says the house is like a museum dedicated to bowhunting.

Photos of James with every icon in the bowhunting world, dotted the walls. I couldn’t count the mounted bowkills on the walls. Buffalo, moose, caribou, bears, deer, elk, mountain lions, sheep, goats ... the number of mounts seemed endless. For nearly two hours, we were in the presence of bowhunting greatness.

Before leaving, we took pictures with James in front of his huge stone fireplace.

His wife offered us a cool drink, and you could tell she was happy with our visit. She obviously knows how significant her husband is to the hunting

Hal’s Thoughts Matt is right on about being precise about the task at hand while tracking.

I call it “paying attention to details.”

Most of these details cannot really be taught by reading a book or article, or by watching a film. These details can be learned only through a person’s own experience.

I have shown literally thousands of hunters how to age a track. I have shown hundreds of photos of tracks in various snow conditions, and taken hundreds of clients tracking and shown them the differences in the age of a track, with many of them not being able to see the difference.

This is where being precise really matters. Knowing the difference

world.

Before we left, I shook M.R.’s hand again, and thanked him and Janet for their hospitality. Dad, on the other hand, gave him a big hug. I snapped a picture of two amazing, wellaged bowhunters, sharing a very special moment.

This event made my trip to Indiana worth every penny.

No bucks were killed, but one of my best hunting memories was made. Thank you, M.R. James, for everything you did for us.

We know we’re blessed, and we won’t forget this experience!

¶

between a track one night old and a two-night-old track can be learned fairly quickly. Learning the difference between a 10-minute old track and an hour-old track is a lot harder, but this is what separates out a casual track follower from a successful buck tracker.

The only difference between the two hunters is time and experience.

Experience will enable you to be “precise.” That precision will enable you to progress from casual track follower to tracker.

Like Matt said, you will have to put the first three P’s to work in order to get precise, but I guarantee it will be well worth the time and effort.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

40 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Moose Patch Club— The Maine

2023 MOOSE

The Maine Sportsman’s Moose Patch Club – “An Assoc

Adam Hinkley of Richmond, Maine was hunting in Bowman Twp on October 10, 2023 when he tagged this huge 868.5-lb. bull moose. The trophy was registered at Flagstaff General Store, in Stratton. Adam was accompanied by his brother Mark and his wife Nadine, and was guided by John Chadborne, of Langtown Outfitters, operated by Mert and Carol Buzzle.

Eric June of Rockland was hunting in T7 R19 WELS on October 9, 2023 when he dropped this 852-lb. bull moose using his 30’06. Eric earned his Maine Moose Hunters patch for the trophy animal, which was weighed at Northeast Carry General Store. www.MaineSportsman.com

LAST NAME

FIRST NAME

HOMETOWN

STATE DR. WT.

DATE

WHERE

Allen

Chad

Mars Hill

ME

850 (est)

10/11/23

St Croix Twp

Argraves (GS)

Erin

Mapleton

ME

786

9/25/23

T13 R7

Benhoff

Charles

Prospect

VA

862

10/9/23

T16 R12

Bowen

Mark

Baker

WV

709

10/9/23

Jackman

Brooks

Damon

Brownfield

ME

600

10/16/23

T5 R19 WELS

Brooks

Jamie

Wilton

ME

823

10/11/23

Sandy River Plt

Campbell-McCarthy (GS) Skyler

Littleton

ME

631

10/9/23

Hammond

Campbell-McCarthy (GS) Darcie

Littleton

ME

507

10/9/23

T12 R11

Chadwick

Robert

West Gardiner

ME

708

10/10/23

Rangeley

Corliss

Jason

Pittston

ME

740

9/28/23

T6 R13 WELS

Davis

Randy

Passadumkeag

ME

745

10/14/23

Oxbow

Dube

Christopher

Lebanon

ME

568

10/10/23

Rockwood Strip

Dube

Jacob

Lebanon

ME

469

10/13/23

Misery Gore

Fayle

Jeffrey

E Millinocket

ME

890

9/27/23

T4 R13

Ferland (GS)

Johnna

Poland

ME

705

9/27/23

Garfield Plt

Fons

Tonya

Auburn

ME

630

9/28/23

T14 R12 WELS

Ford

Wyatt

Befast

ME

780

10/12/23

T5 R11

Gearhart

Ira

Ft Loudon

PA

914

9/25/23

Aroostook

Gilbert Jr (Y)

Jason

Garland

ME

887

9/29/23

Mount Chase

Goetz

Kyle

Wesley Chapel

FL

737

10/13/23

Thorndike Twp

Goodkowsky

Evan

Wiscasset

ME

809

9/26/23

Haynesville

Hafner (GS, Y)

Peyton

Litchfield

ME

800

9/25/23

T16 R14 WELS

Harriman (GS)

Darren

Monroe

ME

464

10/12/23

Big Twenty Twp

Hersey

Ryan

W Newfield

ME

­—

10/27/23

Stockholm

Hinkley

Adam

Richmond

ME

869

10/10/23

Bowman Twp

Jack

Nathaniel

Nobleboro

ME

652

10/12/23

Plymouth Twp

June

Eric

Rockland

ME

852

10/9/23

T7 R19 WELS

Kennedy (GS)

Kirstin

Harrington

ME

650

10/9/23

Township 24

Kimball

Jeffrey

Cornville

ME

483

10/14/23

Misery

Klun

Werner

Garden City

NY

580

11/7/23

T8 R18 WELS

Leet

Iven

Gray

ME

746

9/30/23

T8 R8 Wels

Lemieux (Y)

Chase

Greene

ME

600 (est)

10/23/23

T13 R9

Marro

Michael

Brunswick

ME

455

9/29/23

T5 R15

Mathieu (GS)

Shawn

Springvale

ME

761

10/9/23

T10 R9 WELS

McKenzie

Caleb

Farmingdale

ME

721

9/25/23

T13 R14 WELS

Miller

Josh

Brunswick

ME

600

9/29/23

Portage Lake

Milliken

David

Bowdoinham

ME

450

10/10/23

T26 ED BPP

Morrissette

Arthur

Oakland

ME

626

10/14/23

T11 R7 WELS

Oliver

Baxter

Lee

ME

417

10/12/23

Oxbow

Palm (GS)

Gregory

Presque Isle

ME

569

10/23/23

Madawaska

Porter

Daniel

Gorham

ME

488

9/26/23

Eagle Lake

Pulkkinen

Herbert

Hampden

ME

559

9/29/23

TC R2 WELS

Ranhosky

Daniel

Greenville

ME

695

9/27/23

Caswell WMD 3

Reinhard (GS)

Sadie

Naples

ME

745

10/11/23

Misery Twp

Ross

John

W Milford

NJ

700 (est)

10/13/23

T13 R14 WELS

Sarna

Richard

Southampton

NY

772

10/13/23

Ashland

Sirois

Elizabeth

Ellsworth

ME

700

10/11/23

Eustis

Sturtevant

Jeffrey

Mechanic Falls

ME

689

9/27/23

Garfield Plt

Tibbits II

William

Canaan

NH

—

9/25/23

T13 R16 WELS

Tilton

John

Prentiss Twp

ME

766

10/14/23

Prentiss Twp

Watkins

Paul

Lebanon

ME

782

10/9/23

T15 R6 WELS

Welch

Kenneth

Kennebunk

ME

717

9/30/23

T12 R13

Williamson

Michael

Lebanon

ME

755

9/27/23

Grindstone

Woods

Delaney Peru ME 673 GS = Grand Slam • Y = Under 18

10/10/23

T11 R8 WELS

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 41

Sportsman —

PATCH CLUB

ciation of Hunters Who Have Taken a Moose in Maine.”

Erin Argraves of Mapleton earned her Grand Slam in 2023, including this 786-lb. bull moose. Guided by her husband Ron Argraves, Jr., Erin was hunting in T13 R7 with a .300 rifle on September 25.

Kyle Goetz of Wesley Chapel, FL has been awarded his 2023 Maine Moose Hunters patch after tagging this 737-lb. bull in Thorndike Twp on October 13. Kyle was carrying a .338. Kyle (on the right) is shown here with sub-permittee Evan Gray.

Sadie Reinhard of Naples earned her Grand Slam patch and her Moose Hunter patch in 2023. She used her 30-’06 to tag this massive 745-lb. bull moose while hunting on October 11, 2023 in Misery Twp.

John Tilton of Prentiss Twp. was hunting in his home township when he tagged this 766-lb. bull on October 14. John was accompanied on the hunt by Albert Tilton.

Darcie Campbell-McCarthy of Littleton, Maine had a very successful 2023, earning her Grand Slam, as well as a Moose Hunter patch for this 507-lb. bull. Darcie tagged the big animal on October 9, while hunting in T12 R11.

Jacob Dube (left) and his father Chris, of Lebanon, Maine both had successful moose hunting seasons in 2023. Here, they admire Jacob’s 469-lb. bull, taken October 13 in Misery Gore. Three days earlier, the pair (as well as Jacob’s grandfather, Tim Dube) registered Chris’ 568-lb. bull.

Johnna Ferland of Poland earned her Grand Slam in 2023, including this 705-lb. bull moose. She was hunting in Garfield Plantation on September 27.

It took a village to help Wyatt Ford to celebrate his 780-lb. bull moose, tagged in T5 R11 on October 12, 2023. Those in the photo include Wyatt (center, in orange vest), and subpermittee James (Wyatt’s grandfather), in orange jacket.

Tonya Fons of Auburn earned her 2023 Maine Moose Hunter patch with this 630-lb. bull, taken in T14 R12 WELS on September 28. Mike Abbott provided guide services. www.MaineSportsman.com

42 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

— The Maine Sportsman 2023 Moose Patch Club —

Evan Goodkowsky of Wiscasset earned his 2023 Maine Moose Hunter patch for this 809-lb. trophy bull, tagged in Haynesville on September 26.

Darren Harriman of Monroe achieved his Grand Slam in 2023, including a moose patch for this 464-lb. bull. Darren was hunting in Big Twenty Twp. on October 12 when he tagged this trophy.

Josh Miller of Brunswick was hunting in Portage Lake on September 29, 2023 when he tagged this bull moose, estimated at 600 lbs. field dressed. Josh is shown here with his son Brody, who is an accomplished hunter in his own right.

Jeff Sturtevant of Mechanic Falls was hunting in Garfield Plantation on September 27, 2023 when he earned his Maine Moose Hunter patch by tagging this 689-lb. bull. Jeff and his son Tyler manage Sturdy Hardware, located in Sabattus.

Kirstin Kennedy of Harrington was hunting in Township 24 on October 9, 2023 when she tagged this 650-lb. bull moose.

This trophy was part of a larger hunting accomplishment for Kirstin in 2023 -- her Grand Slam.

Maine Sportsman reader Richard Sarna of Southampton, NY was hunting in Ashland on October 13, 2023 when he earned his moose patch, tagging this 772-lb. bull.

Ninth-grader Peyton Hafner of Litchfield achieved a Grand Slam in 2023, including this 800-lb. bull moose, which was tagged September 25 in T16 R14 WELS. He was accompanied by his father, Miles Hafner. The party was guided by John Rogers, of Lucky Strike Outfitters. Left to right in photo: Ashley Hafner (mother), Peyton, Zackary Hafner (brother), and Miles (father). www.MaineSportsman.com

John Ross of West Milford, NJ earned his Maine Moose Hunter patch with this 700-lb. bull, tagged in T13 R14 WELS on October 13, 2023.

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 43

www.MaineSportsman.com

44 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Make Plans to Attend the

State of Maine Sportsman’s Show at the Augusta Civic Center Friday–Sunday, April 19–21, 2024

All Photos by King Montgomery

Each spring, The Maine Sportsman magazine, in partnership with Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, hosts the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show at the Augusta Civic Center. Last year, more than 8,000 folks were in attendance.

This year is going to be even bigger and better, with daily boat give-aways,

Friday, April 19, 2024 1PM–8PM Saturday, April 20, 2024 9AM–7PM Sunday, April 21, 2024 9AM–4PM AUGUSTA CIVIC CENTER

a surplus firearms auction on Sunday, new and returning exhibitors, seminars and demonstrations, and two archery stations.

We will host the annual Duck Stamp Contest, as well as the popular Trail Camera contest.

Turkey calling, a meeting of the

NAVHDA dog enthusiasts, hourly raffles, and an extensive Kids Zone provide something for everyone.

Make plans now to attend.

Questions? Email Carol, at Carol@ MaineSportsman.com.

The 42nd Annual

State of Maine

Sportsman’s Show

TICKETS Adults: $10 Kids Ages 5-12: $5 Under Age 5: Free Veterans & Seniors: $5 FREE PARKING

Mark Your Calendars for Maine’s Premier Outdoor Show!

Outdoor enthusiasts wait all winter long for the spring thaw, and what better way to spend one of those spring weekends than at Maine’s biggest outdoor trade show, the 42ND ANNUAL STATE OF MAINE SPORTSMAN’S SHOW! Thousands of outdoors-minded folks will gather for an entire weekend of everything outdoors April 19–21. There truly is something for everyone: Over 100 Exhibitors, Kid Zone, Demonstrations, Seminars, Game Camera Photography Contest, Turkey Calling Contest, and LOTS MORE!

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

Sunday, April 21st at 12 Noon • Your Show Ticket Gets You Into the Auction • Seized & Donated Guns Will Be Auctioned Are you a returning or new exhibitor with questions? Contact Carol at Carol@MaineSportsman.com or (207) 622-4242.

show.mainesportsman.com

— STAY TUNED TO OUR WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE FOR UPDATES! — www.MaineSportsman.com

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 45

BOSS Shotshell Strives to Develop Viable Non-Lead Ammo BOSS Outdoors, LLC has tackled the challenge of manufacturing shotgun ammo that’s not made with lead, but that also carries well, doesn’t harm older barrels, and features biodegradable hulls and wads. So far, they’ve received an enthusiastic reception.

The 21st century has certainly been a time of challenge and change in the ammunition business, most particularly among the makers and sellers of shotshells. Beginning in 1998 with the Federal ban on lead shot in waterfowl areas, and moving to an increasing enthusiasm for non-toxic alternatives among upland bird hunters, today ammunition makers have faced anything but the old-time status quo. Add to the mix the Covid pandemic and intensifying supply chain issues that have left shooters dazed and confused.

Hunters initially resented government intervention. Few saw

lead shot as a threat to wildlife. Fewer still understood the magnitude of lead’s toxicity. And even fewer noticed the biodegradability problem when manufacturers switched in the 1960s and 1970s from paper to plastic shotshell hulls. Not many noticed the cast-off hulls piling up in popular shooting spots.

Hunters further resented the no-lead mandates when they tried out the alternatives. Steel and other non-lead options performed poorly where it counted, and it took years for any alternative to present an acceptable substitute to lead.

Steel shot also ren-

dered older shotguns obsolete overnight.

Most alternatives to lead are too hard, resulting in damage to vintage shotgun barrels. The whole tradition of passing down working heirloom shotguns was wiped out by a single government edict. Instead of hunting with grandad’s old Ithaca, recipients confined their treasured inheritance to the closet or the gun cabinet – a curio to be admired but not used.

Slowly, some softer lead substitutes such as tungsten and bismuth reached the market, and the possibility of using older shotguns returned.

However, in the opinions of some hunters,

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New in 2023, the Warchief line of shotshells from BOSS offer a radical new design, the result of the company’s efforts to enhance hunting success while advancing conservation goals. Photo: BOSS Outdoors, LLC

the performance seemingly never quite measures up to the bad old days of slinging lead.

Then, in 2018, along came BOSS Shotshell (BOSS Outdoors, LLC) – a new company with new ideas and a new business model for marketing waterfowl, turkey, and upland hunting ammunition.

Given

the founders’ life-long history of hunting, their success in promoting home-based hand loading, and their strong interest in conservation ethic, I believe BOSS Shotshell deserves any shooter’s attention, both for the products, and for the rapidly evolving company.

(Continued on next page)

Don’t miss the Maine Professional Guides Association’s

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46 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Shooter’s Bench (Continued from page 45)

New Model BOSS Shotshell is no clone of Remington or Winchester, nor is it comparable to any of the large makers of sporting ammunition.

It is a family-owned business in southwest Michigan, with eight employees dedicated to producing the most effective shotgun car-

tridge possible for hunting. They aim to achieve that goal with the least negative impact on the environment they can achieve.

The company grew out of Brandon Cerecke’s successful sharing of hand loaded shells among friends and guides. Demand fostered development.

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Responding to data indicating that as many as 3.4 million ducks and geese are crippled but not recovered by hunters each year, Cerecke devised a plan to improve the lethality of non-toxic shotshells, while making the shell even more environmentally friendly.

His approach utilizes bismuth and copper. Bismuth performs almost as well as lead, without the side-effects. Plating bismuth pellets with a copper coating enhances the ballistic performance, particularly velocity and patterning.

These coated pellets form the design basis of every BOSS shell. The pellets are contained in a biodegradable wad devel-

oped by the company, and a biodegradable hull. Company literature states that these innovations result in an “18 percent increase in pattern density, close to zero pellet distortion, and enhanced plastic biodegradation.”

From the outset, BOSS Shotshell avoided the wholesaler/ retailer relationship.

The company sells only to individual customers through the internet. They do answer the phone, so perhaps they would take an order that way as well.

Orders of single boxes or case lots roll out the same day for delivery to the buyer’s address.

BOSS makes non-toxic waterfowl loads, turkey loads, and upland loads in

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all gauges, including the sometimes-hardto-find 10-gauge and 16-gauge. BOSS not only survived the difficulties of the pandemic, but thrived.

In 2023, they added a new product to the lineup that they hope will be another game changer.

Moving Forward In 2023, BOSS launched their new, aggressively named “Warchief” line in 12 gauge and 20 gauge.

This new line uses BioTec’s “Ecopure” additive to enhance plastic biodegradation, and a proprietary buffer made from, of all things, walnut shells.

Warchief shells use a double gas seal and full-length hinged wad petals that speed the release of the shot cone. The Warchief line also offers a blend of shot sizes in the same shell, intended to improve both pattern density at extended range, and penetration. BOSS mixes #3 and #5 shot to achieve their blend.

BOSS’ innovation and creativity set the company apart from its competitors, including much older and larger companies with more resources. But the company’s eight workers are dedicated to better hunting even more than they are to making a better business. At BOSS, it is more about the product’s success than it is about a bottom line for shareholders, and that will be a good thing for the shooting sports in Maine and everywhere else.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 47

How to Catch More Smelts I love smelting through the ice, when we have enough ice for Maine’s tidal rivers to freeze over. The atmosphere is unrivaled – fishing in a tiny village on the ice in the dark, retaliating against Maine’s long, cold winters.

I love eating smelts, too. Rainbow smelts are an anadromous fish, spending their lives in the ocean, but spawning in freshwater. They swim up rivers in January and February to their spawning grounds, where they feed and wait until they spawn at the end of March or early April.

They’re delicious, and not fishy at all. I remove the heads and guts, then bread and fry them whole. The crunch from the bones and fins compliments the breading, and they taste like one big French fry.

The author provides tips to make your smelting experience a success, including the most important suggestion of all – be certain to have fun.

Smelting at night is usually more productive than smelting during the day.

All photos by the author

Smelting success can vary wildly, and often without any explanation.

Some nights I’ve caught half a dozen, while others I’ve caught nearly 100.

Here are some tricks you can employ to ensure you’re doing everything you can to catch the most smelts.

1. Pay extra for a “jig board,” if the place you’re fishing offers

It doesn’t get more Maine than smelting!

them. They’re more sensitive, so they better indicate the subtle bite of a tiny smelt.

The hooks also tend to be sharper, because they aren’t the same hooks that are used every day, all day, like the normal house lines.

2. Bring a small jigging rod. Jig poles are handy for the same reasons as above, plus

you’ll have one more hook in the water.

3. Rig your jig pole with a small sabiki rig.

Cut the sabiki rig in half, because 6 hooks is just asking for tangles. The small 4-wt line is much lighter than the house lines, and the colors on each hook may explain why I catch more smelts on my three sharp sabiki hooks than on an en-

Jig boards (seen with orange reels) and a jig pole are great ways to increase your catch rate while smelting.

tire board.

4. Bring a fish finder so you can see the depth at which the smelts are running.

5. Check your hooks often, and rebait with a fresh piece of blood worm if you haven’t gotten a bite in ten minutes.

6. Go at night, and don’t miss the incoming or outgoing tide.

The smelts seem to run and bite better.

I’ve heard of other tips, like using glow sticks, but have never tried them. Do you have any smelting tips? Email them to me! Christiholmes87@ gmail.com Get that wood stove cranking, and have fun. Bring a speaker, some Moxie or Allen’s, red hot dogs and whoopie pie, and enjoy this Maine tradition with family and friends.

¶

A successful haul for the author and her friends in 2022. www.MaineSportsman.com

48 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Name That Pup! The author’s son and grandson have acquired a new, exotic rabbit dog. The author had two requests regarding what to name the pup – “Keep it to two syllables, and don’t make me learn Portuguese.”

Over the years, the Sheldon family has had an array of hounds. The first dog I clearly remember was a Weimaraner named “Ditch.” Early photos confirm I was just a toddler when my folks adopted this handsome bird dog.

As time stretched onward, we had an assortment of beagles. I suspect they weren’t purebred hounds, but they looked and acted like beagles. They liked to bark, chase things with fur, and help put meat on the table.

Interestingly, my father named them all “Champ.” They came along at different times, but all shared

the same name and collar. I think three different dogs used the same nameplate over three-plus decades.

Looking back on it now, I wonder whether it was to save money on collars and nameplates, or rather a nod to the previous Champ.

Mix in a basset hound named “Sam” (short for Samantha) along the way, and it’s clear our pets were selected for one primary purpose – to put game meat on the table.

B.D. In the early 2000s, I got hooked on bird hunting. We brought home a Brittany Spaniel puppy and named her B.D., short for

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“Bird Dog.” Yes, she had a big, long AKC (American Kennel Club) name, but B.D. seemed just fine with her abbreviated name.

This wasn’t our first effort at naming pets with abbreviations. My wife Denise and I had an orange tabby cat named D.C. Depending on which one of us you asked, it stood for “Darn Cat” or “Damned Cat.” For years, D.C. expertly handled the local mouse population.

Our current bird dog, Baxter S. Park, was named after my favorite place to spend time with camping gear and a fly rod.

We’ve shortened it up to Baxter. He uses his full name only when he files his income taxes.

New Rabbit Hound Just recently, a new generation of dog has joined the Sheldon clan. My son Willie and grandson James, have acquired a new puppy, and they have designs on future rabbit hunts.

The snowshoe hare season runs through the end of March. With a daily bag limit of four and a possession limit of eight, I need to get going. Not much beats putzing along on snowshoes, chasing

The author’s son Willie and grandson James, pose with their new pup, R.D. (short for Rabbit Dog), and his first official rabbit. R.D. is a Portuguese Podengo/Beagle mix intended to put the best qualities of both breeds into one focused bunny-buster.

Hopefully, this crew will have many successful days afield. Bill Sheldon photo

Lepus americanus.

The breeding season for hares kicks off this month, which usually means an uptick in activity. Ask six different hunters when is the best time of day to hunt these well-camouflaged fur balls, and you’ll likely get six different answers.

With rabbits moving actively at night, dawn and dusk rate as good bets. Stalking at either end of the day finds favor with many.

I’m a big believer in not wasting the middle of the day, so I look for heavily-used rabbit runs to methodically explore.

Using a dog, the

Sheldon family’s latest scheme, really ups the odds of getting those bunnies moving. It’s the difference between stalk-and-spot a sitting rabbit, to hitting one on the run through the thickest woods Maine has to offer.

That’s one reason I’ve converted to a multi-barrel gun that lets me choose between a .410 blast of number six shot, and a single .22 magnum projectile. I’ve also noticed a trend towards hunters using handguns for this exciting sport.

Podengo?

When the new (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 49 (Continued from page 48)

puppy arrived, I was expecting a beagle. I was introduced to a Podengo? This certainly broke long-standing family tradition.

This cute little guy is a hound from Portugal.

That’s a long way to come to chase rabbits in Maine.

Apparently, hunters in Portugal use this breed to hunt rabbits.

However, on this side of the ocean, breeders have not completely let go of their Swamp Yankee roots.

This little guy is half Podengo and half beagle! Further investigation revealed that Podengos excel at stalking, using sight

and sound to flush out rabbits.

That might help when the temperatures really drop. I’ve had lifelong beagle handlers tell me that temperatures below 10 degrees reduce the effectiveness of their hounds’ super-sensitive noses.

American breeders have added the legendary beagle nose to this mix to create a “super rabbit hound” of sorts.

I can remember in my father’s era, hunters mixing beagles and basset hounds, looking to create the Tom Brady of hunting dogs.

So, the jury is out on how well this halfbreed from Portugal

pans out. If he sees and smells rabbits, we’ll call it a win-win!

If not, he’ll turn into a couch potato.

New Name?

It was interesting to see what the next

two generations would name this little bunny-buster. Willie indicated eight-year-old James would have a big say in naming the new pup.

The only advice I

offered was to keep it to two syllables, and not make me learn Portuguese.

Meet R.D., short for “Rabbit Dog.”

¶

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Top Ten Biggest Buck On November 22, 2023, Kurtis Weymouth of North Waterboro was hunting with his 30-’06 in T2 R13 WELS, northeast of Big Spencer Mountain near Ragged Lake, when he bagged this 240-lb, 10-pt buck. The deer is the 10th largest buck registered in the 2023 Biggest Bucks in Maine patch club.

“There was a fresh snow from the previous night,” reported Kurtis. “I got on the track at 9 a.m., and tracked the buck for several mile before I caught up.” The deer’s weight was certified by Sam Holbrook at Indian Hill Trading Post, on the Moosehead Lake Road in Greenville. www.MaineSportsman.com

50 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

The Case of the Bounding Sow “Some hunter shot my pig!” That was the message I received when I stopped at Shorette’s Diner in Newport, Maine to borrow their phone and place a call to a number given me by dispatch. In those days, we had no mobile phones, and Shorett’s Diner, operated by Frank Banks and Barbara King, was my unofficial headquarters in that area.

It was mid-morning on November 21st, 1984 when I made the call to Claude Cyr in the Town of Carmel. I gathered details from Mr. Cyr regarding his pig.

He said he lived at the former Harold Glencross farm on Route 69.

Claude said he’d heard a rifle shot that came from the woods, not far from his pasture where he had some pigs free-ranging. Later, he checked on the pigs, and discovered that a large sow, weighing about 600 pounds, was missing.

He sent his son to look for the sow, and when the son returned he reported that he’d found the sow. It had been shot dead, and was lying near a hunter’s tree seat that had been baited with a pile of apples.

I told Claude that as soon as I could get free, I’d come over, but I recommended that in the meantime, he have someone go down to where the sow was located and find a place to watch it – perhaps someone would come back to retrieve it.

He agreed to that, and sent his son back to watch the area.

The Investigation As I couldn’t get to his farm until after lunch, I contacted Warden Patrick Devlin, who at the time was my Deputy Warden, and asked him if he could respond to the Cyr hog farm. He said he could, and would head over there as soon as possible.

After Warden Devlin arrived, he started down for the wooded area, and met Claude’s son returning. The son told Patrick he’d gone back and concealed himself to watch the dead sow.

He said he had not been there long when three men came and attempted to drag the sow away. They had a hard time dragging it and couldn’t go very far, so they gave up and covered the pig with brush. The son said he recognized one of the men, who was from a family that www.MaineSportsman.com

The judge had doubts.

lived nearby.

After obtaining this information, Warden Devlin went down into the woods and located the tree stand, the apples and the dead 600-pound pig. From inspecting the scene, it was quite evident the hunter had been in the tree seat, and that the pig was shot while it was at the apple pile, eating the apples. The warden inspected the pig, and found traces of apple in the pig’s mouth and gullet.

From the angle of the pig’s fatal wound, he was able to determine that the shot had come from above. Additionally, he located a spent .444 caliber shell casing in close proximity to the tree stand.

Later, Warden Devlin called me and relayed all this information. I was able to find a telephone number for the person Claude’s son said he could identify, and placed a call to him. I explained that I wished to speak with him concerning the dead pig. He gave me directions to his residence, which was located in the vicinity of Route 2 and 152 in the Town of Palmyra.

Late that afternoon, Warden Devlin and I proceeded to that residence. We found our suspect pacing about his driveway, carrying a piece of board about 18 inches long.

We got out of my truck, and made our introductions. He said he could explain everything, and held up the board, directing our attention to a diagram he had drawn on the board with a crayon.

He then proceeded with a dissertation of the events concerning the shooting of the pig, while utilizing the diagram on the piece of board.

The bottom line was that he admitted shooting the pig with his 444 Marlin, but it was because the big old sow had attacked him. He also stated that the two other men that had come to help him drag the pig were his brothers, and that was their only involvement. He could not come up with a logical answer as to why, if that was the case, he had not reported it or contacted Claude Cyr, who he stated he knew was the owner of the pig.

The Trial Our suspect was summonsed to Newport Court for a later date, and subsequently entered a plea of not guilty.

Several weeks later, a trial was held at the old court location on the third floor of the Depositors Trust Building, in downtown Newport. The judge was F. Davis Clark, and I knew he would have a good time with this case, as the subject matter was right up his alley.

We were all present, including Mr. Cyr and his son, and the state proceeded to put on its case with District Attorney R. Christopher Almy orchestrating the sequence of testimony. When the state rested, the defendant made the decision to testify on his own behalf. To the best of my recollection, his defense was as follows: “I was standing on the ground hunting, when this huge pig came bounding over a knoll and charged me. I dropped it with my trusty 444, and I didn’t see no apples.”

Judge Clark entered a finding of guilty, ordered restitution to Mr. Cyr for the sow and, as usual, added a little observation from his days in rural Piscataquis County.

“Where I grew up,” he said, “I saw a lot of pigs, but I never saw a 600-pound sow ‘bound’.”

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 51

Perfect Coyote Gun Purchased 50 Years Ago In August of 1974, I experienced something that average Gen Z kids will not experience. When I was just two months shy of my 14th birthday, my father brought me down to a local gun shop to purchase a high-powered rifle.

It was near the end of the summer, and I had saved up the stately sum of $165, mostly acquired by mowing lawns. Make that a second experience the Gen Z’s don’t seem interested in experiencing – hard work.

My dad had it in his head that my first high-powered rifle should be a .222 Remington. He was figuring it would easily handle woodchucks and an occasional fox without breaking his skinny little kid’s shoulder.

teenager holding the rifle in a death grip to get my old man to give me that all-important nod. The clerk sold us on the range of uses that started with woodchucks and went all the way to deer. I still have the receipt – in my name, no less.

The author is making plans to hunt coyotes, but he has a dilemma – does he select his venerable 6MM rifle with the precision scope for long shots, or the newer 6MM carbine with red-dot sights for quick acquisition of the target?

The Model 700 BDL Custom Deluxe (top), chambered for 6MM, has proven a reliable and versatile combination for the author in the 50 years since he first purchased it. The Remington Model 7 (underneath) is a carbine version of his earlier rifle. Again, he selected 6MM as his caliber of choice. The only conundrum is deciding which firearm to take coyote hunting. Bill Sheldon photo

With wide-eyed wonder, I scanned the gun racks for a .222.

Nothing. Just when all seemed lost, the clerk behind the counter handed me a Remington Model 700 Custom

Deluxe. The tag that dangled from it had the magic number ... $165.

The big problem, at least in my father’s eyes, was the caliber.

The newfangled 6MM

Remington wasn’t a .222, or even a .243. A 6MM is technically a .244, Remington’s answer to the veritable Winchester .243.

It took a knowledgeable clerk and a

Busting Bottles Some hunters argue that the 6MM/.243 calibers are too small for deer. I can only report that by taking high-percentage shots over 50 years, I’ve never had one get away.

Those shots ranged from 25 yards to 300 yards.

Of course, a pastime of mine when I was young was busting water-filled soda bottles at 300 yards.

Yup, went back to work mowing more lawns, and by fall pur(Continued on next page)

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52 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Jackman Region (Continued from page 51)

chased a Redfield 3X9X scope to top off that tack-driver. Sadly, I don’t spend that kind of time on the range anymore.

Fast forward to 1988, and Bill Sheldon buys another 6MM Remington, their new Model 7. This carbine version is a lighter, quicker version of my trusty Model 700.

With the shorter barrel, it fit nicely into a homemade scabbard that lashed to my canoe gunnel. The updated 6MM, complete with a red dot reflex sight, works as advertised.

Coyotes Roam Coyotes roam hun-

gry in the Jackman Region. Deciding which 6MM to use rates as the only conundrum.

For shots over 200 yards, the scope is slick. For moving coyotes, it’s hard to beat that easy-to-acquire red dot on the Model 7.

Actually, this time of year, with the breeding season in full swing, the red dot might just handle multiple coyotes coming to bait or calls.

The coyote mating season runs from January to the end of this month. Reducing the population means getting out now. Coyotes wreak havoc on the deer and snowshoe

hare populations.

Coyotes that have made it this far sport prime fur for those looking to turn the pelts into garments. I know one coyote hunter who had one heck of a hat made.

Night Hunt Both Bull Dog Camps and 15-Mile Stream Lodge and Outfitters offer coyote hunts over active baits. Using a combination of bait, tree stands and a shack, they put hunters in the best possible situation for tapping a coyote. I’m told they mix in a little calling, too.

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the price of a cup of coffee ($4) – a coyote night-hunting permit.

This, coupled with the mandatory possession of a predator-calling device, allows hunters to burn the midnight oil from December 16 through August 31.

Winter Travel The last time I visited Grand Falls was during a winter snowmobile trip many years ago. I marveled at how different it was in the winter. Having fished below the falls with late Maine Sportsman Editor Ken Allen the previous spring, I knew the layout pretty well.

The winter scenery rates as an entirely different beast. Those looking to do this type

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of hiking can take advantage of the longer daylight hours March offers.

Preparation rates as a key component for self-propelled types working the trail system with the challenges presented by winter travel.

The Maine Huts & Trails website has a plethora of helpful information. They have downloadable trail maps along with important “Alerts,” which notify recipients of bridge and trail closures. They also detail “re-routes” and hut closures. As of the writing of this article, the Grand Falls Hut is closed for repairs.

Self-propelled winter travel not only requires top-notch preparation and planning, but also a degree of physicality. It’s important to be in shape, and to get a doctor’s blessing.

50 years have passed since I bought that Model 700. I think it’s time to celebrate that purchase.

¶

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Spring Beaver Trapping 101 March means a lot to many people, and to me it’s the sign that winter is losing what little grip it had this winter, and it won’t be long before we’ll be casting to rising trout on Maine’s remote ponds.

As most hunting winds down, my husband and I spend our free time trapping for beaver under the ice, or, if the stream is open, using conibears, or foothold drowning sets. Since I’m not crazy about walking on ice that’s potentially thin with running water beneath it, I prefer using the canoe for trapping along stream banks.

If you are considering beaver trapping, here are some tips we’ve learned.

By now, male beavers, aka boars, have begun getting ready for mating season. Along the stream banks, they work to create castor mounds, which are castor-infused piles of mud. A good whiff of the mud is all you need to confirm.

Tracks and slides indicating the presence of beaver also help determine where to place traps. You want a stream at least six feet deep in the middle, so that it’s suitable for a foothold drowning set.

When a beaver is caught, it’ll immediately retreat to the water for safety. A drowning set allows the beaver to swim to the end of the anchored cable, but the drowner lock attached to the trap chain will not allow it to swim back to the surface for air, thus drowning it.

Beaver are a plentiful, renewable resource in Maine. Here’s how to get started in beaver trapping. toss the weight into the deepest part of the stream. The foothold has to be underwater, so using your hand, create a shelf underwater approximately six inches from shore, for the trap to set.

Oftentimes, you can see where the beaver has dug the mud or where it’s climbed up the bank to build the castor mound, and that makes for a great spot to set the trap.

The law establishes a 3-day tending requirement in organized towns, or daily if located within a half-mile of the builtup portion of town. Unorganized towns have a 5-day tending requirement.

Conibear Set A 330 conibear set works great in areas where beaver have slides or channels into the larger parts of the water.

It’s much harder to use conibear in areas that have been flooded out to the point that there are no distinct slides or signs of recent activity. In this case,

we usually start at the beaver den and find spots that are closest to that area with new signs of castor mounds or the feeding bed, while remaining outside the required 5-foot setback.

Conibear work best in narrow channels that are deep enough for beaver to dive.

Under-Ice Set Preferably with lots of ice, a hole is cut into the ice, where snares are set up on a wooden pole and placed underwater in travel ways. Throughout the winter, beaver travel underwater, coming up for air only if they have to. Air bubbles will indicate the underwater travel route, which is where the traps need to be set.

Most trappers use green poplar or potato as bait.

Be sure to ID-tag your pole, in case a warden wants to check it. There is no tending requirement; however, pay attention to ice conditions, and check as needed.

Fur Handling Beaver is relatively easy to skin, but during the mating season, you may find bite marks and punctures, so take extra care when skinning and fleshing. Use a fleshing beam to make your work easier.

Castor glands tend to be larger during the mating season, and make great lures. If they are taken out correctly, you can hang them to air-dry.

(Get Out There continued on page 55)

Foothold Drowning Set Using a No. 4 foothold trap, attach it to a slide on an 8-10 ft. cable anchored on the stream bank. Make sure the trap remains on the bank and, using a weight attached to the other end of the cable,

Beaver tracks and slides. Photo by the author

The author, with a beaver she trapped.

Photo by John Warren

The author’s husband John in the canoe with a beaver trapped by the couple.

Photo by the author www.MaineSportsman.com

54 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Greenville Guide Wins Accolade Registered Maine guide Eric Holbrook of Greenville, whose photos often grace this column, has won a prestigious contest. Eric entered a photo of one of his bird dogs, MaXx, in the “Praise My Pets” calendar contest, and won a spot on the 2024 calendar.

This is a national contest, so by securing a place for MaXx, Eric has also done the State of Maine, and the Moosehead Lake region, proud.

The photo, taken last spring, shows MaXx standing on a small sheet of ice, somewhere out on Moosehead Lake. In the photo, MaXx has adopted a stately pose as he gazes out over the otherwise ice-free lake.

Look for other photos by Eric Holbrook in the future. Eric has

The author believes the winning photo reflects well on the State of Maine in general, and the Moose-head Lake region in particular.

Calendar Photo of MaXx, Eric Holbrook’s bird dog. Photos by Eric Holbrook

a knack for being in the right place and at the right time, to snap unique and often-stirring images of the fish,

wildlife and eye-popping scenery of the Moosehead Lake region. Eric often kindly shares his images with

me, and I in turn run them in this column for everyone to enjoy.

Togue Time The biggest togue

bite in March. I can’t tell you why, only that it is so. Trophy hunters who are aiming to land a wallhanger would do well to hit the ice in March, because that’s when chances for success are greatest.

For those who have fished for togue mostly in open water, remember that togue are more widespread throughout the water column in winter than in summer. Trolling in August often means fishing at depths of 50 feet or even more.

An exception to this occurs soon after iceout, when togue chase smelt into shallow, near-shore areas.

Indeed, I once caught a hefty togue while trolling in about 10 feet of water, within a stone’s throw from shore. And I’m not good at throwing, which ex(Continued on next page)

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plains why I never did well at baseball, so my stone’s throw would probably measure less than someone else’s.

In winter, togue hold at all depths. One rocky-bottomed cove, only 15 to 20 feet deep, once paid off big time.

Togue concentrated in the cove to feast on the plentiful crayfish, “Moosehead Lobsters,” living there. In fact, togue bellies felt as though they were brimming with stones.

These were in fact undigested crayfish shells. Other times, hardwater anglers take togue in far deeper water. The best bet here is to ask around.

Most people are happy to share their experiences, and to give advice.

Salmon, Too Salmon also bite well in March, often toward the end of the month. This can present a problem, because by that time ice becomes compromised, and even thick ice can lose its structural integrity. Always look for a safe layer of blue

or black ice somewhere down in the ice hole.

A benefit to ice fishing late in the season is that often-balmy temperatures and clear, sunny skies, make for pleasant days afield.

Salmon may show up almost anywhere, and you can pick up a fish in moderate depths, often in coves.

Also, plan on running one or two lines a foot beneath the ice.

These shallow sets target near-surface salmon that are cruising beneath the ice in search of smelt. Just remember – wherever the smelt are, is where you will also find salmon.

Late March brings a newfound stirring to life beneath the ice.

The sun’s rays have a more direct impact and, depending upon depth of snow cover, can penetrate deeper beneath the ice covering. This, and the cycle of nature, awaken a certain stirring in fish of all kinds. While smelt don’t usually spawn beneath the ice, the instinct is now triggered.

Likewise for game fish. Salmon,

Get Out There (Continued from page 53)

Fleshing involves using a tool to remove excess fat from the hide. Once fleshed, stretch the hide onto a piece of plywood, and secure it with push pins, or use a round stretcher and hooks if you have them. Then liberally salt the hide, and set it aside to dry. Do not place it in the freezer.

Once dried, you can remove it from the stretcher form. You can send it out to a tannery or sell it, once it’s been tagged.

Financial You will not get rich, and you probably won’t even break even, but I like to say it’s a hobby that

Double rainbow over the North Woods.

trout and togue will bite better now than just after ice-out, because water temperatures are warmer beneath the early-spring ice than they are after the ice melts. At that point, water becomes colder than at any other time of year.

Advice from Dr. Tom: Get Your Eyes Checked If you haven’t yet had a pressure check for glaucoma, do so as soon as possible. This vision-killing disease strikes without warning, and there are no

helps out the eco-system and there’s always a cost for hobbies. Trapping isn’t too expensive, and you can increase your inventory of supplies each year.

Most of the items can be used for several years.

Beaver trapping startup kits sell for about $149, which doesn’t include the fleshing beam and knife. Those can cost another $75 or more.

Don’t forget – beaver provides some great meals at the end of soup season, and the tail makes for some beautiful jewelry once it’s tanned.

So, get out there and give beaver trapping a try. Good luck!

symptoms. Left unchecked, high internal eye pressure can damage the optic nerve, impairing your vision.

I have glaucoma, and it affects me to a degree that I sometimes have to type my column with only one eye open. I am scheduled for surgery to correct the problem, since without the procedure, I risk losing vision.

Last fall was the

first in my long adult lifetime that I never lifted a rifle or shotgun. And my fishing trips were limited, because I didn’t dare drive very far with my boat in tow.

As for you, dear readers, you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to schedule a vision check, and with it, a pressure test for glaucoma.

¶

Holbrooks Guide Service Fishing • Moose Watching • Bird Hunting Eric Holbrook, Master Maine Guide

Moosehead Region (207) 349-0366 • www.HolbrooksGuideService.com

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

56 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Brewing Coffee at Camp “Hey Bill, your coffee machine is leaking.”

“Oh, crap!” Bill muttered. He grabbed the kitchen towel and rushed over to the sputtering machine, but he was too late.

By then, a pool of hot water was spreading out over the cabin floor.

Bill wrapped the machine up in the towel, pulled the plug and carried it over to the sink. “Must have sprung a leak,” he said, stating the obvious.

A History of Perking Here at the camp, we perk our coffee.

Always have. We’re on our second percolator, actually.

But Bill is the king of Goodwill. He goes to the nearby store almost every week, and is an expert at finding L.L. Bean sweaters, Woolrich coats and Keen shoes.

This time, he spotted the Keurig coffee maker, and he knew we needed that appliance here at the cabin.

“Hey, look at what I found,” he said when he arrived at the camp and pulled the coffee maker out of a cardboard box.

“I think this is the latest model.”

I nodded, and said, “It needs electricity.”

“Yeah,” Bill said. “But not much.

We’ll run the generator for a few minutes. Long enough to make two cups.”

“Right,” I said.

And that’s when the Keurig peed all over the floor.

Dad Liked His Coffee Strong Our percolator never did that. We grew up in the 40s and 50s with coffee brewed in a percolator.

Dad was a Hood’s milkman, and he got up around 4 a.m. every workday.

Mom got up with him, and made his breakfast. She filled the percolator with fresh ground coffee, and by the time she had the eggs and bacon and toast ready, so was the coffee.

She poured it steaming hot into Dad’s cup, and then he spilled it over into the

saucer so it would cool down to where he could drink it.

Two hours later when Mom was up and getting us kids ready for school, she warmed the coffee up on the stove.

Just Keep Adding More Grounds Grandfather perked his coffee over and over. I remember stopping in after school in their stifling warm kitchen, and seeing the percolator always on the kitchen stove.

Gramps believed like Chester from Gunsmoke who famously said you build a pot of coffee and it takes about a week.

When his coffee was weak or just low, Gramp tossed in another handful of grounds, and let it perk some more.

This produced the blackest, stoutest cup of coffee in all of Old Orchard Beach.

I never could drink it, although I tried a few times.

Mom’s coffee was mild and smooth.

However, Gramp’s was rank, and would stand a spoon on end.

Succession of Coffee Pots It was only natural we should perk coffee at the cabin.

Our first percolator was aluminum.

It came out of one of those nesting camp cook kits. We used it for years, until it

was pretty well dinged up and the bail had fallen off. The boys knew better than to grab the metal handle, because it was too hot to touch.

One autumn at deer camp, they brought me a gift of a new percolator with an insulated handle. Very nice.

Stainless steel. Makes six cups, I think.

They found it at Cabela’s, and it works well.

We pour in the water and add the coffee and set it on the woodstove and wait. Before long, we hear the gentle rumble of the coffee perking and gurgling against the glass knob on the top of the cover. The delicious fresh-brewed coffee smell fills the cabin.

How long you let it go is up to you. I tend to watch for the color in the glass knob, and when it’s dark enough, I take it off the fire. A quick sip and you know whether it’s right.

The guys have many friends, and when there’s a crowd at the camp, my percolator doesn’t hold enough. An old friend donated a 15-cup one to the camp.

This is also stainless, and consumes quarts of water and a half-pound of coffee. They let it perk for a long time, and they tell me it makes a great cup of joe.

If the party is outdoors, they carry the large pot out to the campfire, where it continues to perk and stay warm.

That’s Why It Was So Inexpensive I told Bill I was sorry about his Goodwill find. He said that was okay, He could take it back. He thought maybe now he understood why the price had been so low.

I told him I’d rustle up a pot of coffee for us, and set about placing the small percolator on the stove. It only took a few minutes to measure out the water and coffee and get the pot warming, and when it started to bubble and perk, that was music to my ears.

Bill’s Keurig would never make such a cheerful noise.

¶

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Second-Hand Paddle Restoration Chases March Blues I’m not a second-hand shopper, but I’ve been married to one for over thirty years. Therefore, I’ve spent a fair amount of idle time in everything from fancy antique boutiques to cobwebby barn sales.

I’ve learned from experience that each one of these venues has a small collection of old outdoor gear, often stuffed into a back corner somewhere. I can usually examine the entire outdoor inventory, and be on my way outside to wait in the car within five minutes.

But I always take time to heft every wooden canoe paddle in an antique store or at a summer yard sale. Most of them are clunkers. Cheesy laminated superstore castoffs, hopelessly split-ended factory-made models, and inevitably a few kitschy decorative paddles to hang at vacation homes with “Welcome to the Beach” in curly typeface across the blade.

Petunia in the Cabbage Patch It’s the occasional battle-worn veteran that catches my attention. Many are so waterlogged or weather-damaged that there’s not much chance of revival. All of them that once had varnish or poly finishes are chipped and peeling. The tips of the blade are often severely blunted by contact with rocks. They come in odd sizes, too.

I once bought a well-used ash paddle that is 60 inches long. It has a massive beavertail blade and weighs about four pounds. In my mind’s eye, I imagined standing in the stern of my loaded canoe and stroking quietly along for miles on a flat-calm lake. In practice, this beast is so heavy and ungainly that I’ve only ever used it essentially as a short canoe pole in shallow river situations.

But occasionally, I’ll heft a paddle in one of these second-hand places that has promise. Last fall I came across a likely candidate stuck inside an old flour barrel with an mis-assorted bunch of other oblong items. On lifting it from the barrel, it had the unmistakable weightless feeling of something ancient made from white cedar.

Cheap at Twice the Price The grip and shaft were weather-stripped clean of any finish they

A well-used cedar canoe paddle at a second-hand shop followed the author home.

A barn-sale find, with potential. All photos by the author

might have once had. The paddle had remnants of blue paint on the blade with the words “H.O. Chins” stamped into the soft wood. There were no splits, and the tip of the blade was hardly blunted at all. However, the edges were rough and chipped in some spots.

I balked at the price — $30.00! — and wandered away. But then I thought about all the expensive new paddles I had purchased over the years. I hefted it again and was captured once more by the airy lightness. I paid up and walked out with my prize.

On arriving home, to my own barn, I put the paddle in a corner filled with other future projects. Then I promptly forgot about it, until recently.

basement next to the wood furnace.

Any lingering doubt that the paddle was made of cedar vanished during the first round of sanding. The blue paint and scaly outer layer of wood came off easily, and with a faint familiar scent.

The chipped edge of the blade took a little more time. I used a sharp knife to carve a more uniform edge. It made the shape of the blade only slightly irregular.

Cedar is an unusual choice for a canoe paddle. It’s much softer and more pliable than traditional ash wood, but also less than half the weight.

After two more rounds of sanding, I applied a penetrating oil finish instead of varnish or polyurethane. The effect was to emphasize the dark undertone of the cedar grain. A few more handrubbed coats of oil finished the project.

It will never be a tough and ready whitewater standby. And with the misshaped blade, it’s not exactly an example of fine craftmanship.

But, for a few hours there, I hardly missed open water at all.

¶

Late Winter and Early Spring Doldrums March is a tough time of year for any canoeist in Maine. Most waterways are still locked up tight; shuttle roads are impassable. The warming sun and longer days can induce a kind of madness in a paddler’s mind.

The only true cure is the unmistakable feel of moving water under the keel of the first canoe launched in the spring.

But when snow squalls and dirty snowbanks surround us, an alternative medicine is working on canoe gear in the

Trimmed and sanded – a slightly mis-shapen cedar paddle emerges from under the paint.

Ready for spring – the finished project is a lightweight, soft and quiet paddle that absorbs light rather than reflecting it. www.MaineSportsman.com

58 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Still Plenty of Sport Left in March March is a peculiar month in Southern Maine. Some years, the third month finds me prepping my boat for the first fishing trip on Seago Lake. In other years, I am still on the ice, fishing for lakers and wondering when it is all going to yield to ice-out season.

It seems that you just cannot predict it anymore. If the ice holds out, we can have some of the best angling of the season before it is over. Just be sure to constantly check conditions.

Big Pike For pike anglers, March is a great month to get on the ice, now that the temperatures are a bit milder. One local spot is a hotbed for pike, especially as the season nears an end. The Androscoggin River (DeLorme Atlas, Map 11, D-5) produces many pike. They grow big and strong on the abundant forage fish and steady current.

From pike to cusk to lakers, March offers us one last opportunity to get our fill of ice fishing before ice-out arrives.

While the Andro is well-known as a topnotch bass river, pike have slowly but steadily taken over amongst the angling fraternity on the river as a sought-after target.

Anglers fishing the Androscoggin River have myriad access points from Turner down to Durham. For ease of access and parking, it’s best to concentrate on launches.

In Turner, ice anglers can easily access the river at the launch on Center Bridge Road (Map 11, C-5). Anglers in Auburn can access the river from a small launch at the end of East Waterman Road (Map 11, D-5).

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river. This eases the current, and provides great backwaters for fish to hold up in and chase baitfish. Set your traps with large shiners close to shore, and then work out toward deeper water.

This is a great strategy on the river, especially in Gulf Island Pond.

Finally, Durham offers two good spots for access. First is the Durham boat launch on Route 136 (Map 5, A-5). This is a rocky, faster-moving stretch, with a few slower back eddies, so be sure to check the ice. Below that is the Durham River Park off Route 136 by the Durham Get & Go. The river swings in and around a large island, and creates some great backwater.

Cusk Fishing Sebago Lake (Map 5, C-1) is probably the best spot around to enjoy a night of cusk fishing. This month, they come into the sandy, gravel shallows to spawn, making them the perfect target for anglers. Having a shack or portable shelter to use as your home base makes the night more enjoyable.

Cooking a meal on the ice, keeping the coffee going and staying warm while pulling an all-nighter is an adventure you must try.

I know of some anglers who spend the night in their shacks on cots, waking every hour to tend their traps as required by law. I must admit, I don’t think you will get much sleep, but it would be a memorable adventure!

I prefer saltwater smelt dead on the bottom for cusk, but any dead baitfish on bottom will do the trick.

When you think you are fishing too shallow, come in shallower! I am always amazed how close to shore these fish come.

I don’t fish any deeper than 20 feet, but I have caught cusk in the daytime in 30-35 feet of water, although that’s an anomaly.

Cusk, related to

the saltwater cod, are a delicious, whitefleshed fish. Most prefer them in a chowder.

Anglers in the Midwest call them “poor man’s lobster.” They boil small strips of the fish, and dunk them in butter, claiming an almost imperceptible difference from the crustacean. I may have to give that a try this year!

Sebago Lake If you prefer to do your angling in the daytime and we still have good ice, some of the best fishing on Sebago Lake in the winter takes place in March. I typically move in shallower, mostly because I am leery of the ice, but I seem to do well. My cove generally has good ice, and I can find 35 to 40 feet of water.

I prefer jigging over traps on the big lake, simply because I tend to do better moving from spot to spot until I find fish. However, when fishing in March, I seldom stray, and set four traps in addition to my jig hole. I always throw a bait in about 15 feet of water, then move out deeper from there. I still do better with my jig, but just can’t give up the traps!

From pike to cusk to lakers, March offers us one last opportunity to get our fill of ice fishing before ice-out arrives.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 59

Pre-Season Scouting Pays Off Tom checks out small streams in anticipation of trout season, and also tries to figure out what he’ll do with all his painted lead jigs once the state law prohibiting their use takes effect.

Just as pre-season scouting for deer can pay off when the season finally arrives, checking out new brooks, streams and rivers often pays in dividends.

For instance, my friend Tony Wieman and I have a long-standing tradition of going trout fishing on the first day of open season. When time allows, I like to go afield, scouting for new places. It’s amazing what you can find simply by picking an area, and cruising the back roads.

The DeLorme Atlas comes in handy for this. Note that the Atlas does not name all brooks and streams, because many of them have no official names.

Of course, local residents have their own names for these places, but don’t look for those names in the Atlas.

However, a noname brook may hold great promise. Many of them contain good, self-sustaining brook trout populations. In this case, after locating one of these spots, Tony and I will assign our own designation to it. Some of these names are fanciful, but that’s part of the fun of finding new places to fish.

Some Tips First, try not to presume anything.

Just because a brook may be small, doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold trout. It may be only seasonal, but during the early season, it can have great potential.

The second dangerous presumption is thinking that larger streams, with beaten paths around the biggest pools, are all fished out. That may not be the case at all, and you can miss out on a good bet by choosing to bypass it.

Remember – many people who fish for trout in streams don’t catch much, because they don’t use the correct tackle. Fishing with large (size 6 and bigger) hooks, large, shiny sinkers, and thick, often-curly lines, means that for the most part, trout will ignore your offerings.

Finally, don’t be afraid to go out of your area. Recently, during a visit to an eye surgeon in Northeast Harbor, I noticed that Mount Desert Island has numerous, great-looking trout streams. While most of my activity, with the exception of the Moosehead Lake region, takes place in the Midcoast area, I

am happy to venture out of my local environs and explore other spots.

So don’t remain confined to your usual hidebound practices.

At least for early season fishing, try anywhere that seems appealing. You may be pleasantly surprised.

What’s the Future of Trout Magnets?

With a new Maine law that will prohibit the sale – and soon the possession and use – of painted lead jigs, the continuing use of Trout Magnets, as we know them, stands in question. The law has more specifics, so look at the language and the effective dates of each stage, by going to the Legislature’s website (legislature. maine.gov) and finding the page for HP 605, LD 958, “An Act to Expand Protections to Maine’s Loons from Lead Poisoning by Prohibiting the Sale and Use of Certain Painted Lead Jigs.” Make certain you are looking at the final version of the law, which is labeled “Public Law Chapter 231.”

Suffice it to say, unless the company makes changes in its manufacturing process, this law will prevent our use of the best

Potential early season trout brook. Tom Seymour photo

trout lure ever made.

The good news is that Leland’s Lures, which manufactures Trout Magnets, offers what they call “Environmental-Friendly” jigheads. Unfortunately, these are not made of tungsten, which has a heavy specific gravity and gets the jig down near bottom where it belongs, but instead a lighter, less-expensive metal. I spoke with a representative of the company, but she didn’t know exactly what that metal was. My guess is it’s tin.

I tried these nonlead jigs and found that in order to reach fish in fast-running water, it was necessary to add one or two non-lead bb-size split

shot about 10 inches above the Trout Magnet. In low, still water, the new material should work just fine and would be ideal for precise, gentle presentations. These new, lighter jigheads necessitate the use of very thin line, since they do not cast as well as the original lead jigheads.

I also asked the representative from the company if they made non-lead Crappie Magnet jigheads, and they do not. I have found Crappie Magnets to excel, going far beyond regular panfish jigs, and being my go-to lure for all kinds of fish. Going forward, I wish I could give suggestions in terms (Midcoast Region continued on page 61)

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60 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Ice Fishing for Cusk in Southern Maine Lakes The first time I caught a freshwater cusk, I wasn’t impressed. I was young, and didn’t know what I’d pulled through the hole in the ice.

The writhing thing didn’t flop like other fish; rather, it just squirmed around on the ice like a snake – I don’t like snakes. I slid my fingers down the leader until I felt the eye of the hook, and then shook the fish free, pushing it back down the hole with my foot.

However, any time someone hauls a fish onto the ice, it draws

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The first time the author caught a cusk, the fish’s unusual appearance repelled him, and he pushed it off the ice and back into the water. Now, older and wiser, he plans to fish for cusk this month. attention from other anglers nearby. An elderly gentleman wearing a weather-beaten red-and-black wool coat with a “Maine Big Buck Club” patch was fishing nearby.

He walked over, and asked “What was it”?

I answered that I wasn’t sure – it looked like an eel with a hornpout head.

He said that it was a cusk, adding that

some folks call them burbot, and if I caught another, he wanted it. “They make great chowders,” he said.

Under my breath I said, “You can have ’em – I wouldn’t eat one to save my life.”

Today, I’ve more respect for cusk.

Ice fishing for cusk is popular on northern lakes, and is becoming more popular here in southern Maine. If you

are looking for a different ice-fishing experience, then consider ice fishing for cusk at night.

Unusual Fish Burbot or cusk are native to North America. They are available here in southern Maine waters, and they are excellent to eat, especially in chowders, as the older gentleman said.

Cusk are unusual-looking – they look like a cross between catfish and an eel, with a large mouth and head, and eel-like tail.

Like their salt-water cousins, they are good to eat, easy to catch and plentiful.

The best time to catch them is in March, when they move into shallow waters to spawn. The rest of the year, cusk remain in deep-dark waters, until their spawn occurs. Much like hornpout, another bottom fish, cusk feed af(Continued on next page)

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ter dark. The time between dusk and dawn is the best time to fish for cusk.

Bottom Feeders Cusk feed near bottom, and they aren’t picky feeders – they will gobble up dead fish, along with anything else that fits into their mouths.

Cusk forage for food with their keen scent of smell, so the more scent bait gives off, the better. They are predators, too, with teeth, and feed on live fish.

During daylight, cusk are often caught by anglers fishing deep for lake trout using either jigging lures or bait.

Cusk are the only fish that spawn under the ice; their spawn occurs in late winter, and peaks in March. When it’s time to spawn, they migrate into shallow waters along sandy or gravel areas and deposit their eggs. Ice anglers should locate such areas, and fish there after dark. Lakes with sandy beaches are always a good spot.

Bouncing a silver

lure on bottom with bait on the hook works well. White tube lures and tungsten jigs also work. The law requires anglers who set tip-ups at night to check them once every hour.

Annette Dumont of Fort Kent caught the state-record cusk (burbot); the fish weighed 18 pounds, 8 oz. She caught it on Eagle Lake on March 15th, 1986. That’s a lot of chowder!

Are there cusk that big here in southern Maine? Maybe in Sebago Lake, but 18 pounds will be difficult to match. Has anyone in this region caught large cusk?

I plan to fish for cusk this month. You will find me sitting on shore with a small fire going, watching tipups or jigging a silver lure tipped with a dead minnow.

Most likely, I will be on Ossipee Lake in Waterboro. You’re welcome to stop by for coffee and swap some lies about fishing – I’ve got some whoppers.

Ice fishing at night for cusk (burbot) is becoming more popular in southern Maine, and there are a few lakes with populations of this tasty fish. Nighttime ice fishing, combined with a small fire, hot dogs and coffee, is a relaxing way to fish.

Trophy Gallery

¶

Midcoast Report (Continued from page 59)

of what to do with all those Crappie Magnet (and indeed, any panfish jig) bodies, but nothing comes to mind except to insert a bare hook in the body and add non-toxic sinkers above it. If a better fix comes along, I’ll be sure to let readers know.

Pickerel Time In places known to hold pickerel, or any members of the Esox family, March can see some of the earliest open-water fishing, given that the place you wish to fish is ice-free. For Midcoast Maine, ice goes out of our smaller waters far sooner than in the past, so it’s safe to say that you won’t have to travel far to find open water.

Pickerel, especially large ones, become active in early spring, and they easily fall to flashy, silver-colored casting spoons.

Any fishing is better than none, so get out and enjoy.

¶

Young Hunter; Nice Deer Madisyn Bradeen of Carthage, age 13, made a 160-yard shot on this 9-pt. buck in Zone 12, Franklin County, on the last day of muzzleloader season 2023. The deer dressed out at 184.5 lbs. The young hunter also tagged a 120-lb. doe during the season. She was accompanied on the hunts by her father, Sherman. www.MaineSportsman.com

62 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Getting Started at the Reloading Bench Once you have the basic equipment, the author recommends starting reloading by making ammo in the caliber you shoot most frequently. In his case, it was .45 ACP. When you’re comfortable with the process, you can branch out to different calibers.

Last month, I encouraged folks to start tying their own flies.

This month, I’m going to explain how easy it is to get started reloading your own ammunition.

The satisfaction of reloading is similar to that felt by an angler who ties a fly and catches a fish with it … you load your own ammo, and then go out and take game with that homemade ammo.

Of course, there is the wonderful fact that

someone reloading their own ammo saves a little cash, even after purchasing the tools used to produce the ammunition.

Better still, the lack of availability of ammo makes reloading a very smart choice – as many hunters will tell you, ammunition can be hard to come by these days.

My main reason for reloading used to be the money saved by producing my own ammunition, and I made some very accurate rounds tailored to my

own rifle – ammo that outperformed typical factory ammunition.

Nowadays, reloading for those goals gets superseded by the fact that there’s a shortage of ammo on the shelves at many sporting goods outlets.

Getting Started The first item to purchase is a solid reloading vise. I started with a hand-held vise, but wouldn’t recommend that, because I believe most folks will quickly want to move up to a bench-mounted

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reloading press.

(Note: This column covers reloading everything except shotgun shells … something I haven’t done, but intend to do.)

A simple, singlestage bench-mounted reloading press will get you into the process at minimal cost.

When you decide you want to move up to reloading large amounts of ammo, get a multi-

stage reloading press and have at it. However, most hunters and casual shooters can get by just fine starting with a single-stage press.

Producing rounds on a single-stage press requires a change of dies for each process.

Typically, you’ll need a case prep die that removes the old primer and reshapes the (Continued on next page)

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case, an expanding die that opens up the case to accept the powder and bullet, and a bullet-seating die that inserts the bullet to the proper depth and then closes the case rim to hold the bullet.

A multi-stage or progressive reloading press has a larger frame that accepts all the dies, and a turret that advances the case to meet with each die to form a complete cartridge with each pull of the arm on the press.

The progressive press will produce rounds at a faster rate than the single-stage press.

The reloader will also need a method of weighing or measuring powder. I have measuring scoops I use for making rounds

for target shooting, and a scale for making super-accurate loads.

Some reloading systems include what is called a “drop charge” that fits on a progressive press … each pull of the arm drops a load of powder into the ad-

vancing case.

The reloader will also need a case holder and set of dies for each caliber to be loaded, and various other accessories for making the process more con(Rangeley Region continued on page 65)

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64 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Will Electric Bikes Gain Acceptance for Off-Road Travel in Maine?

About twenty years ago, my wife and I purchased a matching set of mountain bikes. After a few trips around the neighborhood, a brilliant idea struck me: “I think I could use this bike to get behind gates on remote roads, and access some excellent hunting and fishing territory.”

I never did use the bike while hunting or fishing, preferring to walk into these locations rather than ride.

I guess I didn’t want

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Electric-assist bikes (e-bikes) are a relatively new phenomenon. And their riders are still trying to figure out where their devices fit in to the larger picture. Are they bikes? Motorcycles? ATVs? The author believes a lot will depend on whether the riders are savvy enough to seek landowner permission, and police themselves, rather than seeking access to private land through legislation. the complication of using the bike to access areas … I normally like to keep things as simple as possible, preferring a traditional approach to the outdoors.

Now I have aged to the point where

I won’t be riding a bike anywhere … my legs aren’t as strong as they used to be, so pedaling a bike up hills or for any distance is too much for me. Although, a few years ago, I noticed the upsurge in folks

using e-bikes to access remote hunting and fishing areas, and it got me rethinking this whole issue.

I enjoy pedaling my Old Town “Salty 120 PDL” kayak for exercise … I can pedal or paddle at my lei-

sure. Riding a bike is different – the rider is very dependent on leg strength for any kind of movement. These e-bikes are more like my kayak … I can choose to pedal, or I can relax and move the craft without using my legs. If pedaling the bike got difficult, I could easily deploy the electric motor feature.

The Struggle At this point in my life, I will start using the easiest method for doing what I like the (Continued on next page)

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best, which is hunting and fishing. I used to really enjoy walking a lot – long hikes, long days of hoofing it while bird hunting or deer hunting, and walking way back into secret fishing holes, made the adventures rich and vibrant.

Nowadays, I still want to enjoy these things, in remote places, and I will do pretty much anything to get back in to where these adventures take place.

So, the option of using an e-bike to get there suddenly looks pretty good.

This past bird hunting season, I came upon an elderly couple riding threewheeled bikes way out on a logging road outside of Oquossoc.

During the conversation these folks mentioned that manufacturers offer an electric version of the threewheeled bike. The couple was considering getting those bikes, to help them when they got tired of pedaling or when they came to

a large hill. They said they liked the exercise they got from pedaling the bikes, but they needed the extra power of the electric motor to assist them when the going got tough.

Legal Issues Since the introduction of e-bikes, there has been controversy over the fact of regulating access – where are folks allowed to ride these newfangled bikes? Recent legislation has been enacted to allow e-bikes (Classes 1 and 2, with maximum speeds of 20 mph) access to any bike trails that regular pedal bike riders are allowed access.

Faster (28 mph) and more powerful Class 3 e-bikes carry more restrictions.

On the one hand, I agree with landowners who don’t want folks riding any kind of vehicle on their property, but at other times I also can understand the legitimate concerns of folks who want as much access as possible for riding their e-bikes – at least

Rangeley Region (Continued from page 63)

venient. I own reloading trays that hold a variety of caliber cases in one unit, a trimmer to make sure case length remains consistent, primer hole brushes, priming tools for re-arming the case, a caliper for checking total cartridge length, and a tumbler for cleaning the empty cases.

Over time, a reloader will purchase other items they find individually helpful but not necessary in the basic reloading process.

The Workbench One of the most important parts of the reloading system is a solid, stable

Today, some manufacturers offer e-bikes specifically designed for off-road travel. Photo: XPeak High-Step

as much as ATVs, snowmobiles, and other non-electric modes of travel.

For myself, I wouldn’t be driving an e-bike all over anyone’s property. All I would like to do is be able to ride a bike in places I can’t get to with my truck, and places where riding my truck would cause damage, or places where my nearly 70-year-old legs might not be able to get to without some assistance. A lot of folks gate off these places, intending only to protect the trail/road, and they don’t mind

if someone comes in on foot. However, one could easily argue that riding an e-bike won’t damage a trail much more than regular foot traffic, at least in most of the places I’ve seen.

On the other hand, I can see a lot of places where allowing e-bike access could become abused or overdone.

Just picture your own property, and having a huge amount of e-bike traffic crossing your lawn. The beautifully groomed grassy lawn could get damaged, or the crowds of bikers could stop and get rowdy while on the

workbench to which to attach the press.

Cranking the arm of the press exerts a lot of pressure, so the press needs to be bolted onto a firm surface.

I built a bench that allows me to stand during the process, high enough so I’m not leaning over. Some folks might like a bench lower, so they can sit while reloading. My bench is approximately three feet deep and five feet long.

I also keep my primers in one location and the powder in another, for safety reasons. Both locations should be very dry and consistently heated areas. Excessive moisture isn’t good for powder or primers.

Primers, at this time, will be the most difficult item to purchase … for some reason, they are hard to come

path across your lawn.

There are plenty of other scenarios where it would be obvious that nobody would want e-bike travel (or other kinds of traffic) on their property. And in other cases, e-bike access seems completely legitimate.

One thing for certain is this solid fact – an emphasis on obtaining landowner permission will go a long way toward ensuring that e-bikes remain a viable option for off-road travel.

¶

by. I have primers on back-order, but powder, cases and bullets are easy to acquire.

The reloader will also need to find someplace that offers reloading data (like a recipe). I have plenty of books full of reloading recipes, and find much of this same information available online.

As a start, I recommend getting set up for reloading the caliber that you shoot the most. Work with that caliber, and branch out from there. I started with the .45ACP, and learned to really enjoy the process. Once I started with rifle calibers, I learned how to adjust or tweak the process to squeeze out some exceptionally accurate rounds.

¶

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66 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

You Can Never Own Too Many Flies – or Can You? My fishing fly collection is out of control.

Truly. I came to this judgment as I sorted through my jumble of fly patterns in preparation for the 2024 fly-fishing season. I reach this same conclusion every year, but the numbers continue to grow. How many of my readers have this same issue?

I’m confident that I own thousands of flies, even though I have never counted them.

As I glance over at my fly-fishing shelves, I spot stacks of filled fly boxes and a Plano 7592 tackle box with four removable large plastic bins. How did I get to this state? In my early fly-fishing years, I had one small box of flies. Stuck in the foam on one side were Hornbergs in various

“I’ve filled a custom-divider utility box with flies for large saltwater game fish – tarpon, trevally and sailfish. Mind you, I have never actually fished for any of those species, but hope springs eternal.”

My fly collection includes obscure patterns, like these spotted salamanders.

Brook trout will eat salamanders. All photos by the author

colors and sizes, some small Muddlers, several Hare’s Ear nymphs, and a few each of Black Ghost and Wood Special streamers.

The plastic cubes on

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the other side of the box held dries; grasshoppers, deer-hair extended-body drake imitations, and the trusted Adams or similar quill-body small mayfly imitations. That was it.

Bass Flies Circumstances changed when I started chasing other species besides trout and landlocked salmon. I striper fish a handful of times each year, so

I have a striped-bass box filled with topwater poppers, midlevel Clouser Minnows and Deceivers, and crab imitations for the bottom. I am not usually lucky enough to find a school of stripers crashing bait or cruising the flats, so I prospect all summer with a chartreuse and white Deceiver, while the rest of the flies get rustier.

When I fish for

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smallmouth in the evenings, I drop into my breast pocket my small, clear box of small poppers in white, yellow and chartreuse, with a few leech or worm patterns if it is too cold for surface action. But a few years ago, my daughter bought a house on a small Florida lake.

The largemouth bass down there are ornery creatures and like larger prey, so I now fly down with a Southern box filled with brown and black creepy crawlies patterns imitating either small snakes or large worms.

Predator Patterns I have also gotten into pike fishing recently, so I stuffed a brand new large-compartment box with six-inch fur and feather monstrosities. I am not sure whether they work, because I always fish with the same white rabbit strip streamer with a red-hackled head. If I find an area with active pike, they almost always attack that pattern.

I have also filled a Plano (brand) custom-divider utility box with flies for large saltwater game fish – tarpon, trevally, sailfish, and the like. Now, mind you, I have never actually fished for any (Continued on next page)

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These are my “Top 15” – the trout fly patterns I fish with most frequently.

(Continued from page 66)

of those species, but hope springs eternal, and if I see a cool-looking monstrous fly pattern, I buy it, just in case.

Trout Focus Most of my flies, though, are focused on trout. I own two plastic multi-compartment bins of streamer flies, 6 or 8 smaller boxes of dry flies and emergers, and several thin, slotted types designed specifically for nymphs.

The two dustiest boxes are filled with tiny dry flies in sizes 18 and smaller. When trying to catch challenging fish, I often assumed they were feeding on small stuff, so I kept trying various patterns to match midges, bluewinged olives, tricos, and other miniscule fare. Although I had some success, I never found a go-to pattern.

The problem I wrestle with now is my declining eyesight discourages me from tying tiny flies on gossamer tippets, so the boxes sit undisturbed. To give the flies away would be a concession to my age.

I try to winnow down my trout flies every year, but two of my personality quirks stymie me. First, I am too much of a Yankee to throw things away. For example, I just counted

12 Wood Specials – one of my go-to favorites – in my streamer box. But only three are perfect with good proportions and the correct salmon-y color. The rest are too orangish, or slightly bent, or mangled. I will tie more before I use the imperfect ones.

But I don’t throw them out because I often give them to relatives who lose a lot of flies, and you never know when a global apocalypse will

This box represents but 20 % of the streamers I own.

occur, such that I can’t purchase more.

The second reason I am overstocked is I love to tie or purchase newly discovered patterns to see how well they work. For example, in my January column, we featured four flies created and sent to us by our readers. I can’t wait to try them. (Go to the Maine Sportsman website for tying instructions). So, each year, more new patterns get

added to my inventory.

Clients are great at losing my flies, but I am not guiding much anymore, so my losses each year are minimal. Flies accumulate.

I am sure that I could return to fishing using only my original box of flies, and catch almost as many trout and salmon as I do now.

But what would be the fun of that?

¶

Gene Bahr MASTER FISH CARVER & WILDLIFE ARTIST

5 lb. Moosehead Brook Trout

Sebago, ME • (207) 647-5238

www.genebahr.com www.MaineSportsman.com

68 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Hot Action Before the Thaw Not so long ago, March was pretty much an extension of winter. But that was then and this is now.

Today, warmer weather often arrives anywhere from mid- to late-March.

What this means to anglers is that the open-water season begins in March. Spring has advanced almost one month, so what we used to experience in April now comes considerably earlier.

Of course we can only take advantage of this on year-round rivers, so our wanderings afield are severely limited.

Regular readers will recall that each March, I bemoan the outdated open-water fishing season timetable. The first day of open-water fishing under general law should begin no later than March 1, not April 1, as current regulations dictate.

Fisheries biologists tell me that the only reason for the April 1 opener is that this is how it has always been. There is nothing, from a management standpoint, that would

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The author gets on his soap-box once again to advocate for opening trout fishing earlier. Until that happens, he tells you how to catch trout – legally – while you wait patiently for April 1.

Anadromous trout, all shiny and fresh from the sea. Tom Seymour photo

or should prevent a March 1 opening day.

Perhaps a note to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (DIF&W) would do some good, and if nothing else, get the ball rolling on a serious discussion of this topic.

Pre-Thaw Action On the subject of fishing year-round waters in March, think back and consider all the times in March, prior to the spring thaw, that you wished you could go fishing because water conditions were absolutely perfect. In fact, some of the best conditions occur ahead of the thaw.

Now, at least in year-round rivers, we can take advantage of these often-superb water levels. In fact, levels sometimes become quite low, calling for

stealth and thin, light lines. But that surely beats trying to fish in raging torrents resulting from spring melt.

This knowledge of the benefits of fishing pre-thaw rivers has spread, and now many year-round rivers see more pressure than the resource can handle. Any warm day in March, at least before the waters rise, will see every good spot already taken. If, like me, you eschew fishing in crowds, there is an alternative.

That alternative requires some foot-

work. While nothing is guaranteed, you can often find a productive spot away from the crowds. I have my own favorite secluded places on several local year-round rivers. This is what you may need to do, too.

Besides that, fishing in one spot on a regular basis results in an intimate knowledge of the pool or run, where the hidden snags lie, where trout hold, and how best to fish to them.

Fisheries Management Once you locate your favorite secluded spot, you can begin practicing your own version of fisheries management.

Since you know how many trout your spot can hold, and how quickly other fish fill in the holding places when you remove a fish from the stream, you can then practice your own form of conservation.

But remember that these yearround streams are all stocked waters, places where few, if any, trout would occur from natural reproduction.

With their stocking program, DIF&W intends for anglers to keep their fish, since most places contain little or no year-round holding water.

So the main reason for you to conserve trout in your secret spot is so that trout (Continued on next page)

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will always be there when you want to go fishing.

Later on, when fishing my favorite small streams under general law, I make certain never to take more than a few trout from any one stream during the season. The pressure on these little streams from me fishing them has no tangible consequences. It’s as if no one ever fished there at all. This kind of fishing can go from year-to-year, uninterrupted, with a healthy trout population fully intact for years to come.

Sea-Runs Another way to cir-

cumvent the now-antiquated opening day is to fish tidal water for sea-run trout. The Maine coast abounds in rivers and streams that flow into the sea.

Also, countless small streams, even some unnamed ones, offer good springtime fishing for sea-run trout.

In many places, these trout are available in March. I recall some years past, when DIF&W opened the season early because of summerlike conditions. I hit my favorite sea-run brook above the tidal line and it was packed with trout, fresh from the sea. This showed that anadromous trout are available well before

the traditional opening day.

Also bear in mind that while the run operates in a piecemeal fashion, two or three today, five or six tomorrow, the overall run lasts for a certain number of weeks and the earlier it begins, the earlier it ends. At the end, a few trout may swim upstream, but these are isolated instances and not indicative of a continuation of the main run.

Trout fishing in March comes as sketchy at best. Try to take advantage of year-round rivers or coastal streams. Good luck to you.

¶

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70 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

No More Skating on Thin Ice for This Writer Sometimes, life can be so ironic. I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, near the Tittabawassee River, a polluted river that eventually got cleaned up enough to maintain fishable numbers of walleye.

Over the years, as the river became cleaner, it would actually freeze over, and folks started fishing for walleyes through the ice. When I left home for the U. S. Navy in 1980, there were huge walleye fishing tournaments on the river, and folks enjoyed fishing there again.

I now live on the banks of the Androscoggin River, and I’ve heard it was once a very polluted river that has been cleaned up and supports fish-

The author does not trust river ice. Over the years, he says, he’s seen folks go through the ice, he’s watched news reports of people going through the ice, and in some cases, he’s been the one going through the ice. able numbers of smallmouth bass, northern pike, some trout, and even a landlocked salmon or two.

Growing up and now living on the banks of a river has given me a huge lesson – beware of thin ice on rivers, even if some sections easily support your weight. Moving water does strange things to ice, and I will never trust it.

That being said, I have done plenty of ice fishing on rivers and plan on doing more – over the years I have tried to keep it

as safe as possible. I’m not afraid of walking on ice-covered lakes, ponds, or rivers … I simply will always have an extremely respectful and highly alert attitude any time I’m on the ice.

Safety First Over the years, I’ve seen folks go through the ice, I’ve watched news reports of people going through the ice, and in some cases, I’ve been the one going through the ice.

Although I have only gone through up to my thighs, others have not been so lucky.

After experiencing and watching these tragedies, I have determined to do all I can to protect myself from going through the ice, or from drowning if I do happen to fall through the ice.

I do all the regular ice safety checks, making sure that the ice is thick enough to support my weight, and the snowmobile I’m on. The charts suggest at least four inches of ice thickness for supporting a fully-grown adult, five to six inches for ATVs or snowmobiles, eight to 12

inches for small cars or light trucks, and 12 to 15 inches for larger vehicles.

I also like to carry a heavy iron rod, with a sharp blade point, to test the ice as I move across an unknown piece. The rod can be used to enlarge ice fishing holes, or to maintain balance when traveling on foot on the slippery ice.

I also like to carry a set of hand picks in case I do go through, to give me an assist for crawling out of a hole in the ice. You can buy ice picks, but I made mine by cutting a couple of six-inch pieces of wood from a broom handle (sorry, Honey), driving a 16-penny nail into the end of (Continued on next page)

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the safety of floatation if I go overboard.

There’s plenty to be said for wearing a full floatation suit …

I take great comfort in knowing that if the ice gives way under my feet, I don’t need to worry about sinking or getting wet – a huge relief for myself and many other folks with a big respect for Mother Nature.

I like the fact that the floatation suit has plenty of pockets for all the gear I need when ice fishing or duck hunting. Most other cold weather jackets and bibs that I have owned in the past didn’t seem to have enough room in the pockets for ammo, gloves and hats.

I must add one more thing here… most other cold weather outfits make me feel like I’m the “Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man,” so bulky I can hardly move around. The newer floatation suits somehow fit better, and allow for ease of movement, unlike the old gear.

(Continued from page 70)

each handle, and then grinding off the nail head to make it sharp enough to dig into the ice. I drilled opposing holes in each handle to allow the handles to come together and protect/cover the sharp, pointed nails when not in use.

Super-Safe Floatation Suit I’m an advocate for dragging a Jet Sled on the ice in case I break through the ice … it may come in handy with trying to get back on the ice surface by spreading my weight out a little farther.

I also wear a floatation suit … there are several great brands on the market. I got the “Hayward 3 Season Float Jacket and Bibs” in wetland camo from Windrider (windrider.com). The outfit keeps me warm and dry, and it floats. The camouflage suit will also be great for duck hunting, protecting me from the elements, and breaking up my silhouette with the camo, while offering

¶

Floating suits are ideal for winter duck hunting or ice fishing ... anytime you might fall into cold water. Photo courtesy of WindRiver.com

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72 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Recent Law Places Severe Limits on Coyote Hunting with Dogs In 2022, the Vermont Legislature passed a couple of pieces of legislation that impact hunting and trapping. One, Act 165, imposed a moratorium on hunting coyotes with dogs, and directed the Fish and Wildlife Board (a group of VT citizens appointed by the Governor to develop fish and wildlife rules) to establish new rules within a set of parameters to change this hound-hunting activity.

The origins of this legislation are deep and complex, but are rooted in a couple of things going on in our state. The first, and easiest to blame, is a vocal minority of well-funded anti-hunters, many of whom have recently moved here (like most of northern New England, “recent” can mean within the last two decades).

Other factors at play include a population that is increasingly urban/suburban and the associated changes in our legislature, societal changes, a hunting community that hasn’t managed itself as it could have, and, lastly, specific incidents from poor decisions and bad acting within our own hunting/trapping community.

Hound Hunting Changes Hunters who don’t use dogs can continue www.MaineSportsman.com

If you live in Vermont, you should learn about the current moratoria on hunting coyotes with dogs, and the strict rules that are on the way. And if you don’t live in Vermont, you should study what happened there as a cautionary tale, and a sign that unless hunters do a better job at self-policing, the VT restrictions may provide a blueprint for anti-hunters in other states.

•

•

The author crossed paths with this coyote during last deer season. Breton photo

to pursue coyotes without changes. There is no closed season. The only prohibition is that artificial lights and sighting devices that project a beam of any kind of light are not allowed, which has been the law right along.

Act 165 established coyote dog training and hunting seasons.

The coyote dog training season runs from June 1st to September 15th. The coyote dog hunting season runs from December 15th through March 31st.

From the VTF&W Department website: “Any person hunting, pursuing, harvesting, or in any manner involved in the taking of a coyote with the aid of dogs must hold a valid Vermont Hunting License, and use only

department registered dogs.”

Additionally, these folks and those doing the training must “apply for and hold a valid Coyote Dog Permit issued by the department, or accompany a Coyote Dog Permit holder.”

The state will issue 100 coyote dog training/hunting permits. If more than 100 applications are received, permits will be issued via a lottery. This year, the application period ended on January 15th.

These permits come with additional rules. Dogs must be in control, as defined by this standard: “When transporting, loading or unloading dogs from vehicles, and handling, catching, restraining, releasing, or following dogs at

all times during training dogs and taking of coyote with the aid of dogs, the permittee shall be able to locate and remotely recall the dogs.”

From the VTF&W Department website, further requirements include: • Collars with GPS functions, tracklog capability, and training/control features in the collars, shall be required to always locate and track dogs. Collars will also have a Department Registration Dog-Tag and a metal identification name plate with the person’s name, address, and telephone number attached.

• A person taking a

•

coyote with the aid of dogs shall maintain a GPS location log of each dog taking coyote, and shall maintain the log for at least 30 days after the close of the season.

A “Department Registered” dog is a dog bearing a numbered identification dog-tag approved or issued by the department, with the permit holder’s coyote dog permit number and a number from one to four.

“Pack of Dogs” is one to four dogs.

Removing and replacing one or more dogs into the original pack of dogs once the pursuit has begun is prohibited.

A person taking coyotes with the aid of dogs shall, within 48 hours after the close of the season, report the taking of all coyotes during the season on a form provided with their coyote dog permit.

Implications These requirements are quite onerous on hound hunters.

Many of you don’t live in VT, and therefore you might feel these changes don’t have implications for you.

However, I’d urge you to look at what has happened here, and use it as a caution(Vermont continued on page 74)

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Recognition and Appreciation The mid-winter months provide time to contemplate many things. For me, it’s been a break from the hustle and bustle of myriad outdoor pursuits, which has allowed me the opportunity to count my blessings. There are a lot of stars that must align for us to have success in our outdoor adventures, and there are many to thank for those stars aligning.

I hope this column prompts others to show the gratitude that’s due to those who’ve helped them take part in their outdoor dreams.

Influences We all have people who have introduced us to our various pursuits, and who have influenced us along the way. These are the obvious ones to thank: parents, grandparents, uncles, family friends and mentors.

Maybe you didn’t have someone to take you out, but instead you attended seminars, watched YouTube videos, or read regional outdoor magazine articles. Take a moment to reach out and thank them for their contributions.

Partnerships Pursuing our outdoor passions takes time. That is time away from home, away from work, and away from other responsibilities. As much as we try to get ready and

In the relative calm of the winter months, the author takes the opportunity to think back and thank those who introduced him to outdoor sports – especially hunting – and to those who allow him to pursue his passion.

A hunter admires and gives thanks for his beautiful buck. Photo: Brian Emerson

take care of things before we leave, issues always crop up, and someone else is left having to deal with them.

This may be a spouse or other family member, who has to cart the kids around or run errands. Or it may be a co-worker or business partner who has to take over your workload on those perfect snowy November days.

Remind these peo-

ple how much you appreciate their sacrifices for you to be able to take to the woods without worries on your mind.

Landowners I hunt mostly on large tracts of public land, or land owned by timber interests and overseen by a corporate land manager. My 2023 NH buck was the first deer I’ve killed on a smaller tract of private land. I started the track on a large tim-

ber parcel, but when I killed the deer more than six hours later, he had crossed over the property line.

I was very lucky and am very grateful that this landowner did not post his land.

Truth be told, I had wounded the buck before he had crossed the property line.

The thought of having to possibly leave a wounded deer because of posted property is sickening. I don’t

know how people can deal with that kind of stress, hunting in small-parcel areas.

As I’ve mentioned in previous T.M.S. articles, I’ve been incredibly disheartened by the influx of in-movers to northern NH, and their tendency to develop and restrict access to traditionally good hunting ground.

Luckily, the parcel where I killed my deer wasn’t bought up by one of those in-movers, and instead is owned by a local who has quite a few smaller parcels that he timber harvests himself.

I feel it’s important for us, as hunters, to show our gratitude to landowners—to let them know that leaving their land open to access is good and important. In this case, I felt it appropriate to send the landowner a letter (see next page).

I let him know of my success, thanked him for keeping his land open, and offered to drop off a couple of packages of venison.

Critters Perhaps the ones we should be most grateful toward is the game animal itself.

It gave its life for our sustenance. Taking a life is a humbling experience, and not one to be taken lightly.

Like many hunters, I don’t enjoy the act of killing. I’m literally repulsed by it—nearly every time, I immedi(Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

74 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

New Hampshire (Continued from page 73)

ately begin vomiting.

Once I have settled down, I take several minutes, just myself and the animal, to say my thanks. It’s my custom that this comes first, before the phone comes out to take pictures or send text messages, and before the knife comes out to draw more blood.

Whatever your kill customs are, be sure to set aside a solemn moment or two to appreciate the animal, not for its size or antlers, but for its life.

Deities I’m of the thought that things in this world are orchestrated. Sure, we have free will, but there is a larger hand at work guiding and reshaping the way of things as they unfold. The woods is my church. There are few times that I pray more and am closer to God than when follow-

The writer thinks it’s important to thank landowners for not posting their land, and recommends sending a letter like the one above he mailed to the owner of the land where he killed his 2023 NH buck. Photo by the author

ing a deer track.

I try to be more noble than to pray for a kill—unless I have wounded one, and then I pray to end its suffering. But I send up many thoughts about many different things

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I am facing in life. If I happen to kill a deer, though, my creator is the first one I thank.

And I thank Him profusely.

Killing is inherently a spiritual act, I believe. Even those who

do not have a particular faith or reliance on a higher power still encounter something in taking a life that touches them deeply.

A mentor of mine described it as “stepping through the veil and

Vermont (Continued from page 72)

ary tale. We, the hunting/angling/ trapping community, have taken hits across New England.

• Trappers in Massachusetts can generally use only cage or box traps.

• Bear referenda in Maine are a perpetual concern.

• In the recent past, New Hampshire, the live free or die state, has debated legislation that would have banned trapping.

We rightfully feel our lifestyle is under attack by anti-hunters.

Yet I would also say that these ripples are a signal by society at large that, perhaps, we should look at our own practices more closely.

We hunters started regulating ourselves at the end of the market-hunting era, and need to

entering the ether.”

Faithful or not, one should recognize and appreciate the irrevocable magnitude of taking a life.

¶

continue to do so. I feel like we’ve been lax in our duty to self-regulate, resting on our laurels. We exist in a society that is predominantly made up of non-hunters. If we’re seen as misbehaving, maybe we should better police ourselves so that those non-hunters know we are doing things well.

New regulations are coming, one way or another, and I can tell you from what we’re seeing in Vermont, that doesn’t feel good.

We need a different strategy than simply being permissive to every expansion and resisting every limitation.

Rather than opposing every restriction out of hand, maybe we can come up with meaningful, creative solutions that will allow us to take back more control of our own management.

¶

Smilin’ Sportsman

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 75

Little Johnny: “Teacher, I’m having a lot of trouble with eczema.”

Teacher: “My goodness, Little Johnny, I’m so sorry! Where do you have it?”

Little Johnny: “I don’t have it; I’m trying to spell it!”

—

The couple’s marriage therapist listened to the wife’s complaints about her husband’s lack of intimacy.

Finally, he went around his desk, embraced the woman, and gave her a deep, soulful kiss.

“This,” he announced, “is what your wife needs, at least twice a week.”

“Fine,” said the husband. “I’ll bring her around on Mondays and Wednesdays.”

— While making rounds, a doctor pointed out an X-ray to a group of medical students.

“As you can see,” he said, “the patient limps because his left fibula and tibia are radically arched. Michael, what would you do in a case like this?”

“Well,” pondered the student, “I suppose I’d limp, too.”

— A teenage girl brought her new boyfriend home to meet her parents. They were appalled by his haircut, his tattoos, and his piercings.

Later, the girl’s mom said,” Dear, he doesn’t seem to be a very nice boy.”

“Oh, please, Mom!” said the daughter. “If he wasn’t nice, why would he be doing 500 hours of community service?”

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

76 • March 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Welcome to my Micro-Nation Our columnist declares his independence from something Recently, I read an article about kooks who’ve proclaimed plots of land they own to be sovereign nations, no longer beholden to the country in which they’re located. They have their own flags, national anthems and souvenirs to sell to tourists.

Hey, I said to myself, I’m a kook and I have a plot of land.

What’s stopping me from becoming my own country?

First Things First The first thing I needed was a name. I considered calling the place Mini-Maine, because it would be little and just like Maine, complete with pine trees and a tank of lobsters I’d sell to flatlanders. But that label seemed sort of derivative. I wanted my new nation to be more distinctive.

Maybe something literary. In Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel Scoop, there’s a fictional African country called Ishmaelia. I once used that as my email address, but everyone thought it was a reference to Moby Dick. I’m not making that mistake again.

For one thing, my new nation is miles from the ocean, rendering it inhospitable to whales. For another, I’m not tolerating weirdos stalking around my backyard with harpoons.

I suppose I could name the country afwww.MaineSportsman.com

President Al crossing the Carrabassett.

ter myself. But the Sovereign Principality of Al isn’t particularly inspiring, and my wife absolutely forbade me from bestowing her name on the place (“unless you want to be ex-president in exile”).

Some countries are named after the terrain they occupy (South Africa is south of the rest of Africa, the Netherlands is below sea level, and Atlantis is named after the ocean it’s under).

But in gazing around my yard, the only obvious possibilities seemed to be the People’s Republic of Unattractive Weeds, the Kingdom of Dog Poop or the House Just Past That Jerk Crenshaw’s

Place.

Of course, creating a new country is about more important matters than just a name.

There’s a constitution to write. Treaties with neighbors to negotiate.

Borders to secure. To free myself for these tasks, I decided to temporarily call this place A Country to be Named Later. The flag is just a white sheet with the words “Coming Soon” on it. For now, the national anthem will be “A Horse With No Name.”

A Country of Laws With all that out of the way, it was time to write some laws. I made myself the head of state with power to impose my will on all my subjects. Except

my wife, who’s sort of the Supreme Court and can overrule me.

The dogs constitute the nation’s Congress, which means they don’t do anything. All visitors are considered illegal aliens unless they bring gifts of bourbon.

I know readers of this magazine will be eager to learn about statutes governing hunting and fishing.

You’ll be pleased to know there aren’t any.

You’ll be less pleased to learn that’s because there’s nothing to hunt except mice and squirrels, and no place to fish, unless you count the kitchen sink.

Solving the Tax Issue Then there’s the

question of taxes. As with most micro-nations, the country we seceded from doesn’t recognize our sovereignty. The United States seems to think we should still honor those shrill notices from the Internal Revenue Service demanding payment, and threatening legal repercussions if none is forthcoming.

After some creative negotiations in which the IRS was not involved, we reached a compromise: In return for use of the local roads, bridges and transfer station, our proud nation would pay a service fee to the town. As for government programs we don’t use, such as the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Federal Elections Commission, we see no reason why our citizens (mostly me) should be burdened with supporting them.

But we are a generous people (mostly my wife) and we recognize that the U.S. government operates at a considerable deficit.

We therefore forwarded a sum equivalent to our alleged tax bill, but labeled it “foreign aid”.

You’re welcome, America.

Providing for the Common Defense As for national defense, we don’t have enough warm bodies to raise an army. And (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • March 2024 • 77

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¶

In any case, I hope you’ll plan to visit my micro-nation and buy lots of t-shirts and knickknacks to take back home. Remember your passport, and don’t forget the bourbon.

Al Diamon writes the monthly column Politics & Other Mistakes for The Bollard magazine.

¶

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The Original.

Serving the Bangor Area Since 1948

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

Residential & Commercial Garage Doors & Openers Sales, Service & Repairs

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

56 Liberty Drive Hermon, ME

(207) 848-2866

www.overheaddoorofbangor.com

Career Opportunity Awaits at The Maine Sportsman!

As a self-motivated CONTRACT ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE, you could work from home on a full or part-time basis, interacting with top-notch business owners/managers in New England by phone, email, and/or in person.

Share your marketing/advertising expertise with businesses to promote their products, services, and events. Commission paid monthly, bonus potential, mileage paid for approved business travel. Paid training provided, with on-going support.

Expectations for our Advertising Sales Executives: • • • •

Provide stellar customer service Seek out past and new advertisers while supporting current accounts Access to cell phone and computer with skills to operate both Fluent in English; both speaking and writing

Please email letter of interest, resume/work history, and two references to ads@mainesportsman.com.

Ed’s Sheds & Cabins CABINS • SHEDS • GARAGES • HORSE BARNS

WHY RENT When You Can Lease-to-Own One of Ed’s Sheds?

Carroll PLT – This cute home has beautiful hardwood floors throughout the downstairs, a unique butcher block counter and a newer roof. Easy ATV access and good hunting right on the Main Road. Generac on-demand generator. $125,000

Handcrafted in Maine

T3 R1 – Brand spanking new cabin with detached woodshed/privy. Deeded across to Bill Green Pond (across the road). Partially furnished and cute as a button. Possible owner financing. $89,900

Danforth – Lot offers relaxing sunset’s views, has electricity available at the road and is level and well wooded right on Lower Hot Brook Lake. This is a beautiful, quiet part of northern Maineready for you. $99,000

Lakeville – Large cabin is unfinished on the inside and sits on a half acre of land. End of road privacy in quiet, rural location on Duck Lake. It has a one car, drive in full foundation with a 400amp underground electrical feed. $229,000 Lincoln – This large lakeside home has an oversized garage, lawn to the lake and a paved driveway right on Mattanawcook Lake. Many mechanical updates completed, leaving cosmetics up to you to make your own. Come take a look today. $235,000 Lee – Looking for some privacy but still need year round access and electricity? This lot is well wooded, fairly level and ready for you to take a peek at on Old Steamboat Road. It could be the property you have been looking for. $37,500 Lincoln – Views of Mt. Katahdin and only 5 minutes from downtown Lincoln. Surveyed and completely open right on Enfield Road.

A wonderful location for your new home or a great spot to use seasonally and enjoy all that this area has to offer. $37,500

Bangor (207) 738-5315 edwardl@edssheds-cabins.com

www.EdsSheds-Cabins.com www.MaineSportsman.com

207-794-2460 • 1-800-675-2460 cwa@cwalakestreet.com R E A L

E S T A T E

5 Lake Street, P.O. Box 66 LINCOLN, ME

— Call any of our brokers to work for you! — “Tate” Aylward 207-794-2460 Peter Phinney (207) 794-5466 • Kirk Ritchie (207) 290-1554

Visit www.cwalakestreet.com for more listings!

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www.MaineSportsman.com