The Maine Sportsman May 2021 Digital Edition

It’s Turkey Time!

Pages 29-32, 36, 61, 69

Sportsman The Maine

May 2021 • $4.99

For Over 45 Years!

>> Protecting Deer Yards Page 4 >> Handgun Accuracy Page 10 >> Circle Hooks on Saltwater Page 26 >> Trolling for Trout Page 42 >> Camps, Boats & Land for Sale Page 79–81

2 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sporting Camps & Lodges —

A True Maine Tradition

— im Pond CAMPS

Native Brook Trout Upland Game Bird Deer Hunting Moose

North Maine Lakeside Cabin Rentals 207-551-8292 www.libbyoutposts.com

Shoreline Camps

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

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

Housekeeping Cabins & Boat Rentals on Big Lake

Family Vacations • Group Events Hunting & Fishing Parties World Class Small Mouth Bass & Landlocked Salmon Fishing ATV & Snowmobile Trails • Hiking Snowshoe • Cross Country Ski 191 Pine Drive, Grand Lake Stream, ME (207) 796-5539 • shorelinecamps@gmail.com

www.shorelinecamps.com

Lake Molunkus Sporting Camps

GRANT'S KENNEBAGO CAMPS Big brookies await the right y!

— Established in 1904 —

Open Year Round for ALL Your Outdoor Adventures

207-864-3608 • info@grantscamps.com • www.grantscamps.com

Make a Maine Memory at Molunkus!

Main Lodge with Comfortable Furnished Lakeside Cabins

Direct Access to ATV & Snowmobile Trails!

(207) 725-9471 www.lakemolunkus.com

Matagamon Wilderness

T6-R8 ~ The Matagamon Families ~ (207) 446-4635 mainebearhunts.com ~ www.matagamonwilderness.com

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

(207) 486-9308

www.sturtevantpondcamps.com

Hunting - Fishing - Snowmobiling Family Vacationing - Relaxing Housekeeping & American Plan e Maine Reason for the Way Life Used To Be Lodge (207) 561-6499 Cell (207) 841-0508

www.umcolcus.com

Mt. Chase Lodge —

Shin Pond, Maine

Waterfront Cabins, Private Rooms & Gourmet Family-Style Dining

www.MtChaseLodge.com • 207-528-2183

Allagash Lakes Region

Quality Cabins & Lodge on Haymock, Spider & Cliff Lakes

Fully Equipped Lakefront Cabins & Guide Service — Open Year Round —

www.WilsonsOnMooseheadLake.com • 207-695-2549

BOGGY BROOK OUTFITTERS Booking Guided Fishing Trips, Bear, Moose, Turkey & Deer Hunts Lodge & Cabin Accommodations Master Guide Jesse Derr 207-667-7271 ~ jdcon@yahoo.com Branch Lake, Ellsworth, ME

www.boggybrookoutfitters.com

American Plan Lodge • Housekeeping Cabins • Year Round

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

www.macannamac.com

Bald Mountain Camps Guide Service Guided Snowmobile Tours Fishing & Hunting

Deer • Moose • Bear • Upland Bird Coyote • Bobcat 14 Cabins on Mooselookmeguntic Lake Mooselo Full-Service Lodge, Restaurant & Bar

207-864-3671 • baldmountaincamps@gmail.com

www.baldmountaincamps.com

e Best Kept Secret in the Moosehead Lake Region! Guide Service • Seaplane Flyouts Brook Trout & Salmon Fishing Wild Ruffed Grouse, Bear, Deer & Moose Hunts

mattj@libbycamps.com • (207) 435-8274

WWW.LIBBYCAMPS.COM

www.MaineSportsman.com

7 Comfy Housekeeping Cabins on Wilson Pond Bath with Shower • Full Kitchen Auto Heat & Woodstove Linens & Towels Supplied Boats & Motors, Canoe & Kayak Rentals

(207) 695-2860 www.WilsonPondCamps.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 3

Libby Outpost Camps Libby Outposts are historic remote lakeside or riverfront log cabins located throughout the North Maine Woods. Each cabin has the feeling of being the only camp in the wilds. Great for families. Starting in the 1890s, the Libby Family used many of these cabins to access their main lodges on the headwaters of the Allagash and Aroostook Rivers, when the only available routes were by trail or stream. Today, logging roads and seaplanes make access much easier. Cabins are located in WMD Zone 5, in the heart of the best hunting, canoeing and fishing territory Maine has to offer. All cabins are

miles apart within the NMW gate system. Check out the website www.libbyoutposts.com or Libby Outpost Facebook page for all pictures, cabin information and rates (from $35/person + up). Cabins come equipped with propane lights, stoves, fridges, kitchens and beds, and are ready to call your own. Canoes, kayaks and boats are included. Cabins have been built or rebuilt from local timber by the Libby Family. Aroostook River Camp: Log cabin at the junction pool where Munsungan and Millinocket Streams form the Aroostook River. Gated road or river access. 5 beds. T8R8 Chandler Pond: Cook cabin and sleeping cabin on the shores of Chandler Pond. 4 beds. Gated road/boat or seaplane access. T8R10. Clear Lake: Cook cabin and sleeping cabin with total of 9 beds. Road or seaplane access. T10R11, remote Allagash River headwater. Echo Lake: Large log cabin with 8 beds in three rooms. 50 miles by road from Ashland. T9R11, near Munsungan Lake and Churchill Dam. Historic portage route to the Allagash.

Lower Hudson Pond: Two connected log cabins with total of 10 beds. Trail or seaplane access. Very remote and mountainous. T10 R10. Pictured below on left. Mooseleuk Lake: Two log cabins and with total of 7 beds. Best wildlife lake for moose photography. Gated road or seaplane access. T10 R9. Pictured below. #1 Camp: Two log cabins, only camps on Munsungan Stream, built in the 1920s and rebuilt in 2011. 5 beds total. Road access. T8R9. Beautiful view! Contact Matt & Ellen Libby at 207551-8292 or mattp@libbycamps.com. Mailing address: 197 Haystack Rd., Castle Hill, ME 04757

Tim Pond Wilderness Camps “The Place You’ve Been Looking For and Didn’t Know How to Find!” Tim Pond Camps, located in Eustis, Maine, consists of a Main Lodge and 11 rustic log cabins. The cozy cabins are equipped with a bathroom and hot and cold running water, and are heated with woodstoves. Delicious home-cooked meals are served in the spacious lodge dining room, and the cookie jar is always full for snacking! Tim Pond, which has never been stocked, stretches a mile long and is well known for unbelievable fly fishing for native brook trout. Tim Pond is actually one

of only a few ponds left in Maine that is still all-natural. Although a lot of fishermen practice catch-and-release, each angler is allowed to keep two fish. Brookies are great fighters and a lot of fun to catch, and to eat – if you get “fish-hungry,” the cook will fry up your catch for breakfast! Guests staying at Tim Pond Camps in September enjoy taking a hike up the brook to see the fish as they make their way to spawn, and they are always amazed at how far up the mountain the fish travel, and the small amount of water needed to make the voyage. Tim Pond offers many adventures and attractions in addition to the spectacular

fishing. If learning to fly fish is on your bucket list, then enroll in Tim Pond’s Fly-Fishing School, or just to learn some new fly-fishing techniques. Guests can enjoy an energetic hike, go birding or moose watching, or just sit on the porch and read a book while listening to the loons and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Deer, moose, eagles and fox are often seen without leaving the porch. And, if hunting is your passion, Tim Pond offers upland game and deer hunting in season. Make Tim Pond Camps your next fishing or vacation destination. Call 207243-2947, or visit www.timpond.com.

www.MaineSportsman.com

4 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

It’s Time to Get Serious About Acquiring, Protecting Deer Yards

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 583 • 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: Carol Lund carol@mainesportsman.com

Photo: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

David Trahan, director of Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM), is a man with a plan, and we support that plan. Trahan is working with Rep. Chris A. Johansen of Monticello to draft and promote legislation to protect deer wintering areas in Maine. The current system is simply not working. It depends on “voluntary cooperative agreements,” which are, as the words signify, voluntary. If an owner’s plans for its woodland holdings change, or if the timberland is sold to anther owner, the voluntary cooperative agreement can easily disappear. If there’s one thing the current CMP corridor situation has taught us, it is that within limits, landowners can do pretty much as they want with their own land. And therein lies the keystone of Trahan’s and Johansen’s proposal – their plan calls for the state DIF&W to purchase and manage the land containing deeryards, so deer wintering areas are left undisturbed. The equation is simple – to increase the deer population in the northern half of the state, we must preserve wintering areas. And to preserve those areas, the state must purchase and manage the woodlands offering that winter habitat. Proponents have been working closely with the DIF&W folks to make this happen. That’s a good thing, since DIF&W’s biologists are well-respected, and since that agency is the most capable entity to acquire and manage the land. One approach being considered, for example, is to purchase deer wintering areas and designate them as Wildlife Management Areas (WMDs), since MDIFW currently does an excellent job managing many WMDs well and efficiently throughout the state. For funding, the group will ask that language in the Land for Maine’s Future statutes be amended to raise the ranking or priority of deer wintering areas when potential land purchases are being evaluated. Additional funding may be available through dedicated sources such as the existing Maine Deer Management Fund. Some added good news is that if the state spends money on such land, either under the Land for Maine’s Future program, or as outright purchases from separate funds, matching federal money will be available to facilitate those purchases. The Maine Sportsman supports this effort, and we wish proponents the best of luck, perseverance and patience, as they advance this initiative through Maine’s legislative process.

www.MaineSportsman.com

Second class postage paid at Scarborough, ME 04074 and additional entry offices. All editorial inquiries should be emailed to will@mainesportsman.com Phone: 207-622-4242 Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 12-Month Subscription: $30 • 24-Month Subscription: $49

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Almanac by Will Lund.................................................... 16 A Ranger on the Allagash by Tim Caverly.................. 46 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves..................... 74 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia.................. 31 Big Woods World by Hal Blood..................................... 33 Central Maine by Steve Vose....................................... 61 Downeast Region by Jim Lemieux............................... 63 Editorial.............................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by William Clunie...................... 57 Jackman Region by William Sheldon.......................... 67 Jottings by Jon Lund...................................................... 10 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon......................... 70 Kate’s Wild Kitchen by Kate Krukowski Gooding....... 42 Letters to the Editor.......................................................... 6 Maine Sportswoman by Christi Holmes....................... 36 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour................................... 14 Maine Wildlife Quiz by Steve Vose............................... 60 Midcoast by Tom Seymour........................................... 62 Moosehead Region by Tom Seymour......................... 65 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.............................. 38 Nolan’s Outdoor World by Nolan Raymond............... 34 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie............................ 72 Outdoors & Other Mistakes by Al Diamon.................. 77 Outdoor Chronicle by Ed Pineau................................. 45 Quotable Sportsman by Will Lund................................ 11 Rangeley Region by William Clunie............................. 52 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers............................. 78 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth..................... 55 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews.................. 51 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard............................. 48 Smilin’ Sportsman........................................................... 78 Snapshots in Time by Bill Pierce.................................... 15 Southern Maine by Val Marquez................................. 54 Sporting Environment by David Van Wie.................... 44 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery................. 12 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller.................. 50 Trading Post (Classifieds)............................................... 79 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour....................................... 58 True Tales from the Warden Service by Ret. Lt. Doug Tibbetts.43 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.............. 39 Young Maine Sportsman by Luke Giampetruzzi........ 69

GUEST COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS

100 Turkeys by Jerry Scribner......................................... 29 ATVing in Maine by Steve Carpenteri......................... 20 Benefits of Break-Open Action Shotgun by Michael Tuminaro.47 Boating by Steve Carpenteri........................................ 23 Changing Culture of Fisheries - Part 2 by Bob Humphrey.41 Remembering Standard Shift by Randy Randall....... 35 Saltwater Circle Hooks by Ron Dupuis......................... 26 Saltwater Fishing by Barry Gibson................................ 27 Turkey Hunting in Maine by Blaine Cardilli.................. 30 On the Cover: Photo of a strutting tom turkey, by wildlife photographer Tommy Kirkland (kirklandphotos@hotmail. com). Kirkland’s photos have been featured in many outdoor magazines, including Whitetails Unlimited, Turkey Country, and Bowhunting.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 5

www.MaineSportsman.com

6 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters To The Editor

George Smith – a Man of Principle

To the Editor: George Smith’s death struck me. Although I did not know him all that well – I only guided him on a couple of rafting trips back in the 80s – he had a profound effect on me. At the time, Great Northern Paper (GNP) was expending all of its effort trying to build the “Big A.” “Big A” was a proposed dam at Amberjackmockamus that would have flooded the West Branch of the Penobscot back to the foot of Ripogenus Gorge. The company I worked for, Northern Outdoors, was trying to build a coalition to stop the dam. At the time, GNP carried the biggest stick of all the paper makers in Maine. They owned vast tracts of land, employed thousands of

George Smith speaks to Jon Lund, publisher of The Maine Sportsman, at the 2019 State of Maine Sportsman’s Show. King Montgomery photo

people and hundreds of businesses, built their own towns and support communities, retained the best law firms, and influenced a good chunk of the Maine legislature. They were also quite liberal in their financial support of fish and game clubs and activities throughout their areas of operation, which included just about all of north Maine. George Smith was the first Maine outdoor writer to not only support the fight against the dam, but to convince the Sportsmans Alliance to do the same. It is hard to express how much courage this took when most sportsmen in north Maine were solidly behind GNP’s dam. George Smith risked his career to oppose what he saw as wrong. I was too young to know how rare it is to lay it all on the line in the name of righteousness. Anyone can talk about doing the right thing in the face of adversity; George Smith did the right thing. Alan Haley – Skowhegan, ME —

Hurray for Boone and Crockett, and for MASTC

To the Editor: I am the Boone and Crockett official measurer who scored the Hill Gould buck non-typical antlers of 31 points and a score of 259 0/8. At the time, I was the only official measurer in Maine for the Boone and Crockett Club. Now there are five. No hunting sports would ever know about exceptional deer antlers if it were not for the B. & C. Club. The club began in 1887, and over time it developed the scoring processes for all North American big game. My brother Richard Arsenault and I created the Maine Antler & Skull Trophy Club in 1978. My brother passed away nearly three years ago. We both

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

FREE set-up on orders of 72 pieces or more! Prices on 36 pieces ($20 set-up) Price includes garment and 1 color 1 location screen print Rush Service Available ~ Call for free catalog

Hats $7.00

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

BERG ACTIVEWEAR 852 DEXTER ROAD • CORINNA, MAINE

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

www.MaineSportsman.com

wanted Maine to be recognized for its exceptional deer, bear and moose. We now have more than 12,000 trophies recorded. We hold a banquet every two years at the Augusta Civic Center in April, but not this year, because of Covid.

The Hill Gould buck earned Maine’s highest-ever score for non-typical antlers. Credit: Downeast Lakes Land Trust

The Gould rack is certainly one of a kind. I would dearly like to see that rack at our next banquet. At the last banquet we held at the Civic Center, 850 people showed up, to bring their trophies and to admire the trophies of others. I would be thrilled if Brian Ross would get in touch with the MASTC president, Kyle Wentworth, to make arrangements. Over the decades, many sports have asked, “What’s the top-scoring deer rack ever taken?” Well, MASTC has been here to answer all those questions. Jean Arsenault – Mexico, ME —

Can Cutting Trees Benefit Game Animals?

To the Editor: I am writing regarding Jim Andrews’ column in the March issue of Maine Sportsman on climate change benefiting sportsmen. (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 7 (Continued from page 6)

I believe climate change is real. I thought Jim’s article was excellent and contained much food for thought. But like many public policy issues, often things are not black and white, but more like shades of gray. Sometimes, cutting trees leads to other benefits, such as forest renewal and creating habitat for ruffed grouse, woodcock, deer and turkeys, as well as other birds, butterflies, and animals. I don’t have a degree in biology or forest management, but my understanding is that after a logging operation, the amount and types of wildlife in an area changes significantly, allowing species that don’t do well in an old growth forest to thrive. I am an upland bird hunter, and based on what I have read and heard, if we were to stop logging altogether, ruffed grouse and woodcock would significantly decline, a situation I’d be very unhappy with, and I suspect I wouldn’t be alone. So while I agree with Jim that preservation of our forests is a good thing, we need to be smart about our wilderness management policies, and not go to extremes. Lawrence Furbish – Sanford, ME —

Carbon Sequestration Bargaining Units

To the Editor: I look forward to Jim Andrews’ Maine Sportsman articles every month. He is one of my favorite columnists. Please tell him to keep up the good work. In the March issue, he mentions that small landowners are organizing into carbon sequestration bargaining units. We own several hundred acres of forestland, and we are very interested in joining the effort. Please ask Jim to provide any contact information he has on similarly-minded landowners. Skip Gates – Skowhegan, ME The columnist responds: Hello Skip. Thank you for the kind words. The organizing of small landowners for carbon sequestration is still in its infancy, but there is a state task force that is investigating the issue. A good summary of the effort to organize can be found in Josh Keefe’s January 15, 2021 article in the Bangor Daily News. You may be able to access the article, titled “Maine Wants to Pay Landowners

to Fight Climate Change with their Trees,” at BangorDailyNews.com. The website for Small Woodland Owners of Maine also has some information on their website, MaineWoodlandOwners.org/climate-change. SWOAM has proven to be a powerful voice in many similar issues in the past. Jim Andrews “Self-Propelled Sportsman” columnist —

Believes “Tailing Gloves” Harm Fish

To the Editor: Angling participation is increasing, as is catch-and-release (C&R). However, if C&R is to be effective, anglers must observe best practices to return fish to the water unharmed. Best C&R practices include barbless hooks, keeping fish wet, minimizing fish handling, using rubber nets, and using wet bare hands (or latex/nitrile gloves). We now know that it’s important to keep a fish’s skin mucus functional. The mucus that coats a fish’s skin protects the fish from bacterial and viral infections, and facilitates osmotic regulation, respiration, feeding, and reproduction. In fact, epidermal mucus has been found to be a major determinant of fish health. Knowing all this, why in the world do tailing gloves still exist? Tailing gloves are made of mesh or cotton. Anglers slip them on their hands in order to hold and grip fish securely.

While they may not harm the tough skins of saltwater fish, abrasive “tailing gloves” remove important mucus from the skins of delicate trout and salmon, say some freshwater anglers.

Tailing gloves cut through the fish’s skin mucus, misplacing or removing the mucus from the fish. Tailing gloves are most frequently used to grip the “peduncle” of the fish, which is the tapered region behind the dorsal fin, but before the tail (caudal) fin. If you’re looking to release a fish as healthy as it can be, it’s clear that (Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

8 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 7)

removing or disrupting the fish’s protective mucus is harmful to that goal. I hope Maine Sportsman readers will stop using these abrasive gloves, and that they will encourage their friends and family to do the same. Don’t yell or heckle those who are using tailing gloves on the river. I am the CEO of a Maine fly fishing company called Maine Fly Guys, and I believe the best approach is through education. If you see someone using gloves on fish they plan to release, ask them, “Do you know that tailing gloves damage fish mucus, which is vital for fish health?” I believe a sincere approach, with a focus on improving our collective conservation efforts, is the best way to convey the message. So I encourage all conservationists, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts to educate themselves and one another. We all want what’s best for the fish, but we just might not all know what that is. Gregory LaBonte – Gorham, ME —

The Difference Between “Gripping” and “Gaffing”

To the Editor: Maine fishing law forbids the use of a grapnel or gaff. Neither term is defined. So can a so-called Boga grip or lip gripper be used to lift a fish you have caught – especially a toothy one – out of the water? Mark Susi – Pittston, ME

The editor responds: Interesting question, Mr. Susi. The law, 12 MRS §12656, titled “Possession and use of unlawful implements and devices,” states “A person may not possess any grapnel, trawl, weir, seine, gill net, trap, set line or drop net on or adjacent to any of the inland waters of the State,” with a few exceptions relating to baitfish netting and eel spearing. The obvious targets of the wardens are individuals who are using the devices to snag fish. Many camp owners drag for anchor chains or sunken mooring lines using a grapnel, so it’s difficult to believe that mere possession of such a device is a violation of the law. And in terms of application of the law to lip-grippers, there’s a big difference between such grippers and either gaffs or grapnels; namely, the latter can’t be used effectively without harming the fish. We welcome further clarification and interpretation from our readers, including those in law enforcement. —

Likes Hal Blood; Doesn’t Like Coyotes

To the Editor: I’d like to thank Hal Blood for his recent column on coyotes. I have been wanting for some time to bring your readers’ attention to the large numbers of coyotes in the Maine woods, and to their impact on other animals. I live in Dover-Foxcroft, and I’ve seen firsthand how coyotes have wrecked the deer herd in this area. In each of the last three deer seasons, I have not shot a deer, but I have shot coyotes. And these

animals are not small – a couple have been 65 inches long. After last season, I spoke with a woman at the tagging station at Snow’s Saw Shop in Atkinson. Whereas they used to tag nearly 100 deer a year, now they just tag 15 or 16. I also talked with Bubba at Mountain’s Market Convenience store in Dover-Foxcroft, and he said he’s heard the same thing. I remember going to the 10-4 Diner in Liberty and seeing old photos of Buicks, Dodges and Plymouths with deer on them – often two deer per car – the animals having been taken from the woods around Brownville and Liberty. I guess those days are over. Perhaps it’s time to put a bounty on coyotes, or otherwise make it worthwhile for hunters to pursue them. So that’s my sentiment – call me “Disgruntled in Dover.” Steve Clark – Dover-Foxcroft, ME —

Help This Gentleman Find a Birch Bark Moose Call!

To the Editor: Can you be of any help to me? I am trying to find a source or a person who makes birch bark moose calls. I know Maine is serious moose country, and I am hoping there might be someone there who makes and sells them. I would like to buy one, for sure! Jack Mitschke, 105 Cutler St. #8 Helena, Montana 59601 —

More on Climate Change and Carbon Sequestration

To the Editor: I enjoyed Jim Andrews’ recent article on climate change. I personally don’t like the carbon credits that are intended to offset what industries contribute, but anything at this point is better than nothing. I have a camp on Junior Lake, and I’ve been going to that area for summer vacations since the 1960s. The changes that have occurred have been beyond my imagination. The increase in tree blowdowns in Maine is unreal, but we need to reduce the clearcutting and the erosion that follows. I was surprised and disappointed to see the results from The Sportsman’s annual reader survey that showed not much change in those not believing in climate change from previous years. That’s why columns like Jim’s are so important – he is a source readers trust, and otherwise folks might not otherwise have read about this critical issue. Tom Shelley – Falmouth, ME (Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 9 (Continued from page 8)

ATVers – Stay Off Trails Until They’re Dry To the Editor: After reading the Sportsman’s April ATV special section, I wanted to ask if you’d remind your readers that in the early spring, all official ATV trails on state land and on private lands are closed for mud season. They will be opened as soon as they are ready. We need everyone to stay off the closed trails until the frost is out, the ground is dry, and the landowners say we can go. The closure period generally lasts from around the first of April to Memorial Day, depending on where folks ride. Southern and Down East trails open first, and northern Maine later. We hope all riders will follow the lead of their local ATV clubs and the Bureau of Public Lands, and sign up for trail notifications on “Maine ATV Program: About Us: Bureau of Parks and Lands: Maine DACF.” Can you please include this trail-closure reminder in the magazine? Jim Britt, Director of Communications Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry —

Hunting on Sunday is Long Overdue in Maine

To the Editor: LD 1212, currently under consideration by the Maine legislature, would allow hunting on Sunday in the region north of U.S. Route 2 from the New Hampshire border to Bangor, north of Route 9 from Bangor to the Canadian border, and within any portion of the White Mountain National Forest in the State. I believe we should repeal our state’s current prohibition on Sunday hunting. The time has come to move beyond this archaic blue law that does nothing but pander to anti-hunters who utilize it as a scare tactic to pull the uninformed to their side. I am a retired Game Warden Lieutenant who spent 40 years deeply involved in all aspects of hunting in Maine, and I have witnessed how hunting has drastically evolved over the years. Loss of access to hunting areas has been the major cause of those changes. The result is that the vast majority of deer hunting these days is done right behind the hunter’s house or on a piece of property they control or have permission to hunt on, and is almost always done from a blind or stand, which is extremely safe. Hunters no longer just wander around in areas where there are other people, or gang up in deer drives – those days are over, as there is no place to do that, and it has become unacceptable behavior.

In fact, I don’t believe LD 1212 goes far enough; we should allow Sunday hunting year-round on any land where permission is granted by the owner. These people pay the bills and provide the land; it should be their choice. Additionally, limiting most working people to one day a week for the opportunity to hunt, is totally unfair. What if the weather makes that one day impractical, or what if any one of dozens of things you like to do on Sunday became prohibited because someone else was opposed to it? I want everyone to please think about this – as far as I know, there are no retired wardens who do not wholeheartedly agree with me on this issue, and our entire adult lives have revolved, deeply, around hunting and every opinion on outdoor activity that you can imagine. There are many more reasons to move in the direction of Sunday hunting, including the statewide financial impact, but the bottom line is, “There is absolutely no good reason not to.” Doug Tibbetts, Bangor Retired Game Warden Lieutenant —

Enjoyed Jim Andrews’ “Social Norms” Column

To the Editor: I enjoyed Jim Andrews’ April column, titled “Maine’s Outdoors will be

the New Social Hotspot,” in which he references two-holer outhouses that used to be found behind nearly every rural residence and farmhouse. Great article. Several outhouses were part of my formative years. He also mentions the Maine Canoe Symposium, and he states that other outdoor events will be scheduled this summer. I would appreciate it if he would provide an even longer list of upcoming, open-air events. I never knew about the WCHA (Wooden Canoe Heritage Association) until I read his article! That’s one of the many reasons I keep reading this fine publication. Erik Warren The columnist responds: Great to hear from you, Erik, and thanks for the kind words. The WCHA has a chapter in western Maine. Call Bob Bassett at Kimball Pond Boat Barn if you are interested. We have an annual meeting at the boat barn in Vienna, usually in May. We also take our wood canoes on a few day trips every year. Several members travel to the annual assembly every year in New York. Bob’s contact info: 207-578-0876. Email: kpboatbarn@gmail.com Jim Andrews Self-Propelled Sportsman” columnist

1681 Bennoch Road, Old Town (1/2 Mile Off I-95 Exit 197)

Open Mon–Sat 9AM–5PM

207-827-7032

www.oldtowntradingpost.net

GOT WIGGLE WORMS? WE DO! Downriggers • Smelt Nets Large Selection of Fishing Lures & Flies BOATING SUPPLIES: Rod Holders • Trailer Wiring Oar Locks • Gas Cans

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR TURKEY HUNTING – STOP BY TODAY!

274 West Broadway, Lincoln, ME

Everything you need to reel in your limit, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! Fishing • Hunting Guns • Camping • Canoes Rods & Reels Flies & Lures 207-403-8000 • Open Mon–Fri 9AM–6PM & Sat 7AM–4PM

www.whitneysoutfitters.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

10 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Tips for Shooting Accurately with a Handgun The Tri-City Fish and Game Association had a building on the Town Farm Road in Hallowell in the 1960s where a number of members practiced handgun shooting in the basement’s fifty-foot target range. A member invited me to join him one evening for some handgun target shooting. I had never done any serious handgun target shooting, and accepted the invitation. I’d always thought that handguns had very limited accuracy, and if you could hit a door fifty feet away,

The author used to think pistols were not accurate. That’s before he saw experienced shooters hitting game-sized targets at 50 yards and even 100 yards. that was about as much as you could expect. I soon learned how wrong I was. I continued to shoot at the Tri-City Fish and Game building for some time, and learned that some of the better pistol shooters in the group could hit a game-sized target at 50 yards and even out to 100 yards. I never reached that level of skill, but found that sometimes

I could shoot ten shots at a fifty foot target keep all 10 shots in the black. I was reminded of my 1960s target shooting activities recently when I found at home a couple of .22 target bull’s-eyes with 10 holes in the black. What follows here is some of what I learned from target shooting myself, and from other shooters, at the Tri-City Fish and Game shooting range.

NOW AN AUTHORIZED

Tagging Station

Hunting & Shooting Supplies

Scents and Lures

Muzzle Loading Supplies Scopes, Binoculars, Decoys Handguns Shotguns Rifles

DEALER

Come and see our Fishing Department We carry Eagle Claw, Ugly Stick , Stren , Trilene Yamamoto and Yum branded products.

Complete Archery Department: Arrows Bows Targets Sights

— We Buy, Sell & Trade — 22 Peck Farm Road, Winthrop, ME

(207) 377-2711

Open 8-5:30 Monday–Saturday, 9-2 Sunday www.MaineSportsman.com

Perhaps what I learned sixty years ago is obsolete lore today, but I’d like to pass along what I learned, without claiming any great shooting expertise. Grip The typical pistol sight is called a Patridge sight, having been invented by E. E. Patridge in the 1800s. The rear sight is a square slot. The front sight is a narrow vertical post with a

flat top. The goal is to center the front sight in the middle of the rear sight with the top of the front sight even with the top of the rear sight slot. I learned the importance of holding the pistol in the same fashion for each shot, because the pistol recoils slightly even with as small a cartridge as a 22 Long rifle. If you grip the pistol too tightly, it will shoot lower than if you grip it more loosely. But if you grip too tight, your hand will tire, which is not conducive to accuracy. If you grip the pistol too loosely, it will recoil more, giving you a higher shot, so the goal is to adopt a comfortable grip that you can continue using consistently, which produces more accurate shots. Trigger Pressure I started shooting (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 11 (Continued from page 10)

with a Colt Woodsman, a sporting model rather than a target pistol. We shot in groups of five shots, with ten shots per target. If our arms tired, we took a break and give it a rest. I learned that you achieve accuracy by gradually increasing the tension on the trigger when the sight picture is correct. We used the “Six o’clock hold,” which means that the bottom of the round black circle of the bull’s-eye should be positioned just touching the top of the front sight. When the shooter sees that the sight picture is no longer correct, he or she stops increasing the tension on the trigger. When the sight picture is correct again, the shooter increases the tension on the trigger. Continuing this process, when the gun fires, the shot should go into the black of the bull’s-eye. Handcrafted Trigger Adjustment A target model

Quotable

usually has a heavier barrel which is more accurate, and may make it easier to hold steady. Target models also have a more finely-adjusted trigger pull and letoff point. Most pistols have a trigger mechanism in which the trigger continues to move after the gun fires. That is called backlash, which adversely affects accuracy. Some triggers may have an adjustment to reduce backlash. But a do-ityourself workaround is possible. After making sure the pistol was unloaded, I reduced the backlash on the Woodsman by putting a dab of epoxy on the back of the trigger, and allowing it to harden. Initially the epoxy prevented the trigger from going far enough back for the firing pin to fall. I protected the bluing of the frame with a strip of thin plastic. I then carefully reduced the thickness of the epoxy by gently working a strip of fine sandpaper between the trigger and the

Sportsman

The Patridge sight features a rear sight with a square slot, and a squared-off front post. The shooter in this illustration is using the “Six-o’clock position” in which the top of the front post touches the bottom of the bull’s eye.

frame while putting a light tension on the trigger. At some point the trigger moved back far enough to allow the sear to release the firing pin. Goodbye to the backlash. The epoxy pad remains on back of my Colt Woodsman trigger and still works fine to this day. Late on, I acquired a Ruger target pistol which featured a heavier barrel and frame. Also, a skilled gunsmith had “worked” the trigger

The author made this series of shots from 50 feet with a .22 Ruger target pistol. Joan Sturmthal photo

mechanism so that the action of the trigger was much smoother and there was no distinct let-off point at which the gun fired. I used the Ruger target pistol at a range of 50 feet when shooting at the bull’s eye shown in the photo accompanying this piece. Learn Accuracy with Small Caliber A handgun is more challenging to shoot accurately than a rifle. If a hunter can learn to shoot a handgun, learning to shoot a ri-

when startled by a passing outboard. — “All Fish and Wildlife agencies realize that we’re edging toward a crisis, as the by Will Lund average age of those who enjoy hunting and fishing is increasing. There’s a cliff “Noodling can hurt catfish.” coming. If we can attract new people and Missouri Department of Conservation. retain them, it’s a huge benefit. What “Noodling” is a common term for hand- can we do to make sure they stay?” fishing. This is the method of reaching Mark Latti, communications director underwater into natural cavities formed for the Maine Department of Inland in riverbanks or by tree roots, logs or Fisheries and Wildlife, quoted in a rocks, and capturing a catfish by hand. Washington Post story titled “Hunting When the catfish bites onto the hand, the pastime spikes during pandemic. noodler pulls the fish off the nest and out Conservationists are glad. Here’s why,” of the water. by Alex Brown, Jan. 10, 2021 — — “It’s no longer legal to use invasive “US pot growers use more electricity fish species as bait.” than electric vehicle drivers.” Missouri Conservation Department, Sierra Club magazine, March/April October 2020. The prohibition required 2021 administrative rulemaking last fall to — take effect. Prior to the rule, it was not “More than 80 people called in, from illegal to use silver carp or bighead carp as far away as Maine, bemoaning the as bait. Originally imported to clean loss of their pets. One caller even cried, algae from sewage treatment plants, both explaining that she relies on her pythons species can grow to more than 50 pounds. and iguanas to help her cope with lonely Silver carp can leap 10 feet into the air

fle should be a piece of cake. If I were advising a beginner deer hunter on how to select a rifle for practice to improve accuracy, I’d suggest a single shot or bolt action .22 rimfire. Then move on to a high powered rifle with moderate recoil and noise, and to strive to make the first shot count. You don’t need an autoloader. The deer is not going to shoot back.

days and difficult nights. ‘If you take them away,’ she said, ‘I would be really messed up.’” An account of testimony during a four-hour online public hearing in Florida in mid-March, as the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 7 - 0 to ban possession and breeding of certain reptiles and other nonnative species. Current owners can keep their pets but cannot replace them if they die. A legal challenge appears likely. Article by Craig Pittman, Washington Post. — “Seepage conditions have continued for the past 115 years, and local users have become utterly reliant on seepage from the canal to keep the aquifer recharged.” Allegations in a lawsuit filed by the town of Fernley, Nevada against the U.S. Government, in an effort to stop a federal plan to line an irrigation canal with concrete to slow leaks. The government’s position is that the city “has no legal entitlement to the continued existence of seepage water” from the canal. Reported by the Associated Press, March 21, 2021. www.MaineSportsman.com

12 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

So, You Want Her to Take Up Fly Fishing by Guest Columnist, Elizabeth Grant A very special guest columnist joins us this month: my wife, Elizabeth Grant. Elizabeth writes about encouraging your partner to fly fish, which can be either good news or bad news. Good news in that once he or she learns to fly fish, and actually enjoys doing it, you both can spend a lifetime on the water together. Bad news in that there are certain inevitable pitfalls that can sabotage the whole effort if you aren’t careful. Elizabeth outlines some of these problem areas, and gives some tips for working through them. Elizabeth is a retired Federal Administrative Judge who spent her career as a government contracts attorney, then judge, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. We met not long after I retired from the US Army, in November 1990, and we have been fishing together, off and on, ever since. And we’re still talking with each other. Here, she tells how to maximize that result!

***** The jokes abound: beleaguered husband escapes nagging wife for a day of peace and tranquility fishing. Regardless of gender or the state of our personal relationships, we have all enjoyed time away from the ones we love to pursue a consuming interest of our own. But despite the stereotype, I encounter many who wish their spouse – or “spouse equivalent” – shared their love of fly fishing. They ask me if I fished before I met King Montgomery (I didn’t), and how he got me started. In turn, I ask them about their wives or partners, and the stories I have heard prompted me to write this column. There is no set formula, of course, but I have noticed certain recurring themes. My observations are written from the perspective one usually encounters – of a man trying to interest a woman in angling – but most comments would probably apply regardless of gender, relationship, or age.

Start with a spinning rod, before making the shift to fly fishing. www.MaineSportsman.com

Don’t Start with Fly Fishing First off, as blasphemous as it sounds, don’t start with fly fishing, unless your wife already fishes with another type of tackle or insists on starting this way. Fly fishing is difficult, and since your first objective is to get your partner fishing, period, regardless of tackle type, start with the easiest – a spinning rod. She should be casting with acceptable skill, distance, and accuracy in thirty minutes. We all prefer what we excel at, and it is tough to excel at fly fishing when you first begin. Your partner may be an exception and may take to fly fishing right away, despite the initial frustrations and steep learning curve. But if you’re a guy who plays the odds, I’d advise against it, because chances are it will turn her off. Creature Comforts Your early fishing excursions should be pleasant and comfortable, to build positive

associations. Good weather is the first requirement. Of course women can “take” rough conditions; the question is whether or not they’ll want to. I have been fishing in the snow, as a hurricane approached, in pouring (cold) rain, and in a winter stream with a hole in my (borrowed) waders. And, frankly, I didn’t really enjoy most of those occasions. If King had taken me out in those conditions on our first trips, they might have been our last. Calls of Nature You must pay attention to bathroom access; this issue is always in the forefront of a woman’s mind. (You’d be preoccupied with it, too, if you had to lower your pants every time you needed to pee.) And by “bathroom access,” I just mean a time and place for a pit stop. If you are alone in the woods with ample foliage for a screen, there shouldn’t be a problem, but if you are confined to a small boat or are fishing exposed waters

Fishing in good weather will win you converts!

or terrain, you need to arrange for bathroom breaks, and tell her in advance what those will be. Some women just won’t drink any fluids at all to try to avoid this problem. However, denying yourself fluids is unhealthy, and “holding it in” when you need to go is extremely uncomfortable. You won’t win any converts if this is your only solution. Who’s in Charge? Once you’ve convinced her to go fishing with you, whatever she says, goes. If she’s too hot, go in. If she’s too cold, go in. If she’s had enough, go in. Why? First, if she is forced to stay out when she is uncomfortable, you might be fishing alone next time. Second, you need to equalize the balance of power. You surpass her in experience and knowledge, which inadvertently puts her in an inferior position – not a very pleasant place to be in. So let her call the shots. You may have to stop fishing sooner (Continued on next page)

A guide with a boat gives you many advantages.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 13 (Continued from page 12)

than you’d like, but if you want her to go out again, you will. “Fishing,” for Beginners, Means “Catching” Be sure to take your partner to some place where you are likely to catch fish; most beginners will not be enticed further by a fish-less day. On my first (short) angling outing, I hooked three bass and landed two. I was very pleased, and was interested in trying again. In contrast, I have had a 6-hour day on the Potomac River where I caught no fish. Even now, after many years of fishing with King, I don’t really enjoy a day like that. The Transition to Fly Fishing I began to fly fish after fishing with a spinning rod for about 5 years. Don’t groan – I don’t mean to imply you have to wait that long before handing your wife or partner a fly rod. But there is no real reason to rush, and there are some benefits to a delayed transition, such as flexibility with simultaneous fishing when two fly anglers would have to alternate. Two tips for making the transition: 1. Don’t teach her yourself; and 2. Don’t push her. We broke the first rule – King actually did teach me – but I don’t advise it. Unlike casting with a spinning rod, your girlfriend or partner is not likely to pick it up quickly. She will be frustrated, your attempts to help will sound like criticism, and the cycle spirals downward. Plus, shocking as it may seem, though you may be a great caster or angler, you might not be a very good

When the student is ready, trout await!

teacher. Of course, everyone thinks that applies to someone else, but I recommend saving your expertise for after someone else has taught her the basics. I can also attest to the second point – not to push her. King did not push me, and let me shift focus at my own pace. It was a slow pace. I didn’t get much practice fly fishing because when we did go out, which wasn’t often, I wanted to use a spinning rod, the equipment I was most comfortable with and got the best results with. Only gradually did I start transitioning to a fly rod. That is okay. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Let her set the pace. High Percentage Fly Fishing Once she starts fly fishing, I suggest you begin with bluegill or other species of sunfish. They are plentiful, easy to catch, and fun to land. If you are a trout enthusiast, forget it, at least for now. Trout are not exactly “trainer fish,” and they often live in moving water, which Fins & Furs Adventures

requires more angling skill than lake or pond fishing, both to manage the water itself and to work around overhanging trees. To get your wife or partner comfortable with fly fishing, you’ve got to produce results. Don’t test her dedication on advanced waters or finicky fish. Conclusion Fishing is a very personal thing, of course. One man I met said his wife just didn’t like the feel of something live struggling on the end of her line. Or, you might be one of the ones whose spouse gets so interested she ultimately equals or exceeds you in skill and obsession. Most likely, your situation will fall somewhere in between. With any luck, that should be enough. Recently I came back from a week bone fishing at the Boca Paila Fishing Lodge on the Yucatan Peninsula. I had cringed when I realized the expertise of my colleagues and heard about the need for long distance and precision casting. But I did well, caught

Worldwide Sporting Adventures ✦ Maine Guide’s Training

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ NEXT MAINE GUIDE’S PROGRAMS ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

JUNE 3–6, 2021

Penobscot County Conservation, Brewer

The author calls bonefishing in the tropical saltwater flats the “major leagues” of fly fishing – a great goal to have!

fish, and had fun. Returning, I felt I had played in the “major leagues” of fly angling, and if I didn’t win any MVP awards, at least no one had laughed me off the field. That’s a long way to come from those many years ago when I first picked up

a spinning rod. What’s that they say about the journey being half the fun? An earlier version of Elizabeth’s column appeared in Fly Fish America magazine in 2001.

Don’t Hit the Water this Year Without Your...

CATCH MORE FISH

SEE THE JIGG-JIGG BOX IN ACTION ON

Search “JIGG JIGG BOX” Fishing Jigg-Jigg Boxes for Trolling Streamers and Flies for Salmon and Trout While Trolling Down the Lakes! FREE NEXT-DAY SHIPPING • $600 EACH LIFETIME WARRANTY AS LONG AS YOU OWN IT To Purchase Contact:

1988Lund90HP@gmail.com

4-Day Course • Tuition $495 • Silva Compass Included • Contact Us for More Info!

FINS & FURS ADVENTURES Carroll & Lila Ware, Master Maine Guides & Instructors

Providing Worldwide Sporting Adventures & Maine’s Premier Guide Training Program for 33 Years!

(207) 474-5430 • finsandfursadventures@beeline-online.net

www.FinsAndFursAdventures.com

Fish On! Fish On! Fish On! www.MaineSportsman.com

14 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Wildlife:

Biting Insects

The only good thing about deer flies, says the author, is the satisfying “POP!” noise they make if you hit them with one of those bug zappers that looks like a tennis racquet.

by Tom Seymour

With sunlight fading, trout come alive, making swirls and bumps on the surface. You have just broken your line and need to tie on a new hook while you can still see to do it and before the setting sun puts an end to the day. Just then, a swarm of mosquitoes makes it impossible to function. Who among us has not experienced a similar situation? It’s just part of the outdoor experience in Maine. Biting insects cause untold misery and represent the basis for a burgeoning insect-repellent industry. Biting insects come in many forms, some that may come as a surprise. Asian Ladybugs For instance, who knew that ladybugs could or would bite people? It’s true, although with an interesting twist. Our native ladybird beetles, known as simply “ladybugs,” are harmless. However, an imported variety, the Asian ladybeetle, bites. Having one of these land on your neck almost guarantees a bite. Asian ladybeetles were first introduced in the US in 1916 in order to control aphids and scale insects, but did not establish themselves in the wild – or so it was thought. Then in 1988, a wild population appeared in Louisiana, from whence it quickly spread to other states, becoming established in the Northeast by 1994. Scarce a Maine home is now exempt from these intrusive insects. These nuisances migrate by the many hundreds into homes in October, where they spend the winter. Unfortunately, the beetles don’t completely hibernate and remain active during the coldest of weather, crawling unto sleeping humans and biting them. Sometime in May, the beetles leave our houses en masse, only to return the following fall. Besides eating crop pests, Asian ladybeetles turn trout wild. When these beetles leave lakeside camps during the first warm spell in May, many thousands drop into the water, where trout immediately gobble them up. At that time, the trout become so frenzied that www.MaineSportsman.com

they will hit any lure, bait or fly. Blackflies – “State Bird”? Okay, blackflies aren’t the state bird, even though they are called that by some. Blackflies, or “buffalo gnats,” lay their eggs in running water. This explains why Maine has so many blackflies. We have countless brooks, streams and rivers for them to hatch in. It requires good hearing to perceive the high-pitched whining of blackfly wings, as opposed to mosquitoes, which even the hard-of-hearing can detect. Blackflies attack us in an insidious way. They stretch our skin with their teeth and then abrade it with their mouths. Then they set out to feed on our blood. We seldom feel it when a blackfly bites, because their saliva contains an anticoagulant that not only enhances bleeding, but numbs the area of the bite. That’s why we can receive a dozen or more blackfly bites and not realize it until it is too late. Bites can become inflamed and swollen. Some people may develop other physical problems, even allergic reactions. Thankfully, blackflies only feed during daylight hours, leaving nighttime to the mosquitoes. Deer Flies Were I to rate my least-favorite biting insect, deer flies would stand atop my list. These vicious beasties attack from behind, the human neck being a favorite site. Unfortunately for humans and other warm-blooded creatures, deer flies act much like blackflies, in that they make incisions in our poor hides and then lap the blood. And like blackflies, deer fly saliva contains an anticoagulant. It does not have numbing properties, however. When a blackfly bites, we are unaware of it. When a deer fly

bites, the pain can be excruciating. Even worse, deer flies are many magnitudes larger than blackflies. There’s not much to like here. Deer flies attack us when the sun shines and when temperatures reach 71.6 Fahrenheit. Walking through a semi-open area on a warm, sunny day in summer can make for a nightmarish experience. While insect repellent helps a little, the best way to avoid deer fly bites is to wear long sleeved shirts with the collar up. Also, woods workers often apply Vaseline or even chainsaw oil to the back of their hardhats. If the deer flies land, they stick to the grease. I find that one of the battery-operated “tennis racquet” devices work wonders on deer flies. This requires periodically swinging the racquet behind the head in a circular motion while walking. When a deer fly lands on the grid, it explodes with a satisfying “pop.” It amazes me how stupid these insects are. You would think that the sight and smell of their incinerated brethren would make for a strong signal to beware. But deer flies don’t take the hint. They just keep coming. Fortunately, deer flies aren’t active at night. That’s for mosquitoes and nosee-um’s. No-See-Ums No-see-ums – tiny, biting gnats that lap blood and can crawl through window screens to attack us at night – can make sleep impossible. A swarm of biting, blood-sucking no-see-um’s can make us feel as though our skin is on fire. A friend once said no-see-um’s were all teeth. He had a point. Fortunately, most insect repellents make effective countermeasures. So be prepared. Wear insect repellent. And try not to think too much about Maine’s biting insects.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 15

“Snapshots in Time”

Stories from Maine’s Iconic Sporting Past by Bill Pierce, of the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc, Maine

Wanna Buy an Island Off the Maine Coast? Do You Have $10? There’s an old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” What follows appeared in the May 18, 1916 edition of Maine Woods newspaper. At that time, there were numerous inquiries coming into the Maine State Land office from wealthy potential buyers from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. So much so that demand far outweighed supply. Flash forward to today, where since the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, available waterfront land, as well as some the more desirable woodlots with views, have been scarfed up like toilet paper during the early outbreak! A recent sale on what may have been the last

available camp on Rangeley Lake, lasted just 3 days after listing. The seller had three offers, all above asking, and the modest camp was purchased by a buyer from Virginia at a handsome price, and he never set foot on the property to even see it! Things will adjust as the long winters and the wonderful isolation that can accompany life in rural Maine tends to change a flatlander’s mind about living in “God’s Country.” History tells us that demand is cyclical, and property will again become available, but the values for waterfront probably will not revert at all. Take a gander at some of the land values for islands back in the day shared

MAINE WOODS May 18, 1916

MAINE HAS NO ISLANDS FOR SALE But You Can Rent One, if You Like — Many Were Sold for a Song

State Land Agent Frank E. Mace is in constant receipt of letters from people in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and other places inquiring about the islands of Maine and what the prospects are for buying some of them, says the Bangor News. With the approach of the summer resort season, these letters increase in number, as the fad of locating a cottage on some one of the islands, however small, has been growing of late years. Land Agent Mace tells them all that there are no more islands in Maine for sale. In 1913, three years ago, the State of Maine put its foot down on the selling of any more islands. However, the islands can be rented or leased, and Agent Mace has appeared several times of late before the governor and council to ask the approval of certain leases, which have been granted. There are not many large islands in the ownership of the State of Maine left. Most of the larger islands were sold for a song, or practically given away, in the early days of the commonwealth. For instance, the large

inland tract known as Sugar Island in Moosehead lake, containing 4,950 acres, was sold in 1835 for 50 cents an acre! The source of all island titles emanated from the British crown, which laid claim to them by right of discovery, as the entire coast ultimately came under the control of Great Britain by the conquest of Canada in 1759, followed by the treaty of 1763 extinguishing the French claim to the eastern part of the Maine coast. There has been no problem at the State House more complex than the finding out who owns the islands of Maine. Much of the early data is lack-

below. Some of those deals give new meaning to “Right Place; Right Time”! Truth be told at one time, it ALL belonged to the Native Americans who dwelled here long before the non-native colonial powers (England and France) fought a battle outside Quebec City over who would snare the continent and the right to impose the power of imperialism. England won, and claimed “Deed by conquest.” And on it went. Whether island property or a humble plot, if you are fortunate enough to own land in this beautiful State, be grateful and count your blessings. AND be sure to get outside and make some outdoor history of your own. ing, and not a few of the papers are obscure. There are some 1,300 islands and ledges along the Maine coast. Massachusetts commenced deeding these islands as early as 1780, invariably designating them by letter rather than name, with reference to some ancient plan of survey. The year 1876 was an important one in the history of island legislation, for in this year, Maine started in earnest to get rid of all her islands. There were 66 islands sold for a few dollars each, from prices ranging from 25 cents to $440. Thirty-four of the islands were sold for less than $5, and 10 more of them for less than $10! The whole sale yielding but $1109. It was said at the time that this sum hardly paid the expenses of the investigation of the ownership of the islands. The following year, 77 islands in front of Washington County were disposed of. They were sold in block to seven purchasers, and the state realized $251 from the sale. The conveyance of 1877 ended the attempt by Maine to dispose of all its islands by wholesale, individual islands being sold occasionally since. Author’s Note: If you have interest in purchasing ¾ of an island in Parmacheenee Lake featuring gated access and 5 historic cabins known as the historic Parmacheenee Club, please contact; wapierce1@gmail.com www.MaineSportsman.com

Almanac

16 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

MWGO Lauds Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby – Maine’s First Guide

Earlier this spring, the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization (MWGO) celebrated Women’s History Month by recognizing the significant impact of Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby on the guiding industry that still thrives today, thanks in large part to pioneers like her. With the passing of legislation on March 19, 1897, Maine lawmakers required hunting guides to register with the state. While there were 1,316 Guides registered in that first year, Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby was the first.

Fly Rod Crosby, Maine’s first registered guide, understood the beauty and significance of our state’s lakes and ponds. Postcard provided by the Outdoor Heritage Museum, Oquossoc

Born in Phillips, Maine, Crosby promoted Maine’s outdoor sports at metropolitan shows, wrote a popular column that appeared in newspapers nation-

www.MaineSportsman.com

Compiled and Edited by — Will Lund —

wide, and served as a role model to young women around the country, thanks to her personal philosophy of athleticism and independence. Her efforts attracted thousands of outdoors men and women, tourists, and wilderness visitors, spanning multiple generations, to the woods and streams of Maine. — Encounters with Wildlife, Pt. 3:

heels of the buck, but when it saw us it spun around, leaving the area rapidly. Jeff grabbed his rifle, but it was too late – in seconds, the encounter was over. Jeff looked down at me, as I lay curled up on the grass. Puzzled, he asked, “Hey – what are you doing on the ground?” —

by Blaine Cardilli They say truth is often stranger than fiction. Never was this more the case than during the 2017 firearms season on whitetail deer. My buddy Jeff and I were sitting in chairs overlooking a swamp, our backs against a wall of spruce and fir. After we had been there awhile, Jeff stood up to stretch, and leaned his rifle against a tree. Out of nowhere, we heard turkeys squawking on the other side of the firs. And then it happened – the firs exploded, and as I turned my head to the right, a huge buck was on the descending drop of a full running leap. I’ll never forget our eyes meeting in almost slow motion as its left front shoulder connected with my right leg, sending me backwards off my chair, as the buck barely cleared Jeff’s head! I landed on my back, and my chair hit me in the lower stomach. I was done. Jeff spun around to see a bear on the

On March 31, 2021, Matt LaRoche retired as Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW). Maine Sportsman columnist Tim Caverly, himself a former AWW superintendent, posted the following testimonial: “During my 32 years as a Maine Park Ranger and Regional Supervisor, I hired and met many Rangers and Supervisor who were dedicated to protecting the natural resources and serving the people of Maine. Matt is among the most memorable. His career carried him through the ranks – Assistant Ranger, snowmobile coordinator, Allagash Ranger, Manager of the Penobscot River Corridor, and Allagash Superintendent. He consistently displayed a positive attitude, and was always willing to lend a hand and resolve issues that arose.” Matt resides a few miles from the hunting cabin used by this publication’s editor. During Thanksgiving week two

Tale of the Buck and the Bear

Matt LaRoche Retires from Allagash Wilderness Waterway

(Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 17 (Continued from page 16)

years ago, the editor stopped by to drop off the latest issue of The Sportsman, and was rewarded with an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner – and so Matt could show off the big buck hanging in the shed. Good luck from The Sportsman in your future guiding career, Matt. —

Boat Engine Cutoff Switch Law Takes Effect

Applies to boats less than 26 feet operating on plane or above displacement speed BoatUS, a national association of recreational boaters, recently drew the public’s attention to a new federal law requiring wearable shut-off devices on certain watercraft. These devices are designed to prevent a boat-strike injury if an operator is accidentally ejected overboard while the boat is underway. Typically, the operator is connected to the device with a lanyard, although wireless units are also gaining popularity.

To use a cut-off switch, the boat operator clips the end of the lanyard to his or her life jacket or belt. If the operator falls overboard, the other end of the lanyard pulls out of the fitting wired into the boat’s ignition system, and the engine stops. Courtesy: West Marine

If your boat is less than 26 feet long and was manufactured after January, 2020 or if it’s already equipped with a cut-off switch, you’ve got to use it to be in compliance with the new law. You are exempt if you’ve got an enclosed helm, or while docking and trolling, or if your boat’s engine develops less than 2 horsepower. Check the Coast Guard’s website (uscgboating.org) under “recreational boating” and “engine cut-off switch” for more information. Item suggested by Barry Gibson, “Saltwater Fishing” columnist —

“Weight Transfer” Lures – the Real Deal, or More Hokum and Hooey to Hook Anglers? Two new lines of fishing lures were introduced over the past year, and each features internal ball bearings and magnets – a system the manufacturer claims will increase casting distance.

The first is the Yo-Zuri “Mag Popper,” promoted with claims that its “patented bullet magnetic weight transfer system expands an angler’s casting range by up to 70%.”

The second is the “Hardcore” series (a so-called “sister brand” to Yo-Zuri), which is accompanied by promotional material stating that the “magnetic weight transfer system out-casts all other lures.” The internal mechanism is said to be protected by “international patents.” So whom among our readers paid attention in Physics 101 class? If ball bearings get “flung” to the tail of a lure in the process of casting, does that make the lure cast farther? Does this relate to Newton’s second law, that one that says force equals mass times acceleration? (Or as the Greek scholars like to say, “∑F = ma.”) Or in the alternative, is this simply another innovation that is designed, as the old-timers used to say, “to catch fishermen”? —

Tech Tools to Aid Bird Identification

by Nick Lund, Outreach and Network Manager, Maine Audubon It’s finally May, it’s finally warm, and there are finally migrant birds flitting around and singing their heads off in your backyard. Now you’ve just got to figure out what they all are. For many of us, learning to identify birds took years of study (Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

18 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Almanac (Continued from page 17) and field experience – constant leafing through different field guides to understand plumage timing and regional variation; early morning after early morning in the woods, craning our necks until they ached to spot a singing warbler. It took effort. But thanks to the wonders of technology, almost nothing takes any effort anymore, including bird identification. A series of apps, all available for download on your magic hand-computer, can have you telling your terns from your titmice in no time at all. Here’s a rundown.

Merlin Bird ID For Sightings and Photos The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the nation’s innovator at the intersection of birding and technology, and their Mer-

“Merlin,” from the Cornell Labs, is a free bird identification application engineered for smartphones.

May 2021 Sunrise/Sunset RISE 5:30 5:29 5:28 5:26 5:25 5:24 5:22 5:21 5:20 5:19 5:18 5:16 5:15 5:14 5:13 5:12

SET 7:45 7:46 7:47 7:48 7:49 7:50 7:52 7:53 7:54 7:55 7:56 7:57 7:58 7:59 8:01 8:02

DATE 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed 27 Thu 28 Fri 29 Sat 30 Sun 31 Mon

RISE 5:11 5:10 5:09 5:08 5:07 5:07 5:06 5:05 5:04 5:03 5:03 5:02 5:01 5:01 5:00

(Continued on next page)

May 2021 Tides Portland, ME

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

lin Bird ID app is a crowning achievement. Even the name is perfect – Merlin is both a famous wizard and a species of small falcon – and the app delivers, using a database of millions of images to magically identify birds from photographs. I can vouch for it. I birded in Ecuador last year with a group of friends, none of whom were experts in the local birdlife. Merlin several times saved us from an incorrect ID or gave us one when we were stumped. It’s even better with American birds. Get the best photo you can with your phone or whatever camera you have, and run it through the app to see what you get. Additionally there’s a segment for those without a photo at all, which

SET 8:03 8:04 8:05 8:06 8:07 8:08 8:09 8:10 8:11 8:12 8:13 8:14 8:14 8:15 8:16

DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

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

HIGH AM PM 2:43 3:32 3:42 4:36 4:47 5:41 5:54 6:47 7:02 7:50 8:07 8:47 9:06 9:36 9:57 10:19 10:43 10:57 11:25 11:34 – 12:04 12:08 12:42 12:41 1:19 1:15 1:55 1:50 2:33 2:27 3:14

LOW AM PM 9:12 9:26 10:13 10:29 11:17 11:37 – 12:23 12:47 1:29 1:55 2:29 2:56 3:20 3:48 4:05 4:34 4:45 5:15 5:22 5:53 5:56 6:29 6:30 7:04 7:04 7:39 7:40 8:16 8:18 8:55 9:00

DATE 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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

HIGH AM PM 3:10 3:59 3:57 4:49 4:50 5:40 5:47 6:34 6:46 7:28 7:48 8:22 8:48 9:14 9:45 10:04 10:40 10:54 11:35 11:46 – 12:30 12:38 1:25 1:32 2:20 2:27 3:18 3:26 4:18

LOW AM PM 9:39 9:47 10:27 10:39 11:18 11:35 – 12:11 12:34 1:06 1:36 2:02 2:36 2:56 3:33 3:48 4:27 4:39 5:20 5:31 6:13 6:23 7:07 7:17 8:01 8:12 8:57 9:10 9:56 10:12

MAINE CAMPING GUIDE Explore all that Maine has to offer!

WEBB’S RV CENTER • Made in Maine

Nestled in Maine’s Western Mountain Richardson Lake region

• Utilizes wood pellets

Fly Fish Rapid River, Fish for Salmon or Trout on Richardson Lake. Hike the A/T

RV or Tent sites including remote wilderness lakeside sites. Boat and Kayak rentals, 40 - Slip Marina General Store, Bakery.

62 Kennett Dr., Andover, ME 04216 207-364-5155 • for reservations email camp@southarm.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

Stainless steel reusable mesh fire logs

New Campers Arriving Daily!

1206 Hammond Street, Bangor • 207-942-2900 Open Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 8-5, Sun Closed

www.webbsrv.com

The perfect solution for RV enthusiasts and campers

• Environmentally friendly • Bug free 207-595-8257 E-Mail: brian@reposenow.com

www.reposenow.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 19

Maine’s Wild Turkey Spring 2021 Season (Bow & arrow, crossbow or shotgun)

Remember: You must register all turkeys. For additional hunting information, visit www.maine.gov/ifw

(Continued from page 18)

asks the user a series of questions to narrow down the bird to a single species. It works. birdNET – for Sounds Again from Cornell, birdNET is the best bet when trying to identify a calling bird that you can’t see. This is the most frustrating area of identification, I’ve always found, because it’s so difficult to try to compare something you’ve heard against other options. If you see a blue bird you can at least find other blue birds and see if it is one of those, but sounds could be anything. birdNET allows you to record a singing bird, edit the recording down into just the part you’re trying to identify (helpful in loud areas), and then cross-checks the sound against a massive database. More often than not, it gets the right species, or gives it as an option. Bird sound-identifying apps are generally less certain, often because of the challenge of getting a good recording, but it’s worth your time, and is free.

Seek, by iNaturalist – for Everything Else Having done all that studying and learning and field research, I don’t have the need for bird ID apps anymore, but I do need them for most anything else. By far my favorite is iNaturalist, which I use for plants, insects, butterflies, spiders, fungi, seashells, and basically anything else that will sit still long enough to point a phone at. Seek opens a window on your screen and asks you to move your phone around to get all angles of what you’re looking at, and then pops out an identification in real time. It’s amazing, and I’ve been able to catalog all kinds of biodiversity in my backyard that I would never have known otherwise. Sightings can be uploaded to iNaturalist, a huge database of mapped biodiversity. It’s helpful to upload, because it’s common for Seek to produce incorrect IDs – understandable for particularly challenging things like tiny beetles or plants that even experts can disagree on. Enjoy these apps this spring!

Reflecting on the coming of summer Photo contributor Jonathan Wheaton’s image of sun, clouds and the reflective surface of the waters of this northwestern Maine lake serves as a reminder of the upcoming warm days and evenings that will be spent fishing, canoeing and shore-side camping. Photo: Jonathan Wheaton www.MaineSportsman.com

20 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Time to Hit the Trail! by Steve Carpenteri No more talk about winter, spring or whatever comes in between – it’s time for Maine’s contingent of ATV enthusiasts to get out and ride! By now, Maine residents should have willingly parted with the $45 annual registration fee (final deadline is July 1), while non-residents will pay $75 for a 7-day permit, or $90 for the season. Equally important is that riders should have conducted their annual maintenance and repair upgrades to

The author brings a “treat bag” in case he encounters private landowners during his rides. He carries deer jerky or smoked trout, and offers it to the family that’s allowing use of their property. “A little bit of kindness and generosity goes a long way in my neck of the woods,” he reports. ensure their vehicles are trail-worthy, safe and fully operational. That broken headlight, leaky tire or funny engine noise could easily turn into a trip-killer, invariably turning up, as Murphy assures us, when you are as far from civilization as you could possibly be.

Know the Rules Before heading out, it’s also a good idea to review the rules of the road, as established by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Critical consideration #1 relates to riding on private property. Under Maine law, permission is presumed on desig-

nated state-approved ATV trails or in areas open to ATV traffic by landowner policy. Otherwise, a person may not operate an ATV on the land of another without first obtaining the permission of the landowner or lessee. A landowner may limit the use of a designated state-approved

ATV trail on that landowner’s property through agreements with the MDIFW or an ATV club to address environmental, public safety or management concerns. Written permission of the landowner or lessee is required on cropland or pastureland, or in an orchard. As used in that section of the law, “cropland” is defined as acreage in tillage rotation, land being cropped and land in bush fruits. “Pastureland” means acreage (Continued on next page)

High Peaks Region ATVing, Fishing, Hunting, Hiking & Wildlife Viewing! Check ATV club listings for ATV trail opening dates at www.atvmaine.com

Open Year Round The White Wolf Inn & Restaurant

Home of the Wolf Burger!

Thousands of Miles of Spectacular Mountain Riding Await You Just Outside Your Door!

— Stratton, ME • (207) 246-2922

www.thewhitewolfinn.com www.MaineSportsman.com

Hunting, Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking and ATV Direct Trail Access Fully Furnished Housekeeping Cabins with Showers

Camp Located in Eustis, Maine Reasonable Rates • WiFi and Dish TV

breezyacrescamps.com Hosts & Owners: Dale & Edie Dunlap All Major Credit Cards Accepted

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 21

Spring is Your Go Time.

Use all appropriate safety gear and precautions while riding Maine’s ATV trails in May. (Continued from page 20)

devoted to the production of forage plants used for animal production. A litany of rules, regulations, cautions, suggestions, considerations and forethoughts is available from the MDIFW via the “ATV Laws and Rules” link. Ride Responsibly Next time you are riding on private property, imagine for a moment what it would be like if you were the landowner and your property was being used by visitors you didn’t know. Would you be so tolerant of trespassers? Litterers? Land abuses? Excessive noise? Unappreciative guests who act like the world belongs to them? Put yourself in the landowner’s shoes, and treat them with the respect they deserve. Their generosity is all that’s between you and having to ride somewhere else. In an effort to keep things smooth and amiable whenever I encounter landowners

on the trail, I keep a small “kit” of important supplies that invariably bail me out of testy situations. First of all, I carry a few business cards with my basic contact information printed on them. If I meet a landowner, I’ll hand him a card, thank him for letting me ride on his property, and ask if he has any suggestions regarding my behavior. In most cases, the landowner will have few complaints, but he may ask me to avoid a certain area where the kids are playing, the horses are running or the loggers are cutting. In any case, I’m more than happy to go back, go around or take a different route. Why spoil a good thing? Also, I carry a variety of snacks and drinks, which I always offer to the landowner and his family if they happen to be around. On most trips I’ll also carry some deer jerky, trail baloney or smoked trout as a peace offering. A little bit of kindness and (Continued on next page)

GET OUT THERE. See Your Local Polaris Dealer for Current Offers! JACKMAN Jackman Power Sports 549 Main Street 207-668-4442 www.jackmanpowersports.com

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

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

GORHAM, NH MOMS Jericho 461 Main St. 603-466-5454 www.momsjericho.com

WARNING: Polaris® off-road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. ©2019 Polaris Industries Inc.

Built to Break a Sweat 2021 PROWLER Wherever there’s a job to be done, Prowler’s ready to dig in. These vehicles are made to work hard with next-level storage and towing. And they go the extra mile, with whisper-quiet components in Prowler™ Pro, and fuel-efficiency that reduces emissions in Prowler 500. Plenty of power, countless ways to customize, and a trail-taming design — all at your service.

See Your Local Arctic Cat® ATV Dealer For Current Promotions! GORHAM White Rock Outboard 351 Sebago Lake Road 207-892-9606 www.whiterockoutboard.com

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

LEBANON Northeast Motorsports 451 Carl Broggi Hwy. 207-457-2225 www.nemotorsportsofmaine.com

BERLIN, NH Jericho Outdoors 232 Jericho Rd. 603-215-6002 www.jerichooutdoors.net

WARNING: Arctic Cat® vehicles can be hazardous to operate. For your safety, all riders should always wear a seat belt (Side-by-Sides), helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Arctic Cat recommends that all operators take a safety training course. For safety and training information, please see your dealer or call 1-800-887-2887 (ATVs) or visit www.ROHVA.org (Side-by-Sides). Arctic Cat vehicles are for operators age 16 years and older with a valid driver’s license, except the Alterra 90, which is intended for operators 10 years of age and older. ©2020 Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. All rights reserved.

www.MaineSportsman.com

22 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

ATVing (Continued from page 21) generosity goes a long way in my neck of the woods. If a landowner shows extra interest in a particular item, I’ll

be sure to bring more on my next ride. I also keep close track of whose land I’m riding on, in case

I encounter dangerous trail conditions or outright damage caused by unruly trespassers. At the end of each ride, I’ll call the appropriate landowner and let

Visit Your Local Yamaha ATV Dealer for Details Today! JACKMAN Jackman Power Sports 549 Main Street 207-668-4442 www.jackmanpowersports.com

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

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

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

1 Offer available on approved purchases of a new 2017-2021 Yamaha Motorcycle, Scooter, ATV or Side x Side made on the Yamaha Credit Card issued by WebBank, member FDIC. Offer valid 4/1/21 through 6/30/21. Account must be open and current to be eligible for this offer. Promotional 2.99%, 5.99%, 9.99% or 16.99% APR with Minimum Payments of 2.92%, 3.05%, 3.24% or 3.57% respectively of the purchase price balance, based on your creditworthiness, are effective until the purchase is paid in full. Minimum Interest Charge $2 per month. Standard APR 15.99%-23.99%. †Customer cash offer good on select models 4/1/21 through 6/30/21. See dealer for additional customer cash available on prior year models.

him know that a fence is down, a crossing is in shambles or that it looked like some trees were cut. If landowners realize some riders are actually looking out for their interests, they may not think we’re all cut from the same cloth. I have been banned from some properties due to vandalism caused by others, and it’s not a good feeling, any way you look at it. Find Your Own Way With all this in mind, let’s head out this month and enjoy some of the best weather Mainers have seen in many months. There is nothing like taking a long, leisurely

ride on a warm spring day, and if the trail leads to a nice trout brook, bass pond or scenic overlook, all the better. According to the MDIFW roughly 94 percent of Maine’s forest land is privately owned, and more than half of that land area is open to the public. In total, landowners voluntarily open up more than 10 million acres of working farms and forests. Take the time to thank all landowners for the opportunity to use their property for recreation. They’ll love knowing that you recognize and appreciate their generosity.

Over 60 Full-Color Laminated Pages Over 6,000 miles of Primary, Club & Rail Trails Fuel & Parking Locaaons Moose Loop Route ATV-Friendly Campsites Landmarks Landmar & Scenic Overlooks

Order online at www.UntamedMainer.com & use coupon TMS at checkout or send $57.99 (includes tax + free shipping) to: Angela Snowman PO Box 109 Little Deer Isle, ME 04650

Contact Your Local Can-Am Dealer Today for the Latest Offers!

2021 DEFENDER HD5

Built extra tough to take you way beyond the daily grind, Defender is the most capable Can-Am Side-by-Side ever. On worksites, hunting trips, in agribusiness & anywhere you need it gets the job done right.

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

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

AUGUSTA North Country Can AM 3099 N. Belfast Avenue 207-622-7994 www.northcountryh-d.com

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

DETROIT Huff Powersports 284 North Road 207-487-3338 www.huffpowersports.com FORT KENT Fort Kent Powersports 377 Caribou Road 207-834-3659 fortkentpowersports.com MSRP Starting at $10,399

www.MaineSportsman.com

LEEDS Reggie’s Kawasaki Ski-Doo 255 US HWY 202 207-933-4976 www.doitatreggies.com LINCOLN Lincoln Powersports 265 W. Broadway 207-794-8100 www.lincolnpowersportsme.net

©2020 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. *Offers valid in U.S.A. only Sunday 1st March 2020 to Thursday 30th April 2020. The terms and conditions may vary depending on your state and these offers are subject to termination or change at any time without notice. See an authorized BRP dealer for details. Some mcxlels depicted may include optional equipment. BRP highly recommends that all ATV drivers take a training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or, in USA, call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. In Canada, call the Canadian Safety Council at (6131 739-1535 ext 227. Read the Operators Guide and watch the Safety DVD before riding. Wear appropriate protective clothing and helmet. For side-by-side vehicles, fasten lateral net and seat belt at all times. Never engage in stunt driving and avoid excessive speed. Always observe applicable local laws and regulations. Side-by-side vehicles and ATVs are recommended for drivers aged 16 and older, and passengers aged 12 and older only. For off-road use only. Never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. Always ride responsibly and remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 23

To Dock, or Not to Dock? by Steve Carpenteri One of the greatest moments in any sportsman’s life is the purchase of a “real” boat – one that features built-in propulsion, sleeping quarters, a galley and perhaps even the requirement of a captain’s license to pilot in Maine’s waters. This is a big step in the world of boating, and it immediately opens up a new set of challenges for the firsttime owner – How do I store and maintain my new boat? There are two schools of thought when it comes to boat storage and maintenance, each with its pros and cons. The time to consider your options is before you sign the check that can put you in the Captain’s seat for a decade or more. To Dock . . . All things considered, storing your new boat at an established marina with docking and storage facilities is the most expedient way to go. (A dock is the structure that goes from land into the water, while a “slip” is each boat’s “parking space.”) The advantages of renting slip space at an established mari-

na are many and varied. However, cost, of course, is a consideration. In some parts of the U.S., boat slips are reasonably-priced, but in areas of extremely high demand, purchasing or renting a boat slip can be a major financial outlay. Permanence is a factor, as well. If you are settled into an area and plan to stay long enough to

make your investment worthwhile, buying a boat slip may be a good option. Buying allows you to build equity, as your investment increases in value. Buying also protects you against rising costs, if the demand for slips in your area increases. And if demand is high, you may be able to make some money renting your slip to secondary users.

Public, or Private? Should you buy slip space at a public dock, or at a private marina? Public docks don’t always provide a high level of security, because they are open to the public. Private marinas or sections of docks are usually more costly, but the extra level of security may make them more appealing. They can be quite expensive in

some cases – as much as $250 to $300 per month to rent a 26' to 30' slip at a private marina. Also, most marinas want full payment a year in advance. In addition, expect fuel at a marina to cost a lot more than if you trailered your boat to a regular gas station – sometimes twice as much. Marinas generally (Continued on next page)

INSTANT SAVINGS

REPOWER FINANCE

Instant Savings on select models when you buy a new Suzuki outboard. See your dealer for details.

Rates as low as 5.99% on new Suzuki outboards on approved credit (60 months)*

Contact Your Local Suzuki Marine Dealer for Details! BAR HARBOR Lake & Sea Boatworks 204 Knox Road (207) 288-8961 www.lakeandsea.com

MANCHESTER Clark Marine 57 Puddledock Road (207) 622-7011 www.clarkmarinemaine.com

PORTLAND Portland Yacht Services 100 W. Commercial Street (207) 774-1067 www.portlandyacht.com

STANDISH Richardson’s Boat Yard 633 Whites Bridge Road (207) 892-4913 www.richardsonsby.com

Instant Savings applies to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 04/01/21 and 06/30/21. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Instant Savings must be applied against the agreed-upon selling price of the outboard motor and reflected in the bill of sale. There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on creditworthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 04/01/21 and 06/30/21. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2021 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.

www.MaineSportsman.com

24 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Boating (Continued from page 23) will have locked gates that close at dark,

while some have 24hour security systems,

providing additional peace of mind. Marinas often have a mechanic on call, should you need service or

Be Sure You’re Ready! Call Us Now for Boat Tops, Covers & Interiors

Repairs and Alterations Welcome!

Your ou and r y! Y p e e K ean & D Boat Cl

Protect the Interior

COVERS IT ALL UPHOLSTERY & CANVAS Central Maine’s Largest Upholstery Service Oakland • (207) 465-7847 • www.coversitallupholstery.com — A full time, full service shop where experience counts! —

repairs, or parts replaced. Marinas have different amenities to attract customers, including services that you just can’t get when you are trailering a boat from your own storage location. Restrooms, showers, electrical supply for trickle-charging the batteries, and even cable TV or Wi-Fi. Need more? Some larger marinas offer boat supply shops, bait and tackle stores, and even restaurants. Most major marinas offer convenient winter storage options, as well. . . . Or Not to Dock Many boat owners purchase their watercraft with the intention of storing and maintaining their own boat. Although this sounds like a great idea for weekend putterers, it’s important to remember that the

larger the boat, the more room it will require. Some boats are too long or high for the average garage space, which means other options will need to be considered. A small barn or unused outbuilding may suffice for smaller trailered boats, but larger craft may require a large barn or even a custom-built facility. Even turning a tandem trailer around is a challenge in many residential driveways. Expect to spend considerable time loading, unloading, cleaning, repairing and maintaining the craft throughout the boating season – two hours per week is a low average. Motors, props, fuel systems, mechanicals, electronics and trailers need to be inspected before and after each trip, (Continued on next page)

See Your Local Yamaha Outboard Dealer for the Latest Promotions! BAR HARBOR Bowden Marine Service 713 Norway Drive (207) 288-5247 www.BowdenMarine.com

BRUNSWICK New Meadows Marina 450 Bath Road (207) 443-6277 www.NewMeadowsMarina.com

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

BELFAST Hamlin’s Marine 7 Front Street (207) 930-3780 www.HamlinsMarine.com

FREEPORT New Meadows Marina 132-2 US Route 1 (207) 869-4008 www.NewMeadowsMarina.com

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

HAMPDEN Hamlin’s Marine 581 Main Road North 207-907-4385 www.HamlinsMarine.com © 2020 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. Remember to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal flotation device and protective gear.

www.MaineSportsman.com

Our outboard motors are about a whole lot more than just the specs. A truly great motor delivers it all: PERFORMANCE, SAFETY, and the ULTIMATE EASE OF USE. Visit Your Local Dealer for the Models & Promotions!

SPRUCE HEAD J&H Marine 670 Spruce Head Road 207-596-5511 HAMPSTEAD, NH East Point Marine, LLC 25 Owens Court, #1 603-490-5482 www.eastpointmarine.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 25

could potentially hold water. Boats can be stored outdoors, as long as they are protected by a tarp, fitted wrap, or custom covering. This will help keep twigs, leaves, birds, insects, mice and other vermin away from drain openings, wiring and other “chewable” parts. Many Mainers use scented dryer sheets to make their boats and motors less attractive to mice; another old stand-by is smelly mothballs hung inside a mesh bag or piece of nylon stocking, and tucked into engine compartments or other vulnerable areas. No matter how well-covered a boat may be, pests may eventually find their way inside. Boats left outdoors should be inspected at least weekly for insects, leaks and rodent damage. Those owners who store their

(Continued from page 24)

making the necessary adjustments and repairs as suggested in the owner’s manual. Storage Options Storing your boat indoors? The best storage units are roomy, well-lit, comfortable, and tight to the weather, and they are fitted with electrical outlets, a water source and access to tools and maintenance supplies. What is involved in winterizing your own boat? “Winterizing” refers to performing preventative maintenance each year to ensure that your boat survives the winter and is ready for the next boating season. Most importantly, it’s intended to prevent the boat’s systems from incurring damage from freezing. The main focus is the engine, fuel systems, and any components that

covered boats close to the house find that weekly inspections are more convenient. All of this pres-

ents a lot of options for the potential new boat owner to consider. Map out your various alternatives before

deciding what’s best for you, your boat and your family.

Dealer opportunities available in certain areas, contact Tom at Thomas.D@hewittrad.com.

POWER OF PROTECTION Sales Event

Purchase a new Mercury MerCruiser gas or inboard engine (installed in 2016 through 2021 model year boats) and get five years of limited coverage!* • • • •

Five-year coverage against costly repairs 2016-2021 gas sterndrive/inboard models More than 120 major engine parts covered Entire engine assemblies replaced if necessary • World-class Mercury dealer service and support

Contact Your Local Mercury Outboards Dealer for Details!

GORHAM White Rock Outboard, Inc. 351 Sebago Lake Road (207) 892-9606 www.whiterockoutboard.com MACHIAS Whitney’s Tri-Town Marine 29 Dublin Street • (207) 255-3392 www.tritownmarine.com Eligible Mercury I.Q. Certified Boat Builder models sold to US and Canada residents will receive 5 years coverage (2 years of Mercury Limited Warranty and 3 years of Mercury Power of Protection Limited Warranty). Valid on boats purchased from June 28, 2020 through July 3, 2021 and registered by July 18, 2021. The information provided in this document is intended to provide only a brief description of the benefits of this Mercury 5-Year Gas Sterndrive and Inboard Engine Limited Warranty. This Mercury Limited Warranty also has exclusions and limitations that apply to the benefits discussed in this document. For complete details as provided in the Agreement document (including “What is not Covered”), please call the program administrator at 866.404.3064.

Visit Your Local Honda Marine Dealer for Details! ELLSWORTH Pirie Marine 53 Sunset Park Road (207) 664-0500 www.piriemarine.com

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

PORTLAND Portland Yacht Services 100 W. Commercial Street (207) 774-1067 www.portlandyacht.com

LEWISTON Al’s Sport Center 1818 Lisbon Road (207) 784-75910 www.alssportcenter.com

MANCHESTER Clark Marine 57 Puddledock Road (207) 622-7011 www.clarkmarinemaine.com

STANDISH Richardson’s Boat Yard 633 White’s Bridge Road (207) 892-4913 www.richardsonsby.com

*At participating dealers only. Qualifying retail customers may receive instant savings off the selling price of a Honda powered boat package or Honda Marine engine(s) sold for repower. This promotion is limited to new Honda Marine 40 HP through 250 HP outboard engines, 2016 and newer models, sold and delivered between April 1, 2021 and July 4, 2021 and registered by the Dealer in accordance with American Honda Motor Co., Inc.’s sales registration requirements. Only Honda Marine outboard engines sold for personal use qualify for this promotion. Fleet, commercial & government sales are ineligible. Engines sold under special pricing / promotions including (but not limited to) demo and tournament fisherman engines are also excluded. Honda Marine reserves the right to modify, amend, cancel or revoke, in whole or in part, this promotion at any time without prior notice. ** Offer good on new Honda Marine 40 HP through 250 HP outboard engines, 2016 and newer models, sold and delivered between April 1 and July 4, 2021. At participating dealers only. Register your new marine engine after purchase and receive an additional one year to the Honda 5-Year Warranty. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ONLY: Failure to register your product will not diminish your warranty rights. Go to marine.honda.com to see warranty details and register your Honda Marine outboard. ***Registration card must be post marked by July 4, 2021.

www.MaineSportsman.com

26 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

— Guest Column —

A Guide’s Experiences with Circle Hooks by Ron Dupuis

I have been using circle hooks for the last 8 years when I saltwater fish and ice fish, including when I’m guiding anglers. Even though I primarily fly fish, I use bait from time to time when striper fishing, and use bait almost exclusively when ice fishing. It disturbed me when fish inhaled the bait and swallowed the hook, or when the hook damaged their gills. The risk of fish mortality increases greatly when this happens. I wanted to find a method of fishing or a type of hook that reduced the risk of unnecessarily harming the fish. My early research directed me to circle hooks. Proponents claim they are less harmful to fish and reduce the chances that fish will swallow the hook. I started experimenting with smaller hooks, primarily using circle hooks while ice fishing. After learning to use them and determining they worked well, I transitioned over to using them while fishing saltwater species. How They Work Circle hooks are specifically designed to hook fish, primarily larger fish, on the side of the mouth, reducing the risks that occur when the fish swallows the hook or get the hook caught in their gills. If anglers have fished long enough, they have hooked fish with J-hooks that are swallowed deep, damaging internal organs and gills. If gills are not too badly damwww.MaineSportsman.com

This photo illustrates the difference between in inline hook (left), and an offset hook.

A circle hook features a rounder “bend” compared to a conventional J-hook, and the sharp point is directed back toward the shaft. Photo credits: Maine Department of Marine Resources

aged, they can heal, but extensive hook damage will almost always constitute a mortal wound for fish. The back of the circle hook is curved and formed in the form of a circle. This shape of the circle hook allows the fish to be hooked only on an exposed area, which is usually the corner of the fish’s mouth. The fish will take the bait and swallow it, and as the hook is retrieved, the design of the hook enables the hook to lodge into the corner or edge of the mouth. Generally, circle hooks have been accepted by conservation-minded anglers as tools to reduce the mortality rate of fish when using bait. In 2013, the State of Maine began requiring that anglers who are bait fishing for striped bass or bluefish use a non-offset circle hook. With a non-offset circle hook – also known as an “inline” circle hook – the hook and point are in line with the hook’s shank (see illustrations) rather than being angled off to the

side. In October of 2019, the Atlantic Striped Bass Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) mandated use of circle hooks when fishing with bait. As per the FMP, states were required to mandate circle hooks as of January 1st, 2021. Following concerns expressed by tubeand-hook rig anglers, certain limited exemptions were reinstated (see details in Barry Gibson’s “Saltwater Fishing” column in this issue). Research on Circle Hooks In this last decade, several researchers have published papers supporting the thesis that circle hooks are effective in reducing fish mortality, sometimes up to 50%. However, research is not extensive, and sometime studies have reached conflicting determinations. For example, although it’s acknowledged that use of circle hooks reduces gut-hooking and internal organ damage compared to J-hooks, other studies reveal that in certain instances, cir-

cle hooks can actually cause more damage than J-hooks, including injuries to the eye region of the fish. Overall, however, a consensus has emerged that using circle hooks supports conservation efforts and decreases fish mortality. Hook Must be “Set” Differently The research papers also note that there can be a reduction of fish hook-ups when using circle hooks. Part of that is attributable to technique. The process of applying the bait and setting the hook is different with circle hooks than with conventional J-hooks. Anglers applying bait to circle hooks should not “bury” the point of the hook into the bait. Instead, the point and barb must be left exposed. Likewise, setting the hook is not done by the traditional “feeland-strike” method. Setting the hook using a circle hook requires allowing time for the fish to take the bait in its mouth. Then, the angler applies a slow and steady pressure to set the hook in the mouth. As note above, I have employed circle for 8 years. It did take

The differences between a J-hook and a circle hook are readily apparent in this sideby-side comparison.

time to get accustomed to the new process of setting the hook, and initially my catch rate was lower. But as I used circle hooks more and ensured proper bait application, my catch rate increased, and the number of fish that I gut-hooked or damage is much lower than 8 years ago. I personally have not experienced tissue or eye damage to the fish as cited in a few of the reports. In fact, I’ve found the circle hooks are easy to remove from the side of the mouth or lip. As a guide, it can be challenging to ensure the customer understands the different process of hooking the fish, but after a few attempts, the day can be very productive, and with fewer fish damaged. The process is like hooking tarpon with a fly, in which a horizontal pull is used instead of quickly raising the rod. Allowing the fish to take the bait and slowly set the hook is the trick to hooking fish while using circle hooks. The author, who lives in Yarmouth, is a Maine Guide and a Master Maine Naturalist.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 27

Update on Circle Hooks and Bait for Stripers by Barry Gibson There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) decision this past October to require that anglers coast-wide from Maine to North Carolina use only circle hooks when targeting striped bass with bait. Although the measure is intended to help reduce release mortality, it resulted unintended consequences affecting some gear types. The biggest issue concerned the use of tube lures dressed with a live seaworm on the hook. A tube lure is basically a length of latex or vinyl surgical tube, up to two feet in length, rigged with a wire down through it terminating with a J-hook protruding at the end. The hook is run through the collar of a seaworm, and the rig is trolled on a lead-core outfit, with the reel drag engaged, behind a slowly moving boat. The “tube and worm rig,” as it’s known, is a long-standing and effective lure for stripers of all sizes, both here in Maine and elsewhere. Virtually all anglers who use it report

Certain exemptions for J-hooks have been restored, including for artificial lures that are being “actively cast and retrieved,” even if the hooks on those lures are tipped with bait. Here, Mike Barry casts for stripers from the “Giant Staircase” on the shoreline of Bailey Island, Harpswell.

that it rarely, if ever, hooks the bass anywhere other than the lip or jaw hinge. ASMFC received hundreds of comments from frustrated tubelure trollers following the circle hook man-

date, as well as an in-depth letter signed onto by 11 captains’ and anglers’ associations from Maine to New Jersey asking for an exemption from circle hooks for the tube and worm rig.

There has been an exemption here in Maine for tube rigs

since the circle hook rule went into effect some eight years ago, but that was effectively rescinded by ASMFC’s recent requirement, which contained no exception for any state. At its online meeting on February 3, 2021, the ASMFC’s Striped Bass Board re-visited the circle hook mandate, and ultimately voted to approve a motion offered jointly by Maine and Massachusetts to delay implementation of circle hooks with tube and worm rigs for two years, in all states, to allow MA and ME to conduct a study to ascertain whether tube lures with J-hooks and bait indeed provide a low release mortality

(Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

28 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Saltwater Fishing (Continued from page 27) rate as anglers have testified, and wheth-

be at all effective in catching striped bass. A second vote unanimously approved the formation

er tube lures with circle hooks would even

of an ad hoc committee to develop a comprehensive definition of “bait” that would require the use of the mandated circle hook, and also how to handle an enforcement situation where an angler catches a striped bass on a J-hook intended for another species. J-Hooks OK for Lures with Bait The subcommittee delivered its report to ASMFC’s Striped Bass Board on March 16th, via a webinar in which I participated. After much discussion, the

SPIN • FLY • BAIT • FRESH • SALT • GUIDES WE'VE MOVED to 200 Veranda Street, Portland, ME • (207) 773-FISH

Board voted to accept the subcommittee’s first motion, which read: To approve the following guidance for state implementation of circle hook measures for the recreational fishery: Circle hooks are required when fishing for striped bass with bait, which is defined as any marine or aquatic organism, alive or dead, whole or parts thereof. This shall not apply to any artificial lure with bait attached.” This means that (Saltwater Fishing continued on next page)

— FISHING CHARTER DIRECTORY —

BATH/BRUNSWICK/MID-COAST

KENNEBUNKPORT/OGUNQUIT

MAINE EXPERIENCE GUIDE SERVICE One Price Includes Everybody on Board – No License Needed!

Active Duty Military Get 10% OFF All Trips! KEY:

Saltwater Striper, Blue & Ground Fish: 4 Hours $500 • 6 Hours $650 • 8 Hours $800 Shark Fishing: 6 Hours $750 Kids Mackerel/Pollock Marine Life: 3 Hours $375 Ocean & Lighthouse Tours: 3 Hours $300 Mention The Maine Sportsman when booking your trip and get a FREE t-shirt!

DEEP SEAon FISHING

• Full & Half Day Fishing Trips

Captain Tim Tower

• Charters Also Available • Rods & Reels Provided

207-646-2214

KEY:

207-215-3828

www.MaineExperienceGuideService.com

Perkins Cove • April 1–November 15th Daily For Info Write: Tim Tower, PO Box 837F, Ogunquit, ME 03907 www.bunnyclark.com • e-mail: bunnyclarkdsf@gmail.com

BOOTHBAY HARBOR

PORTLAND/SOUTH PORTLAND

GO FISH! CHARTERS

Inshore & Offshore Fishing • Tuna Trips Full & Half Day Trips Fishing Out of Boothbay Harbor for Over 35 Years

Full & Half Day Trips • Tackle Provided • Family Friendly Stripers and Bluefish • Light tackle sportfishing at its best!

WE FISH ON OUR DAYS OFF!

Fishing the way it should be...FUN!

Capt. Ben Garfield: gofishben207@gmail.com

KEY:

— Captain George Warren —

Charger.Marine@yahoo.com • 207-380-4556

(207) 232-1678 • gofishmaine.com

SEAWALKER EXCURSIONS Capt. Corey S. Walker Captain/Owner & Tidewater Guide Spin Casting or Fly Fishing Novices & Experts Welcome 3, 4 & 6 Hour Fishing Excursions 22. Ft. Sea Pro • Tackle Provided

KEY:

seawalkermaine@gmail.com

(207) 671-4448

Stripers Bluefish Light Tackle Fly Rod

Kennebec River Casco Bay Full/Half Day Tackle Provided

Captain John L. Nowinski • 207-831-2922 75 Farmview Lane, Freeport, ME www.northcreekguideservice.com

Up to 4

www.MaineSportsman.com

Sea Ventures Charters ~ Captain Dave Sinclair ~

Credit Cards Accepted

USCG Lisc. • Registered Maine Guide Striped Bass • Tuna • Bluefish 23 ft. Mako • Furuno Radar-GPS • Furuno Color Fish Finder Fly Casting Instruction • Family Trips Welcome

Wentworth Marina, Newcastle, NH • 603-205-5318 pawhelan@comcast.net • www.shoalsflyfishing.com

SEAFARI CHARTERS Sportsfishermen • Climate Controlled Cabin • Rods, Bait & Tackle Provided • Free Parking • Bookings May–Oct • Early Week Discounts • Find Us on Facebook for Current Reports

www.DiveFishMaine.com

KEY:

INSHORE $ 900

8-HOUR GROUNDFISH $ 1400 Also Booking Shark / Bluefin Tuna Charters and Marathon or Long Range Trips

(207) 439-5068

seafari2@comcast.net

LAKE ONTARIO, NY SALMON & TROUT

Wilson Harbor Lake Ontario, NY 270 Sea Ray Amberjack —

Captain Roger Young

USCG Lic. #811007 (860) 480-3395 papasmurffc@hotmail.com www.papasmurffishingcharter.com

KEY:

+ (UP TO 6)

PULASKI, NY

Praying Mantis Sport Fishing Fishing April–September Out of Mexico Bay of Lake Ontario

Custom Schedule, Personalized Charters Commercial Diving/Salvage • Recreational Dive Trips • Island Cruises Offshore & Inshore Fishing Sharks, Giant Bluefin Tuna, Mackerel, Halibut, Bottom Fishing

207-446-5484 • dave@divefishmaine.com

KEY:

KEY: How Many Anglers Per Trip

1 or 2

Stripers • Mackerel Haddock • Pollock Sharks • Tuna 28’ Henriques Express Sunset Marina, South Portland — Capt. Cory LeDuc — www.mainelyblue.com 802-503-3492

PORT CLYDE

www.SeawalkerExcursions.com

Captain Peter A. Whelan

www.SeafariCharters.com

Fishing year-round in Maine & Key West, Florida since 1996

FREEPORT/CASCO BAY

SHOALS FLY FISHING & LIGHT TACKLE

Offshore / Inshore Fishing • Large Private Groups • 44’ Henriques 4-HOUR KITTERY, MAINE

Charger Sportfishing Fishing is Our Main Business!

YORK/KITTERY/PORTSMOUTH, NH

King & Coho Salmon Steelhead Trout Brown Trout • Lake Trout Smallmouth Bass — Captain Rich Nau — USCG Licensed

(315) 387-1000 • (203) 912-9915 www.PrayingMantisSportFishing.com

Book your chartered fishing trip today!

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 29

— Guest Column —

100 Turkeys; Full Circle by Jerry Scribner

In 1996, when I called in my first wild turkey, little did I know that hunt would be followed by thousands of memorable hours interacting with this wonderful bird over the following years. In the fall of 2020, when I called in a tom for a novice turkey hunter, the moment was a milestone. It marked the 100th time I had personally been involved in the harvest of a turkey. The amazing journey had come full circle. To start at the beginning – in 1996, Maine expanded the turkey hunting season to North and South zones. Given that I live in central Maine, having a North zone was all the incentive I needed to get involved in this amazing experience. Lottery System Back in the early days of Maine’s turkey seasons. hunting permits were allotted via a lottery drawing. Although I applied for a permit every year, often my name was

not drawn. That did not deter my desire to participate in this activity, nor did it decrease my passion for involvement. I spent many hours scouting, digesting turkey hunting howto articles, talking with landowners, and querying friends and coworkers who might have been allocated one of those precious turkey hunting permits. I still vividly remember seeing my first-ever turkey track during one of those early scouting sessions in Windsor. First Hunt Prior to the ’96 turkey hunting season, I discovered that a friend and coworker had been awarded a turkey hunting permit. In talking with another friend, I learned that he had seen some turkeys on an agricultural plot in Jefferson. I shared this information with the coworker who held the coveted permit, and he cordially invited me to be his calling partner on this hunt.

Saltwater Fishing (Continued from page 28)

“bait” is now defined as any whole, or part of, salt water organism, such as fish, shellfish and seaworms. It also provides a permanent circle hook exemption for artificial lures that are “actively” cast and retrieved, jigged, or trolled that are dressed with bait, such as bucktail jigs, tube and worm rigs, rigged eels, and the like. These lures can have J-hooks.

New Rule on “Incidental” Striper Catches The Board’s second vote was to re-

In helping a young hunter bag his first-ever turkey, the author (right) fulfilled his own goal of participating in 100 successful hunts.

After getting landowner permission, our plan was put in motion. Even though I was inexperienced in the art of using a bx call, somehow I was able to persuade a nice gobbler to come within range of my friend’s shotgun. The saga had begun! The following year, I personally harvested a nice tom in the same area. Nicole Supports, Helps The early years

went by, and I spent many enjoyable hours interacting with this challenging new addition to the Maine hunting scene. Some years, I was fortunate to be granted a permit. Other years, I convinced my friends to allow me to participate. Understanding my passion for this endeavor, my wife applied for turkey hunting permits. With my tutelage, she even harvested a couple of toms! Thanks, Nicole! Laws Become More Liberal Over the years, Maine continued to liberalize its turkey hunting rules. Allday hunting, vastly increased bag limits, and over-the-counter permit sales became the norm. Today in the districts where I hunt, you can harvest two male turkeys during the spring season, and five either-sex turkeys in the fall. These allowances have resulted in healthy contributions to our freezer. As the fall, 2020 season was underway,

quire that anglers who incidentally catch a striped bass with a plain J-hook and bait while targeting other species (such as flounders, mackerel or cod) to release the bass unharmed. It was felt that allowing an angler to keep a legal-size striper caught on a J-hook with bait would be problematic for law enforcement folks, as there would be no way to tell what species the angler was actually fishing for when he/she caught the striper. This motion had broad support from the Striped Bass Board. I think the ad hoc subcommittee did a fine job in untangling a couple of thorny issues, and kudos to the Board for voting to accept their recommenda-

I reviewed my turkey hunting logs and determined that the next successful turkey harvest in which I participated would be number 100. Magic Number Over the years, I had hunted many productive parcels of turkey habitat. But it seemed only fitting that I should revert to the Jefferson plot where it had all begun for me 24 years earlier. A friend and turkey hunting partner of mine, Mark, had a nephew, Zachary, who was just getting started as a turkey hunter. Zach had not yet harvested a turkey. So, with Mark and Zack in tow, I returned to the genesis of my turkey hunting. We set up in a strip of corn, and I called sparingly. Even though it was the fall of the year, a gobbler responded. A few calls later, and number 100 was in the books. Zack had his first turkey. Full circle!

tions. So, unless things change, which I doubt, it will be legal here in Maine this season to fish for striped bass using bait attached to any cast, trolled, or jigged lure, which may be outfitted with a J-hook or hooks. For other types of bait fishing for stripers, such as the use of mackerel or pogy chunks, or live baits, that are still-fished on the bottom or under a float, circle hooks will continue to be required. A description of the new regulation is posted on the Department of Marine Resources website (www.maine.gov/ dmr), under the “Recreational Fishing” tab.

www.MaineSportsman.com

30 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

The Truth About Turkey Decoys by Blaine Cardilli This year marks my 23rd season chasing turkeys, and I’m still as passionate as ever. There’s just nothing like matching wits against such a wary game bird. People can say what they want about turkeys being a “dumb bird,” and how easy they should be to kill since they refuse to leave some folk’s bird feeding stations without being run off with a broom, but in reality, when you get into the woods on their turf, where they are being hunted 24/7 by something, it’s a whole different ballgame. Having spent 18 years teaching seminars, I enjoyed questions from turkey hunters, and one of the most common topics is how best to use decoys. Using Decoys in the Fields I almost always use decoys. The only time I may not is if I’m hunting the woods, as opposed to a field. In the woods, turkeys will be focused on my calling, and with spring foliage helping to conceal me, by the time they start to figure

A mature tom (left) faces off against the author’s “strutter” decoy, which had been positioned over a submissive hen decoy. The big tom proceeded to beat up the author’s decoy, knocking it over and bending its metal support stake.

things out, it’s too late. Also a plus is the fact that they don’t seem to “hang up” as much in the woods, as opposed to a field, because in the woods they believe the calling “hen” must be right around the next tree. I also consider timing. In early season I mainly use a strutter-jake, submissive hen, and a feeding hen. This has been a killer combination for most of my 20+ years hunting. As the season progresses and birds get more skittish, I’ll

switch to a standing, passive jake beside a submissive, breeding hen, and by the end of the season, I usually use just two hens. Placement Decoy placement is extremely important, and there are two factors within that strategy to consider: 1) Where to place the decoys in the field; and 2) the placement of different decoys within your set-up. Regarding the first factor, I don’t like putting decoys in a field where they can be seen for hundreds of

The author took two nice birds during the 2020 season – a socalled “super jake” in the deep woods that weighed 18 lbs., and the one in this photo – a 24-lb. “boss” tom taken over decoys in a field set-up.

yards; That promotes hung-up birds, since in nature the hens are supposed to go to the toms, not the other way around. When I call from a field edge, I want the birds to come to me with some type of cover between us, so I try to set up around a small bend or point, with my decoys at 15 yards. That way, when they actually round the corner and see the decoys, they are already within range. Plus, if there’s something about my set-up they don’t like, it’s too

BackWoods Bait & Tackle

Archery & Hunting Supplies • Bow Repair & Service Outdoor Archery Range • Live Bait & Tackle • Ammo OPEN DAILY Mon–Thu 5AM–7PM, Fri–Sat 5AM–8PM, Sun 5AM–4PM

370 Vienna Road (Rt. 41), Chesterville, ME (207) 468-0055 www.MaineSportsman.com

1-800-662-8411 • Insect Protection • UV Protection • Speciality Items • Pet Protection www.bugbaffler.com

Use Code MAINE10 for 10% Off Your Order!

late to run. Secondly, consider the placement of your decoys within the setup. Example: If you’re using a strutter over a submissive hen, have them facing away from incoming birds. This is a non-threatening pose, and many times birds will circle around to face your strutter, putting them between you and the decoys. Do Decoys Spook Birds? This is probably the most-asked decoy question, and it’s one of the toughest. Toms often come into the calls gobbling, but sometimes not, as some are “boss” birds, while others are subordinates who may gobble less frequently, or not at all. Depending on where each bird is in the flock’s pecking order – and during what stage of the season you are hunting – some birds will inevitably shut down at the sight of your decoys. The main reason for this is that they’ve had their butts whipped one too many times by a boss, or by a band of what we call thug jakes, and since you never know when your decoys will seal the deal or break it, you are taking a risk. If birds shut down upon seeing the decoys and walk away, it’s time to reassess the (Turkey Decoys continued on page 32)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 31

Morning or Afternoon Turkey Hunts – What’s Your Preference? The opportunity to hunt turkeys all day isn’t new to Maine hunters. In fact, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity since 2014. Maine was the first of the six New England states to offer its hunters the opportunity to hunt turkeys after 12 noon. Former diehard morning turkey hunters are now hooked on afternoon turkey hunting. What is it about those afternoon hunts that make them so addicting? ***** After flying down, the hens took their sweet time getting to me. At around 7 a.m., I finally spotted the first bird as she walked by just 10 yards away. Fifteen other hens followed closely. The girls seemed to notice something was out of place but didn’t spook. Instead, they continued their march to the cornfield while keeping an eye on the large object they knew was out of place. My setup was completely nontraditional. I was literally lying in tall grass on the edge of the field. There were no trees to lean

against. I had to rely on my camouflage to keep me concealed. As I hoped he would, the big tom was on their tail, strutting his stuff and showing off for his harem. I shot him at nine yards. Bird #1 was bagged and headed to the tagging station at 7:15 a.m. We Could Have Slept In! Like most people, I had to work that day. Still, I’d have plenty of time to hunt the afternoon if I chose. One of the drawbacks of getting up two hours before sunrise, then working all day, is being tired the remainder of the day. By 3 p.m., I was longing for a nap. However, my desire to kill another tom was too great, so I went out in search of my trophy. My plan was to locate more birds for the next morning’s hunt. I was thrilled to see four mature toms strutting around multiple hens in the lower part of a large cornfield on the farm. With nearly three hours of legal hunting hours remaining, I decided to try my luck with

TAXIS RIVER OUTFITTERS www.taxisriveroutfitters.com

these birds. A hiking trail in the woods provided me with cover needed to sneak within 100 yards of the displaying birds. The hens paid little attention to their strutting suitors. I was excited, because all the birds were mature. Feeding was the only thing on the minds of the hens. Unfortunately, the hens were heading away from me when I finally got set up on the field edge. A few soft yelps seemed to fall on deaf ears. Not one bird even looked in my direction. A second round of clucks caught the attention of one hen. When she raised her head, looking in my direction, I surmised that my odds of killing one of the toms had significantly increased. Over the next two hours, quiet yelps, clucks and purrs slowly pulled the hens toward my end of the field. At one point, all the birds dropped out of my sight line as they fed into a low spot in the field. Familiari-

Joe’s afternoon bird, a huge tom with 1 1/4’” spurs. It tipped the scales at over 24 pounds. This could be in part because of the full crop it carried on its way to an evening roost tree.

ty with property and the topography of this field kept me from panicking. Though they weren’t vocal, I would call quietly every five minutes to keep them interested. When the first hen reappeared, she was 30 yards away. Day-

POURVOIRIE LAC GENEVIÈVE D’ANTICOSTI

light was beginning to fade and the roost trees these birds had been favoring were just 50 yards behind me. At this point, all my calls were whisper quiet. Loud yelping or cutting would likely have sent the birds in (Continued on next page)

Anticosti Island Now Booking 2021 Deer Hunts

SAVE Take advantage of the favorable US Dollar exchange rates versus the Canadian Dollar 297 Sq. Miles of Exclusive Territory. American or European Plan, includes guide, 4 X 4 Crew cab pick up truck & 1 ATV per group of 4 hunters. 2 deer limit per hunter.

Larry Davidson

506-369-7105

Spring Bear Hunt Special Call for Details! 4 Hour Drive

Come and experience this deer hunting paradise.

1-800-463-1777 info@anticostiplg.com www.anticostiplg.com www.MaineSportsman.com

32 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Big Game Hunting (Continued from page 31)

the opposite direction. As more hens popped over the knoll in front of me, the big toms were right behind them. At first I could only see the tops of three fans. Next to come into sight were the glowing red, white and blue heads.

When the largest tom reached 20 yards, I yelped loudly to bring him out of strut. He jerked his head up, and gobbled for the first time that evening. My shot was true, and I had my second mature tom of the day. The two hunts,

Turkey Decoys (Continued from page 30)

players – yours and theirs – and make some changes. Remember: each territory contains its own flocks, and pecking

while similar in the patience required, were also very different. Both were both enjoyable and successful. I’m looking forward to hunting all day this season, and to sleeping in for a change, not panicking that I missed something in the morning. Morning hunts can be amazing – invigo-

rating, even. The chill of the morning air, and the first gobble heard from a roosting bird, are a fantastic part of the hunt and make us feel alive. However, evening hunts are fast becoming a favorite of mine. If a job has prevented someone from enjoying Maine turkey hunting, then these afternoon hunts might

orders will differ within each. When scouting, it’s a huge plus to know the balance between mature toms versus jakes, as the pecking order may be the main reason your set-up doesn’t work.

Papa’s 10

Blaine Cardilli is an outdoor writer and columnist. He can be reached at indianwd@gmail.com.

¶ there be a connection between deer and turkey?

by Bill Catherwood

Distant Gobble At 7:45 a.m., we heard a gobble way off in the distance. I mean this bird was quite a way off, but never give up on a turkey. John began calling again using the “make him wonder” tactic. It was working! The bird was slowly but surely coming in. My heart began to thump. Suddenly, I heard a gobble so loud it sounded like the bird was in my lap.

Turkey season is nearly here. I will be hunting again this season with my late Dad’s 10-gauge magnum double. Dad treated that gun like a member of the family. Everyone in the family knew that gun was “Papa’s 10” and not to let anything happen to it. It is a wonder that my mother didn’t have to set a place at the table for it. Dad got untold numbers of ducks and geese with that shotgun, as well as a coyote and a deer. But never a turkey. It wasn’t that he didn’t try. On many hunts, the turkey ended up winning at the last moment. My Turn to Try When Dad passed, he left the gun to me. I love the gun and always feel close to him when I hunt with it, but still that is one heavy gun. I mean, it should have come with a set of wheels. A few seasons ago I was invited to hunt turkeys with my friend John Starkey, New Hampshire guide. I brought Papa’s 10 along. Dawn came, and John began calling. He and I approach calling in the same manner – get the tom’s attention, and then be quiet. Make the bird wonder. Chances are it’ll come in just to see

be the key to enjoying the long season and Maine’s tremendous turkey resource. A slight change in tactics may be needed, but there’s a great opportunity to be had after 2 p.m. See you in the turkey woods, and good luck this season!

The author’s 21-lb. tom turkey, taken with his late father’s heavy 10-gauge double barrel shotgun.

who this hard-to-get lady is. A whitetail doe came toward our decoys. As I watched the doe, I spotted three jakes sneaking along behind her. This was the third time in my turkey-hunting experiences that a deer has showed up in response to calling. Could

No Memory of Gun’s Kick I peeked out of the blind, and there it was, beating up a jake decoy. John said, “Bill – C’mon, shoot!” I didn’t want to shoot and wreck his decoy, but suddenly the bird stepped away from the decoy, and I put the bead right on its head. I swear I could hear my Dad whisper in my ear, “NOW!” as Papa’s 10 roared, and the turkey piled up. I don’t remember that gun kicking. However, as I lugged the bird and the gun back to the truck, I wished I had a mule. The tom weighed 21 pounds, and had a 9 ½ inch beard. I can hardly wait to go turkey hunting again with “Papa’s 10.”

Woody’s Guide Service TROPHY DEER • MOOSE • BEAR HUNTS Now Accepting 2021 Deposits Limited ‘Bear Over Bait’ Slots SUMMER VACATIONS! Located on North Shore Kingsbury Pond Lodging in Shoreline Camps or Main Lodge Don’t just dream of a wilderness experience – LET US GUIDE YOU AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

(207) 212-9676 | form34me@aol.com www.woodysguideservice.net www.MaineSportsman.com

Now Booking 2021 Bear & Turkey Hunts Moose Hunts in WMD 18 & 19 — Registered Maine Guide —

George E. Feero Jr.

(207)852-5679 • redoakoutfittersofmaine@gmail.com

www.redoakoutfittersofmaine.com

Be Sure to LIKE The Maine Sportsman on Facebook!

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 33

What’s the Definition of a “Trophy” Deer? by Hal Blood

Don’t let social media, or big-game hunting shows on television, tell you what’s a trophy deer, says the author. It’s not up to anyone other than you to determine what constitutes a trophy. If the animal is legal to shoot and you will be happy to do it, then make your own choice. In this day and age of social media and YouTube, we can see photos and video of somebody’s deer, bear or moose nearly in real time. Anyone with a cell phone – which is probably just about everyone – can take photos and video in the woods, and in a majority of the areas, post them to Facebook and other social media platforms almost instantly. Even though I am of the older generation that never would have dreamt of this being possible, I like the idea of hunters being able to connect with other like-minded people whom they may not even know. As a cautionary note: Even though I think most people intend to share solely with family and friends, like all things on the internet, you have no control of where your posts might end up and who sees them. This means that you shouldn’t post anything that you don’t want everyone in the world to see. I enjoy seeing the photos posted of a kid’s first deer. It reminds me that there are still plenty of youths involved in hunting and getting into the woods,

instead of sitting home playing video games. I also like to see the new hunters who maybe took up the sport at a later age, or women who are brought into the sport by a friend. This is all great stuff to see, and helps build the hunting community.

all walks of life. Some of them were after the biggest animals in the woods, while others were just happy to be hunting and would take any legal game we could find. These two types of hunters had very different ideas of what a trophy was.

What is a Trophy? This question seems to get asked more in recent years than it was in the past. Trophy animals are historically judged by the size of their antler, horns, or skull size. The Boone and Crockett Club was formed to give recognition to the hunter as well as the animal. An animal had to have a certain score in inches to qualify, and the score of each species was determined by being in a top percentage of score for that type of animal. Many hunters nowadays put too much emphasis on the “score” of an animal. Some hunters travel the world to hunt for the biggest of each species. More power to them, if that’s what they want to do. Having been a guide for over thirty years, I’ve had the opportunity to guide hunters from

Modern Hunters Technology has changed how hunters define a trophy. It’s not just social media, but also television shows that mostly focus on hunting for the “big racks.” Now you can even buy minerals for the soil and food plot seeds to plant, so you can grow your own trophies. I personally believe some of this has gone too far. Many hunters have lost sight of the “hunt,” and instead are more concerned only about antler size. I quite often see social media posts by a hunter of a buck with a question, “Is this a shooter?” These posts are always by a young or new hunter. I always think to myself, “What a dumb question that is,” but I realize they are getting programmed to think that way. Young hunters will also post a picture of them-

Here’s the author with the first deer he ever took with a muzzleloader. Although he has shot many larger deer in his hunting career, “This deer was,” he told the Sportsman, “a true trophy to me.”

selves with an average 8-point buck, saying, “It’s not a trophy, but it will do.” These kinds of posts bother me, because it seems like these hunters are always looking for acceptance and need to justify why they have shot a deer or might want to. It’s Your Choice When I started carrying a gun into the

woods in the late 60s, every deer was looked at as a trophy. There was no bucks-only law, and a nice doe was every bit a trophy as a buck. Not many people carried cameras everywhere, so many of these trophies were never seen – once they were tagged and reg(Big Woods World continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

34 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

The Fishing Gods Giveth and Taketh Away Recreating outside – whether fishing, hunting, or just living life – often serves to remind me of just how clumsy, uncoordinated, and unlucky I am. I have been in all too many situations where I am at the center of an unfortunate event, while my friends and family simply look on with either expressions of smug humor or of empathy – I haven’t yet figured out which. My ice fishing misfortunes immediately come to mind. I recall losing my brand new iPhone down a jig hole while kneeling on the ice to land a 4-inch perch. It wasn’t worth the phone, and I wouldn’t recommend that trade. As described in the March issue, this past winter I went through a sight hole covered in slush. The odds of this continue to perplex me. A 3-foot by 6-foot hole in the surface of a 460-acre pond, and I found it. I call it luck. That incident also

Sometimes it seems that if the author didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all. But once in a while, the fishing gods smile, and reveal a divine sign to him that all is not lost. resulted in negative functionality of yet another iPhone. Later in the season, I managed to step into a standard 10inch hole while playing a fish. The second hole was inches from my own, completely covered in snow, and apparently insulated by the snow, which kept it from freezing. And I lost the fish, which was disappointing. Again, I recommend avoiding this practice. Missing Grunt Tube I also woefully recall the day my brother shot his buck last fall. We were sitting in stands about a halfmile apart, and after hearing a shot, I received a call from him. After hustling over to him, I felt around my neck and realized I had lost my grunt tube. Normally that would be unfortunate,

Big Woods World (Continued from page 33)

istered, they went into the freezer. All that remained were memories of the hunt, and those memories were told over and over again. My first deer was a spikehorn. I shot him when I was twelve years old, and you can bet, he was a trophy to me, my father and everyone we knew. I still remember that hunt like it was yesterday. I have shot a lot of deer since that very first one, and I can honestly say that I considered every on of www.MaineSportsman.com

of my bad luck, and not simply a matter of chance. I’m not sure what I did to offend the sporting gods, but I am certainly receiving the consequences.

Occasionally, the author’s bad luck changes. Here’s a Sebago Lake togue that was festooned with another angler’s spinners when the author brought it aboard.

but it hit especially hard as this was a call I had received from my grandfather. It meant a lot to me, and no amount of searching proved fruitful. A couple of years prior, I had lost the shell from my first deer in the same spot. I consider these events to be all results

Lose Some Gear; Gain Some Gear Thankfully, I get some remediation in the summer months. I am talented at losing expensive trolling gear, which is no surprise. Last spring, I lost a set of Christmas gift spinners and a brand new trolling spoon with about 3 feet of line out, the result of an apparent weak spot 3 feet up from my knot. The nice part about summer recreation, however, is that I get paid back for my equipment and monetary loss. I don’t get paid in money, but in the spinners, lures, and assorted trolling

them a trophy at the time. You see, to me hunting has always been about the experience of being in the woods in pursuit of the game – a chance to match wits with the creatures of the forest. All of these experiences have brought me to where I am now. Along the way, I have set my sights higher for what I consider a trophy for me, but the size of a buck’s horns has never been the deciding factor. If I outwit an old buck on the track and he has average-sized horns, he will still go on my trophy wall, and I will never forget the hunt for him. You see, it’s not up to anyone oth-

paraphernalia other unlucky fishermen have lost. I have a couple “sure-fire” ledges to snorkel and skin dive for lost lead core setups near my camp. Last summer, I made out quite well. Plus, I have snagged more than a few lead core rigs with monofilament leaders that float a few inches over the bottom while trolling. I consider these lucky catches the redemption from the fishing gods. A mercy play. I have also concluded that lost rigging can tell a story. Many of the rigs I have recovered reveal evidence of lifelong fishing secrets, tricks, and unusual setups that end up being surprisingly productive. I presume these unusual finds are a message from the fish gods to mix things up. Sometimes I’m even rewarded with a fish, which is a rare occasion, but makes it all worthwhile.

er than you to determine what constitutes a trophy. It’s like beauty – it’s in the eye of the beholder. You don’t need anyone’s approval for your trophy. It’s your choice, not anyone else’s. My advice to any new hunters is to just get out there and enjoy the hunt without wondering if the animal meets anyone’s standards. If the animal is legal to shoot and you will be happy to do it, then pull the trigger. This is the way you gain hunting experience and memories. You can always set you sights higher down the road if you choose to.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 35

— Guest Column —

Remembering Standard Shift by Randy Randall My son Matt just bought a used pickup. Nice truck. A Nissan Frontier in good shape, with a V-6 and six-speed transmission. He got a good deal on it, too. The owner said he hadn’t had many offers. When the young prospective buyers opened the door, looked in and saw the standard gear shift, they politely said, “Well, I guess not,” and moved on. Too bad. The clutch takes up nicely, and the transmission shifts smoothly. Matt’s very happy with it. A friend of his remarked: “I see it comes with the millennial anti-theft device.” Matt cocked his head. “It’s got some kind of lock?” “No,” his buddy said, “stick shift. Nobody can drive those anymore.” It’s true, you can’t hardly buy a car or truck today that has a standard shift. When I was kid in the 40s and 50s, automatic transmissions were just being developed, and their reputation was not good. Too many breakdowns and poor gas milage, guys said. But of course, all that has changed, and today’s automat-

ic transmissions are marvels of engineering. Still, those of us who grew up with a clutch have some fond memories of the cars and trucks we’ve driven. Farm Kids Learned Early Living on a farm had a lot to do with how well you could manage a clutch. Farm tractors were pretty easy to drive, even for us kids. Put it in gear, let out the clutch, and the 9N began rolling ahead at a sedate 3 mph. Trucks were all standard, all with non-synchro gears. Any boy or girl from “The County” who had to haul a load of spuds to the potato house knew how to feather the clutch pedal, grab low gear and crawl along between the rows of potatoes. Learning to double clutch was a skill most farm kids acquired early. Guys who drive big rigs have been double clutching and “floating the gears” since the first semis were built. We had a ’52 Ford pickup with a flat head V-8 and four speed on the floor. That was a good truck to drive.

Very forgiving. The old engine had a lot of torque and was difficult to stall. I remember a Studebaker pickup Dad owned that had a three speed on the steering column. That worked well too. You just had to remember not to mix up second gear and reverse. That Little Game Got Me into Trouble Grandfather owned a service station, and at any one time there were a variety of cars and trucks parked around the place. When I was quite young, I played among those old cars, crawling into them, pushing on the pedals and moving the levers. That little game got me into trouble one time. My uncle owned a Ford pickup, the one with the V-8, and I thought maybe I’d see what it felt like to sit in the driver’s seat and look out. Playing around, I pushed in the clutch

and jerked the gear shift into neutral. The truck began to roll. It rolled right out into the street before I had the smarts to stand on the brake. Now I was in a fix. The neighbor saw what had happened, and came out to see if I was okay. I was a little shaken up, surprised more than anything, but at least I’d been able to stop the truck before it smashed into his front porch. He said, “Where are the keys?” “Inside the house, I think,” I replied. “Well, how about you go get them?” he suggested. I found them on the kitchen counter. The neighbor climbed into the cab, started the truck and backed it up the driveway. He shut it down and pulled the parking brake up tight. As he got out, he tossed me the keys and said, “You probably shouldn’t be playing in that truck.” I nodded. “Yes, sir.” No one knew how lucky I had been not to have my first auto accident. Jump-Starting I guess probably popping the clutch in order to roll-start a car is a lost art. We used

to push my 1954 VW down the little hill in front of the Student Union at UMO, run alongside, jump into the driver’s seat, pop the clutch, rev the engine, and drive off. Even in Vietnam, our jeeps and trucks were standards. While I was stationed in Vinh Long, the Chief petty officer would come get me when one of the jeeps had a dead battery. We started the jeep by towing it with the 2 ½ ton truck. He’d tell me “Wave when you’ve got it running.” We rumbled along the dirt road beside the Mekong River while I let out the clutch and gave it some gas. For many years we drove our old Clark Forklift here at the marina and that had a great clutch. I think somehow it used hydraulic fluid to cushion the clutch plate. Anyway it was another easy clutch to use and just about impossible to stall the diesel engine. The old green Clark is long gone, and now we bomb around the boatyard on a more modern Case 586G with, you guessed it, automatic transmission.

Get The Maine Sportsman Delivered Right to Your Door! r One Year $30

Name________________________________________ Address______________________________________ City_________________________________________ State_________________________ Zip_____________ VISA/MC____________________________________ Exp._________________________ CVV___________

r Two Years $49

Phone_______________________________________ Email________________________________________ Include your Check, Money Order or VISA/MasterCard info to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 OR SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT

www.MaineSportsman.com

36 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Trophy Turkeys Hidden in her blind, the author waited most of the day for the birds to come to her. They didn’t. With nothing to lose, she exited the blind and started crawling toward their position on her hands and knees. She got close, but then a hen spotted her and sounded the alarm. Unlike other big game species, it is nearly impossible to know you are hunting a trophy turkey until after you’ve shot a tom and get a closeup study of its spurs and beard. That was the case with me last spring. I was hunting the same property for the second day in a row. I had gone home empty-handed the day prior, but learned a lot about the property and the habits of the flock of turkeys on it. I sat in my blind, waiting and hoping. A chorus of pre-sunrise gobbles filled the morning air. Far, but not too far. I hadn’t asked permission to hunt the property where they roosted, so I hoped to ambush them on their daily route. Hours went by. I called blindly, whaling mightily on my box call every thirty minutes. Aggressive Hen Around 10 a.m., a turkey ran toward my decoys. “This is it!” I thought as I moved positions within my blind. But no, it was a hen. A big hen: she had www.MaineSportsman.com

fluffed up her feathers like a tom. She went straight to my hen decoy and kicked it with both feet, using her wings to jump into the air. The decoy spun around 180 degrees on its stake. She pecked at its eyes and clucked softly. I searched for the rest of her flock. “Where is your boyfriend?” I asked, willing him to appear. Long Day in the Blind Satisfied that she was the victor of the fight, she ambled back to where she had come from. I could see a few other hens now, and two toms strutting. I called softly and sweetly, but the flock hung up at about 80 yards and eventually moved away. At noon I had eaten all of my snacks. It was going to be a long day, but I had taken the entire day off work and was too stubborn to quit early. Around 5 o clock, a group of hens and one strutting, silent tom appeared, feeding in the Christmas tree farm field below me. They were heading away from me, toward

the abutting property where they roosted. With nothing to lose, I exited my blind and held up the fan of last year’s tom, slowly rotating it, hoping to grab the gobbler’s attention. It didn’t. Stalking the Bird I grabbed my 12-gauge and range finder, and started crawling on my hands and knees toward the Christmas tree farm. I entered a row and continued creeping. The three-foot balsam firs were perfect for stalking – large enough to hide me if I stayed low, but small enough to not completely obstruct the tom’s fan. My heart raced. I inched closer. The tom was going in circles with a small hen. He was courting her and used his wing to keep her close. They both turned a half a circle, paused, turned half a circle, paused, over and over again. They were clearly distracted. Suddenly, a hen spotted me and ran off, alarm-putting, with four or five others. My cover was blown. I lay down flat for a few mo-

The author with her 23.4-lb. turkey, which scored 70.4 and is the #15 all-time typical Maine turkey. Consider having your turkey scored this year.

ments, before slowly picking my head up and peering in between fir branches. The tom’s fan continued turning in half circles with his partner, like they were in some sort of trance. I ranged them – 60 yards. “A little closer,” I prayed. I could now feel my heart beating in my throat. I crawled down a row. Fifty yards, in range for my 3.5” shells. I lay in prone position and readied myself. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, willing the hen to

separate from the tom. Finally, the tom separated and paused. I didn’t hesitate. He flopped. The hen sprinted off, and I took my first good look at the tom. Turkeys always look much bigger to me up close, but what impressed me where his spurs. They were longer than any I had ever seen. A Record Tom After some celebratory photos with the landowner, I went to www.mastc.info and found a local Maine (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 37

This boss hen picked a fight with the author’s hen decoy, pecking at its eyes and kicking it, before declaring herself the victor. Photos: Christi Holmes (Continued from page 36)

Antler and Skull Trophy Club scorer. The Club scores bear skulls, moose and deer antlers and turkeys. The former can all be scored anytime, years later, even. But the score of a turkey includes a weight component, which means once it’s processed, it

The large turkey provided many meals, including this feast of fried turkey, fresh ramps (a type of wild leek or onion), and fiddleheads.

cannot be scored. The Club publishes a record book and hosts a banquet every two years. I didn’t want to regret not having my bird scored, so I drove to meet a scorer. Typical turkeys must score a 60 to make the Club, and non-typical (extra beards or spurs) must

score 70. The scoring goes: Weight (lbs.) + beard length (inches) x 2 + spur length (inches) x 10 + spur length (inches) x10. My bird weighed 23-lbs, 7oz. It had a 9.5” beard, and 1.5” and 1.3” spurs, giving him a total score of 70.4.

The author’s finished turkey mount.

According to the most recent MASTC records, he is the #15 all-time Maine typical turkey. Once the bird was scored, I breasted it out and put the legs in the crockpot. My family enjoyed many turkey meals that week. We had fried turkey nuggets, a turkey pot

pie, and baked turkey with fresh wild ramps and fiddleheads. With the leg meat, I made buffalo turkey dip and pulled turkey leg sandwiches. I mounted the fan myself and he now has a permanent place of honor in my home.

www.MaineSportsman.com

38 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Toothy Critters Over the past couple of decades, “bucket biologists” (those who illegally transport non-native fish to new waterbodies) have introduced a popular new sport in the North Country: pike fishing. Northern pike have an aggressive predatory nature that seems to peak in the cooler springtime waters a couple of weeks after ice-out. In northern NH and VT, an average pike is well into the 20s of inches. And it is not uncommon to catch one in the low 30s. Occasionally, the 40-inch mark is broken. This makes for exciting, reel-screaming, water-erupting fun – especially if your boat of choice is a kayak, canoe, or small paddleboat. In most of the waterbodies mentioned below, anglers should focus their efforts on weedbeds, particularly submerged milfoil. The pike hide within their camouflaged confines, ready to dart out and snatch passing-by baitfish.

Illegal introduction of Northern Pike is a bad thing, but if the fish are there, it makes sense to try to catch them. And with what? Heavy-duty gear, that’s what. And big bait – some anglers claim there’s no such thing as bait too big for pike.

Ethan Marshall poses with a rogue 16-pound pike he caught while bass fishing at a small pond on the New Hampshire side of the northern portion of the Connecticut River.

Interstate Waters The Connecticut River is probably the best supplier of pike in the twin states. The large reservoirs, particularly Moore and Comerford Reservoirs, offer lots of easy boat launch access, too.

The writer poses with a 10-pound northern pike he caught on a chartreuse-colored spinner bait on Moore Reservoir.

Stay away from the deeper river channel in these reservoirs, and focus your time in the flats and shallow bays. One of the best places to find hiding pike in the reservoirs is in under the edge of the driftwood flotillas

Welcome to

Call Today! NORTHERN EDGE REALTY LLC Berlin Office: 232 Glen Ave. • 603-752-0003 Colebrook Office: 114 Main St. • 603-237-5850 Gorham Office: 139 Main St. • 603-915-9233 Lancaster Office: 89 Main St. • 603-788-2131

www.teamner.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

in the backwashes. Moore Reservoir is where the state-record pike was caught in 2013—weighing in at 26 pounds, 9.4 ounces! Although the pike fishing has slowed down at Moore in recent years, there are still some big

Northern New Hampshire

ones to be had. The Connecticut River above Moore Dam also holds many good-sized northern pike. There are several oxbows and backwashes that see quite a bit of pressure from local ice-fisherman in the winter, but little activity in the spring and summer. This may be due to the minimal “official” access points. Fishing many of these places involves either paddling a long ways down the river, or dragging a canoe or kayak along the edge of a farmer’s field. This writer fears giving up too many local secrets about the best honeyholes, but suffice to say that pike (and other warmwater fish) can be found in most of the river valley setbacks that get flooded in the spring. Focused efforts between Stratford and Dalton can pay off in big ways. NH Ponds There is a spattering of small ponds on the New Hampshire (New Hampshire continued on page 40)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 39

Techniques and Tips for RiverFishing from a Kayak – Part 2 of 2 The author reveals how to deal with “sweepers” (large branches or trees that block the current); how to handle the kayak when you have a big fish on the line; and how to gracefully enter and exit your boat – especially if you have an audience watching. Kayaking is a very safe and enjoyable outdoor activity ... especially if you take the time to familiarize yourself with the craft as described in Part 1 (April issue). In my “sit-on-top” kayak, I have never had to learn the “kayak roll” (also called an “Eskimo roll”), a method for righting the craft if it gets stuck in the water upside down. Those anglers fishing from one of the “sit-in” kayaks should practice the kayak roll technique in warm water, under controlled conditions. The worst-case-scenario for a kayaker is riding into what’s called a “sweeper.” The most common sweeper is a fallen tree or large branch projecting from the bank into the water, which has the potential to catch and pin the kayak and paddler against the branches. The pressure of the current tends to hold the craft and paddler against the obstruction, dangerously tangling them with the semi-sunken tree or branch. The preventative step seems obvious, but let me make it clear regardless – steer wide and far from trees, branches and rocks that project into moving water from the banks, as

well as those right out in the middle. Basic Safety Tips Most folks will never have a problem in moving water if they follow these simple rules mentioned above. Some other tips for avoiding a spill include preventing the craft from being moved into a perpendicular position to the current as much as possible. (In other words, don’t get caught crossways to the current.) The safest time in a kayak or canoe on moving water is when the bow is pointing either straight upstream, or straight downstream. The most dangerous time is when the bow is pointed toward either bank. Another tricky time occurs when you hook a fish ... hooking the fish is a good thing, but what can happen after the hookup is the tough part. One time, I hooked up with a huge smallmouth bass while kayaking in a slow current. I had gently tossed a popper up into a big eddy, had the powerful fish slam the fly, and then proceeded to fight the fish while slowly being swept downstream into faster water. Things could have turned out badly if

I hadn’t taken a few swift actions. I fought the fish with one hand on the rod, while using my other hand to hold the paddle, slowly directing the kayak over to the shallow water near the bank. I used a short, wooden broomstick that I carry for this purpose and shoved through a scupper hole (drain holes in the bottom of the sit-on-top craft) to stop the kayak in shallow and still water. The broomstick is used to hold the craft steady while I fight the fish, but is quickly pulled up if there is a problem with the

A big smallmouth caught on a popper from the author’s kayak on the Androscoggin River. Clunie photo

current. In this case, I was able to swing my legs over the side of the kayak and stand up to fight the fish ... meanwhile, the stick held the kayak, while I reeled the fish in. Kayak anglers need to learn how to correctly exit (and enter) a kayak in mild current (of course you wouldn’t jump out of the kayak in swift current). Enter or exit the craft in still or barely moving water,

with the bow pointed either upstream or downstream. Don’t make the mistake of attempting this exit (or entrance) in water less than two or three feet deep, or you’ll risk a huge struggle to get to a standing position (I recommend practicing this when nobody is looking, to avoid embarrassment). At the point of exiting the kayak, an angler can also make (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

40 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Western Maine (Continued from page 39)

the mistake of losing the craft or paddle while focused on fighting the fish. I like to hook a bungee line to my wading belt (with a quick-release, of course), and secure the paddle under the line in the front of the kayak and the seat so it doesn’t float away. No Fear? I have to laugh when I see someone driving around with

a bumper sticker on their car that reads, “NO FEAR.” I’m sorry, but when I see these bumper stickers my first thought is, “NO BRAIN.” Fear is actually a good thing ... it forces us to use logic to understand the most rational (safe) way to overcome dangerous situations. If someone claims to be without fear in all situations, I

New Hampshire (Continued from page 38)

side of the river that hold pike. Typically there are not a ton of pike in each, but occasionally you happen onto a rogue giant. Here is a list a few that may be worth visiting: Martin Meadow Pond in Lancaster; Partridge Lake in Littleton; Ogontz Lake in Lyman; Perch Pond in Lisbon, and Jericho Lake in Berlin. These ponds all support other warm water species, like bass, pickerel, and perch, as well as a few having good stocked-trout numbers. Small boats are launchable, as well. VT Ponds There are a few pike ponds on the Vermont side of the river. The two most notable are Norton Pond and Neal’s Pond. Norton Pond, in Norton, VT, is

believe they are either lying, or clueless. A very safe way to learn about kayaking is to start paddling with a group. What’s the expression, “There’s safety in numbers”? With that said, I am never going to let a little fear stop me from enjoying the outdoors. I will face a fear (legitimate safety concern) and use my brain to stay safe. A huge amount of confidence comes from getting out and repeating

Old Town Canoe Company’s “Predator 120 PDL” kayak, ready to slip into the Androscoggin River. Clunie photo

a certain activity ... the more you do it, the better you get at it. Once an angler has that confidence

a good-sized pond with a nice boat launch. Its shoreline is mostly wooded, and it has a remote feel. There are good areas of shallow backwash and weedbeds where pike can be found. In the 90s, Norton Pond was where all the biggest pike in the area came from. Literally. Not only were a bunch of giants being caught on a regular basis, but rumor had it, this is where the “bucket biology” program started. It’s been just in my lifetime that pike have appeared in all those NH ponds that I listed above. Neal’s Pond, in Lunenburg, VT, is another example of such a pond. Again, there aren’t a ton of pike here, but there have been some real doozies in the past decade. Unfortunately, the pike here have taken their toll on what used to be a tremendous smallmouth fishery. Essential Gear Pike fishing is hard on tackle and gear. There are really three essentials:

through experience, the outdoors is theirs to enjoy to the fullest.

a big rubber net, heavy braided line and/or wire leaders, and big baits. Some think that there is no such thing as a bait too big for pike. This may be true, but there is such thing as a bait too expensive to be bitten off. Stick to tackle you aren’t going to miss if you lose it. I’ve used 12-inch, 16-ounce swim baits before. They work, but you have to sling them, rather than cast them. And they are usually $20 or more each. Then you need a wire leader to protect it, which makes your bait lose action or constantly get hung up on itself or weeds. So now I tend to stick to using just big, cheap white or chartreuse-colored spinner baits, which are also relatively weedless. If you are a “big bait” person use a double blade spinner—and slap a big ugly trailer on it.

~ Happy Mother’s Day! ~

Hop Outdoors with Your Family this Spring in the Western Maine Mountains! We’ve Got it! Furniture for HOME, CAMP or OFFICE

Gallant’s

Discount Furniture

Lisa’s Barber Shop

After a Long Winter and

POTHOLES Go to Dan's Automotive for ✓ Suspension Checks ✓ Competitive Tire Prices ✓ Custom Exhaust And All Your Auto Service Needs! – 30 Years in Business –

231 Main Street Mexico, Maine 04257 phone: 207-369-0551 fax: 207-369-0554

www.hebertrealtygroup.com

“Drive a little ~ Save a lot!”

207-545-2442

Mon-Sat 8-5, Sun 12-4 1132 Roxbury Notch Rd. Roxbury, ME

www.gallantsdiscountfurniture.com www.MaineSportsman.com

625 Crescent Avenue • Rumford, ME (207) 369-9302 or (207) 357-9444 Open Mon–Fri 8AM-5PM dansautomotiverepairandsales.com

...you have come to the right agency.

178 Main Street Mexico, Maine 04257

Lisa Cormier - owner

Walk-ins: Tuesday–Friday 8:30–5:00 Saturday 9:00–12:00 Closed Sun & Mon

357-3824

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 41

— Guest Column —

The Changing Culture of Fisheries – Part 2 by Bob Humphrey

Having introduced readers to the current level of aquaculture off the Maine coast (see Part 1, April issue), the author now explores concerns and conflicts that have arisen or which may arise. No system is perfect, and one of the principal concerns with aquaculture is the potential impact on Atlantic salmon, so much so that seven countries of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) signed the Oslo Resolution in 1994, a “convention for the conservation of salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean to minimize impacts from salmon aquaculture on wild stocks.” Chief concerns, alluded to above, include possible transmission of disease and parasites. Some also worry about escaped farm salmon interbreeding with wild stocks, resulting in reduced fitness and dilution of native genetics. Antibiotics fed to farm fish can also result in resistant bacterial disease organisms in the environment. Maine has very strict protocols to address these issues. There’s also concern about the perceived exclusivity of leases prohibiting or limiting other activities. Here too, regulations represent a safeguard. Encouraging Multiple Uses Maine’s aquaculture leasing statute requires regulatory agencies to allow the most possible number of uses when issuing a lease. Furthermore, ev-

ery granted lease has a series of conditions mandating multiple use. However, it’s still possible the installation of some gear could hamper other activities. For example, floating oyster or fish cages make it impossible to drag for scallops or urchins, though both species can still be commercially harvested around and under the aquaculture gear by diving or working around the gear. There’s also the issue of if, and to what extent, aquaculture interferes with traditional boating and fishing. Lobster fishing is a nearly $500 million industry in Maine, and some of its participants are concerned about aquaculture leases excluding them from traditional fishing grounds. Whether that’s a valid concern is debatable. Before aquaculture, lobstermen and other fishermen enjoyed the free range of the ocean. Aquaculture leases and structures could interfere with and preclude both from certain areas. However, the footprint is relatively small, and growth has slowed to about two percent each year. In a NewsCenter interview, Sebastian Belle, Executive Director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, noted, “We’ve added roughly 400 acres, which is basically smaller than the

average potato farm in Aroostook County.” Referring to Maine’s permitting process, he explained, “If there is a significant commercial fishery in an area, you will not be given a lease. Period. End of discussion.” The issue then becomes how you define “significant.” Generally Supported by Lobstermen Conflicts have arisen in certain instances, but in their 2019 yearend report, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) noted: “The MLA remains supportive of Maine’s aquaculture industry as an important segment of the state’s working waterfront. Many lobstermen are diversifying into aquaculture, which is a good fit for many fishermen and coastal communities.” Their concerns lie chiefly with the rate of growth, larger leases, and consolidation of existing leases into larger footprints. For those reasons, the MLA continues to provide input on permitting and expansion. All Obstacles in My Way? There’s also concern that ocean farming could get in the way of recreational boaters and fishermen. On one hand, it is possible an operation could be sited in or near one of your favorite striper holes. I have to be a bit more

One look at the boats used in aquaculture makes it clear that many lobstermen are participating in the activity, on a full-time or part-time basis. Photos: Maine Aquaculture Association

careful now about getting too close to buoys and anchor lines near some of mine. On the other hand, structure of any kind tends to act as a fish aggregating device (FAD). I can attest from personal experience that shellfish rafts are great places to fish for mackerel, and because they attract baitfish, they also attract larger gamefish like striped bass. As for boating, any structure on the water represents a potential hazard to navigation. However, it is the boater’s responsibility to avoid obstacles, which can turn up anywhere at any time. The flush after a period of heavy rain often brings rafts of flotsam like logs and trees into coastal waters. Within localized areas, lobstermen are not restricted as to where they can place their gear, and the position of floating pots changes on a daily basis. Doing a Good Job Keeping Penned Fish Penned Environmentally, the biggest concern is probably the potentially devastating effects of introducing non-native species. Commercial shell and finfisheries are among Maine’s principal industries,

and nobody wants to put them at risk from foreign invaders. Unlike inland waters, there’s already a much higher possibility for non-endemic species to enter local marine ecosystems on their own. All the same, importation of any organism requires a Department of Marine Resources (DMR) permit, which is only issued “if the introduction, importation or possession will not endanger the indigenous marine life or its environment.” The State also maintains a list of organisms and products embargoed and prohibited from aquaculture. It should also be noted that Maine’s finfish culture regulations are among the strictest anywhere. In 2002, the Maine Aquaculture Association partnered with Trout Unlimited, the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the Conservation Law Foundation to develop a best management code of practice called a Containment Management System (CMS) designed to reduce the risk of escapes. According to Maine Aquaculture Association Executive Director Sebastian (Aquaculture continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

42 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Black Fly Stew I created this Black Fly Stew recipe for George Smith and his “Wildfire in the Nosh Kitchen” television show. He asked me to do something I had never done before.

Although my cookbook series was named Black Fly Stew, I hadn’t created a recipe. The name came out of an event at our wedding, which is depicted in my first cookbook,

And now, on to the stew! Thank you, James Neal for the moose, Chris Krukowski for the beaver, and John Bergeron for the bear. I could not have recreated this dish in memory of George Smith without your generous contributions. Ingredients: • ¾ pound moose, ground* • ¾ pound beaver, chunked • ½ pound bear, ground • 4 tablespoons Chipotle Fiore Olive Oil, divided • 2 cups sweet onions, chunked • 8 ounces Mousam Valley Forest Medley mushrooms, rehydrated • 1 yellow sweet pepper, chopped • 1 orange sweet pepper, chopped • 6 cloves garlic, minced • 3 teaspoons Spice House Mexican Oregano, ground • 2 teaspoons basil, ground • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt • 1 ½ cups Cellardoor Vineyards “Ned Said Red” • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes • 2 cups Beast Feast Chipotle BBQ Sauce • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (always with canned tomatoes)

Aquaculture (Continued from page 41)

Belle, “It was the first of its kind in the world, and since its development and implementation, there have been no documented escapes from Maine salmon farms. Maine’s CMS has been adopted by all the larger seafood sustainability certification programs, and is now being used as a model around the world.” Spoiling the Idyllic View? Then there’s aesthetics. People buy, rent and visit coastal areas to enjoy the scenery of Maine’s idyllic coastline. To some, floating rafts and net pens dewww.MaineSportsman.com

“Wild Maine Recipes.” I enjoyed many adventures with George, including Harvest Time in Bangor, his TV and radio shows, and spending time with him at the an-

nual State of Maine Sportsman’s Show.’ As Bill Mackowski recently said, “George’s legacy will long outlast any of ours. His contributions to preserving Maine’s outdoor her-

• 8 ounces Mozzarella, shredded, optional for topping Directions: Rehydrate mushrooms in 1 cup warm water for 1 hour. Heat 2 tablespoons Chipotle Fiore Olive Oil on medium-high heat. Cook moose, beaver and bear, each separately, and cook through. Remove meat and set aside. Add remaining Chipotle Fiore Olive Oil and onions, peppers and garlic tract from that. Ironically, they’re often the same folks promoting wind turbines and large solar areas in more remote inland areas they seldom if ever visit. Meanwhile, folks on the working waterfront seem far less concerned with aesthetics, and more concerned with new ways to keep working. Compromise and sacrifice are necessary if we wish to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, foreign energy and imported seafood. Any culture, especially the culture of traditionalists here in northern New England, is naturally resistant to changes that may require us to alter our regular behavior. Aquaculture has arrived, and will

itage and his work in land conservative can never be overstated.” So here’s to George – a man after Maine’s heart. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

and sauté for 5 minutes. Add oregano, basil, salt, wine, tomatoes, BBQ sauce and tomato paste. Bring to boil then reduce to heat. Add meats back in and mushrooms, and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. If you like a very thick stew, take cover off the last 15 minutes, and it will naturally thicken. When serving, add Mozzarella for topping if desired. *Substitute meats: goat, venison, beef and other red meats.

While it’s true that aquaculture leases cover large areas of some protected bays, proponents say it’s only a tiny fraction of the total space available, and that growth is limited to 2% per year.

almost certainly continue to expand. It’s up to all sides to now work together and ensure it is done responsibly, maximizing production while minimizing impact.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 43

“It Will Only Take a Few Minutes” I didn’t want to do this. It was the 1981 hunting season, and I was overloaded with high- priority matters, but my sergeant, Bill Allen, insisted that I go to the WABI television station in Bangor at 7 p.m.. He said they wanted to do a short interview. “It will only take a few minutes,” he explained. When I arrived at the TV station, I was met by a reporter, whose name I can’t remember. He said that he wanted to go out to a place where I would be working in the nighttime, and bring along his cameraman. I made a couple of suggestions, but he said those locations were too far away as he didn’t have much time, so I suggested a place on the Bog Road in Hermon. I wasn’t crazy about the place, but it was close by, and we could scoot out there and be done in no time. Bright Lights They loaded up in their little station wagon and followed me to a large set of fields off the Bog Road. As I slowed to turn off the road, I spotted three deer running back from the edge of the road into the field. We parked in a spot that was obscured from traffic, and they began to unpack their equipment. When they were ready for the interview, the cameraman turned on a camera that had a huge set of

intensely bright lights. This made me quite uncomfortable, as we always tried to operate in a stealthy manner at night, and I really didn’t want anyone observing this operation. They lit up my truck, and even wanted me to turn on my blue light. I complied as quickly as I could, all the while hoping no vehicles would come by. They asked me a few questions, and I soon got the impression they thought catching night hunters was a simple undertaking, so I tried to explain some of the complicated aspects of that activity, and emphasized the time and patience required as things never happened on cue. Illuminating the Field, and Shots Fired They finished up filming and loaded their equipment back into the station wagon. We had a brief conversation and they headed for their vehicle, but I asked them to just wait a minute, as I could see there was a vehicle approaching from the same direction we had come, and I didn’t want to bring any attention to our location. As the approaching vehicle came to the field where I had earlier spotted the three deer, it slowed to a stop, then turned cross ways in the road so that its headlights shone into the field. Subsequently, two gunshots rang out from the vehicle, after which the

vehicle backed around straight in the road and began to speed away, past our location. I quickly started my truck and told the TV crew that I was leaving. They asked if they could come along, and I said, “Yes – get in quickly!” They asked, “What about the camera?” I told them there is no time for a camera, and to close the door. So much for things not happening on cue. High Speed Chase; No Headlights I got onto the road with my headlights off. The poachers’ vehicle had a little lead on me, but it was just barely light enough that I believed I could close the gap. I must admit that going around a slight right turn and across the Souadabscook Stream bridge was a little hairy. Just as I had caught up to the vehicle and was about to turn on all my lights, it took a right turn onto the Fowler Landing Road. Since that road turned into a dead end at Hermon Pond, I told my TV guys, “We’ve got them now!” I turned on all my lights, but the vehicle failed to stop as I followed it into a camp driveway at the pond. Loaded Rifle in the Front Seat After the vehicle came to a stop, I approached the operator, who was still in the driver’s seat. I could see he had a .303 British rifle resting against the seat

The British Enfield .303 featured in this column was a favorite of poachers, since surplus models could be purchased at Mammoth Mart for as little as $35, meaning if a night hunter had to throw it out a car window during a pursuit, the financial loss was minimal.

by his right leg. I also observed an adult female in the front passenger’s seat, who was holding a small infant. The driver told me the rifle was his and that it was still loaded. I had him exit the vehicle, whereupon I handcuffed him, removed the .303, and unloaded it. (These .303 rifles were favorites of night hunters, as years ago they were sold at Mammoth Mart for $35, which made them quite expendable.) That’s about the time things got more exciting at the scene, as numerous people, some holding cans of Budweiser, emerged from the camp and began shouting unflattering things in my direction, including telling me I couldn’t arrest their friend. The female passenger jumped out of the vehicle, swearing at me like a pirate’s parrot, all the while carrying the tiny baby under her arm like a sack of potatoes. I threatened to arrest her also, but I knew that would cause all kinds of additional problems that I didn’t

have the means to deal with. A Little Help Here? I looked around for, perhaps, a little support from my TV friends, but they were nowhere to be seen. There was no way I could depart the area, as I had too many people to fit into my truck. Luckily, I had called a nearby Penobscot County Deputy before I had made the stop, and I knew he should be along shortly. When the deputy arrived, I was barely holding my own with this crowd, and I was quite relieved when he got out of his vehicle with a tight leash on the ugliest German Shepherd dog I had ever seen. This allowed me to place my in-custody hunter in the deputy’s back seat, and then gather up my TV guys who I found hiding behind my truck. As I was pulling away behind the deputy’s cruiser, all was silent until the reporter declared, “Wow – I’ve never met any people like that before!”

www.MaineSportsman.com

44 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

May – “Migration Month” – Offers Memorable Birding Interest in birding is soaring. The pandemic has brought more people outside looking for something new to do. As a result, quite a few outdoor-related activities, such as birdwatching, have experienced phenomenal rises in participation. Experienced birders have found more time to explore new places and add birds to their life lists of species they have identified. At the same time, casual hikers and park visitors are starting to pay more attention to nature around them. They want to know what birds they are seeing, and where they can see more. Sales of binoculars, bird guides, and birding apps for smartphones are sky-high. Even when the pandemic subsides, we will likely see sustained interest in these kinds of healthy outdoor pastimes. Once you learn to notice birds, it is nearly impossible to unlearn the skill. When it comes to

The author offers a wealth of tips for those new to Maine birding – how to prepare, where to go, and what to look for, from hawks and ducks to warblers and ravens. birdwatching, things are looking up. For those who are fairly new to birding or want to learn more, here are a few tips. A Lifelong Pursuit Birding is a lifelong activity. It doesn’t matter if you are expert or not. What really matters is that you want to learn, to see something you haven’t seen before. There is no reason to be obsessed with keeping a “life list” and travelling long distances to check off new species. But it is fun to keep track of birds you have seen in your backyard, and to add another to the list when you identify one. Learn, Then Look For all birders, the more we can learn in advance, the more birds we will see. One of the best places to start birding is at

A Canada Jay (Gray Jay) waits for a handout near the Magalloway River. Van Wie photo www.MaineSportsman.com

home in your favorite chair. First, check out www.MaineBirdingTrail.com for a list of dozens of great birding sites around the state and what to look for at each site. Then, pick up one of many field guides for North American birds, and flip through the pages looking for something you recognize. I always look at the range maps first to see what birds live in Maine and learn what I can about those species first. The Cornell Bird Lab website at www. allaboutbirds.org has a ton of information, free! You can access it on your smart phone any time to get help identify a bird or learn what a bird eats and where it nests. I really like the Audubon Bird Guide app on my smartphone

and tablet. It has excellent photos, and shows recent sightings in my area. The recordings of bird songs help me learn the different calls a bird makes. And it compares similar birds to help distinguish which is which. May is Migration Month In Maine, spring bird migrations can start as early as March, but early May is pretty much the peak for many species. Starting in late April through midMay, hawk migrate up the coast, especially on warm breezy days. Some excellent hawk watching sites are Mt. Agamenticus in York, Bradbury Mountain in Pownal, Camden Hills State Park, or Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Last year, May 3 was the big day, with 52 species observed

A non-breeding adult Bonaparte’s Gull at Fortune’s Rock. Breeding adult will have a distinctive black head. Van Wie photo

from the top of Bradbury Mountain during a good southerly breeze. Twenty people hiked up to observe the annual show, so there should be plenty of folks willing to help first timers who want to learn. Check out www.hawkcount.org for more info. Duck, Duck, Goose As river flows drop and lakes and ponds melt, waterfowl migration tends to follow major river valleys north. Some interesting species will be moving through, while some will stay to nest locally. At a riverside wetland near my house, I often see a dozen species of ducks, teal and geese without moving an inch. The mating displays are fascinating to watch. Warbler Magic Insectivorous birds follow their food supply, arriving when the weather warms enough to increase insect activity. Many (Sporting Environment continued on next page)

On May 3, 2020, observers counted 1,270 Broad-wing hawks migrating past Bradbury Mountain in Pownal on a single day. Dave Small photo

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 45

My Friend George George’s muzzleloader boomed in the stillness of the snowy woods. Later, we stood looking where the round ball had hit. “You gonna tag it?” I asked, trying to control the urge to burst out laughing. May has arrived. All kinds of plans for outdoor activities are being made. Fishing camps, canoe trips, boating adventures, hiking weekends, kayak excursions are all being planned. Heck, even a promise of a fall moose hunt is in the air, as the moose lottery is only a month away. I usually look forward to the lottery every June. It starts me thinking of fall hunting camps and being together with hunting buddies for laughs, good food, and even maybe to fill a tag. This May is different for me. See, my hunting buddy George, the guy I spent the most days muzzleloading with, passed away after a courageous fight with ALS. Years ago, I talked George into trying

smokepole hunting. I advised him to pass up tagging out on the tame deer on his woodlot in November, so we could hunt another two weeks after Thanksgiving. Being one who was good with numbers and bad with household chores, he quickly realized it would mean a 50% increase in deer hunting season, and two weeks more of his wife Linda doing all the chores! One of our outings found us in the woods in Wayne, walking on fresh fallen snow. Four inches of the fluffy stuff was simply great for tracking. Seeing a fresh set of tracks heading out to a small peninsula, and not returning, gave us high hopes. George was always being the “deer dog” guy, and I was the “stand” guy, so a plan was hatched.

Sporting Environment (Continued from page 44)

experienced birders eagerly anticipate the warbler migration. With over 30 species of warblers in Maine, they can be a challenge to see and identify. They are colorful and sing distinctive songs from treetops and tall shrubs. Warblers are small, so a good pair of binoculars is a must. Watch for movement among the newly emerged leaf buds on trees. Just sit still, listen and be patient!

He would sneak out tracking the critter, in hopes to jump it and send it my way. I found a perch with a good view. Off George went, silently stalking, following the tracks. After a short time, I heard his muzzleloader boom. Within minutes, three healthy looking doe deer walked by me, not 20 feet away. They moved briskly, but not hurried. Not having a doe permit, I watched them disappear in the woods. George appeared a bit later, following the tracks. As he approached, I asked if he had one down. “No, but I know I hit one,” was his reply. Looking at the tracks and seeing no blood, I figured it must have been a different deer he shot at. He

During a hunt that was more successful than the one described in this column, the author (left) and George Smith haul a whitetail over blowdowns on the way to the tagging station.“George was my friend,” writes the author, “and I miss him.”

said he had hit one, as there was hair where the deer was standing when he shot. He also said it was only a 15yard shot. We backtracked to where the deer had been standing, and there was an old rotten stump that had been shattered by his shot, blowing brown splinters where the deer had been. I tried to control my laughter, as all hunting buddies would have done. Then I asked him if he was going to tag and dress

Knowing Habitat is Helpful It helps a lot to anticipate the habitat in which a particular bird species might be found. Like to go to the beach? Learn how many different types of gulls and shorebirds live in Maine. Try to spot a Bonaparte’s gull or a Laughing gull. Walk to the nearby marsh to find a common egret or a snowy egret. Prefer the mountains? You might see a raven instead of a crow. Have you ever fed a Canada jay from your hand? Corvids are a charming and intelligent family of birds. (Corvids are much better than COVID!)

out the stump. ***** George Smith cared about the woods and critters in them. He cared about the streams and fishes in them. He cared about the air and the birds that fly in it. He was a Teddy Roosevelt guy. He loved his family and friends. He loved his State of Maine. He was a true champion of sportswomen and men. But most of all, he was my friend, and I miss him.

Hints and Cues There are so many hints and cues for identifying birds. Some are only active at a certain time of day. Others behave a certain tell-tale way, like crawling down a tree trunk head-first, or twitching a tail while sitting on a wire. The more you know about a species’ requirements and habits – such as favorite foods, range, migration, and mating – the more likely you will be to see and correctly identify a new bird for your list. Have fun!

www.MaineSportsman.com

46 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Jim the Trapper, and the Refrigerated Bedroom Trapping is an American tradition. For generations, trappers explored America’s wilderness in search of fur-bearing animals – an exercise that not only provided an income, but often led to the discovery of our country’s spectacular natural places. Today, our state’s trapping season runs from late October to April, during which time Maine woodsmen journey afield to harvest valuable pelts. Dive into the history of trapping, and you’ll be delighted with exploits of those intrepid folks who tramped mile after mile on snowshoes to gather the thick-coated muskrat, fisher, mink, pine martin, otter and beaver. After the pelts are collected, this renewable resource is shipped to markets such as North Bay, Ontario Canada, from which the luxurious furs are distributed around the world. When I first went to work on the Allagash, Patty and Al Nugent of Chamberlain Camps shared their feats of cross-country trapping, before the advent of snowmobiles.

Al Nugent. Photo courtesy of Nugent’s Sporting Camp, Chamberlain Lake www.MaineSportsman.com

When you are a trapper living alone in the northern Maine wilderness for months at a time, you learn to make do the very best you can. Al had a 200-mile trapline extending as far north as Allagash Lake. While he was gone, Patty traveled a shorter trap line along the shores of eighteenmile-long Chamberlain Lake. Theirs was a rugged existence that required trudging day after day on webbed shoes through deep and drifting snows. At night, they sought shelter in “line camps” just big enough to crawl inside for an evening’s lodging.

Trapper’s cabin. Note the door covered with birch bark. Photo courtesy of Maine Forest and Logging Museum, Bradley, Maine

Settling into a cold hut, the traveler would build a warming fire in a small wood stove. While the cabin warmed, he’d recover parsnips that had been buried in the dirt floor as preparation for a nighttime supper. Very hungry from the exertion of the day, the trapper would create a flavorful beaver or muskrat vegetable stew.

Trapper’s bed. Photo courtesy of Maine Forest and Logging Museum, Bradley, Maine

Sleeping under thick blankets on a rounded log cot softened by a mattress of soft tips from a fir bough, the woodsman would quickly drift off to sleep, fully understanding that his regimen would resume at the crack of dawn. The Story of Jim the Trapper During my Ranger days, the month of February was not only trapping season, but also when Allagash Lake was open for ice fishing. To take advantage of two sources of income during a period of little work, the owners of Loon Lodge on Round Pond in T7R14, near Allagash Lake, hired a trapper to run the camps for the fishing month. The individual’s responsibility was two-fold – first, to care and cook for the fisherman who spent nights at the camps; and second, to trap fur to generate an extra income.

Beaver house. Photo: T. Caverly Collection

Once winter day, my warden friend Brian stopped by to invite me to snow-sled to Allagash Lake. He hadn’t heard from the trapper/caretaker of Loon Lodge, whose name was Jim. and Brian wanted to ensure that Jim was doing alright. After exiting Chamberlain Lake at the Upper Crow’s Nest Campsite, we traveled along an unplowed logging road that led to the sporting camps. As we arrived in the camp front yard, Jim opened a kitchen door, waved, and invited us in for coffee. As the daytime temperature was hovering at 10 degrees above zero, an invitation of that type was welcomed, and we immediately accepted. We soon learned that Jim had been living at the camps for two months, and except for a few fishermen, he had not seen another soul. The remote resident appreciated our company and

asked us to share any news from the outside world. What’s Upstairs? While the coffee pot perked, Jim offered to show me around. First, we toured an immaculate kitchen that was obviously arranged to serve only the finest of home-cooked meals. Then we walked through the combined dining and living room, where there were many pictures of wildlife, antlered mounts and other classic amenities which certified the ambience of wilderness cabins. After we walked up a short flight of stairs to a second story, Jim opened the door to his bedroom. Inside, I noticed that the window was half open, with curtains billowing in the wintery breeze. Shivering in the frigid room, I asked, “How come it’s so cold in here?” In response, Jim knelt down, reached under a double bed, and pulled out a dark brown furry carcass. “This temperature keeps my beaver froze ’til I can skin it,” he explained. Nodding, I understood that when a person lives isolated in the backwoods with limited resources, they must make do the best way they can. Tim Caverly has authored ten books about Maine’s northern forest.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 47

— Guest Column —

Safely Guiding Gunners –

The Benefits of the Break-Open Action Shotgun by Michael Tuminaro, Maine Upland Guide Service “We’re very experienced; we’ve been shooting for years!” This was a comment from some potential clients from New Jersey looking for a ruffed grouse hunt over our dogs in the Moose River Valley. These gentlemen did have experience as upland hunters, having mostly hunted stocked pheasants on open ground in their home state. None of them had ever had an opportunity to hunt grouse in the north woods, and they were excited to try their hand at the “King.” They were also intent on using semi-autos in order to send maximum lead downrange at any grouse that dared enter the barrage. As a guide, it is not only my job to show you a great hunt, but also to keep all sports, dogs and guides safe during this excursion. Prior to the trip, I explained to them how break-action guns may function better for them in our environment, and recommended that they try our double guns first. To their credit, they were happy to give us the benefit of the doubt, and agreed. Proving Ground – Clays The next weekend, the Garden State group arrived at our camp. They settled in and unpacked while we all chatted excitedly about the upcoming hunt. Before dinner, we gave them a chance to shoot clays behind our

Doubles are safe and simple shotguns to use. No need to clear the shells out to get over a blowdown – just break it open. Not only do you know it’s safe, but others, including your guides, can see it, too.

Break-open guns are not only safe for the user, but they are also helpful to hunting companions and guides – from a glance, it’s clear the shotgun can’t be fired.

camp and adjust to our double guns. We observed them carefully during this practice session, because we wanted to be aware of any competency or safety issues here in a controlled space before taking them out into the covers, with the excitement and distraction of dogs running and birds flushing. They proved to be good shooters, and handled the guns safely and effectively. We briefed them on safely shooting over dogs and appropriate fields of fire, and answered questions of best shot size, effective range, and how many birds we’d likely see. Safety First We conduct a safety brief for everyone who comes to hunt with us, no matter what their experience

level, and we’ve yet to have anyone offended by it. We present our safety expectations respectfully and genuinely. We make sure that they know that we are not doubting their skills, but want to outline clear expectations so we’re all on the same page. This refresher is beneficial to us as well, because even the experienced can become complacent, and we all need to be reminded of the basics from time to time. Maine Covers Different from NJ We headed out the following morning, and they got to see what a grouse hunt was all about. After wading through dense young covers, bending and climbing over downed timber and

slipping on some wet rocks, they began to understand what they couldn’t before. This was nothing like pheasants in New Jersey. The obstacles, limited visibility and challenging flight patterns of the birds left them with a newfound respect for this type of hunt and for our safety brief. They all harvested birds, photos were taken, and satisfied, we returned to camp. Why a Double? Safety is the main reason why we recommend doubles to everyone in the grouse woods. This stance can be a hot topic, rivaling “which dog is best?” and can get upland hunters fighting mad. It’s an opinion we hold with all due respect, however, because we’ve seen too

many hunters out in the woods who get tired of clearing semi-autos every time they have to climb under or around something, or rock-hop across a small stream or muddy area. I’ve found that muzzles can – and often will – unintentionally get pointed at living things other than grouse. Doubles are safe and simple to use. They are easy to break, and it takes a split-second to make them safe as you step over that rock, and then re-engage quickly so no flushes are missed. The break action also makes it so easy for others to see that it is safe. As guides, we’re always monitoring these things, and it certainly makes our job easier. We regularly hear that “You only get two shots” with a double gun, but I have found that under most circumstances, that is more than enough. The flush, locate and shot occurs in seconds, and seldom have I ever found myself wishing for the third round. Even during the rare occasion when this occurs, the consistent safety of the experience makes up for that missed bird. Do we also love doubles because they’re traditional? Absolutely – just like exaggerated tales and good scotch by the evening’s fire. Stay safe out there, and best of luck in the fall.

www.MaineSportsman.com

48 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Ammo, Ammo, Who’s Got the Ammunition? Fourteen months into the global Corona virus pandemic, The Shooter’s Bench needs to say something about Covid-19 and its impact on the firearms industry and the shooting world. Slow to engage, this writer needs to join the chorus of voices rising to confront what has become a pervasive issue for shooters in Maine and beyond. As the virus tightened its stranglehold last year, most people thought and talked of just getting past 2020. The New Year of 2021

Experts estimate that upwards of seven million new shooters purchased firearms this past year, straining an industry accustomed to a predictable volume of business. Ammo shelves are “stripped as if by locusts.” Hunters and sportsmen are harmed by this situation, says the author, and he says it’s time to stop unneeded stockpiling. would usher in better times and a “return to normal,” and in many ways it has. The creation and distribution of three potent anti-viral vaccines in just one year is a miracle. Along with effective social distancing, reduced travel and other precautions, these

10TH ANNUAL

GUN SHOW Sponsored by Buck’s Mills Rod & Gun Club

June 5–6, 2021 Saturday 9AM–5pm Sunday 9AM–2PM Orland Community Center 21 School House Road, Orland, ME Admission $5 Under 15 Free with Adult Snacks, Treats & Drinks Available from the Kitchen For Info Call Bruce Ashmore at (207) 949-1779 www.MaineSportsman.com

measures mean that herd immunity is on the way. Fatalities and serious illness are in retreat, we believe. However, as a second-order effect of the pandemic, things seem far less rosy for all types of shooters. Manufacturing slowdowns come as little surprise, given more than a year’s worth of social distancing, precautionary quarantines, and actual cases of the Covid-19 virus. What is less understandable and far less acceptable is the public’s reaction to the situation. For reasons as varied as having a great increase in recreational time, fears of a looming apocalypse brought on by the pandemic, other civil unrest, and the transition of the Presidential administration last January, experts estimate that six to seven

million new shooters purchased firearms. That much new business understandably impacts an industry accustomed to a predictable volume in any given year. The parallel frenzy to purchase any and all available ammunition, by new shooters, old shooters, sometimes shooters, as well as those that never shoot, is the source of frustration and angst from sea to shining sea. Back in March, American Rifleman quoted Jason Hornady, vice president of Hornady Manufacturing, as saying, “Ammunition is the new toilet paper.” Thoughtless Buying Hornady was of course referring to the irrational buying up of stocks of toilet paper and other items at the outset of the pandemic that led to months’long shortages. Any-

one who has tried to purchase ammunition other than .17 Remington Fireball or .416 Rigby since the summer of 2020 will understand. Small retailers like the local sporting goods store or giants like Cabela’s, L.L. Bean and Kittery Trading Post have seen their shelves denuded of supplies of all common ammunition types. Writing for American Rifleman, Editorial Director John Zent said, “In case you hadn’t noticed, ammunition shelves are empty, stripped as if by locusts.” “Stripped as if by locusts.” Does anything justify such panic buying? Certainly the civil unrest last summer in Minneapolis, Oregon; and Wisconsin concerns many, and the unconscionable storming of the national capitol building on January 6th sears our collective psyche, but who buys 10,000 rounds of .257 Roberts to fend off a mob of miscreants? Only hunters and other shooting sports enthusiasts have suffered by this wave of panic buying. Brad Marshall, of Marshall’s Firearms in Boscawen, New Hampshire said recently, “I’ve called all my distributors, telling them to send me anything (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 49 (Continued from page 48)

they’ve got, be it guns or ammunition. I just can’t keep anything on the shelves.” Needless Stockpiling Chris Metz, the head of Vista Outdoors, the parent company of Federal, Speer, CCI and now Remington Ammunition, was quoted by John Zent as saying, “Demand has been strong across the board—any type or caliber of handgun ammo: small rifle, big rifle, hunting rifle, even rimfire … and we are not seeing an end.” We need to see an end. We need to stop the needless stockpiling, and let the industry recover some balance. The ammunition plants and gun makers of this country

deserve a chance to slow the pace, let their workforce catch their breath, and prepare for a post-Covid world. Acute shortages and unreliable supply chains threaten every aspect of the shooting sports, from developing new shooters, hosting sanctioned competitions, and even that trip to the sandpit with a couple of boxes to ensure the favorite deer rifle is ready for another season up to camp. No one benefits from such a situation. Suppliers need a steady stream of orders. Retailers rely on a measurable parade of repeat customers. The rest of us need, want, and deserve an expectation of success when we stop by to pick up a couple boxes of shells before the

weekend. The time has come to stop thinking of ammunition as the toilet paper of shooting sports. The situation is not the same

as needing milk and bread before the predicted Nor’easter, or beer and pizza before the big game comes on the television. Seeing as it is May

and my local store is out of AA trap loads, I am just glad there is no shortage of trout flies.

— Trophy Gallery —

Bethany Roberts of Surry enjoyed a successful turkey hunt last spring, bringing home this monster tom.

“Downeast” columnist Jim Lemieux is shown here with his first tom turkey of the 2020 season. Jim bagged this big 20-lb., 5-oz. bird with a 20-yard shot from his Remington 870, using 3-1/2 inch shells.

Emily Goode of Bucksport bagged this nice turkey during last fall’s season as part of her 2020 Grand Slam. Her bear, moose and turkey were all taken within a 30-day period in August and September, while her whitetail deer was tagged in November. www.MaineSportsman.com

50 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Learning from Tracks and Sign Whether you are targeting beaver, otter, mink, marten, fisher or coyote, you can learn a lot about an animal from the tracks and sign it leaves behind. A track in the snow, sand or mud can tell us many things – the direction the animal took, where it came from, its age, its travel corridors, what it was hunting, where it was bedding or taking shelter, what it ate, and where it raised its young. The ability to read sign is all-important to trappers and to their ability to regularly take the various furbearers. The ability to set traps for specific species, and to avoid unwanted species, is greatly enhanced by reading sign. While tracking, information is gathered by studying all that the animal does during its travels. Scat will tell you what it has been feeding on. Felines many times have specific toilet locations and places where they rub on trees or rocks when passing through an area. Their hair will be found on the object, allowing a trapper to set traps where the animal will most likely place its feet at

the rub. Tracks in the Muddy Bottom Fisher and marten have defined corridors they follow while traveling about their territory, such as along streams, gullies or where different tree growths merge. Some during travels around their home range seem to always investigate the same old hollow or leaning tree. Aquatic animals favor traveling different shorelines and underwater edges and features that they move up tight against, such as underwater points, ledges and large logs. These various underwater features are where mink and otter hunt for frogs, crayfish, mussels and fish. Types of vegetation or roots favored by beaver and muskrats for feed found in the water should be noted. On sandy or muddy bottoms of ponds and streams, there are telltale signs left by various species as they travel in or under the water or ice. This can

® Crit-R-Done Bear Foot Snare Cable Retraint Delivery System Trap kit includes bait bag, zip-ties, two anchors with swivels, cable stop, snare cable and cable clamp for spring. Additional snares sold separately.

WATCH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO on how to set and properly use at www.critrdone.com. LEGAL IN MAINE! — NOW AVAILABLE AT THESE FINE DISTRIBUTORS — OSBORNE & SONS TRAPPER SUPPLY 767 High Hill Road, Pulaski, PA • 724-730-3444 cell • 724-652-7884 office BASSWOOD FUR STRETCHERS TRAPPING SUPPLY 38 Moes Durrell Road, Lexington, ME • 207-628-4503 SNARE ONE 7 Bates Lane, Port Republic, NJ • 609-748-3541 STERLING FUR COMPANY LTD. 11268 Frick Road, Sterling, OH • 330-939-3763

www.MaineSportsman.com

be as simple as seeing raccoon tracks going into the water, their footprints proceeding along the bottom to the point where they came out. Sign as faint as the slight brushing of a ponds or streams bottom by the tail of a muskrat as it swims out of its underwater den, or bubble trails under the ice telling a trapper where to make sets for beaver or muskrat as they travel under the ice. Tiny Prints of Mink and Marten Tracks of some smaller furbearer species are hard or all-but-impossible to locate without snow, such as the short and long tail weasels, marten and mink. Knowledge of their daily habits increases a trapper’s ability to locate their sign. Mink tracks the size of a man’s thumbnail are about the only ones to be found without snow. Many times a mink track appears only as tiny toenail marks in the sand or mud on a shoreline. The weasel leaves its sign in the snow where its tiny tracks that are only the size of a pencil eraser may be found. The marten’s track is only slightly larger than that of a mink, and is all but impossible to find in the forest environment

The Maine Trappers Association (MTA) Track Cards are handed out to kids at various functions, and sometimes by the Warden Service.

without snow. The scat of these species is also very small and hard to locate without having a knowledge of their toilet habits. The pattern of tracks in snow or dirt without seeing the paw print itself can tell you what animal made it. All the species have their own stride, whether walking or running. Fresh Snow Tells All One of the easiest ways to determine the population level of a species or their main travel corridors is to ride about after snowstorms looking for tracks along or crossing the roads. In the wintertime while driving over bridges or culverts and looking down, one can easily see the pattern of mink tracks in snow. In areas of open water, one may see where otter or beaver are coming out onto the ice. Otter sometimes travel great dis-

tances over land, and take great joy in sliding down inclines in the snow. Their short legs cause their body to flatten down the snow over their tracks, while their trailing tail leaves sign of its own. Domestic Dog, or Coyote? Many people cannot tell the difference between a domestic dog track and a coyote track. They assume any track in unpopulated areas is that of a coyote. The coyote’s track is slightly more oval than that of domestic dogs. Fresh scat of wild canines normally appears really dark or black and usually contains easily seen bone fragments and hair. Wild canines feed off mammal matter in the woods, while domestic dogs normally are fed commercial dog foods. Wild canines also feed (Trapping continued on page 53)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 51

Maine is Back on the Bike For those whose knees and hips can’t take running on pavement, bicycles offer a great alternative for fresh air and exercise. But you don’t need to break the bank with an expensive high-tech road bike, says the author, since if you can find an older model with good bones, you can upgrade with clipin pedals, an aero bar and a wireless odometer. From a distance of half a mile away, I could clearly see that the person in the breakdown lane ahead of my truck was not a pedestrian. It was easy to pick out the bright yellow jersey against the dirty snowbanks that lined Route 2. And the speed was way beyond that of a runner. Driving closer, I could see the flashing red taillight mounted on the seat post. The rider’s head bobbed slightly up and down in coordination with the effort of his legs. The road biker was maintaining a solid 1520 mph, as his fancy carbon steed splashed through snowmelt water and the skinny tires crunched over windrows of leftover winter road sand and salt stains. It was February 21st. Never Too Excited Bicyclists in Maine are a practical bunch, and we don’t generally lose our collective minds when the odd balmy day in February comes along. But I admit that it was less than two weeks later that I pulled my bike down from the upper reaches of the barn

and began planning for spring rides. The old steel crossbike that has served me as a road bike for many years was in tough shape, and it needed some work beyond the usual early-season tune-up. Like a lot of Maine cyclists, I had cut back on my road biking in recent years. This was mostly due to traffic concerns and the ever-expanding use of cell-phones by drivers on Maine roads. Motor-vehicle drivers are always a safety concern for bike riders. But drivers distracted by cell phones are an existential threat to life and limb for those of us on two wheels. Still, whenever we do venture out on the breakdown lane of Route 2, or some back road that is less-traveled, we often find ourselves asking: “Why don’t I do this every single day?” The bicycle is often the outdoor athlete’s haven of last resort as the wear and tear of over-use injuries take their toll in our later years. Arthritic knees, artificial hip joints, even bad backs can be accommodated – be-

cause bicycling avoids any weighted-impact between body parts and the ground. Those who can’t run anymore often can still bike. Rehab for Rider and Steed I acquired the L.L. Bean Acadia model 25 years ago in a shrewd exchange for some winter plowing of a neighbor’s driveway. My neighbor worked at the retail store and had access to the famous and mythical “E-store” – where Bean workers could scoop up incredible deals on returned and discontinued items. The relatively-heavy green steel bike was never meant for speed. It sported upright, flat handle-bars instead of the more race-ready drop-down version, the tires were comfortably plump, designed for gravel camp roads and local pavement instead, of long-distance endurance rides. The gearing system was not exactly state-ofthe-art – even 25 years ago. Yet I have ridden the bike in at least seven different Trek Across Maine charity rides – traveling 180

The author prepares for one of his seven “Treks Across Maine,” each of which involved a 3-day trip totaling 180 miles.

miles, Sunday River to Belfast over three days. I also used it for the road bike portions of a self-propelled trip from Kittery to Fort Kent in 2012. Often Tempted – Never Fallen New, sleek racing bikes often tempted me over the years. But the price of those faster models, and ultimately their impracticability, always brought me back to the Acadia. The more practical alternative was to adapt and modify what I already had to make it fit my purposes. So, the balloon-like tires were switched out for slimmer touring tires that offered less resistance and could be inflated to high-pressures for better speed. An aero-bar was bolt-

ed on to the existing handle-bar so that I could extend forward onto the elbow rests and duck down out of the wind. Clip-in pedals replaced the original flat versions – dramatically increasing efficiency by keeping the feet in constant contact with the pedals on the upstroke as well as the down. Bicycling is gear-intensive, but again, utilitarian Maine bikers can often avoid the most specialized and expensive gear. A helmet is mandatory, the latest fancy racing model is not. I use an older mountain-bike version that has a visor for cutting down on glare. Long days in the saddle call for some extra padding (Self-Propelled continued on page 56) www.MaineSportsman.com

52 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Where Are All the Huge Fish in This Region? Anglers are tight-lipped about their most productive spots. In fact, they have even been known to “misdirect” other fishermen who are looking for easy answers. The author has found a middle ground – providing sufficient detail to get the newcomers started in the right direction, but then letting them continue the search on their own. I don’t know why it works this way, but somehow the frantic twitching of a bait fish really gets predatory salmonid and other fish to ferociously attack. There must be something written in their DNA that prompts these hungry fish to view the speedy little bait fish as a tasty meal ... kind of like the hungry bobcat rocketing after a runaway hare. I really used to enjoy watching “National Geographic” television shows when I was a kid (I still do). I looked on in amazement when the cameras captured a creeping lion or other feline, slowly stalking their prey. When I started fishing

www.MaineSportsman.com

for larger game fish, I realized the striking familiarity when a big, toothy game fish decided to put the stalk on. After looking over old photographs and reading historical accounts of the Rangeley Region’s angling past, I wondered why this region fails to produce the caliber of huge fish it once did. For years, I’ve heard that the “no-icefishing” regulations on most of the lakes and ponds around this region were meant to help increase the size of fish. I’ve seen some huge fish taken from these waters, but none as described in the historic journals from the past, and definitely

not the high concentration of big fish recorded back then. I called the Region D office of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) in Strong and left a message for someone to call back about this topic. Fish Biologist Thorndike Regional Fisheries Biologist Elizabeth Thorndike promptly returned my call, and she had this to say when I asked her about the results of their years of trying to grow bigger fish. “Our goal has always been to maintain a healthy population of fish in the waters of this region by implementing various regulations and restrictions on individual waters according to the needs of that particular piece of water,” she explained. “Each body of water has specific needs to maintain a healthy population of fish, so we have geared our efforts to satisfy those individual needs.” I continued the conversation by asking biologist Thorndike if there were any

For most anglers, half the fun of fishing comes from finding remote and pristine locations on their own. William Clunie photo

records or data that showed an increase in the size of fish being taken from the lakes in this region. Biologist Thorndike replied, “We generally look back two or three years to compare from one year to the next. I will look into going back further to compare those numbers with recent data, and I’ll get back to you.” Thorndike also told me that they have been netting and checking fish as they pass through the outlet of Rangeley Lake in Oquossoc. She asked me to join the crew this fall and take part in event. I can’t wait to see the numbers, and I look forward to seeing the huge fish netted in October. I’ll have some great photographs and information to pass along then. Fishing Hotspots For most of my life, anglers have been known to have a certain code – you never give away secret fish-

ing locations to just anybody. It’s not a surprise that anglers routinely misdirect folks away from their precious fishing holes. So good fishing information often comes from an angler’s own efforts of trial and error. Sure, the obvious fishing locations are easy to find – just look for the turnout containing the largest number of parked cars. Some folks find places to fish by checking social media sites where loose-lipped anglers rattle on about their favorite locations – and these places get overrun with anglers in short order. But what if a fishing person wishes to get away from the crowds? An easy method for finding new and sometimes hidden locations starts with Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) fish stocking report (listed in the April issue of The Maine Sportsman). I look for places that get (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 53 (Continued from page 52)

stocked in the previous fall, and go from there. I like to mark down several locations in one particular region, and then travel to each location. I fish the water to check for fish first – if I don’t find fish or

find the place overrun with other anglers, I simply move on to the next location marked on the map. Please don’t get me wrong ... I want everyone to enjoy the beautiful fishing we are blessed with in this state. I often give

A bear track in the mud – no claws showing.

A large canine track.

Trapping (Continued from page 50)

on apples and various berries in season, their seeds may be found in their scat during that time of year. A strange habit of coyotes is their

MCountain View &g s ottages

uide

folks good information to locations where the state has stocked the water with fish so folks can come and take a nice catch home for a meal. I give out locations that are easy to find – the ones that most folks already know about. I honest-

erViCe

Rangeley Lake • Oquossoc, ME

• Private Waterfront Cottages with Docks & Moorings • Boat Rentals & Guide Service Available • WiFi & Direct TV

ly want them to have a great time and catch some nice fish. On the other hand, I have chosen to uphold the traditional code of honor among my fellow anglers of discrimination. I will part with just enough information to get an-

Mink tracks in the mud along a stream bank.

placement of scat on the top of rocks in the logging roads. Domestic dogs and the fox don’t do that. Like humans, most wild animals take the path of least resistance. Overhead cover protects some species from predatory birds, and thick bush is pre-

glers to continue their own search. There’s a fine line between helping an angler, and being a complete blabber mouth. Besides, finding your own special fishing location makes the success so much sweeter.

A bobcat track in the snow and ice atop a beaver pond.

ferred by some while traveling or hunting. And do not forget the wind – most species are influenced by wind direction for protection and locating food sources.

Rangeley Lakes Region — Revive Your Senses —

207-864-3416

info@mountainviewcottages.com

www.mountainviewcottages.com The private world of

North Camps - on Rangeley Lake -

Fly Fishing or Trolling for Salmon & Trout Fall Hunting for Birds Guide Service Available Twelve Modern Housekeeping Cottages with Woodstove & Screened Porch Boats & Canoes to Rent

E.B. Gibson Off Mingo Loop Road Oquossoc, ME • 207-864-2247

www.northcamps.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

54 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

How to Find and Fish Brook Trout Heaven Have you ever tried to fight through a thick alder swamp full of brush and downed logs, carrying a 6-foot long fishing pole? Sweat drips down your face and black flies swarm around you; muck and mire attempt to pull your boots off your feet with each step. Then you must contend with possible death from a tick bite. Are we having fun yet? At last you bust through the quagmire and step out onto a large green swale; the breeze shifts the chest-high grass back and forth like waves, and the flies seem to retreat back into the jungle you just fought through, waiting for you to return and run the gantlet again. In the distance, a deer snorts, and white flags wave. You feel like you stepped from hell into heaven. Brook Trout Paradise Southern Maine has many environments like this, and they all harbor brookies. Every waterway here in the southern part of the state begins from marshes and swamps. The ones with lake headwaters were dammed a hundred year ago to control water levels and generate power for the woolen mills along the rivers – lakes like Mousam, Square, and smaller water bodies www.MaineSportsman.com

This is worm-dunking at its purest form. Reaching out with your long fly rod, drop the worm into the pool, and watch it disappear in the dark water. Then, wait. When the worm reaches the coolest depth – generally near bottom – you will feel the characteristic “bump, bump” of a wild brook trout.

Heath Brook in Acton is perfect brook trout habitat – difficult to access, with deep, dark water and undercut banks. It’s a perfect place for MWDRC members to fish. Val Marquez photo

like Horn Pond. Actually, I don’t think that there are many natural lakes in Southern Maine; with the exception of a few true lakes, such as Sebago, most surface water existed as ponds and marshes during pre-colonial times. These flooded areas are easy to locate by reviewing Google

Maps, or topographical maps such as DeLorme’s Maine Atlas and Gazetteer. Look for open swale marshes with brooks running through them. Generally, the brooks are full of aquatic life, have deep areas with overhanging brush and banks, and therefore provide perfect brook trout habitat.

Public Trout Waters We are lucky to have a blue ribbon brook trout stream here in southern Maine. Davis Brook flows through the Newfield Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Shapleigh and Newfield. It drains into the Little Ossipee River. Its headwater is a large marsh on

the Owl’s Nest Road in Shapleigh, after which the brook flows between mountains in the WMA to the Mann Road. The upper sections of the brook can be reached from the Owl’s Nest Road; the mid-section access can be from the Norton Ridge Road (gated dirt road on Route 11); and the lower section is reachable from the bridge on the Mann Road. The section downstream of the bridge on the Mann Road is managed for brown trout, and has catch-and-release and also artificial lures-only restrictions (check law book before fishing). Upstream from the Mann Road Bridge, anglers can comply with general fishing laws. Following the brook upstream, you will come to the swamp I described above. A swale marsh at the headwater on the Owls Nest Road is a good brook trout hangout, as well. Brook trout prefer these types of waters because of a number of factors. First are the consistent cool water temperatures. This type of water also helps them avoid predators like introduced browns, rainbow trout and bass. Fishing Methods You are not fishing on a classic En(Southern Maine continued on page 56)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 55

May is Tops for Trout Trolling May is this angler’s favorite time for targeting the three strains of trout – brook, rainbow and brown – that are stocked aplenty in this region. Maybe it’s the mild days, perhaps it’s the lack of the summer crowds, or just possibly it’s because fishing this time of year for trout is so darned good! In any case, when May is here I’ll be found at my favorite haunts, chasing all three trout species. My gear of choice is simple – trolling a sinking fly line on my favorite trolling fly rod with a lure or streamer is all I need. Deciding where to go is the challenge. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite spots in the region. Range Pond Chain You can’t talk to any trout-chasing angler in this neck of the woods without discussing the Range Pond chain – Upper, Middle and Lower, (DeLorme Atlas, Map 5, A-3). These ponds are heavily stocked with all three trout species in good numbers, with a healthy dose of huge brood stock fish, as well. Troll the shoreline and dodge the sunken moorings, and you will be in spring trout territory. For all my spring trout trolling, on the Range Ponds and elsewhere, I run my go-to early season trolling outfit – a stout fly

The author takes readers on a regional tour of eight waters that will produce well this month. “May is the time to target trout in our many small lakes and ponds,” he reports. “The days are nice, the waters aren’t crowded, and the fish are on the bite.” rod with fast-sinking eight-weight line, and a 30-foot leader of fluorocarbon line. I’ll generally drag tandem streamer flies or small spoons this time of year. Range Pond trout seem to like the Barnes’ Special and Gray Ghost streamers. For lures, anything shiny and flashy should work. I prefer

the Thomas Buoyant, and any of the Al’s Goldfish lures also work well. Anglers can access Middle and Upper Range Ponds from the launch between the two on Skellinger Road. Access to Lower Range Pond is located in Range Pond State Park.

Worthley Pond Worthley Pond, located off of Route 122 in Poland (Map 5, A-3), is alive with brook and brown trout. The boat launch is rough and best suited for motorized canoes and kayaks or small, light boats with outboards or electric motors. But once you’re on the pond, hang onto your rod! Heavy

stockings of brook and brown trout in the spring and fall mean this small pond will produce a nice holdover fish. Try colorful streamers like the Mickey Finn here. The same goes for lures. Think fluorescent orange or gold spoons anytime brown trout are present. Tripp Pond Tripp Pond in Poland (Map 5, A-3) is another sleeper. Stocked with brown trout and salmon, this pond doesn’t get as much attention as (Continued on next page)

Al’s sport Center Choose Your Own Adventure Now Carrying:

1818 Lisbon Road, Lewiston, ME | 207-784-7591

1675

www.alssportcenter.com

Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual.

We’ll Make Your Boat Look Showroom New! BOAT RECONDITIONING

From

15.00

per foot up to 19 feet

From

20.00

per foot 20 feet and up

www.YvonsCarWash.com

MARINA: 633 White’s Bridge Road, Standish, ME • 207-892-4913 Open Mon–Fri 8AM–4:30PM

ACID WASH BOTTOM

ANNEX: Route 302, Windham, ME • 207-892-9664

Call Today!

www.richardsonsby.com

60.00

Open Tue–Fri 8AM–5PM, Sat 8AM–3PM

www.MaineSportsman.com

56 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Sebago to Auburn (Continued from page 55)

other nearby waters, but long-term stockings have put so many fish in here, they are bound to flourish. With salmon present, I’d drag a smelt imitation or slim spoon like the DB Smelt. Don’t forget the orange color for brownies, and salmon like that color, too. Coffee Pond To the south, Coffee Pond in Casco (Map 5, B-1) is one of my favorite haunts. A shallow launch ensures smaller boats only – no live fish as bait

protect the resource – AND it is stocked with rapid-growing splake and a good number of brook trout. Splake are the non-reproducing hybrid cross between lake trout and brook trout, combining the best of both species. Plus, Coffee Pond is closed to ice fishing, so us open-water anglers have it all to ourselves. I’ve rarely encountered any other anglers when I fish it early in May. Coffee Pond has a robust smelt population, so any smelt imitation is a good choice.

I like to drag a preserved smelt, which is legal, and have taken some whopper splake using that method. Work the shoreline on any May morning or evening, and you may be rewarded with a hard-fighting splake or brookie. Long Lake Long Lake in Harrison (Map 10, E-4) is a top spot for brown trout. Be sure to put in at the launch in Harrison, as that is where the brownies are stocked and seem to hold. I caught my personal best brown trout there – a six-plus pounder that earned me a Maine Sports-

man “One That Didn’t Get Away” club patch. I took my leviathan on a Gray Ghost streamer that I tied myself, making it a double treat. Long Lake is also home to a good number of salmon, and lately, pickerel have been showing up regularly, so be prepared for a toothy catch. Trickey Pond For some great brook trout (and splake and salmon angling), try Trickey Pond in Naples (Map 4, B-5). Trickey has always produced well, and the splake are really taking off here. Select a smelt imitation in streamer

or lure, and work the shoreline. Fellow columnist Tom Seymour, in his book “Getting Your Big Fish – Trolling Maine Waters,” mentions placing a fly in the prop wash behind the boat as a great springtime technique. Most old-timers did this, and you can’t argue with their success. May is the time to target trout in our many small lakes and ponds. The days are nice, the waters aren’t crowded, and the fish are on the bite. Get out there and enjoy the month!

Self-Propelled (Continued from page 51)

under the sit-bones. Specialized biking shorts with sewn-in gel pads are all the rage. Padding the bike seat with a removeable gel cover always seemed more practical to me. Twenty-Five Years of Biking I always get a few chuckles and smiles when I walk the Acadia into a bike shop. This year was no different – and the amusement of the employees was not completely disguised by their pandemic face masks. But new tires, brake calipers, upgraded gearing cables, and a new wireless odometer for tracking distance and speed, along with a general tune-up – set me back less than a tenth of the sticker price on

Southern Maine (Continued from page 54)

glish trout stream and trying to look like a cover on Outdoor Life; instead, you need to downsize on these waters. Simplify your gear – an inexpensive old four piece fly rod can be taken down and placed in a small day pack, allowing you to slip through thick brush easily. A fly rod allows you to poke the rod past bank-side brush and drop the bait into the pool well back from the brook. If you walk right to the bank, you will spook trout with vibrations and by casting a shadow over the water. A www.MaineSportsman.com

The author modified his “Acadia” model bike with upgraded clip-in pedals, narrower tires for efficiency on the roads, and an aero bar that allows the rider to assume a streamlined riding position.

Here’s the author “down on the aero bars.” The pedals are the older “toe-clip” versions, which allow the used to wear regular outdoor shoes, but which are sometimes difficult to get out of quickly.

new road bikes. My first few rides reminded me how long it’s been since I’ve done any serious mileage on the roads. But I also

thought to myself, “How come I don’t do this every single day?”

spinning rod will keep you tangled in limbs; besides, there’s no casting needed. This is worm-dunking at its purest form – drop the worm into the pool, then watch it disappear in the dark water, and wait. When the worm reaches the coolest depth, generally near bottom, you will feel the typical “bump, bump” of a wild brook trout – it will most likely be small and dark, since an 8-inch trout is considered big in these waters. Most importantly is survival gear – bug repellent, hooded bug netting coat and hip boots; and everything must be treated with tick repellent. Also have a tick removal kit. As always, a GPS,

and a compass as a backup – if you get caught in and alder swamp after dark, things can get dangerous quickly. This is “no country for old men”; regardless, I still go there. This type of fishing is productive but often not much fun – there are no hard, long fights like bass fishing and large-water trout. This is fishing for the fry pan. When you catch your first bush-whacking brook trout, and then you catch a few more, you will qualify for induction in the Fraternal Order of the MWDRC (Maine Worm Dunking Redneck Club). Welcome to the club, my friend.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 57

Tips for Fly Fishing in Buggy Conditions This is a great month to be out fishing, but it also marks the emergence of black flies and mosquitos. The author runs down the available options for repelling biting bugs, from DEET and Permethrin to a battery-powered misting device – and even a home-grown recipe containing pine tar and herbs! Depending upon the weather, this month could be one of the best months of the year to be out fishing. Many variables can ruin the odds – high water, storms with heavy wind and rain, or dry spells with no rain and low water. Another funny thing about May fishing always gets me laughing. Folks complain about the bugs during May. Now wait a minute ... fly fishers are known for wishing for huge insect hatches, so how can we complain about bugs? Well, it comes down to two nasty bugs that cause a problem – black flies, and mosquitoes. Mosquitoes begin their attack around the end of May or the beginning of June, and they stick around all summer. Black flies also start up in May, but then taper off by the end of June. The end of May and most of June can be some of the best times to fish in Maine, but it can also be one of the most terrible times in the woods if an angler doesn’t know how to keep the nasty, biting bugs at bay. Avoid Biting Insects I used to wear a bug suit that com-

pletely protected me from insect bites while bear hunting deep in the woods. I could never get used to something like this for fishing ... even wearing a simple head net drives me nuts when I am fishing, so I have other options. I also used to spray heavy amounts of bug dope everywhere, opting for the repellent that had the highest amount of DEET available. Certain bug sprays contain 100-percent DEET, and I used them liberally until some folks suggested avoiding the highest-concentration DEET formulas. Nowadays, I still use a DEET sprayed on my clothing. I’ve also tried every other insect repellent, and found them to be less

effective than DEET. I found an old Maine Journal from the 1800s with a recipe for fly dope that folks used centuries ago, and I thought I’d list it here. I must admit I haven’t used it, but will give it a try sometime and report back to you. If anyone tries it before I do, please let me know if it works as well as DEET. It’s an herbal remedy, so there shouldn’t be any problems for anyone unless they have an allergy to one of the ingredients. Old Timer’s Fly Dope Ingredients: • 3 ounces of Pine Tar • 2 ounces of Castor Oil • 1 ounce of Pennyroyal (a plant in the mint family)

Gene Bahr

Here are a few of the insect-repelling products the author uses ... just don’t get any on the fly line. William Clunie photo

Directions: Mix and simmer this solution slowly, then bottle. Other Bug Solutions I often find that when I’m on a river I never have a problem with bugs until I get back on land – no matter what time of year or how bad the bugs might be. Lakes are different ... I’ve had biting insects attack me no matter how far out on the flat water I go.

One item that I have found that helps is a product called the “Thermacell,” an insect repelling device that can be purchased at most big-box stores or online. I have found the handheld unit very effective as long as there isn’t a wind. The unit emits a non-toxic mist in the atmosphere, and keeps the insects at bay in a 15-foot circle. I fire my Thermacell (Freshwater Fly Fishing continued on page 60)

MASTER FISH CARVER

5 Pounds 9 Ounces Moosehead Lake

Sebago, ME • (207)647-5238 • www.genebahr.com www.MaineSportsman.com

58 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Reap Trout Fishing’s Unintended Bonanza Stocked fish don’t always stay where the biologists put them. They wash over dams, or head upstream, or even head out to the ocean for the winter. Here, the author details the process anglers can follow to track down those wayward fish, and get them into the creel. Trout are where you find them, and that includes places where they aren’t supposed to be. Specifically, trout – particularly, stocked trout – have a proclivity to migrate. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) releases thousands of trout in Maine waters each year, but not all of those fish remain in the location where they were introduced. This isn’t a bad

thing, though. Although stocked trout may flee from the water where they were stocked, they remain available somewhere. Our task then becomes to locate that “somewhere.” To begin, consider that most of the time, stocked trout will head downstream from point of introduction. To locate them, we may only need to fish the outlet of a stocked pond, beginning below the dam, if there is a

Allenbrook Farm & Tackle Buy & Sell

Pre-70s Rods, Reels & Tackle

Wildlife Carvings & Decoys

1965 Sennebec Road • Appleton, ME (207) 785-4795 Cast, Jig or Troll, #wegotabaitforthat

PROVEN VERSATILITY ESTABLISHED 1952

MADE IN AMERICA

www.alsgoldfish.com www.MaineSportsman.com

dam. From there on, it takes more ambitious prospecting. Diligence pays, and finding a place full of trout that no one else realizes exists means we have our own, personal, trout bonanza. Sea-Runs Many years ago, on a whim, I fished a likely-looking stream many miles below where it had been stocked. Few others fished there, because everyone knew it held

The author caught this brook trout in the outlet of a stocked pond. Tom Seymour photo

no trout. That was perhaps true most of the time, but for several weeks every May, previously-stocked trout from far upstream returned from the sea. These fish had followed the stream all the way to its confluence with Penobscot Bay, and had spent most of the previous

year in saltwater environs, there to become fat and muscular. They had even developed a metallic sheen – the same as native trout that go to sea and then return. Upon hooking the first of these trout, it seemed to me that a creek chub had tak(Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 59 (Continued from page 58)

en my lure, since it shone like burnished silver while in the water. Upon netting it, I could see there was no doubt it was a brook trout, fresh from the sea. Several more of these fighting machines took my jig, so after that first big pool played out, I reset downstream to the next good-looking pool. There, a heavier fish nailed the lure and after a give-and-take battle on my ultralight spinning outfit, I netted what at first appearance looked like an Atlantic salmon. But inspecting the vomerine plate proved that it was a brown trout, stocked far upstream and having spent an entire season at sea. This lower section of stream became one of my regular early-season haunts. It still gives up sea-run trout, and were it not for upstream stocking by DIF&W, it would be bereft of fish. This stands as just one example of how stocked trout will often appear

in the most unexpected places. Running Water Give a trout a choice of either still water, as in a lake or pond, and running water, as in a stream or river, and they’ll choose running water every time. Trout stocked in ponds and lakes, when given the slightest opportunity to escape downstream, will do so without hesitation. Here again, this can be a good thing. Often, many of the trout stocked in lakes and ponds go uncaught. Typically, people take fish soon after stocking, but as the water warms and the fish disperse, they quickly drop out of sight and mind. We should consider follow-

ing such fish on their downstream journey as making the best use of the resource. Once in early spring, I decided to stop by a roadside turnoff. A small stream came over a low, concrete dam and crossed under a bridge. Knowing that pools beneath bridges often hold trout, I tried my luck. To my amazement, the pool was filled with 9to 10-inch brook trout. It was plain to see that this stream became low later in the season, so I guessed that the trout must have come there from far downstream. After the bridge pool played out, I ventured downstream. It didn’t look like a natural place for trout. There were no rocks (Continued on next page)

TomsTazLures.com Your site for the complete line of TASMANIAN DEVIL® LURES

Get Hooked by the Devil!

Great for Trolling, Casting & Jigging

Streamers • Bait Rigs • Spinners • Hornbergs Coneheads • Flutterspoons • Lake Trolls Super Smelts • Cod Teasers • Flies & Nymphs

— Available in Sporting Goods Stores Throughout New England —

GUIDES SPECIAL LURES!

You can also purchase our products online at

www.PaulsBaitRigsAndTackle.com Hudson, NH • (603) 759-2264

www.MaineSportsman.com

60 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Trout Fishing (Continued from page 59)

on the bottom or sides, and much of the water was shallow. And yet, there were trout there too. Strangely, the trout were cookie-cutter versions of each other, same length and even same girth. Lat-

er, I spoke with a fisheries biologist about this, and he told me that the trout I caught had escaped from upstream, since DIF&W had stocked the pond, and the trout had washed over the dam. This stands as an-

Freshwater Fly Fishing (Continued from page 57)

up, hang it on my belt, and enjoy freedom from biting black flies and mosquitoes anytime I’m in the outdoors where these bugs might be bothersome. The handheld Thermacell unit always goes into my fishing pack, to avoid having biting bugs ruin a trip. I also carry a larger model in my truck during the bug season for protection around the campsite. These larger units look like a lantern, and cover an area twice the size of the handheld unit.

Other Bug Tricks A nice, smoldering fire helps keep

other example of a stocking program on a lake having an unplanned auxiliary component, the fish in the lake being the greater portion and the fish that made their way downstream the lesser, but still important part.

Seasonal Fishery The fisheries I’ve

discussed here are for the most part, seasonal. Like so many other good things, this short, fleeting window of availability closes all too soon. Fortunately, given that DIF&W continues stocking fish in the same places each year, this unintended bonanza will follow suit.

biting bugs at bay also, but an angler can’t carry that smoke out with them when fishing. Another concern – when the wind blows enough to keep bugs away, it can be difficult casting a line. I have taken to treating all of my outdoor clothing with permethrin, a product that effectively repels ticks. I do the same with clothing items that will be worn while fishing in mosquito- or black fly-infested areas. I spray DEET on my clothing each time I go out because, unlike the permethrin, DEET easily washes out of clothing – the permethrin-treated clothing can be washed up to 70 times before it becomes ineffective. I find that a 40 percent DEET product works just fine ... I spray my cloth-

So with a DeLorme Atlas and stocking report in hand, find stocked ponds and then try the waters downstream. Don’t discount any place, even if you know that it becomes too low to sustain trout later in the season. Good hunting!

ing before I go out, and make sure to concentrate the spray on my hat to keep them away from my face. I also treat a handkerchief or neck gaiter to avoid getting bugs near my face. I wear long sleeves so the bugs can’t bite my arms. I’m usually wearing waders, so the rest of my body is covered. My hands are exposed, but usually moving while I’m casting and retrieving, so they don’t get chewed on too badly. With a few tricks like this, anglers can stay on the water fishing during the most bug-infested times of the year – sometimes the most productive times to be out fishing.

MAINE WILDLIFE QUIZ: Biting Insects of Maine by Steve Vose

Maine is a veritable bug-free paradise from the time of snow melt until about the third week of May, at which point the state’s most notorious and annoying biting insect, the blackfly, emerges from its winter slumber to torture any soul who forgets to apply DEET before trekking into the woodlands. By late June, the blackfly swarms begin to lessen, at about the same time as Maine’s 40 different species of mosquito begin scouring the state in search of human blood. These pesky insects use their needle-like proboscis to inject chemicals into their prey to keep the blood from clotting, as well as a numbing agent that prevents the host from knowing it is being fed upon. As summer temperatures increase, mosquitos become more active, peaking at about 80 F. As the weather begins to cool down

(60-50 F), so does mosquito activity, regardless of species. Mosquitoes are typically joined in their attacks on the human population by their small but exceedingly-annoying counterpart, the no-see-um or midge. The hemoglobin loving no-see-um’s miniscule size allows it to easily fly through most screens, making them the bane of tent campers. Their bites feel like tiny pinpricks, and no amount of swatting or cursing seems to dissuade them from their attack once they have

Questions 1. When do blackflies typically awaken from their winter slumber? 2. What repellant is known to help fend off the vile hordes of blood sucking blackflies?

3. When do the blackfly swarms begin to lessen? 4. What is the needle-like appendage called that mosquitoes use to suck blood from their prey? 5. At what temperature does peak

www.MaineSportsman.com

located their human snack. Around late summer, Maine’s hordes of blackflies, mosquitoes and nosee-ums begin to abate to make room for what is perhaps Maine’s most prolific winged denizens, the moose fly, deer fly, horse fly and green head. With 350 different species living in the US and Canada and over 20 species calling Maine home, this final bloody assault is typically what makes many from “away” throw in the towel and make a run for the southern Maine border. In addition to having a painful bite, these flies are fast, strong flyers making them practically impossible to outrun. Even more annoying than their excruciating bites, is their constant bombarding of the heads of their victims, a process that reportedly drove the strong and brave Paul Bunyan to madness. Oh and did I forget to mention ticks? mosquito activity occur? 6. What biting insect can fly through a tent screen? 7. How many species of horse/moose/ deer flies and greenheads live in Maine?

Answers on Page 73

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 61

Crossbow Turkeys Rangefinders are great, but when the hunter raises the device to his or her eye, the movement may spook the bird. Therefore, the author suggests employing the rangefinder in advance, using it to place sticks in three semicircles among the decoys – marking 10, 20 and 30 yards from the hunter’s location. Turkeys present challenging targets for crossbow hunters, and a proper kill demands patience, perseverance, and outstanding crossbow skills. Success in the turkey woods requires exhaustive scouting and extensive practice with your weapon. The 2020 season was a good one for turkeys hunters in Central Maine, and I am anticipating another banner year in 2021. Know the Range Today’s crossbows are precision-built weapons that offer unmatched repeatable accuracy. Of course that accuracy is dependent on the skill of the individual. Many archers – even those with years of experience – still fail to kill birds, simply because they lack the ability to successfully judge yardage. Given that the vital area of a turkey is about the size of a baseball, misjudging distance by even a few yards will result in a miss. A rangefinder is a must-have accessory when you’re out in the field. The problem with range finders, however, is that they require the user

to raise the device to their eye – a task that is sure to alert a tom. As judging distance in an open field with few reference points is difficult, I prefer to mark distances with sticks stuck in the ground in a semicircular pattern at 10, 20 and 30 yards. Knowing these distances, it is easy to estimate yardage without having to raise the range finder.

Strutter ($300). When shooting at 3D targets, it’s important for hunters to practice from multiple shooting positions (standing, kneeling, seated) and angles. Turkeys are notorious for not coming into a set-up in the anticipated direction, and if you’ve practiced difficult shots and angles, your chances of success are improved.

Practice Make Perfect I also hunt whitetail deer with a crossbow. One of the methods I used to improve my accuracy on deer was to begin shooting 3D deer targets. For me – and I would guess for most hunters – shooting at block targets just doesn’t present the same level of realism that’s possible when shooting 3D targets. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the best way to gain proficiency with targeting turkeys is also by shooting at life-sized 3D targets. An online search reveals several 3D turkey targets, ranging in price from the “budget” level Reinhart Tom Turkey ($140), to the extravagant Delta McKenzie

Know the Shot Too often, turkey hunters see a Tom turkey come strutting into range and simply aim for center mass and pull the trigger. Unfortunately, these shot typically mean the arrow punctures the breast too low and too far back to hit any vital organs. Creating additional problems for crossbow hunters, a turkey’s feathers tend to hide the outline of its body, making identifying the vital organ area very difficult. To achieve a solid kill shot, hunters often have to be patient, sometimes waiting for the tom to drop out of strut before the hunter carefully identifies the best shot placement. One of my favorite (Central Maine continued on page 64)

The author’s son, Aiden (“Manimal”) Vose, with a double on the first day of the 2020 spring season.

SPRING SALES EVENT

Purchase a CS Series, CX Series, or CK2510 KIOTI tractor and

RECEIVE UP TO $2,100 CASH BACK!*

257 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, ME (207) 474-2591 www.whittemoreandsons.com Offer Valid through May 31, 2021. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Rebates and/or financing based on the purchase of eligible equipment defined in promotional program. Pricing and rebates in US dollars. Additional fees including, but not limited to, taxes, freight, setup and delivery charges may apply. Financing is subject to credit approval. Customers must take delivery prior to the end of the program period. Some customers will not qualify. Some restrictions apply. Offer available on new equipment only. Prior purchases are not eligible. Offer subject to change without notice.

www.MaineSportsman.com

62 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Crappie Fishing with a Bass-Loving Cajun My friend John is from Louisiana – a real Cajun – and all he cares about his catching bass. However, I’ve managed to get him off his heavy-duty tackle and into some ultra-light gear for crappies; soon, I hope to convince him to go trolling for salmon and trout. While trout fishing stands as my first love, the month of May signals the beginning of red-hot fishing for crappies. Fortunately, Midcoast Maine contains many fine crappie waters. My crappie trips find me single-mindedly fixed upon catching crappies. However, one of my fishing buddies, John McMillan, an authentic Cajun from Louisiana, loves bass. It seems there is some kind of magic involved, since even when we sit atop a school of hungry crappies and I am reeling crappies in non-stop, John catches bass. John, with his ever-present suit of overalls, could pass for one of the guys on the TV show, “Swamp People.” His appearance makes an interesting contrast with my typical Maine outfit of jeans and plaid shirt. We’re an odd pair, but we have great times

out on the water. As often as not, John will bring some Cajun snack for me to try. Perhaps it will be boiled peanuts, or maybe crawfish-flavored jerky. It’s always a fun experience fishing with this gentle, bass-loving man from bayou country. Proper Tackle One difference I noted right off the back is that those people from Louisiana use heavy tackle, even when fishing for panfish. John would happily throw tiny crappie jigs with a medium-heavy spinning rod, set up with 10-pound-test line. This was too much for me, so I gave him a spare outfit of mine – an ultralight (UL) rod and reel with 4-pound test line. The results were astounding. “Wow, this is fun,” John said when the first crappie hit on his new UL outfit. The rod was, if anything, too

Take a trip you’ll never forget Immerse yourself in the Maine wildlife and scenery that YOU want to experience. Custom trips and tours. Personalized Registered Maine Guide Training

amaineguide.com • (207) 729-6333

Educational. Personalized. Awesome.

Custom snowshoeing, sea kayaking, canoeing, SUP, trips and training

www.MaineSportsman.com

light for larger crappies, and definitely too light for the bass that always follow John around. He stuck with it, though, and became a true fan of UL tackle. This past Christmas, I thought to upgrade John’s outfit with a Shakespeare lightweight Ugly Stik and an ultralight Okuma Avenger spinning reel, loaded with 4-pound test. This will make the perfect rod and reel combo for all panfish, and it will have the extra strength needed for when that 4-pound largemouth bass bites. Now, after implanting ultralight tackle firmly in my pal’s mind, the next step is to get him to embrace trolling for trout and salmon. We have plans for this May, so stay turned to these pages for the results. The last thing will be to get John to renounce those overalls for a flannel shirt. It’s a big order, but stranger things have happened. Crappie Waters Now it’s time to discuss some Midcoast crappie waters. The first is, surprisingly, my favorite brown-and-rainbow

Every so often, John catches a crappie.

trout lake, Megunticook Lake in Lincolnville and Camden. Megunticook attaches to Norton Pond via a thoroughfare, and Norton ranks as one of the area’s more popular crappie waters. Consequently, crappies have made their way into Megunticook. However, try as I might, I have been unable to connect with Megunticook’s crappies. Even more maddening, the biggest crappie I ever saw was kicking around at the surface near the Route 105 boat landing in Camden. I drove close to the obviously injured fish and scooped it up in my net. It was huge. Normally, I would relish eating such a monstrous crappie, but not knowing what had sickened the fish, I refrained. While Megunticook has primarily

rock- and pine treelined shores, there are many weedy coves that ought to hold crappies. Since these prolific panfish spawn in May, ardent crappie fans shouldn’t have much trouble locating them. I plan to try some more this May, since the picture of that wounded behemoth of a crappie still sits in my thoughts. Imagine finding a school of the biggest crappies in Maine. It’s possible. One area that bears checking is the brush-lined area in the throughfare running between Norton Pond and Megunticook. Bass congregate here, and it’s a cinch that crappies would use the partially submerged brush for spawning purposes. So give Megunticook a try. Find it on Map 14, C-3 and (Midcoast continued on page 64)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 63

Fins and Feathers Dominate Downeast Scene in May The mild winter bodes well for the health of the wild turkey flocks, while fat brook trout await May anglers, especially those fishermen who are willing to get off the beaten path in Washington and Hancock Counties. One adrenaline-charged prospect that awaits sports during the month of May is the spring turkey hunt. My experiences during the 2020 hunt will shed some light on why I and thousands of other Maine folks feel the exhilaration associated with hunting these crafty birds. I stopped several times along the gravel road, hoping for a response to my turkey call. On my third stop, I got a reply from a lone tom. The tom wouldn’t come in any closer than 60 yards from my position. I quietly moved in a little nearer to the bird. I sat quietly looking down onto a thick hardwood ridge, clucking and purring several times before the tom answered. The bird continued to strut and gobble back and forth for over 45 minutes. Finally, I recognized the distinctive red, white and blue iridescent head about 50 yards in front of me. Slowly, I raised my Remington 870 12-gauge pump. The big bird was strutting up the knoll about 30 yards to my right. The pellets from the 3 ½ inch shell dropped the

21.2-pound tom instantly. My day ended successfully because instead of leaving after 20 minutes, as I often do, I waited out the wily bird. Downeast Turkeys Maine’s turkeyhunting season runs from May 3 to June 5. Downeast hunters can tag two bearded turkeys in Hancock or Washington County. Some top-notch hunting areas to pursue a turkey lie within the boundaries of WMD 26 and 27 and 28, especially along Route 1, between Bucksport and Machias. Refer to DeLorme’s Atlas and a copy of Maine’s turkey-hunting regulations for a detailed map of these districts. The estimated turkey population, according to DIF&W bird biologist Brad Allen, is approximately 60,000 birds scattered over the state. Due to our

unseasonably mild, snow-free winter, biologist Allen feels that most birds have fared quite well. Hopefully, spring conditions this year will continue to be mild and dry, fostering ideal spring-hatching conditions. Time for Brook Trout In the spring of 1958, my dad, an outstanding fly fisherman, spent several hours each week teaching me how to fly fish. I practiced casting my new 8-foot fiberglass Fenwick rod, loaded with a 6-wt. floating fly line. On an early-dawn morning in May, we drove down the dirt road toward Bowler Pond in Palermo. After launching our 12foot aluminum boat, our 3-hp Johnson outboard sputtered to life and took us to the other side of the pond. A 10-inch brookie broke the serenity

The author’s godchild, Xavier Lemieux, with his 21.3-lb turkey from the 2020 spring season.

of the early-morning silence by sipping a water-borne insect. After several false casts, I was able to lay my fly line on the water. Within seconds, the fly disappeared. I pulled the line taut and proceeded to play my first brookie on a fly. Yes, at 10 years old, my life-long passion for fly fishing was just beginning. Even

now, over a half-century later, I still feel my heart-rate quicken when a big brook trout rises to my dry fly. Washington County Trout Many trout waters in Hancock and Washington County can produce early-spring action like that described in the above (Continued on next page)

Pine Tree Store One of Maine’s Largest Selection of Flies Fishing Lures & Accessories Groceries • Gas • Hot Food Coffee • Beverages • Free WiFi Breakfast, Lunch & Supper Walking Distance to Grand Lake Stream

3 Water Street, Grand Lake Stream, ME (207) 796-5027 Open Daily 7AM–8PM www.MaineSportsman.com

64 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Downeast Region (Continued from page 63)

paragraphs. According to Region C fisheries biologist Greg Burr, “Some of the best ponds to concentrate on are the trout ponds that were stocked in the fall, but were not open to ice fishing or were under-fished during the winter. These small ponds warm up quickly, and the trout become active in May.” A small water in Washington County for early-trout fishing is Peaked Mountain Pond in Northfield, DeLorme Map 25, B-5. Hatchery personnel

stocked 250 13-inch splake last fall. Splake have exhibited reasonably good growth and survival here. Anglers usually catch fish in the 13- to 14-inch range; however, some holdover fish from 18 to 21 inches are caught by anglers. This pond also produces a few wild brook trout. This pond normally produces good action at dawn and again around dusk. Spincasters using worms and bobbers or shiners (trolled or drifted from a small boat) should entice a few

Central Maine (Continued from page 61)

shots is face-on, and just above the spot where the beard attaches to the gobblers chest. Be Mobile One of the biggest advantages to crossbows over more traditional archery equipment is that they don’t have to be drawn, and can be fired similar to a firearm. This is obviously a huge advantage when a hunter is under the watchful eye of a turkey. While compound and recurve bow hunters typically must rely on portable blinds to hide their movements, crossbow hunters can easily pursue turkeys without these devices and still encounter high rates of success. One of the biggest changes I have made in my spring turkey hunting is that I have become more mobile. Now that my kids are at an age where they

Midcoast Report (Continued from page 62)

D-3 of the Delorme Atlas. Seven Tree Pond I’ve written about Seven Tree Pond in the past, and it is worth reviewing. This productive water holds, in addition to crappies, brook trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, pickerel, pike, smelt and white perch. May ranks as a great time to hit Seven Tree for a real smorgasbord of game fish species. www.MaineSportsman.com

fish. There is a primitive boat launch at the north end of the pond. This 207-acre pond can be reached from several locations over dirt roads beginning in Columbia Falls. Hancock County Trout A tiny 24-acre brook-trout pond in the same region is Ducktail Pond in Amherst; Map 24, A-2. This water has a maximum depth of 43 feet and contains a lot of clear, cool water adequate for brook trout survival in the warm summer months. This boulder-strewn pond was stocked last fall with 260 7-inch brook-

ies. Regulations restrict this water to artificial lures only, and a daily limit of one trout of a minimum length of 14 inches. Access to this water can be gained by taking a dirt road off Rt. 9 in Amherst, or by following the Partridge Pond outlet to Ducktail Pond. A third pond in Hancock County that encompasses many of the essentials mentioned by Mr. Burr is 36-acre Tilden Pond, in T10 SD; see Map 25, D-1. Because of its remoteness, Tilden is lightly fished by ice anglers. Open-water anglers can therefore ex-

can walk long distances and handle a firearm safely, we will typically walk many miles on every hunt in search of turkeys. This approach has two benefits – first, we encounter many more birds than sitting still; and second, the kids absolutely love running and gunning, compared to sitting in a stuffy blind and staring at the polyester walls. Go Electronic For years, I was an electronic turkey call snob, turning up my nose at anyone who used one of these devices. What I didn’t understand was how incredibly effective these devices are at calling in turkeys. While the vocalizations that come out of the call are similar to what I can make on a slate or box call, the biggest advantage of these calls is that a hunter simply needs to push a button to make a wide array of vocalizations. This flexibility allows a hunter to keep For crappies, hit the weedy shorelines. Local anglers give good reports regarding the area across from the boat landing on Route 235. Other than that, the north end has plenty of good-looking crappie territory. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stocks Seven Tree Pond with brook trout each year. Some of these fish manage to carry over, and in late April through May, they show up in angler’s catches. Last year DIF&W released 350 13-inch brook

pect some good catches of attractive-size brookies this spring. Fishery personnel released 1,200 6- to -8 inch brook trout there last October. A 35-foot deep hole lies along the southeast shoreline; however, early-April anglers are usually more successful by concentrating their efforts in the shallower, warmer water. Folks gain access to this water by traveling on a trail from the north end of the sand beach on the west end of Spring River Lake, and then bearing a little northeast after passing Mud Pond.

a hand on the crossbow at all times, so that the second it is necessary to take a shot, it can be done so easily. Additionally, the call can be placed several yards away from where the hunter is sitting, so a turkey is not able to pinpoint a hunter’s location. Optimistic for 2021 Season The 2020 spring turkey season was one that will long live in my memory. In just a few short weeks, I succeeded in assisting both my sons and a close family friend in harvesting a total of six tom turkeys. In between all that “guiding,” I also managed to harvest two birds myself, including one bird shot during a raging snowstorm. As I don’t see turkey numbers in central Maine decreasing anytime soon, I expect that the 2021 spring season will be equally exciting.

trout in Seven Tree Pond on November 7. The ice-fishing season was shortened because of late-forming ice, so many of these fish should remain available for springtime fishing. For brookies, try drifting or anchoring off the mouth of the inlet of St. George River just off the boat launch. Spinner-and-worm combos will work, as will small golden shiners, and yellow bucktails. Find Seven Tree Pond on Map 14, D-1.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 65

Moosehead Lake Anglers Find Sizzling Action Whether you use a smelt, a lure or a streamer fly, ice-out trolling is the most productive time on Moosehead. On a good day, an angler may catch a dozen hard-fighting coldwater game fish. “There’s everything to like here,” states the author, “and nothing not to like.” There’s no place like the Moosehead Region, and there’s no time like May. Usually by mid-month, ice has left area lakes, and coldwater game fish are ravenous. Smelt runs, in full swing now, attract all of Moosehead Lake’s various fish species. That means that while anglers may set their sights on salmon, for instance, they may also take togue and brook trout. It all happens right now, and it will continue into June. For beginning anglers hoping to earn their chops, May stands as the best time to immerse themselves in the culture and the red-hot action. Even on a “bad” day, anyone can catch at last a few fish, and that’s more that we can say for many other places. And on a good day, one rod may rack up a dozen hard-fighting coldwater game fish. Even bottom-feeders come alive now. Cusk, or burbot, congregate in huge numbers around the mouth of Moose River shortly after ice-out, and at that time anglers using Swedish Pimple jigs tipped with a bit of smelt can rake

in a winter’s supply of sweet-tasting cusk fillets. There’s everything to like here, and nothing not to like. Live Smelt In summer, we find that metal trolling lures take more fish, but live bait take larger fish. In May, live baitfish – that is, smelts – take both more fish and bigger fish. Everything in the lake has tuned in to the bonanza that exists in the form of smelt runs. For anglers traveling any distance to fish Moosehead, don’t worry about bringing bait, because area bait shops have plenty of live smelt on hand – just what you need to connect with Moosehead’s finny prizes. Anglers use various methods of attach-

ing live smelt to the line, but the simplest and most effective is the sliding bait rig. These come with two hooks, a stationary treble (in some cases a single) hook on the end of a 3-foot leader, and a smaller single hook that, with finger pressure, can slide up and down the line. This allows for finite adjustment to suit any size smelt. Hook the sliding hook just behind both lips from the bottom up, and then hook one point of the treble in the tough flesh near the vent. Adjust the slider as needed to make the bait swim straight. For those who eschew bait, make it a point to stop in a local tackle shop to find what lures fish are taking this season. Even

Typical scene off the mouth of Moose River on a May morning.

old favorites such as Mooselook Wobblers vary in size and color. A color pattern that was only a marginal performer last year may rate as top lure this season. Don’t hesitate to ask which lure to choose, because the people in the shops are professionals, and part of their job is to answer such questions. Besides, they have their ears to the ground, and they know what lures are producing at any given time. Anglers without a boat can have a great day trolling by enlisting the help of a lo-

cal guide. Moosehead guides have all the tackle you’ll need, but if you have a favorite rod, bring it along. Also bring lunch and something to drink. Don’t forget to include a raincoat (just in case), as well as a sweater and other warm clothing. Gloves have their place, since even in May, a drizzly day can result in cool temperatures. Couple that with even a light wind, and it can become downright chilly. Streamer Flies While smelt rank as top choice and hard(Continued on next page)

Grand Slam Guide Service Home of the 2 Maine State Record Bears: Boar 699 lbs. & Sow 355 lbs.

Mary Yelpy 355 lbs. Sow

BEAR – MOOSE

We Specialize in Bear Over Bait Unguided Trophy Deer Hunts Behind Locked Gates in Zone 14

BOOK YOUR 2021 HUNT TODAY!

Bear Hunts Zone 14 Half Week Bear Hunts Also Available Moose Hunts Zone 8 & 14 —

Registered Maine Guide Matt Knox 699 lbs.

Jim Webber (207) 636-3689 Located in the Moosehead Lake Region www.MaineSportsman.com

66 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Moosehead Region (Continued from page 65)

ware comes in next, streamer flies fished on a fly rod and sinking line have a separate charm. And every once in a while, one certain pattern will take more fish than anything else. Both single-hook and tandem-hook streamers come into play now. Most peo-

ple opt for tandem rigs, since the longer tandems more closely imitate the length and size of the adult smelt that fill the lake in May. With two rods out, one of them of necessity must sit in a rodholder. The sight of a fly rod bouncing when a salmon hits is guar-

THE BIRCHES RESORT Four Seasons of Recreation and Relaxation on Moosehead Lake

Rustic Cabins, Luxury Private Home Rentals, Yurts, Cabin Tents and New Kozy Cabins Fish for Salmon, Togue and Brook Trout Moose Cruise, Marina, Motor Boat Rentals, Canoe & Kayak, Mountain Biking, Hiking Raft the Kennebec, Penobscot and Dead Rivers

anteed to get the blood pumping. Just make sure your rodholder allows for easy rod retrieval. Some brands don’t open as they should, and countless trophies are lost because of that malfunction. We have better control of the handheld rod. We can pump the rod on occasion, to simulate the action of a smelt darting ahead.

Also, hand-held rods see more positive hookups because when a fish strikes, the angler can set the hook instantly. This comes in handy on those days when fish strike short and never seem to get hooked. We’ve all had those times, but holding the rod in your hand helps to ensure more hookups.

Hunting Packages • Meals • Guide Service The Best Hunting and Fishing in Maine

Moosehead Lake Region AIR TOURS

Moosehead Region Mt. Katahdin 100-Mile Wilderness

Greenville • Rockwood

MAYNARDS ROCKWOOD, MAINE

21 LOCATIONS ACROSS MAINE Home & Garage Packages Shoremaster

FREE ESTIMATES & DELIVERY*

*Delivery charges will apply for deliveries outside of our delivery areas. Call for details.

www.hammondlumber.com

Lawrence’s Lakeside Cabins and Guide Service OPEN YEAR ROUND ON MOOSEHEAD LAKE

Overlooking Moose River & Blue Ridge Dining Room and American Plan Cabins Open May through Columbus Day Weekend Housekeeping Cabins Available Mid-October til April Vacation Destination Since 1919

CELEBRATING OVER 100 YEARS! Fishing • Hunting • Boating • Relaxing

207-534-7703 www.maynardsinmaine.com

Rockwood Bar and Grill Delicious Pub-Style Food: Wings, Steakbombs, Pizza, Salads & More!

Visit our Store: Open 7am-8pm We have all of your last-minute needs 24 hour gas station - all major credit cards accepted

3628 Rockwood Road, Rockwood, Maine 04478 Bar 207-534-0202 • Store 207-534-0204

www.rockwoodbarandgrill.com www.MaineSportsman.com

Moose River In May and into

wwld@aol.com • www.birches.com

1-800-825-WILD

June, anglers ply the lower section of Moose River, and with good results. Salmon and brook trout swarm into the river now, and often, fish are seen breaching. Talk about a thrill, seeing a salmon break water just yards from your boat! Lake or river, hit Moosehead in May. You’ll be glad you did.

Vacations - Modern Housekeeping Cabins Fishing - Salmon, Lake and Brook Trout Hunting - Moose, Deer, Grouse

BOB LAWRENCE, MASTER GUIDE

PO Box 101, Rockwood, ME 04478

207-534-7709

www.lawrencescabins.com VISA/MASTERCARD ACCEPTED

AIR TAXI

Downtown Greenville (Lakeview St. Dock)

to/from

Greater Bangor Area

(Lucky Landing SB, Lake Pushaw) Limited availability

FAA PART 135 OPERATIONS CUSTOM CHARTER FLIGHTS SEAPLANE OPERATIONS

Harris Drug Store Full Service Pharmacy Digital Self-Developing Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain Gifts & More

207-695-2921

Judd Goodwin Well Co. "We Do It Right The First Time"

COMPLETE WELL & PUMP INSTALLATION, SERVICE & REPAIR Residential • Commercial • Camps • Cottages Member Maine Groundwater Association

P.O. Box 17, Greenville, ME 04441 • goodwinjudd@yahoo.com

Office: (207) 695-3645 • Cell: (207) 280-0923

www.JuddGoodwinWellCo.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 67

Small-Batch Moonshine Brookies The author wanted to try “European Nymphing,” which involves getting your fly down to the fish, and maintaining constant contact with the fly throughout the drift while you bounce the fly along the bottom. With a new Moonshine brand rod, special nymphing line and a long, thin leader, he’s ready to try his luck in the tailwaters of Wyman Dam on the Kennebec. My first experience with moonshine left an impression on me that I’ve never forgotten. My father, much to his credit, dragged my brother and me along everywhere. It was either good parenting, or else my mother needed Saturday afternoons off from two active boys. So, one Saturday Dad threw us in the back of his old rusty Ford truck, and we headed up to visit a friend of his. Back then, studded snow tires were legal all year ’round, so dad got

his money’s worth by running them in the summer. Those studs sang all the way until we pulled into old Henry’s driveway. I’m guessing they weren’t as noticeably loud in the cab, but they really howled in the cheap seats. “Popcorn” Sutton Everybody looks old when you’re nine. Dad’s friend Henry was outside, halfway down his gravel front walkway. In hindsight, he looked like a stunt double for legendary moonshiner

and bootlegger “Popcorn” Sutton. Yup, long gray beard, worn out bib overalls and a dirty white tee shirt. My father told me he wore those “bibbers” out by wearing them, not by tumbling them around in a washing machine. Clothes last longer if you don’t wash them. First thing I noticed was Henry swaying from side to side. Even at that age, I figured it had something to do with the gallon jug he balanced on his shoulder with one finger. He half raised his

The author’s newfound fascination with “Moonshine” has spilled over into his favorite pastime – angling for native brook trout. Notice the brass fighting butt the author’s brother, Steve Sheldon, fabricated, in order to better balance the long 10’ 6” Euro Nymph specialty rod. Bill Sheldon photo

free hand and greeted my old man. I know wine drinkers who live for vintage, aged wine. Nothing like a 1947 bottle of Cheval Blanc. Hen-

ry’s home brew was made on Tuesday. My guess – every Tuesday. After the grownups exchanging a few pleasantries, Henry’s (Continued on next page)

Jackman-Moose River Region “Adventure...It’s Our Maine Attraction!”

Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce (207) 668-4171 • www.JackmanMaine.org

SALLY MOUNTAIN CABINS

River View Cottages

On the Shore of Beautiful Big Wood Lake

Campground & Guide Service

Spring at its Best!

Direct Access to Moose River Cottages Sleep up to 12 People Modern Facilities

OPEN YEAR ROUND!

• Old Town Canoe & Kayaks Available • Direct Access to Snowmobile Trails

ATV & Snowmobile Sales & Service 207-668-4442 • 1-800-287-SNOW Fax: 207-668-7741 549 Main St. Jackman, ME 04945 www.jackmanpowersports.com Open Monday-Saturday 8-5 Sundays 9-2 November-March

On ATV Trails • Boat, Canoe & Kayak Rentals Wifi • Cable TV • Clean Cabins • Pets Welcome

AFFORDABLE RATES $42 Daily per person • $250 Weekly per person Kids 1/2 Price • Under 5 Free! ——————————————————————

Corey Hegarty

9 Elm Street, Jackman, ME

(207) 668-5621

www.sallymtcabins.com

BOOKING 2021 BEAR, DEER & MOOSE HUNTS Full Guided Big & Small Game Hunts

John Bashaw, Master Maine Guide P.O. Box 396, Jackman ME 04945 Tel: 207-668-5601 e-mail riverview17@myfairpoint.net www.rvcgs.com www.MaineSportsman.com

68 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Jackman Region (Continued from page 67)

side-to-side swaying changed directions. His East and West motion was slow and poetic. North and South resulted in a face plant on the gravel walk. Through some sixth sense, or just lots of practice, Henry nev-

er spilled a drop of his home brew. My dad helped him up and got him swaying east to west again, and everything was back to normal by the time Pop pointed that old truck homeward. Moonshine Gift

The Specialists Guide Service Bear with Hounds ..............$1,600

Grouse (Oct)

Bear over Bait (Sep) ..........$1,000

Ducks (Sep/Oct)

Moose - 2 People ..............$1,500 (Permit Only - Oct)

Hare with Hounds (Oct-May)

Fishing Trout, Smallmouth, Salmon - Reasonable Daily Rates

Coyotes (Year Round) Weekly Hunts include Lodging, Transportation & Trophy Care

P.O. Box 611 • Jackman, Maine 04945

207-399-1081 or 207-668-7642

OVER 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN OUR AREA Call for a Free Brochure & Information on Other Great Prices & Packages

www.maineguides-specialists.net

Fast forward half a century, and I’ve taken a liking to small batch moonshine. It happened innocently enough – Parker Capwell, a good friend of mine, stopped by with some moonshine for me. It was a gift for helping him with a project. He had heard me talking about buying a fly rod set up for European nymphing. Euro nymphing has skyrocketed in popularity, and it caught my attention. Epiphany Unbeknownst to me, Capwell got on the phone with the Moonshine Rod Company in Tennessee. At the end of the call, a 10’ 6” “Epiphany” 3-WT

nymphing rod with a Ross Reel was packaged up and headed east. It also came with a genuinely nice “Moonshine” water bottle. Moonshine Rod Company specializes in creating small batches of fly rods designed with quality in mind. I’m a small-company kind of guy, so while all the components may or may not be from the USA, the assembly and design is local. Long rods are often difficult to balance. Some anglers just put a larger, heavier reel to add weight and get the balance right. However, ole’ Bill here marches to the beat of his own drummer.

Moonshine Modification I had my brother (who owns a machine shop) turn me a brass fighting butt. This attractive counterweight allows me to use a correctly sized Ross Reel and have a perfectly balanced rod. It is a little bit of a tradeoff. Off the shelf, the Moonshine Rod weighs a mere 3.3 ounces. Adding weight makes it heavier. I’ve learned from drift boat oars that counterweights equal better balance and less fatigue at the end of the day. And, of course, this venture into the world of Euro-Nymphing requires a few additional (Jackman Region continued on next page)

~ UPPER KENNEBEC VALLEY ~

The GaTeway To The NorTh MaiNe woods RIVERSIDE INN Bingham, ME

Lodging • Kitchen • Hot Tub • Pool • WiFi Hunting Supplies • Firearms & Ammo —

Direct Access to Over 1,000 Miles of Trails! —

Fish the Kennebec Hunt Moose, Bear, Deer, Birds

Solon • Bingham Moscow • Caratunk The Forks • West Forks

— Open Year Round! — 89 Main Street • Bingham, ME 1-800-806-6120 www.binghammotorinn.com

Gateway Recreation & Lodging Moose Hunts in Zones 8, 13, 14, 17

Located on the Kennebec River & ITS 87 — OPEN YEAR ROUND — Wi-Fi • Hot Tub • Electric Sauna AC • Fire Pit • Grill • Picnic Table Fish, Kayak, Canoe, Snowmobile & ATV from the Inn Close to Groceries, Restaurant, Gas, Hiking & Rafting

—

178 Main Steet, Bingham, ME 207-672-3215 riversideinn1@myfairpoint.net

THE EVERGREENS Campground & Restaurant Hunting • Fishing Canoe & Kayak Rentals ATVing • And More! Shuttle Service

P.O. Box 114 Route 201-A Solon, ME 04979 207-643-2324

Waterfront Cabins & RV Sites Cabins with Kitchens, Satellite TVs, Bathrooms, Wi-Fi and AC • Fire Pits & Picnic Tables

300+ Miles of ATV Trails at Your Door • Guided ATV, Fishing and Hunting Trips 1/4 Mile from Gas, Restaurants and Parts • Short Walk to Kennebec River

www.gateway-rec.com • 1-800-440-0053 • Bingham, ME www.MaineSportsman.com

Over 200 Miles of ATV Trails - Ride from your Door Full Service Restaurant & Pub

Serving Dinner from 5:00–8:30 Fri. & Sat. • Breakfast 8:00–11:30 Sat. & Sun. All You Can Eat Breakfast Buffet • Open Year Round

YOUR HOSTS, Joe & Lorena Albuit Visit our website www.evergreenscampground.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 69

Best Ways to Hunt and Cook a Spring Gobbler Turkeys are gobbling and the trout are biting. It’s a good time of year to be a Maine sportsman. I’ve learned a few things chasing turkeys all over southern Maine, from failures and successful hunts and quite a bit from guys who’ve done it way longer than me. I have also learned how to cook the birds we do kill. I’ve heard many times one reason people don’t like to hunt them is that they don’t taste good, but I’ve got some recipes to change their minds. But first things first – this is how I go about filling a turkey tag. Scouting is the Key to Success I like to start off scouting. It’s hard to kill a turkey where there aren’t any birds. It’s easier to locate turkeys in the spring than any other time of year, since you can spot them feeding or strutting at all times of the day out in any field, I like wide rolling grass fields that lead into big hardwoods – that’s just the type of

scene I imagine when I think of good turkey habitat. Oftentimes, a good crow or owl call will get a bird to gobble, but a coyote or goose call has been known to work, too, in a pinch. It doesn’t always make too much of a difference. For example, during a thunderstorm, you can hear turkeys all over the country gobble to the roar of thunder – it’s a pretty cool experience. If you have a good area where you know there’s turkeys in the area you can usually go in in the morning with an owl call and set up around 200 yards from where you hear the bird or as close as you dare to get without blowing them out of the roost. Make It All Come Together Make sure if you’re not using a ground blind that you’re covered in camo and tucked up against a tree to hide your silhouette. And be careful – turkeys have amazing eyesight, so you want to keep real still.

Jackman Region (Continued from page 68)

accessories. A RIO Euro Nymph line, along with a long, thin leader, helps get the line down through the water column quickly. While leader set-up ranges from simple to advanced trigonometry, I finally settled on one of the many formulas the nice folks at Google were able to find for me. I expect to do a lot of exper-

Set your decoy up so it’s at an angle (not in line) from where the birds are coming and where you are set up. It pays big dividends to practice and gain skill with a mouth call, but oftentimes all it takes is a few yelps and you then you won’t need to touch a call again. The idea is to call a couple of times then shut up, making it seem like the hen found another tom. That often gets them to come closer looking for a hen. Then, seeing your jake decoy with a hen usually seals the deal – they’ll come strutting over, all flared out. It’s quite the show to watch. They’ll beat the snot out of a decoy if you let them. Then I like number 4s and 5s. A clean shot under 40 yards will have them beat. How to Cook Your Bird When you clean your bird, don’t throw away the thighs – save them for colder weather, and make a soup. Cook them low and slow till the meat falls off the bone.

Advance scouting and limited calling are keys to success, says the author, shown here at left after a productive hunt with a friend.

I like to use any good chicken soup recipe, or even take the meat and make a turkey pot pie. These are good when made with the breast meat, too, but I like to take the breasts and cut them the long way into inch wide strips then marinate them in Italian dressing for a day. This takes out any of

imenting. Kennebec “Slam” The Kennebec River, below Wyman Dam, seems like perfect water to bounce a nymph along the bottom. Each year skilled anglers pull some handsome rainbows from this classic tailwater. Along with the rainbows swim some respectable silver-sides and square tails. An occasional brown trout gives anglers a shot at the elusive “Kennebec

the game flavors, and makes it more tender. Then, you can grill it or pan fry it with onions and mushrooms – it’s really simple. Just remember – and this goes for all wild game – don’t overcook it. Use any seasoning you like – I use garlic salt and pepper.

Slam.” Salmonids do most of their feeding under the surface. Euro Nymphing works on the principle of quickly getting down to the fish and maintaining constant contact with the fly throughout the drift. Any reports of a tall, skinny guy tangled up with a long rod and an even longer leader might not be fake news. Blame the moonshine.

www.MaineSportsman.com

70 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

In Pursuit of Baxter State Park Square Tails The bugs damn near carried us away, and the fishing was awful. Other than that, it was the perfect trip. Four of us had spent a few days camped at one of Baxter State Parks (BSP) northern-most sites to do some fishing. The warm midJune weather also attracted Maine’s unofficial state bird, the mosquito, in large quantities. We also missed the prime fishing by a few weeks. With a year off for Covid, I decided to make a few calls and gauge any interest in a re-run sometime during the third week of this month. The interest was surprising. I started out planning to go alone. Bugs don’t like me, and I figured going earlier should help with the fishing. A new Garmin

Baxter State Park offers plenty of options for those looking to combine hiking with remote backcountry trout fishing, including treks to Russell Pond, Billfish Pond, High Pond and Long Pond. Bring your GPS; bring your topo maps; and follow the ranger’s advice if she tells you the winds are too strong for a side trip along the Knife’s Edge.

Here’s one of the many native brook trout that cruise the pristine waters in Baxter State Park. This small but colorful square tail couldn’t resist the author’s home-spun fly, delicately presented on Russell Pond. Bill Sheldon photo

inReach satellite communicator would help in an emergency (or at least it would simplify the search for my

Now offering Guided Bear and Moose Hunts around Chamberlain Lake

(207) 944-5991 info@nugentscamps.com 422 Perry Road, Bangor, ME

www.nugentscamps.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

body). Despite poor timing and the need for copious amounts of bug spray, folks couldn’t sign up quick enough. It shows BSP’s appeal. I ended all calls with a gentle reminder to bring a head net and some bug juice. No, not some – PLENTY! BSP has a powerful attraction that overrules any minor inconveniences along the

way. Using backcountry campsites means no running water, no cell service, no camp store and no excuses. Bring everything, or stay home. And, oh, make sure it fits in a 40-pound pack, because the kitchen sink gets heavy. BSP has plenty of options for those looking to combine hiking with remote backcountry trout fishing. BSP sells a detailed guide-

book with heavy duty topo maps that aid tremendously in planning an adventure. The electronics have their place, but a good map belongs near the top of every backpack. Russell Pond Younger legs will enjoy the 7.1-mile trek from Roaring Brook Campground to Russell Pond, utilizing the Russell Pond Trail. However, about halfway along, the proverbial fork in the trail offers curious observers the option of taking the Wassataquoik Stream Trail. The Wassataquoik Trail measures about half a mile longer, but it runs along flatter ground. Personally, I take Russell Pond in and Wassataquoik on the way out, and both routes take me the same amount of time. The one catch, detailed in the guidebook, is that the Wassataquoik Trail requires crossing the river. I have done that crossing multiple times without incident. HOWEVER, at high water levels (think lots of rain and spring runoff), this can get tricky with a 40-pound pack. Ranger Advice Another important resource, the rangers located at the campgrounds, will have real-time information on trail conditions. They are friendly and eager (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 71 (Continued from page 70)

to keep hikers out of harm’s way. During a thru-hike of the park, one of my hiking partners really wanted to hike the iconic Knife Edge. With high winds I decided to check with the ranger at Chimney Pond. She told us, “No way.” We ended up climbing the Saddle Trail. On the plateau at the top of the trail, my partner Steve Carter set his 45-pound pack on a rock. For the record, the wind blew it off like it was a discarded tissue. Listen to the ranger. Russell Pond, like many of the remote ponds, has canoes ready to launch for a small rental fee. At many of the campsites, they have two – one goes with the site, and the other is for day-trippers. The folks at the ranger station will sort that out. Five Ponds Trail Five Ponds Trail starts at the Tote Road opposite Trout Brook Farm Campground. This 6.1-mile trail has multiple fishing opportunities for both overnighters and day hikers. One particular water, Billfish Pond, caught my attention, and I had to spend a few days working a fly rod over its pristine waters. It’s just nice to have a slice of solitude occasionally. Interestingly, on the way in, we passed small Littlefield Pond without so much as a look. I had read on the internet (shame on me), that Littlefield held no fish. On the way out, the ranger told me some fisherman had caught a

bunch of small brookies earlier in the week. Next time by, it’s getting the rod-test. Just a hop, skip and jump along the trail reveals fishing opportunities at smaller High Pond and Long Pond. Just a little over half a mile farther east, and the Lower Fowler Pond Trail opens more brook trout water along with a few more campsites. All these ponds sit within the limits of a day hike. However, spending a night camping allows fishing an evening hatch well into sunset and monitoring the rising sun for hints of the day to come. For fishing gear, I

The author can be accurately described as a “minimalist,” as demonstrated by his Russell Pond campsite. It takes 35 pounds of gear to spend a comfortable weekend. During daylight hours, he hangs his food in a nearby tree – no sense feeding small rodents. Once the sun sets, the hang bag swings higher and farther away from the campsite, so as not to attract bears. Bill Sheldon photo

travel light. An all-purpose travel six-weight rod that breaks down into seven pieces, and

Discover the

Katahdin Region

a shirt pocket-sized box of flies, keeps me light and nimble. BSP might just be

my favorite place to chase those red-bellied square tails.

Taylor’s

Two Rivers Canoe & Tackle Northern Maine’s Fishing Headquarters

98 Main Street at Shell Station, Off Exit 264, Sherman, ME (207) 746-8181 • Open Monday–Saturday 8AM–5PM

www.tworiverscanoe.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

72 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Why Does an Outdoors Person Need an ATV? I just sold my 2002 Arctic Cat 300 ATV with the thought that I might just replace it with a Honda Pioneer 700 side-by-side. I like the feel of rolling down trails on a fully-enclosed side-by-side, easily navigating big rocks and sloppy mud holes with a steering wheel instead of struggling with handlebars. The foot-controlled gas pedal also agrees with me better than an uncomfortable thumb throttle (am I getting old, or what?). In this state between no ATV and a

www.MaineSportsman.com

The author recently sold his conventional ATV in favor of the upcoming purchase of a Honda side-byside. However, as demonstrated by this “ode to an ATV,” he’s clearly not over the Arctic Cat. new ATV, I started to think about the reasons for owning an ATV. I asked myself questions like, “Do I really need an ATV?” Foolish thinking, I know, but it gets me really digging deep into the reasons for owning an ATV in the first place. I liked the old ATV for plowing the snow out of the driveway. With a plow blade

attached, it wasn’t the cleanest plow job around, but it sure saved my back when I had to move snow in a hurry. Other chores around the yard were made easier with the use of this machine. I could probably argue that a simple lawn tractor with a plow blade or snowblower would also take care of clearing the driveway and many other yard

chores, but how much fun is that – and I just don’t see myself riding a lawn tractor on ATV trails! Major Difference The huge difference comes when an outdoor enthusiast leaves the yard and heads for the woods – ATVs shine when it comes to trail riding and other activities in the wild. I’ve

used mine for hauling downed moose, bear, and deer on numerous occasions, as well as hauling camping gear, bear bait and ice fishing shacks throughout remote areas of the state. Another area where owning an ATV makes sense starts where the paved road ends. Most areas I hunt can be reached by my truck ... I pull the truck up to an area, get out, and walk a certain section of woods in search of game or places to fish. Even though (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 73 (Continued from page 72)

I don’t feel limited, an ATV opens up so much more of this state to hunters, anglers, and campers by easily transporting them to remote locations deep in the woods and away from paved or gravel access. Maine has over 6,000 miles of ATV trails, so think of this as increasing your hunting travels by that amount. This ability to travel these extra miles gets folks back into the woods just that much farther than everyone else. Getting away from it all has never been better and more easily accessed. I am strictly a utilitarian ATV rider ... I can understand why someone could enjoy simply riding ATV trails, but I am so focused on hunting and fishing that I

hardly take into consideration the sheer joy of riding trails. I am always focused on getting to or from a particular hunting or fishing location, and I really enjoy the fact that I can easily carry loads of gear right on the machine. Around Home Folks who own ATVs also don’t need to travel far from home to enjoy accessing wild, remote land. When I feel I have searched out all of the hunting and fishing locations in my little area of the state, I then move on to seek other remote locations – sometime traveling for hours to reach these distant destinations. With an ATV, I simply hit the trails around my hometown to reach new hunting and fishing locations. I don’t have to drive my truck for hours in search of new areas ...

the ATV trails around here, and in most parts of the state, get me back in far from the well-traveled paved and gravel roads. If someone doesn’t use an ATV for getting back to hunting and fishing areas, they are really missing out on 6,000 miles of excellent territory. With an ATV at home, most folks will find that plenty of chores that used to be tough and labor-intensive become a breeze when the ATV is used. I have found that dragging a huge tarp filled with wet leaves is so much easier with the power of an ATV. A search of the Internet also shows companies that product a large number of various lawn implements that attach to the ATV to make a myriad of yard chores easier. So join an ATV club, scour a few trail

The author and his dog Ginger taking his Arctic Cat 300 for a spin around the yard. Nancy Carpenter photo

maps, ride with other club members and expand your outdoor access by thousands of miles. I’m hoping to purchase this new Honda Pioneer and also include my wife and bird dog in some

great camping trips this summer. The enclosed-cab models look pretty comfy – windproof, and a little quieter riding. I can’t wait to get rolling.

Wildlife Quiz Answers: Biting Insects of Maine (Quiz on Page 60)

Joshua Foster of Linneus caught and released this 21-inch, 4 1/2-pound smallmouth on May 16, 2020 in Longfellow Lake in Weston, earning him a patch in The Maine Sportsman’s new “Catch & Release” club. “Yes,” reported Joshua, “this fish did tow my kayak around the lake before I was able to get things under control.”

1. Blackflies typically awaken from their winter slumber about the third week of May. 2. DEET is known to help fend off the vile hordes of blood sucking blackflies. 3. The blackfly swarms begin to lessen by late June. 4. The needle-like appendage that mosquitoes use to suck blood from their prey is called a proboscis. 5. Peak mosquito activity occurs at around 80 F. 6. The biting insect that can fly through a tent screen is called a nosee-um. 7. Over 20 species of horse/moose/deer flies and greenheads live in Maine. www.MaineSportsman.com

74 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Spring Trolling Options Abound Lakes are fine if you’ve got the time, says the author, but if work and spring chores keep you close to home, consider these small ponds for trout trolling. The competition is minimal, the fish are plentiful, and the time is right now! If a poll were taken to determine the favorite month for Aroostook anglers to be on open water, I’d wager a dozen tandem streamer flies that May would win the vote. First, it’s been a long, cold winter, especially in the Crown of Maine, and May is the first full month with no ice, scant snow and moderate mud, as we lag at least a month behind the rest of the state in welcoming spring. Winter-worn fishermen are exhilarated to grab a rod, float a boat or wade some water without the threat of frostbite. The second reason May rates so high is

the chance to hook and land the largest fish of the season on a fly rod. There will be a good number of trout, salmon and togue boated with lures, plugs, and even bait, but spring streamer trolling for a few weeks after ice out is the time of hope for a trophy on a fly. Perhaps the most renowned local waters for big fish are the Fish River Chain of Lakes; particularly Long for salmon and Square for brook trout, but another of the several sister waters receives lighter pressure and deserves a visit. Excellent Eagle The westernmost

azure gem of the Fish River necklace offers the added incentive of large lake trout to the expected duo of speckled-sides and silver leapers. Four- to eight-pound togue are common fare for iceout trollers, and a few persistent and lucky fishermen will hook, battle and boat double-digit lakers, some broaching that magic 20-lb. weight. Managing that feat on a tandem streamer and fly rod yields bragging right for many seasons to come. Route 11 offers the most convenient access to Eagle Lake, especially for visitors traveling from the

Eagle Lake of the Fish River Chain of Lakes, and the quartet of Musquacooks, are in excellent condition this month for streamer trolling. Here, Tom Wolters of Michigan takes advantage of the consistent togue action. Photos: Bill Graves

south, but Route 161 to the Soldier Pond and Sly Brook Roads will yield entry to both sides of the long boomerang-shaped wa-

Aroostook County The Crown of Maine

130 Market Street FORT KENT, ME (207) 834-6186

571 Coldbrook Road HERMON, ME 207-941-9600

154 Pleasant Hill Road SCARBOROUGH, ME (207) 289-6688

terway. There are four public launch sites, and while the northern end of the lake is heavily built up with (Continued on next page)

Pelletier’s Campground Serving the St. John River & Allagash Wilderness Waterway for over 60 years Canoe Rental, Transportation & Landing Tenting Areas House Rental for Moose Hunters

St. Francis, ME 207-398-3187 • 207-834-6118 pellcamp@fairpoint.net www.mainerec.com/pellcamp.html

www.MaineSportsman.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 75

May weather can still be brisk and the water cold and high. Layers of warm clothes and a self-inflating life vest help ensure Bill Graves’ mental and physical comfort, while feisty, fat brookies help him happily pass the time on the water. (Continued from page 74)

year-round homes and many seasonal camps, the southeastern end is enveloped in Maine Public Reserve Land and wooded to the shorelines. Two camping areas for RVs and tenters are situated on the Sly Brook shore, and they offer gravel launches. DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 67, D & E-5 and Map 68, E 1 & 2 overview this 5,581 acre, 136 foot deep lake. Eagle Lake village offers fishing, boating and camping supplies as well as camps and rooms to rent and even boats and motors for anglers who don’t wish to haul theirs long distances. A half-hour drive to Fort Kent will offer a far wider array of lodging, restaurants, sundry, grocery and sporting goods stores, as well as a hospital and several service stations. For an interesting day trip away from lake trolling, adventuresome sports can try fishing the St. John River in Fort Kent for bass and musky. While I favor colorful tandem streamers in the often dingy water just after ice out on most Fish River Lakes, togue seem to

Roger Shaw of Mars Hill has a choice of four local ponds within 15 minutes drive of his home. There’s action to be had on small streamers and leech patterns as soon as a boat can be floated this month.

prefer the smelt and baitfish imitations. Have a red and white bucktail, Magog smelt, Colonel Bates, Gray Ghost, Herb Johnson Special and black nosed dace in your fly wallet. Brass or silver pounded Mooselook Wobblers are proven fish takers, as well as Sutton Spoons in size 44 and 8 for trout and salmon, and size 38

and 72 for togue. My theory for spring trolling has always been, “The fish are where you find them today; they’ll be somewhere else tomorrow,” so keep roaming until you get strikes. For newcomers to Eagle Lake, I’d suggest dragging baits near Michaud and Nadeau thoroughfares, Plaisted Point and Miller

Sherby Morris of Fort Kent has a camp near St Agatha on Long Lake. Some days are better than others, but it’s a rare outing when a silver leaper doesn’t take to the air with a streamer in its jaw.

Brook inlet. Other spots to spend some time include Three Brooks Cove, Oak Point, and the stretch of water between

Brown’s Point Gilmore Brook.

Urban Edge Ponds Weekends in regional lakes tend to

(Continued on next page)

Booking for the 2021 Bear Seasons! Hunts Over Bait and/or with Hounds

ALSO BOOKING 2021 DEER HUNTS! — ZONE 2 MOOSE HUNTS — In the Heart of the Allagash and Fish River Waterways.... Camp Rentals for Spring and Fall Fishing, Summer Canoeing, Kayaking and Moose Watching

Loon Lodge in the Allagash Lake Region

Booking Deer and Grouse Hunts

“Just the Way You Like It”

SPRING FISHING IS HERE!

GREAT PLACE FOR SUMMER VACATIONS! SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE FOR 2021 BEAR HUNTS! www.loonlodgemaine.com loonlodgemaine@gmail.com • SEE US ON FACEBOOK! P.O. Box 254, Bethel, ME 04217 • 207-745-8168

Catering to Hunts in Small Groups

Specializing in

Northern Maine Bear Hunts on Fish River Portage Lake, Maine

David Prevost

Registered Maine Guide

At Highlanding Camps, life is quiet and guests quickly unwind from busy lifestyles in one of our log cabins.

603-381-0080 highlandingcamps@gmail.com www.highlandingcamps.com

REMOTE FISHING

Warm Cabins on the Lake Shores! Front Door to Fishing in 200 ft. or Less!

Togue Brook White Fish Cusk Guided Trips Available

Nightly Cabin Rates, 2 Night Minimum Stay Also Booking Open Water Fishing, Guided Bear Hunts Over Bait, Grouse & Deer Hunting Visit us on the web:

ROSSLAKECAMPS ON CHEMQUASABAMTICOOK LAKE

W W W.

.C O M

Map 55 in Maine Gazetteer

For Fastest Response, E-mail:

info@rosslakecamps.com

or call to leave a message at 207-227-7766

Year Round Hunting and Fishing Opportunities

and

Allagash Lakes Region American Plan Lodge • Housekeeping Cabins • Year Round Quality Cabins and Lodge on Haymock, Spider and Cliff Lakes Time to make plans for your ICE FISHING TRIP! Big Eagle, Churchill, Spider, Pleasant, and Clear Lakes A great place for a quality Family Vacation! Ice Fishing • Snowmobiling • X-Country Skiing • Snowshoeing

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

www.macannamac.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

76 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Lee Thibodeau of Portland travels north each spring to an old family camp. He visits local ponds in the Presque Isle area, and enjoys top-rate trout trolling in May.

Even if fishermen only have an hour or two after work to fish, every Aroostook village and town has a small lake or pond nearby where a bit of streamer trolling can be rewarding.

The County (Continued from page 75)

be heavy-pressure trolling time, since it’s the only free hours for most working folks. A solution to this quandary is to visit one of the smaller neighborhood ponds or lakes situated within 15 minute drive of most Aroostook towns or villages. A couple of hours before or right after work often offers action-packed trout fishing from well stocked urban edge waterways that are closed to ice fishing. Bait and lure casters enjoy luck as soon as the ice clears

15 to 20 feet from shore, but once you can float a canoe or small boat for trolling, the real fun begins. Monson Pond in Fort Fairfield is just the ticket; check DeLorme’s Map 65, D-4. Monson Pond is an easy-to-access, simpleto-fish 160-acre, 15foot deep brook trout haven. Just 10 minutes off Route 1A via the Page Road, and boasting a well maintained boat launch, Monson Pond offers top-rate trolling with single hook streamers

Maine’s sporting community and this author lost a great friend this past winter, when Scott Cantrell, founder of Cantrell Seafood, unexpectedly passed on to the lakes where every streamer catches trophy fish. This photo was taken during his last trip to Long Lake in Aroostook for an annual outing. www.MaineSportsman.com

during the first two weeks after ice out. Trout average 10 to 14 inches, a few reach the one-pound size. They respond well to bait fish imitations in streamer fly and Rapala form. Look to Limestone Drive north on 1A about 20 minutes from Fort Fairfield, and you’ll be in the small town of Limestone, where you can fish two very promising early season trout ponds. Trafton Lake is well marked along the Ward Road, a branch off Noyes Road from 1A. DeLorme’s, Map 65, grid B-3 offers a view of these byways and the 85 acre, 50 foot max depth lake. Lots of parking and a wide, well-maintained ramp area that can even handle large pontoon boats highlight

One old adage says when pussy willows blossom, it’s time to fish. However, in The County, when the author regularly sights mallard pairs in the potato field mud puddles, local ponds are ice free and it’s time to troll.

this trout-fishing site that’s well stocked each year. With no winter fishing, the brook trout feed and grow after late autumn stocking and prove receptive to streamers and lures once open water arrives. I’ve used Matukas and leech patterns in olive, purple or black with a weighted cone head with steady results, and I favor a sinking 10-foot tip fly line. A few folks fish from shore as ice disappears, but to see more than a couple of trolling craft would be unusual. Up the road a bit north of Limestone Center is another, even smaller pond that doesn’t even show up or is named on some maps. Durepo Pond covers only 64 acres, and features a

Neighborhood ponds abound throughout Aroostook County. They shed their icy coats at least a week or two before the big lakes. Early visits are characterized by few boats and plenty of trout.

rough, carry-in launch site. It’s reachable via Mill Road off Route 1A. The pond is fairly shallow, so a stable canoe or light Jon boat is the craft of choice this month, and I favor an electric motor for quiet trolling. A couple of times I’ve even spotted a couple of sports using paddle power to haul flies or plugs behind the canoe. Durepo is another pond that’s stocked with trout both spring and fall, and occasionally a few 14-inch brookies are released along with the 8- to 10-inchers. No ice fishing here either, so once open water arrives some fun tug of war can be enjoyed on a light 7-foot fly rod. A floating line with a 7 ½ foot leader will work, but I still prefer either a sink-tip line or lightly weighted streamer or leech for the first couple of weeks. Time permitting, the big lakes with the big fish are awesome, but when work and spring chores keep you close to home, think small pond trout trolling. The competition is minimal, the fish are plentiful, and the time is right now.

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 77

Imaginary Rurality The Wall Street Journal has some weird ideas. I’m not talking about the editorial pages, which seem to be laboring under the impression Herbert Hoover is still president. Nor am I impugning the integrity of the Journal’s excellent investigative reporting, which often uncover weirdness, but it’s weirdness produced by somebody else – usually politicians. Where the WSJ tends to stray from reality is in its lifestyle stories, apparently aimed at folks whose net worth is in inverse proportion to their IQs. “A Tiny Town”? On Feb. 19, the newspaper published just such a piece under the headline “The Rocky Coast of Maine Attracts Urbanites.” The same story showed up online, claiming “Country Converts All Want a Piece of … a Tiny Town in Maine.” Which tiny town has proved so attractive to wealthy refugees from big cities seeking to become back-to-the-landers? Port Clyde? Stonington? Jonesport? No, no and nope. Perhaps it was landlocked New Portland, even though it’s neither new nor a port. Country converts from New York probably wouldn’t notice. I’ll keep you in suspense no longer. The town in question is the

A New York newspaper, says the author, can’t tell the difference between country life in Maine, and out-of-staters seeking shelter in the suburbs. most suburb-y of Portland’s suburbs: Falmouth. “Rural Farmland”? The Journal describes how a Boston couple looked all around the ’burbs until they found their ideal rural escape, “a five-bedroom, 5 ½ bath, 4,500-squarefoot home for $830,000 in Falmouth.” Most Mainers probably don’t think of Falmouth when the subject of country living comes up. Most likely their impressions of the town tend toward it being a ritzy enclave filled with exclusive waterfront estates and more recent McMansions for the nouveau riche. The latest influx of what Dorothy Parker once described as “nervous youngish men newly arrived at high positions in nervous youngish industries” fits right in. While the article claims Falmouth features “rural farmland,” it neglects to point out that acreage is rapidly being chopped up for escape estates for those invasive species fleeing metropolises. And it gushes about the town’s top-rated school system, without mentioning the high property taxes needed to support it. For example, the aforemen-

Photo credit: Warner Brothers

tioned $830,000 house will set its new owners back somewhere in the neighborhood of $13,000 a year. GeographyChallenged The story states that Falmouth is located “about 5 miles from Portland.” The two municipalities are adjacent, so it’s actually zero miles. It thinks Yarmouth “neighbors” Falmouth, neglecting to notice Cumberland, which is between them. Oh wait, there’s a mention of Cumberland – lauded as a lower-priced alternative for those willing to endure a less tony ZIP Code. These urban exiles are reported to be quick learners in discerning the ways of the wild. No foraging for roots and berries for them. Having completed $100,000 in renovations on their already over-priced abode, the aforementioned recent arrivals apparently neglected to purchase a coffee pot. “We go into Portland for coffee in the morning during

the week,” one of them told the Journal. As for their new home town, “It has that distinctly small-town community feel.” Without any of that small-town community riff-raff. Just nice, rich people enjoying lives of peaceful delusion. In the unlikely event any of them gets eaten by a bear, I’m available to testify on the bear’s behalf. Quiet Country Lifestyle According to the U.S. Census, Falmouth has a population of about 12,000 people. But not all those folks are millionaires. The median household income as of 2019 was about $100,000, which means half the town’s families (the poor) made less, while the other half (the rich) made more. In Maine, the median household income is about 60 grand. In Falmouth, that qualifies a family for food stamps. Pre-pandemic, the poverty rate in Falmouth was 2.7%, or about one quarter of the state average. There are 381 people per square mile in Falmouth, about 10 times the population density of actual rural places. Among the amenities offered to those

enjoying the quiet country lifestyle in Falmouth – proximity to fancy supermarkets, coffee shops and an airport. There’s a miles-long strip mall, but there are also local country clubs with their pools and restaurants. And for those with yatchsy inclinations, there’s the ocean, which offers thrilling five-minute boat rides to nearby islands. Be sure to bring along some shiny trinkets to barter with the natives. Do a Better Job Next Time? The newly arrived Falmouth immigrants should fit right in with those of such long-standing residency as to be able to trace their property records back to their ancestors who stole the land from the Indians. That was back when the town really was rural. When next the Wall Street Journal decides to send a reporter into the wilds of Maine, maybe it should focus on someplace that’ll look more familiar to New Yorkers. Try Bar Harbor in midsummer. Al Diamon writes the weekly column Politics & Other Mistakes for the Daily Bulldog and the Portland Phoenix. He can be emailed at aldiamon@herniahill. net.

www.MaineSportsman.com

78 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Smilin’ Sportsman

“Sometimes I feel like I’ve been tied to the whiffenpoof.”

“Did you bring any of those neat fuzzy green and yellow things you had last time?”

www.MaineSportsman.com

“Who referred you to me?”

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 79

— TRADING POST — • Subscribers may place one free 20-word line classified ad per month (2-month limit) • Items for sale must include a price • Real estate ads must include an address or location

• The regular rates are $15 for up to 20 words and 50¢ for each additional word • Check, money order, MasterCard or VISA (Credit or Debit) are accepted

• You may submit your ads by: Phone: 207-357-2702 E-mail: classifieds@mainesportsman.com Mail: 183 State Street, Suite 101 Augusta ME 04330

SUBMIT AD AND PAYMENT BY THE 30TH OF EACH MONTH AND YOUR AD WILL APPEAR IN THE NEXT ISSUE. 6225 branch of the Dead CAMPING SITES BOATS COMMERCIAL River. Sleeps up to 9. FOR RENT IN FOR SALE REAL ESTATE 17’ 4” MAD RIVER FIBERGLASS RANGELEY BOAT Good condition (except for the wood gunnels, which need to be replaced). Made in Maine by Riverbend Fiberglass. $950 or best reasonable offer. Hallowell 207-622-4843 (see photo below, right). PENN YAN 12’ BOAT IN EXCELLENT CONDITION The Ultimate Pond Boat. Wood Boat 75lbs, New Skin. Double Oar Location. Great Boat! $400. Call: 508-451-

KEVLAR CANOE Class C Sailing rig, never been in the water, $1750. CALL:757286-1344

GRAND LAKER CANOE With 8 HP Johnson Motor & Custom Trailer. In Excellent Condition $3,500. 508-2433778 Ask for Bill. —

CAMPS & CAMPSITES FOR RENT DEAD RIVER CAFE Year round home for rent on the North

Four bedrooms, 1/1/2 baths, 2 car garage. 3 1/2 miles north of Pines Market in Eustis. $250/day up to 6 people- 2 day min. $50/pp extra up to 9. $1,200/wk up to 6 people, $200/pp extra up to 9. Contact Jamie: 207-577-6516 EAST GRAND LAKE DANFORTH, ME 24x32 Camp- Greenland Cove, Sleeps 6-10. Deck, small dock/ beach. Hunting, Fishing, Boating, ATV, $600/wk. 207-831-1447

LINCOLN, ME PRIVATE! All ready for camper or tent. ATV trail at end of driveway. $400/year. Call: 207-322-3877 —

CAMPS FOR SALE FISH FOR WILD TROUT & SALMON Camp directly on Aroostook River in T9R7 $49,900. 207227-2305 —

DEVELOPER’S DREAM: 6.6 ACRES 370ft. road frontage on Whittier Rd. in Farmington, Maine, just off Routes 2 & 4. Electricity on site, 4 water hookups and 4 sewer hookups, Tax Incentives possible. 207474-0778 HISTORIC 3 STORY OPERA HOUSE On Rt.2 between Bethel and Farmington, on Andro and Webb (Continued on next page)

BOAT FOR SALE RANGELEY BOAT The Genuine. The Original. Serving the Bangor Area Since 1948

Residential & Commercial Garage Doors & Openers Sales, Service & Repairs

56 Liberty Drive Hermon, ME

(207) 848-2866

www.overheaddoorofbangor.com

Fiberglass Rangeley boat in good condition (except for the wood gunnels, which need to be replaced). Made in Maine by Riverbend Fiberglass. $950 or best reasonable offer Hallowell 207-622-4843

The Maine Sportsman Digital Edition Discover The Maine Sportsman on-the-go and never miss another issue!

ONLY

PER YEAR

Subscribe Today at www.MaineSportsman.com! www.MaineSportsman.com

80 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Sportsman

Sales Rep Opportunity

The Maine

Earn extra money while assisting business owners promote their business, products or events to our loyal readers. BONUS POTENTIAL! To apply or learn more, contact Nancy at 207-357-2702or ads@mainesportsman.com.

(Continued from page 79)

Rivers with drift-boat launch. Main Floor beautifully remodeled, commercial kitchen, furniture, dishes, paved parking lot. Best smallmouth bass fishing! $139,500. Some financing may be available. 207-562-7564 —

DOGS GUN DOG TRAINING At Spruce Meadow Kennel in Rangeley, Maine. Experienced with pointing and flushing upland bird hunting dogs. Contact

Jeff Hawksley 207 864 3610 or 207 670 8010 —

FISHING GEAR FULL LINE OF FISHING GEAR Flies, Tools, Kits, Lessons, more. Mr. Ed’s Flies and Supplies, 11 Honeysuckle Ln., Brunswick, ME. www. mredsfliesandsupplies .com or call 207-2298468. —

TRUCK ACCESSORIES TRUCK CAP HAS 4 CUSTOM DOG CARRIER BOX (Continued on next page)

CAMPS TO CASTLES TEAM

UNDER

Penobscot – 105 acre 4th generation farm with 1850’s farm house and barn with updated barn along with guest/rental home close to Castine and Blue Hill. $549,000.

Linneus – 167 acre lot with seasonal access. Major portion of the lot is considered significant wildlife & inland waterfowl habitat. $83,500

Caratunk – 1,064 acres. Views of the Kennebec River – Wyman Lake, Moxie Mountain -east & Bigelow Mountains -west. Interior gravel roads and groomed snowmobile trail. $625,000

Looking for Property in Northern Maine?

T NTRAC

Kim (207) 227-8125 • Chuck (207) 227-2305

Milo - Recreational opportunities abound on this well-wooded 20 acre lot. Immediate access to ITS 82 and locally maintained ATV trail. Good views. $24,900

Palmyra – Palmyra 18 hole Golf Course and RV Campground are situated on 433 acres. This is a turn-key business with buildings and infrastructure pristine. $1,500,000

Eddington – 605 acres along Rt.9 with 475’ of frontage zoned commercially and is the proposed last NON-controlled section before the I-395/Route 9 connector begins. $525,000

Hancock County - Over 800 acres with 5,400 sq. ft log cabin completely surrounding Fox Pond. Miles of maintained trails. Adjacent to 20,000 acres of conservation lands. www.foxpondestate.com. $4,300,000

Beauty runs deep. So does our land sales experience. John Colannino Broker & Forester

Palmyra – 51 acres with 1,000+/feet on Douglas Pond/Sebasticook River. Small camp on wooded lot with direct access to ITS 84 and MATS 113. Snowmobile and ATV the State. $115,000

www.MaineSportsman.com

AFM Real Estate 40 Champion Lane | Milford, Maine | 04461 O: 207.817.9079 | C: 207.266.7355 John.Colannino@afmforest.com For more information on available properties please visit:

www.AmericanForestManagement.com

515 Main Street, Presque Isle, ME (207)764-4600 www.bigbearrealestatecompany.com

MADISON – Water frontage, road frontage, large acreage, snowmobile trails...this property has it all! Don’t miss this opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind property in Madison. There are twelve acres with 1,300 feet of frontage on the Kennebec River on one side of the road and 190 acres on the other side of the road. Enjoy plenty of privacy with 1,300 feet of road frontage. Three large fields are rented annually to a local farmer for corn. Fantastic deer hunting with over 100 well-wooded acres. This is an ideal location to build your dream home or your sportsman’s retreat. The Patterson Bridge Road (discontinued) runs the length of the property and provides easy access to the interior of the lot. Major snowmobile trail bisects the property. You can also enjoy fantastic brown trout, salmon, and bass fishing in the Kennebec River with miles of water ready to access. MLS #1479139 – $430,000 FAIRFIELD – Great location just minutes from the interstate making the commute to Waterville, Skowhegan, Augusta and beyond all within reason. This home features a living room with large windows, kitchen with eat-in area, half bath on main floor, and two bedrooms on the upper level with a full bathroom. There have been several upgrades including a heat pump, efficient on demand hot water system and insulated basement. All this sitting on 1.39 surveyed acres on a paved dead end road. MLS #1485842 – $149,500 EAST MOXIE TWP – Here is your chance to own a very unique property on beautiful Caribou Island on Moxie Pond. This property consists of 1.17 acres with 647 feet of owned water frontage on both sides of the island. There is an exclusive boat launch and parking area just for residents of Caribou Island. Enjoy a brief 5 minute paddle or 2 minute boat ride to your island retreat. This property also benefits from a deeded common area of 3.54 acres and an additional 1,000 feet of water frontage on the island for your enjoyment. This rustic log cabin comes fully furnished with a wood stove, a cook stove, gas range, and gas refrigerator. There is plenty of room for you and your guests with a sleeping area and a loft. Enjoyed unparalleled lake views and your own private dock for fishing, hunting, boating, canoeing, and kayaking. This camp is turn key and ready for summer recreation. MLS #1456663 – $149,000 ABBOT – Fantastic opportunity to own some classic Maine woodlands. Enjoy easy access off Route 6 with a nice driveway already in place. Long frontage on the main, paved road. This would be the ideal location to build your own hunting retreat. There are multiple year classes of timber on this lot with the potential to get some immediate income. There is a bog and an unnamed brook that provides great habitat for game. Whether you are looking for moose, deer, bear or if you are an upland bird enthusiast, this lot offers it all. Only minutes from town and other amenities, and only a short 30 minute drive to Moosehead Lake. This is your sportsman’s paradise! MLS #1467277 – $72,500 ANSON – If you have been waiting for a breath taking view of the Western Mountains, don’t wait too long, come take a look. Come make your dreams a reality. Walk to the top, and take a look for yourself. MLS #1483843 – $59,900 ATHENS – 40 acres of land, currently in tree growth. The land is landlocked and approximately 1 mile off the main road. MLS #1471838 – $20,000 SOLON – 6.24 surveyed acres in a private country location. Only minutes to downtown Solon. A portion of the property is a sand/gravel pit. Use this property to supply gravel or use what is on-site to build a nice private driveway to the interior for your dream home or cabin. Call today for your private showing. MLS #1485371 – $30,000 PLEASANT RIDGE PLT – A beautiful 180 degree views of Wyman Lake boasting 300 acres of land. Nice interior road. Electricity available at the road. Many recreational activities including snowmobiling, ATV riding, fishing, white water rafting, canoe/kayak and boating as well as great hunting. Public boat landing is beside this parcel. Property is in tree growth for tax purposes. (23025Ha353) MLS #1361727 – $339,000 5/21

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 81 (Continued from page 80)

Built-in, exterior entrance on outside. Came off 2013 Toyota Tacoma XCab $695.00 or Trade For ?? Call Tony 508-509-8181 —

REAL ESTATE ICONIC “PARMACHENEE

CLUB” ON 2-ACRE ISLAND Gated access to 1,000s of acres of prime hunting, fishing and snowmobiling! 5 furnished cabins with over $150,000 in new roof and pilings on steel beams. Spectacular views and one neighbor. Includes shared

lot at Landing for dock and parking $475,000. 207-491-4771 —

WANTED DEER / MOOSE

ANTLERS Buying any size deer and moose shed antlers/racks or antlered skulls. All grades bought by the pound. 802-875-3206

SKI DOO, ELAN OR TUNDRA Any Condition. Have Cash. Will Travel. Call Or Text 207-522-6940

Discover the versatility and convenience of Northeastern’s Camp and Cabin kits. Perfect for vacation homes or retirement retreats, these log cabin kits are easy to build and very affordable. They feature simple, open designs and come complete with pre-cut Eastern White Pine Logs, insulated doors, windows, rafters, roof sheathing and subflooring, plus step-by-step instructions.

Just imagine relaxing in your very own Northeastern log retreat!

10 Ames Road, Kenduskeag, ME

1-800-624-2797 • (207) 884-7000

www.northeasternlog.com

After a 10-minute fight, Edward Gooldrup of Auburn caught and released this monster 41-inch northern pike on January 26, 2021. Gooldrup was fishing on Sebago Lake, using a sucker as bait.

Caryn Dreyfuss, Broker • (207) 233-8275 caryndreyfuss@morton-furbish.com www.realestateinrangeley.com

RANGELEY – Million dollar views from this hillside lot in desirable Rangeley West subdivision! 1.86 acre parcel with building envelope designed to maximize the panoramic Rangeley Lake and mountain vistas. Super location handy to Mooselook/Rangeley Lake boat ramps, vibrant Oquossoc Village, plus direct access to snowmobile trails from your door. Need more elbow room, abutting lot #11 also available for purchase separately or as a package. MLS #1485709 – $114,900 RANGELEY – Super location off the beaten path and yet handy to town amenities. Spacious 3 acre building parcel in desirable Manor Woods Subdivision - features well wooded, gently sloping lot with rough driveway in, house site cleared, filtered Rangeley Lake views. Quiet and private spot perfect for your full time or get away home. Build here and be close to Rangeley Lake, Saddleback ski area, ATV/snowmobile trails! MLS #1484656 – $97,500 DALLAS PLT – Acreage, privacy, Rangeley Lake access! Super sized land parcel in the Rangeley Overlook offering 17.6 wooded acres, 1200’+ frontage on Nile Brook, direct ATV/snowmobile trail access from your door. PLUS deeded access to the HOLA waterfront on Rangeley Lake with marina, picnic, swimming area. Build here and enjoy low plantation taxes - great location minutes to town and 4-season activities. MLS #1471422 – $139,000

Springfield – Rural living in a quiet neighborhood on Park Street. Part of this house has been nicely refinished. Along with about half of the interior having been redone, the foundation needs to be repaired. $79,000

T5R7 WELS – Views of Mt. Katahdin from the shore, this new and beautiful cabin has 247’ of waterfront on Lower Shin Pond. Access to Katahdin National Monument and Baxter State Park. Amenities of home in the deep Maine woods. $279,000

Mattawamkeag – On the river’s edge, Mattawamkeag River, view across is something to see. Charming qualities but does need a bit of TLC. Attractive old wood trim, dry cellar and lawn upkeep is minimal. Possible 2 unit house. $59,000

Grand Falls – This cabin was landed on this lot two years ago and ready to finish off and use. This 41 acre lot sits high on a hill with great views on Lord Brook Road. ATV and snowmobile from this location. Take a look. $79,000

Lee – A traditional northern Maine hunting camp. Located along an ATV and Snowmobile trail. Private location and hidden from view on Ames Road. This is a wonderful hunting location and is priced fairly. $29,900

Lee – A cute little hunting camp tucked nicely in the woods of Northern Maine on Hale Farm Road. Easy access to recreational trails and good Maine hunting. $22,900

Lincoln – Inexpensive lot on Stump Pond. The lot has a driveway started and is very private. Great Bass Fishing. More Land available at added cost. $29,900 Lincoln – Larger private lot with lots of shore front. The lot has a road built with three access driveways. This 59 acre lot with over 3000 feet of water front on Stump Pond is a must see. $99,000 Cooper – This lot has electricity available at the road and great access. Wonderful frontage. New driveway in. Forest on Cathance Lake is Deep Cove Forest and will be maintained as forever wild. A must see lot! $79,000 Molunkus TWP – Lot located 22 miles from Lincoln is a must see. 320 feet of water frontage and 1.6 acres this lot offers lots of opportunities. Mattaseunk Lake is 576+/- acres. Enjoy all this lot has to offer. $49,000

R E A L

E S T A T E

5 LAKE STREET, P.O. BOX 66, LINCOLN 207-794-2460 www.cwalakestreet.com E-mail: cwa@cwalakestreet.com

1-800-675-2460 Call any of our brokers to work for you! “Tate” Aylward ............. 794-2460 Peter Phinney............... 794-5466 Kirk Ritchie................... 290-1554

FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON OUR PROPERTIES VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT CWALAKESTREET.COM

www.MaineSportsman.com

82 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

www.MaineSportsman.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • May 2021 • 83

www.MaineSportsman.com

84 • May 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————