The Maine Sportsman November 2024 Digital Edition

Whitetail Season is Here!

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Moosehead Woods Full of Whitetail P. 45 Chair Stands Effective for Deer P. 19

Are Cell-Connected Game Cameras Sporting? P. 25 A Brief History of Hunter Orange P. 43 The Poacher and the Tractor P. 35

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4 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

Developing the Wilderness – The Value of ‘Thinking Small’ One of our favorite Maine Sportsman cartoonists is Harley Schwadron (trivia: one of his teammates on Bowdoin’s basketball team was Bill Cohen). Harley is a political sort, and undesirable development of the wilderness is a recurring theme in his artwork. For example, he’ll draw an illustration of a developer looking at a hillside of beautiful birch trees, and the developer will declare, “We’ll cut down all the birch trees, put up 200 condominiums, and we’ll call the place ‘The Birches’.”

We thought of Harley during a brief three-day stay at a remote camp north of Abbot a few weeks ago. In an area that formerly featured absolute quiet at night, we were subject to the hum and growl of a large-scale electric generator, all day and all night. Mountainsides overlooking the lake that used to be inky black now display flickering porch lights and spotlights. Some folks closer to town whose camps have a reliable electrical supply wrap their docks and decks with multicolor lights – not just for occasional holidays, but simply to stake out their space, and the lights remain illuminated even as the camps themselves are empty and the owners are safely back in their urban residences.

Concrete seawalls along the shoreline; green lawns to the water’s edge; cuts in natural berms to make hauling the dock and boats a little easier – we see it all, and all over the state. And have you noticed these days whenever it rains, small streams fill up suddenly and overflow their banks, after which levels quickly retreat when the rain is done? Walk upstream, as we have done, and you’ll discover that paved parking lots have replaced water-absorbing gravel, leading to miniature flash-floods in every rainstorm.

And not to be old fogies or environmental wonks, but why is it that when we hear announcements of 50-unit housing developments, our first thought is about whether the town or downhill neighbors are ready to deal with the output of 50 toilets, 50 dishwashers and 100 sinks?

What is it about human nature that causes folks to be attracted to a place like Maine – which features the peacefulness of “living small” – and then when they get here, their first moves are to recreate the light and noise of their urban roots – the very qualities they left behind when they discovered our state?

So here’s the ask: Get involved in the local planning process. Encourage enforcement of common-sense land-use rules. And on your own property, remember why it is you or your family decided this was the place to be, and honor that sentiment in your expansion and development decisions.

¶

On the Cover: It’s whitetail time! Maine’s two-day Youth Deer Hunt takes place Friday October 25 and Saturday October 26. Maine Residents Only Day is Saturday, November 2.

(Non-residents who complete a verification form stating that they own 25 or more acres of land in Maine and leave the land open to hunting, can also hunt on Residents Only day.)

A deer with antlers less than 3” is considered an antlerless deer, which can be harvested: • in designated WMDs/subunits during the Regular Archery season and Youth Deer hunt • by hunters with antlerless deer permits, and • by expanded archery hunters with appropriate permits.

Good luck to everyone for a productive and safe hunt.

www.MaineSportsman.com

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 624 • www.mainesportsman.com PUBLISHER: Jon Lund MANAGING EDITOR: Will Lund will@mainesportsman.com OFFICE MANAGER: Carol Lund carol@mainesportsman.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kristina Roderick kristina@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nancy Carpenter nancy@mainesportsman.com DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR: Jon Mulherin distribution@mainesportsman.com Second class postage paid at Scarborough, ME 04074 and additional entry offices.

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

TABLE OF CONTENTS Almanac by Will Lund.................................................... 12 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves..................... 31 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia.................. 25 Big Woods World by Lee Schanz & Hal Blood............ 24 Editorial.............................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello....................... 49 Get Out There by Staci Warren.................................... 40 Jackman Region by William Sheldon.......................... 43 Jottings by Jon Lund........................................................ 9 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon......................... 36 Letters to the Editor.......................................................... 6 Maine Sportswoman by Christi Elliott........................... 41 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour................................... 18 Moosehead Region by Tom Seymour......................... 45 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.............................. 65 Nolan’s Outdoor World by Nolan Raymond............... 39 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie............................ 52 Outdoors & Other Mistakes by Al Diamon.................. 69 Petzal Logic by David Petzal........................................ 38 Quotable Sportsman by Will Lund................................ 16 Rangeley Region by William Clunie............................. 62 Ranger on the Allagash by Tim Caverly...................... 34 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers............................. 68 Saltwater Fishing by Bob Humphrey............................ 60 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth..................... 57 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard............................. 54 Smilin’ Sportsman by Will Lund...................................... 68 Snapshots in Time by Bill Pierce.................................... 11 Southern Maine by Val Marquez................................. 58 Tales from the Warden Service by Ret. Lt. Doug Tibbetts. 35 Tidewater Tales by Randy Randall............................... 59 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller.................. 51 Trading Post (Classifieds)............................................... 70 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour....................................... 47 Vermont by Matt Breton............................................... 67 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.............. 64

GUEST COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS Deer Hunting in Maine: Chair Hunting by Blaine Cardilli............................... 19 Lasting Impressions by Jim Andrews....................... 22 Snowmobiling by Steve Carpenteri............................. 28 GUEST: Guiding Older Anglers by Joseph Coleman.. 48

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6 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters To The Editor

Maebelle, My Belle

To the Editor: You folks have a great magazine – keep up the good work.

I took my military buddy hunting in Milo. He said I should submit a photo of my Brittany, Maebelle. He said maybe it will make it into the magazine.

belle back then – there were plenty of birds.

Mike Fucini, Durham, ME —

Make Mine a Red Label To the Editor: I read with interest Col. JC Allard’s column on the Ruger Gold Label shotgun.

I acquired a Red Label shotgun in 1979 for the purchase price of $300, bought new at Dakin Sporting Goods in Bangor, Me. That was a considerable sum in those days, but I loved its look and feel – the way it came up to the shoulder.

The Ruger Red Label (pictured) and Gold Label shotguns “represented the best of American gun making and engineering,” says this reader.

Maebelle, a hard-working Brittany, had a successful hunt in Milo.

I have hunted Maine for over 40 years. I was stationed at the Survival School in Rangeley. I wish I’d had Mae-

I was impressed with its performance, and I’ve passed this shotgun on to my son, who has always admired it and done well with it in the field.

It is a shame it’s no longer made, along with its big brother, the Gold Label 12 gauge.

These firearms represented the best of American gun making and engineering.

In addition, parts for these guns are becoming scarce, which is really on Ruger, and is frankly disappointing.

I am fortunate ours has not required any repairs – a testimony to its quality.

Thanks for a look at a great American shotgun!

Paul Kelley, Bangor, ME —

Advocating for Carp as Game Fish To the Editor: I saw your article in the July issue relating to carp fishing (see “New State Record Carp,” July, 2024 Almanac) describing Ryan Brod’s 18-pounder pulled from – and released back into – the Kennebec River.

I am an avid carp fisherman in Maine. In fact, I have a YouTube channel (search @CarpFishingMaine-ff9oo) where I post all my catches. Here’s a photo of my largest recent catch – a 19lb. 4 oz. monster caught and released in Dresden on May 28, 2024 (photo on next page).

I know you can’t declare it as a new state record, since your rules require a (Continued on next page)

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billion industry, and it’s catching on fast in the US. Many southern states host carp fishing tournaments, and these contests offer good prize money. In New York, the first carp-only retail store recently opened.

Many of the top European carp anglers now travel to the US, as our country offers many waters that hold huge fish.

Phillip McKinnis, China, ME —

Remembering the Recoil Phillip McKinnis shows off his monster 19 lb. 4 oz. carp.

warden or fisheries biologist to sign off regarding size and species, and method of catch.

I believe it’s only a matter of time before I break the 20-lb. weight, as I have lost a few very good sized fish.

My largest carp to date was a 33-lb. fish caught in the UK; biggest-ever stateside was a 26-pounder caught in Connecticut while I was fishing in a tournament.

I am trying to promote carp fishing in Maine, and since posting to YouTube, I’ve introduced a few locals to this great fish.

Carp fishing in Europe is a $7

To the Editor: I enjoyed Jon Lund’s recent column titled “Like Shooting from the Hip” (see “Jon’s Jottings,” October 2024).

My education to the world of recoil was not with a Winchester Model 71, but rather an Iver Johnson single shot 12 gauge.

Pretty much like all young boys at the time, I started out with a Daisy Red Ryder, then moved up to 22s and then tried out for the first time, with my father’s instruction, the 12 ga.

Needless to say, the introduction to recoil was swift and certain.

Nice column; it brought back (Continued on next page)

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8 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters to the Editor

be slid onto the grooved mandrel (1) and the handles closed until the tit (2) is against the brass, and then the brass rotated to get the proper indent.

What does Dave think?

E.B. Leland, Kittery, ME

(Continued from page 7)

memories.

Wayne Dengler, Danbury CT —

Antiques Roadshow?

To the Editor: I know Dave Petzal tends more toward the modern guns, but I have to ask if he has any knowledge in a certain area.

When I bought a Lyman 310 reloading tool for my .32-40, I also got this tool.

I’ve loaded tons of .32-40 ammo on

This interesting tool came with a .32-40 reloading set. The owner is looking for answers.

my regular press, but never with the 310 tool, so this fell into obscurity. Having never used it, I forgot what it was for (if I ever actually knew).

At any rate, after studying it, I believe it is the tool for putting a cannelure in the brass case to help prevent bullet setback – a particularly important feature for tube magazine guns such as the 93 Marlin.

If I am correct, the empty case would

Dave Petzal replies: Dear Mr. Leland – Thank you for a most interesting question. I have never seen anything like your mystery tool, nor can I find any reference to it. I think that your guess is accurate, however – it’s for putting a cannelure in the case, for reasons that follow.

The .32/40 was developed in 1884 by the Ballard Rifle Company for its single-shot Union Hill target rifles. It was strictly a black-powder target cartridge, and a very successful one, and it was subsequently chambered by Winchester and Marlin.

To get the smallest groups possible, single-shot shooters developed a technique called breech seating. This involved placing a soft-lead tapered bullet by hand into the leade of the rifling.

Then, also by hand, they would chamber a charged, primed case that was plugged to keep the powder from spilling out, and very carefully close the action, which seated the bullet to its full depth.

This ensured that the bullets would be correctly aligned in the bore and that they would be undeformed.

Normally, the brass cases were not resized between firings, and I think that your mystery tool was used to make certain that you had a cannelure of sufficient depth, and that it was in the same location on every case.

The guy who would have known was Mike Venturino, who was the acknowledged source of all wisdom on loading and shooting black powder

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guns. Sadly, Mike passed away early this June. However, he was a prolific writer, and I strongly suggest that you get a copy of Black Powder Cartridge Reloading Primer, which he co-authored with Steven Garbe. Also, get a copy of the February/March 2007 issue (#245) of Handloader Magazine, which has a piece by Mike on reloading the .32/40.

A final suggestion: There are at least a couple of black-powder chat rooms on the Internet that deal with precisely what we’re talking about here, and if you sent a photo of your mystery tool and asked what it was, you’d likely have an answer forthwith.

Dave Petzal, “Petzal Logic” columnist —

Cougars Are Among Us

To the Editor: Thanks for including the 2024 – 2025 Maine Sportsman Readers Poll in the October issue. I was especially interested to see Question #40: “Have you or anyone you know seen a cougar in Maine?”

Two years ago, I was driving into Bingham at 8:30 a.m. when a cougar crossed left to right in front of my pickup at the old railway crossing.

It was a full-grown, beautiful animal, tan in color. Its tail was almost as long as the cougar itself. Two leaps, and it was gone into the alders on the right side of the road, but we got a full view of it. It was long and slender, but featured very muscular hind legs and front shoulders. I estimate the weight at 80 to 90 lbs.

I immediately left messages with the area warden and the biologist, but neither one called me back – no surprise there.

It was a gift from above to see that beautiful animal.

Two other people I know have seen one – the first was in Norridgewock; and the second was on the Russell Road, between Madison and Skowhegan.

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This Cougar Left Tracks To the Editor: Regarding your magazine’s question about cougars – A couple of years ago, I was out in the yard after (Letters continued on page 10)

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Of Ruffed Grouse and Owls Scientists are still learning the secrets of birds, including how they survive and eat during Maine’s long winters. In the author’s experience, close observation of wildlife is best accomplished when traveling through the snow quietly on a pair of skis.

Skiing back to see where the ruffed grouse had emerged from under the snow, we realized we had nearly skied past the bird’s nighttime hiding place before it had taken to wing. The bird’s initial wing-strokes were clearly pressed into the soft snow; the later strokes, less distinct and farther apart as it gained speed.

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for ruffed grouse to spend time in a snowbank to help them survive a cold Maine winter. I have seen similar snow signs when snowmobiling in the town of Shirley, except sometimes the speed and noise of a snowmobile may keep you unaware that a partridge has just taken to the air. This happened to me.

I had snowmobiled down an old tote road with friends on our (Continued on next page)

INC.

We were skiing on an unplowed dirt road west of Augusta, on several inches of light snow that had fallen the previous day.

Trees and fenceposts along the road were topped with snow. Suddenly, we were startled by the brief drumming sound of a partridge taking off. The bird followed a curving flight path before it dropped out of sight beyond the tree line. We saw the bird for only a few seconds.

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10 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Jottings (Continued from page 9)

What an Owl Knows – The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds is an award-winning New York Times best-seller (2023, Penguin Press, 352 pp.).

Letters (Continued from page 8) a fresh, light snowfall, and saw these tracks.

My first thought was, “These are

These huge feline tracks were left in a reader’s back yard, about the time neighbors reported seeing a cougarsize cat with a long tail.

pretty big; I wonder what could have made them?”

I backtracked them around the back of the barn, across the field, into

two snow machines.

When I came to the dead end of the trail and prepared to turn the machine around, my friends on the machine behind me told me I had flushed a partridge that I’d not been aware of.

Later, they pointed out to me the tell-tale partridge wing tracks in the snow. Making noise is one drawback to using a snow-machine rather than trav-

eling on silent skis.

Learning About Owls Big birds and snow came to mind anew while I was reading a book my wife Joan recently gave me, titled What an Owl Knows – The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Bird, by Jennifer Ackerman.

Researchers have learned that some owls have super-sensitive hearing, aided by adaptations that enable these amazing birds to locate and prey

the woods, and then into a thick alder patch, where I abandoned the search for the tracks’ origins.

Back at the house, after I took the photo, I saw where the tracks crossed the road onto my neighbor’s land. The tracks headed in the direction of a tenacre, posted piece of property that is a known deer wintering area.

All this time, I was thinking that, based on the size, the gait, and the lack of toenails showing, this is a cougar … pretty cool, right here in my own backyard.

Fast forward a few days, and a sportsman friend of mine called and said, “Guess what I saw this morning – a mountain lion. No doubt in my mind.

Crossed the road 50 yards in front of me. Plain as day.”

This sighting occurred a couple of miles from where I live.

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upon rodents through considerable depth of snow.

Incredibly, some owls have learned to hover noiselessly above the snow until they pick up the sounds of leaves rustling, and then drop to harvest their rodent prey.

Ackerman’s book is a fascinating account of the research into the lives of these amazing birds that we know so little about. I recommend it to our readers.

¶

A few days later, a neighbor called me over and said she saw a bobcat in her field. I asked her if it was small and had a short tail. She emphatically said, “NO – it had a long tail.” The animal was heading in the direction of that ten-acre deer wintering area.

So while I never laid eyes on this animal, based on the tracks I saw and the two area sightings, I’m convinced cougars exist in Maine. And, whether this is related or not, I live in a deerrich area – no problem filling the freezer. Except the last couple years, they have disappeared – not visible on the trail cam or from the deer stand. Last season was the first time in many years that I didn’t see a single deer.

Chris Coggins, Mid-Coast Maine

¶

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“Snapshots in Time”

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

This edition shares three short articles and a letter to the editor that appeared in the September 5, 1895, copy of the RANGELEY LAKES newspaper.

We hope you enjoy it. (Contemporary commentary by Bill Pierce is found in italics.) ***** The Aroostook Wolf Story S. Newhouse, of Houlton, informs us that as he was driving through a piece of woods in Letter A Plantation, recently, he came across two wolves at the side of the road. His horse was frightened at the sight of the animals, who for a time stood their ground, but soon after took to their heels and disappeared into the woods. This is about the same place that wolves were reported to have been seen a year ago. It is supposed that the increase in deer of late years is drawing their enemies, the wolves, here.

—

A Trap Set in a Swamp near the Pond in the River was Carried Away by a Big Bear After searching for several hours, I discovered the bear in the top of a tall fir tree. He had climbed the tree, breaking the limbs as he went, and reaching the top had slid the trap over the top of the tree, then dropping had hung up with some eight or ten feet of the tree sticking up above and through the trap. I had to cut the tree down to get the bear. I once set a log trap, or dead-fall, for a bear, a large trap, and when I went to tend, it a Canada lynx lay dead in front of the trap some four feet away. He had touched the bait and jumped back just far enough for the heavy dead-fall to hit him on the head and knock him away. – J.G. Rich Rich was a noted guide and one of the first white men to settle on the Richardson Lakes. Pick up a copy of “Joshua Gross Rich (1820-1897) – the Life and Works of a Western Maine Pioneer and Wildlife Writer”, by William Krohn. It’s an awesome read!

somewhat anxious that the coming day should be fair, arose to see what the prospect was. The first glimpse showed nothing but fog so dense that only a few feet of the lake’s surface were visible, but in this space, stars were reflected, and on looking heavenward the sky was found to be brilliantly lit by them.

The effect of fog and starlight combined was both unique and beautiful, and one well worth rising to see.

I plan on seeking out a glimpse of this phenomenon, at my next opportunity.

Below, you’ll learn how spring beaver hunting ended with a new law. The law was proposed by a warden who was shot, a story for another time. The law was well thought out, but was not aimed at protecting beaver at all.

—

Letter to the Editor Presque Isle, Me., August 17, 1895 Dear Mr. Twombly, I note what you say about the beaver law as given in the enclosed clipping. I am pleased to read your statement that under the law beaver are increasing.

I drew a bill, which finally became the law, and it was presented in the legislature by the representative from this town; hence I am interested to know how it is working so far as the increase of the beaver are concerned.

But the primary object of the law, with Aroostook sportsmen, was not for the protection of beaver, but for the protection of moose. This may surprise you. You may be curious to know just how such a law can be of any benefit to moose. I will tell you.

Every spring when the snow was deep, the Tobique River Indians used

to make hunting trips up into the Aroostook forests, pretending that they were going beaver hunting, but the real object of their trips was to slaughter moose for their hides. We concluded that the best way to reach those gentlemen would be to stop beaver hunting for a while.

As a result, the Indians no longer have a pretext for going into the woods in the spring, and since the law went into effect, they have not troubled us as much as they used to.

I will further add that the idea of such a law was first suggested to me

by Game Warden Collins, who was shot on the Allagash a few weeks ago. After a consultation with Game Warden Thomas F. Allen, of Bangor, it was decided to act on the suggestion, which we did. I thought perhaps you might be interested in this bit of beaver law history.

Yours, Geo. H. Smith. ***** I smiled when I read the 1898 author’s name. It brought back fond memories of my late friend, George Smith of Mt. Vernon. He, too, knew how to get things done in the Maine Legislature.

We didn’t always see eye-to-eye when I worked at IFW, and we used to passionately debate one another on the “Wildfire” television show. After the cameras were off, we would go have lunch together, enjoy a few chuckles at one another’s expense, and plan our next flyfishing adventure. His love for the Maine outdoors was eclipsed only by his love for God, and for his wife and family. He was a nice man, and I miss him.

Be sure to get outside and make some great outdoor history of your own!

—

Dwellers by the Lakes are Treated to Rare Exhibitions by “Dame Nature.”

In the “wee small hours” of Friday morning, a certain person who was

Indigenous hunter, Tobique River, 1862. Credit: Province of New Brunswick Archives www.MaineSportsman.com

Almanac

12 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Three Minutes with a Maine Guide

by Lisa DeHart

Hot Tent Discoveries in Warm Weather Editor’s note: A “hot tent” is a tent designed to accommodate a small woodstove for heat. The stove pipe is insulated, so the exterior of the pipe does not get hot where it passes through the fabric.

The tent features a pre-cut “stove jack” opening for the pipe. The pipe passes through a heat-resistant panel made of Kevlar-type or fiberglass material. The tent features good ventilation, to provide air flow and oxygen for the stove and the camper, and the tent is made of breathable fabric, to allow interior moisture to escape.

I recently bought a hot tent from FireHiking. It came with an option for half of the six-sided tent to be an enclosed bug net with a 6” bathtub floor.

I opted to get this as an afterthought, never expecting to use this tent without the titanium stove I bought to go with it.

www.MaineSportsman.com

Compiled and Edited by — Will Lund —

If it’s cold enough to want a stove, the bugs aren’t out, but I wanted the bathtub floor for the cold and the rain. I’m so glad I got the bug net portion, because (unexpectedly) I used it all summer long.

The author’s “hot tent” is quick to set up, since it’s supported by only a single center pole. It accommodates a small woodstove. Note the insulated stovepipe extending through the speciallydesigned “stove jack” – a fire-resistent panel and hole incorporated into the tent’s roof. Lisa DeHart photo

For me, it’s the best guide’s tent I’ve ever owned. Rugged, light, fast and easy to set up – it’s only one pole! The tent stakes it came with appeared insufficient, in my opinion – they were too short for Maine’s loose, rocky soil. My husband cut some aluminum rod and made 10- to 12-inch tent stakes. Those stakes hold it in sand, rocks, everything and everywhere.

Don’t even get me started about how great it is in a storm. The one pole cone shape makes it so secure in the winds.

There’s nothing for the wind to grab onto. Sheds the rain for the same reason. You HAVE to know how to pick a good tent site, and you HAVE to know how to stake out a tent.

As a guide, I never have much time for what I need, but the one- pole design makes it so fast to put up and take down, and so light to carry. The versatility is what makes it my go-to tent. The shell can be rotated for a myriad of designs. If it’s a cloudless night full of stars, I can (Continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 13 (Continued from page 12)

rotate the rain fly so the stovepipe hole becomes a skylight. On a cold, drizzly night, I can hunker down with the stove.

The floor half that was bare ground is great for wet gear, muddy boots, anything too wet or gross to have on the floor side. It’s enough room for one person and gear. I’m small, so I love it. My husband is 6’3”, and it’s a wee bit small for him. On the really cold nights, that stove is warmer than he is … so I’m good with that. ­— Guide Talk

by John LaMarca

Using Rubs to Pinpoint Buck Movement Late October and early November are great times in the deer woods, as many bucks are getting squirrely with the upcoming rut and are changing habits and daily activity. This change in pattern is important to take into consideration when you are archery hunting, as the big ol’ velvet buck you watched in late September and early October may have changed his location. That’s why I look for the presence of fresh indicators of their inhabitants – rubs and scrapes.

I tend to check up on rubs I know of,

This composite photo illustrates the difference between a fresh rub (on the left, with the bark frayed, and exhibiting a red/orange hue) compared to an older rub (on the right, showing grayed bark and no frayed bark). Photos provided by the author

as unlike scrapes that can wash away with passing time, the scars of rubs remain on the trees, with clear evidence of their use. When I am in the woods, I always mark on my OnX Hunt App whenever I see a rub, whether it’s new or old. This gives me a good database come hunting season as to areas that historically have active rubs, or areas

that have been rubbed in the past.

The key is to find a rub that is active. Look for a rub on which the bark is frayed in a yellow/orange hue, and where the debris of the rubbing is still present on the tree and at the base of the tree. You may also notice that there are water droplets forming on the tree in the areas where the bark has been rubbed away. This is the telltale sign of a good fresh rub.

You may also find rubs where the bark has “grayed out” and the debris on the tree bark is gone or very small, and where there’s little-to-no debris on the ground – these are the signs of an old rub. I also find, at least in areas I hunt frequently (Midcoast Maine) they tend to mark most on spruce trees.

Once you have pinned down a likely spot, make certain that the location where you intend to set a stand offers a good shooting lane to the rub, as you may just catch a buck coming to “check in.” Take into consideration how you will enter and exit the stand, to reduce your impact on the site.

The earlier you can set your stand/ blind, the better, as it gives the deer a chance to get accustomed to its presence. Over time, scouting and taking note of areas that deer frequent, you will (Continued on next page)

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Almanac

strictions on both sides of the international border.

The change was originally scheduled to take effect in 2024, but was delayed in order to provide time for license-holders to modify their gear.

—

(Continued from page 13)

Should Eels Have Their Own “One That Didn’t Get Away” Patch Club?

Kirsha Finemore with her brook trout.

If you position your tree stand so it overlooks a fresh rub, and if you are careful how you enter the area to get to your stand, you just may catch a buck like this one that shows up to “check in” on its rub. In this photo, the author’s ladder stand is in the center, directly in back of the buck.

discover areas and rubs that are hit year after year, and you have a great spot to set a permanent tree stand.

—

Nice Trout, Kirsha!

Maine Sportsman reader Kirsha Finemore of Turner sent us this great photo on September 14.

“I caught this gorgeous brookie this

morning,” she reported.

Congratulations on your accomplishment, Kirsha, and thank you for sharing this image with us.

—

Minimum “Keeper” Lobster Size to Increase Next Summer

Maine lobstermen will need new, larger measuring gauges starting July 1, 2025. They will also need to enlarge the size of the escape vents on their traps.

That’s because the minimum size of a legal lobster will increase by 1/16th of an inch. The current minimum length of the body shell or carapace is 3-1/4”, measured from the rear of the eye socket to the rear of the shell.

The change was triggered by an apparent decrease in lobster populations from their historic high levels.

At the same time, US regulators are attempting to negotiate with Canadian officials, in an effort to level the playing field and adopt identical size re-

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www.MaineSportsman.com

Some of our most interesting initiatives start with a reader’s inquiry.

In this case, it was a simple question from Timothy Costello, as follows: “Why is a freshwater eel not considered in the record books?”

The Maine Sportsman maintains state records for freshwater fish. We also administer patch clubs for catching unusually-large fish, and even a club for releasing them.

So we responded to Timothy. “Yours is a question we have not received before,” we explained. “We do occasionally add species to the record list. Before we do so, we solicit input from DIF&W fisheries biologists and game wardens.

“Those state authorities would tell us

American Eel.

basic info about eels, such as 1) Is there only one species of eel in Maine? 2) What would be considered “big” for purposes of the record books, or the One That Didn’t Get Away patch club?; and finally, 3) Is there any sort of season or bag limit on American Eels?”

The law books provided some information, including the fact that for American Eel, the daily bag and possession limit is 25 fish, and the minimum length is 9 inches.

Confusingly, the state lawbook also lists eels in the inventory of fish that are considered “baitfish.” Since most www.sun-mar.com baitfish are very small when used for open-water angling or ice fishCome Visit Us at Our New Location Just 2 Doors Up! Now owned and operated by Gary Coleman, who has been doing ing, it’s not clear how service work for General Appliance for 35 years – nothing has changed!

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

tion comports with the 9-inch minimum limit referenced above.

Complicating the issue further is the fact that eels are considered “migratory,” since they travel to the sea and back, which arguably brings them under the jurisdiction of the Department of Marine Resources, and perhaps also federal authorities.

We have reached out to DIF&W for answers, and we’ll report back in our December issue. But this demonstrates that in this world of wild fish, jurisdictions and regulations, there’s no such thing as a simple question.

—

A Horse-Drawn Boat Trailer -Now THERE’S Something You Don’t See Every Day!

On September 14, 2024, a Maine Sportsman reader was walking in the woods near the boat launch at Etna Pond in Stetson, when he came upon an unusual sight.

What he noticed was a horse-drawn buggy, with a boat trailer hooked to the back.

The buggy operators and passengers, an Amish family, were out in the pond in a rowboat and a canoe.

Most Amish folks do not use motorized transport, which explained the two large workhorses waiting in the woods for the boaters to return, and the absence of an outboard motor on the tran-

Amish buggy and boat trailer at the launch on Etna Pond

som of the rowboat.

What a great way to spend an early fall day!

—

Do You Have a Larry Benoit Story?

If So, Ron Boucher Wants to Hear from You

Ron “Bushey” Boucher was a good friend of the late, renowned deer tracker, Larry Benoit. Each September in Vermont, around the time that Larry Benoit would have been celebrating another birthday, Ron organizes an event honoring Benoit, who authored such groundbreaking books as “How to Bag the Biggest Buck of Your Life,” and “The Beginning – Where It All Began.”

Now, Ron Boucher is on a new mission – to gather and compile stories about Benoit from those who knew him.

“I know that Larry had a lot of friends and knew many people,” Ron recently wrote to The Sportsman, “whose stories were never told. Please ask your readers to send me a one-page letter, typed or hand-written, detailing their personal

Larry Benoit and his last buck — a droptine.

Larry Benoit memories. Include photos if possible. I will put them together in book form, and title it ‘Letters to Larry.’ Let’s all keep the Benoit name and memories alive.”

Ron asks that the memories be mailed to him at Ron “Bushey” Boucher, PO Box 373, Wallingford, VT 05773.

Bushey’s Own Memories In his letter to us, Ron Boucher included a few of his own impressions of Larry Benoit, and of their interactions (Continued on next page)

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16 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Almanac

(Continued from page 15)

with each other. Here are a few: • “In my opinion, Larry was to hunting what Tom Brady is to football, or Babe Ruth to baseball, or Mohammed Ali to boxing. But unlike those other athletes, Larry continued with his passion until he was 88.”

• “He once told me he always wanted to get a buck with a drop tine. The last buck he ever got had a drop time.” [See photo, previous page.]

• “Larry perfected the art of tracking huge whitetail bucks in the snow. He influenced many hunters, not just trackers. He inspired people, but that’s not what he set out to do.”

• “I know Larry liked me, because he had a bit of a reputation – if he didn’t like you, he’d spit tobacco juice on your boots. My boots were always clean.”

If you have stories about Larry Benoit, please send them to Ron Boucher at the Vermont address listed above, to help him compile a book about the great tracker.

— Wilderness First Aid

by Stacey Wheeler, RN

You Might be Surprised – the Health Benefits of Venison As my husband and I were raising our family of three growing boys, there were many winters during which the only meat eaten in our household was what we harvested in the Maine woods.

Full of flavor, lean, and low in calories, venison (meat that comes from deer, moose, elk or caribou) is a healthier,

Quotable

Sportsman

by Will Lund

“In the darkness, he saw the silhouette of one man, who had a knife in his hand and was [stabbing] with it, repeatedly, down toward the other man.”

Boat International magazine’s “The Bitter End” section, October 2024. What looked like a crime in progress was actually one man trying to save another’s life, when a self-inflating life jacket unexpectedly expanded under the victim’s tightly-fastened foul-weather gear, such that he was unable to take a breath. The “assailant” punctured the life jacket, releasing the air pressure so the victim could again breathe freely. www.MaineSportsman.com

Sawyer Wheeler, the author’s youngest son, was 17 when be tagged this 151-lb.

8-point whitetail buck in 2022. He and his older brothers grew up eating venison, and still prefer it to beef.

high-quality lean protein option when compared to its store-bought red meat counterparts.

3 oz of venison contains up to 24 grams of protein. Eating enough high-quality protein aids in muscle and bone strength, helps maintain lean body mass, and increases metabolism. Venison is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol and considered a heart-friend“Maybe the pike ate a blue raspberry Jolly Rancher.”

Facebook comment, after James Orlando posted a photo of an extremely rare blue-mouthed Northern pike caught August 7, 2024 in Sebago Lake. See accompanying screen shot. According to

ly protein source and a good choice for those with cardiovascular disease. In fact, when my husband and I excluded store-bought red meat and had only venison as our meat source, we lowered our LDL (low-density protein) or bad cholesterol, significantly to healthy levels.

Venison provides an excellent source of B vitamins, iron and zinc. These vitamins and minerals prevent anemia, support the immune system and boost brain function. The B vitamins, specifically B3, B12, and B6 play a role in improving memory, impeding cognitive decline, and helping with mood. Iron makes hemoglobin which is a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. And zinc helps in the development and growth of immune cells, and prevents the oxidative stress caused by inflammation.

Consuming game meat as your go-to protein source is a healthy, environmentally friendly option, yet seasons can be unpredictable. Maine is renowned for being the toughest state to hunt, and three growing boys eat a LOT of meat.

We began raising grass-fed beef to supplement the supply.

When the first meal of beef was served after a long period of eating venison almost exclusively, the kids thought the meat they were eating was spoiled, since to them it had an unfamiliar flavor.

To this day, they prefer deer or moose meat over beef. Their love of venison for both flavor and healthy eating carried through as they grew and hunted their own woods-to-table meals and they continue to do so into adulthood.

Hunt well, eat well, be well.

¶

state fish pathologist David R. Russell, “In species that are normally green, unusual blue coloration can be the result of the lack of yellow pigmentation. The blue color is already present, and when the yellow pigmentation which normally makes the blue pigmentation appear green is reduced or absent, the result is a blue-looking fish.”

—

James Orlando and his rare Sebago Lake blue-lipped, blue-finned Northern pike.

“Of the 45 states that responded to the National Deer Association’s survey, 17 allowed the use of drones during deer season, and all but four of those allowed drones to be used to recover deer and other game.”

Article: “Missouri Hunters Can Now Use Drones to Recover Deer, Turkeys, and Other Game,” Outdoor Life, 9/13/2024.

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 17

Trophy Gallery

November 2024 Sunrise/Sunset Bangor, ME DATE RISE 1 Fri 7:12 2 Sat 7:13 3* Sun 6:15 4 Mon 6:16 5 Tue 6:17 6 Wed 6:19 7 Thu 6:20 8 Fri 6:22 9 Sat 6:23 10 Sun 6:24 11 Mon 6:26 12 Tue 6:27 13 Wed 6:28 14 Thu 6:30 15 Fri 6:31

SET 5:24 5:23 4:22 4:20 4:19 4:18 4:16 4:15 4:14 4:13 4:12 4:11 4:10 4:09 4:08

DATE RISE 16 Sat 6:32 17 Sun 6:34 18 Mon 6:35 19 Tue 6:36 20 Wed 6:38 21 Thu 6:39 22 Fri 6:40 23 Sat 6:41 24 Sun 6:43 25 Mon 6:44 26 Tue 6:45 27 Wed 6:46 28 Thu 6:47 29 Fri 6:49 30 Sat 6:50

SET 4:07 4:06 4:05 4:04 4:03 4:02 4:02 4:01 4:00 4:00 3:59 3:59 3:58 3:58 3:57

November 2024 Tides Nick Sampson of Pennsylvania was hunting out of OMM Outfitters’ Portage, Maine camp on September 24, 2024 when he used a single, wellplaced shot from his .325 (8 mm) WSM (Winchester Short Magnum) loaded with a 200-gr bullet to drop this massive bull moose, with an estimated weight of 900 - 1,000 pounds and an antler spread of 59 inches.

Sampson, shown here with his daughter Harley, offers offshore fishing charters in Maryland in the summer.

Sampson was initially selected for a cow tag for October, but managed to exchange it for the bull tag on the earlier hunt week.

“The bull was smashing trees about 60 yards away,” he told The Sportsman. “My heart was beating so loud I was worried about the moose hearing it.”

Did You Bag a BIG BUCK? Become a Member of The Maine Sportsman

BIGGEST BUCKS IN MAINE PATCH CLUB! To download an application, go to

www.mainesportsman.com/patch-clubs Mail your application with $15 to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 Don’t have a computer or printer? No problem!

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

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JANUARY 1, 2025 TO ENSURE YOUR NAME IS PUBLISHED IN OUR FEBRUARY BIGGEST BUCKS ISSUE!

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

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

HIGH AM PM

11:40 12:12 12:48 12:24 1:01 1:42 2:29 3:24 4:22 5:21 6:20 7:17 8:10 9:00 9:49 10:39 11:29 12:13 1:05 2:00 2:57 3:56 4:54 5:50 6:43 7:31 8:15 8:54 9:31 10:08

— 12:13 11:46 12:20 12:58 1:42 2:32 3:29 4:31 5:36 6:41 7:43 8:40 9:35 10:28 11:21 — 12:19 1:11 2:06 3:05 4:06 5:07 6:06 7:04 7:56 8:43 9:27 10:08 10:47

LOW AM PM

5:29 6:02 5:35 6:11 6:49 7:31 8:20 9:15 10:16 11:20 — 12:57 1:52 2:44 3:34 4:24 5:14 6:05 6:56 7:50 8:49 9:50 10:53 11:56 12:24 1:15 2:00 2:41 3:19 3:55

5:59 6:33 6:08 6:46 7:27 8:13 9:05 10:01 10:59 11:58 12:26 1:29 2:27 3:21 4:13 5:05 5:56 6:48 7:41 8:38 9:36 10:34 11:30 — 12:56 1:49 2:36 3:17 3:56 4:33

*Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, November 3, 2024.

www.MaineSportsman.com

18 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Wildlife:

Tracks in the Snow

Can you identify opossum tracks or owl wing-prints in the snow? What about muskrat tracks in the mud? The author provides a tracking primer for naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts.

by Tom Seymour

One of life’s simple pleasures, arising early and seeing freshly made animal and bird tracks on a newly fallen snow, offers a way to commune with nature in a hands-on manner.

I doubt that a hunter exists in Maine who cannot immediately identify a deer or moose track. Most people can also recognize bear tracks. But what about the myriad other tracks out there, left by a vast array of animals and birds?

They, too, are well worth our notice.

As a rabbit hunter without a dog, I used to rise at daybreak on a snowy morning and head for the fir thickets.

Rabbits – hares, really – move about before sunrise, and if you find a fresh track, it is possible to follow the animal to where it sits, hidden from view by some dead grass. The trick is to look for that liquid eye, a watery, black spot on a white background. Then, all you need is a .22 handgun, and you have a fresh rabbit.

It is important to hit the track early, since it may eventually tie in with a track made by another rabbit. One or two rabbits can create more tracks than you might think possible. But that’s the fun of it – ferreting out your track from all the others. It’s a challenge, but certainly doable.

Weird Tracks Sometimes you’ll encounter a track that defies description. Many the novice tracker has puzzled over the trail left by a dead leaf being blown over the fluffy snow.

There are other reasons why a track defies proper identification, the most common being that warm weather, fog or rain has caused the track to lose its contours and become a nebulous depression. Even at that, you may be able to make an ID based upon other indicators. Did the animal stop to nibble on something? If it had to push through heavy brush, it may have left signs indicating its height.

Here’s something else that can make track identification difficult. The animal or bird may be something you have never encountered before. Conwww.MaineSportsman.com

Opossum tracks in the snow. Photo credit: Willowbrook Wildlife Center

sider the opossum. Opossums leave the strangest-looking tracks ever. The hind foot toes are arranged with the two outer toes being widely spread apart, and the three middle toes situated so close together they appear to touch.

Here’s one that requires a knowledge of the creature’s habits. Picture finding blood on the snow beside some tiny tracks, with a set of fine lines on either side. Now imagine an owl swooping down on an unsuspecting rodent.

The owl grabs the small animal in its talons, its wingtips creating striations in the snow, but the feet and body remaining airborne and never touching ground. The owl flies away with its prize, leaving its mysterious evidence behind for you to figure out if you can.

The Birds Like rabbits, birds leave lots of tracks. That’s due to their habit of wandering aimlessly and turning first this way and then that way. While it takes a trained ornithologist to identify all the tracks made by birds in the wild, we can identify the more common bird tracks with little difficulty.

One way to become an accomplished bird-track identifier, is to watch the different birds on the snow and then, while the tracks are fresh, go out and view them. That way, you can easily match the tracks with the track-maker.

If you keep a bird feeder, so much the better. It pays to emulate the rabbit hunter and get up at daybreak to mon-

itor your feeder. Birds are early risers, and like rabbits, a few birds can produce an awful lot of tracks.

After you have learned as many bird tracks as possible from watching birds as they walk about, you can then go out in the wild and try your hand at identifying bird tracks wherever you find them. Note that game birds leave distinctive tracks. Grouse, wild turkey and even woodcock leave easily identifiable tracks. Just get a book or guide, and learn the tracks from there. I recommend Peterson’s Field Guide to Animal Tracks. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife also offers a small poster of Maine animal tracks.

Sand Tracks Wet sand left by an outgoing tide makes a great medium for wildlife tracks. The easiest tracks to identify are gull tracks, but even this takes some discrimination. Maine has a number of different gulls, the herring gull being the most common. Here again, spend some time at the seashore and watch the different gulls walking about, and then go and view their tracks.

Besides sand, mud makes a perfect vehicle for capturing and preserving tracks. Look in your book for muskrat tracks and then go to a wetland or small pond and match what you find in the book to what you see in the mud.

Track identification is fun and free – no regulations, no license required.

So get out there and begin identifying.

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 19

Old-School “Chair” Hunting, and How to Approach Your Deer Stand on a Frosty Morning

by Blaine Cardilli

While walking into his stand on noisy ground, rather than trying to muffle the sounds of his boots, the author has a special method to avoid panicking the deer. And once he’s reached his targeted location, he prefers a ground-level tripod chair to an elevated stand.

I’ve tagged many deer in Maine during my more than 40 years hunting, and not a single one was taken from a tree stand; all were harvested from the ground, with only a handful taken from a blind. Now let me say right up front that I have absolutely nothing against treestands; I’ve personally just never been comfortable with heights.

Oh, I have no problem sitting in a standard ladder stand

about 15 feet off the ground once in a while, but the truth is, I’ve really grown accustomed to the challenge of facing-off with deer at eye level.

There’s nothing like walking into the woods, getting to my spot – be it by an old stone wall overlooking a stand of scattered oaks and swale, or a nice little hemlock swamp – and popping open my trusty tripod chair.

You see, I grew up

listening to the “old timers” who used to sit around talking at the local coffee shop with their thick Maine drawls, and it was there that I heard this sentiment expressed: “Ya know, it ain’t all about the kill – half the fun is just gittin’ out there enjoyin’ bein’ a paht of them woods.”

And those old timers were absolutely right. Following that philosophy has helped me develop into a productive deer hunter

One of the author’s favorite sites is to position his chair overlooking a swale. All photos provided by the author

here in Maine.

Tips For Walking Into Your Spot Who hasn’t left their truck on a cold, crisp November morning knowing that the walk into your spot, which is probably a good two or three hun-

dred yards away, will be a challenging one, due to the extreme stillness of the air, combined with the brittle explosions of crusty snow or dried leaves and branches breaking under your feet?

(Continued on next page)

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20 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Deer Hunting in Maine (Continued from page 19)

I sweat every careful step, knowing that at any second I’m likely to see that all-too-familiar “white flag” waving me goodbye, dashing my initial enthusiasm right out of the gate.

Well, believe it or not, one thing I’ve learned over the years is to carry a turkey mouth diaphragm call.

Most hunters know that a deer will listen to the crunchy walking of something off in the distance, and they’ll stop to stare at their back-trail to see what it is. It’s been my experience that if I do the “walk, stop, walk, stop” method, deer are more apt to go on high alert. They know

the sound and cadence aren’t natural, and they’ll blow and run every time.

Softly clucking and purring on a mouth call while walking slowly along, stopping occasionally to push the leaves or snow around with my feet, makes me sound like a group of turkeys casually feeding through the woods, and that’s a sound all deer are accustomed to hearing during any season.

I’ve encountered many deer that were unperturbed by my noisy approach in this manner, because they were expecting to see turkeys. On account of that ruse, they were caught off guard. Of-

tentimes, I’d catch them turning to look in my direction, which gave me time to stop and be still. Then, one of two things happened – either the deer engaged in a foot-stamping session to figure out what I am, or they simply started to trot off. However, they were not panicked and they were not on high alert, which means I got to my spot knowing I hadn’t really spooked them.

The Mystique of Old School Chair Hunting Whenever I get to a spot where my pre-season scouting has revealed both sign and potential, I look for a location to site my chair. Preferred choices include an evergreen clump, or some oaks surrounded by low, colorful foliage.

The author with a 5-point buck taken at 50 yards from his ground chair, while sitting by an old stone wall.

Then I put my chair right up against the trunk of a tree or bush, being mindful of wind direction and location of the sun, and carefully trim myself in.

Compared to hunting from a high stand, hunting from my chair all these years has given me a whole different perspective because I am at ground level, not to mention the adrenaline rush it provides when I actually see deer coming.

The longest shot I’ve ever taken (and that was only once) was 130 yards; my average yardage is 60 or less.

For me, there’s nothing like hunting deer “eye-to-eye” and on equal terms, and once I’m in my chair, the mystique those old timers alluded to so many years ago settles over me. That’s when I can truly enjoy “just being a paht of them woods.”

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22 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

— Deer Hunting in Maine —

Lasting Impressions from the November Deer Woods

by Jim Andrews

I came upon the two chairs on my way out of the deer woods.

After a long day of cruising hardwood ridges, trying to catch a buck distracted by his sexual appetite, or his appetite for fallen acorns, or his appetite for just being alive and roaming free like a king over his territory.

But the chairs …

I was writing about chairs. They overlooked a powerline right-of-way near the road where my truck waited. It was a good spot. On the other side of the powerline were old pastures and farm fields dotted with overgrown apple trees gone wild. Deer often crossed here at a point where a long-ago farm road had been bisected by the powerline. The faint two-track still served as a highway for wildlife.

Your hunting boots may find themselves standing on the same granite boulder where they stood last November. Or maybe it was two years ago? Deer hunting can be a cerebral activity, as you observe – and become one with – the natural world.

A deer stand for the ages. All photos by Jim Andrews

And the tiny chair?

I couldn’t stop imagining the future deer

hunter who sat there.

Orange vest too big for her, or legs too short

for him to reach the ground – even in the smallest chair. Too

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young to probably even remember this deer stand years from now as an adult.

Thinking of my own adult children and how they have forgotten now how they used to follow the deer tracks in snow through tunnels in thick brush – easily slipping under overhung branches that would have forced me to crawl. Oversize orange hats slipping down over smiling cold-reddened faces.

I hoped the chair-sitters would be back.

A Different Kind of Sitting On cold, still days, a canoe can be a superpower for a deer hunter. With frozen and dry leaves announcing from afar even the smallest movement in the woods, hunters are undone by the superior hearing of their quarry. Stalking is out of the question – except by water.

It turns the tables on the deer.

A silent approach is possible with a paddling style where the paddle never leaves the water on the return stroke. And if a deer is moving anywhere nearby, the racket they make is a little bit shocking. Even a slow walk sounds like a marching band on the far shore.

It destroys the mythology that deer are silent ghosts. They (Continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 23 (Continued from page 22)

may be much better at being mortal than we hunters are, but they are mortal beings subject to physical laws, nonetheless.

A quiet doe bleat from a handheld call stops the deer, still unseen behind the waterside brush. A long pause, then a snort and a single stamped hoof on frozen ground. The focused attention from the whitetail is real and solid in the cold air, a laser beam from an unseen source.

A standoff. Moments go by.

The canoe drifts slowly, silently backwards, the slight current turning it toward the bank. The familiar horizontal line of a deer’s back emerges from the brush.

The antlerless head is raised at full alert, focused on the upstream spot where the bleat came from. She’s broadside to the river, and slips into full view as the boat drifts.

I slowly put down the rifle which has somehow appeared in my hands. The slight movement sends her off – crashing through the frozen leaves that first gave her away.

What Is It About Elevation?

A normal hunting day, for me, contains less mileage than it once did. Which means more stopping, standing, leaning against handy trees, and watching from elevated spots on windswept granite ledges.

Where to stop when still-hunting is an obsession for those who remain as practitioners of the outdated pursuit. If we know a patch of woods well enough, the slow

The downhill view preferred by the author — an inveterate still-hunter.

A silent approach by canoe.

upwind, overground progress connects spots where we can stop and watch. Those spots are already ingrained in our memory.

Boots may find themselves standing on the same granite boulder where they stood last November.

Or maybe it was two

years ago? A slight breeze from the northwest, rising thermals as the morning warms and a bright sun at our back dictate a certain course through the woods. No surprise then that the slightly elevated ledge overlooking an oak bowl catches our attention each time we pass this

way. We might even find ourselves leaning on the same tree we had in the past.

Part of the attraction is always elevation. I’ve forgotten, if I ever knew, how to

hunt in flat terrain.

But the choice between a stopping spot with a downhill view, however slight, and a flat one, is a no-brainer.

¶

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24 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Big Bucks Started It All

by Lee Schanz and Hal Blood

Lee Schanz recounts his transition from hunter to guide and outfitter, and he celebrates the many friends he’s made along the way.

My son was out running bear with the hounds, which meant I was watching “Bugs Bunny” with my two grandsons. Actually, I was multi-tasking.

I had just cleaned up from the client’s breakfast, and was planning where to put everyone for the evening’s hunt.

I had buckets to fill and bears to take care of.

I was in a grateful mood, because the week before, one of our clients had taken a sow that is very close to being a state record.

We had also taken two more huge bears with Mark’s hounds, one of the bears weighing almost 500 pounds.

On top of that, I was spending my days getting ready for the moose hunt, which

was right around the corner.

As I was thinking about all I had to do and explaining to my grandsons that rabbits can’t tie knots in shotgun barrels, I was buzzed by my phone.

It was Hal texting me.

He needed a column for this month’s issue of The Maine Sportsman.

Outdoors Became My Life I knew right away what I wanted to write about – the answers to the questions: • How did the outdoor world become my life?

• How did I become an outfitter and guide, teaching people how to cast a fly and call a moose?

• How did I spend

the last 24 years of my life covering hundreds of miles and finding hundreds of shed antlers?

• Why am I the guy lucky enough to get to have his picture taken beside bears or bulls?

The short answer is this – big woods bucks. No, not the group that I am proud to be part of, but literally, big bucks in the big woods.

In the Beginning By the time I was in high school, I had killed two big-racked, big-bodied Maine bucks. This ignited a passion in me that continues to this day.

When I was in my thirties and had several more big bucks under my belt, I decided I should be helping and teaching other people how to pursue America’s greatest game animal. Deer hunting expanded into moose hunting, bear hunting, turkey hunting, and shed hunting. What had once been a hobby

SS

The author’s decor reflects his passions.

Schanz photo

had become a business and a lifestyle. And it all started with big bucks.

When I was getting Schanz’s Guide Service off the ground, everybody told me I had to do bear hunts if I was serious about making a living. It was actually the last thing I added to our repertoire. Big bucks and big bulls fed my family of six for a lot of years.

Building Relationships The other thing that big bucks did for me was open the doors to relationships that are still strong today.

My closest friends are Hal Blood, Chris Dalti, Joe Kruse, and the rest of the Big Woods Bucks crew.

I also became friends with the Benoit family, making several trips to Lar-

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Lee

ry’s house and sharing seminal stages with his boys. Later, I became friends with the legendary ADK (Adirondack) tracker, Jim Massett, whom I had read about years before. Through him, I met Joe Dinitto, Steve Grabowski, and other Adirondack trackers.

I was very happy when Rick Labbe became part of BWB. We knew about each other and had mutual respect, but had never spent time together because we are both pretty busy guys. I’ve enjoyed listening to his stories the last few years.

I don’t want to leave anybody out, but I feel pretty confident that the best deer hunters in America are my close friends.

Not just deer hunters, but big woods buck hunters.

Hal’s Thoughts My journey into the big woods and guiding is similar to Lee’s, except that I’m older by nine years. I look at Lee as a younger brother.

(Big Woods World continued on page 27)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 25

Technology Leaves Joe Dissatisfied The technology is here – trail cams that send near-simultaneous photos of feeding deer to a hunter’s cell phone. But does this process comport with the ethical concept of a “hunt”?

Forty-five years of deer hunting experience told me the buck would be back that evening. Early that morning, he’d fed, alone and uninterrupted, for over two hours.

I surmised he was less than 300 yards from that tree, bedded and thinking about those sweet apples from the morning. It was the last day of firearms deer season, and it was cold. After chasing does for the last couple of months, his hunger would surely get the best of him.

As mentioned, it was the last day of the 2023 deer season.

I was hunting a new farm and in search of a mature buck. There was great sign on this

farm. Big tracks, monster rubs and still-active scrapes. I’d passed a yearling spike, early in the morning, but the remainder of my sit had been quiet.

When sitting all day, I’ll occasionally check my phone for texts or missed calls.

Last year, a new type of text graced my phone – cell-cam photos. These photos, delivered soon after my cameras were triggered, were messages I looked forward to receiving.

At 8:10 a.m., a text came to me from a camera that was mounted on the best apple tree in my yard.

This tree holds its apples late into December and when it’s

loaded, my property sees lots of activity in the final days of deer season. Opening the message, I was happy to see antlers. Not only was this a buck, it appeared to be a mature buck! I quickly messaged my wife. She still had a buck tag, and I wanted her to shoot this animal. “Big buck under our tree!”

My wife’s response?

“Rats! I can’t do it. I’m at my mother’s house for breakfast.”

Is Today’s Technology “Cheating”?

With cold temperatures and excellent conditions, I’d normally sit all day.

However, I was looking forward to hunting

A cell cam photo delivered to the author while he was sitting at another farm, waiting on a mature buck. Without getting this photo, the author would never have been home when the buck came back later in the afternoon.

muzzleloader season, so it was an easy decision to sacrifice the remainder of the day at this spot. I had a feeling that buck would be back before dark, and I wanted my wife to be ready. I left the woods around noon.

Upon returning home, I explained my plan to Karrie, and got her gun out. Loaded and ready by the

upstairs window (the window opens just a quarter inch), we settled in for lunch and hopefully her buck.

Around 2 p.m., I began to get up every few minutes to look at the tree. My wife looked at me like I was crazy. She even commented once, “I can’t believe you came home on such a nice day.

(Continued on next page)

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Big Game (Continued from page 25)

You should still be out there.” I responded, “When my intuition screams this loud, I listen.” That camera had shown me a content animal. He walked away on his own. We’d kept the dogs out of the yard, and things had been quiet all day.

I knew he’d be back.

Admittedly, I was second-guessing myself by 3:30 p.m.. All I could imagine was a big buck walking by the location where I’d been earlier that morning. “Oh well, it’ll be fun to hunt muzzleloader,” I thought.

Just before 4 pm, I stood up to look out-

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side. There he was!

The buck was crossing our driveway, headed directly for the apple tree. He had a very noticeable limp. Had he been wounded – injured in a fight or hit by a car?

I immediately had my wife on her feet.

I directed her to the window, but she asked me to shoot it. One of our neighbors is not a fan of hunting, and if a deer runs onto his property, he will not allow access.

I knew we should shoot the buck, because of his injury. I quietly made my way upstairs and to the window.

The buck was al(Continued on next page)

It’s clear the author was happy. However, he writes that this kill wasn’t as satisfying to him as others he has made. The buck sported eight points, nearly 27” wide, and dressed at just over 170 pounds.

However, the deer was thin and limping, and a post-harvest examination showed he’d been shot with an arrow in the shoulder blade earlier in the season. The author does not know whether the buck would have survived the winter.

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ready eating apples. I slowly lifted the window. He never noticed.

I took aim at his shoulder, knowing the shot would drop him in his tracks. At the report of the rifle, the buck dropped, kicked once, and expired quickly.

I quickly got some warmer clothes on and went outside. Walking up to the buck, I was pleasantly surprised by his rack. I knew he was mature from looking at his body, but his rack made me smile.

As my wife came

up behind me, she exclaimed, “Wow, that looks really wide!” “It is wide,” I said. Then she said to me, “You don’t seem excited.”

Those four words caused me to pause.

I realized I wasn’t as excited as I normally would have been.

Was it because I killed him from the house?

No, I had a plan and knew the buck would be back. My blind just happened to be well furnished and warm.

It was the camera. I would never have been waiting if the buck’s photo had not been

Big Woods World (Continued from page 24)

When I first met Lee, I knew he was a guy who would be a good friend. I think having the same interests – such as chasing bucks – brings people toward each other with a bond. You could call it a brotherhood.

When I was in the Marine Corps, if I ran into another Marine from Maine, we instantly became friends. Our connection was that we were both from Maine.

It’s the same with deer hunters, but I find it particularly so with the hunters of the big woods.

I think it’s because hunting in the big woods is so much different than anywhere else, and the

taken that morning.

That camera gave me an unfair advantage.

This felt like cheating.

I realize that statement is controversial.

I love cell cameras and not having to go to the camera to pull cards.

This is the technology I dreamed of as a young hunter. Now that it’s here and getting better, I’m unsure of the ethics.

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number of participants is so much smaller. That makes this brotherhood small, as well.

I have met so many great people and made so many friends during my thirty-five years of guiding in the big woods. My business partner Chris was one of my first deer clients back in 1990. He was also nine years younger than me, but was intrigued by the big woods and kept coming back to learn more about it. Fifteen years later, he approached me about making Big Woods Bucks a business that would be centered on teaching hunters how to hunt in the big woods.

And as they say, the rest is history. We have a mission to bring more hunters into the fold for generations to come.

¶

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28 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Moosehead Motorsports – Always on the Move

by Steve Carpenteri For the Gray family at Moosehead Motorsports in Greenville, riding snowmobiles, ATVs and sideby-sides is more than just a business. In fact, everyone in the family (Jon and Jennie, Isiah and Tara) as well as mechanic Matt Stone, all ride year-round, and even

spend their spare time in the woods around Moosehead Lake pursuing other related interests.

For example, Jon is president of Moosehead Riders, the local snowmobile club.

He also spends considerable time grooming the trails that encircle Maine’s biggest lake.

Jennie is an avid all-season rider, and she’s secretary of the local ATV club.

Both Isiah and Tara are veteran riders who are active in local trail maintenance. Tara, who manages the front desk at the shop, is also an accomplished hunter, trapper and mom.

The Grays purchased the business in 2009 from previous owner Malcolm McGraw, who had established and run the company for several years.

After moving to Greenville from Mount Desert Island that year, Jon and Jennie had great expectations

for their new business, but Mother Nature had other plans.

“In 2009, we had a lot of business upsand-downs, but the worst thing was the lack of snow,” she recalled. “Then, during Covid, we were shut down for 8 weeks.

Considering that the (Continued on next page)

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

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 29

machine that comes in,” Isiah said. “However, the biggest challenge is in getting the right parts. We can generally turn a machine around in a few days. It all depends on what needs to be fixed, and how long it takes for the parts to arrive.”

(Continued from page 28)

snowmobile business is entirely dependent on the weather, we’ve definitely had our share of challenges.”

Best Sellers After much experimentation, the Grays decided that Ski-Doo snowmobiles were the best product for them to sell in the Greenville area.

“We found them to be extremely reliable machines that gave a great ride,” Jon Gray said, noting that SeaDoo and Can-Am machines are also popular with their customers.

In addition, sideby-sides have developed a strong fan base.

These machines are wide, roomy, powerful and comfortable, Gray said, and they allow entire families to get out and enjoy a day on the trail.

Tara Gray is the office manager at Moosehead Motorsports in Greenville. She is also an avid rider, hunter and trapper. Photos

by Steve Carpenteri

Jennie Gray is co-owner of Moosehead Motorsports. She’s an avid rider and is also treasurer of the Moosehead Riders ATV club.

Moosehead Motorsports’ owner Jon Gray is also president of — and groomer for — the Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club.

According to Gray, today’s snowmobiles and ATVs are becoming far more powerful and more versatile than older models.

“These days, recreational machines are more fuel-efficient, wider and safer,” he said.

“Suspensions have improved, and engines are more reliable, as well.”

Gray also pointed

out that modern machines come equipped with GPS systems, integrated communication systems and heated seats, plus a wide variety of accessories. The list of after-market add-ons is practically endless.

Some customers willingly pay as much as $40,000 for a fully tricked-out side-byside.

“We even offer snowmobiling coats that feature a built-in life vest, in case a rider breaks through the ice,” said Jennie Gray.

Along with snowmobiles, ATVs and side-by-sides, the shop offers a complete line of winter clothing, parts and accessories, and has a full-time mechanic on duty.

“We’ll service any

What’s the Buzz?

Snowmobiling is thriving in the Greenville area, which is a major hub of winter activity in the North Country. However, the area has experienced some new, even unexpected challenges in recent years.

“Greenville is basically a spoke in the snowmobiling wheel,” said Jon Gray. “Some trails are now multiuse, while others are open only to snowmobiles or only to ATVs. “Our biggest chal(Continued on next page)

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30 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Snowmobiling (Continued from page 29)

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lenge has been the weather,” he added.

“Last year, we were hit hard by storms, which destroyed many sections of trails throughout the area. We did get some state funding to repair the damage, but we have only a small core group of volunteers. Going into the 2024 season, there are still sections of trails that need to be reconstructed.”

Looking Forward As is the case in many parts of the state, climate change has affected the Greenville area. Decades ago, the ice on Moosehead Lake could be as thick as four feet, but recent shorter and warmer winters have taken a toll on cold-weather recreation. In many

areas of southern Maine, ice-fishing derbies, races and other events have been canceled because if insufficient ice thickness or snow depth.

“Last year, there was barely any snow

by Thanksgiving, and the lake had only 17 inches of ice on it,” Jon Gray said. “But the Greenville area is big, and we offer plenty of room for riders. The weekends can be busy.

However, riders who can show up mid-week can enjoy trips of 200 miles or more without seeing another rider.”

Play it Safe Jon Gray said the future of snowmobiling depends on the participants.

“Considering the number of riders we

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host every winter, there are relatively few accidents,” he said. “We encourage snowmobilers to stay on marked trails and drive at a prudent speed when approaching sharp turns, oncoming riders or heavy traffic.

“Snowmobiles pass each other going in opposite directions with just inches to spare,” he added. “Most accidents are the result of excessive speed or distracted drivers. A little common sense can go a long way on our winter trails.”

For more information about Moosehead Motorsports, upcoming events or local trail conditions, call Jon, Jennie or Tara Gray at (207) 695-2020, or visit www.mooseheadmotorsports.com.

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 31

Time for Whitetails and Waterfowl Fifty years ago, when Aroostook’s deer season opened in early November, more likely than not there would be snow on the ground for tracking and trailing. Climate change, I call it global warming, here in the Crown of Maine has greatly altered our pursuit of whitetails the last several years. We had a green Christmas last December for the first time in 23 years, and a mostly snowless fall.

If there’s an upside to our mild winters, it would be increased big game survivability – more deer and moose – and a higher success ratio. Many outdoorsmen are changing tactics and hunting locations to improve their changes for more whitetails sightings and shot opportunities.

wide array of plentiful, easy-to-access food sources, and fewer coyote, have combined to result in a notable increase in deer numbers. Last year, while pre-season scouting back roads and twotracks around Bridgewater and Mars Hill at dawn and dusk, one of my ardent whitetail hunting friends spotted deer every single outing for 11 days!

Once a regular feed field is located, it’s time to obtain access permission and set up a ground blind or tree stand.

While it’s quick and easy to throw together a hidey-hole of natural vegetation and brush or just hunker down against a wide field-edge tree, commercial blinds and stands offer better options. A ground blind

One duck hunter holding a 12-gauge is positioned in the bow of the square-stern canoe, while the second participant propels the canoe using a widebladed paddle. The rule is that the two hunters switch places after one duck or two misses.

Tom Tardiff walks and drives farm roads and two-tracks early and late in the day this month.

He seldom ends the season without venison in the freezer.

All photos provided by the author

Find a Field Rural agri-land and small woodlots are extensively abun-

Audrey Rooney of Easton and her father Seth set up a ground blind in a back corner of a farm field where they regularly spotted deer. Youth Day success was the result.

dant throughout “The County,” and most farmers are agreeable to requests for

access by conscientious sportsmen. In the urban-edge woods and farm fields, the

(Continued on next page)

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32 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

As long as the there’s no deep snow, geese will remain on Aroostook rivers and streams this month, providing some great late-season gunning in harvested grain and dug potato fields.

The County (Continued from page 31)

keeps out insects and rain while containing scent and concealing movement.

For youngsters and even some older shooters, rifles and handguns can easily be positioned and held in place by a steady weapon-gripping tripod. I prefer a ladder stand overlooking not only the field but an entry or exit trail; benefits include an elevated overview of a wider area, and any scent not eliminated

with spray or powder is usually high above the ground.

Route 227 connects Presque Isle with Ashland, and farmland abounds all along this byway. The stretch between Castle Hill and Frenchville is well worth scouting. Newcomers to the area should check DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 64, grid D-3.

A bit farther south along Route 1, between Bootfoot Road in Bridgewater and

Allagash Lakes Region

Connor Cushman of Mars Hill finds time to hunt more than deer this month. Many folks forget about the Zone 6 fall turkey season.

Gentle Road in Monticello, are several dozen secondary and field roads surrounded by crop fields and wood lots. It’s prime deer cover for open-country hunters. Locate this area in DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 59, sectors C-3 & -4.

Deep Woods Deer If long range, open ground hunting isn’t for you, I’ve got a couple of thick forest locales worth a visit for big bucks, snow or not. Find your way to Ashland, then to Six Mile Checkpoint into North Maine Woods.

Smart sportsmen will have a scattergun along while scouting or hunting for deer this month, local ATV trails get all kinds of travelers.

Drive the Pinkham Road to the Machias River, then turn out Jack Mountain Road to Spectacle Pond, DeLorme’s Atlas Map 57, A-3. Multiple roads and old skidder trails offer sneak-and-peek deer hunting, and any snow at all will improve your odds.

Another North Woods region I’ve visited for years with regular success, and a proven spot for successfully rattling antlers for rutting bucks, is near Chandler Mountain.

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off the Pinkham Road offer access to top-rate deer cover and productive woods walking if you’re not into rattling. DeLorme’s Atlas Map 57, B-3 offers an overview.

Hunters in southern Aroostook seeking bucks in the brush will find a healthy deer population and light gunning pressure in the Weeksboro and Howe Brook region. Woods roads and old logging trails offer great access to oak ridges.

Bucks also abide in Dudley Township, among water-edge cedar swamps and darkgrowth swales. This is prime, old time walkand-stalk deer hunting.

Late Season Ducks November waterfowl gunning in Aroostook depends solely on how low overnight temperatures drop, and for how many days in a row. While rivers and large streams generally keep flowing into December, if local roost lakes and ponds ice over, many ducks may migrate; the geese, however, will hang around. Interestingly, warm autumn temperatures the last

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 33

Greg Palm of Presque Isle uses a kayak to float local streams for late-season duck.

He often sets up decoys in small coves.

three years have been a boon to late season duck shooting over decoys in fields and on farm ponds, small lakes, and marshes.

My favorite form of puddle duck hunting has always been floating along a local stream, and there are very few years I’m not able to enjoy a float-and-flush outing clear up until season’s end. Big “red-leg” black ducks and full color mallards make up the bulk of targets, but ring-necked ducks, scaup, hooded, red-breasted and common merganser and bufflehead occasionally appear.

My 19-foot square stern, cam-painted Grumman shoe-keeled aluminum canoe provides maneuverability and a stable shooting platform. The bowman wields a shotgun; the stern man handles a wide-blade wooden paddle to steer with the current or propel when necessary. Most of us are decades-old boat buddies, and our rules dictate a switch after a duck is dropped or two misses in a row take place.

The Aroostook Riv-

Sometimes in November, Aroostook gets lots of rain instead of snow. Here, Buddy Horr of Holden sets out decoys in a huge potato field mud puddle. He attracted lots of ducks.

er, Prestile, and Meduxnekeag Streams are prime duck float waterways; all have numerous easy to locate and use launch and takeout spots that allow a float of 1 to 3 hours; perfect for a morning or afternoon sojourn. It’s rare to see another floating hunter or even a shoreline gunner with a few decoys set up, but there are lots of ducks and often a few geese around the next bend or bogan.

Waders are a must, since fall water levels often run shallow, and a few spots may require disembarking and pulling the boat a

few yards. A camo PFD is just common sense and good fashion. I always carry a handful of 2-¾” shells with size 6 shot; you’ll be surprised how many partridge sit on streamside tree limbs.

Although deer are the center of attention this month, if you happen to tag out early or venison isn’t your goal, bear, moose (for tag-holders) and wild turkey seasons are still open. I like to break up my waterfowl outings with a bit of woods wandering with my 20-gauge, hoping to bag a partridge or rabbit for stew.

Beaver Pierce of Blaine sets out a few duck decoys with his goose decoys and enjoys a mixed bag hunt late in the season.

Big, full-color mallards are plentiful during November, and if you’re floating a stream or jump shooting, a trained retriever is a great asset.

¶

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34 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Lightning Strike Folks who live in the deep woods quickly learn to expect the unexpected.

One such incident took place at Churchill Dam, T10R12.

The day began pleasantly enough.

By mid-day, however, the crackling of static electricity hinted at an approaching storm.

Nevertheless, I drove 50 miles over dusty roads to meet with Allagash Lake Ranger Jon. The previous night, he’d radioed for my help with operational issues in the AWW one-mile zone. The distance involved meant this trip would require an overnight stay.

The next morning, my wife Susan informed me by two-way radio that about midnight, during a thunderstorm, she had heard the sharp report of a nearby lightning strike.

Later that day, Ranger Matt stopped by our headquarters to tell my wife that he’d found shingles and nails all over the driveway of the large storage barn.

He asked her if she knew what had occurred.

“Nothing unusual,” she said, but then she remembered hearing the loud noise during the thunderstorm. She suggested they check the barn.

Churchill Dam supply barn.

Walking around the northeast side of the building, the two of them found evidence that lightning had hit the roof, creating a Z-shaped streak from the building’s ridgeline to its eave. The force of the lightning bolt had scattered pieces of cedar shakes throughout the yard.

Inside on the second floor, they saw that a ridge board had been severely splintered by the lightning strike. Both stood in amazement that the historic structure hadn’t burned to the ground.

Today, visitors to Churchill can view that splintered wooden beam.

Moose Leg Captured In my July column, I discussed Assistant Ranger Ollie, who worked one summer on Umsaskis Lake in T11R13.

From the very beginning, Ollie had www.MaineSportsman.com

This month, we have two true tales from Tim – the first to inform; the second to entertain. not fit in well. Complaints had come into my office about inappropriate behavior, misuse of state equipment, and habitual lateness for work. And then there were accidents that stood out.

At the time, rangers carried heavy two-way portable radios. Each unit was equipped with a battery case, corded microphone, and a 20-inch-long thin wire antenna tipped with a red plastic bulb.

the amputated limb.

Tucking the foreleg under the front seat of my truck, I headed towards Churchill. Partway, the bone marrow thawed, filling my pickup’s cab with the rancid odor of spoiled meat.

Immediately, I pulled off the side of the road to rid my 4x4 of the stench.

Inadvertently, I stopped near a leghold trap-set belonging to Ranger Matt.

Years before, I had heard folklore suggesting that certain wild animals caught in a foothold trap would chew their own leg off, to escape the trap.

Now, since it is illegal to do so, I would never tamper with a trapper’s placement, but I saw an opportunity.

So, I carried the leg into the woods and stuck the hoof in the mud about a foot behind Matt’s dirt hole set. Then I headed to camp.

Two hours later, Matt invited me to accompany him checking traps.

Ollie approaching Long Lake Dam Campsite.

One day at Long Lake Dam campsite, Ollie, while carrying his radio up a short grade, had slipped and fallen. This drove the plastic tip of the antenna up his nose, causing a severe nosebleed.

After other incidents, the time came to send Ollie home. So one cold morning, I radioed to meet him at the Umsaskis camp, where we talked briefly (see my July column). After he left, I made a final check of the area, and discovered four moose legs under the work bench, frozen due to the cold early winter temperatures.

The Rest of the Story Several months earlier, Ollie had found a dead moose along the thoroughfare between Umsaskis and Long Lakes.

Desiring to use the appendages as basis for lampshades, he had taken a hacksaw and cut the limbs, and then stored them in the woodshed.

Knowing the frozen appendages were illegal to possess, I threw three into the woods. I was about to pitch the 4th, when an idea came for a way to use

Planted moose leg.

When we arrived at the spot where I’d stopped earlier, Matt got out, slowly crept toward the edge of the forest, paused, and bent over to peer through the trees to see what he might have caught. Rubbing his eyes, he took a couple of steps closer and gawked. He then turned toward me with astonishment, and said, “There is a moose leg in my trap!”

I gave the only reply I could think of: “I’ve heard that if a moose gets caught in a trap, it will chew its leg off to get out.”

A few days later, I fessed up to Matt about my trick.

And that is the rest of the story.

Tim Caverly has authored thirteen books about Maine.

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 35

Who’s The Squealer?

It was a cool early November evening in 1971 when the silence was broken by the sound of a John Deere two-cylinder tractor (also known as “Johnny Popper”).

I was with my boss, Virgil Grant, waiting for possible night hunters just off Route 2 near the Oakfield and Dyer Brook town line. It had been dark a while, as the stars were shining high in the clear night sky.

Off in the distance, I heard the distinctive sound of a John Deere tractor.

Being an old farm boy, I couldn’t help but recognize the popping of its magneto-fired, horizontal piston engine. As we listened to the tractor, the sound made clear that it was moving, and we had some discussion regarding the fact that it was an odd time of day for the tractor to be utilized.

Following the Sound Virgil had a good idea of where the sound was coming from, as well as the identity of the property owner. We considered the likelihood that someone was taking the tractor to pick up a deer that had been shot late in the day and left in the woods.

Since the tractor sound had begun less than a half a mile away, we decided to hike down the road to see if we could discover what was going on with the tractor.

As we headed in that direction, the sound seemed to be going away from us, into an area north of some farm buildings.

When we arrived at a location where we could observe the farm buildings, we could hear the tractor, but could not see it. The sound indicated that it had gone into the woods behind a large field.

We started across the field, and as we did so, the engine noise from the tractor abruptly came to a halt. We continued on to the back of the large field.

We held up there to wait, as we were not sure just where the tractor had gone.

Waiting Patience is a desirable attribute for any game warden, and Virgil was

Never try to pull the wool over the eyes of a game warden who is familiar with farm equipment.

As the big tractor operated by a suspected poacher rolled directly toward him on the dark woods road, the author suddenly asked himself, “What if the driver decides not to stop?”

more patient than any warden I’ve ever known. I was eager to see if I could discover where the tractor had gone to, but Virgil told me there was no sense in frogging around in the dark. Let’s just wait until we hear the tractor again, he advised.

As we waited at the edge of the field, I became more impatient as time went by. I paced around, but Virgil just sat quietly on a large boulder.

An hour went by, and finally the John Deere came to life.

Now We’re Moving The sound was off to our right and back in the woods, so we started working our way along the edge of the field.

Soon, we came to where we could discern that a gravel road went into the woods.

This was the obvious route the tractor had taken.

We started along the road, moving slowly in the darkness. Then, we both realized the tractor was heading in our direction. We got about 100 yards into the woods, and the tractor was still heading toward us. I expected to see some headlights coming our way, but the only light

appeared to be a rather dim flashlight emitting a beam from the tractor.

We stepped off to the side of the road behind some thick fir trees and waited for the tractor to get to us.

Halting the John Deere As the tractor approached, we prepared to jump out and show ourselves.

Just then I thought, “What if whoever is driving doesn’t want to stop?” I didn’t have long to think about that, however, as the tractor was right there.

We stepped into the woods road, turned on our flashlights, and shouted, “Hold up there!” The driver with the small flashlight pulled back on the hand clutch, and the tractor quickly came to a halt.

As I came along side of the tractor, I could see it was pulling a single axle woods trailer, and a man was jumping off it. The man started to depart in the direction from which they’d been coming.

I ran past the trailer, identifying myself and hollering for him to hold it. In going past the trailer, I could see there was something on it that was covered with a tarp.

I’d chased after him for only about 75 feet, when he stopped short and said, “You got me.” The two of us returned to the tractor, where Virgil was speaking with the driver, and the tractor engine had been shut off.

There was a plastic bag on the floorboard by the driver’s feet, and Virgil asked, “What’s in the bag?” He replied, “The heart.” We figured he meant a deer heart, but when I pulled back the tarp on the trailer, to our surprise, there were four quarters of a moose, with the hides still on.

After a short discussion with these guys, the driver, who Virgil knew, said “I want to know one thing – who told on us? Who’s the squealer?

Virgil calmly replied, “His name is John – John Deere.”

¶

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36 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Hare-Brained Scheme a Fail All was going according to plan, until the gunsmith’s assigned task went up in smoke.

Alders had taken over the long-forgotten tote road. Looked like good woodcock country, but this day was earmarked for snowshoe hare. With dogs baying in the distance, I knew I needed to slip deeper into the forest.

Figuring out which way those rascally rabbits will go turns into a three-way chess match among the hare, the dog and the hunter. Usually, my end falls short. Seeing a white ghost vanish in the distance means another round for dog and quarry.

It’s no secret that northern Maine forests can run thick, and Lepus Americanus takes full advantage of the tight-knit balsams and coat-slapping al-

ders. Rabbit hunting happens in a blink.

In a heartbeat, it goes from a dead calm forest, to flashes of white between the trees.

There one second; gone the next. Hence the nickname “white ghost.” A fresh cut survey line intersected my fading tote road. Some would say the best option. Realistically, it was the only option.

Survey Flags Surveyors do a fantastic job cutting long, straight paths through wood lots. The occasional blue or orange flag makes getting lost nearly impossible.

Sure enough, just out of range, I spotted a flash of white, followed five minutes later by our guide’s dog. Late to the party again. I

lined up where the rabbit crossed, and waited for lap number two.

In many ways, the Katahdin Region was created for snowshoe hare hunting. Dog handlers especially like the expansive undeveloped tracts of land that give their hounds plenty of room to roam without fear of a dog’s worst enemy – the highway.

Rifle vs. Shotgun Light gauge guns do a yeomen’s job of humanely dispatching bunnies without destroying the tasty edibles inside. For years, I used a 16 or 20-gauge shotgun with number six shot.

That also allowed me to take advantage of any grouse that stumbled into our rabbit-chasing days. In recent years, a .410 gauge fit snuggly under my arm. My son,

The author purchased a Traditions 32 caliber black powder rifle with the “hare-brained” scheme of turning it into a shotgun. When that failed, he decided to use the percussion small game rifle as intended, and take better aim. Here it sits against his spike camp, ready for snowshoe hare season.

Bill Sheldon photo

Matt, has had stellar results using a .22 caliber Browning Buck Mark rifle topped with a red dot reflex sight.

Smoke Pole Hares?

All those options work extremely well.

But ol’ Bill had another experiment to try. The

big plan was to use a black powder shotgun on rabbits this year.

And of course, it could not be just any, easyto-get, off-the-shelf smoke pole. A project was born.

After finding a (Continued on next page)

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 37 (Continued from page 36)

gunsmith who agreed to take a Traditions 32 caliber squirrel gun and bore out the rifling, I ordered my new project. The plan was to bore it smooth to .410. This would allow me to make my own wads or, as some powder hunters do, use a factory plastic wad to hold some number six shot.

The beautiful percussion cap smoke pole arrived, and after fondling it, I left it with the gunsmith. I waited. I waited some more. Monthly visits to the gun store yield-

ed little more than idle chatter.

Finally, he admitted that deep boring the rifling out was more difficult than he expected. He reneged, and I disappointedly lugged my new gun home. With rabbit season fast approaching, my “hare brained” scheme had crashed and burned.

“Plan B” However, all was not lost. The Traditions 32 black powder rifle has a reputation as a great small game firearm. The little .32 caliber round ball has just enough punch to take out small game

without destroying the meat.

Matt’s .22 caliber Buck Mark did little damage to his brace of rabbits. Of course, there’s always a catch.

A single projectile requires a better marksman to connect with the shifty white ghost.

So, challenge accepted. While I really wanted a small smoothbore, the light in the hand .32 caliber smoke pole will force me to practice more and pick my shots.

Hidden Hares So, where do these ghosts of the forest hide? They love lowslung conifers. The

fresh green needles provide excellent cover, and they make up at least part of the hare’s winter diet.

Rabbits also dine on bark and twigs from birch and aspen trees.

Both sides of Route 11 from Sherman Station to Marsardis have the triple special of aspen, birch and balsams.

Hare Highways Snow offers a real time peek into local hare activity. It’s easy to spot “runs” or rabbit highways that snake through the undergrowth. Some hunters call these “hare lines.”

It’s important to remember that a few

hares can make a lot of tracks over multiple days. Fresh snow wipes the slate clean, giving hunters a better evaluation of the local bunny population.

Nothing beats hiring a Registered Maine Guide who specializes in snowshoe hare hunting. Many of them advertise here on the pages of The Maine Sportsman.

With a new gun and a new dog to try out, ol’ Bill plans to strap on some snowshoes and try out his slightly revised, black powder “hare-brained” scheme.

¶

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38 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

The Art of Not Losing Stuff When I was young, I carried hardly anything when I hunted. This was because like all young men, I assumed that it – whatever it might be – would never happen to me.

It didn’t, as things turned out. But it happened to other people, and so I took heed and, as I gained experience, I spent a lot of effort not doing dumb stuff, paying attention, keeping my head on a swivel, and remembering that while the wilderness is not inherently dangerous, it is supremely intolerant of mistakes.

Part of my program of self-preservation includes emergency gear. It adds to my burden, but so what? Better to have it and not need it than the reverse.

If you’re not already a survivalist, or a prepper, or eagerly awaiting The End of the World as We Know It, think about what might get you out of trouble.

And, once you have this stuff, the trick is not forgetting to take it, and when you take it, don’t lose it. As they say in the military, be advised of the following: 1. Make a Gear List Make up a gear list before you pack.

If you know what you’ve brought, you can keep track of it much easier. A list makes it hard to forget something. A list can also cause you to say, “Why am I bringing that?”

Don’t assume you packed an item last season and you know right where it is so you don’t have to check. In the Army, before going off to do something fun, we made soldiers stand in formation with all the required gear at their feet and hold each item over their head as it was called off. If someone was short, there was no hiding the fact. Only then were they allowed to pack. Those who came up short were made to suffer. You may wish to do the same. I suggest that you do it where no one can watch you.

2. Get a Daypack If you don’t have one already, get a daypack. That way, you get to put everything in one place. The key to using a daypack is, always put the same stuff in the same pockets. Once you figure out what goes where, never deviate. If you have to get hold of your first aid kit in a www.MaineSportsman.com

When you’re in a jam in the woods, it’s nice to be able to reach for your emergency gear and find it, exactly where you knew it would be.

The author uses a Fox Advanced Tactical Dump Pouch, to keep small items secure and accessible inside a larger pack. Photo: Fox Outdoor Products

hell of a hurry, you won’t want to have to dump your pack to find it. Never entrust anything important to any pocket that does not close with at least a zipper or a big wad of Velcro.

If you have small items that can easily be lost, put them in something before you put them in your pack. I use a Fox Advanced Tactical Dump Pouch, which has a main compartment and three smaller exterior compartments, all of which seal up tight. In it I store a small backup flashlight, my beloved Victorinox Swiss Champ 30-function knife, a highgrade butane lighter, spare batteries of three different kinds, a backup compass, a match safe filled with giant UCO matches, a roll of orange surveyors’ tape (do not leave home without this stuff), a small wad of 550 cord, a diamond honeycomb knife sharpener, a signal mirror, and a signal whistle.

Without the Fox pouch, this stuff would wander all over the place. In the pouch, it stays put.

3. Tie it to Yourself If you don’t want to lose something, tie it to yourself or your pack. This is

why orange paracord was invented. It’s also called 550 cord, because it will hold that many pounds before it snaps. Two years ago, I spent a half hour in the dark rooting at the foot of my stand looking for a small flashlight that I had dropped.

Said flashlight now wears an orange 550 cord noose that stays either tied to my pack or hung around my neck.

Your knife is your most important tool, and my guess is that more knives are lost than anything. This is due to lousy sheaths, of which there are many, and hunters laying knives on the ground while using them, and then either forgetting them or not being able to find them. If your sheath is suspect, take your knife off your belt and carry it in your daypack.

If your knife has a thong hole in the handle, cut off a foot-long piece of orange 550 cord, run it through the hole and tie it off next to the butt of the handle. If you’re using the knife where you might lose it if you drop it, tie the open ends together and loop the cord over your thumb. Otherwise, take the cord off the knife, because a gutting job will get it very funky very fast.

A True Story, and a Pop Quiz Permit me to close with a cautionary tale. The only hunter I know who got lost was a man with 30-plus years’ experience. He was given incomprehensible directions by a dim-witted guide on the eastern end of Anticosti Island, and quickly lost track of where he was.

The dim-witted guide and I looked for him, and I fired a dozen rounds from the .300 Win Mag I was carrying, hoping he would fire an answer. He never heard me, and we figured later that we were a half-mile apart when I shot.

Because he was an old hand and a cool head, he did not wander. He built a shelter, made a fire, spent an uncomfortable—not miserable—night, and was picked up by a helicopter the next morning, hungry and sleepy, but otherwise undamaged.

There are at least three highly useful lessons you can learn from this. Put your brains to work, and let the editor know what you come up with.

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 39

Repair and Prepare Your Ice Fishing Gear Before You Need It As colder weather rolls around, my mind is already moving toward the upcoming ice fishing season. Although last season was challenging, with poor ice conditions for much of the state, I, along with my family and friends, managed to get some lines in the water and enjoy some quality fishing.

One thing that I ran into – and it’s my own fault – was that a lot of my gear was messy, tangled or broken. Why? Because at the end of the previous season, I had tossed it all into the back of the snowmobile trailer without organizing, replacing broken components, or cleaning off fish slime. The result was a mess.

Even more frustrating – I didn’t discover my situation until the afternoon before a big planned trip with my friends.

As a result, I found myself re-rigging traps, repairing tools, and cleaning my gear into the wee hours of the morning of my adventure.

Lesson Learned So, I’m taking time this year to get my gear ready for the season, well before I need it. For starters: the ice shack.

We have a pop-up ice shack that’s served us well over the years. Last season, the zipper started to wear out and jump off the track, and it became a big problem to keep it in use.

We’re aiming to send that out for repair, rather than just buying a new one.

However, buying a replacement is an option, depending on the cost to get this one fixed.

Here are the author’s tip-ups, freshly serviced and ready for use. All photos by the author

It may not be the most exciting way to spend an autumn day, but taking inventory of your ice fishing shack, traps and clothing will pay dividends, helping you avoid panic and sleep deprivation the night before your first trip onto the hardwater.

The author holds a nice brookie during a snow/sleet storm. He says his Gore-tex jacket and waterproof boots are a must in late-season slushy conditions.

The “Other” Ice Shack There’s another item on the ice shack docket: As some may recall, a couple of friends and I removed a decaying shooting blind from a forested piece of land after consulting with area landowners, and built it into our dream ice shack.

The hard-sided structure, almost entirely rebuilt in the process, has been stored off-season on a corner of our property in Eastern Maine.

Since putting it away for the season two years ago (last year’s ice wasn’t safe for the permanent shack), the outdoor elements have taken a toll: the tin roof and painted walls are dirty and showing some mildew, and there is some evidence of mice in the firewood stack.

Although this work shouldn’t be ter-

ribly difficult, it’s gonna take some time, and it should be addressed before the shack is under six inches of snow and we want to get it on the ice.

Traps Next up: tip-ups. I think this year, my main set of traps should be respooled, since the line is at least a few seasons old, and it’s starting to get brittle.

I’ll also make sure I’m not missing any hardware – that none of the flags are bent beyond use, and the traps function as they should. I’m also aiming to use all new terminal rigging: monofilament leaders with a little bit of stretch, some non-lead split shot sinkers, and either snell or circle hooks (depending on the bait and target species).

Garb Lastly, I’m planning on addressing my clothing. I own an L.L. Bean Maine Warden’s Parka. It’s a goose down jacket with a Gore-Tex shell – warm, waterproof and windproof.

I always wash the down jacket in lukewarm water with some gentle soap, while the Gore-tex shell gets cleaned during a cold-water washing machine cycle.

As for my boots, I’ll apply another coat of mink oil to keep them sealed and waterproof.

Moral of the Story As the saying goes, success is where planning meets opportunity. Because I am taking some spare time before a busy ice fishing season, my gear will be refreshed, smooth-operating and clean, ready for another successful winter.

¶

The author (right) and his dad, enjoying some time warming up in their pop-up shelter, which is now due for repair. www.MaineSportsman.com

40 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Preparing for Trapping Season I love October.

Bow hunting for deer has begun, the bear trapping season is in full swing, and moose are rutting. It’s easy to get so busy that before I know it, trapping for fur season arrives and we need to be ready. My husband and I have two small traplines, one for anything we can catch, e.g., fox, coyote, bobcat, racoon, fisher, and another area just for coyote.

Waxed Dirt Good bait, urine, a strong lure and dirt are essential to a successful season, but bad dirt can ruin a season’s efforts pretty quick, which is why we only use waxed dirt.

Waxed dirt is simply dry dirt and melted wax. This is perfect for fall weather. Once it’s used on the trapping set, water will

How do you keep your traps from freezing in the ground and becoming inoperable? By covering them with waxed dirt, of course! Here’s the stepby-step process used by the author to prepare 25 gallons of waxed dirt to get ready for the fox, coyote, bobcat, raccoon and fisher trapping seasons. bead up and not soak in, which is good, because if water soaks in around your trap and then the temperatures drop below freezing, the trap won’t operate.

I found beaded wax at the local craft store candle-making area.

A three-pound bag is $12.

Waxed dirt has been a game changer for our trapping seasons. When we first trapped, we’d have to stop once the temps got too cold or the snow fell, because our traps would freeze solid. Over the years, we’ve tried several dif-

The author heats dirt in a cement mixer, raising the temperature of the dirt with a blowtorch to drive out moisture before adding wax.

The resulting waxed dirt repels water, preventing the set from freezing during fall rains followed by below-freezing nights. All photos: Staci Warren www.MaineSportsman.com

ferent versions of dirt.

We tried drying dirt in the sun, but it seemed we always got caught with an unexpected rain shower, resulting in having to start over. We tried using dry dirt and antifreeze granules with foam pads. The instructor of the trapping class we took mentioned ant hill dirt having natural anti-freeze properties. It does, but it’s also a lot of gravel, and ants don’t take kindly to having their homes ripped apart, after which they try to make a new home in my house.

After the wax is added, the author continues to spin the dirt in the mixer while it cools, so it does not harden into lumps.

We used ant hill dirt for a couple of years, but found it still froze when it rained, and the color of it didn’t blend well with the sets, so we opted to make waxed dirt.

Lessons Learned The first time I made waxed dirt, I used the aluminum pan from my turkey fryer, and baked the dirt in my kitchen oven. Over two days, I baked and added granulated wax to 10 gallons of dirt. The key is to continually stir the dirt as it cools, so that it doesn’t become rock solid. It was still warm

Here’s the cooled, waxed dirt, ready to be transported to the trap site.

when I thought I was done, so I set it aside, only to find the following day that the entire bucket of dirt had hardened. When we ran out of dirt a week and a half into the season. I wasn’t a happy trapper.

Next came the large blow torch attached to a 20-gallon cylinder of propane and a large aluminum lobster pot method. Instead of making dirt in the oven, we attempted to dry dirt outside.

The torch dried the dirt quicker and kept the wax melted while we stirred it, and made clean-up easier; however, it still took a long time to produce enough waxed dirt, and the blow torch ended up melting a hole in the lobster pot, so it was back to the drawing board.

(Get Out There continued on page 42)

Waxed dirt covers the entire set. As shown in this woodchuck trap site, the author blends the waxed dirt into the surrounding area to make it appear natural.

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 41

Health Issues in Maine Whitetails As we prepare to head into the whitetail woods, I contacted Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s whitetail biologist, Nathan Bieber, to learn about the various types of health issues hunters might observe on the deer we harvest.

Below is a summary of the issues that plague Maine whitetails, as well as the health problems experienced by deer in other states that have not yet been documented in Maine.

Current Health Issues Fibromas – Fibromas are wart-like tumors that grow on various parts of deer but do not affect the meat.

Bieber explained, “They’re very common in Maine, and most deer are not negatively impacted. Fibromas only become a problem when they are large and in a location that impedes movement, ability to chew, or ability to see.”

Nasal Bot Flies – Nasal bot flies are the larvae of bot flies that take up residence in a deer’s nose. Although it’s unpleasant to observe, deer are usually not impacted unless the larvae become too numerous. These larval flies do not affect meat quality.

Deer Keds – Deer keds are flies that feed on the blood of deer, moose, and other cervids, but can also bite humans. After landing

Health Issues in Other States Hemorrhagic Diseases, such as Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), Bluetongue, and similar viral diseases, are spread via midges.

Cases have been reported in New Hampshire and Vermont, but not in Maine.

Bieber stated, “EHD makes deer run a high fever, so they may spend more time around water. It’s very fast-acting, so we can’t really do anything about it, but we can document it.” Hunters should report finding dead deer near water, or groups of dead deer with no obvious cause of death.

Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, is a neurological disease found in 35 states that is 100% fatal to deer.

The closest wild deer that have been reported with CWD are in Pennsylvania. Quebec had CWD in a deer farm, but the farm was depopulated, and it hasn’t been reported there since.

Deer that are both very thin and display strange symptoms

Not all deer are healthy. If hunters encounter an affected whitetail in the woods, it’s important to understand the nature of their condition, including whether the illness can spread, and whether the deer meat is safe to eat.

As illustrated by this map, chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a big problem in the midwestern states in the US. Illustration credit: USGS

on a host, they shed their wings and appear tick-like. Because deer keds travel between and among species, including humans, scientists are concerned about pathogen transmission. Bieber stressed, “Very little documentation of keds in Maine exists, but they could be an important disease vector, so we’d like to know more about them.

Anyone who finds them on deer or moose is encouraged to report back to us, ideally with a specimen, but photos are great, too.”

Hair Loss – Hair loss in deer is usually caused by lice, mange, or seasonal molt. Seasonal molt is the most

common reason for patchy hair growth, and it’s harmless. It occurs in spring and fall, as deer transition between summer and winter coats.

Deer with lice are usually unaffected, but it may cause itching, and their hair may become thin or patchy.

Mange, caused by mites, also causes hair loss and itching.

Most cases of lice and mange resolve on their own. These conditions do not impact the meat, but hunters should wear gloves, and gear should be thoroughly cleaned.

Covid – Bieber explained, “We tested a few hundred Maine deer, and blood tests

showed about 25% of them carried Covid, so it’s probably pretty common. It’s likely many other critters have it, as well. We don’t know much about how deer are exposed or what risk they pose as far as infecting people. As always, just try to minimize your exposure to blood and other fluids, and keep your gear clean.”

(Continued on next page)

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42 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Sportswoman (Continued from page 41)

(such as lack of coordination, excessive drooling or drinking, or drooping of the heads and ears) may have CWD, and hunters should notify state officials right away.

What Hunters Can Do Many diseases affecting whitetails are contagious from one deer to another, so feeding deer is generally discouraged, as it concentrates the herd.

To help prevent CWD and other diseases from spreading to Maine, Maine IFW recommends the following:

1. Use synthetic deer lure, not real deer urine.

2. Clean boots, knives and gear before returning to Maine when hunting out of state.

3. It is illegal to bring deer, caribou, moose, or elk carcass parts into Maine from Canada or from another state other than New Hampshire. Hunters may bring boned-out meat, finished taxidermy, clean skull caps, hides (without the head), and antlers.

Maine IFW encourages hunters to report anything unusual in their harvest-

Although unsightly, most fibromas are not fatal to deer and do not affect the quality of their meat.

Photo credit: Bowhunting.com

ed deer. Early detection of a new disease affecting Maine whitetail is critical. “The vast majority of things like parasites and most growths are just things we document,” explained Bieber, “and no management response is needed, but

Trophy Gallery

Bethany Butler works at Jackson Labs in Bar Harbor. In her spare time, she hunts bear. “I’ve been monitoring an area carefully since August of 2023,” she told The Sportsman. “During that time, I’ve observed a total of seven distinct bears frequenting my designated area.” Watching these “awe-inspring animals” filled her with “adrenaline-fueled excitement,” she reported. When she arrived at her bait site and discovered the particular bear she’d been monitoring, she was able to drop the big animial with a single shot. Congratulations, Bethany! www.MaineSportsman.com

Not much is known about deer keds, which resemble ticks when they lose their wings. State officials want to know if hunters encounter deer that are carrying deer keds.

Photo credit: OutInTheNature.com (Finland)

it’s important for us to know what’s out there.

Usually just sending in a photo is sufficient, but sometimes we’ll want to collect a sample.”

Game Wardens can be reached 24 hours a day by calling your nearest dispatch

center – Augusta 1-800-452-4664; Bangor: 1-800-432-7381; and Houlton: 1-800924-2261

¶

Get Out There (Continued from page 40)

Cement Mixer for the Win! After a lot of searching the internet, my husband found the ultimate waxed dirt making setup using a cement mixer and blow torch. Use topsoil – good brown dirt. Sift it to remove all the sticks, leaves and root debris. Fill five-gallon pails with sifted dirt - we usually go for 20-25 gallons. The blow torch is mounted to the cement mixer with zip ties about twelve to fourteen inches away, so that it won’t burn the paint off the mixer. This allows you to safely heat the dirt and not have to hold the blow torch the entire time.

Run the cement mixer with the torch lit.

For each batch, the cement mixer is filled with a five-gallon pail of dirt. The dirt will steam and will get hot to the touch.

Continue mixing until the dirt begins to plume dust out of the mixer. This will take approximately an hour. Once the dirt is dry, turn off the blow torch, but continue to mix and pour one pound of wax beads into the dirt.

The dirt will get darker. Continue operate the cement mixer until the dirt and the outside of the mixer are cool to the touch, then pour the dirt into a big tote so you can continue to work the dirt. Then start another batch!

In less than a day, you can have it done and ready to use when the season begins.

I like to bring a 5-gallon pail with me when we first set traps. While tending the traps, I follow up with a smaller container, such as a big plastic coffee can or a large non-dairy creamer container with screw-on top for ease of use.

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 43

Thoughts on Hunter Orange Dad’s truck rolled into deer camp. Getting a bunk was a birthright with his crew. As low man on the totem pole, I would sleep in the borrowed camper strapped to the back of his freighted pickup.

Unlike today’s slick, lightweight units, this self-contained camper taxed every leaf spring in that truck.

However, parked near the front door of a tar-papered shack, I was only a step away from a “real” deer camp. As I slipped in, the advice flowed from the group playing cards around a rickety table. The old cook stove, stoked with seasoned hardwood, threw enough heat to require keeping the doors and windows open.

Two Purchases We had stopped at

In the late 1960s, the new requirement to wear hunter orange was not well-received. Looking around the camp in those early days, the author noticed that his new orange hat was the only one that had not been intentionally dunked in mud. On the way out the door on opening day, a hunter pulled him aside and whispered, “When you get to your deer stand, take that bright new hat, and sit on it.” the Kittery Trading Post before making the trek north. It was a much smaller affair back then. As a wideeyed kid with a very limited budget, I had to select my purchase wisely.

You see, I needed an orange “crusher hat.” Maine had started requiring hunters to wear the safety orange hat while in the field.

Strolling into to that smokey camp with a bright – and I mean brand new bright – orange crush-

er hat planted squarely on my skinny head drew a few stares.

Here is where the chorus of advice began.

This was clearly a red plaid, hard-core wool cap group. One of the guys offered to throw it in the roaring cook stove. Another smart aleck asked if I directed traffic on road construction sites.

Nothing worse than fielding good natured kidding fueled by an excess of adult beverages. The Sunday card game continued. I parked my new hat in

the truck camper.

Dirty Hats Of course, it was law now. I wondered what these guys would look like on Monday morning. I soon found out the new laws were not well received by this cantankerous crowd.

After all the grumbling the night before, a sea of orange hats rolled out the door well before the sun made its daily appearance.

My spotless new hat seemed to glow in the dark compared to ev-

eryone else’s.

Upon closer inspection, it was obvious mine was the only hat that had not seen a mud puddle and had every boot in camp stomp it for good measure. As we all started heading to our morning deer stands, one of the younger guys pulled me aside.

He must have felt a twinge of compassion after the previous night’s hazing.

“Look,” he said in a whisper, “when you get to your deer stand, take that hat and sit on it.”

This was the typical attitude hunters had towards wearing bright colors into the woods of Maine. Over the previous night’s spirited card game, they all took turns railing against Augusta legislators in suits and (Continued on next page)

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Jackman Region (Continued from page 43)

ties requiring them to look like a neon sign to every deer north of Kittery.

Mainstream Orange Today, hunter orange is an accepted part of our sport. Back in the day, legislators put that law in place, and it has saved countless lives. And research has shown over the years that deer have dichromatic vision, as opposed to the trichromatic vision I am using to draft this article.

Without getting too technical, it means that deer do not see orange the way humans do. According to one research paper I stud-

ied, deer see orange as more of a muted yellow. Think birch tree leaves in the fall.

So what color should hunters not wear while pursuing old wide horns? Dr. Gino D’Angelo, Assistant Professor of Deer Ecology and Management at the University of Georgia Research Laboratory, recommends not wearing blue jeans.

There, from the experts, Levi’s are a nono. Blue falls squarely into the sweet zone of a deer’s eyesight. It took years for the research to catch up to the muddy hat gang.

Today, I wondered if that late 1960s deer

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camp gang had known that deer would spot their blue jeans long before those despised hats, whether they would have made me take my pants off.

Mud vs. Law I chuckled when I read one other interesting thought from Dr. D’Angelo. As a deer hunter, he recommends washing fluorescent orange several times and – hear this – getting it muddy.

Apparently, taking the edge off a new from the store garment is a time-tested tactic.

Before trying the mud puddle, trick, be aware that law enforcement can check to make sure one’s orange is bright enough to pass state regulations. Evidently, the long arm of the law caught onto this trick and adopted laws requiring a certain level of brightness, again for the safety of us all.

It took some time, but eventually we all warmed up to the idea of saving lives and making our sport safer.

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¶

Hunter safety laws requiring fluorescent orange have saved countless lives over the years. Once hunters learned that a deer’s dichromatic vision sees orange as more of a yellow, they warmed up to it. Small game hunters who often hunt in close proximity to each other also benefit from hunter safety laws. The colorful pheasants in this photo never noticed the two orange-clad hunters.

Bill Sheldon photo

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Northern Deer Herd Expanding Up until a few years ago, Maine’s North Woods, From Greenville north, saw decreasing numbers of deer. Brutal winters, combined with decreasing amounts of winter habitat, contributed to the problem.

But the deer herd is more resilient than we might imagine.

It doesn’t take many back-to-back easy winters, such as those we’ve experienced recently, to result in recovery of deer populations.

Deer numbers are up, and things look good going into the 2024 hunting season.

Last summer, drivers in the region reported seeing more roadside deer – always a good sign. And once again, optimism prevails among hunters pur-

Hunters are optimistic that several successive mild winters have led to an increase in the deer herd in the Moosehead Region. suing bucks in the big woods.

The Moosehead Region has always been synonymous with big bucks – heavy animals with big antlers.

But as clearcutting took its toll on wintering areas, severe winters saw animals going hungry, challenged to survive until the following season. Add to that the introduction of coyotes, and the deer herd took a nose-

dive.

But things have changed, conditions have turned around and by all indications, the deer herd is on its way to becoming robust once again.

Given these promising results, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (DIF&W) began issuing antlerless deer permits for the area. The number of permits offered were

not sufficient to affect deer numbers, but that could change. Region 8 has seen a significant jump in antlerless deer permits for 2024, a total of 745 permits in all. Can the newly established herd lose that many does without harm to the

herd? That remains to be seen. Culling that many does, combined with a hard winter, could have a negative impact on deer numbers. We shall just have to wait and see.

Small Game While deer rank as the big-name quarry in November, this month offers smallgame hunting as well.

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46 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Moosehead Region (Continued from page 45)

have tagged out early and still want to spend some more time hunting in this storied region, hare and grouse hunting offer leisurely days afield.

Also, the season on woodcock lasts through November 9.

Sometimes, late-migrating woodcock drop down in the Moosehead Region in early November, giving us one last shot at these hard-to-hit targets. I have taken woodcock while grouse hunting during a snowstorm.

It’s a far cry from the gentle, comfortable conditions of October.

Speaking of snow, a new-fallen snow can disclose fresh grouse tracks. It is possible, by getting out early, to follow tracks to the source. This stands as a reliable way to flush grouse without the assistance of a bird dog.

All you solo hunters take note.

Hares abound in the Moosehead Region, and hunters primarily wait for win-

ter to officially set in before hunting them with rabbit hounds.

But hares can appear any time, especially during early morning and early evening hours. The crepuscular bunnies like to get out on dirt roads during twilight time, making them easy targets for the traveling hunter.

Fishing, Too While the big-name waters have long since closed for the season, some specially-managed places remain open to the late-season angler. This late-season fishing primarily centers upon stocked brook trout. But don’t look down on these hatchery-reared fish, though, because they bear a close resemblance to the wild variety in more ways than one.

These fish are endued with striking, fall color. Orange bellies and chalk-white piping on pectoral and ventral fins define these fall-stocked

brook trout. What’s more, today’s hatchery feed imparts a red-orange glow to the flesh.

Add to that, these fish are strong and powerful, and fight as well as any trout out there.

Finally, fall-stocked trout run large – 14 inches and over in some waters.

I have two suggestions for late-fall anglers. While these two are my favorites, there are others out there as well, so check the fishing laws booklet. First on my list, the West Outlet of the Kennebec River, seldom fails to produce at least a few heavy-bodied brook trout. Fish tend to hold near bottom here, out of the strong current.

Any surface activity is primarily limited to stocked salmon, which are illegal to keep because the fishery is just building up. Plan on losing a lure or two here, because of two prominent snags on either side of the dam pool, the best pool on the river. You can also take trout beneath and downstream from the

Bob Lawrence of Rockwood hauls his buck out of the woods. Photo provided by the author

highway bridge. It’s artificial-lures-only here, with a two trout daily bag limit.

My second choice, the Piscataquis River, lies a short distance south of West Outlet in the towns of Guilford and Dover-Foxcroft.

The DIF&W stocks the river on a regular basis throughout the

spring and early summer, and again in fall.

Last year, DIFL&W released 1,000 13-inch brook trout in the Gilford section in September, and 750 13-inch brook trout in October in the Dover-Foxcroft section. It’s artificial lures-only here, with a two trout bag limit.

¶

Trophy Gallery

Aubrey Lebourdais of Pittston is a member of the Maine Youth Deer Hunter’s Club, having tagged this 110-lb. doe with a .243. Aubrey, age 8 on the day of the hunt (October 20, 2023) was supervised

by Cody Kelly. Congratulations, Aubrey! www.MaineSportsman.com

Troy Fraser (age 14) and Camron Murphy (15) of Searsport, and Cody Flanders (8) of South Paris, had a productive Youth Turkey hunt on April 29, 2024 in the towns of Knox and Thorndike, under the supervision of Wayne Gardiner. Congratulations to all of you, and to Wayne Gardiner for supervising the hunt.

Oliver “Ollie” Nunes of Hudson, MA earned membership in The Sportsman’s “Biggest Bucks in Maine” Club with this 229-lb., 10-pt. smasher, shot with a .30-’06 on November 18, 2022 in King & Bartlett Twp., northeast of Eustis.

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 47

What Kind of Fish is at the End of My Line?

To correctly identify the species of a hooked fish before it comes into sight, requires catching a lot of fish, which in turn requires a lot of time on the water. And that is something no angler ever complained about.

Fishing for trout and salmon holds many mysteries.

Where are the fish today? What might they bite on? One mystery, a happy one indeed, involves attempting to predict what you have on the end of your line before you see it.

Sometimes the answer seems obvious.

For example, you are fishing for brook trout in April on some little stream noted for early season trout. A fish hits your lure or bait, and since few if any other species exist in the stream at that time, your fish must be a brook trout.

The same goes for sight fishing in streams or even ponds and lakes. A trout comes to the surface.

You see it and cast to it, and it bites. Little or no doubt exists as to the identity of your fish.

But what about when you are fishing for fish you cannot see, in a water that contains several species of salmonids? Say you are trolling, and a fish hits your downrigger rod. It might be anything. But there are always clues that you can use to help figure out your fish’s identity before it comes to net.

The one who consistently calls the species

of fish ahead of time can become famous, at least among his own circle of friends.

Multiple Species During my last open-water trip to Moosehead Lake last September, I was fortunate to hit the lake when fish were biting well. I set out at daybreak with tales of huge salmon and brook trout dancing in my head. About 20 minutes after setting out our rods, I got a hit. The fish fought a dogged but spirited battle. But what was it?

Moosehead Lake contains salmon, brook trout and togue, or lake trout. At first, perhaps because they were on my mind, I believed my fish was a brookie. But then the nature of the battle changed, and I knew immediately what kind of fish I was fighting. Suddenly, the fish gave up the slugfest and pressure on my rod lessened.

After that, I needed to reel as fast as possible to keep a tight line in order to prevent the fish from throwing the hook. The fish made its identity known by swimming toward me, a tactic common to salmon and salmon only. My educated hunch was correct.

Soon, a fat Moosehead salmon came to net.

Salmon owe part of their celebrity to their aerial displays. Salmon sometimes spend as much time in the air as they do in the water. And of course, when a fish jumps, its identity becomes clear.

But not all salmon jump when hooked.

My Moosehead salmon didn’t. But I knew it was a salmon, because it ran toward the boat.

The Sluggers Brook trout, at least fish of 14 inches or more, fight a two-parted battle, especially when hooked in still water. At first, a brookie will hang toward bottom, reluctant to move, but making lots of short, tugging runs. After a while, as rod pressure weakens the fish, a brook trout becomes livelier, making more spirited runs, coupled with some head-shaking. And finally, while they don’t actually leave the water, brook cartwheel and splash on the surface.

Interpreting the fight of a brook trout, as opposed to a togue, can be problematic.

Both exhibit those bottom-hugging characteristics when first hooked. But a togue usually keeps its head down during the fight,

Waiting for a strike. What species of fish will hit?

Tom Seymour photo

while a brook trout often lifts its head up and even runs from side-to-side. However, togue run from sideto-side as well, sometimes tangling with other lines.

One thing that makes togue fairly easy to predict is that in most cases, togue run larger than brookies. But even that difference doesn’t always help, since some Maine lakes produce brook trout that run far larger than the average togue in that particular water.

Togue, however, are indefatigable.

They keep fighting until the last minute.

And sometimes, a togue on the line will keep well away from

the surface, giving us no clue as to its identity. To successfully identify a hooked fish on a regular basis requires catching a lot of fish, which, in turn, requires a lot of time on the water. And that is something no angler ever complained about.

Browns & Rainbows For many years, I regularly fished a lake that held both brown and rainbow trout.

Most of the time, I was able to predict the identity of whatever species was on my line.

Here’s how I knew.

Most of the fish from this lake ran between 2 and 4 pounds.

(Trout Fishing continued on page 50)

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48 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

— Guest Column —

Guiding Clients Who are in Their 80s and 90s

by Joseph Coleman, Registered Maine Fishing Guide, Freeport Many of us in my demographic have parents who are coping with the realities of getting older, but who are still full of vitality and a desire to continue fishing.

My father is elderly. My brothers and sisters and I have learned how to take him fishing. I thought it would be helpful to readers and to other Maine guides if I compiled an outline listing the factors to consider when you take an older angler (say, those between 85 and 95 years of age) fishing from a boat or even along our state’s trout and salmon rivers.

Decades of Experience I love guiding older sports. They have a sense of humor.

Low intensity. Close to a century of fishing knowledge, and honed casts that are smooth and elegant. Silence is revered, expectations are low, and wisdom high.

There can be underlying anxieties for elderly people being away from the safety and routine of home. Maybe they are hooked to medical devices, can’t sleep, or have recently lost a spouse. I assure my clients they always have the option of calling it a day and going back to a warm camp, or home to the comfort of their routine. They are in charge.

It does take a bit more planning and concentration when guiding an elder. www.MaineSportsman.com

Guiding an older angler takes a lot of preparation, but if all goes well, the rewards make the effort worthwhile.

Questions to Ask the Sport 1) Does the client have health issues?

Medications?

Allergies?

2) What are their expectations? Many older sports just like to be comfortable and safe.

3) What is their endurance like? How far can they walk? What’s their fitness level?

4) What is their experience level?

The Guide’s Approach I recommend scouting the area you are going to fish and if possible, doing a dry run.

1) Park your car and pretend you are helping the sport out.

2) Is there a place to sit and put on waders?

3) Is the path to the river safe? Roots to trip on? Holes to fall into? (Not many in their mid-80s fish rivers, but if the conditions are right, it’s doable.)

4) If you are going to wade, what is the sub-surface like?

In the 1940s, the author’s father, Richard A. Coleman, caught these two salmon on Moosehead Lake.

Photo: Helen Marr Coleman

Do you have a wading stick? What’s the speed of the current?

Is there a place to sit on shore? Is there room for a back cast?

Final Hints for a Successful Trip 1) Keep the sport hydrated and fueled.

Plenty of snacks. Sunscreen. Hat. 2) If there is a medical emergency, do you

The author’s father casts a line during a recent trip to Little Kennebago. Joe Coleman photo

have a game plan?

Game Warden’s phone number? Is there cell coverage? Do you have a float plan? Home contact info for a family member?

3) Don’t fish for too long.

4) Always keep an eye on the weather.

5) If it’s an overnight trip, what is for dinner/breakfast/lunch?

When do they like to eat? What is their evening/morning routine?

Ask what you can do to make them comfortable.

6) Have layers of clothing for all weather.

7) Have warm blankets.

At all times, treat an elderly client with dignity. Let them do as much as they can, and try to assist unobtrusively.

Fly Fishing with Dad My dad is 94, and he’s a dry fly fisherman. For him, sitting in the stern of his Rangeley boat being rowed around Little Kennebago casting the only fly he ever uses (and almost always

The author’s father’s favorite fly – the Royal Wulff. Photo credit: Montana Fly Co.

outperforms everyone) – a big Royal Wulff – is heavenly.

For this to happen, we need to get Dad into the boat. I usually pull it half on shore, and enlist the help of a brother and sister. Two hold the boat steady, while the third helps him into the bow. Have a cushion to sit on, and – if possible – a back rest.

I always insist he wear a life jacket, but he never does. So I have a throw ring with a line, just in case.

We are never far from shore, so if he did fall in, he could hold onto the ring and be towed to shore.

Once he’s comfortable, he starts making the most majestic and effortless casts I’ve ever seen. And for a few hours, the joy of fishing graces us both.

I’ve Made Mistakes On the river, an older sport insisted he had the energy to continue casting all day.

We fished until dark along the Kennebago River. There are paths that run parallel to the river and then out to the road. We became so focused on fishing, on the way out and in the dark, I couldn’t find the path to the road.

I knew the road was east/southeast of me, so with my compass in hand, I bushwhacked through the puckerbrush with my sport. Of course we made it out. If my sport were 25 years old, it would have been (Guiding Older Anglers continued on page 50)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 49

New Materials Are Revolutionizing Fly Tying Jointed fly hooks that wiggle, fly bodies made of rubber-like material, and horizontal sonar that can detect fish from great distances – are these new tools fair to fish and to other anglers? The author believes fishing offers us the freedom to establish our own limits – within the parameters of state regulations.

It has been too long since we featured a fly-tying-focused column, and I commit to you that I will write about this integral part of our sport more often.

Whether you are new to fly tying, thinking of getting into it, or a seasoned practitioner of this fine art, newly available materials and components are making fly tying easier, allowing folks to produce flies that catch more fish. We have come a long way from the days when tyers constructed flies with commonly found sewing materials, roadkill animal skins, and feathers from a bird-hunting buddy.

New space-age materials, pre-formed components, specialized coatings and glues, and multi-shaped hooks are transforming the way we tie.

Fly-tyers now enjoy a range of options for purchasing materials. Most fly shops offer a good selection and offer on-line purchasing. Feather-craft, The Fly Shop, and Fly Shack (to name three) still send out traditional catalogs and have on-line stores. You can usually find out where to purchase certain

materials from a manufacturer’s website.

For example, Flymen Fishing Company, a group that has developed innovative products (including some mentioned in this column), lists all its dealers on their website.

Pre-formed Heads One significant advancement in fly tying is the availability of pre-formed heads for streamers and nymphs known by their brand name, Fish-Skulls (great name!). We all know that adding a weighted bead or conehead gets a fly to the bottom, where you typically want to be.

Historically, the fly tyer created the head from various lead wire, dubbings, threads, or resins, and then tied in or attached eyes to

create a realistic offering. Now, the FishSkull line includes a variety of helmets that have the shape of baitfish, sculpin, stonefly, and caddis-larva heads (the four I’ve tried). Just glue on eyes to the dimple on the baitfish or sculpin helmet, and Voila!

Add body materials for a finished fly. I use the Sculpin head on my pattern, Lou’s Brookie Sculpin (found in my book, In Pursuit of Trophy Brook Trout).

Pre-formed bodies for trout foods such as crayfish are also now available.

Hook Options Innovative hook shape designs have added a new dimension to fly-tying. Pressured fish today with PhDs in detection of

Klinkhammer is a style of emerger pattern that requires a bent hook to tie. Photos: Lou Zambello

artificial flies require more natural movement in streamer (and other) patterns – flies must “look alive.” Supple materials help, but a traditional straight hook is a rigid platform that doesn’t do justice to the flexible skeleton of a fish or an aquatic insect. Don’t fret. Newly available articulated hooks are constructed of two parts that bend. The most advanced example is the new Game Changer TM articulated “spines” that attach

to hooks so the fly-tyer can create streamer or nymph patterns with realistic flexibility.

Additionally, a variety of hook shapes now allow tyers to create effective patterns more quickly. Killer patterns like the Klinkhammer emerger required the tyer to bend standard hooks with pliers to create the correct bent-hook shape. Now you can just purchase Klink hooks. Other specialized hooks mimic the (Continued on next page)

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50 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Freshwater Fly Fishing (Continued from page 49)

shape of scuds, eggs, and caddis nymphs (just to name a few).

Even if your fly tying is, shall we say, a little rudimentary, these hooks offer a realistic silhouette of your chosen critter.

Jig-style hooks are now also widely available. These hooks sink the fly toward the bottom headfirst, while the hook point stays off the substrate, reducing snags.

New Materials When a fly fisher is lucky enough to fool a fish so it eats, he or she has a second or so to tighten up and set the hook before the finned creature realizes that this bit of feather, fur and tinsel doesn’t seem or taste like real food, and spits it. The longer a fish mouths the fly before rejecting it, the more time the angler has to hook up. Materials that feel more natural when mouthed give the angler more time. The

new squishy chenilles can be incorporated into worm and leech patterns that have a tactile quality like the real McCoy. Try such items as Jelly Fritz, Creeper Chenille, Chewing Gum Worm Chenille, or the classic Squirmy Wormie material. I have done experiments in which a Squirmy Wormie works as well for bass and panfish as a real worm. The synthetic rubber/plastic (or whatever that stuff is) can start a conversation in your head, “Aren’t I just casting a rubber worm, the most popular lure at Bass Pro Shops?”

One can make a reasonable argument that fly-tying material advances are blurring the line between what we consider a “fly” for fly fishing and a “lure” for spin fishing, and I get it. Some newly popular fly patterns like the Gummy Minnow and the Beadhead

Trout Fishing (Continued from page 47)

Thus, they were well-equipped to display the traits for which they are best known. Brown trout somewhat mimic togue when hooked, except that they make lots of powerful runs – the larger the trout, the longer and faster the run.

Guiding Older Anglers (Continued from page 48)

fun, but with an elderly sport, it was intense.

I learned my lesson. Now when I enter the river, I tie a piece of orange tape to the exit path.

I had another elderly client in Scotland fishing the Tweed River. We enwww.MaineSportsman.com

This small brown trout couldn’t resist a Squirmy Wormie.

Sculpin-shaped Fish Skulls make tying sculpin patterns a breeze, including Lou’s Brookie Sculpin.

Squirmy Wormie can be cast by an ultralight spinning rod, and they look similar to soft-plastic lures.

Fly or Lure Some traditional, long-time tyers believe that using these new materials is cheating and gives the angler an unfair advantage against the fish (and I suppose other anglers).

I wrestle myself with a comparable issue: How much advanced fish-location technology should I use? Horizontal sonar, vivid and detailed fish-detecting

technology, and underwater video cameras locate fish effectively and eliminate what used to be part of the challenge of lake fishing. For example, horizontal sonar can locate individual large pike in shallow water after the spring spawn for targeting.

But back to fly tying: My thoughts are that fly tyers should use the materials they feel give them the sporting challenge they crave. This approach is common in the sporting world.

For example, a few anglers still like to cast with bamboo fly rods.

I know fly tyers who enjoy the challenge of starting with natural

material, and dyeing or processing it themselves. Fly fishing provides people the freedom to practice it any way they want to (within the regulations).

If you are a fly tyer perfecting your craft and want to maximize your success (however you define it), then use every material available. Some anglers fish in catch-andrelease waters with heavy fishing pressure, and rarely hook a fish without taking advantage of the most advanced equipment, leaders, and fly patterns available. Fly fishing isn’t fun if you never catch anything.

¶

Except for a week or so in spring, when water temperatures are conducive to leaping and jumping, brown trout remain in the water. When first hooked, a large brown trout displays lots of head-shaking and twisting.

Rainbow trout, on the other hand, have an “electric” feel when hooked.

They rank among the most lively of

quarries, next to salmon. And, even during warm weather, rainbow trout jump, often multiple times. Their runs are fast and powerful, and during and after a run, rainbows never cease their pulsating and vibrating.

Try predicting what fish you have hooked yourself. At the least, it’s great fun.

tered the river and waded about 10 yards out and began working our way downriver. The water stayed about knee deep the whole way.

When we decided to head back to shore, the water between us and shore was about 5 feet deep, with a fast current. There was no way we could wade that. So we had to backtrack against the current, which is not easy for a young fit fisherman, let alone an elderly one. We made it back safely, but my heart was pounding hard. That was

scary. I should have scouted first.

Fishing with the elderly takes a lot of preparation, but if all goes well, it can bring joy. It’s a great feeling.

Please share your experiences with older fishermen (or your experiences as an older fisherman) with the editor.

I, and all the other Maine guides who read this magazine, will benefit from learning your tips and ideas to ensure fulfilling, safe trips on the water.

¶

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 51

Fur Stretchers Using correctly sized stretchers for all the furbearers, and having prime furs that have been skinned and fleshed properly for boarding, will ensure that trappers get the best price for their efforts.

There are several publications that provide information on making stretchers. The National Trappers Association’s Trapping Handbook covers the subject well, giving the standard dimensions for making boards. It should be noted that the sizes of some furbearers vary, depending on their geographic locations across North America, or on their sex.

An example is the raccoon – in general, the farther north you go, the larger the animal. Our northern jumbo raccoon would shock the southern trapper – I never saw one even close to that size while trapping in South Carolina.

Fur buyers, and especially the buyers at the international sales of our wild furs, want them to be proportionally correct, regardless of their size. Several species, such as the mink or fisher, also require different size boards for their sex (male or female). Using the correct size board ensures that a fur processor gets the maximum useable fur out of a pelt during the manufacturing operation.

Using correctly sized boards, and those that are animal-specific, will enhance the return on a trapper’s efforts by increasing the money generated when the furs are sold.

Pamela Rankin skillfully shapes and planes a fur stretcher board made of basswood.

To get the highest price for a fur, it’s important for the trapper to use a quality stretcher. In the author’s opinion, some of the best stretchers around are made in Lexington, Maine by Steve and Pamela Rankin.

Here, Steve Rankin of Lexington, Maine works on a selection of wood fur stretchers. Photos by David Miller

Jumbo Raccoons The current reports on projected fur sales in the fur market publications and magazines (such as Fur, Fish, and Game) all say that the “jumbo size” raccoons from the northern states and Canada are the only ones that the fur manufacturers and their representatives are currently interested in. If you take any of these jumbo coons and stretch them on a “standard” coon stretcher, the fur will not be correctly proportional for these larger animals. If done on a regular raccoon board, the larger sized pelt would be downgraded, just the same as a beaver pelt would be that was overstretched in an effort to increase its size.

Don’t ever forget that a correctly sized prime pelt for a furbearer will always bring the best price. Also, wood stretchers are much better than the commercially made metal ones, because metal versions only come in fixed “standard” sizes, and do not allow for the best pre-

sentation of a pelt. Fur buyers will tell you that furs put up on boards are much more desirable than those done on a metal stretcher. The best boards are made of basswood or cedar.

Buying Local One of the major suppliers of wellmade basswood fur stretchers in the northeast is Steve Rankin, right here in Maine. The boards manufactured cover the majority of furbearers, and include a range of boards needed for various species based on physical size differences or their sex. Examples of these include raccoon boards that come in regular, large, extra large, and jumbo, and fisher boards that come in both male and female sizes. He does not make boards for badger, or for several of the more exotic furs from the Southwest, such as the coatimundi, kit fox, or ringtail.

A trip to Steve Rankin’s place of business revealed a well-stocked trapping supply retailer, and a separate building where they manufacture their stretcher boards. Steve and his wife Pamela are the ones who manufacture the boards. The boards they make have been sold by several major trapping supply businesses, including Graw Trapping Supplies in North Dekota, South Eastern Trapping in VA, Bailey’s Trapping Supplies in N.H., Blue Ridge Outfitters in VA., Oneida Fur and Trap in N.Y., Crit-R-Done in PA, and Coon Creek in PA. Steve and Pam also travel to the various state trappers’ rendezvous and related events, to sell their boards and other trapping supplies.

(Trapping the Silent Places continued on page 53)

The Rankins travel to trapping shows and expositions using their RV and trailer to carry inventory. They also wholesale finished boards to major trapping supply companies. www.MaineSportsman.com

52 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Traveling the Backwoods on Snow and Ice Safely driving remote snow-covered roads is an acquired skill – it takes plenty of experience to get good at it. Even with years of this kind of snowyroad experience, the best drivers can still find themselves stuck in a ditch.

I remember several years ago, when the snow was extremely deep and I was hunting coyotes with a group of friends. We drove our vehicles into a location and then had to turn around to get back out. Two of us slid into a deep ditch that didn’t have a single tree nearby to which we could attach a winch rope.

One fellow in the group hooked onto us

Don’t spend your time worrying about getting your vehicle stuck on a logging road; instead, prepare yourself fully, and then relax, confident that you are ready to meet and overcome any challenge.

Get a tire into that snow to the right of this logging road, and you could get sucked into the ditch. William Clunie photo

with a chain and was able to pull us out. If I had been there by myself, who knows how long it would have taken me to dig my way

out? I might have had to use my road service insurance to call a wrecker. My premium-level gold card plan covers towing

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services with a range of 200 miles, ensuring I have coverage way back in the willy-whacks.

One of the first things to set up before you head into a remote area is a good recall plan. I give my wife a good indication of where I’m hunting, and if I don’t return before midnight, she knows to make some calls and get someone to my location. I often leave her a detailed map of my traveling plans, so she can direct folks to the right spot.

Vehicle Recovery Gear I always carry winching gear, consisting of a good winch, tree straps, heavy leather gloves, a shovel, tow strap, a small folding buck saw, and some kind of traction-assist like tire chains. I keep a tote

box with all this gear right in the back of the truck, just in case. I also carry a charging pack if I need to jump the battery or someone else’s vehicle (reminder: make sure it’s charged up before you leave the house).

I like to carry extra warm clothing and a heavy wool blanket during the winter months, in case I might have to stay overnight. I have a little fire-starting kit with a small cook set for making hot tea or warming up some food, tucked right in that same tote.

I also carry two shovels – one for scooping snow, and a folding entrenching tool (e-tool) for more rugged digging. The buck saw can be used to cut small branches to lay in the tracks for better traction. And a highlift jack is mounted right in my truck bed, for lifting the truck frame up to assist in vehicle removal, since sometimes you just need to get the frame off the surface to get something under the buried tires.

I like to run with studded snow tires to reduce the risk of sliding on ice. Many times I have encountered light snow that covers the ice and found the truck sliding around, even with good snow tires. The studs on the tires work better than the best rubber when (Continued on next page)

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it comes to navigating ice-covered roads.

Emergency Communication A small CB radio or handheld unit that operates without relying on cellular service can save the day, especially when traveling in off grid areas. These radios or satellite phones allow the user to put out a request for emergency assistance, in areas where cell phones don’t function.

Logging truck drivers use and monitor channel 19, so they may be able to get someone to your location.

There are plenty of high-tech electronics that allow a traveler to stay connected, even if they are out of cell service. My suggestion is to get comfortable with using these systems before entering the big woods, so you are more confident if you run into a problem.

Trapping the Silent Places (Continued from page 51)

The boards they manufacture and stock include the following: Mink (male and female), Fisher (male and female), Red Fox (regular and adjustable), Gray Fox (regular and adjustable), Raccoon (regular, large, extra large and jumbo), Marten (regular and large), Coy-

I have an onX Hunt app (onxmaps.com) on my phone, allowing me to keep track of my exact location, even if I am out of cell coverage. The ability to give someone my GPS coordinates will allow them to find me in an emergency.

Another bit of advice comes from years of traveling icy, snow-covered back roads; namely, go easy on the gas pedal, not only when you’re

driving, but also when attempting to drive out of a stuck situation. Creeping out of a mess works much better than spinning the tires and creating a deeper hole.

Don’t panic. Take a deep breath and think things through.

I’ve heard stories of individuals who have become stuck and worked themselves up into such a frenzy that they endanger their health. It wouldn’t

ote (large, extra large and adjustable), Skunk and Opossum (both use the same board), Otter (medium and large), Muskrat (small, medium, large and extra large), Bobcat (regular), and Weasel (small, medium and large). They also make enclosed weasel boxes that are used in conjunction with a large rat trap for trapping weasels. In addition, they make wood fleshing beams.

If a trapper needs supplies and can’t find them locally, S.P. Rankin Trapping

take too much heavy snow shoveling and vehicle-pushing to overwork the cardiovascular system. Use your head, and call someone for help. Let the recovery tools do the grunt work, and save yourself a trip to the emergency room.

Fast and furious does not win a race (or vehicle recovery); rather, a slow and calculated approach does it every time.

¶

Supplies carries several major brands of traps, including BMI, Duke, Bridger, Belisle, Salvageau, the TS-85 beaver trap, Freedom and Bridger brand dogproof traps, and the Crit-R-Done bear trap. Also in stock are various styles of snares, trapping lures (including their own brand) and many other items used by trappers.

Steve Rankin can be contacted at SPRankin@tds.net, or (207) 491-2917.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

54 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

For Success Afield, Use Top-Quality Bullets Shooters today have the good fortune to have real choices when selecting ammunition for their fall hunts. Recent supply challenges and price increases notwithstanding, those in the hunt today have significant advantages over earlier generations.

Today’s cartridges and projectiles perform with effect and consistency unknown before the mid-20th century.

Prior to the post-World War II boom in sporting arms, the only way to increase performance was to select a larger caliber.

Not so today. Advances in bullet design and materials since WWII have made all manner of sporting arms more accurate, more effective, and more lethal than any simple increase in caliber.

Our ancestors often wrapped each musket ball in a piece of greased linen to get a tighter seal for improved accuracy.

Sometimes they would

From round lead balls to the aerodynamic Hornady V-Max, manufacturers have modified the shape and fabrication of slugs to keep pace with increased velocities and the quest for accuracy. Despite huge recent price increases in ammunition, the author urges shooters not to seek economy over quality.

Modern bullets incorporating copper and polymers along with lead give shooters advantages over bullets of the past. Col. JC Allard photo

drive a small nail into the soft lead ball, to increase lethality. Other times, they add buckshot pellets to the load together with the ball.

With the advent of brass-cased and mer-

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cury primed cartridges during the Civil War, projectiles, while still soft lead, took on more aerodynamic shapes.

This reshaping led to higher velocities and better accuracy, but

not necessarily deeper penetration of a given target. Late 19th century ballisticians, mainly spurred on by military developments in Europe, began to coat lead projectiles with a

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plating or “jacket” of copper mixed with zinc to increase penetration, as well as retain the structural integrity of the bullet.

Modern Developments The bullet designs we know today sprang up in the late 1940s among a handful of enthusiasts and big game hunters who frequented the game trails from Mexico north to British Columbia and Alaska. This was the start of the Magnum era, when velocity was king.

Unfortunately, many of the bullets of the day were not up to the tasks to which they were subjected. The speed of a Magnum load often would shatter the bullet jacket on first contact, thereby failing to achieve the desired penetration.

In British Columbia, John Nosler used seven bullets fired from a .300 Holland & Holland Magnum to bring down a mudcaked British Columbian moose. Each of his high velocity bullets splattered against the moose’s hide. Here was the genesis of the bullet known around the world today as the Nosler Partition, a projectile author and African-experienced hunter Herb Klein called “the world’s deadliest bullet.”

The Nosler Partition employs a wall of 90 percent copper (Continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 55 (Continued from page 54)

and 10 percent zinc to separate the lead core into two pockets, thus delaying full deployment until the bullet is deep in the vitals.

The partition helps overcome the effects of high velocity.

Although he was on the cutting edge, John Nosler was not alone in designing better and stronger bullets. His fellow West Coast denizens Vernon Speer, Clinton Harris of Sierra Bullets, and Joyce Hornady were

all making bullets for the newly revitalized sporting market after the war.

Today we have Winchester’s Power Point, Remington’s Core-Lokt, and the Hornady V-Max bullet. We have the Ac-

cu-Bond and the Ballistic Silver-Tip, not to mention hollow points and polymer plastic tips. And for reasons

of environmental consideration as well as ballistic performance, there are many avail(Continued on next page)

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56 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Shooter’s Bench (Continued from page 55)

able solid copper bullets. Shooters have never in our shared history had the variety and capabilities of publicly available ammunition as are on offer today.

That said, challenges remain, and shopping for ammunition or ammunition components is often difficult, not to mention frustrating.

Facing Facts The price increases for ammunition—any ammunition over the past four or five years – is staggering. Where once we paid pennies per round, we now pay in dollars. Calibers that were once common on the shelves and in the field, are increasingly difficult to locate. As the manufacturers turn

their production efforts to popular newcomers, we traditionalists struggle to uncover a couple of boxes of “the good stuff.”

Buying cheaper is generally not the answer. Certainly, search the store shelves or the internet sources for the best price, but do not surrender quality as a way of short-cutting the quest. Shooters who feed bargain ammunition into fine

firearms most often do themselves no good service. Skipping practice on the range is no good solution either – especially for hunters. Judicious range time offers the best charted course for success in the field.

Use less ammunition and make every shot count. Feed that fine rifle the best affordable cartridges possible.

Do spend enough to choose a ballistically superior bullet and

cartridge combination, in order to gain the edge for success in the field. Paying less at the checkout point is no insurance policy when a ten-pointer steps out of that cedar swamp, and losing a wounded animal due to a faulty bullet is not a story to relate in camp or at home.

We hold this sport dear, and therefore we have a moral obligation to shop for – and use – the best.

¶

Youth Trophy Gallery

Ayla Lizotte of Hampden earned her Youth Deer Hunter Club patch when, as a 12-year old on November 11, 2023, she tagged this 137-lb. spikehorn buck in Orrington. She used a .243, and was supervised by her dad, Riley.

Hudson Blouin of Lisbon was 8 years old on November 13, 2023 when he tagged this 151-lb., 7-pt whitetail buck, thereby earning membership in The Maine Sportsman’s Youth Deer Hunting Club. Hudson was carrying a rifle chambered in .350 Legend, and was supervised by Justin Blouin.

On October 20, 2023, the first of Maine’s two Youth Deer days in 2023, Natalie Darling of Waterboro traveled to Alfred with her .243, and earned her Biggest Bucks in Maine patch with this 207-lb., 8-point buck. Bill Smith supervised Natalie’s hunt, and Scott Darling served as witness to the application.

Wyatt Lane Spooner of Bingham was 12 years old on October 28, 2023 when he tagged his first-ever deer, a 103.5-lb. spikehorn. Wyatt used a .243, and was supervised by Scott Stoddard of North Anson.

www.MaineSportsman.com

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November Deer Woods Come Alive It was week two of deer season and we had not seen a deer on the farm during previous hunts. I wanted Waleed, who was 15, to get a crack at his first deer. I decided that we would go to my old spot in Auburn and brought along buddy Bill Tapley. This was Bill’s second time hunting this piece, so he knew where to walk and where the deer typically ran.

I have been hunting this piece of land, an old farm, for more than 30 years, so I knew where the deer should go, too.

Waleed and I skirted an old roadway and got to our ambush spot, a large rock that overlooks a time-worn deer trail. I have taken several deer from that rock, and I always wonder how many other hunters took deer from that natural stand in the past.

Bill waited for us to get in place and then started a leisurely push toward us.

Within a few minutes, we heard crunching, and I could see the shape of a deer coming our way. Waleed had a doe permit for our farm but, not for this spot in Auburn, so we had to see antlers. Suddenly, a lost-looking little fawn popped out and stood broadside to us. I whispered to “W” to wait as a buck may be following. No such luck. Odd that momma deer was nowhere to be seen. The little deer eventually ambled off and Bill joined us.

First Deer We decided to push another spot. No sooner had W and I started out when we spotted a slow-moving, small buck.

Waleed took aim, fired, and shot just over the buck. Luckily, he did not hone in on us and Waleed was able to take another shot, dropping the deer. He had done it, his first deer! After a few highfives, he started in on field dressing and learned a skill he will hopefully use his whole life. This year, we each received an any-deer permit for the Auburn AND purchased permits for the farm. It will be a great November. On top of that, we have a moose permit to fill!

Permits Galore!

Local hunters have cause to celebrate

Sebago region, which includes WMDs 15 and 21, hunters were also lucky in the number of permits issued. On top of this, hunters could purchase permits in WMDs 15, 16 and 21. In total, 11,481 permits were available in those zones.

In WMD 21 alone, 10,252 permits went unclaimed and were up for purchase. It is safe to say that if you wanted an anydeer permit in WMD 21 you could get one!

Waleed Rabbat of Cumberland shows off his first deer, taken while hunting with the author last November. Photo by Tom Roth

like us. Record numbers of any-deer permits were issued and hunters had the ability to purchase more permits.

Auburn, one of New England’s largest cities area -wise, includes portions of Wildlife Management Districts (WMD) 15, 16, and 21. Combined, these districts were allocated a whopping 32,725 permits. Granted, not all of those are in Auburn, but it highlights the abundance of deer in the region. Factor in other nearby towns like Lewiston and Lisbon and the number of permits increases. In the

Lights, Camera, Action!

While it is important to know your deer woods, as we did where Waleed got his deer, pre-season scouting is paramount to success. This also includes sighting in and checking your rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader. Game cameras have evolved to the point where many good deer hunters use them for remote scouting. The first “modern” trail monitoring device was essentially a digital watch with a trip string. It would record the date and time of one activation. Now, we get alerts with pictures and videos of deer live from our hunting woods to wherever we happen to be. I have the farm wired for sound (and video) with multiple cameras. We use them for both security and to watch wildlife. We had a neighbor poach on the property and I even found his game camera with evidence of baiting, but that is a story for another time! I enjoy seeing what is moving about at night, but it also helps me decide which stand or blind to hunt from. For the past two years, I have been watching a huge drop-tine buck. He is always nocturnal, but I keep a keen eye out for him when hunting. Boy, would I love to harvest him. I am happy to report I have him on video this year again, so he made it through another season and another winter.

With abundant any-deer permits available, deer sightings up, acorns and apples filling the trees, it should be an epic year for area deer hunters. Hopefully, we can all fill our tags while enjoying the November woods.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

58 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Mock Scrapes Can Improve Your Deer Hunting I was a weird kid; I was skinny, and I stuttered. In addition, my parents were divorced, and I lived with my mother and two aunts. Divorce is common today, but it was rare here in Shapleigh in the 1950s and 60s; folks didn’t divorce; rather, they just suffered in silent misery their entire lives. Without a father to guide me, I lacked discipline. I just spent all my time deep in the forest, watching deer.

I’m not complaining, though – I had a good childhood; I was popular in school, played sports, and had a great network of friends. However, my greatest influence, one that shaped my life, was the large forest behind our home in Shapleigh.

That forest was my refuge. I wandered for miles, built cabins and tree houses. I interacted with deer, following their trails, and studying their patterns.

I was totally obsessed with deer. And, after 70 years, I am still.

Deer Hunting Then and Now George Carrigan, my neighbor, was a tail-gunner on an Air Force bomber during World War Two. He survived, and built a small house near ours. When I was a kid, George, along with Vern Walker, our local game warden, took me hunting. Deer hunting became another of my life-long obsessions.

I killed my first deer when I was a sophomore in high school, 1964. Times were different then – everyone hunted, and we took guns in our trucks to school so we could hunt after school was out.

Hunting was a tradition, filled with adventure and woodsmanship skills that were handed down for generations.

Today, things have changed – not for the worse; just changed. It was evident when I started hunting with a rifle again. I had spent most of my life bowhunting, and still do during archery seasons, but come November the bow is on a hook in my den, and my rifle is sighted in, oiled and ready.

Buck Weakness After 70 years deer hunting in southern Maine, I’ve learned that whitetail bucks have a weak link in their survival instincts. We all know that during the rut, bucks will be much more active during daylight hours. However, there’s another and more important chink in www.MaineSportsman.com

After studying and hunting deer all his life, the author believes that making mock scrapes is one of the few ways a hunter can manipulate a buck in close for a shot.

There’s more to deer hunting than deer heads on the wall, says the author. He enjoys the total experience of interacting with deer, including making and scenting mock scrapes. He’s also intrigued by the stoneworks left at the sites of colonial homesteads – such as the rock foundation shown here – that he discovers during his hunts. Photo by Val Marquez

their bulletproof vests – bucks tell you where they are, where they bed and feed, and also a road map where they travel.

Whitetail bucks rub their antlers on trees and saplings, leaving exposed white scars. These rubs are hints as to their travel corridors, but there’s more.

Rubs reveal where bucks bed and feed, along with the trails they use to access those areas.

A rub that is facing a thick bedding area indicates that it was made in the late afternoon or evening as the deer is leaving its bedding areas. Rubs facing a feeding area into a thick bedding area indicates they were made in the morning. Of course, this isn’t an exact science, but combined with other info, it can help piece together an overview of a buck’s patterns. A problem with depending just on rubs is that during the rut, bucks become unpredictable, since they are off looking for receptive does.

Mock Scrapes After many years of deer hunting, I believe that making mock scrapes is about the only way a hunter can manipulate a buck in for a shot. Yes, calling

and rattling can work, but mock scrapes will hold bucks in the area, and they will return as well.

Hunting rub lines works before the rut comes in mid-November, but during the rut, hunting mock scrapes becomes a better option. However, these fake scrapes will work only if hunters follow a strict regimen while making them.

• Make them near a doe family area.

• Place them on a deer trail, near a doe bedding area.

• Wear rubber boots and gloves.

• Dig up dirt – the more the better, since deer are attracted to the smell of dirt.

• Place a licking branch hanging over your fake scrape.

• Either pee in the scrape, or place a synthetic, urine-based deer lure in it.

As an option, rub a commercial orbital gland scent on the licking branch.

• Don’t place a trail camera over the scrape, since that will contaminate the area, spook deer from the flash, and leave your scent while checking it. Instead, keep the area as natural as possible.

Each time you hunt the mock scrape, use rubber gloves, soak a dry stick with doe estrus scent, and throw it near the mock scrape; never approach the scrape.

You should always do your best to stay downwind of the area (good luck with that, considering southern Maine’s ever-changing wind currents).

Any rut-crazy buck that smells your mock scrape will either scent-check, or come right in to your scrape. If you have kept your human scent away from the area, you might just earn a Maine Sportsman’s “Biggest Bucks” patch for your jacket.

Evolution Evolution has been kind for me – today I’m not skinny, and I don’t stutter (except once in a while when I have problems with W’s), and at my age I still enjoy deer hunting. But I don’t hunt hard to kill deer now. Rather, I enjoy the act of hunting and roaming forestlands, studying and researching old stone foundations as I deer hunt. Actually, it’s the chess game with deer that I enjoy, and not deer heads on the wall or the gripand-grin photos. I have been there and done that.

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 59

The Long Lives of Knives We were going ice fishing, and my father and grandfather had shoveled a space so they could get the car off the road. You opened the trunk by twisting the handle, but that handle had long been missing on Dad’s old Chevy. He usually used a big screwdriver to unlock the trunk, but on this cold day the screwdriver was somewhere else, and all our fishing gear was locked inside the trunk.

That’s when Dad reached for his belt knife. This was a hunting knife he had made when he was in the Navy. He pulled it free of the leather sheath, and pushed the tip of the blade into the hole where the trunk handle belonged. He gave a gentle twist at first, then turned the knife harder and harder and the trunk lock clicked open.

As he put the knife away, he said, “I must have used some good steel when I made that.”

Today, my son Jeremy has that knife his grandfather made in the Navy.

Quality Knife; Good Steel I thought of this when I read William Clunie’s and David Petzal’s columns earlier this year in The Maine Sportsman about Canadian belt knives, and similarly-designed Yukon knives. They wrote about the satisfaction that comes with owning a quality knife made with good steel.

I don’t know what Dad’s Navy knife was made from. He was a shipfitter.

The shipfitter handled all the metal work and plumbing on the LST (landing ship, tank). My guess is when he was off watch, Dad must have found a piece of scrap steel in the shop and decided to turn it into a knife.

He made a second one, too, only that one was made from a bayonet he came by. He cut the long blade down to a more manageable five or six inches.

His grandson Ben has that knife now, and he’s used it many times to dress out many deer and one moose.

Heirlooms The more I thought about it, the more I realized how important some knives are to our lives and our families – how certain knives are heirlooms that get passed from one generation to the next.

Great Great Grandfather owned a Marbles skinning knife he used all the years he was hunting. It’s still in good

All types of tools have stories to tell, but the author believes quality knives have the most interesting histories, because they have long lives and touch many people.

The knife on the left is an Air Force Survival Knife manufactured by Camillus in 1967. The author purchased the knife many years ago from Sandy River Surplus, in Farmington. The knife on the right was given to the author by his wife’s father. Although it has the dimensions of a Marbles knife, the author is uncertain of the manufacturer since “the name has been honed off over the years, and I can’t make it out.” Randy Randall photo

shape, and Ben uses the curved blade once in a while for caping out a deer’s head.

Knives are one of those tools you either have an appreciation for or not, I guess. I’ve known guys who owned some very desirable knives, but they treated them like a tire iron. The knives get chucked into a tool box, or left at the bottom of the pack basket.

Different strokes, I suppose. But if the owner paid a lot for the knife and it was good quality, you’d think he’d treat it better.

Tattoo I met a young man here at the marina and noticed he had a tattoo on his forearm. I took a quick look and saw a depiction of a Ka-Bar. I asked him the significance of the tattoo. He said, “I was a Marine.”

That made sense. “I had one of those knives too,” I told him. Years ago, it was issued to me in Vietnam. It hung on the rack where we stored our bandoleers of ammo, our helmets, and our M16s.

Back stateside, I found a smaller version of the Ka-Bar, the so-called pilot’s survival knife. It has a saw-toothed back used to push debris out of the way.

I use it for my hunting knife.

Marbles made skinning knives and hunting knives, and my father-in-law had one of the hunting variants – sixinch blade and sharp as a scalpel. I keep it because it belonged to a man I grew to respect and love years ago.

Stories to Tell All kinds of well-used tools have a story to tell, but I believe knives have the most interesting histories, partly because they have such long lives and touch so many people. Lord of the Rings fans will recall the many blades in the story that had names and valiant histories remembered in myth and song.

There’s a lot of meaning in a knife.

Like this past June, when my son Ben won the Millinocket X-Stream Race. The different class winners had a chance to pick from some nice prizes, and Ben chose a Tyler Walker River Knife.

Walker knives are handmade by Tyler at his forge in Wyman, Maine (northeast of Carrabassett, population 82).

The River Knife is designed from his experience as a raft guide to stand the rigors and requirements for a reliable and sturdy cutting tool.

Tyler is somewhat ahead of my father, who was an amateur spending time crafting knives aboard ship in the South Pacific. And yet, each knife takes on a story of its own. Ben will use Tyler’s knife as part of his gear for kayaking on the rivers of Maine. Over time, the new knife will absorb experiences and become its own story. The Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization staff made a good choice when they offered Tyler’s knife as one of the coveted prizes.

We grow to cherish our tools that are well-used and cared for and enrich our outdoor lives, but knives especially seem to make their own history and live on for a long, long time. Those of us who spend our time outdoors know this is true.

¶

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60 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

“Current” Events The Gulf of Maine has a consistent system of currents that’s a lot more complex than most folks realize – twisting and turning on a range of scales from your local harbor to the entire North Atlantic.

That system is important for several reasons, including the fact that anything that disrupts it could have devastating effects on the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.

Let’s take an objective look.

Big Picture On a broad scale, the Gulf Stream carries warm water northeast up the Atlantic coast. It approaches U.S. closest off the Florida Keys and Carolina’s Outer Banks, then veers eastward, passing roughly 100 miles south of the Gulf of Maine.

Conversely, the Nova Scotia current carries cold water south, then veers north and west into

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Ocean currents mark the path of life, says the author, and manmade obstructions -- such as largescale offshore wind projects -- could alter those currents and impact all marine life in the Gulf of Maine.

A minke whale swims 12 miles off Cape Elizabeth. Bob Humphrey photo

the Gulf through the Northeast Channel and out through the Great South Channel, but not before making a few important detours.

Within the Gulf, currents spin off into gyres that run counterclockwise around

Jordan and George’s Basins, and clockwise around George’s Bank.

Other off-shoots run southwest along the coast as the Eastern and Western Maine Channels.

These currents also drive nutrient-rich cold water to the surface, creating a bloom of plankton, which is why the Gulf has long supported such a tremendous array of marine life.

Locally, currents are a bit more fickle. While they often change with the tide, some remain more regular. Outside of Casco Bay, for example, the long-shore current runs southwest from Cape Small to Cape Elizabeth.

On an even smaller scale, currents tend to run in and out with the tide, creating regular haunts for the local fish and crustaceans, unless some manmade structure is installed, forcing them to find a new home. But the potential impact doesn’t stop there.

Pelagic Fish Like the cold currents, highly migratory species like bluefin tuna travel north from the Gulf of Mexico and west from the Mediterranean, entering and exiting the Gulf of Maine principally via the Northeast and Great South channels, as they have for millennia. They use several cues to reach their

destination, including currents. Like migratory salmon encountering a dam, if we close the door, they’ll just go elsewhere.

Moderately migratory species like mackerel move into the Gulf in springtime and out in autumn, to and from warmer offshore or southern waters.

I witnessed something last summer that was nothing short of a natural phenomenon. For two weeks, mackerel amassed on the surface in huge spawning aggregations that stretched for miles, and what we saw on the surface was only a fraction of what was just underneath.

Mackerel are a critical link in the food chain, as both predators and a forage species, and stocks have suffered in recent years. They are currently being managed under a recovery plan, and early indications are optimistic, but anything that could disrupt surface currents in these spawning areas could be disastrous to the future of this species.

Lobsters It took scientists a long time to discover what factors influence the abundance or scarcity of lobsters in certain areas. It’s rather complex and they still don’t understand all the variables, but it has a lot to do with currents. Larval and juvenile lobsters float (Continued on next page)

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on surface currents, and therefore are at their mercy, until they encounter waters of a certain temperature.

Then they descend the water column to the bottom, where they’ll spend the rest of their lives.

Existing currents are crucial to main-

taining this system, and a disruption on the surface could spell real trouble to Maine’s lobster industry – even more than warming water temperatures.

Creatures Great and Small Marine creatures at the very top and bottom of the food chain also depend on

the Gulf’s complex current system. Plankton blooms created by currents and up-welling represent the base of the food chain, feeding everything from herring and menhaden to endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale. Disrupt the currents, and the very basis of all ma-

rine life in the Gulf will be impacted.

Conclusion By now you should be getting the point.

The Gulf of Maine ecosystem is a rich and vital one. It’s what brought Europeans to North America and prompted them to settle here and provided the foundation for our

country. (If you don’t believe me, read Cod,

by Mark Kurlansky.)

It exists in its “current” state because of the movement of water within and without. Water flows round like the hands of a clock, but if the hands stop moving, it means we’ve run out of time.

¶

Sadie’s Hat Trick Written and submitted by Lars Anderson; Member: Big Woods Bucks

Sadie took this moose in the Jackman area on October 11th, weighing in at 745 lbs. with a 39-inch spread.

Sadie’s buck was shot in the Jackman area on November 21st, weighing in at 221 lbs. with 10 points.

Winter of 1993. I don’t remember it, I had no need to, but it was special because that was the year Sadie Reinhard, of Jackman, Maine was born.

In the outdoor world, she has a magic about her. In my world, it’s hard work, persistence, patience, natural ability, and a wonderful mindset. She puts the work in.

In 2023, Sadie shot a turkey, moose, bear, and deer to complete Maine’s Grand Slam. As if that weren’t enough, she also took on the task of becoming a Maine guide. She studied a lot, worked hard, and passed her examination on September 12th for fishing, hunting, and recreation. On her own, she pulled the trigger on the turkey, shot the bear at her bait site, and located and shot both the moose and big buck. She doesn’t need anyone.

This makes her third Maine Grand Slam in five years!

The next time you see this humble, quiet woman, you don’t need to say “Hi,” but you should tip your hat to her, especially if you’re part of the outdoor world. I know I have.

Congraulations, Sadie, on your hat trick!

Sadie’s Jackman area bear weighed in at 230 lbs., shot on August 31st.

Sadie’s May 6th turkey at 20 lbs. 3 oz. Taken in Naples.

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62 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Cold Weather Care for Our Canine Hunting Companions For some of us outdoor types, bird season doesn’t stop when freezing cold weather comes. Some of us enjoy hunting grouse in the snow. Putting my dog on a wintertime bird track and following it up works great for me.

I know my dogs don’t care if it gets cold outside. They jump at any chance to get in the woods; snow covered ground doesn’t stop them.

The problem with their enthusiasm is that it overlooks common sense sometimes and can get them into trouble. For instance, they would hunt all day on crusty snow that froze the night be-

Hunting dogs are so driven by their passion for birds, that they are not conscious of the consequences of dealing with winter’s harsh elements. Therefore, their owner has to take the necessary precautions for them. The author explains how. fore into an icy glaze.

As a result, the snow’s sharp surface could cut their foot pads and chop away at their shins.

The next day, the poor dogs would get up limping out of their beds and try to run on the sharp, crusty ice again, ignoring the pain because they are so driven to hunt. In my youth, I was just as foolish – I too, would overlook it all just to get out and hunt or

fish in the wonderful outdoors.

There are other cautions hunters need to take when hunting with dogs in the winter months. I am always aware of snow conditions when I’m out with the dogs in the snow, even if it’s just a little run in the back yard. I also make sure my dogs get enough running in to keep their pads tough. I understand that they can handle

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rough ground better when they toughen up with some pre-season conditioning.

Hydration Around the home, during the off season, I allow the dogs to eat whenever they are hungry. During hunting season, I want them to eat an evening meal when we finish a day of hunting. I give them a very little amount of food as soon as they wake up in the morning, so they can settle their stomachs before running hard all day.

I mix their kibble with warm water or bone broth to give them extra hydration, and I also offer them plenty of water throughout the day. After running short hunts through the woods, I make sure

they get a drink every time we get back to the truck.

I carry several towels to dry the dogs off when they hop up into the truck, and I make sure they have a dry blanket and pad to lie on in the back seat. I like to let them get dry and warm before we jump out and hunt the next hotspot.

I feed them more protein during the hunting season, too.

I have a wet mix that I stir into the kibble that gives them the extra protein they need when they are working so hard.

Dog Clothes I have my dogs wear blaze orange vests to make sure anybody hunting with me can clearly see the dogs. If there are deer hunters in the area, they will also see the blaze orange and not mistake them for deer.

I don’t have the dogs wear any vests for insulating purpos(Continued on next page)

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es – once the dogs get running, they produce enough heat to stay warm in the coldest weather. Once we get back in the vehicle, I dry them off and let them snuggle in a warm blanket in the back seat with the heat turned on.

I don’t let them get overheated in the vehicle, though. Having a dog go back and forth from very hot to extra cold is not good for the dog. I keep the truck semi-warm, and often leave a window cracked for fresh air circulation.

Some folks put dog boots on their hunting dogs before running them in icy con-

found a boot that will stay on their feet, so I just don’t hunt them in crusty, icy snow conditions.

The same with insulated vests – they just overheat my dogs. I tried having them wear insulated vests when running around the back yard in the snow, and the vests heat them up too much.

We do have them wear a vest for short trips in the backyard if it’s raining hard, to keep them from getting too wet – but not while hunting. It is extremely difficult to find a vest that won’t get ripped off as the dogs run through the thick underbrush … it

seems as if I’ve tried them all.

One final suggestion for hunting in cold and snowy conditions is to make sure to do a complete doggie inspection when you get back to the house.

Look for the condition of the pads on their paws, and check for any scrapes and cuts on their underbelly.

I like to give them a quick check when they get back in the truck as we are hunting but give them a thorough going over at the end of the day.

I’m sure they appreciate the extra attention after a hard day in the winter woods.

¶

Owners who take a few precautions will discover that hunting with dogs in cold weather can be an enjoyable experience for both dogs and their owner. William Clunie photo

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64 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Older Deer Hunters Can Achieve Success by Modifying their Tactics With some planning and preparation, older hunters can position themselves in a way that will provide great opportunities to tag a buck this hunting season, and they can do so in comfort.

The time has come for me to take a stand when it comes to deer hunting. I hunted from ground blinds plenty in my younger years, but now I am forced to stand-hunt. A back injury from years ago is finally requiring me to change my deer hunting tactics.

When I bird hunt, I can walk for a while at a nice and easy pace, and then return to the comfort of the truck when necessary. Not so with deer hunting … you get on a track, and sometimes you have to push it, and you don’t stop until the end of the day.

Physical limitations have forced me to end that enjoyable romping through the

deer woods. I have to forget about the urge to simply see what’s over on the other side of that mountain. I must set a plan for hunting in one location for the duration of at least the morning or afternoon, since allday sitting at a stand can also set me up for physical difficulties.

Going Forward So recognizing my limitations, I boldly step forth into a new world of hunting. I have formulated a plan that has worked for me so far. It’s not that revolutionary, as many folks have already gone down this path. However, I have a few tips for making this new plan easier

and more efficient.

Right off the bat, this new plan will sound like my other deer hunting technique of simply placing a stand downwind of a scrape. To be clear, this is hunting over a scrape, but the execution has been slightly adjusted to take into consideration the “oldage factor.”

The first consideration in this “new” method will be all about location. It’s obvious that the senior hunter won’t be climbing through any thick swamps or up the sides of mountains to get to the location.

Ease of access becomes important, but not so (Western Maine continued on page 66)

The author has always enjoyed getting out and hunting whitetailed deer. Recently, he has figured out ways to continue that activity, despite no longer being able to track a deer for many miles over rough, mountainous terrain. Photo provided by the author

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A Time for Changing Naturally, as I get older and gain more experiences in the woods, I feel I become more in tune to the goings-on of the creatures I am pursuing.

For a lot of hunters, there aren’t definable reasons for what you choose to do to better your odds of success, but rather a subconscious feeling or intuition. After a while, you don’t even notice the decisions you are making – you just “do” them.

On the other hand, though, there are many things that we have to make ourselves intentionally do to better our odds. Our brains have to fight with our heart and legs to make ourselves make the not-yet-natural decisions and do the motions to put us in the best position to tag a critter.

Each year, the author resolves to improve one aspect of his deer-hunting regimen. This year, he’s promised himself to take full advantage of those rare days when the woods promise to produce deer, spending the full day hunting productive areas rather than riding in his truck or returning to camp for lunch.

Finding success in changing tactics over the past few years, the writer plans to hunt smaller, low-lying chunks of land in the big woods, between roads and along rivers and wetlands, like this area shown. Image provided by the author

For each of the past five years, I’ve specifically earmarked one area that I need to work on and that I need to consciously

put rehabilitated behavior into practice on a daily basis. In 2020, it was “Stop Navigating, Start Hunting”; In 2021, it was “Slow the

Heck Down”; in 2022 it was “Hunt Down Low”; in 2023, it was “Hunt Where the Sign Is.”

Stop Navigating, Start Hunting We almost all have some kind of GPS or smartphone mapping software now. It is easy to get sucked into map-watching.

I made (and am still making) a conscious effort to avoid looking at my OnX every 10 minutes. I almost always know where I am and in what direction I want or need to go. I just like the confirmation of looking at that satellite picture and planning my route.

But when I’m doing this, I’ve lost the hunting concentration and mindset, and instead have simply become a navigator.

Sure, map watching makes your movements through the woods much more efficient. But I’ve come to find that deer don’t (Continued on next page)

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66 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

New Hampshire (Continued from page 65)

care about how efficient your route is.

And by always avoiding the thickets and swamps and other hassles shown by the satellite picture, you are often avoiding potential killing encounters with the animals who prefer to take refuge there, rather than the open old skid trail you can see on the map.

Slow the Heck Down This one is simple: I’m an in-shape guy who likes to see lots of country; the best way to see lots of country is to walk fast. For years, I rarely ever saw a deer that wasn’t running away from me. It took a lot of discipline for me to cut this dirty habit. In 2021, I started severely over-dressing on purpose, as a way to make myself slow down. I also added unnecessary things to my backpack to weigh it down a bit.

I like being hot and sweaty even less than I like going slow, so

the tactic worked.

I also started hunting smaller parcels of land. If I knew that it was only a mile from my truck to the next road over, and I had three hours to kill, I’d have to take my time going through it. As a by-product of this practice, I found lots of deer sign in these previously overlooked smaller chunks of land.

Hunt Low Always wanting to stretch my legs, I looked for the biggest pieces of woods on the map—which happened to be up high on the ridges. And I always thought the biggest bucks live up on the mountaintops. But a couple of my jaunts into smaller country in 2021, in an effort to slow my pace down, revealed lots of good (and big) deer sign down low.

So in 2022, I decided to do something that I had hardly ever done before: hunt down-

Western Maine (Continued from page 64)

easy and obvious that every other senior hunter joins you in your hunting location.

I like to find good hunting locations when I’m bird hunting in October. I used to look for the thickest, most remote and toughest locations around to limit anyone else wanting to hunt in the same locations as me. Now I look for ATV trails that I can ride or walk in on, especially if they cross the tops of ridges and high ground. I make sure the locations are remote, but accessible

by ATV. Now this doesn’t mean I simply pull over on the trail and hunt right there.

Instead, I find a spot where I can get the ATV well off to the side of the trail and then hike into the woods a short distance.

Like any other method of hunting www.MaineSportsman.com

hill from the truck.

I explored lots of areas along the edges of swamps and bogs, and in the river valleys (big woods river valleys on timber company land, not agricultural land). This has been a game-changer for me.

I’ve learned to really enjoy some of these areas and have had tremendous luck with encountering wildlife in them. (Note: the big drawback to this is that dragging a buck uphill to the truck is not as enjoyable as dragging him down off a mountain.)

Hunt Where the Sign Is My dad has a rule he applies to his bass fishing tournaments: Don’t Leave Fish to Find Fish. In the past, I’ve consistently walked or driven myself right out of all the deer sign, to try to find a new solo buck to pursue. Or sometimes just to see some new scenery.

My desire to see and explore new places makes it hard for me to stay where I

know there are deer.

Every year I make a list of pinpoints on the map of places I haven’t been to, but want to see. At the start of the 2023 season, I took that list and deleted almost all of it.

Instead, I did what I don’t particularly enjoy: I went back to the same few places day after day – because I knew there were deer there and it was only a matter of time. And it was.

2024 My new skill to focus on this year is Don’t Waste the Killing Days. What I’ve learned over the past decade is that it can happen anywhere at any time. But there are those special days where all the conditions are right and you can just feel it in the air that something special is going to happen. Guys at our camp call these Killing Days.

The past couple years I’ve noticed that for whatever reason, I find myself hunting long and hard on hot,

deer, I make sure the surrounding woods have plenty of deer sign. Once an ideal location is found, I set up a mock scrape and build a small blind area downwind of the scrape. Sounds simple, but this is the new plan, and it works for me.

Building a Blind When I build a hunting blind, I try to make the hideout as inconspicuous as possible, and at the same time I build it for comfort. Let me offer a few tips that make this process a little clearer.

I don’t chop down trees and cover the thing with a roof. Rather, I keep it simple. I find a natural spot, like a dropped tree that gives me a spot to sit amongst the branches – concealed, but still able to see through to the scrape.

I may weave a few other branches in to conceal my position, but the less you disturb the area, the better. I like to

bare ground days and then riding around in the truck or eating lunch at camp on the snowy Killing Days.

Or, on a whim, exploring a new area with no deer. We usually only get three or four of these days a year and I need to make better use of every second of them.

Building on this arsenal of skills over the past few years, here is my plan for 2024: I’m going to hunt a lot of smaller chunks of land down low along the rivers and swamps.

I’m going to stick to the places where I find good sign and haunt them – stalking through them slowly and quietly. And when all the conditions are perfect, I’m going to be in position with a plan, determination, energy, and a hope that I’ll be able to scratch my itchy trigger finger.

What particular skills are you working on to better your success this year? Let me know.

¶

use downed beech trees or evergreens, because they usually keep their leaves/ needles on throughout the winter.

I make sure to scrape the ground clear of leaves and twigs in the location where I’ll be sitting. I take a folding hunting seat in with me that has a back on it for comfort, as well as a comfortable cushion.

I try to make the blind at least 70 yards downwind, because most bucks will come into the scrape from downwind. If I can find a location that puts an open area downwind of my location, that’s even better – most bucks don’t want to come out into the open.

I also make sure to design the blind so that I am covered if I need to stand and stretch my legs. I move slowly, get a good stretch in, and then return to the comfort of my padded seat. When I’m comfortable, I stay out longer, and I’m always ready for Mr. Buck.

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 67

The Most Memorable Bucks are the Ones You Didn’t Tag As we head into another November, my mind spins back across many hunts that have taken place and shaped me. I smile at the racks on the wall and the memories of those hunts, but my mind always seems to return to the bucks that slipped through my fingers. I can still feel the sting of a particular buck, from a hunt almost a decade ago.

Dad had shot a buck the day before, so he headed for home. I was on my own for the last two days of the season. My plan was to swing up onto a couple of small peaks and check the saddles between them.

I knew this area held a couple of doe groups within the range of a good buck I had located early in the season.

I cruised around several of his signpost rubs, hoping. An hour into the day, I finally crossed his path from the night before. Melting snow made determining the age easy. I kept the pace up as I moved along his older track. His track finally changed direction, and I could see where he had encountered a doe. I spent the next hour sorting out the barnyard.

They were feeding heavily on ferns and old man’s beard on blown-down trees.

The tracks finally left the slope, and I walked onto the now-empty beds of the buck and doe that I had inadvertently jumped while I was sorting out their wanderings. His was significantly larger and looked like the bed of an old dog that no longer had the flexibility to curl up. I could smell his tarsal odor still hanging in the air.

In The Game I now had a big buck jumped up and a fresh track laid out ahead of me.

I started out at an easy pace along the track. They circled the mountain back toward where I’d originally cut his track, but up higher. The deer led me past two bull moose, who were moving through. I didn’t want to scare them and have them spook the buck, so I let them meander away about 100 yards ahead of me until the deer’s tracks diverged from the moose’s path.

The tracks swung uphill, still running. Reaching a bench on the mountainside, the deer started to slow to a walk, and turned. I slowed my pace, as the tracks led me into a spruce top.

Sure – we remember our successful hunts. But if you want excruciating details and endless posthunt analysis, try asking an expert tracker about the 200-plus-pound buck he had in his sights that got clean away.

The author believes this is the heavy-bodied buck he tracked, in a hunt described in this column. The photo was taken on a trail camera set up by an acquaintance of the author.

The buck’s track was quite distinct – big enough that I only had to glance down to know I was following him. The pair calmed down and began to meander. The doe went back to feeding. At this point the buck split away from her, drifting toward the east. I tiptoed around blowdowns and tried to slide through the brush silently. Slowly cruising over the bumps and hollows along the top of this mountain, the buck’s track began to pitch downhill.

The track was traveling to my right, angling across the slope. When I looked left down the steepening angle of the mountain, there he was, 70 yards away.

I could see his square body, the dark brown coat, against the snow and trees.

His head was turned to look at me, hidden slightly in the hardwood growth behind him. I snapped up my rifle and confirmed it was the buck I was tracking. Seeing the outline of his substantial rack, I lowered the crosshairs toward his body. At the same time, he gathered himself to bolt.

I shot and worked the pump, as he accelerated to full speed. Another shot.

He disappeared. I ran to the ridgeline where he had disappeared, hoping to get a third shot. There was no sign of him.

I went to where he was when I shot at him. No hair, no blood. My stomach turned and I squatted there in disbelief. I took up the track again and followed him down into a clearcut, through a thick swamp and then back up the mountain. He circled the top and then crossed into his old tracks from the night before. The midday sun was causing the snow to drip out of the trees, and on the south-facing slopes it was melting away completely. Two and a half hours after shooting at him, I finally lost his track. I started back to the truck, feeling sick.

Moving On All that effort had culminated in a miss. When the goal is to track and kill a buck over 200 pounds, it is hard to be consoled by the idea that everything went right except for that final, and essential, step.

I talked to my buddy Ben at length that night, sitting in my driveway, hashing out what might have happened. I recalled that as as I pulled down from the buck’s head toward his vitals, he started to drop to take off. Seeing this, I probably pulled the trigger a split second too early, causing a miss over his back. Like a bag of magic tricks, I found another new way to miss.

I felt emotionally raw for the next couple of days. The level of physical exertion, mental fatigue and disappointment left me wrung out like an old dish rag. Chances like that are exceedingly rare. I was lucky to have encountered him. I have learned that moving on from a miss is important to regaining confidence. Hunters who track are going to miss shots. A tracker should start each day with a mind fully focused on killing the buck in front of him.

That buck probably isn’t roaming the woods anymore. I searched for him the next day on bare ground, then again, the following year, and never found him. So, he’ll forever roam my mind along with all the other bucks from the close calls I’ve had.

¶

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68 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Smilin’ Sportsman He: “Will you marry me?”

She: “No.” (Followed by two hours of uncomfortable silence in the hot-air balloon.)

— She: It would mean a lot to me if you wore this gold chain and medallion. It belonged to my grandfather.

He: Why does it say, “Do Not Resuscitate”?

— Fun fact: According to Harvard sociologists, women spend more time wondering what men are thinking, than men spend actually thinking.

www.MaineSportsman.com

Dentist to female patient: “You need a crown.”

Patient: “Finally – someone who understands me!”

— Eb: At first, women just call me ugly.

That’s until they learn how much money I make.

Flo: What do they call you then?

Eb: Poor and ugly.

¶

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Fish Out of Water I avoid hunting, fishing and cross-country skiing. I also don’t play video games. But I may have to reconsider that last one. Unlike the other activities in which I don’t engage, video games don’t require participants to go outdoors. They do, however, waste many hours of what could be productive time, and there’s every indication they rot your brain.

But the same could be said for gambling, reading romance novels or watching the NFL. If you’re going to destroy your mind anyway, video games are at least a socially acceptable means of doing so. And they allow you to delve into activities you might never consider in the analog world.

Such as fishing. But it’s fishing without the need for bait, lures, rods, reels, creels or even water. Just you, your controller, a screen and however much stupid you can put up with. Because some fishing video games come complete with life-threatening monsters and other unlikely occurrences. And even those that don’t do that, nonetheless bear little resemblance to a placid day on a peaceful pond.

Old School Fishing Games There used to be lots of video games where you just caught fish, such as Moonglow Bay, Fantasy Fishing Town, and Fishing Paradiso. You hooked big fish, little fish, fish that in the real world you could throw back or eat or display over the mantelpiece.

Trouble with all that is it gets boring after a while. Even more boring than actual fishing. So, you move on to more adventurous games, such as Ultimate Fishing Simulator, Call of the Wild: The Angler, or SEGA Bass Fishing.

But even those upgrades aren’t sufficient for the modern limited attention span. Small wonder, then, that those games are being supplanted in the marketplace by ones featuring varying degrees of utterly unrealistic mayhem.

Unless you’re one of those nutcases inclined to fish for sharks from a kayak (as regular readers of this magazine know, I’m not making that up), these videos offer up thrills and chills of a sort the average soggy angler never encounters.

Our columnist examines the advantages of virtual angling, with none of that messy H2O.

pending doom hovering over them constantly. For these folks, the mere chance of shark attacks, mutant assaults or other carnage from the deep is insufficient.

They need the worst the watery world can dredge up.

New School Fishing Games It turns out, your mortal enemy is a pixelated guy with a fishing rod.

In the game I Am Fish, you get to face (and possibly defeat) this massive obstacle to your continued existence.

You aren’t hunting the fish. You are the fish. It’s up to you to use such finny skills as you possess to avoid becoming sushi.

What fun.

Or maybe not. The prospect of wasting a pleasant day by isolating yourself in a dimly lit room frantically avoiding hooks, lures and nets may not have sufficient appeal to convert the fanatic fisherman to the pleasures of this alternative reality. Something more will probably be needed.

Hyper-caffeinated energy drinks?

Pizza delivery?

Or an even weirder variant on reality?

In the video game I Am Fish, you are not trying to catch a fish. Instead, you ARE the fish. It’s up to you to avoid getting caught and becoming sushi.

Terrors of the Deep Sharks? They’ve got sharks. Ones that can swallow your kayak whole.

Monsters? They’ve got monsters. Ones that make Godzilla look like a cute little pussycat. General creepiness? They’ve got creeps that make the average congressman seem benign. Games like Dredge, Sunless Skies, and Cryptmaster.

The further into the murky depths of gaming we go, the less these videos resemble anything like real fishing. Which is sort of the point. If they were too much like the actual sport, you might just as well put on your waders and cast a line into the drink. That would be far less technologically challenging. And far less intriguing.

Apparently, there’s a sizable segment of the piscatorially-inclined population (virtual auxiliary) that, in order to have a good time, needs the threat of im-

Cast and Blast?

It has come to my attention that there’s an old game aptly titled Ridiculous Fishing, during which players catch fish and then more or less inexplicably shoot them out of the sky. You get your fishing kicks and your hunting buzz in the same game. Who cares if it makes any sense?

Not me. I want my fishing experience to include space aliens (“We can’t use worms for bait. We are worms”), krakens (“So, puny human, you thought you’d be safe from us on Sebago Lake”) and Taylor Swift (“And now, a tortured poetic song about trout”). I need a bare minimum of mermaids, megalodons and the Loch Ness monster if I’m going to have any fun.

Compared to all that, you can’t expect me to go fishing in tired old reality and get excited about splake.

Al Diamon writes the monthly column Politics & Other Mistakes for The Bollard magazine.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

70 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

— TRADING POST — • Subscribers may place one free 20-word • The regular rates are $15 for up to 20 line classified ad per month (2-month limit) words and 50¢ for each additional word • Items for sale must include a price • Check, money order, MasterCard or VISA (Credit or Debit) are accepted • Real estate ads must include an address or location

• 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.

CAMPS FOR RENT CAMP RENTAL IN SOLON, ME Deer and Bow hunts.

Small game hunting.

Fishing. Camp sleeps 6. Full amenities, WiFi. $1000.00, plus tax, for 7 days Sunday to Saturday. 207-399-1317.

Shane Patrick | 907-317-0888 | www.whitetailproperties.com

www.Buckspointsportinglodge.com.

CAMPS FOR RENT FOR HUNTING, FISHING, FAMILIES, SLEDDING, ATV Ashland, Medford, Argyle, Lagrange. Ample parking. Off-grid $400/ week, Modern $700/ week. 207-745-1725.

cell 207-441-9317 | office 207-213-6650 lindsey@integrityhomesregroup.com www.integrityhomesrealestategroup.com Specializing in building lifelong relationships with buyers and sellers, representing their best interests in Maine real estate!

Ed’s Sheds & Cabins CABINS • SHEDS • GARAGES • HORSE BARNS

WHY RENT When You Can Lease-to-Own One of Ed’s Sheds?

Handcrafted in Maine

Bangor (207) 738-5315 edwardl@edssheds-cabins.com

www.EdsSheds-Cabins.com www.MaineSportsman.com

DRAHTHAAR PUPS German registered and tested since 1984.

Spectacular duck dogs, stylish upland pointers, wounded big game trackers. $1800 to $2200. www. deutschdrahthaar.us

REGAL CAST IRON WOOD BURNING KITCHEN STOVE Free to historical society or museum; or BO. 207-577-9353, cell/text.

Farmington.

—

Field Trial & Hunt Test Bloodlines True Gun Dog Labs Owls Head, Maine

BYRON – Three furnished cabins fully equipped for efficient yearround, off-grid living with a well and two septic systems. Property is powered by gas, solar panels, and a generator shed. Main camp boasts 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. Other two cabins each have1 bedroom and 1 bath. Garage, shed and outbuildings also on the property. ATV trails and other outdoor recreation close by. Smaller cabins currently being rented at $125 per night. MLS #1574474 & #1574475 – $345,000

Lindsey Brann Associate Broker, REALTOR®

MISC.

Visit us online at www.MaineSportsman.com!

EBEEMEE TWP – This furnished lakefront cabin nestled on 1.95acre lot on Russell Island provides access to all that Maine’s recreation has to offer. Electricity, gas appliances, and an incinerator toilet make this cabin comfortable and convenient. Enjoy swimming along the tranquil sandy beach in the front after taking a boat ride across the serene 905-acre Ebeemee Lake. Located roughly halfway between Milo and Millinocket. MLS #1583230 – $179,700

ACTON – Business Opportunity! 41+/- acre parcel with several manmade ponds, gorgeous rock walls, and lots of wildlife throughout the property. Remodel the post and beam gambrel home into a clubhouse or leave as is and live and operate a business. Sellers willing to purchase and negotiate additional materials and equipment for the right offer.

Verify permitted uses with the town of Acton zoning ordinance.

MLS #1592882 & #1592890 – $2,200,000

DOGS

Puppies, Started & Finished Dogs

David Eaton

(207) 542-1485

www.MillPondRetrievers.com

WANTED MOOSE OR BEAR MEAT Been looking for 20 ​ years, never found it.

If somebody wants to get rid of moose or bear meat from their freezer (up to 4 years old) I can pick it up myself. It is a big appreciation. Call 303-241-6862 SKI DOO, ELAN OR TUNDRA Any Condition. Have Cash. Will Travel. Call or Text 207-522-6940

– Building Opportunities – Dennistown PLT – Nestled amidst the tranquil wilderness, this unfinished camp offers a rustic retreat with endless possibilities. Two cozy bedrooms awaiting completion, a shared full bathroom seamlessly integrated with a convenient laundry room, and an open concept kitchen/living area. Seller has left building materials to help you begin this transformation (4 brand new windows and assorted lumber). Its prime location grants direct access to ATV and snowmobile trails. Nature enthusiasts will revel in the abundance of recreational opportunities, from trapping, hunting to fishing and scenic hiking trails, all within reach. Despite its serene setting, this hidden gem remains conveniently close to town, ensuring both seclusion and accessibility.

Embrace the potential of your piece of Maine, where the allure of outdoor escapades meets the comfort of home. MLS #1591508 – $180,000 Dexter – This 84-acre wooded lot is on a town maintained road.

What a perfect area to build your camp or dream home! Explore the many miles of trails that wind around two small pond that surround you.

No matter the season, bring your ATV, snowmobile, skis, snowshoes, hiking gear and take in all this property has to offer. Gather your creativity, thoughts, ideas and create your own homestead or retreat destination!

MLS #1579300 – $199,000

Readfield – This 8.1acre lot is situated in the tranquil town of Readfield, where you’ll benefit from a close-knit community and the charm of rural life. Enjoy nearby recreational opportunities and the beauty of nature right at your doorstep. MLS #1598994 – $94,000

Julian Harwood

Your Maine Guide to Real Estate juliantharwood@gmail.com | 207-592-7223 www.LaerRealty.com

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • November 2024 • 71

SEEKING PROFESSIONAL ADVERTISING SALES ACCOUNT SPECIALIST For The Maine Sportsman on a commission basis, with bonus potential and more.

Tasks: Generating ad-

vertising sales and servicing accounts in Northern Maine, NH & VT. Please email resume and letter of interest to: ads@mainesportsman.com

“The County to The Coast”

¶

Caryn Dreyfuss, Broker • (207) 233-8275 caryndreyfuss@morton-furbish.com www.realestateinrangeley.com

(207) 532-4500 www.FirstChoiceRealEstate.com

DALLAS PLT – Ideally located 2.21 acre parcel offers elevated panoramic mountain views, glimpses of Haley Pond and Gull Pond. Shale driveway in place, building site cleared, 3 bedroom septic plan available, UG power. Enjoy snowmobile/ ATV access from your door. Plus just minutes to Rangeley amenities, Saddleback ski area, 4-season recreation. Don’t miss out on this special spot, bring your building plans and inquire today! MLS #1606041 – $169,000 RANGELEY PLT – Off-grid 10.12 acre timber tract offers potential views of Rangeley Lake and surrounding mountains. Located on the Rumford Road across from the Noyes Overlook, parcel is accessed by shared driveway that leads to private driveway with cleared area for future house site.

Build here - great spot to enjoy 4-season activities, minutes to Oquossoc restaurants, shops, marinas, short drive to Saddleback. Don’t miss out on this one - inquire today! MLS #1605235 – $250,000 ALDER STREAM TWP – Just a stone’s throw from the North Branch of the Dead River! This like-new Maine Pine Log Cabin offers 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, sunny open kitchen/living area, added living space in partially finished walkout basement, elevated deck overlooking river/mt. views. Private rear yard with lawn to stairs down to the river.

10X16 storage shed for your gear. Hunt, fish, swim, paddle, snowmobile from your door. Don’t miss out on this gem! MLS #1606367 – $375,000

Burlington – Large waterfront property on Madagascal Pond has driveway already installed and recently surveyed.

Nice frontage with views across the water. Warm water fishing- perfect spot for your camp/camper. $119,900

T3 R1 NBPP – Cute camp is nearly finished with nice views of Bill Green Pond. Full septic system installed and open from the cabin to the lake. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced lakefront property this is it. $179,000

Passadumkeag – Authentic Maine hunting cabin on 3 acres on Caribou Road. Two sets of bunk beds, propane lights and wired for a generator, barrel woodstove means all you need is a cooler full of food and beer. $44,000 Lee – Well maintained, traditional Maine hunting camp, sleeps 6-8, well situated for ATV use on Hale Farm Road. 40 minutes from Lee. Offers wonderful seasonal access to outdoor recreational opportunities. $89,000 Grand Falls Twp – This cozy little cabin located on Lord Brook Rd only a few hundred feet from the Passadumkeag River and has a well has already been drilled. $110,000 Drew PLT – Building has been broken into and ransacked. Stairs are gone, siding needs to be replaced, and entry threshold has rotted away. But, has great potential and gorgeous land right on Andrews Road. $129,999

207-794-2460 • 1-800-675-2460 cwa@cwalakestreet.com R E A L

WELLINGTON – This beautiful four-season, log-sided cabin which sits on 6.21 well-wooded, surveyed acres. Full foundation with walk-in and drive-in access. There is a photovoltaic system in place with ample battery storage to run everything you need in the cabin. There is a dug well and a system to catch rain water that allows users to shower and wash dishes. The cabin is an open-concept, one-room cabin complete with kitchen area, dining area, living area, and bedroom. You can snowmobile and ATV directly from the property. This area is renowned for a vast array of hunting opportunities with thousands of acres of woodland that is open to the public. Kingsbury Pond, Whetstone Pond, Piper Pond, Smith Pond, Kingsbury Stream, the Piscataquis River and the Kennebec River are all only minutes away. MLS #1593298 – $150,000

Lincoln – This large lakeside home has an oversized garage, lawn to the lake and a paved driveway right on Mattanawcook Lake. Many mechanical updates completed, leaving cosmetics up to you to make your own. Come take a look today. $175,000

E S T A T E

5 Lake Street, P.O. Box 66 LINCOLN, ME

— Call any of our brokers to work for you! — “Tate” Aylward 207-794-2460 Peter Phinney (207) 794-5466 • Kirk Ritchie (207) 290-1554

Visit www.cwalakestreet.com for more listings!

207-778-2755 • info@countyseatrlty.com • www.countyseatrlty.com

SKOWHEGAN – Approximately 3 acres of wooded land with driveway in place. Power is available at the road. This location is on a paved, public road and is an easy drive to Skowhegan and surrounding area. This would be a great spot for your new home! MLS #1592172 – $39,900 ANSON – Nice 10 acre surveyed lot offering excellent views! This property is located on a town maintained paved road with power available at the road. Plenty of wood remains and the wildlife is abundant. A small intermittent stream runs through the property. Perfect hunting area. Great spot to build your dream home or camp. MLS #1603538 – $65,000 CONCORD TWP – A cozy tiny house or camp located in the Concord countryside. This charming tiny house sits on a flatbed trailer. The home has power, stream drawn or carry-in water, and an outhouse. Picturesque Little Houston Brook runs through the property with a series of small falls and riffles. This cabin is on 5.3 surveyed acres and could serve as your primary home or your cabin in the woods. This property could be an ideal outpost for guiding and hunting. Close to the Kennebec River and numerous ponds. This property is also only minutes from thousands of acres of land that is open to the public. ATV and snowmobile access is nearby. MLS #1585504 – $150,000 CORNVILLE – With two bedrooms and one bathroom, and less than 10 minutes from downtown Skowhegan, this is the perfect place to call your home or camp. There is a well-appointed kitchen and spacious living area. The house features a private deck that overlooks the well-manicured grounds.

This property has 7+ acres of land and over 200 feet of frontage on Smith Pond. A well-groomed snowmobile trail crosses the property providing access to all of Central and Northern Maine opportunities. This property also features a bunkhouse to entertain additional guests. MLS #1604946 – $189,000 ANSON – Nice 42 acre surveyed lot offering excellent views! This property is located on a town maintained paved road with power available at the road. Plenty of wood remains and the wildlife is abundant. A small intermittent stream runs through the property. Perfect hunting area with several apple trees throughout. There is an old unused dug well and 2 hunting sheds on the property. Great spot to build your dream home or camp. MLS #1603543 – $160,000 HARTLAND – Approximately 112 acres of surveyed land on a town maintained gravel road, with power available at the road. Nice spot to build your home or camp. The ROW from Huff Hill Rd. offers a nice gravel road for more access to this property and is also the ATV and snowmobile trail.

The property features beautiful views as well. Currently in tree growth for tax purposes. Tax figure is estimated only. (23025Sa1002) MLS #1537236 – $142,000 CORNVILLE – Large lot on a paved, public maintained road with many possibilities. This lot contains a nice landing area with easy access right off Beckwith Road. There is power at the road and approximately 400 feet of frontage on Route 150. This is a great area for deer and other wildlife. This is a rural location, but it is only minutes to downtown Skowhegan. Currently in Tree Growth for tax purposes. MLS #1537634 – $88,000 11/24

Bethel – A chance to own over 1,400 pristine acres of Maine.

With unrivaled views of the White Mountains and nearby Sunday River ski and golf resort this is a truly rare investment opportunity. Wildlife abounds, with trails and at least one stream running through. Whether you dream of creating your very own nature preserve, have visions of building a second or forever home without a neighbor for miles, or if development is your interest don’t pass on this. A preliminary survey has been done. MLS #1587060 – $2,200,000

New Vineyard – Motivated seller!

Nestled on 5 +/- acres, this one of a kind 2 bedroom chalet offers amazing mountain views from its unique catwalk dining area. If privacy is what you’re looking for then this 3-season camp could be the place for you! Enjoy hunting, snowmobiling and ATV trail access right from your driveway!

Plus fishing and kayaking at Porter Lake is only 10 minutes away!

This is a must see to appreciate!

MLS #1596942 – $185,000

Temple – Very nice building lot in a rural setting. Mature trees, stonewall, and electric at street. Surveyed with public water if desired. 10 minutes to Farmington. Call now! MLS #1604676 – $40,000

Contact us for all your Real Estate needs! www.MaineSportsman.com

72 • November 2024 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

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