The Maine Sportsman - September 2018

Sportsman The Maine

George Smith:

Does a Bear Sit in Your Woods?

Save a Heron;

EAT AN EAGLE Page 15

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Page 21, 54, 62

ATV Laws & Rules Page 17

Sporting Dog Field Trials Page 24

Live-Lining Striped Bass Page 27

2 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

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Boggy Brook Outfitters

Boggy Brook Outfitters is a family-owned and operated Maine Guide Service with a main lodge and cabin, located in Ellsworth, Maine. This is a four-season operation, providing year-round adventures and lodging to their guests.

Since 2006, owner Jesse Derr has offered client-tailored hunting and fishing trips, wildlife observation tours, and luxury lakefront accommodations.

Nestled in a quiet cove on pristine Branch Lake, the main lodge offers luxury, log-home accommodations, exceptional sunsets, hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking, canoeing and wildlife observation.

The convenient location presents clients not only with a tranquil lakefront retreat, but also close proximity to explore such must-see attractions as Acadia National Park, Baxter State Park, and much more.

Maine Master Guide Derr and his son Christopher take pride in the exceptional services provided by Boggy Brook Outfitters to their guests from Maine and around the world. They provide fully-guided bear hunting, deer hunting, turkey hunting and moose hunting trips, as well as four-season freshwater fishing trips.

Boggy Brook Outfitters offer deer hunting in all three of the available seasons in Maine (Bow, Rifle, and Muzzleloader). They

hunt over active food plots and well-traveled deer trails, and offer metal ladder tree stands, shooting houses and ground blinds. The guides work hard planting and maintaining food plots all year. Trail cameras are placed in hunting areas and food plots. Throughout the year, Boggy Brook Outfitters check over their well-established 1,500 gated acres of hunting land.

Jesse and Christopher look forward to serving each client with professionalism and experience, with hunting and fishing adventures and with memories that will last a lifetime. Lifelong friendships are often created during these adventures. Boggy Brook Outfitter’s goal is not only to meet their clients’ expectations, but to always exceed them.

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4 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

Tragic Death a Reminder of Boating Laws The tragic death of a swimmer who was struck at night by a boater on Damariscotta Lake August 2nd serves as a sad reminder of the legal and practical responsibilities of those who operate watercraft on Maine lakes and ponds.

Maine law (12 MRS §§1301, 13068-A) establishes a “water safety zone” that is defined as the area of water within 200 feet of shoreline, whether it’s the shoreline of the mainland or of an island.

Within that 200-foot wide area, boaters are required to slow their watercraft to “headway speed,” which is described as the minimum speed necessary to maintain steerage and control of the watercraft while the watercraft is moving. Exceptions are made for anglers who are trolling lines faster than headway speed, and for boaters who are picking up or dropping off waterskiers.

As of this writing, the details of this accident are still being investigated, but we do know a couple of facts learned from a lifetime of summers on the state’s lakes and ponds.

The first is that, whether it’s day or night, many watercraft operators routinely violate the law by operating their boats at high speeds within 200 feet of shorelines.

In fact, we believe it’s among the most commonly-violated boating laws in Maine, but wardens are stretched too thin to issue a sufficient number of citations to encourage compliance.

The second is that prudent boat operators who are traveling at night use a flashlight or lantern to illuminate the surface of the water ahead of their boat, and they don’t exceed the speed within which they can safely stop. All kinds of objects are floating around on the water at night, including docks that have broken free from moorings or gangplanks, as well as low-floating logs and boards. To strike one of those objects at high speed would place a boat operator and his or her passengers at risk.

We grieve for all those affected by this accident, and hope it causes boaters to stop, think, and slow down, especially at night or close to shore.

—

Creative Writing Section of Maine Sportsman Reader Poll Reveals Strong, Diverse Views We received hundreds and hundreds of paper-based and electronic responses to our 2018 Maine Sportsman Opinion Poll. The results are being compiled, tabulated and analyzed by our staff, and will be presented in a future issue.

Some of the most interesting input so far is reader reaction to our final query: “What questions should we ask in next year’s readers’ poll?” That gave readers an opportunity to sound off on issues of particular interest to them.

In fact, many folks asked and answered their own questions: “Should landowners in tree growth be required to leave majority of land open to hunting and trapping? I say yes!”

“Should General Fund dollars be used to support the DIF&W? Definitely!”

“Do timber companies cut deer yards? Do they cut too close to brooks? Are the clear cuts too large? Yes, yes and yes!”

Some readers proposed questions showing support for wild turkeys (“Should we stop killing hen turkeys?” and “Should Southern Maine’s turkey season be opened later to allow them to complete breeding?”), while other readers made clear they felt turkey bag limits should be increased (“Should the state adopt a bounty on wild turkeys?”)

Issues on residency weighed heavily on readers. “If I own and pay taxes on a second home in Maine, should I be further penalized as a non-resident?” and “My brother from Massachusetts, a subpermittee, couldn’t join our moose hunt on opening Saturday because it was ‘residents only’ – what’s up with that?”

And from a New Hampshire reader: “Should muzzleloader permit fees be lowered for out-of-staters?

A few offered practical-sounding solutions to current environmental challenges: • “If they can spray for browntail moths, and spray for spruce budworm, why not develop a program to spray for ticks?” and • “When the biologists are fitting radio collars on moose, why can’t they also fit them for tick collars?”

• “How do we keep the progressives from destroying our nation?”

Thanks for your responses, and stay tuned for the full Poll results, including trends over time. www.MaineSportsman.com

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New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication Readership

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 552 • www.mainesportsman.com PUBLISHER: Jon Lund MANAGING EDITOR: Will Lund will@mainesportsman.com OFFICE MANAGER: Linda Lapointe linda@mainesportsman.com OFFICE ASSISTANT: Victoria Peckham victoria@mainesportsman.com OFFICE ASSISTANT: Ed Raws ed@mainesportsman.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kristina Roderick kristina@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nancy Carpenter nancy@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 Fax: 207-622-4255 Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101,­ Augusta, ME 04330 12-Month Subscription: $30 • 24-Month Subscription: $49

TABLE OF CONTENTS Almanac by Will Lund........................................................ 11 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves......................... 29 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia...................... 32 Capitol Report by George Smith..................................... 15 Central Maine by Steve Vose........................................... 54 Editorials................................................................................ 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello........................... 38 Jackman by William Sheldon........................................... 41 Jottings by Jon Lund............................................................ 7 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon............................. 35 Kate’s Wild Kitchen by Kate Krukowski Gooding........... 46 Letters to the Editor.............................................................. 5 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour....................................... 20 Maine Wildlife Quiz by Steve Vose................................... 43 Midcoast Report by Tom Seymour................................... 47 Moosehead by Tom Seymour.......................................... 44 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.................................. 66 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie................................ 52 Quotable Sportsman by George Smith........................... 16 Rangeley Region by William Clunie................................. 60 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers................................. 63 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth......................... 55 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews...................... 48 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard................................. 57 Smilin’ Sportsman: Adults & Kids by Will Lund.................. 63 Sporting Environment by David Van Wie........................ 59 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery....................... 9 Southern Maine by Val Marquez..................................... 62 Trapping the Silent Places by David Miller...................... 51 Trading Post (Classifieds)................................................... 68 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour........................................... 50 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.................. 64 Young Maine Sportsman by Luke Giampetruzzi............ 40

SPECIAL SECTIONS ATVing in Maine by Shane Brown.................................... 17 Bear Hunting in Maine by Bill Graves............................... 21 Saltwater Fishing in Maine by Barry Gibson.................... 24 Sporting Dogs by JP Falzone............................................. 27 On the Cover: There’s no doubt about it -- Mainers are seeing more bear these days, and not just in the woods. Instead, they are at the bird feeders and on back decks. Youth Bear Day is August 25, and the general season starts August 27.

Dogs can be used September 10 through October 26. See Part 2 of Bill Graves’ bear baiting tutorial starting on Page 21, and Val Marquez’s account of the increased number of bear/human encounters in Southern Maine, on Page 62.. So sportsmen -- do your part to reduce bear/human encounters, by reducing the number of bear! Good luck.

Letters

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To The Editor

Every Camp has a Lifetime of Stories

To the Editor: William Sheldon’s article in the August Sportsman about how old camps have stories to tell, brought back pleasant memories. It reminded me of a mistake made many years ago – back in the early 1950s, in fact.

My parents were building our family camp on Swan Pond in Lyman. The basis for the cabin was an old garage Dad had demolished and salvaged in Old Orchard Beach.

He’d hauled the walls and roof to the lake on a borrowed flatbed truck. We did all our own work. Even my sister and I learned to pull bent nails and hold up the end of board while Dad sawed.

But Dad also had friends who helped out, and that’s what this letter is about.

Fred Gooch from Ocean Park was a cabinetmaker by trade. One weekend, Dad was putting up roof rafters. He had a stack of newly-milled 2x8’s, and Fred had come to the pond to help cut the angles and lift the raf-

ters into place.

Anyone who’s put up rafters knows how critical it is to get the angle correct and to cut the “bird’s mouth” so it sits square on the top plate of the wall.

Fred used his framing square and threefoot rule to take his measurements and cut the critical joint on the first rafter.

When the men lifted that rafter into place, it was immediately obvious old Fred had miscalculated. The “bird’s mouth” had been cut too deep, changing the pitch of the rafter.

As they let the rafter down, it was clear that Fred was disgusted with himself. However, within a few minutes he’d fashioned a wedge to prop the rafter up to the correct slope. He tacked the piece into place with a few finish nails. This time when they wrestled the rafter back up to the ridgepole, it lined up perfectly, and the angle was corrected for the remaining rafters.

As they finished the job, Fred commented that we’d always notice that little wedge under the first rafter and when we did, it would remind us of him – and so it has, for 75 years.

Fred is no longer with us, but whenever we visit the old family camp and we catch sight of the little wedge of wood holding up the rafter, we take a minute, remember Fred and retell the story about the day he made the mistake.

William Sheldon is right – the memories and stories built into our camps and cabins

remind us of friends and family and days gone by.

Every camp has a lifetime of stories to tell.

Randy Randall - Saco, ME —

Maine Should Adopt C&R Trophy Fish Program

To the Editor: In my view, one of the most important Maine values is conservation, which means preserving wildlife and natural resources.

Let’s talk about preservation – or rather, the lack of preservation – that is linked to the current “One That Didn’t Get Away” patch club.

The program awards patches to those who catch trophy fish, under the theory that you’ve got to be a good fisherman to catch a large fish.

Trophy fish must have good genes to get to their big size. But if a fish has good genes, why kill it?

With every season that goes by, our Maine fishery becomes more and more fragile, under pressure from invasive species, invasive plants, overfishing, over-stocking and bad water quality.

As Maine anglers, we need to stick together and protect the best genes swimming in our waters, because in those trophy fish (Continued on next page)

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6 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 5)

genes are found Maine’s future as a fishing destination.

Now that I have presented what I view as the problem, let me offer up a solution. Many states, and several Canadian provinces, operate successful catch and release (C&R) programs that award recognition based on photographs of anglers and their fish. One of the best programs, based on my research, is the Master Angler Program, in Manitoba Canada.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video that describes how the program works: youtu.be/ zjp-3hv0VYA.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Brown trout: 26” Crappie: 16” Rainbow trout: 23” Brook trout: 22” Splake: 22” Cusk: 36” Pike: 45” Largemouth bass: 22” Smallmouth bass: 20” Pickerel: 22” Lake trout: 35” White perch: 14” White fish: 22” Yellow perch: 14 “ Carp 30”

Thank you for considering my proposal to establish a Master Angler program in Maine.

Joshua Bowring - Monmouth, ME —

To De-Barb, or Not to De-Barb?

Manitoba’s Master Angler catch-and-release program produces trophies like this chunky walleye, according to the letter-writer. Photo credit: TravelManitoba

Translating that program to fish found here in Maine, I have compiled the following list of what could be considered as Master Angler trophy catches:

• Muskie: 42” • Landlocked Salmon: 26”

To the Editor: I recently backpacked about five miles into Baxter State Park and camped at the park’s sturdy Center Pond lean-to.

I was eager to get my share of the marvelous brook trout that call that beautiful body of water their home.

Visions of delicious-looking brookies cooking in my frying pan during my planned 3-day, 2-night stay kept me motivated to use the park-provided canoe to get me to what I hoped were the “sweet spots” on the pond for catching my dinner, and maybe even my lunch.

Over the next hour or so, I cast dry flies and streamers out to rising trout.

However, every time I had a fish on my

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line, it threw the hook.

The following day – same hungry trout; same disappointing results.

What I had completely forgotten was that a month or two before I hiked into Center Pond, I had been convinced by the author of an article I’d read in a national outdoor magazine, to get rid of the barb on any fly that I had in my possession.

Ostensibly, that was to reduce the severity of any injury to the fish while I had it on my line, and to allow undersize fish to be easily released without damage to their jaws.

Geez, that all seemed to make sense at the time I read the article, and I duly obliged the author by getting out my metal tweezers and squeezing down heavily on every one of the barbs in my fly box.

Unfortunately for me, the very next time I went fly fishing was when I was miles into the remote Maine wilderness of Baxter State Park, anticipating three or four delicious meals of freshly-caught pan-fried native brook trout.

I know the use of barbless hooks is becoming more and more popular, but I, for one, am going back to what will certainly bring more fish to my net and to the pan – the old fashioned barbed hook!

Emerson “Bill” Emrich A Maine Sportsman Reader in Florida The Editor Replies: Bill, when using barbless hooks, try to prevent the trout from thrashing on the surface, and keep steady tension on the line, leading the fish into the net. – J.A.L.

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Weapons in the Never-Ending Battle Against Biting Insects Trivia question: What is “Wood’s Lollacapop”?

This was the brand name of a popular insect repellent when the writer first became interested keeping away mosquitoes and black flies while fishing and hunting in the backcountry. The stuff had the consistency of lard and smelled of pine tar, which was one of the ingredients. It worked better than nothing, but was not as effective as repellents available today.

I learned on a canoe trip that the late canoeist and canoe designer, Bill Stearns, had an interesting approach to the problem of biting bugs. His response was “Bugs? What bugs?”

Different people have different reactions to attacks by black flies and mosquitoes. Some folks are favored targets of biting bugs, and some are not. Bug bites give some people big welts and lumps, while others can just shrug them off. Bill apparently was one of those who weren’t much bothered by insect bites.

Attractants Experience tells us that mosquitos and black flies tend to avoid light-colored clothing, like tan and light blue, but home in on dark blue and black. Sportsmen wearing traditional red and black buffalo plaid wool shirts usually have more bugs buzzing around them than people wearing light-colored clothing . Mosquitos are also known to be attracted to the carbon dioxide that is part of the exhaled human breath. Mosquito trapping devices use the discharge of carbon diox-

Over the years, mankind’s ingenuity in protecting itself from biting insects has included smoky campfires, citronella candles, stinky cigars, mosquito coils, head nets and whole-body nets – as well as military-grade repellents strong enough to melt your glasses and hat. ide as an attractant.

My wife Joan and I find that if we have a mosquito in the bedroom at camp, turning on an electric fan creates enough air turbulence to scramble our CO2 and confuse the little pest, and we have a restful night.

Historic Armament in the Bug Battle Over the years, mankind’s ingenuity in protecting ourselves from biting insects has included smoky campfires, citronella candles, stinky cigars, mosquito coils, head nets and whole-body nets.

World War II sent our military forces into tropical areas where biting insects were a serious operational and health problem. The troops needed bug dope that would provide relief. Before long, army surplus stores were awash in military repellents. They were reported to be effective and long-lasting. The active ingredients were not pine tar, but chemicals with long unpronounceable names, and sportsmen had to try them out.

Just Keep it Away from Plastic!

I checked a cabinet containing leftover insect repellents from days past and found a bottle of military surplus fly dope.

It didn’t say on the label “US Army” but the wording gave a clue: The label read: “REPELLENT, INSECT – For mosquitoes, biting flies, gnats and

fleas.”

It also read, “CAUTION: This material is a solvent for lacquer, paint and plastic articles.

Avoid smearing it on goggles, watch crystals, etc.”

Effectiveness of the military repellents and demand from outdoors enthusiasts prompted the development of new repellents, packed in spray cans, pump-spray bottles and squirt-bottles.

Brands like 448, 6-12, Off, and Repel found a ready market.

We soon learned the protection came at a cost.

The liquid would soften plastic eyeglass frames and the plastic coating of

our fly lines. We learned to use the modern repellents with great care, and to meticulously wipe off our fingers and hands before casting a fly.

Extra caution was necessary. A friend of mine sprayed repellent on his elegant broadbrimmed hat with ventilation mesh, and watched the mesh wilt into a shapeless lump.

Natural Options?

Consumer Reports’ August 2018 issue tests conventional and natural insect repellents, and writes that two plantbased repellents containing picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus did well.

On a recent backcountry trout fishing expedition, I tested an insect repellent made with oil of lemon eucalyptus, with good results. I hiked wearing shorts after applying the repellent to my bare legs, and I found that while mosquitoes might land, they didn’t stay there or bite. If you don’t like applying deet to your skin, one of the “natural” repellents containing lemon oil of eucalyptus might be worth a try.

Years ago, outdoors folks would relax by lying on a field for a nap or to watch clouds roll by.

A group of us on a bicycle outing on Chebeague Island stretched out, and soon discovered we hosted a large number of ticks.

We thought it was a problem limited to that island, but before long, (Continued on next page)

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8 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Jottings (Continued from page 7)

.Co .L

occasionally to present serious health issues.

New Approach – Treat Your Clothing, Not Yourself Suppliers of outdoor clothing now offer goods treated to repel ticks and other biting insects.

While the treatment is not always disclosed, the clothing is most likely treated with permethrin, a chemical that has been approved for use in the US. It is not approved in the European Union, so no clothing treated with the trademarked “No Fly Zone” technology can be sold there. P e r m e thrin is an active ingredient in commercial tick sprays sold to treat clothing. The sprays I have seen list the permethrin content as one half of one per cent (0.5%).

If a person is going to do a significant amount of spraying with per-

te Sports Cen te r

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friends reported picking up ticks walking in fields, woods, even in their mowed backyards.

It has been a slow learning process, and Lyme disease, which can come from a tick bite, has been a major under-reported Maine public health problem. Several of my friends who spend a lot of time outdoors have had health problems resulting from undiagnosed Lyme disease.

In addition to Lyme, a number of other serious and possibly life-threatening diseases can result if a bite from a tick is not discovered and treated promptly.

As the earth’s climate changes, bringing mosquitoes bearing once-rare viruses to Maine, even those mosquito bites, which were formerly not considered to be a serious problem, have been found

Modern options for discouraging biting insects include natural repellents containing picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil, as well as clothing treated with permethrin.

methrin, consideration could be given to buying in bulk. On the Internet, sprays with concentrations in the range of 40% can be found. Careful measuring and mixing can dilute these sprays so the resulting product is in the range of one half of one per cent, at much lower cost. I usually make up a gallon at a time.

I put on rubber gloves, and then spray jeans and

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other clothing outdoors with a garden sprayer, after which I let the clothing air-dry.

To test the tick repellent qualities of the home-sprayed job, I have put a tick on the leg of pants and see how long it takes the tick to drop off.

It usually doesn’t hang on long.

Many outdoor pursuits, especially bowhunting and firearms

hunting for turkeys, bear and deer, require us to remain motionless for long periods of time, without whisking away pesky flies or checking constantly for crawling ticks. However, if we are thoughtful in how we prepare and equip ourselves as we pursue our sport, we can do so in reasonable comfort and safety.

¶

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 9

Dancing Water and Golden Retrievers The chartreuse Thingamabobber drifted, wobbling along the surface of a fairly shallow glide that coursed by a small alder-covered island the size of two standard parking places back home.

A whiskey jack swooped gracefully from the tip-top of a stately tamarack and grabbed an insect several feet above the rippling water near the far bank.

My admiring gaze at the jay’s performance returned to the plastic strike-indicator, and it was gone! I raised the 7-weight rod, and was fast to a five-pound plus wild, native Eastern brook trout, the Maine state fish. I was in Labrador, where the brookies are what they once were in the Pine Tree State – plentiful and big.

While the gently-released fish finned out of sight, my thoughts briefly turned to a day in the late 1990s when Elizabeth and I fly fished Slough Creek in Yellowstone National Park with Bob Jacklin, the well-known and respected proprietor of a fly shop in West Yellowstone, Montana.

My wife was new to presenting and managing dry flies in moving wa-

His Golden Retriever had struck again.

The Golden Retriever is a modified streamer tied on a Woolly Bugger chassis. Jim Finn, originator of the GR, believes it’s the red thread underbody that makes it such a great fly. Courtesy of Jim Finn

ter, having learned casting and fly fishing at my hand in still waters that gave up black bass and sunfish. Totally different world out here.

My big hopper pattern floated merrily along the current, but my eyes, as often is my wont, began to wander to the tableau of beauty given freely by the extraordinary terrain. I yelled upstream to Elizabeth to look up and take in the vista of mountains covered in conifers up to the snow line, and the big blue sky with puffy white clouds that further accented the scene.

She sort of testily replied over the gurgle of the stream that she sure

This respectable Grand Lake Stream landlocked salmon was taken by Jim Finn on his immensely successful Golden Retriever fly pattern. Courtesy Jim Finn

as hell couldn’t look up, because she was having enough trouble keeping eyes on her damn dry fly bobbing along. [Swear words added for emphasis – or were they?]

But I digress again.

Sometimes on the water I’m distracted by the sheer beauty and wonder of the natural surroundings, particularly in Labrador, Alaska, the tropical saltwater mangrove flats, and many places in Maine. Or even by a whiskey jack snatching a bug out of the air.

I snapped back to the present, checked the fly and leader, and plopped the Thingamabobber a little upstream and

across. I mended the line and let the assemblage float over the waters of the run that looked like a zillion sparkling cut diamonds embedded on the surface, an effect of the sun’s position shining on the liquid that causes what I’ve long called “dancing waters.”

This time I was watching, and when the strike indicator went down, I went up, and again was into another drop-dead gorgeous brookie only a good meal short of six pounds. Grinning from ear to ear, I reached for the fly, smoothed the Gold Estaz and tan marabou, and thanked my old Virginia buddy Jim Finn.

Golden Retrievers tied by Jim Finn are sitting on a mirror showing all sides of this fish-catching fly.

King Montgomery photo

The Story Jim Finn owned the Mossy Creek Fly Shop in Bridgewater, Virginia, a small college town in the Shenandoah Valley on the North River. Nearby is fly fishing only Mossy Creek, one of The Old Dominion’s premier limestone spring creeks that often gives up huge brown trout, and a good rainbow now and then. Down the road, the Shenandoah River provides excellent smallmouth bass fishing.

Finn, who since relocated to Pennsylvania, knows the Shenandoah Valley’s waters very well, and he’s also a crackerjack fly angler, guide, teacher and fly tyer. He sometimes hosts fly fishing adventures to Canada’s storied waters on the Gaspe Peninsula for Atlantic salmon, to Cuba for unparalleled flats fishing, and to Ireland for Atlantic salmon and browns.

He recently began selling his original and very effective Golden Retriever streamer, and all the materials for tying the pattern on the website www.GoldenRetrieverFly.com According to Jim, al(Continued on next page)

Even relatively small Labrador brook trout readily attack the Golden Retriever in all its versions.

King Montgomery photo www.MaineSportsman.com

10 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Sportsman’s Journal (Continued from page 10)

Common carp, known to discerning fly fishers as “freshwater bonefish,” are among the strongest fighters you’ll ever encounter. They seem to have an affinity for the GR, too. Courtesy of Jim Finn

most 25 years ago some of his fly shop regulars were touting a large Woolly bugger variant tied with Estaz that they used with great effect on lake run steelhead trout in New York State. Finn, ever watchful with an eye to innovation, went fishing for smallmouth bass with our mutual friend Bob Kramer on the Shenandoah. Cramer, a fine fishing guide and talented country music picker and singer, used the steelhead fly while Finn used it in another color. Says Finn, “He was outfishing me 10-to-1 with a tan-colored fly.”

Jim decided to experiment with the fly, keeping the tan and gold as main colors, and one day he “…

Jim Finn, originator of the Golden Retriever, guides Lefty Kreh on Mossy Creek, Virginia’s premier limestone spring creek. Sam Talarico photo

used red thread that I had been tying Zonkers with. It seemed to catch more fish. I then learned that by spacing the wraps farther apart so that the red color bled through, it really made a big difference. I had scaled the fly down to a size 10 for trout, and adjusted the amount of weight by that time, and the red underbody was the clincher.”

on the planet. Obviously intelligent, discerning, and good people, y’all are not just “anybody.”

Here’s the formula for the fly, tied a bit larger than the trout version, for heftier fish including the black basses, big brookies and trouts, and, when tied in white, a killer for striped bass, as well. Jim says root beer Estaz can be very effective, too.

The Real Secret Recipe I told Jim I wouldn’t share his secret recipe for tying the original Golden Retriever with just anybody, and that’s why I’m sharing it with you, the readers of The Maine Sportsman, one of the best outdoor publications

Jim Finn Magnum Golden Retriever

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Hook: #6, 2x long.

Thread: Red flat waxed nylon Head: 3/16 bead.

Underbody: 215 denier Danville red flatwaxed nylon thread wrapped over marabou butts and 11 wraps .035 lead substitute wire.

Body: Gold Estaz.

Tail: Tan marabou.

Jim Finn also ties an articulated version of his Golden Retriever that Atlantic salmon seem to like. This pattern will be very useful in Labrador for huge brookies and lake run Arctic char.

Courtesy of Jim Finn

1.

After slipping bead up to the eye, wrap 11 turns of .035 lead substitute wire and push up under counter/sink in bead.

2.

Attach thread behind wire at bend and build a tapered ramp (dam) of thread, wrap thread up to bend (fairly lightly) and back again with enough tension to lock everything in place.

3. Measure a clump of marabou (length of hook) and tie on above barb. Cut off butt ends of marabou to end just at head.

4. Wrap thread up to bead and back down to bend again, capturing marabou butts.

5.

Tie in Estaz at mid-point of shank and wrap thread back (securing the Estaz) to a point

above barb. Note: Estaz is directional; tie in so that fibers slant to back of fly.

6. Wrap thread up to bead covering marabou butts and Estaz tag, forming an underbody of red thread.

7. Wrap Estaz forward with 5 evenly spaces turns. (4 turns for white and brown.)

8. Tie off Estaz at bead (2-3 wraps of thread).

9. Cut tag end on underside of hook.

10. Turn upside down (easy with Regal vice) and whip finish behind bead covering tag end of Estaz with 5-6 wraps.

Now I suspect you can play with this pattern, like you may with all flies, to suit what’s best for your particular brand of fishing. The small GR surely would work on bonefish on the flats, and a number of other fishes as well. Even larger than the Magnum variations could slay any number of saltwater and freshwater fishes.

I think I’ll order up a bunch of Golden Retrievers tied on size 1 or 1/0 hooks so I can entice and hook even larger brook trout than those 5- and 6-pounders in Labrador.

The late Lefty Kreh did say that oftentimes if you want large fish “feed them some real groceries.” The GR is a real meal.

¶

Almanac

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 11

Compiled and Edited by — Will Lund —

“Snapshots in Time”

Excerpts from the Annals of Maine’s Sporting Past Submitted by the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc, Maine The following are three short articles the appeared in the March 19, 1896 issue of the Rangeley Lakes, a small newspaper published by Harry P. Dill in Rangeley Maine.

Dill published the paper for only three short years.

The publication’s failure wasn’t because the paper was not well edited or that it lacked

How About It, Brother?

I heard this one from my friend Small of the Rumford Falls Times the other day. When William was young, he one day started cross-lots from his home in Madrid to some neighborhood gathering in company with Lewis Rowe. On the way, they started up a partridge, and William fired. The bird was hit but not killed, and the gunner started to finish it off at close quarters. He chased the bird some little way, finally catching up and making a clutch at it.

Just then he tripped and went sprawling on the ground, the bird in his hand beneath him. When he picked himself up, he found the bird completely skinned by the force of his sliding fall. “Jerusalem!” said he, looking at it ruefully, “that’s too bad; I wanted a quarter for that bird.”

But he pulled the skin back into place, patted it down and hung it on a bush. When he came back a short time afterwards [so the veracious Lewis affirms], the revivifying atmosphere of Madrid had got in its work, and the skin was all grown on again.

“Modern” News from Oquossoc Authentic Maine Caribou Mount Now on Display at Sporting Heritage Museum As seen in this accompanying photo, the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, operated by the Rangeley Lakes Historic Society, recently added an important artifact to its growing collection – an authentic Maine Woodland Caribou mount from 1880. It will be displayed in the Trapper’s Cabin exhibit.

The mount was acquired from the Emerson family through what was described as a “generous trade/purchase agreement.”

Shown (at left) are Brian Emerson, a former Maine Sportsman writer (his son

good content. In fact, the paper took off when first published and was widely enjoyed.

The problem was that, after a time, folks started buying copies and sharing them with other members of their family, and then with neighbors, so fewer and fewer copies were actually sold. The situation added further credence to the term, “frugal Maine Yankee.”

And this about an early settler in the Jay region, reprinted from The Maine Sportsman…

Mrs. Aaron Thompson, one of Jay’s earlier settlers, now over 90 years old, has ‘indulged in a bit of reminiscence.’ She says, “This used to be a great place for wild game. My husband and his neighbors have shot deer, moose caribou and bear about the old homestead.”

Her son, A. S. Thompson, is the well-known and popular proprietor of Maplewood Farm in Jay, and is an ardent sportsman. Many Boston sportsmen join in the annual fox hunt at this place, [and] the number of foxes shot yearly averages from 10 to 50.

At one time, Mr. Thompson had eleven tame foxes on the place; and for pets at the present time there is a fine deer park containing a beautiful buck and a doe. He also owns four or five blooded fox hounds and an excellent bird dog. From a ten acre clearing, Maplewood has grown in 75 years to a farm of 350 acres.

Ethan is this publication’s current New Hampshire columnist), and Bill Pierce, director of the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum.

Maine was the home of many woodland caribou in the 1800s. The caribou were among the state’s most important big game animals, attracting sports from all over the country.

However, a large number of the animals were reportedly slaughtered by market hunters, and the highly-prized meat was shipped to Boston and New York as table fare for the wealthy.

The person credited with taking the last “legal” caribou in Maine was Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby.

This issue was so packed with great tidbits, I thought best to share three shorts of note. Enjoy, and be sure to get out there and make some outdoor history of your own!

Folks reading about your adventures 150 years from now will certainly appreciate it.

And finally, a piece talking about the “Old Days” from an 1896 perspective

It was after the deer had been killed off and the caribou driven away that the backwoods farmers had the most reason to remember the visit of the wild beasts from Canada. In the absence of their natural prey, the hungry creatures came into the pastures and farmyards, and there never was another time in the history of Maine when so many colts, calves, sheep and pigs were killed by wild animals.

This led to the offering of bounties for wolf and panther scalps, and many a farmer made his losses more than good by the wild beasts he shot or trapped or poisoned. Many were killed; others, I suppose went back to Canada or followed the caribou over the New Brunswick border.

At any rate, they mostly disappeared, although some wolves were still in the Maine woods as late as the time of the Civil War. The last panther killed in Maine was shot thirty years ago, near Eagle Lake, in Piscataquis County, by a hunter named Noyes.

The Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc has added an authentic Maine Woodland Caribou mount from 1880 to its impressive collection of artifacts. Caribou were found in the Maine woods until 1914.

(Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

12 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Almanac (Continued from page 12) Laws protecting the state’s remaining caribou were enacted in the early 20th Century, but unfortunately these measures were too little, too late, and caribou sightings became increasingly rare. In 1911, a small herd was seen at along the Allagash River by a local Game Warden. The last known credible sighting took place in 1914 in the Katahdin region.

There have been two unsuccessful attempts to reintroduce caribou to Maine.

The first effort took place in 1963, when 23 caribou were captured and transported to Maine’s most viable caribou habitat, Baxter State Park, from Newfoundland, Canada.

The transplanted caribou dispersed after 3 or 4 years and were never seen again.

Another effort took place in 1993 when 12 caribou, again from Newfoundland, were released into Baxter. However, that herd also did not remain in the area.

The Rangeley Lakes Historical Society’s Outdoor Heritage Museum is open 7 days a week from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 207-864-3091, or go to RangeleyHistoricalSociety.org.

—

New Hampshire Runs “Trophy Fish” Program, Recognizing Large Fish, Including Those That Are Released Earlier this year, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission released the results of that state’s 2017 “Trophy Fish Program,” which recognizes anglers who caught

the increased numbers of “catch and release” adherents, makes it inevitable that such a program will be adopted in Maine in the future.

A list of all qualifying entries is posted on NH Fish and Game’s website, www.fishnh. com; click on “Fishing” and then “Trophy and Record Fish Programs.”

According to NH Fish & Game, the program provides biologists with valuable information. “We receive valuable data on fish populations not normally reported to us,” one biologist said. “There are hundreds of waterbodies throughout the state; these anglers are extra eyes in the field.”

— Patrick Salisbury of Brookline, NH; age 15; 23.0-inch largemouth bass; winner; “released” category. Photo: NH Fish & Game large fish, including fish that are subsequently released by the angler (see related “Letter to the Editor” from Joshua Bowring in this month’s issue).

Suggestions that Maine (or The Maine Sportsman, which coordinates our state’s current “One That Didn’t Get Away” program) adopt a similar program, are being voiced with increased frequency.

Under the New Hampshire “Trophy Fish” program, fish over a certain size for each species qualify the angler for recognition and a shoulder patch. For fish that are released, the only measurement apparently required is the length of the fish, together with the angler’s signature on an application form.

Released fish appear to remain ineligible for state record status (unless they can be kept alive through the weighing and certification process by a state biologist), but the popularity of the Trophy Fish program, and

Maine Company Making a Hit with Do-It-Yourself Soft Lure Kits The material is called “ComposiMold,” and it’s moldable putty that you heat in the microwave to make it soft, and then press an object into it. Once the putty hardens and cools, the object can be removed, leaving a perfect mold into which you can pour plastic (for toys), wax (for candles), or, of particular interest to anglers, liquid rubber, to make rubber worms, grubs, crawfish or other shapes.

Once you complete the process, you can put the putty back in the microwave, where it again softens and is available for a completely different use.

The company markets primarily through snappy YouTube videos, and is now moving toward offering biodegradable materials for their soft lures.

“We make everything here in Manchester, Maine,” Stan Farrell of ComposiMold told us (Continued on next page)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 13

Fly Fishing” columnist Lou Zambello and his wife Lindsey Rustad, researching trout habitat in New Zealand earlier this year.

(Continued from page 12)

a few weeks ago. “We’ve been in business for nine years with our re-usable mold-making products, which are eco-friendly rubber materials. Folks use the molds to make items ranging from soaps and chocolates to candles and plastic prototype parts.”

“The fishing lure making kit is very new,” he continued, “and consists of the reusable molding putty, rubber to make your own soft bait lures, and ‘starter shapes’ to be pressed into the putty that can be mixed and matched to make lots of different lure shapes.”

The company’s newest fishing product, a biodegradable lure-making kit, is called EcoLureMaker.

It’s great to see Maine companies producing innovative products. Congratulations and good luck to ComposiMold.

—

Bird of the Month Gray Catbird

by Erika Zambello

—

Writers’ Milestones Recently we read that three IF&W biologists just retired. Combined, those individuals represented 100 years of experience with the State of Maine.

That got us thinking about the importance of experience, and we were reminded that our own writing staff here at The Maine Sportsman.

For example, Col. JC Allard, our “Shooter’s Bench” firearms expert, just marked his 13th anniversary with our publication – that’s 156 columns, by his count.

William Clunie has been writing for The Maine Sportsman for more than15 years.

And George Smith has been with us since 1977!

The only one with more writing experience than George would be our Publisher, Jon Lund, who has been contributing his “Jottings” column, on time and within the word-count limit, for 44 years.

So with that limited selection, the Sportsman columnists are writing on the strength of more than 100 years of outdoor experience, and we haven’t even gotten to Tom Seymour, Tom Roth, William Sheldon, Bill Graves, Jim Lemieux, Barry Gibson and others.

Stay tuned for more information on all our outstanding columnists in future issues of The Sportsman.

Lindsey Rustad holds a beautiful New Zealand rainbow trout, while the beauty of the land is clear from the photo of Lou fly fishing a mountain lake. Zambello photos

job, we allow them to travel (at their expense, of course) to exotic locations, so long as they hunt or fish when they get there, and so long as they report on their successes.

Here, for example are our “Fresh Water

I walked the grassy trail at the Wells (Maine) Reserve at Laudholm, surprised by the hot, humid air during the final days of May. The path sloped downward through thickets of dense shrubs and small trees, flattening out to a wet, deciduous forest at the edge of a bright marsh.

(Continued on next page)

—

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Almanac (Continued from page 13) As I strode steadily forward, I heard a dull whine behind me, but even after whirling around, I could see nothing.

I continued, but stopped suddenly when the long, plaintive call sounded just to my left. What was it?

Sitting on a nearby wooden bench, I slowed my breathing and made myself as silent as possible, waiting for the creature to emerge from the dark understory. A branch rustled, and for just an instant a slate-gray bird with a black cap popped into view, looked at me quizzically, then disappeared once more into the shadows. I had come face to face with a Gray Catbird!

Gray Catbirds spend the summer breeding season in Maine before retreating to the Southeastern coasts, Mexico, and Central America for the winter months. They are about the same size as a robin, with rust-colored rumps that contrast with their overall drab coloration.

Secretive and preferring dense vegetation, this species feeds primarily on insects and berries. Because they are so hard to see, they sing loudly to mark their territories.

Many think that their vocalizations sound like cats, and thus they earned their common name.

In all, Gray Catbirds number over 25 million breeding birds, 87% of which spend part of the year in the United States, according to Partners in Flight. Their populations are generally stable, with some small declines in the southern part of the United States.

I continued on my walk through Wells Reserve, hearing a catbird singing insistently throughout much of my trip. They may be difficult to spot, but they certainly make their presence known!

—

Book Review: Wild Plants of Maine,

by Tom Seymour

Reviewed by George Smith

Who knew so many wild plants in Maine’s fields and forests are edible? Well, Tom Seymour does, of course, because he’s been eating them his entire life.

The third edition of Tom’s guide, Wild Plants of Maine, is truly amazing. I own his earlier editions, and he added and updated a lot in this new edition.

I particularly love those plants Tom calls nibbles – the plants you can nibble on as you hike or hunt through the woods. We’ll never go hungry while hunting again!

But really, did you know you can eat Evening Primrose, Japanese Knotweed, Common Milkweed, Cattails, and Queen Anne’s Lace? Yup, and these are just a few of the many edible wild plants in our state.

Tom includes photos of all the plants and recipes, each organized by season. I’m not sure I’ll try the Stinging Nettles, though.

Tom wears leather gloves to harvest those.

The leaves bristle with thousands of tiny stinging needles.

I recognized quite a few of the plants, including Trout Lilies, which I will try soon, maybe along with a trout.

Tom includes some plants you’ll find along the coast, including my favorite, Goosetongue Greens. Linda and I pick those on our trips to Lubec and Campobello.

And there’s a lot more in this book too. He includes more wild mushrooms than in his earlier editions (Linda and love Chanterelles, and picked 9 pounds last summer). There’s even a section with recipes for lots of other things from Blue Mussels to Elderberry Fritters.

And boy, I can’t wait to try his Dandelion Wine!

Did you know that you can make a soothing and vitamin-rich tea out of pine needles?

And Tom recommends an historic tea made from Hemlock needles. “You’ll instantly create a connection to the old days,” he says, “and besides that, it tastes just plain good.”

Tom writes several regular columns, including “Maine Wildlife,” in The Maine Sportsman. He’s also written many books, on subjects ranging from birds to fishing to hiking.

He’s always been one of my favorite writers, and I assure you, even if you don’t plan to eat lots of wild plants, you will really enjoy this book.

But hey, we’re outdoors people, so get out there and eat something wild!

¶

September 2018 Sunrise/Sunset

September 2018 Tidal Chart

Portland, ME

Portland, ME

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

RISE 6:04 6:05 6:06 6:07 6:08 6:09 6:10 6:12 6:13 6:14 6:15 6:16 6:17 6:18 6:19

SET 7:17 7:15 7:13 7:11 7:10 7:08 7:06 7:04 7:02 7:01 6:59 6:57 6:55 6:53 6:51

www.MaineSportsman.com

DATE 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed 27 Thu 28 Fri 29 Sat 30 Sun

RISE 6:20 6:22 6:23 6:24 6:25 6:26 6:27 6:28 6:30 6:31 6:32 6:33 6:34 6:35 6:36

SET 6:50 6:48 6:46 6:44 6:42 6:40 6:39 6:37 6:35 6:33 6:31 6:29 6:28 6:26 6:24

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

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

HIGH AM PM 3:24 3:46 4:14 4:35 5:09 5:31 6:11 6:33 7:18 7:38 8:24 8:43 9:26 9:44 10:24 10:42 11:17 11:37 12:08 12:29 12:57 1:20 1:45 2:11 2:34 3:03 3:23 3:56 4:15

LOW AM PM 9:31 10:02 10:19 10:57 11:13 11:58 12:14 1:03 1:18 2:09 2:24 3:11 3:26 4:09 4:25 5:03 5:20 5:54 6:13 6:43 7:05 7:31 7:56 8:19 8:48 9:08 9:41 9:59 10:37

DATE 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

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

HIGH AM PM 4:52 5:09 5:51 6:07 6:52 7:06 7:51 8:04 8:45 8:57 9:34 9:45 10:16 10:27 10:54 11:06 11:29 11:43 12:03 12:19 12:36 12:56 1:11 1:35 1:49 2:17 2:31 3:04 3:18

LOW AM PM 10:53 11:36 11:50 12:37 12:50 1:37 1:49 2:32 2:43 3:22 3:32 4:05 4:15 4:44 4:54 5:19 5:31 5:52 6:07 6:25 6:44 7:00 7:22 7:38 8:04 8:19 8:50 9:05 9:41

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 15

State Suggests Managing for Fewer Moose; George Proposes Bald Eagle Sandwich to Save Herons The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s new moose management plan includes lots of historical information, along with the challenges and concerns biologist and others now have about our declining moose population.

Moose hunting ended in 1936 and was reopened in 1980. A group tried to end the hunt with a referendum question, but sportsmen defeated that ballot measure. I worked on that campaign, mostly by raising money.

An increase in the deer population caused a decline in moose numbers, partly due to a meningeal worm that was transmitted to moose.

Ironically, the spruce budworm outbreak of the 1970s and 1980s actually increased moose populations. 2012 aerial surveys estimated that moose populations had reached 76,000.

Moose-Watching Safaris Finding Fewer Animals The plan recognizes that state planners must consider the public’s non-consumptive appreciation of moose. “Over time, moose continued to be one of the most sought-after animals for viewing, as demonstrated by increases in moose safaris offered by licensed guides,” notes the plan.

Recently, I’ve heard from several people who offer moose safaris in and around the north woods that they are having difficulty finding moose to show their customers.

We used to have moose all over the lawn at our camp on the western edge of Baxter Park, but we’ve

only seen one moose there in the last three years.

The numbers of collisions with moose, which used to be a major problem, have decreased by 50% since the high point of 858 were recorded in 1998.

Interest in moose hunting has declined. Applicants for moose hunting permits peaked in 1994 with 94,532 (74,424 residents, 20,108 nonresidents). From 2006 to 2016, annual moose permit applicants averaged around 56,000, a decline of 40%. Regardless of the reduced number of applicants, however, the chances of being drawn for a moose permit in 2015 were only 6.6% for residents and 1.8% for nonresidents.

A survey taken for the management plan found that 63% of the public rated moose management as excellent or good, with only 4% rating it as poor. Of course the public knows very little about moose management, partly because the news media no longer reports as frequently as it did in the past on hunting, fishing and other wildlife issues.

I’ve been particularly interested in the conflicts between moose and deer.

The plan notes that the number of deer hunters in western, northern and eastern parts of Maine has declined. That’s been a particular problem for Maine’s sporting camps, guides and rural Maine businesses.

notes that until the early 1990s, winter ticks had not appeared to significantly impact moose.

In 2014, DIFW began working with New Hampshire’s Department of Fish and Wildlife and the University of New Hampshire on studies to determine survival rates of adult female and calf moose. They discovered that there was quite a difference in survival rates between calves and adults. The most devastating impact of ticks is on calves. “Understanding how this will affect the dynamics in future conservation of moose will be critical to the next decade of planning and management,” notes the plan.

The department believes that moose densities may be the biggest reason why winter ticks are having such an influence on moose abundance. “Lower densities of moose are likely necessary to reduce the rate and influence of winter ticks and other parasites and maintain a healthy moose population,” concludes the plan.

For me, that is a very troubling conclusion that will lead to a continuing decline in Maine’s moose population.

I have been advocating for ways to save our moose from the devastation of ticks, including bringing moose into feeding stations in the winter and killing the ticks that are on them with some kind of spray.

Ticks Devastating You must know that winter ticks have had a devastating impact on moose. The report

Moose Goals Perhaps the most important goal in DIF&W’s new moose management plan is this one: maintain

a healthy sustainable moose population while providing hunting and viewing opportunities.

Don’t we wish this was easy!

The plan notes that as we move toward the future, moose management impacts of winter ticks, a warming climate, changing forest practices and new information on moose health have resulted in some uncertainty for moose in the state.

That is an understatement.

Research suggests that moose densities may still be at a level that results in high tick numbers, leading to high overwinter calf mortality and depressed reproduction. Until a question of whether winter tick infestations can be reduced by lowering Maine’s most densities is answered by the research, the most

prudent management approach is to attempt to stabilize moose populations, says the plan.

What they mean by that is manage for fewer moose. I do not find that to be acceptable.

The plan includes a lot of management strategies, including research, monitoring policy and regulations, communication and outreach. I found it particularly interesting that they propose to explore the possibility of implementing a (Continued on next page)

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calf-only hunting season in order to provide additional hunting opportunity while minimizing impacts on moose population growth. I’m skeptical that any hunter would really want to shoot a moose calf.

The second goal is to continue researching the relationships between moose, parasites, habitat condition, climate and management. This will require the department to “continue to invest in state-of-the-art research to determine the impacts of parasites, climate, and habitat on moose population dynamics.”

The department notes that compared to deer, very little information exists on the relationship of various moose health parameters and environmental factors.

One interesting research proposal would establish an experimental management unit, in which moose density would be reduced to determine whether impacts of winter ticks can be reduced by lowering moose densities. They propose this as a high priority and will do it in WMD 4.

Goal number three is to ensure public satisfaction with management of the moose population and

increase the public’s understanding of moose biology, ecology, and management. Under this goal I found a couple of new proposals to be especially worthy of note. They are: 1. “Consider adjusting the current hunting season framework so there is always one week between the September season and first October season.”

2. “Convene a committee to review the structure of the moose lottery and identify opportunities for improvement, including timing of the lottery, mandatory wait time between permits, and indicating preferences for permit type in season.” This goal will require participation by the Legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.

Overall, I think the department, along with the working groups that participated in this process, did an exceptional job. The plan presents lots of goals, objectives and initiatives that will be very challenging, given the department’s minimal staffing and budget.

I do have to note that new fisheries management plans started with the same process at the same time but have been suspended for the last two

Quotable

Sportsman

by George Smith

67 animals tested positive for rabies in 2017.

By far the most common animal to test positive for rabies is the raccoon.

June 23, 2018 story; Brunswick Times Record, — A fox charged her and actually attacked her – bit her on the hand and both legs fairly severely.

Report of rabid fox attack in Brunswick, Brunswick Times Record, June 23, 2018 — www.MaineSportsman.com

George’s Eagle Sandwich -- Tastes Like Chicken?

years and are nowhere near completion. That should not be acceptable to Maine anglers.

Eagle Sandwich?

Bald eagles are killing machines. Our population of blue herons is way down, because eagles are killing them.

An eagle killed both of our baby loons last year.

And I see them constantly dive-bombing ducks in my pond and stream. I know they are brutal on ospreys, too.

When DIF&W first

started researching bald eagles, they found just 30 eagle nests in Maine.

This year they found 674 eagle nests, including 150 new ones. Yikes!

DIF&W flew 300 hours to find those nests.

And while I will praise the department for their eagle research, it is aggravating that it’s all paid for by sportsmen’s licensing fees rather than by the state’s General Fund.

To reduce the eagle killing spree, I’ve sug-

During a three-day raised presence on the state’s lakes, rivers and ponds, Maine game wardens charged eight boaters with operating under the influence, and issued 100 summonses and 328 warnings for various boating violations, according to the Maine Warden Service.

Caitlin Rogers story, Bangor Daily News, July 6, 2018 —

gested we institute an eagle hunting season. I think a bald eagle sandwich would be right up there with the lobster roll, bringing tourists to Maine to eat one. Do you agree?

My friend Judy Camuso, DIF&W Wildlife Division Director, tells me: “Ain’t going to happen, George.”

That’s more bad news for Maine’s blue herons.

¶

low development to extend much farther into the unorganized territories, Bangor Daily News, July 8, 2018 — Of particular concern are increased road densities and the road/stream crossings those will require, and the risk of introduction of nonnative fish species into lakes and ponds where development occurs or vehicle access becomes easier.

Imagine it: Everybody in attendance at a Maine public hearing was in total agreement (opposed to the proposal). With that being the case, why was the LUPC even advancing its proposed rule, which would extend the distances within unorganized territories where businesses or subdivisions could be sited?

Jeff Reardon of Trout Unlimited; same John Holyoke story.

John Holyoke story about proposal to al-

— Maine bears are roaming the forest looking for food, but soon the arrival of doughnuts will make the effort a little more dangerous.

Kennebec Journal, July 9, 2018.

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 17

Maine ATV Rules and Laws – Commonly Asked Questions

by Shane Brown As a sales manager for a Bangor motorsports dealership, I receive a lot of questions from customers. Here are some of the more common ones – including those with easy answers, and those that are a little more challenging.

1. Do we have to wear a helmet in a Side X Side? ATV and SXS rules are identical; namely, if you are under the age of 18 you have to wear a helmet. I understand that most Side X Sides have a full roll cage and offer protection sim-

MOOSE TRAILS ATV Trail System

ilar to small cars, but if folks want to ride them on ATV trails, then they are treated the same, and the same helmet laws apply.

2. How old do you have to be to ride an ATV on the trails? We receive this question fre-

quently. The answer is found in state regulation: “A person 10 years of age or older but under 16 years of age may not operate an ATV unless that person has successfully completed a training course approved by the department and is accom-

panied by an adult.” So if your child is at least 10 years old, have them take an ATV training course, and they can ride with you.

3.

Can my kid drive me in my Side X Side vehicle? While not (Continued on next page)

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ATV Special (Continued from page 17)

specifically set forth in the rule book, it seems clear that if your child is between the ages of 10 and 16, and has taken an ATV safety course, then they can drive you around.

4. When does the ATV registration period begin and end, and what is the cost? The cost to register a ATV in the state of Maine is set forth in the rule book: “For registration period starting July 1, the registration fee will be $34 for a resident, $54 for a nonresident 7-day, and $69 for a nonresident season,” and “New registrations

U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. Offers valid in U.S.A. only, from February 1, t to termination or change at any time without notice.� Rebate up to $2,000 on select odel purchased. Dealer may sell for less. While quantities last. ¥ Rebate up to $800 on he model purchased. Dealer may sell for less. While quantities last. � GREAT FINANCING : ilable. Other qualific ations and restrictions may apply. Financing promotion void where continue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without nformation, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can designed by the manufacturer for such use. All adult model Can Am ATVs are Category tor’s Guide and watch the Safety DVD before driving. For your safety: wear a helmet, eye to hold handgrips and plant feet while seated against the backrest. ATVs and SxS are for ssive speed and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Ride responsibly. 9100637

only - Beginning May 1st of each year, registrations will be valid from the date of issue through June 30 of the following year.” So that is all there is for fees. There’s no excise tax or other fees required.

5. I live and registered my machine in another state. Do I have reciprocity in Maine? Reciprocity was repealed in 2004, so there are no longer reciprocal privileges for ATV registrations. A Maine ATV registration is required for nonresidents to operate an ATV in the State of Maine.

6. I’m new to the area. What’s the best way to get in contact with a club? The easiest way is to utilize a simple Google search including the town you live in, and that will bring up some good options. Also go to ATVMaine.org and review that list, but keep in mind that only about half of the clubs in the state are associated with ATV Maine at this time.

Another great option is to simply ask your local dealer. Some clubs are more active than others, so be sure to look at the clubs’ websites and social media pages to find the more active groups and join them.

7. My child has outgrown an ATV; can

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I trade it for a bigger one? From the perspective of my job, I am tempted of course to encourage you do come in and trade up. However, you should also be aware that there’s a very hot market out there for youth ATVs, and they sell in about 10 minutes on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace.

If you are a good negotiator you may get more money out of a cash sale, but you won’t have the convenience of coming to the dealership with your old machine, and leaving with a new one.

8. What the proper etiquette if I encounter a warden on the trails?

Here is where the rules are different than in your car. If you encounter a warden on the ATV trail system then you will need to stop even if you are doing nothing wrong – there’s no “probable cause” requirement. The wardens have a right to stop you and just check your registration. If you run into a warden, then be polite, do what you’re asked, and realize that these folks are merely doing their jobs. I find most wardens to be pretty relaxed and reasonable people, and if you treat them with respect, they will respect you back.

9. I’ve never used ramps before to put anything in my truck – how do I load my ATV? This situation makes me a bit nervous and anticipatory when someone is buying a new machine and I have to teach them to load it for the first time. They frequently show up in a ¾-ton truck with about 8” of lift in it, and expect loading to be an easy process. The first step is to purchase the right ramps – namely, the longest ones you can afford. Short 5-foot ramps make this a difficult process. I like to sell people the 90” curved ramps when I can. The key to loading your ATV is if you can find a grade to back up to and lessen the approach angle and

momentum. You don’t want to gain speed going up; you want to have the speed needed to go up the ramp before you hit it, it and be able to coast up the ramp and into the truck. Just a note that too much speed will be equally as bad.

10.

What brand of ATV is the best on the market? This question is usually followed up by, “My friend has this brand and says it’s the best but my other buddy has this brand and says it’s the best.” The key to this question is they are all good machines, and all have their pros and cons. We happen to sell Can-am, Kawasaki, Honda, ArticCat, Textron, and Kymoc, so I’m a bit partial to those brands, but other manufacturers make quality products.

I believe you should buy what makes you excited and what you enjoy. If you park your machine and walk away from it and look back at it and it makes you smile, then you have purchased the right machine.

11. Can I deal with deep water by installing an air intake snorkel and moving the radiator on my ATV? No, the State of Maine has a rule preventing people from using machines with modified air intake snorkel kits and raised radiators. That’s because these machines can be used in bogs and other areas that can result in a lot of land damage and cause a lot of trouble with landowner relations.

12.

What size SXS can I run on the trail?

It depends where you ride and what you plan on doing with your machine. If you want to just ride around your house and use it for work, then buy whatever you want.

If you want to use it on the trails, keep in mind there are several stretches of trail on which width is limited to 60”.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 19

Becoming an ATV Advocate

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by Shane Brown We are all aware that the volunteers who maintain and take care of the trails are the real backbone of the ATV system here in the State of Maine.

We know without these folks, there would be no one to obtain permission from landowners, build the trails or keep them open.

But what if you are busy and don’t have time to dedicate to being active in the trail system? Why not learn to be an ATV advocate?

It’s as simple as always being upbeat and positive about the ATV industry and trail system in the State of Maine, and in sharing that outlook with others.

Today, certain political interactions and social media trends seem to focus on the negative in any situation. However, being an ATV advocate requires you to shed this pattern, looking beyond negativity and focusing on the positive and being upbeat, whether dealing with clubs, law enforcement officials or landowners.

If landowners understand the enjoyment riders are getting from being able to access their land, they will tend to keep that land available, and they may encourage other landowners to open land that’s currently closed, allowing the trail system to expand.

New Club Members Want a Positive Experience One of the greatest ways to improve the current trail system and gain more volunteers and people to run the local clubs is to attract and draw in new people. But no one ever gets into an

ATV club just to be in a club, especially if all they witness is complaining and negative attitudes.

Instead, they all get into it because of a need to give back to a sport they are already involved in. They also want to have a positive experience, and they want to be able to relax and have fun.

People are going to be less desirous to try something new, if everyone who currently is involved is complaining about it.

But if you’re constantly thinking that you are an ATV advocate and always pushing for better, but keeping in mind how great it already is, then you will be a huge asset to the ATV program.

Further, all those volunteers who put in the hours will appreciate how much you enjoy their system, even though you may not have the time to give to the system right now.

So next time you’re talking either with your buddies or you get stopped when you’re putting fuel in your ATV or SXS and someone wants to ask you about your hobby, remember be positive and be a ATV advocate – if all riders adopted this approach, the results would be very good for the future of the sport in Maine.

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20 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Maine Wildlife: Loons

by Tom Seymour

Some folks like to hear loons calling at night. For me, the noise just wrecks my sleep.

Loons, because of their haunting cry, have become the stuff of legend. People new to Maine’s lakes and ponds often consider loon “yodeling” to be soothing – a genuine call of the wild.

Those sentiments are not universally shared. Light sleepers, me included, are none-too-happy when congregated loons begin hollering in the middle of the night. Some folks say this puts them to sleep, but we insomniacs experience the opposite result.

Of course common loons, Gavia immer, don’t mean to interrupt our sleep – it’s just that their tremolo, maniacal laughter seems so out-of-step with the otherwise silent aspect of nighttime on Maine’s lakes and ponds.

But on the other hand, countless visitors to our state have, as a specific goal, to see and hear loons. Most of the time, they are successful.

All the same, loons can remain out of range, seemingly on purpose. Once, when I needed a loon photo for an upcoming book, it seemed like my chances of capturing a loon on film were somewhere near 100 percent.

After all, every fishing trip to my local white perch pond resulted in numerous loon sightings.

But my first trip out to photograph a loon was a failure. Instead of loons popping up next to my boat as was their usual habit, every loon in sight remained too far to photograph. It took several tries before I finally had a loon swim close enough for a photo.

Summer Loons The Common Loon acts as a sign of the seasons. In spring, when loons from points south and also from the Maine coast arrive at inland lakes and ponds, their presence signals the unofficial beginning of spring.

And in fall when the last loon clumsily lumbersinto the air, not to return until the following spring, it means that summer has officially ended. Even insomniacs, me included, view this latter event with some degree of melancholy and perhaps even remorse.

In addition to a unique call, a loon’s physical appearance signifies a one-of-a-kind colwww.MaineSportsman.com

or pattern. Adult loons in summer display a checkerboard, black-and-white pattern on their back, a coal-black ring around their neck, a jet-black, dagger-like bill and a black head. And oh, yes, loons have red eyes. Altogether, these features present a striking appearance – once seen, never forgotten.

Loon numbers on inland waters correspond to the size of those waters. A large lake can serve as summer residence to many dozens of loons. At the same time, a tiny pond may have one resident loon family.

Two acres seems the minimum size for a pair of loons to set up housekeeping. This may have to do with the minimum distance required for a loon to become airborne. Loons take to the air only after a lengthy takeoff, punctuated by lots of splashing, thrashing and wing beating. On very small ponds, a loon may require several attempts before it clears the water.

Loon young often ride on the parent’s back, a charming habit and one that endears them to anyone witnessing the scene.

These same young have a dedicated window of opportunity to become fully fledged in time to fly away before their home water freezes. Failure to depart at the prescribed time would result in the loon perishing.

Winter Loons During their annual southward migration, loons fly as far south as Mexico. Others may only seek the nearest place with yearround open water, and nowadays such places are fairly common in southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic states.

But not all loons go south. Some head east to coastal waters. There, they become a regular presence for the winter.

Someone who has only seen the common loon in summer may well find it difficult to believe that the all-gray bird swimming around the harbor in winter is really a loon. All traces of black and white, with the exception of the neck ring, have vanished, including the checked back. Instead, everything becomes gray, including the bill. The only variation from this all-gray coloration is that the body appears darker above and somewhat lighter below.

Loons usually remain silent in winter, making it even difficult for beginners to identify loons them, since the more-familiar summer loon is seldom silent.

Loon Habits Fin fish rank as a staple food for common loons. Loons happily gobble up any fish that will fit in their mouths, including freshly stocked trout.

It’s interesting to note that loons occasionally breed on ponds that do not contain any fish. In such instances, loons will feed upon crustaceans and mollusks as well as amphibians, leeches, insects and even aquatic plants.

Nesting loons require complete solitude, and the stray boater, kayaker or canoeist who inadvertently ventures too close to an active nest may cause the loons to abandon the nest. Nests are built upon the ground near shorelines and also on hummocks in shallow areas as well as thoroughfares.

Small points and peninsulas also serve as prime loon-nesting habitats.

Now here’s a paradoxical note – loons, the embodiment of wilderness lakes and ponds, happily swim in and on waters where speedboats and other noisy, wave-causing watercraft are out in force. I’ve personally seen loons acting unperturbed as speedboats pulling water skiers pass by within 15 or 20 feet. It seems totally out of character. On the other hand, who can know the mind of a loon?

When fishing, loons may either dive or simply submerge. Either way, with their big, webbed feet trailing behind, loons make excellent swimmers.

Often, while drifting in my boat, I’ll watch a loon dive. The question then becomes, where will it reappear? It’s great fun to try to predict just where the loon will reemerge. Most of the time the loon comes up in an unexpected place, far from where it might predictably surface.

As for me, although loons often wreck my sleep, I, too, share the fascination with these ancient aquatic birds. Long live Maine’s loons.

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 21

Setting Up Your Bear Bait Site and Stand

by Bill Graves When setting up a successful bear bait location, two important considerations arise with respect to selection and placement of your stand – 1) where are you going to sit and watch and wait?; and 2) just how close do you need to be?

Tree stands have been the most popular watchand-wait locations used by guides and individual baiters for decades. A particular favorite is the ladder stand.

Over the last five years however, a growing number of hunters have begun utilizing pop-up ground binds, with success.

These two options are the real high and low of bear hunting, and each alternative offers its own pros and cons.

On the Ground Waterfowlers and deer hunters have been

The author, who has been successful bear hunting with rifles, crossbows and even a single-shot blackpowder pistol, reveals where to place the treestand or ground blind at your site, and what bait to use.

Setting up a bait site using a hanging barrel not only keeps nuisance animals out of the bait, but also forces the bear to stand up to reach the food and allows the hunter to properly judge size.

constructing very effective makeshift on-thespot blinds from avail-

able brush, trees and leaves for centuries. The commercially-produced

single or multi-person, portable, pop-up camo shelters are far more effi-

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Advantages include simple deployment in minutes, easily mobile from one location to another, protection from the elements and most insects and full camo coverage.

Another positive feature is at least partial containment of human scent, compared to being out in the shifting breezes.

The camouflage window openings on each side allow the occupant to check for game in all directions, especially when sitting on a rotating seat.

Downsides of blinds include a bit more expense than a tree stand, susceptibility to damage or destruction by bear and other big and small game animals, and the availability of only a ground level view of the (Continued on next page)

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22 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Bear Hunting Special (Continued from page 22)

Using wild apples as part of bait worked for this hungry bruin. With so much natural food in the woods most autumns, providing a tasty food source and using attractant scents are essential to success.

bait site.

(On the plus side, however, if you fall in a ground blind, injury isn’t likely to be life threaten-

Hunting over bait from a tree stand provides a better shot opportunity, allows the hunters to spot approaching bear earlier, and offers good cover, as this photo of Steve Hitchcock from Mars Hill demonstrates.

ing!)

Tree Stands Tree stands require a bit of construction and some effort to erect and

stabilize in place. However, once set up, they can remain season after season on your own land.

Ladder stands are

Setting up a trail camera is the only sure way to establish the size, time and number of bear visiting a bait site. Writer Bill Graves invented his own camera holder to prevent bear from chewing or carrying the devices off. This bruin is ready for his close up, Mr. DeMille!

durable, stable and comfortable. Best of all, they offer the height to view approaching game from a greater distance. Since

most big game animals seldom expect danger from above, they are a bit less alert to elevated movement.

Drawbacks are the climbing aspect, scent dispersal due to wind, and somewhat limited viewing and shooting opportunities at animals that approach the site from directly behind the stand.

My Preference Both options are viable and mostly a matter of personal preference.

Personally, I favor a 12- to 15-foot high ladder stand with a wide floor and bit of angle to the ladder for ease of access.

I attach my stand to a healthy, sturdy tree 10 to 25 yards from the bait barrel, since I shoot a handgun or crossbow.

Hunters using rifles may choose to be farther away.

Fast Food Ask 25 bear hunters what the best choice for bait might be, and you’re likely to get 25 different answers. Fall bear are far more selective than the hungry, just-out-of-theden spring bruins.

They need to fatten up for upcoming hibernation, and have a definite sweet tooth.

The fly in the oint(Continued on next page)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 23 (Continued from page 22)

ment is the vast array of natural food available most autumns, so sweet bait combined with attractant scents are necessary to coax them to investigate.

There’s little doubt that donuts, cake, muffins, and other pastries are nearly irresistible taste treats – however, the problem is availability and cost. There’s a limited supply of outdated sweets for sale, and a lot of bear baiters.

Certain guides and outfitters make weekly trips all winter as far as two hundred miles away to fill stock barrels for the fall hunt.

Some folks seek out trays of old bread, then mix it with honey, molasses, used cooking grease, frosting or ice cream

sauce to add flavor. Another old trick is to buy oats, and then mix in some molasses and cutup wild apples with them.

It’s also possible to purchase barrels of outdated trail mix – it’s fairly inexpensive, easy to handle and lightweight for carrying to bait sites.

Dribble some honey, maple syrup or mix in a jar of jam or jelly for extra flavor.

I’m aware of a cou-

ple of outfitters who purchased commercial-size popcorn poppers, and filled huge bags with the final product. Spraying the fluffy food with sugar water, Kool Aid or other flavorings increases the aroma and taste.

In truth, the best bait is the one that’s readily available, easy to handle and relatively inexpensive – oh, and that the bears like the taste of enough to visit your spot

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The real trick is to coax then into visiting during the daylight. They don’t get big by being stupid – there’s reason the annual success rate is relatively low.

Win, lose, or draw, setting up and running your own bait site is exciting and rewarding.

Give it a whirl, and good luck.

¶

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Live-Lining Stripers is Fun and Effective!

by Barry Gibson Some artificial-lure and fly-fishing purists may look down their noses at bait fishing, but I’ve been live-lining stripers for over 50 years and find it just as challenging and rewarding as working topwater poppers or oversized streamer flies.

Live-lining, which may appear simple, often requires a bit of finesse to get the baitfish to per-

Circle hooks require a different setting technique than did the old J-hooks. When a striped bass hits and the rod starts to arc over, point the tip at the fish, and reel fast until the drag starts to slip. That’s all it takes for a solid hook-up. form properly or to maneuver it into the strike zone, and – believe it or not – stripers will sometimes turn their noses up at even the friskiest of delectable livies.

My go-to live-lining outfit is a seven-foot, medium-action saltwater spin rod coupled with a spinning reel loaded with 17-pound mono. I’ve switched from the Shi-

mano Baitrunner models to Shimano Sedona and Daiwa RG-AB reels, because the baitrunner feature (which allows the fish to run with the bait) is no longer needed with

the circle hooks that have been required in Maine waters the past several years. More on that in a moment.

For the terminal setup, I attach a size 7 black coastlock snap swivel to the end of the line. My leaders are 25- pound fluorocarbon, 24 inches long with a 6/0 to 8/0 Gamakatsu or Owner Oc(Continued on next page)

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topus in-line circle hook snelled to one end, and a small surgeon’s loop tied in the other, which attaches to the snap swivel.

The only modification I make is to add a two-ounce egg sinker to the main line above the snap swivel if I plan to drift-fish in moving water greater than 15 feet deep.

Top-Drawer Livies My favorite baits are live mackerel and live herring. I catch my own mackerel by jigging

or slow-trolling a Sabiki or “mackerel fly” rig along the shoreline, but if macks are hard to find, I’ll do a little chumming.

Cheap canned fish-flavored cat food mixed with dry oatmeal and a little Wesson oil makes a good chum. It can be ladled overboard at regular intervals as you drift and jig vertically.

Be sure to continue doling out the chum when the macks attack your rigs, in order to keep them interested in sticking around the boat.

Generally speaking, I’ve found that the smaller mackerel make the best striper baits. Ten-inchers are about the largest size I like to use, and those “tack” mackerel about five inches long are like M&Ms to a bass.

As for herring, I catch them around the docks and wharves on a Sabiki armed with the tiniest white flies available.

Herring are a hit-or-miss proposition to catch, but they make excellent baits.

I sometimes hook my

baitfish upwards through the upper jaw, but other anglers hook them just ahead of the dorsal fin or underneath near the anal fin, with good results. However, for the past several seasons, I’ve mostly used the Ultimate Bait Bridles that I wrote about in this column last year – clever yet simple devices that attach to any hook and allow you to “safety-pin” the baitfish through the eye sockets, leaving the entire hook outside the bait. They work great, and you can

get them at www.ultimatefishingfloat.com.

In water up to about eight feet deep, I’ll fish my baits three or four feet under a foam float.

In deeper, still water (such as in a cove or bay), I’ll simply free-line the bait 30 to 40 feet out from the boat. In flowing water more than ten feet deep, where I’m drifting along with the current, I’ll employ the aforementioned sinker and fish the bait straight down below the boat, near the bottom.

(Continued on next page)

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26 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Saltwater Fishing Special (Continued from page 25)

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Set the Hook – Not! Circle hooks require a different hook-setting tactic than the j-hooks we all used in the past. Resist the impulse to jerk the rod tip upwards as you feel the bass take off with the bait, since you’ll likely pull the bait and hook out of its mouth or throat.

Instead, fish with the reel in gear, with your normal fighting drag setting. When a bass hits and the rod starts to arc over, point the tip at the fish, and reel fast until the drag begins to slip.

Usually that’s all it takes for a solid hook-up, and if all goes well, you’ll have hooked the bass cleanly in the corner of the jaw.

If you do miss setting the hook, chances are your baitfish will come back dead or nearly so.

Put on a new one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve immediately

hooked up when I’ve cast out a fresh, lively bait.

If the baitfish is lethargic, stripers will often pass it up since it’s not struggling and putting out those “vibes” that get bass in a feeding mood.

A pair of long-nose “release” pliers or a trigger-type hook remover (such as the Baker Hookout) is an essential piece of gear when live-lining, as the hook can lodge in the striper’s throat (yes, Virginia, in-line circle hooks can do this, just like j-hooks). As mentioned in a previous column, a circle hook caught in the fish’s throat is often more difficult to remove than a j-hook, but give it a shot before you elect to simply cut the leader.

In my humble opinion, live-lining striped bass is as much an art as working artificials!

¶

The Maine Sportsman Digital Edition

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 27

Nunzio, My Young Italian Spinone, Faces His First Test, Courtesy of NAVHDA

by JP Falzone My alarm clock sounded at 3 a.m. on a recent Sunday morning, and I jumped out of bed with a level of enthusiasm usually reserved for a hunting or fishing trip. But this was another type of special occasion – for me and for by 13-month old Italian Spinone puppy.

Yes, it was finally time to run this bold young dog in the NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) “natural ability” test.

NAVHDA was founded in Ontario, Canada in 1969, and is currently headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The group defines as versatile “a dog that is bred and trained to 1) dependably hunt and point game; 2) retrieve on both land and water; and 3) track wounded game on both

Pointing, retrieving and tracking – After months or training, how would my young dog stack up against the competition in his first-ever test?

Nunzio, on point. Amanda Doak photo

land and water.”

Local NAVHDA Chapters coordinate and run several different tests, with the Natural Ability Test being the first step in a young dog’s hunting career.

The phrase “Natural Ability” can be a bit misleading, and should not

Judge Dominic Bachman directs the author to flush this first bird found by Nunzio while he remains on point. Amanda Doak photo

be taken literally. To do well, in its short life, a young dog must already have been exposed to birds, gunshots and water.

In this test, dogs are judged and evaluated against a defined set of standards, as opposed to a contest where dogs com-

pete against each other.

Dogs are awarded points for each phase, and any dog that meets or exceeds certain specifications is given a Prize I, II, or III – with Prize I being the highest honor.

I had spent so much time introducing my dog to birds, the shot, basic

NAVHDA Judges Pater Wade and Dominic Bachman explain to the author what is about to transpire in the field phase. Amanda Doak photo

commands and training table work, that once spring came along I had a hard time finding an opening in a test for my puppy – whose name, by the way, is Nunzio, which means “The Messenger” in Italian.

I chose this particular name so he could “message” me as to where the birds are located!

A dog must be 16 months old or younger to be judged for the Natural Ability Test, so it was getting down to crunch time, as Nunzio was already 13 months old.

After anxiously searching for an opening, I heard from Marie Wade, an officer of the Sebasticook Chapter of NAVHDA. She graciously informed me that a spot had become available and offered it to me. I know (Continued on next page)

Judge and author approach Nunzio as he displays a solid point on a live Chukar Partridge.

Amanda Doak photo www.MaineSportsman.com

28 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Sporting Dogs Special (Continued from page 27)

now that I should have planned better, rather than scrambling around at the last minute. So, word to the wise – secure a spot early in the year if you are interested in running your dog in any type of NAVHDA test.

All participants arrived by 6:30 a.m. in Smithfield, Maine, and the test began promptly at 7 a.m. Introductions were made and ground rules established, and then the Canadian and USA national anthems were played – a great way to begin the day.

And the Test Begins...

Field Phase: Nunzio was scheduled to run second in a field of eight dogs.

Three judges explained the rules of this phase, and gave me a chance to ask any questions. It was now GO TIME! Five birds had been planted in advance in a very large field, and each dog was expected to hunt for at least twenty minutes. Dogs were evaluated on their use of nose, search, pointing, desire, cooperation and gun shyness, as a couple of shots are fired towards the beginning of this phase.

Nunzio really nailed this part of the test. Desire and cooperation were evident, as he did a great job energetically performing search patterns across the field while using the wind to pick up on any bird scent that was present. He found them all, and held some long, impressive points while exhibiting excellent steadiness for such a young pup.

Tracking Phase: In this phase, dogs tracked a live, flightless pheasant or chukar partridge that had been walked across a certain area for about 50 feet and then placed into a wooded spot. A pile of feathers was placed at the beginning of the track to give the dogs a face full of scent, and then it was off to the races to find and point the bird. Nunzio started off well, and then veered off the track and began to run around in different directions. “Uh-oh,” I thought to myself. Then came back to the start of the track and seemed to be back on course until he again deviated off the track at almost the same spot. He performed “OK” in this part of the test, but clearly there’s some opportunity for improvement in this area.

Swimming: Dogs were given the chance to show their confidence to swim in this last segment, in which they were evaluated on water entry, desire to work, and cooperation.

Handlers were given a set of training dummies to choose from. The judges wanted to see the dog swim at least twice.

Retrieval of the dummy was not important, and no extra score was given if they did retrieve it.

Nunzio jumped in without hesitation twice, and happily retrieved the bumper both times!

Physical characteristics were then observed by the judges, including eyes, teeth, and coat. The test was now over for us,

and I waited for all the other dogs to attempt their swim. The judges then got together to tally up the scores for each dog.

The delay gave me time to ponder what he did well during the day, as well as areas that needed improvement toward the goal of his development as a versatile hunting dog.

The Verdicts Are In The judges got the entire group together, and thanked all volunteers.

They explained that handlers should not assign too much importance to their dog’s performance on a single day, but rather to use the results as a gauge to see help them plan effectively for their dog’s path forward as a hunting partner.

I had a knot in my stomach as the scores were announced. My dog’s name and the name of the handler (me) were read aloud, followed by his scores.

Nunzio received a top score in every category other than the tracking, and a few points were not awarded due to some difficulty shown during this aspect of the test. He received a Prize II – with 108 points awarded. He was 4 points shy of receiving a score of 112, which is a perfect score (Prize I).

I was extremely happy with this score, and thrilled to both be rewarded after many long hours of training, ever since Nunzio displayed a solid point on a “wing on a string” exercise the day after being brought home as a ten-week-old puppy.

It was a truly great day spent in the company of many fellow dog and bird-hunting enthusiasts.

I now look forward to many glorious days afield together, putting Nunzio’s talents to good use under a backdrop of brilliantly-colored leaves and glorious blue skies this fall.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

The author and his Italian Spinone Nunzio get ready for the Field phase of the Natural Ability Test. Amanda Doak photo

NAVHDA Judges Peter Wade, Dominic Bachman and Robert England thank all volunteers for their hard work as they prepare to read each dog’s score aloud at the end of the day. JP Falzone photo

A beautiful day for the Natural Ability Test. Photo by JP Falzone

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 29

Goose, Moose and Bear Highlight Aroostook’s September Smorgasbord I remember well during the 60s and 70s when the month of September in Aroostook was a change-over period – a time to put away the fishing equipment and dig out the hunting gear. Angling was closed and upland bird, duck and deer seasons were a month away. The County mantra was “Once the State Fair has come and gone, it’s time to bank the house for winter.” Anybody who has endured a Crown of Maine snow season during those decades will well understand that old adage!

Thankfully, longer open-water fishing seasons and newly-created hunting opportunities have turned September into a sportsman’s smorgasbord.

Great Goose Gunning Throughout high school and college, I was a devout duck hunter, the words fanatic and addicted come to mind, and still apply somewhat.

Back in those couple of decades, a waterfowler in Aroostook County had as much chance of spotting

Canada goose numbers have increased and expanded to engage the farthest reaches of Aroostook County, so much so that the early season daily limit has jumped to six birds, double the normal season take per day.

Transplanting nuisance geese from other New England states to Aroostook really took hold, and birds now return early each spring to breed, nest and buoy the local population of native birds. Bill Graves photo

a Canada goose as seeing a Pterodactyl!

However, thanks to widespread crop rotation, increased grain and broccoli acreage and a notable alteration in southern migration flyways, more and more honkers began showing up in the 80s for the regular season.

Regional state wildlife biologists also institut-

Aroostook County

ed a transplant program during that same period, capturing nuisance geese from other New England states and releasing them in various northern Maine locations.

In the vein of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” the geese liked their new surrounding so they kept migrating back and multi-

plying each spring. Soon the Crown of Maine had a new September season – the wise and wily native honker.

Canada goose numbers have increased and expanded to engage the farthest reaches of Aroostook, so much so that the early season daily limit has jumped to six birds, double the normal sea-

(Continued on next page)

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son take per day. Many southern Maine and outof-state gunners visit the region, which boasts vast agri-acreage and a polka-dotted treasure of swamps, ponds, swales, rivers, lakes, and marshes to attract and hold geese. Some outfitters and guides from away rent rooms for themselves and clients at local hotels and motels to take advantage of the great gunning.

While field hunting over decoys comprises the most popular strategy, there are far fewer native geese than there will be migratory birds later in the season. With so many crop fields, it’s a crap shoot if a feeding flock will return to the same location their next outing.

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30 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

The number of native geese returning to Aroostook County each spring seems to increase yearly, they can be found on every pond, bog, marsh, swale and backwater,- and some wear jewelry like this handsome fellow. Bill Graves photo

What better way to welcome the sunrise during the native goose season in Aroostook than with a young hunter, her retriever and several flocks of willing Canada Geese? Here, Araya Caverhill of Caribou revels in the day’s hunt. Bill Graves photo

The County (Continued from page 29)

Two proven locations I’m happy to share are simple to reach – easy spots to set up decoy spreads and attract geese year after year all season long. Christina Reservoir can be reached via the Conant Road between Pr-

esque Isle and Easton or using the Maple Grove Road off Route 167. Check Delorme’s Atlas, Map 65, D-3 for an overview.

Dead wood and reeds are plentiful for shoreline blinds, and a dozen floating dekes combined with

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a dozen more full-bodied models along shore or in the shallows on stands or stakes will do the trick.

This man-made reservoir abounds with logs, stumps and small isles of dryki perfect to backdrop and camouflage a canoe or jon boat. Drape some camo netting, toss out a few floating decoys and

Beaver Pierce of E Plantation and Greg Palm of Presque Isle prove that extensive early season scouting does produce dividends when field-gunning geese in The Crown Of Maine.

call to flocks returning from feeding to rest and digest. Mid-morning and the last couple of hours before dusk are prime times.

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ious stretches, playing sneak-and-peak, to flush birds on corners or from side bogans and back eddies.

It’s also possible to spot geese along open stretches, pull to shore, then sneak along the bank though the reeds and brush for some jump shooting.

Another productive option involves scouting the river runs being used daily for relaxation after morning feeding forays, then setting up a makeshift brush blind, throw out a dozen decoys, and wait for small groups to return from area fields.

Gunning river resting runs only works about once a week before the geese change locations, so it’s good to have several spots to hopscotch about. There are a dozen likely stretches between Washburn and Presque Isle, as well as several between Grimes Mill and Stevensville as the Aroostook flows toward Fort Fairfield. Map 64, D-5 and Map 65, C-2 & 3 will guide goose gunners to these proven early-season locations.

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 31 (Continued from page 30)

grounds for most of my life. If any of my readers were among the lucky 100 to draw a bull moose permit for this month’s hunt, you’re in great shape! I beat the odds during the first official hunt in 1983 and was one of only 500 lucky winners, since that first success I’ve been a shooter or back up on eight fruitful zone 6 bull tags. My last brute, four years ago, tipped the scales at 967 pounds, dressed, and there are even larger moose waiting for you.

Central Aroostook is a patchwork quilt of fields and forest – no matter if you prefer to drive and spot, take a stand and call, stalk logging trails or set up a simulated wallow, there’s a spot to fit your tactic.

An off-the-beatentrack area well worth investigation this month is located just off Route 1, north of Mars Hill. Use the Miller Road and then explore a spider web of dirt roads, two-tracks and logging trails. Map 59, A-1 & 2 will overview the approach roads and woods roads through toprate moose cover.

Locals refer to the region as Burnt Land,

Zone 6 abounds with patchwork forest and fields throughout Aroostook’s farm country, and it’s the place to be for the September bull hunt. This fellow was actually passed up early in the week for being too small!

and there’s a prominent marsh and cedar swale section with plenty of moose and deer that’s accessed via Simpson Road.

The crossword puzzle of two-tracks north of Johnson Brook deserves some attention as well. Despite the ease of access, this section of woods gets very light pressure during early moose season, and there are some big bulls roaming the roads.

Bag a Bear Big game hunters who would like to bag a bear, but aren’t into setting up and maintaining a bait site, should entertain the option of spot-and-stock during September. While apple

trees are dropping fruit and ripe grain fields offer easy wood-edge access for neighborhood bear, a couple of hours before dusk is a fine time to ride-andglass. If a well-worn access trail into a food field can be located, it’s possible to set up a tree stand or ground blind overlooking the path.

Driving roads through agri-land certainly covers more ground and increases odds of a black ghost sighting – sometimes it’s not even necessary to make a stalk. Route 1A between Caswell plantation and Hamlin offers a network of gravel roads and field tracks along each side of the paved

Seth Rooney of Easton and his Dad Donald from Presque Isle have been lucky enough to share multiple moose hunts during the September Zone 6 hunt. They have never been skunked, and often tag bragging-size bulls like this brute.

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¶

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32 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Dogs That Track Wounded Deer–

Making the Most of an Opportunity Missed

Have you ever met someone too late? If the answer was yes, did it bother you? You likely thought, “What if I’d met that person sooner?” This certainly happened to me.

I’ve experienced tremendous loss in my hunting life. The losses are of bucks I shot and didn’t recover. Two of these bucks were worldclass animals. One was in Iowa; the second a 170”, BC class Waldo County giant.

My arrow was covered in dark red blood from a solid liver shot.

Unfortunately, the buck only bled well for the first 150 yards, and we lost the trail after finding the arrow and a bloody bed.

I know in my heart the buck expired. We just didn’t find him.

Fast forward to the fall of 2016. Susanne Hamilton’s amazing Dachshund tracked and located a big 6-point for me after a liver and gut shot. Hamilton is the person who might have changed my life, had I met her ten years earlier.

Tracking Dogs in Maine Susanne Hamilton has been tracking wounded deer with the

I seriously doubt we would have found my 2017 buck without the services of Susanne Hamilton and her amazing tracking Dachshund named Meggie.

Susanne Hamilton (in background) holds her tracking dog Buster, as hunter Carmen Bombeke celebrates a successful hunt. Buster was able to easily locate this buck, because the hunters took necessary precautions and didn’t contaminate the track. Buster followed the scent of this specific deer and led the searchers right to it.

aid of her Dachshunds for over 16 years. It was then that she got her first

dog, “Buster” Clown Vom Talsdeich.

Buster’s pedigree

was excellent. His sire previously won the European Blood Tracking

title. Trailing wounded game was what this dog was bred to do. Susanne admits, Buster actually trained her. Since starting, she has learned more from Buster than he did from her.

Susanne had two excellent mentors – John Jeanneney from NY, and Tom Dipietro of VT. Vermont offered a busy opening weekend. Susanne, Buster and Tom got to follow four or five tracks each day. With Tom’s tutoring, they returned to Maine with plenty of experience.

“There’s much more to successfully tracking a wounded deer than just following blood,” Hamilton revealed. She admits that she takes great satisfaction in unraveling a track from start to finish. Though some of the tracks and scenarios are similar, no two are exactly alike.

When tracking became legal in Maine, most hunters weren’t aware of the service. Hamilton only received a few calls.

Today, Hamilton works more than 100 tracks each year, and passes on about 200 more. She says with more trackers now in the state – like Lindsay Ware, Scot (Continued on next page)

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Clontz and Paul Hause – word has finally spread about this service.

Susanne credits her friends and founding members of the United Blood Trackers (UBT) for the increased interest nationwide.

Hamilton, currently the president of the organization, was there at the beginning with seven other forward-thinking friends.

All are passionate about helping hunters recover wounded game.

When UBT got started, only 17 states had legalized tracking of wounded big game animals with dogs. Today, through persistent communication and education of state personnel and hunters, 39 states allow the use of tracking dogs. The group’s goal is to legalize the practice in all 50 states.

There When You Need Them I’ve heard both praise and criticism of tracking dog services. I fall into the praise category 100% of the time. If I make a mistake, I’ll do everything in my power to recover a wounded animal or ensure it has an excellent chance of survival before I give up.

So, how do we know when a tracker is needed and what should we do?

I usually know as soon as I shoot. Last year, I hit a branch about 10 yards in front of me and 25 yards in front of the a great buck. Instead of the typical mule kick deer often make when hit in the heart or lungs, my buck hunched. This is typical with a gut shot. When in doubt, I back out and call Susanne.

At most, I’ll go to the point of impact to search for blood and hair. Upon finding blood, I mark it with flagging tape.

If I start a track, I do it alone and walk beside the blood trail. The goal is to get an idea of what the shot is like, without contaminating the trail.

Stepping in blood and spreading it around while searching for more blood will throw the dog off and reduce the chance of recovery.

Hamilton says contaminated trails take longer to unravel. This can cost opportunity for other hunters, because the dog has to work much harder.

Hamilton can finish two or three easy tracks in the same amount of time it takes to finish one contaminated track.

Hamilton asks that hunters start by flagging the hit and the beginning of the blood trail. At the first sign of trouble, she requests hunters back out and contact her or another tracker for help.

How to Request Assistance I recommend keeping the names of at least three trackers in your cell phone. If the first tracker is busy and unable to assist, the second or third should be available.

To find a UBT tracker in your area, check out www.unitedbloodtrackers.org. Under “Resources,” select “Find a tracker.” Select Maine and locate a tracker near you.

Last year, Hamilton and her dog Meggie unraveled a tough trail for me. Meggie found my buck approximately 300 yards from where I shot it, but the buck had not

The author poses with Susanne Hamilton’s tracking dog Dachshund, Meggie, and the author’s 2017 firearms buck. After hitting a branch, the bullet struck the buck through the liver and stomach. The hole plugged up and little blood was left for tracking. Meggie was able to follow the buck’s individual scent and lead the hunter and tracker/owner, Susan Hamilton, to the downed buck. The whitetail grossed 144 7/8” and dressed at 195 pounds. The author recommends every hunter keep the name and number of a local tracker in their cell phones in case their services are required.

followed a straight line.

Rather, it circled and bedded multiple times against the root structures of five large trees that had fallen during Maine’s 2017 wind storm.

Finding My 2017 Buck I seriously doubt we would have found my 2017 buck without Ham-

ilton and Meggie’s services. We had almost no blood after 100 yards, and the cover the buck traveled through was so thick we would’ve had to walk directly onto the animal in order to see it.

The bullet actually tumbled after hitting that (Continued on next page)

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34 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Big Game Hunting (Continued from page 33)

branch. The bullet entered the buck sideways, clipping his last rib, and exited his hind quarter on the opposite side.

Gut shots are lethal.

However, gut material or intestines often clog wounds and prevent

blood from escaping.

That’s exactly what happened in this case.

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mally paunch-hits result in a good smell to the dog.

There was very little blood, but blood is not necessary for a good tracking dog. Blood trails help confirm the tracking team is on the right trail; however, every deer has its own scent.

I was devastated because I thought I’d lost another great buck. As we were watching the dog and chatting, Meggie stuck her nose in the air, then back to the ground and yipped a little. She

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charged forward purposefully, and we followed, using our headlamps to see.

Within 20 yards of catching that scent, Meggie was on top of my buck.

It was lying at the base of another large hemlock root structure, and it had been dead for some time.

I consider Susanne Hamilton a friend, but I hope I never see her for another tracking job. Instead, I hope to see her in a different setting, such as watching her at work

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Slinging Streamers Highlight Fall Salmon Run “Cast there, in the fast water,” barked my old friend Bernie Derjue as his bent rod wrestled yet another silverside to the gravel bar we’d waded to.

Taking Derjue’s advice, I double hauled my six-weight wand and watched my Ballou Special drown in the turbulent white froth. That cast had the benefit of two different friends’ advice all rolled into one cast.

While Derjue coached my streamside antics, the choice of fly on the business end of my leader had come from reading an article by Ken Allen right here in The Maine

“Guide flies” must be easy to tie; they must be durable; and they absolutely must catch lots of fish. If a guide offers you a fly, never refuse it.

Sportsman long before I started writing columns.

At the end of the tumultuous swing, my line hand felt the smack of a hungry silver bullet.

Over the years, slinging streamers has developed into a major part of my fishing arsenal.

Throughout the summer months, I spend a lot of nights swinging saltwater streamers at schoolie-sized striped bass. I also use the tactic while pounding the banks of the Kennebec River from

my drift boat, trying to get the attention of the big browns lumbering along the shoreline.

West Branch Penobscot It’s no big secret that sections of the West Branch Penobscot attract both salmon and anglers this month. Anglers take advantage of this yearly journey that has silversides leaving the deep water of lakes and migrating upstream.

The hallowed waters between Ripogenus Dam

Discover the

and Pemadumcook Lake rake in the lion’s share of praise from fisheries biologists and serious anglers. The river’s Dr. Jeckle/Mr. Hyde personality makes the legendary water a bit mysterious to newbies.

With everything from Class V whitewater to deadwater, it takes a little bit of coaching to safely fish this flow. The size and current of this waterway deserves plenty of respect.

Parts of the river lend

Katahdin Region

to cautious wading. Canoes and small craft get anglers working the slender wand in the deadwater. Some brave Maine Guides fearlessly row sports down some of the more turbulent sections.

Hiring a knowledgeable guide with good equipment will have the benefit of quickly putting anglers in key locations, as well as being privy to “guide flies” that have a proven track record.

“Guide Flies” So, what is a guide fly? Guide flies must have three important characteristics. First, they must be easy to tie because, (Continued on next page)

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36 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Katahdin Country (Continued from page 36)

(Continued on next page)

Every September, serious anglers migrate to the West Branch Penobscot River. The legendary waters that flow from Ripogenus Dam and Pemadumcook Lake produce some of Maine’s finest fall salmon fishing. Bill Sheldon photo

well, busy guides tie a lot of them. Second, they must be durable, because they’ll get a lot of hard use. And, most importantly, “guide flies” absolutely must catch lots of

fish.

Don’t worry – all guides have a favorite fly or two ready for the business end of a fluorocarbon leader. Never refuse a “guide fly.”

Because the Golden Road provides good access, shore-bound salmon fishermen who are willing to do a little careful wading can take full advantage of the West Branch Penobscot. Here, the author uses a fish-friendly net for a quick photo and release. Bill Sheldon photo

It seems that Penny and Dan Legere, who own and operate The Maine Guide Fly Shop in Greenville, always have their finger on the pulse of all things fishing up here

in the North Country.

Through their Orvis-endorsed shop they offer drift boat trips on the West Branch Penobscot.

For a little insight to what a professionally

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guided trip might entail, figure that Legere would launch his drift boat at the Big Eddy and take out just before the falls at (Continued on next page)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 37 (Continued from page 36)

Horserace. That’s eight hours spent floating over prime salmon water with folks who monitor the river daily.

While guided floats have a faithful following, do-it-yourself types certainly have plenty of access to West Branch waters. The road to good fishing is paved with gold … well, not exactly.

“Golden” Road?

The “Golden Road,” the 96-mile logging road that starts in Millinocket and weaves its way northwest, parallels the river much of the way.

This gives wading anglers untold access with minimal bushwhacking.

However, it is not paved with gold.

Its gravel base eats tires, and after a few dry days, dust penetrates even the tightest glove box or center console.

Also, this private road, owned by large lumber interests, operates huge trucks stacked with logs that hammer up and down the Golden Road.

And, by the way, they do have the right of way at all times, so pull over and let ’em roll.

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For slinging streamers, a six-weight rod works pretty well. I know some fly fishermen who move up to a seven weight because they like the feature of the fighting butt that comes standard on most seven weight rods.

For years, I’ve used a nine-weight on schoolie bass. It’s a heavy rod that wears me out after a few hours of hard casting.

This year, I experimented with my six-weight by loading it up with a seven-weight line. It worked pretty sweet even with a big saltwater streamer.

Next, I got greedy and tried over-lining by spool-

ing up an eight-weight line on my fast action sixweight.

With my particular rod (LL Bean six-weight fast action), the clear, intermediate sink line shot out nicely – even with a large, bushy streamer.

After practicing on some decent-sized stripers I’m ready to try the oversized line on some fall salmon.

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tor-type streamers.

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One “guide trick” I picked up last year while at the East Outlet involves tying a dropper off the back of a streamer.

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As some of my old salmon fishing mentors told me, “Just sling it.”

¶

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38 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

September Fishing Tips for Catching Trophy Trout and Salmon Fall fly fishing is the most favorable time of the year to land kingsized salmon and trout.

The key is timing.

Let me repeat: T-I-MI-N-G! Why? Because the largest fishes in any pond, lake, or river are difficult to reach, since they spend most of their time down deep. Deep water offers shelter, cool water, bait fish to feed on, and less fishing pressure.

Consider as well that the largest salmonids are the dominant fish in their aquatic environs – they get to select the deepest, safest, gnarliest, mostdifficult-to-cast-to locations to hang-out in.

But hooking a beautiful, mature male brook trout in full spawning colors isn’t all that difficult if you intercept him when he is swimming in a small pool and hasn’t seen a fly

The other anglers left, having caught no fish whatsoever.

I waded into position and tied on a marabou streamer.

Then I heard a splash, followed by another – unmistakable signs that a large school of salmon was headed upstream directly for my pool.

Autumn is the season to chase oversized trout and salmon Tim Shaw photo

pattern in a year. Timing is critical, because you have to be there when he is.

Autumn Changes Autumn is the time of the year when even the largest fish throw cau-

tion to the wind and embark on their spawning runs. Brook trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon and brown trout all leave their summer lairs, sometimes traveling significant distances to find

water conditions and spawning gravel to their liking.

During their spawning migrations, we anglers can find them while they swim through more accessible waters.

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For fly fishers to intercept large trout and salmon on their spawning runs, knowledge and anticipation of their movements is critical.

Missing the precise timing even slightly can be heartbreaking.

Salmon School Several years ago, I arrived at my favorite pool on my local river in mid-afternoon.

During September, huge salmon and trout – best measured in pounds – move up this river, often resting in this pool.

As I pulled on my waders, two fishermen trudged up the bank, emoting the body language of discouragement.

Without me even asking, they volunteered, “In four hours – Nothing, Nada, Bumpkis.”

Undeterred, I waded into position at the head of the pool, leisurely inspected my leader, tied on a streamer, and watched the pool. Five minutes or so later, I heard a splash 30 yards downstream, followed by another perhaps 10 yards closer. The swirl of a dorsal fin at the pool’s tail, and a hint of “nervous water” coming towards me were all clear signs of a salmon school swimming upstream.

I quickly cast just upstream from the last splash with my favorite marabou streamer. The quick strike and pulse of a strong fish was almost anticlimactic – I knew it was coming.

Five salmon later, I marveled at my good fortune. The previous anglers had missed this school by perhaps ten minutes.

My fortunate timing was pure luck, but the (Continued on next page)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 39

The best time to fish for pre-spawn brown trout is after the leaves are off the trees. Lou Zambello photo (Continued from page 38)

fact I was fishing that day on that pool was not.

You can increase your odds of being on the water at the right time by understanding what causes fish to move and when during the autumn season. Factors that trigger salmonid pre-spawn migration include shortening day length, cooling water temperatures, and increased water flow.

Autumn Observations Recently, as I was looking over my 35 years of fishing notes for a new book I am writing on catching trophy brook trout, I compiled the following observations: 1. For lake-living salmon and trout waiting to ascend rivers or streams, water flow is the strongest driver of behavior. A heavy rainstorm can start a pre-spawning move up- or downriver any time from early August to late October if it is the first good rain after a long period of low-water conditions. Many anglers falsely believe that spawning runs don’t start until September, and they miss August bonanzas.

2. It takes 24 hours after a good rain starts for decent-sized rivers to rise, and another 24 hours for fish to move.

Therefore, it pays to be riverside two days after a rain if you are within

a few miles of the lake or pond that the fish are (Continued on next page)

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In Duck Hunting, Scouting Makes the Difference The three best places to look for ducks are the feeding area, the loafing (resting) area and the roost.

Scouting is a way to pattern the behavior and travels of ducks and geese to find the location of the best hunting spot.

Why should you scout? Because it will make a phenomenal difference in your success rate.

When we hunt without scouting, it usually comes down to a bird hear and a bird there.

With good scouting, however, many more ducks or geese will come into your decoys.

What you’re looking for is where the ducks and geese in your area are constantly feeding at a certain time of day.

You want to hunt the feeding area because that is where you are going to consistently see more birds.

The other two prime

areas are 1) the loafing (resting) area; and 2) the roost.

Birds generally always come to the same roost, but you really don’t want to hunt a roost, especially if you plan to hunt in that area for the rest of the season, because after you kick them off their roost they will likely leave the area.

When to Scout Another thing to keep in mind is you want to scout the two to three days in a row before the hunt, to make sure you are consistently seeing birds coming to that spot.

That way, when you set up the next day you are going to likely see the birds you have been patterning the few days before.

Scouting is import-

Freshwater Fly Fishing (Continued from page 39)

coming from. For longer rivers, migrating fish might move 3-5 miles in a day, so if you are 10 miles from the lake, give the fish a couple of extra days to get there. Note: Not all rainstorms raise rivers significantly, particularly if the ground is dry or it rains lightly over a long period.

3. Each river that hosts spawning runs operates on a unique calendar based on its source of water. Freestone rivers that arise from springs or mountain tributaries cool off faster than rivers that start as outflows from major lakes. For example, the upper Magalloway River that arises from a series of bogs will cool off faster than the nearby lower Kennebago River, which starts as an outflow from a top-release dam. Spawning runs can start two weeks earlier on the Mags. Fish the cooler rivers and streams earlier in September, because all other factors being equal, salmonid migration will www.MaineSportsman.com

ant because ducks will go where they want to go, especially if food sources are abundant. That’s not to say birds won’t come to your decoys if you’re in a good spot, because sometimes they will see your decoys and think that if there are other ducks there that might mean there is something they want there.

It’s not always as important to scout really hard when it comes to ducks if you find a productive spot on a lake or river where there is a good food source or an eddy in the river, but scouting for wood ducks can be very productive because wood ducks tend to come to the same spots constantly, week after week.

But geese scouting the few days before the hunt is a must. For a success-

The author and his hunting buddy Andrew had good success with these two black ducks, as the result of prehunt scouting, and accurate wing-shooting with an older-model Remington 870. Luke Giampetruzzi photo

ful goose hunt, scouting is crucial, because geese are very stubborn, and sometimes they just don’t

start earlier.

4. Trout and salmon will react to dropping water temperatures and move into rivers and streams when water temperatures drop below 60 degrees, even if water flows remain low.

5. As the autumn progresses and days shorten, trout will start moving regardless of other conditions. Even in the driest and hottest of years, fish will move in western and northern Maine by the last week in September, and in southern Maine by mid-October.

6. What about trout and salmon that live in ponds and lakes with no significant inflow or outflow streams? In the fall, they will still move to the shoreline during periods of low light, looking for spawning sites – boggy areas with any inflow, any upwelling of ground water, or the smallest trickle of water entering or leaving the pond.

Autumn anglers spend hours researching where to fish, what gear to bring, and what fly patterns to try. Spend at least that much time monitoring the weather, river

want to come in to decoys but instead they want to do their own thing.

¶

flows and water temperatures so you can anticipate fish pre-spawn movement and be fishing at the right time.

¶

This four-pound-plus female brook trout lives deep in one of the Rangeley Lakes, but migrated up a small river to spawn where my wife caught her. Lou Zambello photo

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 41

Back Road Travels and Heritage Water Signs A good portion of the miles on my Jeep’s odometer are the result of navigating roads less traveled. That means gravel, not the urban blight known as “hot top” or “pavement.” Most Jeep owners will agree – the adventure begins where the pavement ends.

This summer I had a chance to prove that theory to my wife, Denise.

After all, the woman has suffered through five Jeep purchases, multiple off-road accessories, lift kits and insanely expensive tires designed to toss mud, snow and ice to one side. Her checkbook needed to see the end of the trail.

The Native Fish Coalition (NFC) and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM), along with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIF&W) have embarked on a project to post signs on 575 waters identified as “Heritage Waters.” Since I knew they were in need of volunteers, I offered to erect signs at five remote waters in the Jackman Region.

By definition, “Heritage Waters” are lakes or ponds that have naturally-reproducing brook trout or Arctic char and that have not had supplemental DIF&W stockings for at least 25 years.

Because they tend to be remotely-located, it takes kicking up dust with my new “mudders” and some boots on the ground to get these signs where they belong.

Usually, when I’m traveling on paper company roads, there’s no set destination. I just meander along until I find a “birdy” looking spot, pull over and let my bird hounds decide if we stay and hunt or kennel up and keep moving. At the end of the day I just backtrack my way out.

Finding remote lakes and ponds in the Jackman Region does take paying attention to my DeLorme maps, comparing that

to my GPS, searching Google Earth, and, most importantly, talking to anglers who have fished these waters. One main goal of the sign-posting operation is to position the signs at major access points for maximum visibility.

The local “intel” rates as important because

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Jackman Region (Continued from page 41)

south of the Shutdown Loop Road. Trading in my Jeep keys for a Gregory backpack loaded with sign-hanging tools, we hoofed it more than 1-1/2 miles farther, looking for a side trail to Gordon

Pond that never materialized. We decided to come back in the fall, after a good frost wipes out the underbrush.

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quote, “There is no trail – everyone just whittles their way through the woods to the pond.” Their other comment (“It’s got great fishing!”) also caught my attention.

Bulldog Camps My Jeep had no trouble motoring to Bulldog Camps – just take the Spencer Road and follow the signs. However, Denise decided we would use her phone GPS, ignoring the advice on the “directions” tab on Bulldog Camp’s website (www.BulldogCamp. com) which clearly states: Please follow these directions instead of trying to use a GPS device. We are surrounded by old logging roads that may or

may not be passable in their current condition.

Eventually we got back on the road and resumed following the signs.

At the end of the gravel road to Bulldog Camps, we found Enchanted Pond. I think that for the first time, Denise appreciated the beauty at the end of the trail. Darren Savage, owner of Bulldog Camps, and his helpful staff were quick to assist us with our project.

Savage already had a post down by his launch that read “Artificial Lures Only.” The new “Heritage Waters” sign made a nice addition to the unspoiled water.

When I asked for in-

tel on Little Enchanted Pond, Savage immediately sent two of his workers to install a post at the parking area for Little Enchanted. Once again, this spot – located off the Mead Road – has a pile of boulders that make it a parking area by default.

Anglers will have to see it on the way down to the water’s edge.

My work is not done here, as I have two more access trails to locate and post.

While in the area, we walked into Grace Pond, another pristine water just a short hike from drivable logging roads. It takes a little effort to access these remote waters, (Continued on next page)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 43 (Continued from page 42)

but I have yet to arrive disappointed.

For waters requiring more than one sign, I’ve developed a new plan.

I’ve had my eye on one of those ‘Pak Rafts” that weigh less than three pounds. Now that Mrs. Sheldon has been to the end of the road, I think she’ll see the need for a packable raft and how this valuable “tool” will make doing volunteer work much more efficient.

Heck, just get to one access site, post my sign, then paddle around the shoreline looking for other points of access. While checking that out, I could also drop a dry fly on the nose of any rising brook trout along the way.

Big Surprise The biggest surprise of our back roads travels was certainly Heald Pond. At the end of Heald Pond Road, we arrived at Moose River Outpost Camps. This 7,000-acre

When the Native Fish Coalition, in a joint effort with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, needed volunteers to post the 575 lakes and ponds deemed “Heritage Waters,” author Bill Sheldon decided to help out. Here he poses along the shores of one of the region’s many remote ponds. Bill Sheldon photo

facility sits on the shores of the pristine pond. I just didn’t expect such a large, well-run professional operation this far off the beaten path.

We quickly found Assistant Camp Director, Adam Jalovick who, after getting the nicely made signs approved by his higher-ups, offered to have his maintenance team install them. Orig-

inally we had planned to put up one sign, but they have requested two more.

Jalovick mentioned that the camp regularly assists angler with parking information and access guidelines.

Anyone looking to spend time touring the Pine Tree State while hanging a few signs can contact Emily Bastian, the Maine Chairperson

Bill and Denise Sheldon posting a “Heritage Water” sign along the shores of Enchanted Pond. Bulldog Camps owner Darren Savage helped by providing the post and the access to this pristine water. Bill Sheldon photo

of the Native Fish Coalition at emily.brooktrout@ gmail.com.

The signs, directions, fasteners and permission slips are stored at the SAM headquarters, located on Church Street in Augusta. I simply picked up my signs and headed for parts unknown.

For more information on the signage project, please check with the

NFC at www.nativefishcoalition.org.

For me, a guy who loves navigating the road less traveled and checking out great fishing hideaways, this project was a perfect fit.

Oh, did I mention I recently purchased a packable seven-piece fly rod?

¶

MAINE WILDLIFE QUIZ: Loons by Steve Vose

The Common Loon (Gavia immer) frequently can be heard singing its hauntingly beautiful call on lakes and ponds throughout its widely distributed range which includes Alaska, North America, Mexico, Europe, Africa and even (rarely) as far away as Japan.

The calls of the loon widely vary in response and reaction to perceived threats, territorial disputes, distress, mating and general communication.

The most common loon vocalization is the tremolo or “laughing” call. This call is characterized by its short wavering quality. It is comprised of 8-10 high notes, and is used primarily to communicate a loon’s presence to other loons on a body of water. It is also the only call loons use during flight.

Adult loons possess exquisite plumage that includes a black-and-white checkered back, iridescent black head, black bill, red eyes, a prominent white “necklace” marking, and a much smaller white “chinstrap” marking at the throat. The sexes look alike, though males are significantly larger and

heavier than females.

The loon has a natural ability to catch fish that would make any angler jealous.

Able to dive underwater as deep as 200 feet, the loon has no problem chasing, catching and eating fish as well as a wide range of other prey animals, including clams, crayfish, insects and even aquatic plants.

They swallow most prey underwater, where it is caught, but sometimes must surface to consume larger food.

Questions 1. What is the native range of the loon?

2. What can the various calls of the loon signify?

3. What is the most common loon vocalization?

4. How can you tell the difference between a male and female loon?

5.

6.

7.

8.

Evolution provided the loon with powerful legs and pelvic muscles for swimming, but is ungainly on land due to the legs being positioned at the rear of its body.

In early May, both the male and female loon work to construct a large nest out of grasses along the shore. A single brood is raised each year, with 1-2 chicks.

Within hours of hatching, the young leave the nest with the parents, swimming close by and sometimes riding on one parent’s back. Both parents feed the chicks live prey from the time they hatch to when they fledge. After about two months, they learn to feed – and fend for – themselves.

Biologists estimate that a pair of loons raising two chicks feed on approximately 1,000 lbs. of fish during the 6 months they spend in their breeding grounds. If able to successfully avoid predators, like snapping turtles, seagulls, bald eagles and northern pike, the loon can live up to 20 years, with the maximum recorded age being 29 years 10 months.

How deep underwater can a loon dive?

What do loons eat?

How much do loons eat?

How long does a loon typically live?

Answers on Page 61 www.MaineSportsman.com

44 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Moosehead Salmon, Brook Trout Fisheries Booming As cool September weather cools the water, fishing in Moosehead Lake heats up with every passing day. For a spectacular end to the open-water fishing season, Moosehead Lake ranks as one of the best choices for the serious angler.

Not only do salmon bite well now, but also the average size of salmon in Moosehead Lake has increased greatly over the past several years.

Moosehead Lake guide Bob Lawrence, operating out of Rockwood, says the average fish size is the largest he can recall, and Bob has plied the water for many years.

Likewise Moosehead guide Eric Holbrook – Eric has constantly whetted my appetite for fishing this past summer by sending me tantalizing photos of his clients holding massive brook trout and big, fat salmon.

And now in September, fish stir from the depths and put themselves in reach of anglers with lead-core line. Of course downrigger fishing helps get baits and lures down there when salmonids hang in deep water, but lead-core has its limits. Now, though,

Tiny lures and small shiners work well on Moosehead Lake now, since they closely approximate the size of the current year’s crop of smelt. I call them “little giants,” since they are diminutive in size but giants in their ability to catch big fish.

Salmon such as this 23-inch beauty await visiting anglers in September. Photo courtesy of Eric Holbrook, Moosehead guide

anglers using lead-core can find great sport.

Little Giants Remember that in late summer and early

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fall, young-of-the-year smelt make up the preponderance of smelt.

These show up on fish locators as big, irregular, geometric shapes. Find these and you will have found salmon. But using standard-size lures and

baits won’t take as many fish as smaller offerings.

Tiny lures and small shiners come into their own now, since they quite closely approximate the size of the current year’s crop of smelt, the primary food source for salmonids in Maine’s largest lake.

So if you have access to small-to-medium golden shiners, give them a try.

Also, small lures such as Mooselook Midgets fill the bill for matching the “smelt hatch.” I realize that lots of anglers will look at these tiny offerings as little more than trinkets, but these trinkets take fish now, and big ones. Which is why I call such lures “little giants,” since they are small in size, but giants in their fish-catching ability.

The best way to fish these diminutive lures is to fish them entirely solo, with no attached spinners or other hardware.

Readers may wonder how a salmon or trout in such a huge lake can even find such a tiny lure, but the fact is, they do, and with considerable regularity.

I fish Moosehead Midgets and other small lures off my downrigger.

Modern downrigger rods are light but strong, sensitive and, as my grandpa used to say, “Flexible as string of suckers.” So catching fish on one of (Continued on next page)

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these rods, sans all the trappings otherwise associated with trolling, makes for great and memorable sport.

West Outlet Those without a boat still have access to some fun fishing in September. West Outlet of the Kennebec River sees an annual fall introduction of 13- to 14-inch brook trout. Also, remember that quoted fish lengths in stocking reports are,

at best, averages. With every stocking, some individual fish will greatly exceed the stated length.

The dam pool at West Outlet, with its constant, flowing current, has everything needed to hold and grow salmonids.

Well-oxygenated water keeps trout in the area because these are exactly the conditions that trout seek. There is no need for the fish to scoot downstream to greener pastures, as stocked trout do in so many other places.

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Here’s another thing regarding these stocked brook trout at West Outlet – in Maine’s southern region, stocked trout, while handsomely colored, fat and healthy, don’t taste very good. Put-and-take trout are meant to be taken home and eaten, but fish released in the southern half of the state generally feature white flesh and, at best, an insipid (flavorless) taste. I’ve pretty much given up on trying to eat them, and people who know me well

know that when it comes to fish, there isn’t much I won’t eat.

But trout stocked in the Moosehead Region have nice, orange flesh, a sure sign that they will have a superior taste.

And they do. One of those fat brookies from East Outlet makes a gourmet meal for anyone who enjoys eating trout.

Finally, West Outlet contains salmon, too, and these can show up any time. Catching a lively salmon from the swirl-

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46 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Grilled Venison Steak September is an invigorating month. The weather varies between cool nights and warm days; the gardens push out as many vegetables as possible before the first frost; and we sit outside grilling until the first snowflake. (OK, and longer!)

Many of you have read that we lost our game freezer when our pipes froze last winter – that will not happen again. I have been so

lucky to receive wild game from those I met at this year’s State of Maine Sportsman’s Show.

Many thanks to each of you!!

Starting this month, I’ll be including some information about spices and herbs in each column. My pantry and drawers are full of wonderful spices and herbs, and they are very accessible to everyone. Most of my combinations are simple and you might not

think to add them to certain dishes, but I’ll provide guidance. And we have many sources for spices and herbs, both local and online.

One of my favorite resources is The Spice House. I know you’ve seen them mentioned in many of my food columns, and when you look at their website, you’ll see why. Along with fresh spices and herbs, they also list suggested recipes.

I know, I know, you keep seeing Urfa Biber in my dishes. I’m just trying to expand your pepper horizon. Who doesn’t like pepper?

Urfa Biber is a dried Turkish chili pepper cultivated in the Urfa region of Turkey. It has a smoky, raisin-like taste. It is not hot, yet has a little pepper kick. It is so delicious on game meats.

I served this steak up with fresh steamed sugar snap peas, sweet Nantes carrots and sweet peppers.

I love the color!

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Turn over, sprinkle with Urfa Biber and salt.

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¶

Moosehead Report (Continued from page 45)

perfect outdoor adventure, one that should appeal to anyone. It begins with several days of fishing Moosehead Lake during the last week of September. But don’t just bring fishing tackle – bring a shotgun and hunting clothes, as well.

After the open-water fishing season ends, switch gears and head out with the area’s grouse in mind. While good grouse hunting persists throughout the season, the www.MaineSportsman.com

birds are never easier to find than during the first week of bird-hunting season.

Those new to the area or unfamiliar with the many grouse and woodcock hotspots may wish to contact a local guide and make plans for a “surf-’n-turf” trip.

Just imagine an evening back at camp or lodge, enjoying a sizzling salmon fillet with grouse or woodcock breasts on the side.

Woodcock Heaven The future of woodcock hunting in Maine resides in the countless bird covers of the Moosehead Region. Development, the prime destroyer of woodcock and other gamebird

habitat, along with rampant posting, has made it extremely difficult for wingshooters in central and southern Maine to locate a day’s limit of birds. But with miles and miles of unposted land in the Moosehead area, upland hunting remains alive and well.

So bring your own dog or talk with guides you read about in the pages of The Maine Sportsman. and get ready for a memorable woodcock hunt. After one hunt, I’m sure you’ll want to come back for more. Good luck.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 47

Summer’s End Signals Better Fishing, Fewer Annoyances September marks one of the nicest times in Midcoast Maine. Biting insects have relented, and cool temperatures stimulate fish’s metabolisms, prompting them to eat more.

And here’s another thing that pretty much goes away in September – non-boater activity at area boat launch sites dwindles to almost none. Earlier in summer, swimmers, both adult and youth, as well as people taking their dogs for swims off boat ramps, create volatile conditions.

Here are two examples.

Taking my boat back to the landing at Unity Pond, I spied a group of children swimming in front of the ramp. Some adults were on the float, and I asked them to tell the kids that a boat was coming in and they should get away.

The adults, slowly and reluctantly, corralled the swimmers and herded them out of harm’s way.

I later asked the adults how they could take children swimming from the boat ramp when a nearby sign clearly stated that no swimming was permitted. They told me they had every right to violate that particular law because they lived nearby.

And then I was attempting to launch my boat at the boat launch off Route 105 in Camden on Megunticook Lake. A van with Florida plates was in the way, making it difficult to back down to the landing.

Finally, after considerable maneuvering, my boat was ready to go into

the water. But the man from the van was standing on the float, throwing a ball to his dog. The dog and man were right behind my boat, and seemed disinclined to move.

I told the man that this was a dedicated boat launch site and that for his own safety he and his dog should move out of the way, since I was going to launch my boat.

He objected, but finally moved.

Such irresponsible attitudes are all too common. The problem continues to escalate with each passing year, and more should be done by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (DIF&W) to educate the non-boating public of the dangers of swimming or otherwise obstructing boat ramps.

I remember well one Labor Day. Late August turned cool, and by early September water temperatures had dropped precipitously. I decided to try some topwater trolling with wobblers fished on a sinking fly line. A brown trout nailed my lure, and I clearly remember being tantalized by the aroma of people’s cooking fires and barbeques while landing my trout. While others were celebrating their holiday with picnics and get-togethers, I improved my time by participating in my favorite activity of all, trout fishing.

Sometimes in September, despite prolonged cool spells, Maine sees several days of very warm, pleasant weather.

For me, nothing beats being in my boat during those times, trolling for trout or togue. In fact,

Hot Trout While September brings cooler weather, it also ushers in some redhot trout fishing. And with fewer recreational boaters on the water, anglers can troll all day without having to negotiate the huge waves caused by speedboats.

This means that it is no longer necessary for anglers to hit the water early in order to fish unmolested.

Depending upon current conditions, water can cool to the point where trout and salmon come close to the surface, making them candidates for fishing with streamer flies and shallow-fished wobblers. And even if that doesn’t happen and fish remain fairly deep in the thermocline, their appetites still drive them to go on fierce feeding sprees.

September marks my favorite time to fish for togue at Swan Lake.

Fish congregate around the various schools of smelt. It’s easy to see this play out on a fish locator screen. The smelt appear as solid blocs and the fish, if the screen is set to show fish icons, it usually portrays extra-large icons, as in big fish, very near smelt schools.

These are what we go for in September, and most people who partake of this are amply rewarded. Find Swan Lake on the DeLorme Atlas, Map 22, E-5.

Perch, Too Fans of warmwater species also have their good times in September.

White perch form huge schools now, and they feed voraciously throughout the month. Often, on still mornings, these (Continued on page 49)

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48 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Fighting Technology in the Maine Woods From a distance, it looked like some kind of ancient religious ritual.

The camper stood on the beach of remote Telos Lake and held his arm fully extended from his body. He slowly swept the arm back and forth horizontally in a ninety-degree arc several times.

Then he lifted and lowered the same arm several times vertically in front of himself. Finally, holding the arm extended before him, he rotated the wrist repeatedly.

I was almost relieved when I got close enough to see that he held a GPS device in his hand. Instead of engaging in some obscure spiritual rite, the camper was simply doing a more modern ceremony – the dance of calibration for a GPS digital compass.

It wasn’t the first or the last time that thoughts of technology intruded on a recent canoe-camping trip to the remote northwest corner of Baxter State Park.

One of the reasons we canoed to remote Webster Lake was to escape the omnipresent technology of the modern world. But it followed us there, including a couple of devices packed in my own gear.

Here’s Webster outlet on a beautiful, calm day. We chose to go to Webster Lake precisely because it was a very remote location – out of the reach of modern technology.

However, the technology followed us. Andrews photo

ious stages of disrepair.

But when I plan a trip these days, it’s almost always the computer that I turn to first.

Google Earth™ permits me to scout a route anywhere in the state with highly-detailed sat-

Trip Planning Becomes a Digital Exercise I keep a huge number of paper maps that I have accumulated over the years. I also own a pile of outdated and discarded DeLorme’s Atlases in var-

ellite photos. Sitting in my pajamas at my home in Farmington, I can easily “fly” over any terrain on earth at heights as low as 1000 feet.

From that God-like perspective, I can clearly see the dock at the

canoe landing next to Chamberlain Bridge on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW). I can even see the picnic table in the parking lot next to the boat landing – a good lunch spot before launching a trip.

If I apply the free digital overlay – available on the Waterway’s website – each campsite on the AWW is marked and saved on the digital aerial photo images. For a closeup view and description of any campsite, I simply click on the campsite icon. With the photo of High Bank campsite on my screen, I can see that I should bring the extra-long tarp – for a tarp pole that extends over both the picnic table and fire place.

I can mark and save the proposed path of my planned route on the photo. A digital ruler will report the distance of my route between any two points in miles, yards, feet or inches. So I knew (Continued on next page)

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it was exactly 2.02 miles from Chamberlain Bridge to High Bank campsite, which was our destination for the first night.

As we paddled away from the boat landing, I congratulated myself on having a good plan in place. But I also thought about how great it felt to leave all that technology behind me, and actually go into the woods.

Webster Lake The canoe trip was for a small group of five Baxter State Park (BSP) enthusiasts.

Webster Lake is in the little-visited, northwest corner of the park. It’s accessible by canoe from Telos Lake via either a one-mile portage trail or a whitewater run down the Telos Cut. Following our plan, we paddled from Chamberlain Bridge and spent the first night on Telos Lake at one of the AWW campsites. The next day, we portaged the canoes, around Telos Dam and the whitewater, to Webster Lake.

We paddled to the far end, where BSP maintains a lean-to and campsite at the outlet of the lake.

On the fourth day, after two nights there, we reversed course and paddled back to Chamberlain Bridge.

Webster is remote and beautiful. It’s a popular trout, togue and whitefish destination in the winter months – when it’s accessible by snowmobile. There are also plenty of early-spring anglers who make the extra effort to get there. But in the summer months, the lake is one of the quietest in the state.

Defining Success The trip was a complete success by almost any measure. The two portages were muddy, hot and buggy – as any good mile-long portage should be. We had some rain and wind but mostly great weather. The Webster Outlet campsite inside BSP offers great views up the lake and big open skies for stargazing and campfire sitting. We never saw another person for our two-day stay.

But the guy on the beach doing the calibration dance with his GPS caught me off guard. We all chose to go to Webster Lake precisely because it was a very remote location – out of the reach

Midcoast Report (Continued from page 47)

schools are visible on top, splashing in the early-morning sun.

By slowly approaching these surface-feeding perch and then shutting off the motor and noiselessly gliding close enough to cast, anglers can take numbers of fish before the school eventually heads back down to deeper water.

September may present the best white perch fishing of the season. Hungry schools hang in 10 – 20 feet of water, and when they’re located, they bite like mad.

One September, while fishing Quantabacook Lake in Searsmont, I hooked many 2-and 2 ½ -pound perch. A few fish weighed over 3 pounds and unbeknownst to me, would have qualified as the record white perch, had not the record, a falsified smallmouth bass made to look like a white perch, still held the title. So I can say I took the record perch in fact, but not officially recognized.

For trip-planning purposes, technology can’t be beat. Here, a computer application overlays route and campsite data onto a Google Earth aerial photograph.

of modern technology.

But the technology had followed us. It seems to follow us more frequently, and more tenaciously, as the years pass. So was the trip really a success?

Struggle with Technology I had my own GPS tucked away in my gear.

And right next to it was a DeLorme In-Reach™ transmitter that can act as a personal locator beacon – directing emergency responders to my location via GPS signal if necessary. The In-Reach also allows me to transmit non-emergency text messages to and from anywhere in the world – regardless of cell phone

coverage.

I consider it negligent to host people in remote locations without these devices being available.

If a heart attack or stroke occurs on a difficult portage, if someone makes a serious mistake with an axe, or if a deep-woods novice wanders off a hiking trail and gets lost, one thing is certain – the surviving family member of that camper is going to point to me and say something like this: “Were your anti-technology prejudices so important to you that you couldn’t carry an affordable, compact device that would have saved his/her life?”

I don’t have a good

answer to that potential question – and so I carry the technology.

When one of the campers on the trip pulled out his cell phone at the campfire one night and used it to identify the planets and constellations above our heads, I thought, “Who am I to criticize?”

When another camper downloaded the GPS information from his watch to his cell phone, so that he could tell us the number of miles he paddled that day, I remained quiet.

A heavy sigh was all I could muster on each occasion. If this is a battle, I’m losing it.

¶

I asked a DIF&W biologist what made these perch so large, and he told me that every once in a blue moon, a year-class of perch will make unprecedented growth gains. Everything has to be right for this, and the exact requirements remain kind of fuzzy. Sadly, my biologist friend told me, this may never happen again, at least not in our lifetimes.

Canoe Trip Every once in a while, I’ll make the canoe trip to Smith Pond on Goose River in Swanville. After launching at the Smart Road Bridge, it’s a long paddle, with lots of curves and oxbows. But it’s worth the effort, because the pond contains 10- to 12-inch white perch, along with pickerel and even brook trout, the result of DIF&W stocking Goose River in spring.

It’s a nature-lover’s trip, too, with eagles and ospreys flying overhead, and deer and other wildlife species walking along the shore. Find Smith Pond on Map 22, E-5.

¶

Brown trout bite well in September. Tom Seymour photo www.MaineSportsman.com

50 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Sacred Cows Make the Best Hamburger As youths, many of us were taught different rules regarding trout fishing. Certain of these rules were considered unyielding – set in stone, and not subject to change.

And again, too many of us adhered to these rules as if they were settled law. But to every rule exists an exception, and that goes double for trout fishing, salmon fishing and even togue fishing.

Those who dare not stray from the norm do themselves a disservice. Very often, fish fail to respond to tried-and-true methods. So instead of keeping on in the same mode, the wise angler tries something new.

many other bright-silver misconceptrolling sets? tions had I You bet. labored unBait Too der all these “Big bait years? Too for big fish,” many, as it was someturned out. thing many For inof us learned stance, I was early on in taught that our angling gold-colored careers. But lake trolling is this catchsets were This brown trout fell to shiny silver Northeast Troller spoon all phrase set. Tom Seymour photo the only accurate?

Troller, a Maine-based sets that Not necessarily. fishing tackle company. brown trout would bite Some years ago, I These spoons are suon. Salmon were restrictlearned that small baitper-thin, which makes ed to silver, while copper fish work as well or better them much lighter than worked best for togue. than large ones for trout traditional spoons. And Perhaps there was some and even togue. This was this set is so shiny you almerit to these strictures, a great revelation and it most need sunglasses to but if so, it was difficult has served me well. view them. Even the rudto detect. Too many years

Since then, my choice der, lightweight as well, passed with me being Color Coded of bait for trout, salmshines, due to a glittering unwilling to try different It was my good foron and togue, with one holographic image on eicolor spoon sets for differtune to know some great exception, tends toward ther side. ent fish. old-time anglers in my small sizes. That excep Trying this lake troll Then I began usyouth, and these guys tion is that in spring, set on my first trip of the ing Les Davis lake troll taught me a lot about both shiners and smelt season for brown trout sets with gold-and-silver trolling. I learned how are mostly adult, fullwas a real eye-opener. blades, and these took to sew on bait using fine sized fish, and for best The lake contains both all species of salmonids copper wire stripped from results, larger bait fill the brown and rainbow trout, indiscriminately.

After a generator armature. bill. But for most of the and it was on my mind that, I began trying difThis was a laborious, delopen-water season, small that only rainbows would ferent kinds of lake troll icate task and it made me baitfish consistently elicgo for this brilliant-silsets. And in the interproud to master it. Years it more strikes than large ver offering. Boy, was I vening years, something later, sliding bait rigs hit ones. Thus, another sawrong. happened to lake troll the market and being cred cow enters the meat Soon after arriving sets – they became much a dedicated fan of sewn grinder. at my chosen spot, a fish lighter than the old Dave bait, I considered the new This concept also aphit and the fight was on.

Davis and Les Davis sets. rig as somehow inferior. plies to lures when fishAfter bringing the fish to They were also far brightBig mistake. ing in summer. Smaller the surface, it leaped like er than the old sets.

Then one day I tried a wobbling spoons take far a salmon, which made me sliding bait rig, and I haNew Trollers more fish than larger sizthink it was a rainbow ven’t looked back since. It This spring, I tried a es. trout. But when the trout was as if a light had lit in set of all-silver trolling Small Sets hit the landing net, I saw my consciousness. How spoons from Northeast

Even the size of the it was an 18-inch brown lake troll sets we use can trout. make a big difference in Wondering if this was our catch rate. It never a fluke, I tried again, occurred to me to use anyand this time caught a thing but full-size sets, Your site for the complete line of 19-inch brown, fat as a ® until one day I recalled butterball. And then, as TASMANIAN DEVIL Lures how in my youth, we took if to quash any lingering trout on small spinner doubts, I caught and resets. Taking this a step leased a 4-pound brown further, it seemed reatrout.

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sized sets would work as well now as they did more than 50 years ago.

To put this notion to the test, I fished a small pond that was known for brown trout and brook trout. This was in August, and low-water conditions prevailed. Nonetheless, much to my amazement, a good-sized brook trout struck my minnow.

Of course, small-size lake trolls will work anywhere, but it appears they are especially effective in low-water situations. But even on large waters where low-water conditions are seldom a problem, these small lake trolls stand as a good option.

My idea is to use a 12-inch-long set on my lead-core rod and a larger, Northeast Troller set on the downrigger rod.

And don’t think for a minute that a small trolling set’s reduced size in any way diminishes its effectiveness, because that just isn’t true. In fact, I often run a plain shiner or smelt as a stand-alone offering, with no shiny attractors whatsoever. As a Maine guide friend once said regarding trolling with a plain, unadorned bait: “Don’t worry, they’ll find it.” And my pal was correct. Sometimes a plain bait works best of all.

Experiment, Experiment So just remember that nothing in fishing is set in stone and it’s okay to experiment. And who knows – the next time you try something new or different, a trophy trout may come as your reward. Best of luck in this.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 51

Trapping Safety Safety while on the trap line is of great importance to trappers, since they usually work alone.

A few trappers have trapping partners, which is a safety factor all its own.

To have someone there to help in an emergency is obviously a great benefit.

With that said, most trappers trap alone, so being careful and avoiding mishaps are very important. Threats to safety can happen to anyone, and at any time.

Trappers can be injured by the trap itself if they are setting or relocating the device. They can be scratched or bitten by animals they are trying to release unharmed.

Take a first aid course and a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course. They are both worthwhile, don’t take much time and are available at reasonable cost.

Warm, Bright Clothes Be smart and do not take unnecessary risks.

Ensure you have the appropriate clothing while out of doors. Do not forget – it does not have to be cold outside for you to get hypothermia.

Wool clothing is essential for the trap line.

Wool is a good insulator, and in my opinion it’s far superior to synthetics, since even when wet it will help keep you warm.

Long johns, layered wool clothing, a warm cap and a nylon outer shell to block the wind are wise choices. The cap and outer shell should be brightly-colored (rather, for example, than the popular camouflage patterns), to make yourself visible to rescuers if necessary.

Wear hunter orange, especially during hunting season. Hunters have

If you are going to release a trapped animal, avoid scratches or bites by using a catch pole. A catch pole holds the animal firmly by the neck and away from you while it’s being removed from the trap.

Two items every trapper needs on hand: a body grip setting tool and catch pole.

shot trappers. I know firsthand, because I lost one of my high school trapping friends to a deer hunter in a town near Sebago Lake over fifty years ago. Hunter orange has gone a long way in preventing these tragedies.

Ice picks should be used while working on ice. If you break through the ice, these sharp handheld devices allow you to jab the spike ends into the ice and pull yourself out of the water.

A pair of picks should be attached to each other with a cord and worn around the neck while on the ice, especially in the early winter when the ice is thin and in the spring when the ice thickness is deteriorating.

while some trappers use homemade ones.

• TRAP STABILIZER – Trap stabilizers in several sizes and styles are used to safely set larger-sized body-grip traps such as the #220, #280 or #330 in the water for otter and beaver.

They allow for a safer placement of the trap, as opposed to using random, nearby sticks, and permit the trapper to hold the trap in place. They also prevent injury to the trapper while safety latches and safety device are removed.

• LONG SPRING DEPRESSING TOOL – This tool allows a trap-

per to depress the long springs on a foothold trap.

A U-shaped clip is placed over the spring to keep it depressed while the second spring is depressed, allowing the trapper to set the trap.

• PAN COVERS – Pan covers are used to cover trap pans while making dirt hole sets.

They cover the pan on a set trap, allowing the trapper to tightly pack dirt around and inside the set trap without firing the trap. Afterwards, they are lifted off, and the trapper can then apply a thin covering of dirt over the trap set hiding the pan.

• BODY GRIP SAFETY LATCHES – These safety latches come installed on the springs of the double spring body grip traps.

They are a safety device used to keep each spring compressed while setting the traps trigger assembly and while installing the trap at the set. Once the trap is in place, they are disconnected from the spring and are allowed to “hang down,” allowing the springs to close the trap when the animal enters it.

• BODY GRIP SAFETY DEVICE – A safety device used on the larger body grip-traps to hold the jaws together once the trap is set. This provides safety while setting the trap in place.

This insures that the trap will not fire while being put in place. These traps are powerful and can hurt you. The larger-sized ones are dangerous for the trapper to handle while setting in place. This device is removed after the safety latches are released from (Continued on page 53)

Helpful Tools and Safe Practices Fortunately, there are various devices and methods that should be utilized as a routine to help prevent accidents, or to minimize the impact if an accident occurs. These include: • CATCH POLE – A catch pole is used if you are going to free an animal. It holds the animal by the neck while it’s being removed from the trap. There are several different types that are available for purchase, www.MaineSportsman.com

52 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Easily Carrying Canoes or Kayaks on Off Road Vehicles Carrying a canoe or kayak to and from fishing areas can be simple or difficult, depending on the method employed.

For years, I just threw the watercraft into the bed of the truck, secured it with a bungee cord or ratchet strap, and headed out on the road to my fishing destination.

This easy method works fine for short trips on smooth roads. However, several other methods offer more secure and sound ways to carry canoes and kayaks for the Off-Road Traveler.

A friend of mine uses a trailer to haul his canoe.

www.MaineSportsman.com

The two primary factors to consider when deciding on a method of carrying a canoe or kayak are 1) safety (you don’t want the small boat flying off the vehicle when you’re underway or braking suddenly)); and 2) ease of loading and unloading the watercraft. Roof racks or truck captop racks greatly simplify the transportation challenge.

Now, this may sound silly until you understand... his canoe is outfitted with so many extras that it wouldn’t fit properly on top of any truck or car.

Even lifting this heavily-accessorized canoe into the bed of a truck would take two men and a boy.

The canoe has large, comfy seats with back rests, two outriggers on

each side, a pulley system for the anchor in the bow, and lots of other goodies.

Fishing from the canoe is a dream – so comfortable and no worrying about tipping over. The small trailer handles well and makes loading and unloading a breeze.

When traveling with canoes and kayaks on the roads around here, there

are two things of main importance to consider.

First and foremost is safety. Nobody wants to get hurt – or hurt someone else – by having the craft fly off the vehicle during transport.

The second consideration is the ease of loading or unloading. It’s no fun to struggle with a canoe or kayak when trying

to take it off or load it on to the car or truck.

The Rack A simple rack solves 99 percent of the problems that can occur when traveling with a watercraft on top of the car or truck. I’ve seen some that work perfectly that were nothing more than handbuilt, two-by-four racks.

Certain companies also produce lighter aluminum racks that conveniently handle even the largest of canoes or kayaks. I like these because they can easily be removed from the truck when they aren’t being (Continued on next page)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 53 (Continued from page 52)

used.

For those of us who like to have a cap (topper) on the bed of the truck, simply find a company that manufactures a cap with a rack built right into the cap. I will probably get this kind of a cap because I like the idea of carrying my watercraft on top and having the extra space in the covered bed of the truck for sleeping or storage.

A few years back I purchased a kayak rack from Thule (thule.com) to fit onto my wife’s Toyota

Camry. The rack installs easily, and I can take it on and off the car without difficulty. They really nailed it on this system by making it go together easily, even for non-mechanical folks like me.

I recently purchased an innovative item for carrying canoes or kayaks on the tops of cars without the need for installing a car rack. My kayak-paddling granddaughter will be going to college this year, and she doesn’t really know what car she’ll be driving, so I bought her a universal

Trapping Silent Places (Continued from page 51)

the springs.

• BODY GRIP SETTING TOOL – Several different types of trap setters may be used. The one displayed at the beginning of this column is the most common and easiest to use. These use the principle of leverage to compress the springs. Another type operates like a chalking gun, which uses the squeeze grip to compress the springs.

Common Sense Safety If you carry an axe or ice chisel, it’s best to cover the sharp edge with a safety cov-

kayak/canoe carrier consisting of a two soft foam tubes that are secured to the front and back of the roof by using ratchet straps tightened down by drawing them tight inside the vehicle through the opened doors.

It looks like a great system with a lot of possibilities for use on several differing styles of vehicles.

Last Thoughts As I mentioned at the beginning of this column, safety is concern number one, so make sure to strap things down securely.

In my opinion, a regular ratchet strap works much better than rope (and I was in the U. S. Navy).

An old timer told me long ago, “Always be sure to have at least one strap tying the canoe to the vehicle.” What he was referring to was that some folks just tie the watercraft to a rack that sits on top of the car or truck.

They put all their faith in the belief that the rack will never come off the vehicle.

I make sure to run a line around the canoe or kayak and bring it

er. Most covers are hand-made out of thick leather. This can prevent a serious wound if the trapper were to fall on the blade.

Firearms carried while trapping do not need to have a cartridge in the chamber.

The safest way of carrying a weapon while working is to have no cartridge in the chamber. If you prefer to carry your firearm fully loaded, be careful and ensure the safety is functional.

The most-used trap line firearm is the .22 rimfire. Its small size does not lessen its potential as a deadly firearm.

There are many precautions that one can take to prevent possible injuries or health risks on a trap line. For example, your

through the open doors of the vehicle, so that it will hold it to the truck or car no matter what else gives out.

Also, make sure to have orange flags or other highly-visible material hanging off anything that sticks out beyond the rear of the vehicle. When I toss my canoe in the bed of the truck, even for a short ride, I always have an orange rag hanging from the rear tip of the canoe, so other folks can easily see the tail end of the canoe.

¶

snowshoe binding should have a quick-release mechanism, if your snowshoe plunges into deep snow or through the ice.

You should always carry waterproof matches and a fire starter. Bring a change of warm clothing in your truck or on your snow machine.

A CB radio, as well as a cell phone or a vehicle phone/GPS system (such as GM’s OnStar) should be available in your vehicle.

Practice water safety while using a canoe or small boat, and always wear a life jacket. The cold waters of the winter trapping seasons are most dangerous.

Stay safe out there.

¶

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54 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Bear and Fall Turkey Hunting in Central Maine September arrives, bringing with it a marked decrease in the number of biting insects, a slight nip to the evening air and dramatic color changes in local foliage.

It is also this time of year when hunters begin to develop that wild and crazy look in their eyes, as the excitement of the impending arrival of hunting season builds to a crescendo.

One of the events I will be partaking in this hunting season is the pursuit of black bears in Central Maine! Yes, that is right folks – multiple black bear sightings have been made in the state capital, right here in Augusta. Several bears were spotted just a few miles

Want to experience heart-thumping excitement and challenge? Give bear hunting a try, including here in the Augusta area and outskirts where sightings have become common. Youth Bear Day is August 25 this year, and licensed hunters can pursue bears during the general season from August 27 through November 24th. from my house.

While some might not like the idea of a large predator roaming around in their backyard, for me this is exciting news!

Bear Hunting Bear hunting provides an adrenaline-pumping adventure, guaranteed to raise goose bumps on even the calmest and most reserved outdoors people. An urge exists deep within our primitive minds that signals

an instinct to run when an immense meat-eating animal lumbers out of the woods, suddenly and mere yards from a hunter’s shooting position.

Few other creatures appear quite as mighty and powerful as a truly massive black bear, and even professional hunters feel their hearts beat heavy just at the sight of these bruins.

If you have never tried bear hunting, I strongly

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Youth bear day is August 25 this year, and licensed hunters can pursue bears during the general season from August 27 through November 24th.

Call ’Em In While black bear are primarily hunted in Maine over bait or by using dogs, another method of hunting them, quickly growing in popularity, is using predator calls.

Calling bears offers a different type of hunt, and it can be extremely difficult to trick them into shooting distance. Unlike calling other predators like the finicky fox and the cautious coyote, calling bears requires either a lot of lung power or an electronic calling device.

Bruins have extremely short attention spans, and when the calling stops, so will the approaching bear. Screaming rabbit is a popular Maine choice, but hunters will need to practice an extreme level of patience and maintain continuous calling sequence lasting for an hour or more before they

can expect a bear to lumber into shooting range.

When choosing a location to set up your calling sequence, a number of factors must be considered. Sites should preferably be in thick wooded spots beside swamps or near small streams where food and water is readily available. Hot September days can often find big bears hiding out in these damp areas as a way of staying cool during the full heat of the day.

Swamps closely bordering beechnut-laden ridges are prime black bear habitat. Extensive scouting for sign and the use of game cameras will greatly help hunter’s pinpoint prime areas and maximize their time spent calling.

Determining the predominant wind direction, and placing stands or ground blinds directly downwind or crosswind from the expected direction of approach, will increase the chance of fooling the sensitive noses of these bruins. Hunters should still always be cautious, as a bear coming in to what it believes is lunch is often anything but predictable.

Fall Turkey Hunting bears not quite to your liking? Well fortunately, the fall wild (Continued on page 56)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 55

Cool Days Find Tom Trolling Ah, September! Cool evenings and mild days hearken back to late spring and early summer, but fall is just around the corner. While this month deer hunters get their first crack at archery during the expanded season, die-hard anglers give one last push before stowing their gear and pulling the boats for the season.

Water temps drop and fish move around at varying depths to the delight of anglers. Monitoring temperatures and marking fish put the savvy angler on the bite for salmon and togue this month.

Sebago Science This year, anglers got

Sebago Lake features a new monitoring buoy that measures temperature, water clarity and dissolved oxygen levels. Data is sent directly to the internet, where it’s available to anglers! I caught two salmon and a togue just by knowing the depth at which ideal temperatures could be found. a treat on the region’s biggest water, Sebago Lake (DeLorme Atlas, Map 5, B-1). St. Joseph’s College, in conjunction with the Portland Water District, placed a lake-monitoring buoy in Lower Bay that provides up-to-the-minute feeds of water temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll (detects and measures algae) and water clarity. The best news is that anglers can access this data, too!

Spending as many days on the water as I could this year, I was excited in May when news about the buoy was released. I quickly went to the App Store and downloaded the free app “Live Data Center” and selected “Sebago Lake” from the drop-down list. I was seeing the exact temperature at varying depths.

One July day, I decided to put the data to the test. I saw that the water temperature between 32 and 40 feet was between 48 and 50 degrees, prime salmon temps. I set my downrigger in that range and let out some leadcore line for the same depth.

Sure enough – I caught two salmon and a togue in short order. You

have to convert meters to feet, but this was a great aid to anglers wanting to know at what depth the optimum temperatures are found.

Sebago Salmon Sebago sees a lot of boating and recreational action all summer long, but this month the lake settles down, and fewer folks race around in boats or on jet-skis. While I am always sad to see summer wane, I relish the quiet of the lake as the season turns. Now my usual morning trolling sessions extend later in the day, and I often go out in the (Continued on next page)

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Sebago to Auburn (Continued from page 55)

afternoon and fish until dark.

Sebago salmon devour smelts in the springtime, but unless you have frozen bait left over or buy “pickled” smelt, lures are the best bet this month.

Lewiston angler Rene Lavoie, a long-time Sebago fisherman, freezes up his saltwater smelt for trolling and always gives me an update of his stock as we get late into the season. This year, I stocked up on pickled smelt, just to be sure to have enough on hand for this month.

Other good options are the myriad artificial smelt imitations out there. I have run a few “tests” and found that area salmon and lakers bite almost as frequently on the life-like artificials as they do the real thing.

When you mark fish at specific depths or are attempting to present your bait or lure at a certain temperature zone, a downrigger is indispensable, so you will see many in use on the Big Lake by guides and recreational anglers. Whether you’re targeting the bottom for togue or a specific depth for salmon, downriggers get the offering in the exact spot you want it.

Early this summer on Sebago, I trolled hardware behind my downrigger with success. Finding a thin lure that wouldn’t dip below the cannonball was easy once I was

contacted by a lure-maker from Maine who has resurrected the famous Sutton spoons. Carlson’s Northeast Troller puts out a line of heavy and light spoons in a variety of finishes. I prefer the thin spoons for downrigger trolling, and found the copper/nickel finish drew in both salmon and lakers.

Other top September lures on Sebago include the Mooselook wobblers in anything orange. I’m not sure what it is about that color, but Sebago salmon love it. DB smelts, another thin trolling lure, work wonders on Sebago salmon this month, too.

Finding the fish is easy with a fish-finder, even on a big lake like Sebago.

Traditionally, fish hold in certain spots depending on the time of year. I find salmon and the occasional togue in shallower water this month, but they can be just about anywhere.

With less lake traffic, trolling between Frye Island and Frye’s Leap is easier. Fish seem to cruise this natural channel, and it gets quite deep, even right against Frye’s Leap.

I have an old 1960s map of the lake that has many of the “old-time” fishing spots named. One such spot is the Camel Pasture, near Harmon’s Cove, where the bottom rises up sharply. If

Central Maine (Continued from page 54)

turkey hunting season is open in WMAs 1517, 20-25 and 28, from October 1 through November 7.

Many fall hunters may still have the “spring” mindset that they can only shoot a gobbler, but remember – in the fall, hunters can also harvest hens and poults.

Shooting a hen is no more wrong than shooting a doe deer, and after eating a tender hen or poult deliciously slow-cooked in a crock-pot, hunters may never want to eat a www.MaineSportsman.com

you can troll around the “hump,” you will likely bump into suspended fish.

Thompson Lake Thompson Lake (Map 11, E-1) is another busy summer lake that slows down to a manageable pace this month. I had some great salmon fishing at ice-out on Thompson this year, so I’ll be sure to come back at least once this month.

Lures, bait or flies work well this month on Thompson Lake, and everyone has their favorite offering. I’ve had luck late season on the lake with green colored DB smelt lures.

Thompson Lake anglers do well trolling the waters at varying depths around Megquire (yup, that’s how it’s spelled!)

Island, and in and around Potash Cove. These spots are time-honored fertile grounds! Anglers launching in Otisfield at the top of the lake do well trolling the big bay of the lake.

Lake Auburn Lake Auburn (Map 11, E-4), unlike the other lakes mentioned, doesn’t get the summer activity due to the “no body contact with the water” restriction in effect. Anglers head to Lake Auburn all summer, but not in big numbers.

There is a small fraternity of Lake Auburn anglers who fish all summer long, and do well, but the lake has some great salmon and laker numbers, so there’s room for a

The author likes trolling with a downrigger during cool September mornings. Photo by Tom Roth

few more of us to join!

Start out by trolling along the buoys that separate openfrom closed-waters. The water drops quickly, and leadcore anglers do well when they watch the depth and let-out or retrieve line based on the changing depths.

Again, lures, bait or flies work well this month – it’s a personal preference. If I had to bring one

gobbler again.

Hunters chasing turkeys in the fall need to modify their tactics, compared to what they employed during the spring season.

Unlike the spring hunt, fall turkeys are a completely different animal.

One of my favorite fall turkey hunting tactics involves spot-and-stalk on single birds. Using binoculars, I locate a solo bird and work to intercept its path. Having a decoy and employing soft clucks and purrs helps to nudge the bird toward you if it starts to wander off track.

With luck, the bird will continue on its

offering to Lake Auburn, I’d take a gold or orange Mooselook wobbler, and troll the paint off of it. My second choice would be bait or a bait imitation.

Cool September mornings are best enjoyed in the boat with lines in the water, a warm cup of coffee in hand and the anticipation of a fish’s strike.

Good luck this month!

¶

trajectory and walk directly in the path of your awaiting gun barrel.

Another favorite technique is patterning flocks and simply setting up between the roost and their food supply.

Game cameras can be extremely effective tools to help pattern turkeys. By showing exactly where and when birds are walking through or visiting a particular area, hunters can use this information to be precisely where the birds are, thereby using maximum efficiency of a hunter’s time and energy afield.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 57

Franchi Heads Down a Challenging New Road Luigi Franchi started manufacturing firearms in 1868, and the company he built in Brescia, Italy remained in family hands until 1987. Luigi’s heirs sold the firm to the Socimi Corporation of Milan, and left the firearms scene.

Socimi went bankrupt just six years after purchasing the Franchi properties. In the bankruptcy settlement, Beretta acquired the Franchi brand. Today the wellknown gunmaker Benelli (which was also purchased by Beretta) produces Franchi firearms.

Benelli imports both their top-selling shotguns and Franchi products through the subsidiary Benelli USA, located in North Kansas City, Missouri. At present, the names of Benelli and Franchi bring knowing looks from any shooters associated with

well-crafted, high-performing, moderately-priced shotguns. They each hold well-deserved reputations among waterfowlers and other fans of semi-automatic shotguns.

Franchi’s lines of “Instinct” over/under shotguns and “Affinity” semi-automatics number among the top sellers around the country.

The “Catalyst” variation of both models offers a gun that’s crafted, shaped and engineered for female shooters. The current Franchi catalog says, “Catalyst’s drop, cast, pitch and length-ofpull are all tailored for a woman’s build.”

The Franchi Company fought long and hard to obtain its place among the industry’s leaders.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the company’s founding. To celebrate the occasion,

Franchi launched an entirely new product into a segment of the market where they hold no previous experience – they chose to offer a bolt-action hunting rifle.

Breaking Ground In an already-crowded market, Franchi’s move to produce a bolt-action game rifle is unusual enough to earn the cover story in the July 2018 issue of American Rifleman, and garner feature articles in many other shooting publications. This year marks the advent of the Franchi “Momentum,” a practical, weather-resistant, polymer stocked rifle that showcases 21st century design and engineering, as well as a good dose of Italian artistry.

American Rifleman executive editor Joe Kurtenbach wrote in a recent article that the Momen-

tum “has class and styling, including some lines you would be unsurprised to find on a European long gun, but the design also shows restraint and emphasizes utility.” He goes on to state that the rifle “demonstrates an understanding of American sensibilities.”

As the first to field test the Momentum in North America, Kurtenbach knows from experience the aspects of this rifle, and his praise is earned, not given.

Readers of The Shooter’s Bench know that synthetic stocks of any kind on rifles or shotguns gain little favor here. However, this may be the rifle that changes that long-held attitude.

Momentum’s molded polymer stock is innovative, practical and striking to look at. Its features were put in place to improve marksmanship.

The stock is textured

to replicate checkering in four places that facilitate a better grip. Together with unusual recessed sling studs and a somewhat glossy finish on the surface of the stocks, the Momentum gives a much more pleasing appearance than other synthetic-stocked firearms.

Momentum’s bolt contributes to its striking good looks. Milled from a single piece of steel, the bolt features three lugs, chrome finish and spiral flutes that really catch the eye. The bolt’s 60-degree throw enhances a rapid subsequent shot when one is needed.

Gaining Momentum Franchi offers the Momentum in six distinctly American calibers. Barrel lengths and rifling twist correspond to the chosen caliber. Anyone could expect such a European ri(Continued on next page)

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Shooter’s Bench (Continued from page 57) fle to come in 7x57mm or 6.5 Swedish Mauser, or perhaps some other Continental cartridge. However, Momentum is offered in .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-’06 Springfield, and .300 Winchester Magnum. With the exception of the 6.5 Creedmoor and .300 Winchester Magnum, these are popular but old-school offerings.

Momentum rifles carry an internal box magazine. The .300 Winchester Magnum holds three rounds, but all of

the other calibers fit four rounds. A lug on the bolt face acts as the push for the push-feed system, meaning when the bolt moves forward the lug catches the top round in the magazine and pushes it into the chamber.

Barrels for the Momentum come threaded for screw-on muzzle brakes or sound suppressors. Screw-on knurled caps protect the threads when no accessory is in place. No Momentum barrels come with iron sights, but all are drilled and tapped for two-piece

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scope bases in the Remington style. Rifles chambered in .243, .270 and .308 offer an alternative non-threaded barrel.

Triggers for the Momentum adjust from two pounds to four pounds, as the owner prefers. And the rifles weigh about 6.6 or 6.7 pounds, depending on barrel length. A telescopic sight adds about one additional pound.

Presumably for this year only, Franchi offers a 150th anniversary edition of the Momentum. It comes in .30-’06 and with a non-threaded barrel. A high-grade walnut stock replaces the polymer one offered on all standard versions. A colorful 150th anniversary inscription sits on the right rear

Franchi offers their new, first-ever center-fire rifle in combination with a Burris scope as a purchase option.

side of the receiver. The beautiful wooden stock carries checkering in all the same places as on the molded stocks, but it omits the unusual sling swivel studs.

Price Point Unlike other European imports such as Blaser, Heym, or Beretta, Franchi offers Momentum at very reasonable prices. At $609, the MSRP for Momentum comes in at about half of what it takes to purchase

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A new rifle that’s better suited to the rugged hunting conditions of Maine, and in the most popular Maine calibers, cannot be found at these prices. Maine hunters in search of a new rifle this year ought to give some serious consideration to Franchi’s first venture into the realm of bolt actions. Momentum seems a well-chosen name for this product, as it takes an audacious plunge in an already tough and crowded market.

Watch for additional reports from the upcoming hunting season that offer more details as to Momentum’s performance under field conditions. The early news suggests a worthy alternative has come among us.

¶

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 59

Why Phenology is Important to Anglers and Hunters OK, I’ll admit it – somehow the word “phenology” had eluded me for the first fifty-some years of my life. I’m sure it was probably there all along, but I just wasn’t paying attention. It’s funny how, once something enters your realm of attentiveness, you start to see it everywhere.

Maybe this word has eluded you as well. No matter – most Maine sportsmen and women are practicing phenologists, whether they realize it or not. Let’s explore how and why.

What’s in the Word?

Phenology (noun) – the study of the timing of the biological events in animals and plants such as mating, migration, nesting, hibernation and flowering, and one of the oldest branches of environmental science, dating back thousands of years.

For ancient hunter-gatherers, understanding these seasonal patterns was a matter of survival. As civilization advanced, people began observing nature and recording when certain events happened each year.

The word phenology was coined in Europe around 1850, but didn’t regularly appear in English publications until around 1880. Phenology comes from the Greek phainos (to show) and logos (to study) meaning that the word describes the study of when things appear. #phenology Two years ago, I came across the word in Northern Woodlands magazine,

Phenology is the study of when things happen in nature, and why – how animal and plant behavior is affected by factors such as water temperature, hours of daylight, first frost, ice-out, lunar cycles and other events. It’s critical information for hunters and fishermen. which publishes a newsletter with phenological charts, such as when wood frogs, spring peepers and bull frogs begin their mating calls.

Now I see the term everywhere, probably thanks to the emergence of hash-tags in social media. #phenology is very active and popular today, in part because of the growing interest in how climate change affects biological processes and ecological systems.

As the study of when things happen in the biological world, phenology keys on the seasonal cycles and climatic cues that trigger changes in metabolism, biochemical reactions or instinctive behavior. Things like water temperature, hours of daylight, first frost, ice out, lunar cycles and other abiotic phenomena have a particular, often predictable, response in our flora and fauna.

Hunting and Fishing Hunters and anglers both rely heavily on phenology as part of their routines. Deer hunters watch for signs that whitetail deer are rubbing the velvet off their antlers and marking out their territories, signaling the start of the rut.

The shedding of velvet and rubbing behavior are apparently triggered by the shorter hours of daylight in late August and early September.

Turkey hunters listen for the very first gob-

ble-gobble call on a spring morning, and smile when they see that first big tom strutting and spreading its tail feathers in a sunny clearing. Writing these events on the calendar is phenology, plain and simple.

Bird hunters anticipate and share news of the arrival of “flight birds” – migrating woodcock that come through in the fall from Canada, heading south. A mild fall means a later migration – and the actual timing will depend on daily or weekly weather patterns. Flight arrivals are mapped by The Ruffed Grouse Society on their website.

For fly anglers, hatch charts are the summary of decades of phenological observations about when insects hatch from the aquatic nymph stage to the adult flying stage.

March browns in May, green drakes and Hexagenia in June and early July, and caddis, well, pretty much any time.

Other phenological events relevant to anglers include the spring smelt runs, fall migration of brook trout and salmon, the elver runs in coastal streams in springtime, and the return of stripers and bluefish to coastal waters in early summer.

Birding by the Book Many birders are meticulous record-keepers and often chronicle the appearance of dozens of species at feeders in their journals or bird books. I

like to note when male goldfinches change from drab winter plumage to their bright yellow summer colors. We also record when a female pileated woodpecker shows up for the first time at our feeder with her youngsters to feed them suet.

And September means it’s time to see the fall migration of hawks and other raptors from atop Cadillac Mountain in Acadia, Bradbury Mountain in Pownal, or Mount Agamenticus in Ogunquit. On a sunny clear day, literally thousands of hawks may soar by, riding the thermals on a warm autumn afternoon. The Hawk Migration Association of North America posts the hawk count data for these sites at www.hawkcount.org as their contribution to feathered phenology.

Long History In the 1700s, Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (who created our system for naming plants and animals using “genus” and “species,” such as Salmo salar for Atlantic salmon) recorded the life history of different varieties of plants, noting subtle differences in when they bloom in multiple locations as a way of trying to pinpoint the climatic conditions that trigger these events.

In the mid-1800s, Henry David Thoreau carefully recorded in his journals when buds would open into leaves,

the appearance of insects, and the flowering dates of over 500 plants around Walden Pond in Massachusetts and elsewhere in his travels across Maine and New England.

Beginning as a young boy in the early 1900s, Aldo Leopold, a professor of wildlife management at University of Wisconsin, kept meticulous phenological records of flowers blooming, bees pollinating, phoebes nesting, and cranes returning to the Wisconsin River near his home. He also loved to observe the sky dance mating ritual of the American woodcock, and recorded these events in his journals.

Science Matters Today, there are several national and international networks of volunteer phenologists and professional scientists who record a wide range of data about seasonal changes in plant and animal populations for use in scientific research.

The USA National Phenological Network (www. usanpn.org) collects and stores phenological information about plants and animals, while Budburst. org focuses solely on plant phenology.

As our climate and weather patterns change, the timing of biological events and activities also changes. According to USA NPN, “Across the world, many spring events are occurring earlier—and fall events are happening later—than they did in the past.

However, not all species are changing at the same rate or direction, leading to mismatches.

How plants and animals (Continued on page 61) www.MaineSportsman.com

60 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Swinging Chunky Streamers in Rangeley’s Bigger Streams and Rivers As I quietly waded through the cold, springfed, mountainous river, I looked skyward and gave thanks for the wonderful life I lead; at the same time, I wondered about those folks that may never get to experience the beauty that surrounds residents and visitors to the Rangeley Region.

The elevated and forested surroundings offer a rich, dark-green backdrop to those lucky souls who work and play in this area – under certain light conditions, the color seems to gravitate toward a light and hazy violet color.

When I reached the spot on the river that I

Casting big flies in tight quarters is a recipe for disaster.

In fact, as medical personnel were removing a big, barbed hook from my scalp one time, I thought to myself, “There must be a better way to cast streamers into Maine rivers and streams! felt would provide the best casting angle for my newly-tied streamers, I noticed that my backcast would take me right into a dense patch of alders. I could easily wade to the other side of the moderately-wide river, but it was lined with a similar bank of line-tangling alders.

I have a roll-cast that hardly ever gets to where I want it, but on occasion it will do. Add a heavy,

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wind-affected streamer to that equation, and most fly rod anglers can see a disaster in the making.

In fact, in the spirit of complete honesty with the reader, I admit that I’ve buried a big, barbed hook in my scalp once – the large streamer speared through my hat, pinning it to my head.

The gentle and skilled hands of a highly-honored United States Army medic painlessly removed the

streamer from my scalp, and got me thinking about a better way to cast large and heavy streamers on some of Maine’s moderate to large rivers.

Swinging Streamers For years, the only kind of fishing that really got me going was using dry-flies for trout and salmon on the surface or poppers and divers for smallmouth bass – also on the surface.

When the surface fishing

gets tough, my buddies have often heard me say, “Don’t make me resort to using some big ol’ chunky subsurface fly.”

Lately, I’ve been fishing with Rangeley resident Steve Marsters – a real avid streamer tier who is quickly becoming a true fishing friend.

The few times that I’ve been out fishing with him taught me that someone using streamers can do awesome all day long, while the dry fly angler has a limited slot of time to catch fish – usually in the afternoon when a hatch is happening.

With that said, I have caught brook trout at all (Continued on next page)

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times of the day with a dry fly on the surface, but not like this streamer-swinging buddy of mine does with his handtied streamers.

Streamer swinging has, lately, become a method of choice for me – as soon as I notice a lack of fish rising, I tie on the streamers and start chucking the big stuff.

This new friend also ties some awesome streamers; a few are only made by him ... his own creations.

One of Steve’s creations, “Marsters’ Mayhem,” could be described as unusual – but maybe it’s just me. I’ve never seen hair tied on a hook in such a unique way. I’m not big on tying flies because my clumsy fingers just don’t work like they

used to, but I can work with big flies like most streamers.

After watching Marsters hook into numerous fish with this fly, I’m certainly going to make a hearty attempt at tying some myself.

Hefty Flies Now, let’s get back to the issue of casting heavy and awkward flies: the kind I bury in my scalp. Even though I have learned to cast heavy flies a little better than my initial attempts, it still can be tough when the anglers can’t get in a good backcast.

One trip down to the Salmon River last year helped me decide on fishing more with big streamers. The guys I fished with down there use Spey and Switch Rods very effectively.

We started casting a

Sporting Environment (Continued from page 59)

respond can help us predict whether their populations will grow or shrink – making phenology a ‘leading indicator’ of climate change impacts.”

While the biological results may be easily observed or predicted (e.g., “When water temperature hits X degrees, fish start to

Wildlife Quiz Answers — Loons —

(Quiz on Page 43) 1. The native range of the loon includes Alaska, North America, Mexico, Europe, Africa and even – rarely – Japan.

2. The various calls of the loon can signify

big-but-light switch rod made by Hardy, but we were only nymph fishing.

I shouldn’t say “only,” because we started catching three-foot King Salmon that way and it was beyond awesome.

As I was “playing out” my nymphing rig at the end of a cast with the easy-handling Hardy, I had a thought – why not swing big streamers in Maine with a switch rod?

The technique of casting with a switch rod is very easy, and simply uses a huge roll cast to get the line WAY across the river. The great thing is that it doesn’t need a back cast, while delivering a substantial amount of line without an excess of effort.

Go to the Hardy website (hardyfishing.com) and check out their line of two-handed rods. Don’t

Here’s Hardy two-handed switch rod and Steve Marsters’ unique fly, “Marsters’ Mayhem.” This combination should prove deadly for big fish in Maine’s larger rivers and streams. William Clunie Photo

forget to visit the expert at this casting technique, Walt Geryk (speydoctor. com). Mr. Geryk has such an easy and effective teaching technique that anglers start shooting line like a pro in a short span of time.

I can hardly wait to try out a Hardy two-handed fly rod this month and

migrate upstream”), the specific cause and effect mechanisms are often mysterious.

Scientists relentlessly study the biochemical reactions or the reasons for a behavioral change, trying to explain the “when” with the “what” and “why.”

the following October on some of Rangeley’s colorful, autumn brook trout. Chucking these huge minnow imitations should help me land big fish, right? Big bug – big fish.

Stay tuned – I’ll provide photo evidence.

¶

Phenology for Citizen Scientists Whether you’re a hunter, angler, birder, scientist or casual observer, phenology can be a fun way to celebrate your most antici-

pated ecological events of the seasons. September and October are two of the richest months for phenological observation – all it takes is a pen, paper, and a keen eye and ear.

And don’t be shy about sharing your information on #phenology or one of the popular websites. Your data might be useful to scientists and policy-makers who set the seasons for hunting and fishing.

perceived threats, territorial disputes, distress, mating desire and general communication.

3. The most common loon vocalization is the tremolo or “laughing” call.

4. The loon sexes look alike, though males are significantly larger and heavier than females.

5. Loons are able to dive underwater as deep as 200 feet.

6. Loons eat a wide range of food, including

clams, crayfish, insects and even aquatic plants.

7. Biologists estimate that a pair of loons raising two chicks feed on approximately 1,000 lbs. of fish during the 6 months they spend in their breeding grounds.

8. The loon can live up to 20 years, with the maximum recorded age being 29 years, 10 months.

¶

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62 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Bear Encounters Increase in Southern Maine Black bear populations continue to expand in southern Maine. Numerous sightings have been reported near my home in Shapleigh and in other areas in the region.

Reports of bears destroying bird feeders, and wood piles ripped apart by bears searching for mice, have become a common occurrence. As a final straw, a bear ripped apart one of my 3-D archery target behind my home in search of mice and insects.

During the last few years, bear have crossed the Mousam River near my home, destroying bird feeders. A bear even spent the day bedded in thick brush between two homes.

In Acton, a bear continued to raid a backyard bird feeder despite attempts to drive it away.

The family couldn’t let their children outside for a few weeks.

Bear populations have expanded, not just into remote sections, but also into suburban areas including southern and coastal areas. In an excellent piece in the July issue of The Maine Sportsman, fellow columnist King Montgomery told of bears raiding his bird feeders in Kennebunkport.

According to IF&W, despite increasing bear numbers, bear/human conflicts are lower than other northeastern states – Maine averages about 500 complaints each year. The state attributes this low number to the fact that our largest bear populations are located in northern sections of the state, in areas with fewer www.MaineSportsman.com

Only 13 bear were killed last year in York County, and no bear at all were taken in District 23 (which includes Kennebunk). Do the math – if more bears aren’t killed here in southern Maine, then bear/human conflicts will increase dramatically in coming years. humans and large tracts of dense forests.

Most bear/human conflicts happen here in southern Maine and other rural or suburban areas of the state. Homeowners in southern Maine can expect increased bear conflicts, because bear numbers are on the increase and also because of the lack of bear hunting in this area.

There’s light hunting pressure in southern sections of Maine. Bear baiting is popular with only a few local hunters. Baiting and hunting with hounds are the most productive methods, but most bear in Southern Maine are killed by deer hunters in November.

Looking at 2016 numbers of bears harvested in Maine in each Wildlife Management District (WMD) – in the southernmost District 20, which includes most of York County, three bear were killed over bait, six by hunters who were deer hunting, two were taken by hunters with dogs, and two killed by unknown means (the hunter failed to record the type of method used), for a total of 13 bears killed.

No bears at all were killed in coastal District 24, which includes Kennebunkport.

Do the math – if more bears aren’t killed here in southern Maine, then bear/human conflicts will increase in coming years.

Residents can take several steps to reduce the numbers of contacts with bear, such as removing bird feeders, keeping garbage secure in a building, and – for urban and suburban dwellers – not placing garbage bags for curbside pick-up outside the night before the truck comes.

Putting out garbage and bird seed are, in fact, forms of bear-baiting around your house!

Statewide Bear Increase DIF&W reports Maine’s statewide bear population has been increasing since 2005. The number of bears harvested each year has been below levels needed to stabilize the growth of the bear populations, and in southern Maine, for the reasons set forth above, it will become an even greater problem.

As a result, our statewide bear population has increased from 23,000 black bears in 2004, to 36,000 in 2015. Good news for hunters – bad for backyard bird feeders.

To maintain bear populations at a healthy and socially-acceptable level, DIF&W uses hunting to regulate bear numbers. Traditional hunting methods like baiting, hunting with hounds, still-hunting/stalking and trapping are used as a means to control bear populations. Hunters can also take a bear while

deer hunting.

Maine has a one-bear limit per year for hunts; a second bear can be taken by trapping.

Statewide, over 90 percent of the all bears killed each year are by hunters using bait or hounds, while still-hunting and stalking account for less than 10 percent of the total harvest.

Considering hunter success rate percentages by hunting methods, hunters using bait or hounds are successful 26 percent of the time, while hunters who still-hunt or stalk bear have the lowest success rate – less than 3 percent.

Home Ranges Although I’ve never read any reports that state it, based on my own observations I believe bear in southern parts of the state have smaller home ranges than their northern cousins. I come to this conclusion because of the buffet food sources available to them – they simply don’t need to travel as far to feed.

It is documented that a sow’s home range is about four to six miles while boars’ ranges are around eight to ten miles.

York County bear may travel that far, but they certainly do not need to.

Bear do travel great distances in early spring, a time when food is limited, but once green forage appears, then wild berries become available and

bear can abandon bird feeders and other foods that expose them to humans.

Bear then seem to vanish until breeding season in May and June, at which time boars travel miles looking for the sweet scent of sows in heat. Bear sightings increase during this active time.

So a bear that causes issues in Wells during spring and summer could be miles away feeding on berries in Shapleigh during September.

Bear Baiting Methods Bear baiting can be hit-or-miss here in southern Maine. Despite the reports of bear conflicts, there really isn’t a large bear population here compared to northern and eastern sections of the Pine Tree State.

Bear baiting during years with a good mast crop of acorns and beach nuts or when berries are present, can be difficult.

In years without a lot of natural food, bear will hit bait sites more often – the problem is getting bear to come to your bait during daylight hours.

Hunters who want to try bear baiting in Maine should consider contacting Bob Day in Alfred.

Bob is an expert at baiting bear here in Maine, and he and his sons Wayne and Kevin own and operate “Day’s Bear Bait” located in Alfred.

They sell donuts, sweets and trail mix, along with bait barrels and buckets – check them out at DaysBearBait.com.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 63

Smilin’

Sportsman Luke and Zeke were new to town, and they were having trouble breaking into the local social network.

Zeke went into the local church and entered the confessional booth.

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,” he began. “I have been with a girl who really likes to party, party, party.”

“Who was that, my son?”

“I can’t tell you, Father, for I want to preserve her reputation.”

“Well,” said the holy man, “I am certain to learn her name sooner or later, so just tell me now. Was it Mary Johnson?”

“I can’t say,” said Zeke.

“Terry LaChance? Greta Jorgenson?”

“I am sorry, Father – my lips are sealed.”

“Well,” said the exasperated church leader, “I admire your discretion, but you’ve sinned and must atone. Stay away from church for three months until you are ready to confess properly.”

Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com

Outside, Luke asked, “Hey Zeke – What did you get?”

“Three months off,” replied Luke, “and three solid leads!”

••••••••••••••••••• A couple was shopping at the Maine Mall in South Portland on a crowded Saturday afternoon. The wife looked around and noticed her husband had disappeared. This upset her, because she still had a lot of shopping to do.

Calling her husband on his cell phone, she demanded to know where he was.

“Well, Honey,” replied her husband, “do you remember the jewelry store we went into about five years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we couldn’t afford, and I told you that I would get it for you one day?”

The wife choked up, started to cry, and said, “Yes, I do remember that shop.”

“Well,” he replied, “I’m in the bar next door.”

••••••••••••••••••• Question: What do you call a chameleon that can no longer change colors?

Answer: A reptile dysfunction.

(Thanks to Maine Sportsman reader Carol from Colorado for that contribution.)

The Smilin' Sportsman Youth Edition Kids! Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com.

Skowhegan Juvenile Court Judge to Little Johnny: “Young man, you are accused of dumping trash in a forbidden area. Didn’t you see the sign posted there?”

Little Johnny: “Yessir, yer Honor, I sure did.

It said in big letters ‘FINE FOR DUMPING’.”

••••••••••••••••••• Other hunters, especially a big bully, had relentlessly picked on the mild-mannered new guy in camp all week.

Finally, the bully decided to go and make up.

“Listen, sorry about giving you such a hard time,” he said. “But tell me – you never argued back when I yelled at you. How were you able to control your anger?”

“Each time I got mad, I cleaned the outhouse,” the new guy replied.

“How did that help?” asked the bully.

“I used your toothbrush.”

••••••••••••••••••• Question: Hey kids – What’s the difference between a trampoline and a bagpipe?

Answer: Eventually you get tired of jumping on a trampoline.

••••••••••••••••••• Little Johnny was bragging about his knowledge of state capitals.

“Go ahead,” he said to the teacher. “Ask me – I know all of them.” “OK,” said the teacher, “what’s the capital of Delaware?”

Oh, that’s easy,” replied Johnny. It’s D.”

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64 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Author Encounters Ninja Warrior, Rabbit and Bear in Western Mountain Woods To me, ninja warriors seem magical and really impressive – they are extremely mysterious and have honed their highly-specialized skills to the “nth” degree.

Some may think of Maine as too isolated to ever host a ninja warrior, but I’m telling the truth when I say, “I just may have seen a ninja warrior training in the woods north of town, around Holman Ridge.”

One fall day a few years back, I was bird-hunting my way through a thickly-forested section of the woods when I heard something shuffling among the dried leaves covering the landscape.

At first I thought it might be a grouse coming toward me, so I readied my shotgun. All of a sudden this young man in his 20s appeared, fully dressed in a black, hooded ninja outfit, swinging his hands and feet around as if he were battling a dozen armed combatants.

I lowered my shotgun and prepared to apologize to the fellow, but had to stop – I started to chuckle as I looked at the kid’s surprise when he finally noticed me. He didn’t even know I was there until he got within a few feet of me, and I had a blaze-orange hunting vest and hat on.

Now, in all of the reading I’ve done on ninjas, I thought they were supposed to have super-sensitive powers of observation and awareness of their surroundings? What was up with this ninja kid?

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Even though I was wearing hunter orange, the hooded figure kicking and chopping the air didn’t notice me until he was a few feet away. I thought ninja warriors were supposed to have super-sensitive powers of observation and awareness of their surroundings. What was up with this ninja kid?

The front paw imprint in this photo is almost as long as my extended compass -- seven inches. That’s a true trophy bear. William Clunie photo

Unusual Sights I’ve seen some funny things in the woods and on the water, but that ninja kid really topped it. My favorite thing to see in the woods is when I can get extremely close to the wildlife that roams the woods and inhabits the water.

I have been nearly run over by moose, deer, bear, coyotes, turkeys, and hare. Rather than feeling fear or terror on these occasions, I felt blessed to witness such awesome beauty at such close range.

One of my favorite times of getting so close to an animal came while hunting snowshoe-hare in Carthage with my wife, Nancy. My little beagle Molly chased a rabbit round and round the evergreen swamp, and I just knew it would cross a little opening, so I told Nancy to lie down next to

me in the snow, where we would wait for the hare to come running by.

Sure enough, the hare came out of the brush and stopped right in front of us, looking intently at the two humans laying in the opening on the snowbank. When the rabbit took off, my wife and I just laughed and then tried to catch the speedy beagle before it continued circling the woods.

The best part of that day took place when I looked over to see the shear amazement and awe in my wife’s face as she spotted the hare. I do things like this in the woods all day long, and Nancy finally got to see what I see out there in the wild – and I could tell she really enjoyed it and understood.

Speaking of Bear All though folks can still fish in certain wa-

ters around the Western Maine Mountains (WMM), bear season is on us, and here’s a bear story from my days of hunting black bear in Maine.

This story took place on the very first day I ever went bear hunting.

Dave Tobey, from Grand Lake Stream, let me stay at one of his cabins, and had one of his guides drive me out to a bait site east of town.

I sat the first night on a tree stand and watched a young boar come in to the bait. I noticed he seemed a little scared – he just appear to move like he was worried about something.

The next afternoon on the stand I found out why ... a huge female and three cubs came in early.

The cubs tried to go for the food, but the mother bear swatted the cubs and they all took off pretty quick. I’m pretty sure

she smelled something different (me!).

The next night, the same mother and three cubs approached the bait, and the cubs walked right up to the barrel of donuts and started eating as if their mother told them that morning that it was okay to eat at this location.

I was so busy watching the way the young cubs were sitting there on their haunches, reaching into the five-gallon pail of donuts, and each chewing on a donuts, that I didn’t notice the mother bear circling my tree.

I noticed the unforgettable sound of the mother bear clacking her teeth below my treestand, and quickly looked toward the base of the stand. When I looked down, the mother bear had placed her front paw up on the first few steps of the ladder leading to my elevated position. When I stomped my feet, they all took off in a scramble.

Magical Memories The Native Americans had a term for magical things that happen in the woods ... the stuff that seems just too hard to explain to others. They called it “The spirit that moves in all things.”

I hope each of us can get out into the woods in the region this fall and make some memories; magical memories that will be carved into our minds so strongly that they will last vividly in our memories for years to come.

Just be certain to watch out for the ninja warriors....

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 65

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66 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

A Busy Fall Starts in September In New Hampshire, September sees the opening of general bear season and archery deer season. It also sees some fantastic trout fishing in the rivers and streams.

At the end of the month, the leaves change colors and the moose rut begins, offering some breathtaking photography opportunities.

In the North Country, one can take advantage of these activities in just a couple of busy days.

Late September in northern NH is an avid outdoorsman’s paradise, and it just doesn’t get much better — at least until October 1st, when grouse and rabbit season begins.

Archery Deer Archery deer season starts on September 15th; however, hunters who want to improve their chances of success will put in a fair amount of work prior to the midmonth opener.

Northern NH deer this time of year are odd.

They are transitioning from summer habitat and routines to that of a prerut fall.

Generally, the timing of this transition depends on three factors: 1) food sources; 2) generational norms; and 3) weather.

Of course, there is some randomness thrown in, just to humble armchair as well as professional – biologists.

Of the three qualifications mentioned above, this writer finds weather to be the most important.

For example, I had several trail cameras showing a consistent pattern of buck activity the second half of last August and www.MaineSportsman.com

The writer believes that deer transition from summer habitat and routines to those of pre-rut autumn is triggered by 1) food sources; 2) generational norms; and 3) weather. Based on trail camera evidence, he says weather is the most important among those factors.

This early-season bull was called out of a cool softwood hole in hot weather with just bull grunts and aggressive tree raking with a shed antler. Ethan Emerson photo

the first few days of September. A few days before the mid-month season opener, a bout of brutally hot weather in the 90s arrived. All the deer apparently melted in the heat.

I did not get a single deer picture for several weeks in that area.

Another thing that happens is that typically once the days start shortening, the deer do most of their traveling and feeding at night – especially on cold, moonlit nights. This writer has found, though, from time-stamps on cameras, that the activity is located closer to daybreak, rather than nightfall, the further into September it is. This may be location-specific, though, as the recorded activity was located on a travel route, quite a way from the food

source.

Location, Location, Location Finding a good food source is important, but finding the travel corridor to and from that source (which may be separate corridors) seems equally—if not more— important. The transition to nighttime feed and traveling means that the farther you can separate yourself from the actual food source, the more daylight minutes you have gained on the deer. A deer may not want to present itself in an open apple orchard before dark-thirty, but may very well come down the travel corridor a couple hundred yards away just before dusk.

In the morning, a deer may leave the open

apple orchard prior to daybreak, but be traveling that corridor a few hundred yards away just after dawn.

How does one go about finding these corridors? I do a lot of map-scouring.

If I know where a food source is, I can look at both satellite and topographical maps, and find likely travel routes through pinch-points.

A pinch-point may be a narrow strip of woods between roads and/or waterways. It may be in the saddle between steep hills, or may be along the edge of a cutting, bog, or thick softwood stand. In hot weather, it could even be an isthmus or peninsula on a remote lake, where the deer can drink, feed, or swim in the early morning.

This writer likes to

use climbing tree stands in branchy trees (softwood, if possible), so they are well-camouflaged.

There is something ridiculous to me about the conspicuousness of a double ladder stand leaned up against the only maple tree left standing in the middle of a clearcut.

I try to blend in; whether it has a positive effect on my deer hunting or not, it gives me peace of mind.

I feel like I have a better chance. I also am comfortable knowing that other hunters or even miscreants are likely to walk right by my stand without knowing it’s there.

Moose Calling Though there have been cataclysmic talks about NH’s moose population (supported by the state’s reduction to only fifty-one permits this year), there are still some moose around willing to be photographed. They may be encountered frequently during the hot summer months along the roadways – particularly Route 16 and 26 near Errol and Route 3 near Pittsburg – but then transition to the hills mid-August, making it a bit tougher for non-locals to locate them.

To find and photograph these rutting bulls, you’ll have to practice your moose-calling skills.

Just a conical plastic or fiberglass amplifier will work as a “call.” Cold, crisp, windless mornings are the best, as the sound will travel far. The timing of the rut, again, depends on weather patterns. Last year’s rut was the latest I can remember, given the hot streak of weather in (Continued on page 69)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 67

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68 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

— TRADING POST — •

• •

Subscribers may place one free 20-word classified ad per month (two-month limit) Items for sale must include a price.

Real estate ads must include an address or location.

•

•

The regular rates are $15 for up to 20 words and 50¢ for each additional word.

Check, money order, MasterCard or VISA (Credit or Debit) are accepted.

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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. BOATS FOR SALE 14’ STARCRAFT Covered bow 3 seats no leaks 8 hp 4 stroke Tohatsu $1,000.00. Also, 10’ inflatable 3 piece aluminum floor new $500.Call 207-400-6239 ———————————

CAMPS FOR RENT REAL HUNTING CAMP For rent. Sleeps 5, on 200 acres of private hunting land in Levant, ME. $500/ week. Call 207-884-7656 LAKEFRONT CABIN On the Little Narrows Basin of Upper Cold Stream Ponds in Lincoln, 4-season cabin w/cable,

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

internet, kayaks, canoe, access to ATV & snowmobile trails. Depending on season, can be rented nightly, weekly or monthly. More info & pictures on Craigslist under Vacation Rentals/Lincoln. Call Tate 207-794-4208

LIVE IN NORTHERN MAINE AND MAKE MONEY Restaurant, Linneus, ME. Grammy‘s Country Inn. $1.2 million average food-only gross sales last 6 years. Opportunity for sales growth with addition of alcohol. Featured in Down East, Bangor Metro, Yankee Magazines. Named Top 10 Restaurants in Maine.

Over 35 awards. 65+ year restaurant tradition, 28 years under same ownership. This is a step-in opportunity! Price reduced

PARKMAN, MEBUCKS CROSSING WMD 17 Rental Cabins. Turkey, deer, moose, upland game.

All amenities included. Great ratesnightly, weekly, monthly. $75/night for two people.

207-277-3183 ———————————

Kersey Real Estate visit www.kerseyre.com to view our complete listing

“No Blarney Spoken Here”

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506 West Side Road • Weld, ME 04285 •Mike Kersey, Broker NEW

VINE

YAR

D WE

BB

RIV

ER AN

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$999,000. 207-532-4500 firstchoicerealestate.com ———————————

CAMPS FOR SALE

COMPOUND FOR SALE Hunting, fishing, snowmobile and recreational compound with 3 log cabins on a remote Northern Maine Lake. Salmon, trout, moose, deer, bear and birds all within sight of the camps. Best of all..no nearby neighbors..it’s like owning your own lake! Generator, gas lights, plumbing, furnished and ready to move in. $158,000. 207-7450191.

HUNTING CAMP North Maine Woods T13R10 Great Moose hunting Zone 2, also bird, bear, deer. Furnished, sleeps 6, shower, propane fixtures, finished in Cedar, P&C lease, $47K, 207-944-0873 ———————————

LAND FOR SALE

New Vineyard - 25.9 acres with 953’ of road frontage, mostly wooded with a nice cleared field. The lot has plenty of large pine and hardwood plus is very flat with some stonewalls and access to ITS trail and ATV trails. Owner has a small camp/shed on property so it’s ready for the next step. MLS #1360567. $49,500

WIL

TON

Andover North Surplus 4.7 Acres. This lot located in on the Sawyer Notch Rd in one of western Maines best recreational areas very remote but easily accessible with nice views and power is available at Webb River Waterfront Lots. 1.6 to 5.9 acres. the road. This lot also some a small sand and gravel pit on it....#1432663...priced at $24,900. $39,000-$59,900

BYR

ON

IL TRA

Byron - Looking for that one of a kind lodge with 130 Acres. This 32’ x 56’ is one and a half stories with two 10’ x 56’ enclosed porches. This building is on a full foundation the doors,windows & roof are on inside partition walls are built but could be redesigned if needed.

Well maintained cabin off the grid surrounded by The lodge is located of the road for privacy with roads stonewalls and old growth trees. If you have been and trails to Garland Brook that leads to the Roxbury looking for a camp well here it is. $49,900. MLS Pond also only five minutes from public beach at beau#1307502 tiful Roxbury Pond. #1350006 $275,000

ACC

ESS

www.MaineSportsman.com

DEER/MOOSE ANTLERS Buying any size deer & moose shed antlers/ racks or antlered skulls.

All grades bought by the pound. 802-875-3206 VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE Looking for pre-1980, vintage motorcycle scrambler, enduro, or off-road motorcycle. Have cash will travel. Call 207 522 6940 SEEKING SKILLED UPHOLSTERER At Covers It All Upholstery in Oakland, ME, to make, repair & replace Tops, Covers & Interiors on Vehicles & Boats. Applicants must be highly motivated, focused on excellence in all aspects of the work, capable of working as part of a team and the ability to complete work independently. Minimum of 2 years’ experience is required.

Pay is based on experience. Call: 207-465-7847 or go to: coversitallupholstery.com

¶

Caryn Dreyfuss, Broker • (207) 233-8275 caryndreyfuss@morton-furbish.com www.realestateinrangeley.com

NEW 14’ X 36’ CAMP with 6’ screened porch. Located on 4.18 acres with direct access to ATV and snowmobile trails from your property, plus you’re in the heart of Maine’s recreational area! $28,900

— BUILDING LOTS WITH ATV & SNOWMOBILE ACCESS — Peru - Nice building lot on town maintained road. This 11 acre lot is wooded with nice mountain views and has easy access to public beach and boat launch at Worthley pond. Conveniently located between Rumford and Canton and only 30 miles to Auburn or Sunday River. Great spot for your new home or cabin. $19,900. MLS #1363677 Peru - 59.3 Surveyed acres walking distance to Worthley Pond.This lot offers 231’ of paved town maintained rod frontage plus your own water frontage on Worthley and Thomas Brooks come see why this is great spot for your own private resort and get away. $69,900. MLS #1363508 Carthage - Exceptional building lot with southerly exposure and incredible sunset views..This lot is located in ATV and snowmobile friendly community and it’s only 2 miles from Mt Blue State Park & The Webb Beach camping which has a beautiful sandy public beach,boat launch and shower rooms...come enjoy the hiking,biking and all the recreation opportunity’s the Western mountains have to offer. $39,500.

MLS #1358742 Bethel King Lot - This land boasts exceptional development potential or enjoy the vast land with your friends and family, excellent road infrastrucure and beautiful views of local ski areas. 1356 acres offered at $1,250,000. MLS #1335965 Weld - Looking for a remote spot for your cabin or camper? Here it is! 8 acres with easy access, nice view right in the heart of the Western Mnts, a few miles to Mt. Blue State Park & Webb Lake. $18,500. MLS #1282348

65 ACRES 2500+ feet on the West Branch of the Sheepscot River across from Salmon Preserve. $159,000.00 Call 207-549-4500 ———————————

WANTED

Woodstock - An absolute dream come true! 97 Acres near Sunday River. This property has nice brook meandering through the lower portion of the property and a series of old roads and trails will lead up to spectacular views from Mollyockett Mountain in Woodstock. Come enjoy all the seasons and activates Maine has to offer! $69,900.

MLS #1326728 Near Bethel in Albany Township - This 40 Acre lot has several hidden building site well off the paved road with beautiful Southeasterly views. Some areas would make great spot for passive solar cabin. The Crooked River meanders on through the lot for great wildlife watching. Only 7 miles from downtown Bethel. $45,000. MLS #1325975 North Rumford - Very private 17 acres with great brook frontage and a common area on Meadow Pond located deep in the Western Mountains. $32,000. MLS #1269352 Carthage - Excellent building lots w/ easy access to ATV and snowmobile trails. All lots surveyed and have driveways into building site. Ready for your new cabin in the woods? Then come check em’ out. $26,500. MLS #1205057 Phillips 40 Acres - Set up your camper next to the fire pit while you pick your building site. This 40 acre lot offers privacy, views and a wonderful babbling brook an acre or so of nice field with some small planted trees. $54,900. MLS #1309063 Rumford- Looking for a large lot with big wood and nice meandering brook with fishing holes and waterfalls? Just listed.....102 acres, heavily wooded with nice views, old cellar holes, direct access to snowmobile trails. And you are in the middle of great hunting and fishing. $119,000

RANGELEY - Attention all outdoor enthusiasts - check out this year-round bungalow located just minutes from Mooselook/Rangeley Lake boat ramps, fly-fishing on the Kennebago River, plus DIRECT ITS SNOWMOBILE TRAIL ACCESS from your yard! Low maintenance home, comfortable floor plan, 4BR’s, mudroom entry w/ built-in cubbies for gear. Oversized insulated/heated 1 bay garage for your toys w/ cold storage above. Move right in & enjoy, sold fully furnished and PRICED TO SELL - don’t miss it!

MLS #1345441 - $159,900 RANGELEY - WHY BUY ONE COTTAGE, WHEN YOU CAN HAVE 2 FOR THE SAME PRICE!! Super investment opportunity on Rangeley Lake - “Fish-A-DoHaven” 1st time on the market in 30+ years. Located on scenic Hunter Cove, both 2BR camps are fully year-round, well maintained, move-in ready - furniture included.

Protected frontage with dock and small boat launch.

Sweeping lake/Mt views. Snowmobile trail access from your door, minutes to Oquossoc and Rangeley, plus good 4-season rental potential. MLS #1349433. $269,000 RANGELEY PLT - MOOSELOOKMEGUNTIC LAKE - WHAT A SETTING....privately sited on .91 acres with gentle slope to 160’ waterfront, pebbly beach in sheltered cove. The 2BR log chalet offers open floor plan, spacious sleeping loft, enclosed lakeside porch just steps from the water. Metal roof, full concrete foundation, radiant heat system, wood stove. Enjoy this quiet end of road location, scenic lake/Mt views, plus close to walking trails in the Phillips Preserve. First time on the market ever - super opportunity, don’t miss it! MLS #1359004 - $425,000

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • September 2018 • 69

New Hampshire (Continued from page 66)

mid-late September.

Everyone has his own unique calling tactic or sequence. This writer locates himself near remote ponds early in the month, while the weather is still warm. Usually I start the calling season with only bull grunts, as they are territorial in the early days of the rut. I also carry a shed antler to rake/thrash trees with (sometimes I don’t do much or any calling at all, only raking).

As the month goes on and the deeper into the rut it gets, the more cow bellows I add. Later in the rut, there seems to be a point where a bull moose will run the other

direction if he hears a grunt call, so those are eventually phased out after trial and error.

There is always the debate when calling moose, coyotes or turkeys, about whether to make more or less noise. Anyone’s guess is as good as mine. I suggest that if making funny moose sounds is fun for you, have at it; if it hurts your throat, scale it back.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formative science to success when dealing with nature’s creatures, just have fun experimenting. Don’t ever let your enjoyment be contingent on the tangible “success” or “failure” of your calling or hunting or fishing. Be happy to just be outside in this beautiful creation of nature.

¶

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Hancock County - Private island 60 miles NE of Bangor on pristine & forever wild Nicatous Lake. Several cabins included. Self-sufficient w/ generator & running water. $499,000. MOTIVATED!

Calais - Scenic acreage lot on 627± acre 56’ deep Nash’s lake stocked w/ Salmon. Over 1,000’ of unique shore front w/ its own point of land extending into the lake with numerous coves & peninsulas. $75,000

Kingfield - Camp on Tufts Pond. Mountain & water views, mature trees, 1,600’ of elevation, brook & remote pond! Ski, snowmobile, hunt, fish, relax! Sugarloaf close by. $599,000.

665 ACRES Pittsfield - Custom built 4k sf cedar log home on 665 acres. Outdoor lovers paradise. Hunt, ATV, snowmobile from back door. Land dedicated to wildlife mgt.

Harvestable timber. $499,000

Passadumkeag - 433± acres of room to roam. Hunt, snowmobile, ATV on this contiguous parcel. Good internal road system. Last major harvest 20+ years ago. Light harvests conducted more recently. $ 199,000 Dover/Foxcroft - Affordable lot w/ small stream, good access, internal road system & 1,570’ Parsons Landing Road frontage. Recently harvested. Great area for recreating. Lot can be split. $70,000 Roque Bluffs - Well-manicured 11.8± acres in park-like setting w/new gravel driveway in place just waiting for your home. Privacy & very quiet. Power at street. Close to Roque Bluffs State Park.

PRICE REDUCED - $15,400 Guilford - 192± acres w/ views from Oak Hill (920’ in elevation) & in the shadows of 1,326’ Guilford Mt. overlooking First Davis Pond. Wildlife galore with evidence of moose & deer. Cut in 2011. $129,000

Bancroft Twp - Acreage on Mattawawkeag River. Camp just 200± feet from river w/exceptional frontage. Mature trees, easy access & special protection designated for Salmon & deer habitat. $135,000

Litchfield - Waterfront parcel with tons of diversity. Massive trees in park like setting. Mile plus frontage on Horseshoe pond feeding into Cobbossee stream.

Extensive wildlife. $205,000.

This big 8-point buck showed consistent daybreak activity as recorded by the writer’s trail camera through the end of August, but once the first week of September came, its activity scaled back to the middle of the night. And once the season opened, the deer was nowhere to be photographed.

North Maine Woods Camp For Sale Camp in the North Maine Woods on little Indian pond.

Camp is only 5 years old and has solar power and a septic system installed. Camp is on leased land. $150,000.

Call for more information.

(207) 568-3940.

SOLON - Life at the lake! This property is a must see for anyone looking for waterfront living. This beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom log sided home can be used as a year round home or a fantastic vacation retreat. Located on the inlet to Ironbound Pond, here you can relax on your large outdoor deck or soak in the hot tub as you listen to the call of the loons and enjoy a beautiful view of the lake.

Step inside to a lovely Great Room with a field stone chimney, wood stove, and cathedral ceilings with open beams. Kitchen has nice custom cabinets, tile counter top, and a double sink. First floor master bedroom is complete with a large closet and direct access to the outdoor porch. Second floor has guest bedroom and full bathroom with vaulted ceilings. MLS #1363818. $185,000 KINGSBURY- Welcome to The Seldom Inn! Once the sight of a old farmhouse, now a 4 season recreational property with everything you need to get away from it all in comfort. Camp is wired for generator and gas lights, 2 wood stoves for heat, gas fridge, stove and griddle, hand pump for water on kitchen sink, and antenna for TV so you don’t miss the game! Privy for bathroom and shower house with wood stove for a nice hot shower after a long day of hunting or trail riding. Camp can sleep over 20 people with 4 private bedrooms and a large bunk room. Large and open living/dining/kitchen and bar area overlooking the field down to the apple trees. Multiple outbuildings for recreational vehicle storage, tool shed, gas shed, generator shed, and additional storage shed. Camp will come fully furnished. MLS #1362831. $129,900 MADISON - Cottage with deeded access to Lake Wesserunsett in Historic Lakewood community. 1 bedroom, 1 bath, with open-concept living. Short distance to Lakewood Theater, restaurant and golf course. Great summertime get-away (Lakewood Estates Bylaws apply). MLS #1360947. $64,999 SOLON -25 acres for your private paradise. Camp has 2 bedrooms, open front porch, wood stove and propane heat.

Hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and ATVing opportunities nearby. Appliances and furnishings included in sale! MLS #1357522. $58,700 (Also see MLS #1351048 - You can purchase both properties-2 camps-for $99,900) MOSCOW - Life on the lake! Cozy cottage with 90 ft. of deep water frontage and year-round access on the pristine waters of Wyman Lake. This two bedroom, one bath cottage is a rare find! Full kitchen, dining area with wood stove, and lake-view living room. Beach access for swimming, fishing, canoeing, or kayaking only a few feet from your front porch.

MLS #1356167. $129,900 MOSCOW - One-of-a-kind property with gorgeous views of Wyman Lake. This well-built, highly efficient 2 bedroom, 2 bath, four-season home with radiant heat, sits on on 5.2 +- acres in close proximity to ATV and snowmobile trails and nearby fishing waters. Great room has vaulted ceilings, master bedroom has full bath and large closet. Full basement has finished bdrm and large room for extra guests or game room. MLS# 1355313. $179,000 WELLINGTON - Must See! Turn-key camp with porch and storage shed on 9.9 well-wooded, private acres including 822 ft. of frontage on Meadow Brook. Camp comes fully furnished with solar powered lights, gas heater and wood stove.

Camp features great room with couches and beautiful coffee table, kitchen with gas stove. Two upstairs bedrooms with 5 beds and “carry-in water” shower in upstairs hallway. Solar system comes complete with PV panel, power inverter, and 4 batteries. MLS #1354507. $67,000 NORRIDGEWOCK - 875’ frontage on Kennebec River. Unique 11 acre property currently used as a tree farm with multiple RV sites at river’s edge. Well/water system for irrigation, over 60 gallons per minute. Driveway through the property to RV sites, with water and power hook-ups. Build a house out front, play on the Kennebec year round. An insulated, heated 20x20 garage on property and another outbuilding. MLS #1358407. $150,000 PLEASANT RIDGE PLT - LAND -Beautiful 180 degree views of Wyman Lake, boasting 300 acres. Nice interior road.

Electricity available at the road. Many recreational activities including snowmobiling, ATVing, fishing, white-water rafting, canoe/kayak & boating, as well as great hunting. Public boat launch close by. Property is in tree growth for tax purposes. (23025Ha353) MLS #1361727. $375,000 SOLON - LAND - 128+- acres with tons of road frontage. This is an exceptional lot with a good interior road for ATV use. Nice views of the mountains. Power is available at the street. Great area for hunting and snowmobiling. Property9/18 is currently in tree growth for tax purposes (23025Hb396) MLS #1362250. $99,000 CARRYING PLACE TOWN TWP - Approximately 108 acres of land with about 250 ft. of frontage on Middle Carry Pond and Sandy Stream. Loads of room to hunt or build a camp and retreat for a few days. Fishing is always an option here. Currently in “Tree Growth” for tax purposes. (Hb165) MLS #983171. $129,900

www.MaineSportsman.com

70 • September 2018 • The Maine Sportsman �������������������������������������������������� 515 Main Street • Presque Isle, ME Chuck Johnston • (207)764-4600 cbjohnston72@hotmail.com MLS #1357479

Well constructed home on two acres with 200 feet of water frontage. Close to Bigelow Preserve and Flagstaff Lake. Snowmobile and ATV access. MLS #1340947, $199,000

380 Wilton Road Farmington, ME

(207) 778-4444

Own your own beautiful nine-acre pond surrounded by 47 forested acres. MLS #1304707, $119,000

palmerrealtymaine.com

MLS #1357480

Own (not lease) your waterfront lots in the North Maine Woods. Enjoy the 4+ acres (750 frontage) with two very well maintained traditional log camps on Spider Lake near the Allagash River. Sleep 12-14. Enjoy some of the best fishing and hunting in Maine. Buy them as a package for $395,000 or check them out on mainelistings.com.

MLS#1357479 & MLS#1357480

Western Maine Riverfront and Views!

Riverfront Land Sale!

15 Acres - $59,900 Gateway to Rangeley Direct Trail Access Surveyed & Soil Tested Warranty Deed Excellent Owner Financing!

Swift River Properties 207 -329-9728

(207) 693-5200

18 Olde Village West Naples, ME 04055 info@mainerealestatechoice.com www.mainerealestatechoice.com — Formerly Anne Plummer and Associates —

184+/- ACRES

689 NORTH ROAD, BETHEL - VIEWS! Commanding valley and mountain views from this 184+/- acre parcel overlooking Bethel village, Androscoggin River, and surrounding mountains. Parcel has a gradual slope to an elevation of approx. 1,571’ with a preliminary road up to the summit and a number of semi-level areas that are pre-cleared. Abundant wildlife habitat. Minutes to Sunday River ski resort, Bethel Village, Gould Academy and golf courses. MLS# 1352567 - $299,900. Mary Sohl (207) 749-0775

LOTS 3 & 4 KITRIDGE ROAD, SUMNER - Own a piece of Maine!

This 176-acre parcel located in the heart of western Maine has beautiful mountain views with seasonal views overlooking Pleasant Pond. Includes hunting camp that has great potential with a bit of work. A 4-season paradise for outdoor recreation and off the grid enthusiasts. ATV, snowmobile trails, hunting, hiking to name a few.

Road is accessible with 4-wheel drive. Camp vacant for years; sold “as is”. MLS #1359837 - $145,900. Mary Sohl (207) 749-0775

(207) 943-5225 www.dewittjonesrealty.com

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BURLINGTON - WATERFRONT 1363647 - Cozy little camp on 4 acres. 190 ft. water frontage on Saponic Pond, room for expansion, permits obtained for septic and well. Year-round access. $139,900

LARGE WATERFRONT LOT LAKEVILLE, ME

1333429 - SEBEC: 93 +/- wooded acres close to Sebec Lake. Ideal for cabin/ LAKE VIEW PLT - WATERFRONT house. Power at roadside. Great views.

Small brook through property. Plenty of 1362063 - 1960s original fishing camp on the wildlife. Beautiful piece of land! $85,000 shores of pristine Sc1314245 - BROWNVILLE: 6.76+/- acres. hoodic Lake. .62+/-acre Mostly fields and some woods with south- with newer septic and ern exposure. Small outbuilding on prop- power. Great opportuerty. Great location for small farm. $20,000 nity to enjoy life the way it should be. $189,000

11.5 acres of old growth trees with 618 ft. of beautiful lake frontage on Lower Sysladobsis Lake. Nine mile long cold water lake with good fishing. This is part of the West Grand Lake chain of lakes and you can access several other lakes. ATV and snowsled trail runs through the lot with hundreds of miles of trails nearby. Good hunting area. Frontage can be split into 200 ft. minimum lots - keep it all or split and sell two lots; a good investment. Very few camps on this end of the lake. $130,000.

1358856 - BROWNVILLE: 22.8+/- acres with ORNEVILLE TWP 629’+/- seasonal road frontage. Ideal hunting, fishing and boating in area. Possible 1360668 - Cozy yearround or seasonal Cotowner financing. $21,900 tage with views of Little 1362964 - MILO: 15 wooded acres. Great Boyd Lake. 2 bedrooms, area to build your hunting camp or just a 1bath, two sunrooms. get-away cabin. 14 acres in tree growth, Back up generator installed. Boat launch nearby. $69,000. good area for hunting. $20,000

Call Larry (207) 290-1710

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR OVER 100 LAND LISTINGS!

Prentiss - 2 bedroom camp plus 2 lofts.

Drilled well, septic, 56 acres. Come alone or bring the entire family. Read a book, build a fire or enjoy outdoor recreational pursuits. Camp sits ¼ mile back from seldom used Independence Circle. $59,900

Springfield - Smashing little hunting camp located “up south” in Springfield.

The lot is well wooded but open around the camp. Bring all the toys because trail access is good and easy. $28,500

Macwahoc - Ready to use open floor plan camp, loft, generator included, sited next to little pond, fish or hunt Molunkus Stream, easily accessible, low taxes, 4.2+/- acres on Smith Road. $34,500 Reduced to $29,900

Lakeville - Small cabin, dug well, privy, electricity, and a partially developed lot make this usable day #1 and it could be temporary lodging while you build your new waterfront dream house on pristine Junior Lake. $97,500

T5 R10 WELS - Beautiful cabin, located in historic Camp Phoenix, is now available to own. With water, sewer and exceptional shared water frontageyou need only bring your fishing pole and a smile. $89,000

Lakeville - 2 bedroom, ½ bath cabin on a 1.4+/- acre lot. Comes with modern septic system, dug well, and concrete foundation. Finished on the inside and in a quiet location on Sysladobsis Lake. $150,000

176 ACRES

STOW - This breathtaking +/-120 acre lot with views of Baldface Mountain, Evans Notch, Pleasant Mountain and Kezar Lake, depending on where you pick your location. Endless possibilities.

MLS #1333179 - $199,500. Sarah Noble (207) 831-9499

120 ACRES

Noyes Real Estate Agency 2388 Main Street • Rangeley, ME 207-864-9000 • info@noyesrealty.com www.noyesrealty.com

RANGELEY AREA – FAMOUS FISHING LOCATIONS #428 - Remote, private gated waterfront camp on Little Beaver Pond. Completely renovated log cottage. Walk to Richardson Lake. Extremely well maintained!

Land is a lease. $275,000 #483 - Kennebago cottage on the Logans. Views, world class fishing. 3 bedrooms, loft and 2 bathrooms. Includes 2 buildings at the lake. $399,000 #482 - Vintage, well maintained camp on Little Kennebago Lake, full foundation, electricity, garage and boat house. Fabulous fly fishing & views. $390,000 #425 - Classic log home on Aziscohos Lake. Open frontage, guest cottage, 2 car garage. Off grid with all amenities. Owned land. $319,000 #404 - This Rangeley Lake-front property is a bargain with a year round camp on 190’ of watyerfront, western exposure. $259,000 #405 - Just steps from Aziscohos Lake, cabin with deck and lake views, level entry to lake, generator, 2 bedrooms, large loft! $350,000

LOOKING FOR ACREAGE, CALL US OR CHECK OUR WEBSITE – 10 TO 500 ACRES AVAILABLE! www.MaineSportsman.com

Springfield - Good high ground in outdoor recreational area close to warm & cold water fishing, lots of other recreational activities, 55.4 acre corner lot parcel, frontage along Moores Road. $27,500 Prentiss - 92+/- acre parcel, driveway already in, nice views, hardwood trees on upper 50 acres, excellent recreational area for a camp, good access with 800’ on Rainy Road. $46,000 Prentiss - Great area for 4 wheeling, snowmobiling, hunting or simply enjoying the great outdoors. Close to many great fishing lakes. Remote but easily accessible wonderful place to build a camp or park a camper. $23,500 Lincoln - A nice spot to put your home or cabin. Electricity available at the road. Located on a quiet, private dead end road and only 10 minutes from downtown Lincoln. Come look today. $8,500

R E A L

E S T A T E

5 LAKE STREET, P.O. BOX 66, LINCOLN 207-794-2460 www.cwalakestreet.com E-mail: cwa@cwalakestreet.com

1-800-675-2460 Call any of our brokers to work for you!

“Tate” Aylward ................ 794-2460 Peter Phinney.................. 794-5466 Kirk Ritchie...................... 290-1554

FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON OUR PROPERTIES VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT CWALAKESTREET.COM

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GET READY FOR HUNTING SEASON Stop by our Hunting & Fishing Store in Freeport, open 24/7

GAME-CHANGING GEAR, DESIGNED BY HUNTERS

It all started in 1912 with the revolutionary Maine Hunting Shoe®. We’ve been setting the standard in problem-solving, innovative hunting gear ever since.

RIDGE RUNNER STORM HUNTING JACKET Quiet, waterproof and breathable, this technical jacket does it all

RIDGE RUNNER STRETCHFIT CAMOUFLAGE HAT A breathable style with moisture management and a secure fit

MAINE WARDEN DAY PACK Designed with the help of Maine State Game Wardens, it’s the same one they carry

RIDGE RUNNER HUNTER HIKER GORE-TEX BOOTS Our most athletic hunting boots, built for the active hunter, is waterproof and insulated BIG-GAME PRO LUMBAR PACK Fully adjustable, comfortable and versatile pack that organizes all you need for a day of hunting

DON'T MISS THE L.L.BEAN HUNTING EXPO

SEPTEMBER 14-16 AT OUR HUNTING & FISHING STORE

Get ready for your best season yet! Our weekend-long expo will be packed with special events. Check out the latest gear, have your questions answered by the pros and enjoy special offers throughout the event.

Find store directions and see our calendar of upcoming events at

LLBEAN.COM/FREEPORT

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