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July 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
Recent classified ad on Craig’s List-
Motor Boat (vermont)
I have had an old motor boat bought last year but never used it. I lost my interest in boating so i am giving it away for free. I know a lot of people will want this boat so lets make it interesting. Whoever calls me making the best Chewbacca impression gets it. Location: Vermont
On The Cover
Volume 7 Issue 7
Devin Allard and son Riley, of West Newbury - VT, with Riley’s first largemouth bass.
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The Outdoor Gazette, with all of their agents, officers and employees, accept no responsibility for any or all injuries or damages that may result from interpretations of articles or advertisements within this publication. The opinions expressed by contributors to The Outdoor Gazette are their own and do not reflect the opinions of the The Outdoor Gazette in any way. No part of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of The Outdoor Gazette LLC. Copyright, The Outdoor Gazette LLC. All Rights Reserved
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Do you have an interesting story to tell? It could be about a fishing trip with Dad or Grampa, maybe a hunting trip with some buddies or just about exploring nature with Grammie. We are always looking for good stories/pictures to publish in our paper. If you have a story that you think our readers might be interested in, then give us a call at 603-989-3093 or send a copy by mail or email to fred@theoutdoorgazette.com.
July 2013
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Editor’s Back Porch
Panfishing, It’s Family Fun!
My children and I have been pounding the panfish this year. I know I’ve said it already in previous issues, but I’m going to say it again. I am really enjoying fishing this year. Not that I never did, but seeing the new found
enthusiasm in all my children, has really elevated, even panfishing, for me. To top it off, both my grandchildren caught their first fish this month. I was there for Riley’s but missed Kiley’s (sad face) but I am happy it hap-
By Fred Allard
pened for her and my son Devin and daughter in law Candis, who has joined us a time or two. So let me apologize ahead of time for all the Allard fishing photos in this issue, I just had to share our fun with you, and as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Want to really have fun this year, get your kids on the water and chase some panfish. I can’t think of a better outdoor family experience. See you outdoors.
Riley's first fish, a Bluegilll from Lake Memphramagog in Newport , Vermont
My grandson Riley and I on the the shores of Lake Morey in Fairlee, Vermont Devin and Tannr Allard with a Panfish double.
Olivia with her best bass yet! …at Lake Memphramagog.
Josh Allard with a 3 lb Vermont Largemouth
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July 2013
Fred Allard lives in Haverhill, NH with his family. He is a Bowhunter Education Instructor, a scorer for the Northeast Big Buck Club, the New Hampshire Antler and Skull Trophy Club and the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club. He is the President of the Montshire Traditional Bowhunters. Fred can be reached by emailing fred@theoutdoorgazette.com.
The Outdoor Gazette
Grace Allard and Tannr Allard, both with some nice fat Bluegill for our our family fish fry. Jordan, seen in the background caught many fisih that day as well but no big ones like these. His picture is in the Pics Gone Wild section of this issue. We were fishing Lake Morey in Fairlee, Vermont.
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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Life at High Altitude
By Cody Covey
Interview with Aron Snyder, AKA “The Elk Reaper”
Me: Aron, tell us a little bit about yourself. Aron: Well, to start I am originally from Oregon and currently live in Colorado. My backpack hunting career started with the Oregon forest service trail crew team in 1990, I did that all through high school, and then joined the army in 1994. I was in the military and worked as a contractor for about 12 years, taking everything I learned in that time is how I really became an expert in back hunting. The military gear is not that great, so trial and error on my own after I was out of the service is what made me really start taking a better look at my gear. The military didn’t make me an expert in backpack hunting but did teach me the skills to handle any situation. Note: Aron is the chief designer at Kifaru International, owner of www.Rokslide.com, and a designer for the Kryptek Outdoor Group. He has been published multiple times in various outdoor magazines. Me: Aron, as far as gear goes you are the go to guy for anyone with
questions on what gear to bring on a certain hunt. What advice do you have for someone from the East coast who is planning to go on a DIY hunt but doesn’t plan on having to use the gear again for a few more years? Aron: Pick your battles when you
Pakesso Guide Service
dollar amounts on the gear that your life depends on! Your boots, pack, and sleep system, those are the major ones. Buy used and look through classified, as you can save 60-70% dollar wise by buying used and price shopping instead of buying new. You can’t kill if you don’t
Aron with his last 320" bull taken in Colorado.
buy gear, and try to buy multi use gear that will work. Only spend high
Salmon, Trout, Bass Fly fishing, trolling, spinning 40 plus years experience Full or half days
have the money to get out here to begin with. Me: You spend a lot of time in the woods year around, how does this benefit you in the next season’s hunts? Aron: Trusting my gear, I know when I go into the field that the gear has been battle tested. Spending time with your gear helps with honing your skills in the outdoors, it’s like mathematics, if you’re not using
comes around what will make the cut and what wont. Me: You mentioned Field Craft, what is that? Field craft skills are the things like building a fire, finding water, and building a shelter as I touched on a minute ago. I hone my field craft skills every time I step foot into the wilderness so I’m on point year around. Me: What are the “must haves” for someone going on a backcountry hunt? Aron: Mental and physical toughness-aron noted that this is far more important than gear. The first thing is a well broken in, good set of boots. Second is a properly fitted backpack. And third is a sleep system that you know you can trust. Those are the big ones. As long as you’re not wearing cotton you can go pretty cheap on clothing. A foam pad will suffice if you don’t want to spend high dollar on your sleeping pad. You don’t even need optics to kill an elk, but they help. One of my best friends killed the Colorado big 9 without a set of binoculars at all. The guy is tougher than hell and is from Colorado but in the end it came down to time in the field and knowing the animal. Me: You work for Kifaru International and the Kryptek outdoor group, what brought you to those 2 companies and how can you relate that to how you choose your gear in general? Aron: The first thing I look for is
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Page 6
Aron with his 2012 DIY mule deer.
it constantly it will parish. Things like building fires, and making a shelter is automatic if I keep up with it. It also keeps me physically fit 24/7, which is more important than any piece of gear you bring along. Confidence, is what I am getting at. Each trip I’m using different gear so I know by the time hunting season
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American made outdoor gear, if at all possible. I look for companies that have been in business and have been proven over time. Word of mouth from known hunters that have used the gear, and gathering information from online forums that speak highly of the gear also helps
Continued next page
The Outdoor Gazette
Nature’s Way By Tannr Allard
March Against Monsanto
Many of you have probably heard about the March Against Monsanto. For those of you who haven’t, it’s a global movement against a company called Monsanto. This company is one of the most powerful in the food industry. Before they broke into the food business, though, they were in the chemical business. But they didn’t forget about all the toxic compounds they could create, instead, they used them on food! Genetically engineering their products and their crops and seeds to produce their own pesticides was just the beginning. They coat our food with toxins that aren’t even safe to inhale, let alone eat. The global movement, March Against Monsanto, is a worldwide
effort to STOP not only Monsanto, but all companies that give us poison and tell us it’s food. Many companies AND countries have stopped using Genetically Modified Organisms ( GMO’s) because the people are finally standing up and saying no. In multiple countries, including France, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, Norway, Australia, Thailand, Switzerland, New Zealand, and many more. It has been reported that over 90% of the food in grocery stores in Genetically Modified. It may be understandable to protest against the use of chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, etc. but what is so bad about GMO’s? Well, for starters, nature
from previous page
Aron and James with with James's 2012 Washington archery state record mt. goat. when choosing what to try. Gear heads always spread the wealth for good stuff so word of mouth works well. Me: I am a huge fan of your website www.rokslide.com, what made you decide to start it and how has that affected your career in the outdoor industry? Aron: My partner and I started the site and also went to Ranger school together; we own it and we decided to start it to get a no BS website for beginners and seasoned hunters to
Aron showing what he and his Kifaru pack can handle on a pack out.
The Outdoor Gazette
share their wealth of knowledge in the industry. Basically a mountain hunting website that was truly just for mountain hunting, no arguing, no bashing, just a place to get on to teach and learn, for everyone. Stay tuned, next month Aron and I will go through the process of fitness and gear choices for your next western hunt.
Cody grew up in Corinth, Vermont and went to Vermont Techincal college where he graduated with a bachelors degree in construction management. He was born into a family of avid hunters and a love for the outdoors was instilled in him at a young age. After college he moved to Lakewood, Colorado to pursue a job as a Field Engineer in commercial construction and has lived there ever since. The rocky mountains are where Cody learned a love for elk hunting and the challenges of a western mountain hunt. He can be found hunting deer, elk and various other game in the fall and skiing the fresh powder in the winter. You can reach Cody at Cody.covey @whiting-turner.com
has evolved for over millions of years, does it sound wise for humans to step in and start creating and modifying new species of plants? What about the fact that animal DNA can be found in vegetables because of the Genetic Engineering? Your tomato could have fish DNA in it... There have not been many studies on the health effects of GMO’s, but the few that have been done show some of the negative consequences. The organs of rats that ate GM potatoes showed signs of chronic wasting. The argument for GMO’s has been food security. More food yield and less use of pesticides, because the plants are more resistant. However, there has been no increase in yield and no decrease in pesticide use. It is possible to have a tremendous yield while still sticking to organic products. One Indian rice farmer had a yield of 22 tons on only 2 acres of land. Sumant Kumar accomplished this through the use of a system called System of Root Intensification (SRI). If this interests you, there is plenty of material on the Internet. It has been said that “ Growing your own food is like growing your own money.” This is completely
July 2013
true. Growing your own food is even more powerful than this though. In modern society, we vote more with our money than we do with our ballot. Who we give business to, is who rises up and gains power. If we give business to the “big bad” companies of pesticides, herbicides, and GMO’s, then we are not only allowing, but supporting the continued use of such methods. Stop allowing companies like Monsanto to poison you. Protest, fight, and destroy the companies by growing your own food. Become self-reliant. The only way these companies have power is if you give it to them. Take your food into your own hands. For a printable list of food companies to buy from that are organic and Non-GMO certified, visit: www.nongmoproject.org/find-nongmo/search-participating-products/ Sources: www.organicconsumers.org/gefoo d/countrieswithbans.cfm w w w. m a r c h - a g a i n s t monsanto.com/ www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/eight-reasons-gmos-arebad-for-you.html www.naturalnews.com/039766_ri ce_farming_organic_agriculture_yie lds.html.
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A Waterfowler's Perspective By Brian Bouchard
Introducing a Young Hunt to Waterfowl Hunting
A few years back I had the pleasure of taking my nephew Jordan Messier and his mom Kelly Messier to Charcoal Creek in the Missisquoi Natioal Wildlife Refuge in Swanton VT. Jordan and his mom Kelly participated in the Junior Waterfowl weekend training earlier that year which allowed them to be able to hunt the refuge on selected days. We met at my house at around 4 am, which can be very early for a 13 year old kid. The three of us piled into my truck and headed out to the refuge to sign in. After we were all signed in we drove to the launching point and began to paddle our way out to our assigned site. Jordan was selected for Blind D in Charcoal Creek which is a bit of a paddle. I have hunted this area many times before so I knew where we were heading which makes things easier when heading out into the dark. He and I paddled the canoe with the gear while his mom followed behind in the kayak. After a 15 minute paddle we were at our spot and setting out the decoys. The Junior
Page 8
Waterfowl weekend allows only the youth hunter to shoot while the mentors teach and instruct. This keeps the focus on the young hunter allowing them to be the center of attention. I admit I was as excited for this hunt as I have been for any other hunt I had been on. Our decoy spread consisted of 18 puddle ducks, 4 goose floaters and a Mallard robo duck. You need to have at least 12 decoys with you while hunting in the refuge. The extra decoys were more work hauling in but truly pay off as they make your spread really comes to life. Now we wait and let the morning unfold. It wasn’t long before the birds were beginning to move. We were buzzed a few times early somewhat catching us off guard. Once Jordan got into a rhythm things started to really click. Out of nowhere a Teal laid into our decoys. I had Jordan wait a bit to utilize this new addition to our spread as a way to decoy in other birds. It doesn’t get much better than a live decoy moving amongst your other
decoys. It became apparent that the Teal was starting to realize he was the only real duck in the mix and was making plans of leaving. Just as the Teal took flight Jordan readied himself for a shot, took aim and harvested his first duck. This was a great
feeling to see Jordan take his first duck. We continued to be buzzed by ducks all morning with a few encounters that justified a shot or two and some that were out of range. We even had a goose do a fly by close enough to take a shot. I’m not sure if the shock of a goose passing over head made all 3 of us sort of pause for a second but whatever happened the shot was just behind target. This allowed the goose to continue on its way unscathed. After 3 hours of hunting we were being buzzed by more mosquitoes than we were ducks and decided to head in. It never seems to fail whenever I start to pick up we get buzzed by a duck. It was no different this time as I was pulling the camo covering off the canoe a hen Mallard gave us a look. She started from behind and then circled out front. I was working my duck call while Jordan kept his eyes locked onto her. Just as she circled one final time, she came over
July 2013
the top of the robo duck with wings set and feet down. I gave Jordan the “Take Em” call and he did just that. Perfect shot, folded her up with one shot. Just like when shooting at the range I always like to finish on a “Good One”. I feel it’s best to pick up after a good shot to leave that as the final memory.
I will always remember Jordan’s first duck along with that Mallard coming in at the very last moment and Jordan making a great shot. I’m certain, or at least hope, Jordan will remember this hunt for many years. I’m very proud of Jordan and thankful that I was able to be a part of his first duck hunt. I know that his mom Kelly was very excited to be a part of Jordan’s first duck hunt. Introducing a young hunter to waterfowl hunting can extremely rewarding for everyone involved. The key to success is your pre-hunt preparation and simply letting things unfold as they will during the hunt allowing the young hunter to enjoy their time in the field. I have been hunting deer and predators for over 30 years. Turkey for 15 years. Waterfowl for the past 10 years. Owner of Fields Bay Outfitters. I Live in St Albans VT with my wife Michele and our 2 sons Dillon & Kyle and our 2 labs Tyson & Remi. The Outdoor Gazette
NHQDMA Plants Food Plots on NH State Land On Monday June 10th, volunteers from the First New Hampshire Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) installed a food plot at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, NH. The location of the half acre wildlife food plot is off of River Road across from Woodridge Trucking. The site is open to the public and is not far from Route 28. According to Jeff Eames, president of the NH QDMA- “Installation of this food plot fulfills one of the Chapters top
David Marden and Alan Johnson getting ready to spread fertilizer on the food plot. three public service goals for the year. A generous donation of labor, equipment and expertise from David Marden, owner of Boot Hill Farm Land Services, Newton, NH was a tremendous asset in this project.” Eames was quiet on his own contribution of leadership and the donation of seven hundred pounds of fertilizer from his business Fort Mountain Companies. Alan Johnson NHQDMA director from Walpole, NH donated labor and the seed for the food plot. Scott Rolfe, a forester employed by NHDRED, supervised and assisted with the project. NHQDMA director Roscoe Blaisdell was unable to participate as he was chasing bear with hounds in Idaho at the time. The planted area was a log landing from a timber harvest eight years ago. After the harvest, Rolfe seeded the landing with clover and the skid roads with conservation mix. According to Rolfe, the clover ranout three years ago and was replaced by native sedges. The woods roads still contain yellow clover, vetch and some triticale, valuable forage for a variety of animal species and upland birds. While the volunteers worked on the food plot, a nearby forest opening contained two hen turkeys, each with a brood of poults, no bigger than baseballs, foraging in the tall cover. Rolfe treated the food plot
site with herbicide (over-the- counter Round-Up) to kill the sedges before the site was to be planted. Marden used a tractor and disk harrow to cut up and turn under the dead grass and sod. Plentiful rains several days earlier made disking difficult and required the entire plot to be harrowed four times. Seven hundred pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer was broadcast onto the food plot. No lime was needed, as a soil test indicated the pH was already close to the optimal 7.0- a rarity in NH. A blend of seeds was prepared by Johnson to create a “salad bar with structure” for the food plot. A base of Biologic Clover Plus and Tecomate Ultra Forage was liberally laced with soy bean, red bean, corn, Indian corn, sunflower and sorghum. The Clover Plus and Ultra Forage provide more than half a dozen varieties of red and white clover, and two varieties of chicory and rape. This largely perennial base will provide significant nutrition to deer and other wildlife for at least the next three years. The soy bean, red bean and sunflower are fast germinating and provide browse within weeks. The corn, sunflower and sorghum provide not only nutrition, but also structure and cover within the food plot, with these plants attaining heights of four to six or more feet. Johnson has used similar blends on food plots on his property in Walpole with great success. Blaisdell has also planted similar blends on his Rockingham County woodlots with excellent success on his 5.4 acidic soils. Lime, lime and more lime $$@$$#$!@%$!%#$$$!!!!! If this project turns into a success there is a possibility that other NH state lands can have the same treatment but it will take volunteers and the approval of the state. Other nearby states have been managing their lands with food plots for years. NH has limited recourses but in this case DRED was willing to give us this generous opportunity so others who do not own land can help create food plots and reap the rewards. As mentioned before, the food plots are open to anyone for hunting, bird watching, and other pursuits. Since this project was completed we have talked with non-members of QDMA willing to lend a hand in creating food plots on other state land. With a few more successful phone calls and a few more donations, we may be able to start a new
By Roscoe Blaisdell and Alan Johnson
trend. Please get in touch with us if you want to get involved or have any suggestions. If you build it they will come. Our next NHQDMA event will be “Game Cameras For Wildlife and
on Route 28 in Epsom. If you would like to go to this event or get on our mailing list for other upcoming events you can contact our local club president, Jeff Eames, at 168 Granite Street, Allenstown,
Property Monitoring”. Speakers will include Roscoe Blaisdell illustrating of his local critter photos and Kip Adams, a nationally recognized wildlife biologist speaking about game cameras and their uses in managing and monitoring wildlife populations. The seminar will be on August 24 at the Elks Lodge #1210
NH 03275 or call 603-344-4459. Alex Cote resides in Deerfield New Hampshire. He is on the Pro Staff for Northwood's Common Scents! He is also a scorer for the NHASTC. Alex and his son spend as much time outdoors as possible and he only works when he has to.
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The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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Embrace Your Redneck Tendencies by Tina Corron
Driving Me Buggy
Every day in New England, thousands of people, from all walks of life, pack up their vehicles and embark on a much anticipated camping excursion. I have seen them on the road, SUV’s packed so full of gear that the only window space available is taken up by a child’s face squashed against the glass. R.Vs with several bicycles attached to the back, kayaks on the roof and towing a car. Pick-up trucks towing a fifth wheel camper that looks like it cost more than my house. I admire them for their adventurous attitude, their willingness to go forth and conquer the wilderness or simply enjoy the beauty and grace of our region’s state parks. Good for them. I, however, will not be among them. As a youngster, I camped quite a bit with my family. My grandfather owned a small piece of land bordering Sebago Lake State Park in Maine on which he permanently parked a small, vintage mobile home. We were within walking distance of a quiet boat launch where
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my sisters and I fished and swam. There were campfires in the
evenings and if it rained, we played board games or read comic books inside the trailer. With the exception Maine’s un- official state bird, the black fly, it was heaven. Every summer of my childhood, I anticipated with great enthusiasm, our yearly camping trip.
One fine summer day, shortly after I married the bearded Adonis with the pick-up truck, he approached me with these words: “Hey Hon, you
wanna go camping up at the Gibou?” I had been up to the Gibou many times at this point, mud bogging and four wheeling, I didn’t recall there being anyplace to camp, so I asked: “Where would we camp?” “Where ever we want. We can take a tent and some hot dogs. It’ll be fun. Some friends are going. We can all camp together.” He answered. This sounded a bit suspicious to me, but I didn’t want to be labeled a sissy or worse yet a ‘city girl’, so I agreed to go camping, in a field, in a tent. How bad could it be for just a night? The plan was to have a bonfire in the evening and to take the trucks four wheeling the following day. That didn’t sound too bad, not the kind of camping I was used to but it is good to try new things. I bought ingredients for S’mores, some beer, hotdogs and rolls. I packed the usual things people bring camping, change of clothes, flashlight, sweatshirt, and bug spray. I could only hope I had what I needed. Looking back now, a flame thrower would have been a welcome addition to our gear. The morning of our trip arrived a bit cloudy in town, but as my husband insisted the weather would be different on the mountain, I went along with it and we departed on the hour and a half journey to the Gibou. It turns out, my husband was right.* The weather was different on the mountain, instead of a bit of clouds; there was a light sprinkling of rain. Our friends had arrived at the agreed upon camping spot and were assembling a tarp in the open area to accommodate a campfire. My husband and I started to pitch our tent, or more accurately he yelled for me to hand him things and I did. As we
July 2013
finished with the tent, the rain intensified from a sprinkle to more of steady drizzle. I wanted to go home. I was assured that the rain would stop and we would have a great time. Our friends had a fire going under the tarp, so we joined them with our camping rations to share. I have to admit for quite a while, I was having a pretty good time talking, roasting marshmallows, and drinking beer. Until the rain intensified to a torrential downpour filling the tarp with water, we were attempting to drain the water from the tarp when a gale force wind did the job for us, soaking us in the process. Well fine, now I am wet and a bit miserable and I really want to go home. Oh it will clear up, they said. It’s not so bad, they said. Come closer to the fire, they said. I believed them, I was a fool, but what choice did I have? I couldn’t just take the truck and go home; I had no idea how to get back to the main road from the twisting, winding, logging road we were on. Fine, I had dry clothes in the tent, well not really dry, just less wet. I am not sure I slept at all that night with the rain and wind, the tent stakes tearing from the ground due to the velocity of the wind, and my regrets about getting talked into this mess but the rain finally stopped and morning dawned hazy, hot, and humid, turning the North East Kingdom of Vermont into some approximation of a tropical rain forest. After a quick breakfast, I think I ate a soggy hot dog roll with a marshmallow in it; we all took off in the trucks in search of some mud to test the trucks in. We didn’t have to go far because all that rain provided a great deal of mud, in short order, one of the trucks got stuck. My husband stopped our truck and got out to attach the winch, I stayed in the truck with the window down since I would just be in the way. The sun beat down mercilessly on the cab of the truck and it was so miserably hot and sticky, I leaned out a bit to get some air. That’s when I heard it, a weird buzzing sound. I looked around the truck to see what it was, and I saw them! A flock of mosquitos the size of hummingbirds flying with the precision of the Blue Angels, bearing down on the truck like a guided missile. I quickly sprayed myself with bug spray and tossed the can out the window to my husband before rolling it quickly back up. The bug spray seemed to work. I hesitantly rolled the window down a bit, I had to, it was sweltering in that truck, and then the true onslaught began! The horseflies showed up using their own bodies as battering rams against the windows The Outdoor Gazette
Fishing Regulation Changes Voted by F&W Board
MONTPELIER, VT – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board voted June 19 in Montpelier on a proposed regulation to increase trout and bass fishing opportunities for anglers. Eleven new river sections are proposed to have catch-and-release trout fishing with artificial flies or lures outside of the normal trout fishing season, opening over 70 miles of river to year-round trout fishing. A section of the Walloomsac River in Bennington is proposed to be added to the selection of
trophy trout streams that are stocked with two-year old brown or rainbow trout. The daily limit for this section will be two trout per day. Bass catch-and-release open water angling with artificial flies and lures (not ice fishing) outside the normal bass season is proposed to now include all lakes, ponds and reservoirs not listed as “seasonally closed waters.” “The department has made it a priority to increase opportunities for fish and wildlife-based recreation in which there will not be a
of the truck, swarming and roiling with a bloodlust rivaled only by piranhas in the Amazon, I sprayed with extreme prejudice and took no prisoners to little effect, the onslaught continued. It seemed no amount of bug spray could deter the attacks! I feared for my husband’s life, because if we did not leave that miserable hot, sticky, blood sucking bug paradise immediately, I was going to kill him. When we finally arrived home, itchy, wet, and only slightly nauseated from the bug spray, we agreed that it would be best for our marriage if we did not camp together as we have very different ideas of how
camping should be. Personally I work very hard to keep roof over my head and really do feel that indoor plumbing is in my best interest. *Yes I know, I said my husband was right, in print for others to witness. I hope he doesn’t get a big head over it.
The Outdoor Gazette
from previous page
A South Burlington, Vermont resident, formerly a “flatlander” and married to a Vermonter. She and her “Vermnter” husband have 2 sons aged 17 and 22, as well as a Brittany spaniel who behaves better than all of them. Tina was raised country and it is in her blood. Tina can be reached via email at tinacorron@gmail.com.
biological impact,” said Ver mont Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry. “This new fishing regulation will greatly expand angling opportunities and help promote openwater fishing during more of the year.” The Board also voted to remove a proposal to reduce the daily limit of 12 brook trout to 6.
July 2013
The fish regulation, with the proposed changes, can be seen on vtfishandwildlife.com. Under “Law Enforcement and Game Wardens,” click on “Rules and Proposed Rules.” The Board will vote one more time before the proposed regulation is adopted. If adopted, these regulations will take effect in 2014.
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Mass Meanderings Family Fishing Traditions
I have to admit that I wasn’t thrilled with the conversation that I had with Capt. Jack Golini the night before our first-ever Willette Fishing Trip. Capt Jack said that the fishing wasn’t good and that the wind was wrong and too strong for us to get where he really wanted to go, which was the mouth of the Merrimack River. We had limited options and the fishing was below average. Not a good forecast on either front for our little family gathering of sorts. On board for this trip were my younger brother Joe and sister Judi. All three of us had fished with my father 40 years ago. The fishing then was limited to lake fishing, where dad had a better handle on the fishing problems that we got ourselves into. It’s not like he could take the three of us to the Battenkill River for the day- he’d spend all of his time getting out our snags and setting up our rods. But we did fish the surrounding lakes with regularity. Soon thereafter I would venture off on my own and I really don’t know how often dad fished with Joe and Judi.
By David Willette
But it’s a pretty safe statement that we haven’t fished together in over 40 years. We were fishing as guests with Capt. Jack Charters, www.jackcharters.com. We had to drive to Newburyport and spend the night in the hotel. We all shared one room, with two beds. The hotel wouldn’t let us put a cot in the room so we decided to put the two beds together and the three of us would share two beds. It’s been over 40 years since we’ve fished together but it’s been forever since we’ve all slept together. Brother Joe got the middle, or the fault line, and Judi and I hugged the edges. It was different. but it was fun. We immediately resorted to our traditional nickname calling, and we even came up with a few new ones. Joe was never known for his affection for water, and my father had dubbed him the “dry swimmer” a long time ago. Judi and I couldn’t resist tormenting Joe with horror stories of fishermen who had died, etc… We even told him the Capt. Jack had patched all the holes in his
boat and that he had just gotten his license re-instated. Joe swore that he wasn’t getting on that boat, no matter what. Capt. Jack Golini is a roofing contractor by trade, but a charter boat captain at heart. He pilots a 16 foot-
in the back of the boat. We were running out of time and Joe was almost out of enthusiasm, when he decided to pick up one of the rods. A second later he yelled “fish on”, or something like that anyway, and the fight was about to unfold. Three
V23 Black Lab Marine Plate Alloy Boat. It’s an all-metal boat that he also uses for his winter duck hunts. We were to meet Capt. Jack at the dock at 4:30AM, an early start for sure. But it started earlier when Joe got us up at 2:30 because he couldn’t find the light for the bathroom, but he did find all the overhead lights for the room itself. After a quick safety talk from Capt. Jack, (which didn’t thrill brother Joe one bit), we were off and Capt. Jack glided us into position under very cloudy skies. It didn’t take long and yours truly whacked the first fish of the day, (did you expect otherwise), a keeper too. Spirits went from gloomy to a round of high fives and knuckle banging. A few moments later and Judi had a nice striper in the boat too. A couple more hookups and a few more fish and things were rockin’ in Capt. Jack’s boat. But Joe still hadn’t caught a fish. One of us got into one and Joe landed it, but he wanted a “natural”, as he called itto catch one from start to finish. The morning went on and the tide rolled in and our method of twitching sluggos along the bottom had dried up. Capt. Jack suggested that we start trolling them instead, so he rigged us up and two rods we set up
times Joe went around the boat fighting that fish, and every time around Judi and I would say something encouraging like, “it’s getting closer”, or something obnoxious like, “be one with the fish”. I couldn’t see the fish because I was trying to stay out of the way, but I knew it was a big one when I saw Capt. Jack’s reaction when he first saw it. There was no messing around with this fish- Capt. Jack wanted this cow into the boat and he got it there. When all was said and done, the fished measured in at 45” and weighed 33 pounds. It took ten minutes for Joe’s heart rate to come back down, and even longer for the smile to disappear from his and Capt Jack’s faces. “That’s why I do this,” Capt. Jack whispered to me. “ Look at him, he’s still shaking. It gives me a thrill to see what landing a big fish does to people,” he added. Amen to that Capt. Jack. For more info on Capt Jack go to www.jackcharters.com or call (781) 246-0141. David Willette is a free-lance outdoor writer who lives in Western Massachusetts. He can be contacted through www.coyotewars.com
ROSCOE BLAISDELL Official Measurer Boone & Crockett Club Pope & Young Club NH Antler & Skull Trophy Club Maine Antler & Skull Trophy Club
22 Scribner Road, Raymond, NH 03077
Page 12
July 2013
rblaisdell1@comcast.net
603-895-9947
The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
Page 13
Riverbank Tales by Bill Thompson
The Search for Wild Trout
We have entered into the dreaded “dog days of summer”; however all is not lost. Heat and warm water are not friendly to trout and for the most part trout anglers will put aside their rods during these hot spells. Trout caught in water with temperatures above seventy degrees rarely survive when released. The good news that we live in an area where there are numerous small mountain streams where water temperatures remain cold even during the hottest days of summer. These streams provide good fishing all year long. To be sure there is a trade off. If you are the kind of fisherman that demands big fish you will only be disappointed. Small streams hold proportionally sized trout; in most of these streams a six inch fish is just about the maximum size that you will find. On the plus size these fish are likely to be wild and demonstrate this by their fighting heart and brilliant colors. Sometime ago a woman called the shop asking if the White Mountains
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in New Hampshire had wild trout. We answered that indeed there were wild trout to be found in the
smaller mountain streams. The woman went on to ask if they were
the size of the wild trout her husband had caught in Patagonia. We told her probably not and that a six inch trout would be about as big as they get. The woman said: “Oh no
that would never do” and hung up. Her husband will never know what he missed. Recently I ducked out of the shop and went fishing with friend and head guide at the North Country Angler, Nate Hill. Our intent was to find some wild New Hampshire trout. Nate had been doing some scouting recently and had uncovered a spot with a population of natives. I had to bribe him to take me, but eventually he gave in and took me to his spot. Surprisingly the spot was not that far off a major highway. Nate took the precaution of parking his car well off the road to divert attention. Both Nate and I have vowed to never again put any fishing related graphics or stickers on our cars. A truck or car parked anywhere near a stream displaying any kind of decal advertising a fly fishing company or organization is a dead give away that a good fishing spot may be near by. In addition to pointing out that the owner of the car is a fisherman it also advertises that there may be expensive gear in side. We crossed the road and followed a small feeder brook to the main stream. The little brook meandered through a thick forest. The heavy cover provided the brook with deep shade keeping the water cold even in the heat of day. This little stream was alive with wild brook trout. It wasn’t easy getting a fly to them due to the thick canopy. The ever resourceful Nate used a bow and arrow cast to get the fly into the tight alcoves where the brook trout
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lay in wait for prey. I acted as Nate’s cameraman until the mosquitoes found me. Out on the main flowage the action began for real. Almost every pool held trout and they eagerly ate our flies. We continued up stream hitting every likely pool. Late in the afternoon we came upon the mother of all pools. The pool was about two hundred feet long that started with a small falls accompanied by a stretch of fast water that gave way to a long deep flat section. The pool was well shaded with some very interesting looking dark colored water. The pool proved to be full of trout and both Nate and I caught dozens of them before we moved on to the next pool. Around 8:30 I began to walk back to where we had entered the stream. The light was fading and I did not want to walk down the rock strewn stream bed in the dark. I left Nate happily casting away and catching trout. I had just about reached our entry point when I heard a voice and it was Nate who had caught up to me. By the time we entered the woods it was pitch dark. I was glad I had a small flash light with me. Nate, who apparently can see in the dark, bounded ahead. He announced that he could
see the road it that it would be easier to bushwhack through the woods rather than follow the brook. “Easy for you I thought”, but followed anyway. In a few minutes we reached the road and walked back to where we had left the car. We clipped off our flies and put the rods back into there tubes, marking the end of another great day of fishing Originally from Maine, Bill Thompson, with his wife Janet, lives in Freedom and owns North Country Angler fly shop in North Conway. He has been fly fishing for more than 30 years and is a licensed NH Fishing Guide. He has fished all over New England, in Canada and out West, but claims the Saco as his “home river.” He also writes a column for a local paper as well as articles in national fly fishing magazines. Bill’s email is bill@northcountryangler.com. The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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The Maine Hunter By Steve Beckwith
Maine Bear Hunting Under Attack Again
Maine bear hunting is once again under attack by three main antihunting groups HSUS (Humane Society of The United States), Wildlife Alliance of Maine, and a group called Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting whom announced on July 9th that they intend to gather the necessary 57, 277 signatures needed to qualify for the November 2014 ballot election vote. In 2004 Maine voted to reject the attempt by these organizations and they are coming back at us in full force. These groups are primarily funded by the HSUS and the millions of dollars collected from Hollywood Movie stars to cat owners, by using very sad looking ads depicting abused caged animals, puppies and kittens. The HSUS after receiving these funds from puppies and kittens in cages today freely use this funding to eradicate hunting of any kind across the USA. This money flows directly into Maine to fight against the way of life we New Englanders choose to live by! In Maine the HSUS joined forces with a very small population of Maine animal rights activists whom are a group called, Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting. The HSUS provides them with major funding and heavy duty TV ad campaigns to influence their objective! Their objective is to eliminate all bear harvest methods Maine currently allows to sportsmen and women, with the one exception of what they are calling “fair chase” or by simply put “by chance”. They want to eliminate, hunting over bait, with the use of hounds, and trapping methods for ever in Maine. These organizations play on the Maine non-hunting community and their heart strings with fierce advertising campaigns depicting hounds chasing bear up a tree, bear in a leg hold trap, and bear eating out of a
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barrel. They claim that all of these methods are either cruel or unfair hunting practices. Trapped bear are not suffering, they are not caught in a set of steel jaws rubbing their legs raw the bear is caught by a cable that is designed to do no damage to their leg and dispatched humanely upon the trapper’s arrival. Hound harvest-
in all three cases! The facts are that no matter how you shoot a bear, standing in the woods eating beechnuts, in a corn field eating the farmer’s corn, up a tree, in a trap or in front of a baited barrel, the bear is most certainly humanely dispatched. Bear need to be harvested according to the statis-
ed bear are not injured by the hounds, if a bear wants to end the life of a hound that is chasing him, he certainly has that option, but instincts make the bear go up a tree to avoid conflict. Lastly, bait hunting certainly has no impact on the totally unsuspecting animal when he is harvested by sportsmen from 20 yards away! Clean ethical dispatch
tical numbers generated by the State of Maine Biologists for necessary control needed to sustain a healthy population of this species here in Maine so that bear can remain healthy and co-exists with the States human population numbers. There is nothing cruel about dispatching an animal using a proper legal method. There is nothing cruel about humans gathering food for their families table either! A sportsman is not a savage being and they are not cruel to animals! Sportsmen dispatch animals as quickly and ethical as possible. To say anything else about sportsmen is just untrue! Of course there will always be unethical human beings, but these people are “not” sportsmen! Bear may look cute, but don’t try to cage one, pet one or walk it on a leash like a domestic animal! They are not as cute as they look! Bear are primarily nocturnal animals and to suggest that they can be controlled solely in Maine by chance sightings or over standing crops is absolutely ridiculous to even propose such a thing! Maine is not, “other States”!
July 2013
Maine has dense forests and swamps that bear thrive and hide in by day, but under the darkness of night they venture out into open areas to forage, and to bear any food source is fair game! The only effective methods to harvest bear in Maine is by using bait to entice them out of their daytime hiding early enough to have daylight hours to use a weapon safely or using hounds to go where no man will walk to smell out a bear from his daytime hiding places in swamps and dense forest cover and traps that can be set by day to work by night when bear are naturally in open areas. Without the use of these three methods to harvest bear, Maine will have to resort to other tactics like allowing huge human drives using twenty five or more people lined up banging cans and sticks to scare the bear out in the open during daylight, which then causes wounded animals because the shooters are making every shot they take at a running bear. The three methods this group wants to ban are the best choice for ethical shot placements and safe dispatching of bear! Maine does not have enough standing farm or natural crops to even consider it feasible for sportsmen to harvest the numbers Maine needs annually of this species! Of course there are many arguments to all the theories I have explained and many people will not stop and understand the law of nature and will believe that all animals should live and roam this land freely with nothing but other animals to worry about for their existence! But I am here to tell you folks that we humans are the “other animals” in their existence that all subspecies need to worry about, man is the superior being on this planet and a power greater then you and I decided that for all of us! Please, if you are asked to sign their petition, don’t sign it! If it makes it to a vote and you live in Maine, please go vote against this ballot referendum in November 2014! Steve Beckwith is a Registered Maine Guide, ThermaCELL Pro Staff, owns New England Outback Productions Channel on Roku, MaineGuideCourse .com, MaineHunters.com, MoosePermit .com and MaineGuidedHunts.com. Steve is a life member, editor and webmaster of the North Berwick Rod and Gun Club. A videographer, website designer com at MultitaskWebsites.com an internet entrepreneur with his online portfolio located at BeckwithAssociates.com, Steve can be reached through any of his websites. The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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Family Tracks The Eleventh Cast
The motor spun invigoratingly, with plenty of juice from the battery, but without so much as a hint of life coughing from within to throw the old engine into all-out combustion. “Go ahead, crank it some more,” urged Dad. “It’ll catch; it was running fine when I put it away.” Several cranks later, the motor still wasn’t running. Dad, staying positive, methodically checked out everything he knew. As he removed the cover, and inspected wires and lines and hoses, my dreams of zipping around Lake Champlain for the weekend, LCI weekend, in our motorboat started to dissipate like the mist off the surface of a warm pond on a cold morning. After a careful inspection and repeated tries, Dad finally lifted his head from the engines innards, looked at me, and quietly uttered “Uh Oh.” I immediately changed plans in my head. In my mind, I already had the canoe loaded on the car, the paddles tucked inside, and I daydreamed of the new fishing spots I planned to hit within paddling distance, if the weather cooperated, of course.
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By Brian Lang
I was the last one in our family to arrive in camp that Friday night, since I left after work. Driving up the interstate in the hot sun, I got a text from my wife; “Big storm here, and it’s hailing!” She also mentioned Ben had already crashed his bike and might need stitches. What a start. Luckily though, I missed the worst of the weather, and arrived to find the tent already set up. It had already weathered a drenching storm with hail, though, and everything was a little damp. The campsite had turned into a little bit of a mud bog, and Megan insisted on wearing socks with her crocks and became simply devastated when the mud kept seeping in through the holes and soiling all of her socks. Now that I think of it, I have written recently about Megan in another story with wet feet being the source of significant drama. I think I need to get that girl some waders. The morning was beautiful. I went out early with my father-in-law and Michelle’s uncle, and the fish were biting! I lost count of the smallmouth we landed, and a few of the
biggest were around 3 pounds. Not derby winners, but a lot of fun. The water was calm and it was clear and
the edges of the boat, especially in the area Ben would be. It was just me and him this evening. I set him
Fishing diligently, in the tricked out "stealth" canoe. sunny. My only issue was that I for- up sitting on the cooler in front of got the sunscreen and got a little me where I could help him out easily, and we slipped off shore and padburned. That evening after an early dinner, dled gently out towards the nearest it was time to launch the canoe. All trees. We drifted around a while, casting the flooded trees and bushes were calling to me all day, since we could- around the trees and flooded bushes. n’t really get in there too well with Ben was casting very well and I was the pontoon boat. The wind was proud of him. He landed a really fat calming down, and I hoped it would sunfish on a floating Rapala, and he be one of those evenings where the got pretty excited, but the action was not quite as fast as I hoped. We water turns to glass. I had made a stop the night before decided to head down another bank at Home Depot for some boating a short paddle away. When we got supplies, strangely enough. You see, into the new area, Ben launched his the moment the motor wouldn’t start floating minnow way out into the I started envisioning fishing from the lake, a real bomb of a cast. As I canoe, with the kids sitting up in watched the ripples settle where the front of me on little seats or the cool- lure landed, a small explosion suder. They’re not very big, and it works denly erupted on top of his lure. Ben fine, but as I day dreamed I kept get- was just sitting there with his line ting this big, CLANGING noise ric- slack and didn’t even see it. “Reel, ocheting around in my head, and I Ben, Reel!” I said. He started finally realized it was Ben banging buzzing his line up into the reel, but the sides of the canoe with his pad- the fish wasn’t hooked. I did feel like dle, the fishing rod, his feet; it trying to hit the smallmouth again, seemed as though Ben could make a though, and paddled out to the area BANG sound by simply sitting in the the fish had surfaced. We caught a few small bass and panfish, and saw canoe and just breathing. I wandered along three isles I a few more big swirls, but not at our thought were in the right area and lures. It was started to get dark, and found nothing. I end up finding Ben was truly tired and starting to things in stores more by a process of lose his patience. He had been fishelimination rather than by any real ing really hard, doing a great job. sense of navigation, but I was in a The water had indeed become as hurry, so I asked an employee for calm and smooth as glass as I had help. He led me right to the foam hoped, and I urged Ben to hang pipe insulation, and along the way tight just a little longer. Shortly, we came to an agreement. asked what size pipe. I said “It’s for the sides of a canoe”, and he nodded I would make ten more casts, and his head knowingly. I picked up what then we would go. I got to cast numI thought was more than enough, ber six, and decided I wanted to and grabbed a section of outdoor change lures. Maybe a little unfair, carpet to lie along the bottom of the but it was quick; I was already tying the new one on when he saw I had boat, too. At the waters’ edge, I laid out all stopped casting. Then, just before Continued next page the carpet and stuck the foam along
July 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
the last cast, I saw baitfish busting out of the water near the canoe. “Ben look!” I pointed them out, and repeated the mantra we had been reciting the whole evening “where there’s little fish…..” “There’s big fish” he finished. I made cast number ten to the baitfish, and twitched my minnow back a few feet below the surface. Then WHAM, I had a wrist jerking hit, but did not hook the fish. I reeled the rest of the way in. “Ben, just one
more cast?” I pleaded, “I just had a big hit!” “No”, he said. “You said we could go.” I couldn’t resist, and cast back towards the same spot anyway, Ben saying “Noooooo” as the lure arched through the air. He didn’t have time to complain anymore though, because after just a couple cranks on the reel, BOOM, I had a good fish on. It pulled hard, and then gave us a good show jumping high into the
air, the fish’s bulk making a big splash as it landed back in the lake. It pulled the canoe around a little, and things got frantic for a moment as I told Ben to move his paddle (which hadn’t banged once all night, by the way), while I got the net out that was tucked in under the seat. I got the fish landed successfully, it was probably between 2 ? and 3 pounds, and then paddled us obediently back to shore. It was a great evening; I certainly didn’t miss having a motor at
all.
from previous page
Brian Lang lives with his wife, Michelle and two children Megan and Ben in Reading, VT. Brian grew up in VT and started enjoying his outdoor pursuits at a very young age. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, camper, and hiker and hopes to give his kids the same wholesome upbringing he enjoyed in the New England outdoors. When he's not outside, he works as an MRI Technologist. He can be reached at Bclang78@gmail.com.
The Gazette’s Hunting and Fishing Solunar Tables
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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Anchor Points By Todd Mead
The Mental Game
Far too many people overlook the mental aspect of shooting, hunting, and the two of them put together. When you listen to the vast array of excuses for missed shots duri n g t o u r n a m e n t a rch e r y o r wh i l e h u n t i n g, m o re t i m e s than not someone will blame their equipment. While equipment can occasionally take the blame, the result of a missed opportunity usually can be linked to poor mental preparation. When a hunter begins to think beyond the moment, he or she blocks the thought process required to execute the shot with good for m. I n c o m p e t i t i ve s h o o t i n g, m o s t s h o o t e r s h ave a s c o re they’re used to shooting. The score might vary a little bit, but it will stay within a fairly tight average. Someone who doesn’t have a solid mental game can ruin a re a l l y g o o d ro u n d s o l e l y because of the way he thinks about what is going on around him. If a shooter has never shot a perfect score and the p ro b a b i l i t y o f s h o o t i n g o n e b e c o m e s a re a l i t y m a ny thoughts begin creeping into t h e p i c t u re. S i n c e i t ’s a n uncomfortable place for the shooter he will do whatever he has to in order to bring himself back to his average. The relaxation will quickly dissipate from the body and t e n s i o n bu i l d s i n a l l a re a s. The breathing becomes rapid a n d s h a l l ow. T h e h a n d s become sweaty and tense. The s h o u l d e r s t i g h t e n u p, a n d before long the shooter has forgotten what got him to the
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point he’s at. Instead of focusing on the execution of a shot using perfect fo r m , the shooter
m i n d w i l l m a k e yo u s t a r t thinking about all sorts of things that have nothing to do with your for m. If you are required to shoot 6 0 a r row s i n a t o u r n a m e n t
acknowledges the thoughts of shooting a perfect score. This takes him out of the moment he’s living in and forces his conscious mind into controlling the subconscious actions re q u i re d t o p e r fo r m at t h e highest level. It’s very hard to separate s h o o t i n g fo r a s c o re a n d shooting to make the best shot you can every time you draw the bow. When you feel all of t h e t h i n g s a s s o c i at e d w i t h nervousness you have to slow d ow n a n d w a l k yo u r s e l f through the steps of your shot sequence. If you break everything down and do this all you can do is trust your for m and shoot the arrow. If you shoot every shot with the same for m the arrow will go where it’s supposed to go. If you don’t trust your for m your conscious
make it your goal to shoot 60 perfect shots. Although it can be hard at times, especially if you have a perfect score going, you have to remember that the first, 10th, 40th and 60th a r row a l l h ave t h e s a m e importance. No shot is more i m p o r t a n t t h a n t h e n ex t . When all shots are executed the same you’ll end up with the score you want to shoot. You won’t have to think about the fact that you have a perfect score going because the perfect score will find you. Before long you’ll see that it becomes much easier to let a bad shot go and move on to the next one. Trust your for m and accept the bad shots along the way. If you gain this trust you’ll notice that some of your bad shots will still find their way to the center of the tar-
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get. H u n t i n g s i t u at i o n s s o m e time follow the same patter n I referred to above. We sit in o u r t re e s t a n d s a n d w a i t patiently for a nice buck to wander across the clearing in front of us. After a few hours when we catch a glimpse of one coming down the trail we instantly start thinking beyond the moment we’re living in. We see where he’s going to walk and realize it’s going to be a slam dunk shot. There’s no way we can miss this shot and from the looks of it, this will probably be the biggest buck we’ve ever killed. He’s going to look g reat on the wall next to all of our other deer. A minute or so later and we are at full draw. As the string hits the draw stop we point the sight pin at the buck. Not paying attention to the steps we nor mally do, the pin ends up f loating across the brown hide of the deer and our index finger suddenly jerks the trigger. We pull our face away from the bow to get a look at the arrow hitting the deer and all we see are a few small saplings wiggling back and forth as our arrow sails over the back of the buck. The steps necessary to execute a shot with good for m were ignored. The conscious mind took over and everything fell apart after that happened. That’s why it’s imperative to keep a level head, live in the moment and trust your for m. Todd is the author of Backcountry Bucks and A Lifetime of Big Woods Hunting Memories. You can catch up with him on his website: www.toddmead.com He resides in Queensbury, NY.
The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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Outdoors with Anita By Anita Williams
Princess Boundary Waters Canoe Adventure
Pristine waters lap at the bow of the canoe I step into. I take my place seated in the stern. Staying low, I hold onto both sides of the canoe and keep my balance. Next, Kathy Benham steps in and takes her seat in the bow. We tighten our life vests and grasp our paddles with one hand on the grip and the other approximately 6 inches above the blade. I shove off and start to paddle north in the clean, clear water. I am not quite sure whether or not Kathy and I will be able to handle the canoe, or if we even remember how. We receive a few instructional lessons and set off to explore a weekend in the wilderness. The Princess Boundary Waters Canoe Adventure begins at Bear Island Lake near Babbitt, Minnesota. Kathy had suggested that we get away for an adventure, lots of laughs and a first rate girls’ adventure weekend. I was eager to hear what she had planned. Kathy works for a power company, but has a great sense of adventure, loves to travel and enjoys weekends where she can get away from her I-pad, phone and
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work. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness in northern Minnesota provides great opportunity to do that and at the same time challenges us to test our skills . Not certain if we are ready to sleep in a tent and cook by fire, we rent a fully equipped cabin. We decide the combination of hiking and canoeing is just the right mix to challenge us enough physically that we will forget our troubles and work our bodies to exhaustion while enjoying the beauty up north. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) covers a million acres, with over 1,100 lakes, along the MinnesotaCanada border. With 200,000 visitors each year the BWCAW is the most popular wilderness area in the country. 59 paddling entry points are spread between Cook, Ely, Tofte, Isabella, and Grand Marais. It requires skill to paddle a canoe and master the techniques to direct it where I want it to go. Different canoe strokes are required that can be called upon during every canoe outing. Kathy uses the forward stroke while seated in the bow of the
canoe. Although basic, the forward stroke requires proper form which includes sitting up straight and the proper torso rotation. I use the jstroke from the stern as a way to stay on course. Kathy and I paddle in tandem. When she paddles from her left, I paddle from my right; after ten or fifteen strokes, she switches and so do I. This keeps the canoe flowing
smoothly and we cover the most territory this way. Switching sides becomes a way to receive an even workout while canoeing though it’s not a necessity for keeping the canoe moving in a straight direction. Our mission is to head further north, and explore. We land the canoe and decide to go ashore and hike on a trail weaving us up and down through the pine forest. The lake connects through channels all the way to the Boundary Waters and eventually leads to Canada. We didn’t go that far but we hike several miles, then are happy to get back in the canoe and resume paddling. As we round the bend we notice a huge beaver den, and pull our paddles out of the water slowing us down. I am amazed how they build such intricate dens and marvel at the workmanship as they go about building their homes. Nearby, ripples form in the lake as a muskrat swims past unaware of our existence. Knowing that we rented a cabin provides comfort and we will not need to find a camp site, set up a tent or hang our
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packs from a tree to keep our food safe from bears. Kathy and I both paddle as we make our way through the water and watch the shoreline twist its way as we head north. I told Kathy to be on the lookout for moose, bear and deer as all are a possibility. I cast my rod and catch both walleyes and crappie. As the sun sets we paddle the canoe back to the cabin for supper and rest. Tomorrow is a new day. Later, as we
sit around the campfire and roast marshmallows, Kathy proclaims ” It’s the perfect ending to a Pampered Princess Canoe Trip day”, as I pop a marshmallow roasted to perfection in my mouth I give her a thumbs up . “That warm shower sure is going to feel good” I reply. Where to next? Anita lives in Grand Rapids, MN and is the mother of two adult children. She has been a hairstylist for thirty years. Her empty nest allows time to pursue interests of photography, bow hunting, fishing, travel and food. Follow her on Facebook, YouTube and huntervids.com. Anita lives in Grand Rapids, MN and is the mother of two adult children. She has been a hairstylist for thirty years. Her empty nest allows time to pursue interests of photography, bowhunting, fishing, travel and food. Follow her on facebook and watch her videos @ "http://www.huntervids.com /?videos=northern-pike-spearfishinganita-williams-pokegama" http://huntervids.com/?videos=northern-pike-spearfishing-anita-williams-pokegama-
The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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Anything Whitetail By Bret Homer
Winter food plots
Planting winter food plots for success on late season bucks will mean putting together the right combination of brassica and cereal grains. Creating some of the best late season plots will mean you should plant more than one type of plant, much like you do with summer food plots. Not saying that just planting one type of plant wont work. Just remember the more ya variety of foods offered, the longer you plot will attract and feed your whitetails. The benefit to having several types of plants is if a ground level plant becomes covered with a layer of ice making it difficult for the deer to paw through the ground. The taller food types like soybeans and corn will make a quick and easy access meal. But don't misunderstand. We have seen where whitetails have dug through 2 to 3 feet of snow to eat the bulb of turnips and sugar beets. SEED TYPES: Some of the best and most commonly used brassica seed types are Purple top turnip, Seven top turnip, Kale, Rape, Diakon Radish, Sugar Beets and Rutabaga. The best and most commonly used cereal grains is corn and soybeans. Some other types of plantings are winter wheat and forage oats. Now much like selecting your summer plot seeds. If ya want the best results from your plantings? YA GOTTA GET TO KNOW YOUR SEEDS FIRST!! Understand what each seed is and does. Most all winter plantings are done with annuals. This means just want it says. You have to replant it annually. As well some plants area forage plant where the deer will continue to eat the foliage tops as they regrow from browsing. The other plants like turnips and sugar beets usually will not be touched until they hit a hard frost or freeze turning the bulb soft and sweet. Also, one thing
about bulb style brassica's is that the deer will not always destroy them the
first year. For some weird reason the deer in the area have to learn to eat the plant and it can take two seasons to get them acclimated to eating them. So be patient with your turnips and don't loose all hope if you do not get the results you want the first year. As well it is common for deer to sometimes not eat them until they are done utilizing other winter food sources. That is a key reason to plant other types of cereal grains to attract and hold deer to your plot. Brassica Mix: A good Brassica mix will consist of both bulb type plants and forage plants. Obviously the bulb types are purple top turnips, sugar beets. diakon (or tillage radsih) and rutabaga. Forage type plants are Seven top turnip, Rape, Kale, Oats and winter wheat. Mixing about a pound of or two of each of those seed types is a perfect winter blend. The great thing about these plants is you wont be planting them until around mid July. So it will give you plenty of time to prepare your plot area throughout the summer months. Now again planting cereal grains in your plot area is a must. It give your deer another type of food that
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practice to rotate your brassica area with your cereal grain area each and every year. So what ever the size your winter plot is gonna be....? Simply split the plot in half and plant cereal grains on one side and brassica on the other and then the next year just switch sides. Once the deer develop a habit for knowing where all the good food is in the winter. You should start seeing more and even some of the same deer each year. Remember that the first year a doe is teaching her fawns (buck and doe alike) how to survive the winter. So they will remember when she
repellent for the first month or so to keep the deer off the plot giving the plant a chance to reach a stage to survive over browsing. It is a pain....but it is much needed to befit from your hard work. Now for corn one main thing you need to know is DO NOT use any type of corn bore resistant or triple stack corn. The deer and sometimes even cattle refuse to eat it. Kind of makes ya think about what your eating yourself If even a stupid cow wont eat it, huh? Just know that the best type of corn to plant for plots is conventional corn and unless you are planting ten acres of corn....? Lol....Don’t think you are gonna plant a small patch and the deer will bed in it. One more thing is to rotate your corn and soybeans area's each year. Soybeans will help put nitrogen into the soil where as corn will draw it out. Plot placement can be tough sometimes as you might be in a situation where you have no choice but to put it in the only place available. Remember to just try and place your plots in areas that are easily accessible without alerting game that you are in the area. But if that isn't possible...then just remember that your plots are a strong attempt to attract and hold deer for winter hunting. You do not always have to be looking at or see the food plot to
takes them to areas where they know there will be food. Cereal Grains: Again Cereal grains are important to your plots in a couple ways. They need to be planted for a variety of available food as well as a rotation crop. Now one thing about planting soybeans is you kind of get a double whammy with this plant. Soybeans will need to be planted in the spring. Select a forage type soybean that will provide foliage in the summer and it is an above ground food source in the winter months. You will probably have to use some sort of deer
harvest and animal that is utilizing it. Your best bet is to set up your stand between the deers bedding area and the food plot anyway. That way you can get out of your stand and leave quietly when the food plot is full of deer when the sun goes down. No since in alerting the deer to your presence or stand location for any reason. Just remember to set a stand on the plot for in the event of being right on top of the plots is available or needed. Best of luck to everyone this season with planting and hunting their food plots. Remember that food
will attract and hold them longer to the area. Not to mention they should be planted separately from your brassica mix. It is always perfect
July 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
Free Workshop on Woodcock and Ruffed Grouse Hunting
HOLDERNESS, N.H. -- Get set for the fall grouse and woodcock season at a free workshop on Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock Hunting on Saturday, August 17, 2013, from 9 a.m. to noon at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness. Pre-registration is required. To sign up, call 603-536-3954. The workshop covers the basic skills needed for the pursuit of these challenging birds. Participants also will learn about grouse behavior, hunting safety issues, hunting with or without
dogs, gaining permission to hunt/landowner relations, cloth-
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plots is like hunting. You have to do your research about every aspect in order to be the most successful with our endeavor. Otherwise you are going to get discouraged and give up quickly. Always appreciate what you have done for the wildlife regardless of if you are harvesting big bucks on your food plots. Hunters are the greatest conservationist. If it weren't for your participation the wildlife would suffer in allot of ways. So don't just take advantage of the opportunity to hunt. Please help create some great hunting opportunities. Your hunting
The Outdoor Gazette
ing choices, shotgun and ammunition options, creature comforts for
an enjoyable hunt and recipes for grouse. The session will be led by grouse hunting enthusiasts/Hunter Education instructors Sean Williamson and Dan Keleher. In addition, Andrew Weik, the Northeast biologist for the Ruffed Grouse Society, will give a presentation on ruffed grouse and woodcock and their habitat needs. Grouse hunting season in New Hampshire opens October 1 and runs through December 31, with a daily bag limit of four birds. Woodcock season opens October 1 and runs through November 14. To learn more about small game hunting in New Hampshire, visit huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_spec
ies/hunt_small_game.htm. For more information about the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center, and directions to the center, visit huntnh.com/Hunting/hunter _ed_center.htm. Educational activities at Fish and Game's Owl Brook Hunter Education Center are funded by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program, supported by your purchase of firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works in partnership with the public to conserve manage and protect the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit huntnh.com.
season and the future of hunting depends upon it. Brett is the owner and head guide for Backwoods Whitetails Outfitters. Born and raised in West Central Illinois, Brett has well over 25 years of experience in hunting all types of big and small game in the backwoods of Illinois. Born the son of a gunsmith, Brett was introduced into small game hunting as a young boy. Through his fathers love of guns, hunting small game and upland birds. Brett quickly developed a passionate hobby that would take him to a career in the guiding hunters in the backwoods if West Central Illinois.
July 2013
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The Trap Line Nuisance Contracts
Last month I brought you through the process of becoming a nuisance trapper. Hopefully you enjoyed that process and have decided to climb aboard. If you do choose to do this fun pastime you need to consider a contract of some sort to protect yourself from any liability. For years I operated on the concept if I do something for you, you do something for me. I was brought up to believe a firm handshake was a good deal maker. That all changed about five years ago. I spent a considerable amount of time removing foxes for a homeowner who had foxes that were fond of her suburban critters. When I finished the job I sent her a bill and waited, and waited, and waited. Repeated phone calls went unanswered. Knocks on the door went unanswered. When I finally made a contact she “could not remember’ me helping her. I made it abundantly clear I would take
By Randy Barrows
her to court to get paid for my services and she finally paid. So now I have a signed contract before I do any work. It is not real official but its proof that you agreed to do a service and expect to get paid for that service. My contract starts out with the contractees name, address and phone number. The rest goes like this: This contract is an agreement between yourselves and (your company name). The fee for this agreement is $ ____ per hour plus (______) per mile traveled. Times starts when I leave my office and ends when I get back to my office. Traps will be checked daily by an agent of (your business) as regulated by law. When possible the contractee will check the trap and call an agent of (your company) if an animal has been caught. I then follow with a warning which states: Warning, this document is a contract. Please familiarize yourself with its unusual
features so there will be no misunderstandings as to your obligations. Then comes a legal note which states: (your state law) prohibits the relocation of nuisance animals. Animals caught must be released on your property or destroyed. Violations of this law could result in criminal prosecution. All animals caught will become the property of (your company). I follow with a safety note that says as follows: Wild animals are dangerous and infectious and carry lethal diseases. Please do not attempt to handle any trapped animal. Use caution around any trapped animal as they can /or will bite and scratch even through the cage. Also add that it is the contractees responsibility to notify adjacent landowners that traps will be set on your property. It is the contractees responsibility for any and all traps while on your property and agrees to pay for any broken or stolen traps(s). It is also not (your company) responsibility for damage done to your property, i.e. Digging, flooding, or smells i.e. Skunk spray. Finally, a signed liability waiver which goes like this: On 00/00/00 Mr./Ms./Mrs./ ___________ give permission to (your company) to set traps on my property located at any street, any town for the purpose of attempting to catch any critter. I hereby release (your company) from any and all civil responsibilities and liabilities for any mishaps that may occur from having this trap on my property. I understand (your company) does not have any control over the activities of any wild animal or house pet. Wild animals are unpredictable and there are no
guarantees said animals will be caught. Where allowed animals will be dispatched prior to removal. The only thing left is for the homeowner to sign and date, a then yourself or agent sign and date. The final line states: Payment will be expected at the completion of the exclusion. There will be a $50.00 charge on all returned or bad checks. Please make checks payable to (your wishes.) So that is basically it. I ran it by the law fir m of Dewey, Screwem and Howe and it passed muster. Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to make one up for your needs and you will save money and time in the long run. NOTES: It’s fair season here in The Ver mont Ver mont. Trappers Association attends most of the major fairs in the area selling 10 gun raffle tickets , tanned fur, memberships etc. Stop by and say hi. We all love the sport of trapping and will talk it all day long. We also offer free advice and do anything we can to help you be more successful on your line. Keep your waders patched, your lures in the shed and be sure to take a kid outdoors with you! Randy lives in Milton, Vermont, has trapped in Vermont for 43 years, is a hunter Ed Instructor and an Advanced Trapper Instructor for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Randy and wife, Diane & their family, own and operate Arrowhead Trapping Supply. Randy is also a Vermont State Licensed Fur Dealer. They can be reached at Critrgitr@msn.com or 802355-7496, on facebook or at www.arrowheadtrappingsupply.com.
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A family owned and operated business since 1983
July 2013
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July 2013
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Behind the Sights By Charlie Chalk
Running Lead
If you lived in the age of muzzleloading firearms you may have needed a gunsmith to make a spring or hammer but one thing every gun owner knew how to do was what they called "running lead". We call it molding or casting, but it comes down to melting lead and forming it in a shape that fits your gun. Sure, you can buy exceedingly good bullets from Speer, Hornady or others, but if you want to save some money, running lead is the way to go. If you use large caliber's of .58 or greater, you will find the savings to be significant. Old timers would cast balls as needed in a campfire. They used single cavity molds of steel or brass and the ball it cast was quite adequate. These original style molds are still available today. Although they are slow and more labor intensive than a modern mold, they will cast you a good ball. The modern mold is a steel or aluminum block with handles and a sprue cutter that snips the
excess lead from the inlet. On a recent trip to a gun shop, I found their molding equipment to be from some of the best makers and they have a wide selection. Along
with a good mold, you will need a melting pot. Most people use an electric unit with adjustable temperatures; others, use a cast iron lead pot and a Coleman stove. It doesn't take much heat to melt
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lead-about 621 degrees F. Let me also warn you to take extreme caution with molten lead. Toxic fumes require you to work outside, high temperatures require hand and eye protection and keep all water far away. One drop of sweat
can cause a violent steam explosion that will throw large quantities of molten metal. Once your lead melts there will be a scum that rises to the surface. This scum will be dirt and any alloy metals that melt at higher temperatures, such as tin. The best way to get good lead is to monitor the temperature and keep it around 700 degrees. The scum will float like oil on water. Stirring with an old spoon will bring this to the surface quickly. Depending on how pure your lead was to start will produce more or less scum. Pure lead is the best choice for muzzleloaders and can be bought or found in some scrap yards. How can you tell if lead is pure? If you can scratch it deeply with a finger nail, you have pure lead. After removing all the scum you can, it is time to flux the metal. Your flux can be a small piece of wax or paraffin. Dropping it into the lead and stirring it around until the smoking stops. This will remove some of lead oxides. You now have the cleanest possible metal to work with and enough smoke to have the neighbors’ call 911! Filling the mold is easy if you have an electric pot with a spout. Otherwise you will need a lead ladle to transfer the lead from pot
to mold. The ladle and mold should be preheated before casting begins by touching them into the lead and allowing the heat to transfer. When you begin to cast, the first few rounds may be wrinkled; as indication of a cold mold. Just keep going and this problem will change on its own. The mold is precision made and care should be taken with two common problems you will encounter. First, never strike the mold with anything except a hardwood dowel or old hammer handle. Strike the sprue cutter with a downward and away motion to keep it parallel to the mold block. Sometimes, the lead will smear on top of the block. Heat the mold and wipe away the lead with a rag or you will distort the cutter angle. The second problem you will face is a stuck ball that won't drop from the mold. The common cause is a mold that is too hot. Never use anything to pick out the ball, just strike with your dowel on the mold handle and the ball will pop out. Striking the mold block may knock it out of alignment. When you decide to start casting, I suggest you take a look at Lyman equipment. Dollar for dollar, they seem to produce the best equipment for the least money. Their molds are excellent and come in a wide range of caliber's, including conicals. ‘Running lead’ is something every blackpowder shooter should know how to do. It will bring the cost of your shooting down and allows you to take more control of your sport by creating more of your own equipment. Consider also, that you can cast modern pistol rounds also. You will have to learn how to increase the hardness by adding other metals to the mix. Lyman again has a good book on casting secrets. Take care and I'll see you on the range. Charlie Chalk is an outdoor writer and has a background as a professional Firefighter and is a member of the American Mountain Men, an organization that emulates the life of the fur trappers of the 1800's and their survival on the land.
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July 2013
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From the back of a canoe
By Jim Norton
The Androscoggin the good, bad and in between
June is our busiest month; we’re in Errol for two weeks which coincides with when the column is due. We’re on the water early and fish until dusk so there’s not a lot of time to write. With limited time I decided to include a few notes from my journal when we’re in Errol and email the column when it’s due on the 25th. From May 24th to June 9th there was 3 to 5 inches of rain. That blew out a lot of rivers; some like the Androscoggin was still running high when Andrea the first tropical storm of the season hit on June 7th & 8 th. Fortunately most of the rain from Andrea was in the south and central part of the state providing a glimmer of hope that the Androscoggin flows would be fishable when we head to Errol on the 13th. Hopes to get away for the Memorial Day weekend and trips on the Androscoggin the last week of May washed away with the high flows. I had clients who wanted to drift the Androscoggin but with high water decided to try the Connecticut. The flows were still a little high but the water clarity was pretty good. I had offered a wade trip in the southern part of NH but they had never fished northern New Hampshire and wanted to give it a shot. It rained the day and evening before the trip; not enough to increase the flow but the river was about 500 cubic feet per second higher that it would have been without the rain. It would be guessing to say that made a difference; we’ll never know. Overall it was a poor day on the water; unfortunately one of several this spring. It was a warm sunny day; the air temperature went up 20 degrees; the first day of four sunny hot days in the high 80’s. I did manage to lose an anchor; the
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first one on the Connecticut. Not easy to do; there’s only a few places with rocks. I’ve never recovered an anchor; when the water drops
pond and had a good morning before I headed down for out last Northeast Fly Fishing class of the spring. Saturday June 1st the tem-
Jerry Bernier - with a nice striper smiling because he did not have to paddle
someone will have a 30 pound anchor. I use a 25 pound weight as a base and add weights or chain to get to 30 pounds. The only good thing was the weights were on sale and I got 30 pounds for $14; with the hardware and rope it came to $35. When the Connecticut rises and drops several feet everything is coated in mud; if the fairs could get a pig as greasy as the banks no one would be able to catch one. Even with 4WD I almost got stuck; everything was coated with mud; boots, waders, boat, trailer, Jeep and us. It was only a short haul from the takeout to Canaan VT where I share an apartment with two friends. Will is the only one who lives there full time and fishes every day. We put the drift boat in at a
perature hit 94. We decided to do the casting session on a pond early in the morning; a good move, it was brutal in the afternoon. We had eight students the number we can handle without bringing in extra guides for the Sunday on the water session which we’ve done a few times this spring. Saturday it was only 90 with a breeze; the water temp was 72 not conducive for trout fishing but the class managed to land three along with bass and chubs. Everyone landed a fish except for one student who had a strike. Here’s a video clip of the class. youtu.be/lqTPrDnuf9 M" http://youtu.be/lqTPrDnuf9M Last fall we picked up a Jon boat to put on a pond and Tuesday June 3rd was the only day we had free to get the boat up north. After a dental appointment my guiding partner Gerry and I headed north. Finding the time to check out new spots is difficult but we stopped to check out a brook for wild trout. The stream wasn’t that good in the area we looked at and it was 2pm when we stopped to break out the sandwiches in Errol. Carrying/dragging the
July 2013
boat in didn’t seem to take that long but it was an hour by the time we made it back to the Jeep. Just enough time to check out a few more ponds before heading home. Another friend Jerry is like the energizer bunny; always on the go. At this time of year he could be trout, bass, striper or crappie fishing all of which he does with the same enthusiasm. Sometimes I go years without fishing salt water but this year Jerry managed to snag me twice with reports of great striper fishing. The first time in late May we landed a few before the battery ran out of gas; more or less. Jerry couldn’t make headway up river against the current and wind which had blown up. There was only one paddle in the canoe and we were a mile from the takeout. By the time we made the take out I wasn’t complaining about getting up early and not having time to exercise. With a new battery, two paddles and the lure of large stripers on Joppa flats we were at the mouth of the Merrimack on June 4th. Five hours on the water and only one hit. The only excitement was a seal that splashed near the canoe. Jerry saw it and almost went into orbit. I thought it must have been a whale. There was a long scum line where the outgoing current created a seam along the flats. Jerry wondered if it was what people call nervous water. Nervous water to me was the waves that occasionally would break over the bow. The only good thing was I got to use a 10 ? foot 7 weight rod that had been gathering dust in the closet since I won it in a raffle over a year ago; at least enough casting to last if I don’t go salt water fishing for another year. Good fortune struck again when a friend and I ran into a couple he knew who were moving and wanted to give away two Outcast Fish Cat pontoon boats. They were in mint condition; we each have one. There are a lot of places I’ll like to use it; now it’s only a question of finding the time. Of course that tipped the scale for storage. I thought it looked good in the screen house but my wife doesn’t. One of my son’s works for Cyr Lumber and they have a few shed for sale so a 14X16 will solve
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the space problem; at least for now. With a trailer I could transport the pontoon boat and kayaks or canoe; that’s next on the list. Free stuff is such a great bargain. The Errol trip got off to a poor start when I could not find a large fly box I use on the boat. Any flies I use go into the box organized by nymphs, dries streamers and wet. My guess is there were hundreds of flies in the box which has two large foam pads. I carry several trays in case I need additional flies but they are seldom used. I have a stash of flies I keep to replenish the boat and vest but half of the new patterns I tied over the winter were in the boat box. I picked up a box about one third the size of the missing box; but every time I want a fly that’s not in the box I have to search through multiple boxes to find it. The day before the trip we spend the morning shopping for groceries for two weeks; we have four or more anglers every day. Packing food and gear takes the remainder of the day. We start with dinner the first evening and fishing from 7pm until dusk. Every day for the next 14 is a repeat. Breakfast at 6, leave to fish at 7, return between 4 and 5, dinner at six and fishing at 7. Day 1. The Androscoggin is running at 6000; too high to fish. After dinner we split the anglers up and hit two ponds. The Hex hatch has not started; one pond had great dry fly action; the other is a bust. Day 2. The Androscoggin is still high; we decide to try ponds verses fishing the Connecticut. It turned out to be a good move; we fished two ponds both very productive; one angler landed a brookie in the 3-4 pound range. I hit the ponds in the evening; clients had a great time fishing dries. Gerry did well on the river. Day 3. The Androscoggin is down to 2730 cubic feet per second in Errol. The alderfly hatch has not started; fishing is not up to par. Lots of small trout. Everyone catches fish including an angler who landed one of the largest brookies since we’ve been guiding. Evening fishing on a
from previous page
Dick Peterson with an Androscoggin Brookie pond is very good. Day 4. Awakened at 2:30am by shouting. Got up to check out what was happening; there was a fire behind the building next door; a few of the clients heard a shot or explosion before the fire; some never heard anything. Losing an hours sleep made for a groggy crew in the morning. Another subpar day on the river; followed by the same in the evening. Heavy rain from 2:30 to 6 made for a wet afternoon. Day 5. Repeat of day 4 with a brief thunder storm; phenomenal evening on the pond. The Hex hatch has not started but we are catching a few large brookies on Hex patterns. Day 6. Another day same results. Two clients were no shows; the client traveling from Iowa got confused on the days he had booked a trip for two. Gerry took the other clients out in the evening and did well on the river. I had the evening off; time to work on the column; when you’re going from 5am to 10 pm any break is appreciated. Day 7. With the no shows Gerry and I split the next two days. I took
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the mornings and he had the afternoon. Drifted a different section of the river and did pretty well. In the afternoon I lined up a motel room and guide for two anglers and another guide for two clients which they appreciated. Stocked up on a few items at LL Cotes; the store has everything including a well stocked fly shop. We have clients who look forward to going to Cotes; a few spent several hundred dollars on new outfits. Gerry took the other clients out in the evening and did well on the river. I had the evening off; time to work on the column; when you’re going from 5am to 10 pm any break is appreciated. Day 8. Drifted the same section for half a day; different clients same results. They did pretty good. One client was from England and really liked the river. A few trout on dries; the rest on streamers. Another good evening on the pond saw two hex’s. The hatch will be in full swing in a few days. Day 9. We has a cancelation so I only had one client in the morning; an experienced angler who has fished with us for years. He fished
hard in the morning for a few trout. In the afternoon two repeat clients with limited experience had a good afternoon; go figure. We’re overbooked and have six anglers in for the night. With another guide we spend an enjoyable evening on the river with great weather and almost a full moon. No one wants to get off the water. Day 10. With two drift boat and Gerry wading we split the group up. Everyone has a great day. One twelve year old landed a 15 inch brookie. The Alder fly hatch is up river to Errol; it was out below the Pontook dam three days earlier. In the evening we have steady rain; first time in ten days we haven’t had anglers on the water in the evening; my second night off on the trip. Day 11. Andro is still over 2700 cubic feet at the Errol dam. Slow day on the river; almost like a switch that turns the fish off. A few good fish in the AM; bass and chubs in the afternoon. Same results in the evening on a pond; almost no hatch activity and only one hit which is not unusual when a front is moving through. A few down pours and thunder storms late afternoon and evening. Day 12. Alderflies are in full swing but only a few brief periods where the trout are onto them; should be any day. Picked up a few trout skating alderfly patterns. Hit one sections of the river about the size of a football field where the trout were jumping out of the water; there are days when the entire river looks like it. We have clients coming in tonight that always hit the alderfly hatch at its peak; looks like they could do it again. We have three days left but it’s time to send in the column. Jim Norton is a native of New Hampshire and author of the book Granite Lines. He enjoys fly-fishing & tying, bird hunting and a variety of other outdoor activities and is also a registered NH fishing Guide. Visit his website at www.nhriversguide.com
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July 2013
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Fish & Wildlife Management Now is the Time for Antler Growth
T’is the season of antler growth. As every whitetail hunter knows, whitetail bucks drop their antlers each winter. The March equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere; the beginning of the half year during which days are longer than nights. The pineal and gland responds to the increase in daily light exposure by producing and stimulating the production of hormones that trigger and promote the annual cycle of antler growth. By early April, soft, new and velvet covered antlers have already begun to grow. A whitetail’s hard, polished antlers are the result of a remarkable process. The annual speed of growth and sudden shedding of these bones is an amazing developmental process. Enclosed within a thick tissue (skin) called “velvet,” a matrix of cartilaginous tissue begins to grow each spring. Nourished and protected by a network of veins, arteries and nervous tissue, this cartilaginous tissue rapidly mineralizes and hardens into the solid bone-like antlers
prized by whitetail hunters everywhere. A buck’s antler growth is slow in the first weeks of growth as his body begins to recover from the depredations of winter. Antler growth requires energy and nutrients that remain in short supply during the transition between winter’s grip and the beginning of spring green-up at the end of April. The explosion of spring growth that occurs in May provides an abundance and wide variety of highly nutritious foods for whitetails. Even so, the amazing growth rate of whitetail antlers requires a supply of minerals greater than food intake can keep up with. A buck’s body deals with this problem by de-mineralizing some of the bone in the skull, ribs and sternum in a scavenging process that provides minerals for use in antler growth. It has been reported that this can reduce a buck’s bone mass by as much as 30%. When daily nutrient intake is optimal, antlers can respond with growth rates exceeding an inch per day.
MOUNTAIN DEER TAXIDERMY With over 20 years of experience in taxidermy, we pride ourselves in our ability to preserve your trophy to look as it did in its natural habitat. We work annually on about 300 mountings and presentations of many varieties of wildlife; deer, bears, moose, coyotes, fox, fisher, turkeys and more. We also work on animals from other parts of the globe including Africa. In addition to being entertaining, the stories of the hunters who are our cus tomers provide information allowing us to suggest possible ways to present and mount the trophies that they have bagged.
By Wayne A. Laroche
Sensitive nerves in velvet covered antlers cause bucks to be very aware of these appendages. This awareness remains even after antlers have hardened and lost the nervous systems with the velvet covering. By the middle of June, a buck’s
buck’s intake and utilization of nutrients. I will argue that, age is really the only factor influencing antler growth that state wildlife agencies can truly control. This is universally done via antler restrictions. Controlling
antlers have attained about half of their final size. By the end of June, all of a buck’s primary antler points have begun to grow. By the third week of July, antlers appear massive and bulbous in shape. In early August, growth comes to an end, hardening into solid bone by the end of August. Hormone levels increase through the period of antler growth, peaking at the time of velvet shedding when the blood supply is cut off causing velvet to dry up and die. Shedding of velvet occurs quickly within a matter of a day or so. Age, nutrition and genetics determine the maximum size of a buck’s antlers. Typically, a buck does not achieve his greatest antler growth until he is five years old. Antler size generally goes into decline after age seven by which time excessive tooth wear probably acts to reduce a
nutrition via landscape scale forest management practices is slow and politically impractical. Controlling genetics in the wild involves population genetics issues that are not likely to be ethically, politically or scientifically practical. Sometimes we have to find ways to be happy with what we have. Wayne Laroche directed Vermont’s Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2003 until 2011 serving as the Commissioner. He holds degrees in both fisheries and wildlife management from the Univ. of Maine and California State Univ. Wayne is a native Vermonter and currently resides in Franklin, VT. He enjoys tracking whitetails in the big woods of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Wayne can be reached by emailing deerwayne@franklinvt.net.
Our high quality work can be seen by our many repeat customers that seek out our services. The presentation of your trophy can be head wall mounts or full body depictions. We are also the State of Vermont Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Big Game Reporting Station. A specially designed outdoor scale system with tall vertical clearance is also provided for easy weigh-in of all species.
Call Rodney or Theresa Elmer
at 802-485-7184
1308 Loop Road - Northfield, VT 05663
WWW.MOUNTAINDEERTAXIDERMY.COM
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July 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
Pop’s Kitchen Sponsored by Green Mt. Marinades
Chile Garlic BBQ Salmon
3 pounds whole salmon 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon chile sauce 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 lime, juiced 1 lime, zested 1 tablespoon brown sugar 3 green onions, chopped
Prepare Prepare outdoor outdoor grill grill for for high high heat. heat. Trim the tail tail and and fins fins off off of of the the salmon. salmon. Make Make several several shallow shallow cuts cuts across across Trim the the the salmon's salmon's skin. skin. Place Place salmon salmon on on 33 large, large, slightly slightly overlapping overlapping sheets sheets of of aluminum aluminum foil. foil. In In aa bowl, bowl, stir stir together together soy soy sauce, sauce, chile chile sauce, sauce, ginger, ginger, and and garlic. garlic. Mix Mix in in lime lime zest, zest, and and brown brown sugar. sugar. Spoon Spoon sauce sauce over over the the salmon. salmon. lime juice, juice, lime Fold Fold the the foil foil over over the the salmon, salmon, and and crimp crimp the the edges edges to to seal. seal. If If using using hot hot coals, coals, move move them them to to one one side side of of the the grill. grill. Place Place the the fish fish on on the the side side of of the the grill grill that that does does not not have have coals coals directly directly underneath underneath it, it, and and close close the the lid. lid. If If using using aa gas gas grill, grill, place place the the fish fish on on one one side, side, and and turn turn off off the the flames flames directly directly underneath underneath it; it; close close the the lid. lid. Cook Cook for for 25 25 to to 30 30 minutes. minutes. Remove to aa serving serving platter, platter, and and pour pour any any juices juices that that may may have have collected collected Remove to in in the the foil foil over over the the top top of of the the fish. fish. Sprinkle Sprinkle with with green green onions. onions. Serves Serves 66
Bill "Pop" Burke, resides in Claremont, NH. If you would like to contact Pop send an email to: pops-kitchen@hotmail.com
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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July 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
Public Access to the Kingdom By Dylan R. Ainsworth
Hunting Coon
I’m sure many Gazette readers heard of a few rabies incidents lately, such as the local girl who recently survived a raccoon attack in Kirby, Vermont. With two outdoorsy young girls of my own I have to admit it has put me a little on edge. Although our season in the kingdom doesn’t open until October I still thought it would do me some good to think about killing some of the bandits which can be found in abundance on nearly any public land in the northeast. Traditionally raccoon are chased with hounds, treed and then shot by the hounds man. That is the type of hunts I had been on as a youth. It only happened a couple times, but I vaguely remember the Ol’ man hauling me out of bed in the middle of the night because a buddy of his had a hot line on some coon. At first I followed them and the bellowing of blue ticks through the moonlit forest with excitement, but we never connected with any critters. It seemed as though each time the hounds actually got a coon into a tree it happened to be a den and we would leave in search of another target. Soon I lost interest in the sport and my dad eventually fell out of contact with his friend and that became the extent of my coon hunting endeavors. I didn’t know it at the time but a more knowledgeable coon hunter would have never left a denned prey. With the evolution of every sport comes advancements, and presently it is common practice for houndsmen to have a call or two on them when pursuing raccoons. Imitating certain raccoon vocalizations
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will often times make the curious critters emerge from hiding, thus presenting the hunter with a shot opportunity. Upon gaining this enlightenment I concluded to
that it has a minimal intake of human waste. Even in the short time I’ve spent scouting I find that the best place for finding a raccoon’s home is along wooded streams and rivers. While cruising these
myself that if this tactic works on wary raccoons that have been chased home by hounds, it should be even more effective on unaware creatures that have gone to the den on their own free will. The concept is simple; Step 1: scout a location to find den trees Step 2: set up close by and blow a call Step 3: kill a coon. Although best known for raiding trash cans throughout cities, suburbs and rural towns, I prefer scouting for the masked critter’s hide-out in less populated areas. One reason for hunting forest and wetland habitat is to avoid human conflict, but I also feel it makes for a more appetizing game. Rather than garbage, woodland dwelling coons feast on nuts and berries, as well as small mammals, insects, bird eggs, fishes, crawfish, and the list goes on. Raccoon meat favors much better with me knowing
streams and looking for hollow trees, keep an eye out for turtle egg shells and crawfish pieces that have been left by foraging raccoon. When determining if hollow trees are actual dens, a dead give away include scratch marks and torn bark, as well as scat and the coon’s five toed tracks at the base of the tree. Dead trees are most common, but a coon will also den in rock crevices, burrows and may even take a muskrat hut to live in after invading it to eat the young or mice that like to hide within in the walls. Once the den is found, step two is attempting to bring your coon out from hiding. We accomplish this by imitating the sounds that will peak our quarTerritorial by ry’s interest. nature coons are responsive to intruders and they might come running upon hearing a simulat-
July 2013
ed fight from a mouth blown “Coon Squaller”. As most real confrontations end with both animals backing off I think starting off with a few growls and hisses works well. If your prey doesn’t come out when they hear these simple threats increase the aggressiveness of your calling to an all out brawl. Another good raccoon vocalization is the distress call of a kitten. I often refer to capitalizing on the maternal instincts of many game animals and coons are no different. Once you’ve exhausted your coon calls on one tree it’s time to move on to the next possible hide-out and repeat you’re ruse. When choosing a gun for shooting coon keep it small as you don’t want damage to valuable pelts. Also know your game laws, In Vermont we are restricted to .22 rimfire rifles and #2 shot or smaller. Keep in mind that raccoon may peer out of a den, but wait for them to be fully exposed as you don’t want don’t lose your trophy inside the tree. Also don’t expect them to take their time coming down as they are very nimble and can turn their front feet 180 degrees and descend a tree head first. Whether you are out for sport, meat or revenge hopefully these tips will help you kill a coon. Good Luck! Dylan R. Ainsworth is a native Vermonter. He is a member of the Mossy Oak Prostaff, a seminar speaker, and outdoor videographer as well as a guide. He and his wife Dawn own and operate Nostalgic Images with a mission to bring the outdoors into focus and express their passion for the natural world through photos and video. Dylan is also a home brewer and self proclaimed connoisseur of Vermont craft beers.
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Hard Water Fishing Why Fish?
We thought that because our fishing opportunities are a bit more limited this time of year, we would take a look back at why we fish incorporated into some stories from our past. From an early age, we were both exposed to an outdoor lifestyle. Hunting, fishing, and everything outdoors was in our blood. We were truly fortunate to have grown up with many opportunities right outside our front doors. Because of this, our experience has allowed us to share our knowledge and passion with many of those around us. At the age of nine, when I (Bobby) was young and just learning about my obsession with fishing, my uncle and father took me on my first memorable trip in the boat. We fished for perch and the action from what I could remember was fast. After a few hours, we had caught a nice mess of jumbo perch and it was time to head back to camp. While they prepared the knives, all I could think about was fishing, much like today. I somehow convinced them to let me go out and fish in front of camp all
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By D & B Ice Adventures
by myself. Armed with the last technology in fishing, well at least all that I knew at this point, I paddled out to the weed edge and began what I
and up came a “huge” smallmouth bass. Somehow I managed to jack the fish into the boat and I headed back to shore. Not knowing what I had caught at the time, I ran up to
think was the turning point for my obsession. While jigging over the side of the boat with a small jig and a piece of night crawler, I hooked into something big, keep in mind, I'm nine. Not really knowing what was going on, I cranked on the reel
camp with rod in hand with the fish still attached. I was so excited to show my uncle and father what I had done. The reaction I got from them would be one that I would never forget. They looked at me with eyes wide as a barn door and said, “looks like we got a fisherman on our hands.” My family (Dylan) has a camp on a 400 acre lake in central Vermont. I've spent the majority of my 26 years fishing predominately there. Now that I have a boat, truck, and the drive to learn, my fishing locations have vastly expanded but I still get a kick out of taking my cousins kids out and holding back on showing them my "secret spots." Many of these secret spots are the places I take them to and just don't tell them. Part of the joy of fishing is the unknown. Fishing with them isn't all about the catching but that never hurts. With them, I learn the importance of digging up good worms, comparing tackle, and most importantly, being quiet so we don't scare
July 2013
the fish away (Even though that's my rule)! Although D&B has only been at it for a short time, it has been in the works for over a decade. Back when D was in junior high, B was a basketball referee for his local games. Now fast forward several years to a mid winter encounter at a gas station. We caught up, talked fishing, and made plans for a trip before ice out. Since then, fish have been released, eaten, and only the big ones lost in the final feet. Oh, and lets not get started on the lonely hours our significant others have endured, having to share food space with our live bait in the fridge, and the money spent on "vital" equipment. People fish for various reasons. Some fish for fun, a nice relaxing day on the water, time with friends and family, or to put food on the table. I (Bobby) fish for the surprise as you never know what you're going to get. One of my best surprises came well into my fishing career, actually just this past winter. We fish mostly for panfish, using all the latest flashers and jigs and custom rods and all that expensive stuff. Very rarely do we set up and use tip ups, it's just not our style. Well for some reason on this particular day we thought it might add a little excitement to our deep water search for Lake Champlain crappie. We set up about a dozen flags and passed the time in between by jigging. The bite was a little slow through the morning but picked up mid day. A few pike and some small crappie kept us on our toes. One particular flag caught me at the right time and I made a run for it before Dylan did. As I set the hook I could feel that the fish had some weight to it. I slowly pulled up the line until I saw a flash, I said "this better not be a crappie!” as I could see it was large and we knew there were some nice bass
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around. Up through the hole came a giant hybrid crappie by my standards. I was in total shock as my buddies ran over to take a look at the beast. This moment made me think back to the feeling I had when I was a nine year old running to camp with my 12 inch smallmouth. I told you I was nine, everything was huge back then! This past winter, I (Dylan) got my girlfriend out on the ice a few times.
from previous page
Not wanting to push her away from ice fishing because of the cold or a tough bite, we went to a sure fire location for bluegill and pumpkinseed. The weather seemed nice to me but after two months outdoors, you might say I was a little tempered... The fish were biting and the sun was shining but she wanted to warm up so I set her up in my HYPERLINK "http://clamoutdoors.com/ice_fishing/http-clamcorp-com-ice-fishing-shelters/fishtrap/trapper/pro-tc.html" Clam Fish Trap Pro TC. Although she was set up with the ultimate entertainment experience with the crystal clear water loaded with fish below her feet, she couldn't resist her cell phone. What happened next you might ask? Well, of the many times I have checked or answered my phone while on the water, not once have I dropped it. In this particular instance, I guess we could call it beginners luck for finding a perfect opening in the small 6" hole. On the plus side, she now has a fancy iPhone and I have an excuse to not be on the phone all day! Oh and she still likes fishing! No matter where you are at in your fishing career, never base your successes and failures solely on the quantity or quality of fish you catch. We fish because we love it, weather
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
it's the surprise, the challenge or just to put food on the table, it is truly a life time sport, one that we hope to pass on to our children and grandchildren. Take time every trip to reflect on what makes your time on the water enjoyable and remember that you are never too good to dig up a bucket of worms! D & B Ice Adventures is based out of Barre, Vermont and composed of two fishing fanatics: Dylan Smith and Robert Booth. With an equal drive time to the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain, the hardest decision is whether they want to catch giant bluegill on the river or huge pumpkinseed on the lake with crappie in the mix at both. These decisions have been logged through their blog www.dbiceadventures.wordpress.com which gives details on what they have to endure to be successful. You can checck them on facebook too at www.facebook.com/DBIceAdventures.
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Taxidermy Trails By Rodney Elmer
Mount Maintenance
Eighteen inches of rain in two months, 90 % humidity day after day! These last two months have been a tough haul in my business. The dehumidifier on high and some days I had to build a fire in the wood stove just to get a jump on the drying process of all the mounts built during the week and burn of that wet feeling to everything. It ‘s hard to dry wet leather with glue underneath covered by hair from the outside in. But even this problem is small potatoes compared to what could go on, If you open up your windows, sit back with a cold one and look at your mounts every now and again haphazardly and not take them down, clean off the dust and look them over real good! Why? MOTHS! Yes...moths. These little fellas can turn your trophy to dust, literally! Usually clothes or dermastid moths will be the culprits. Carpet beetles and the like laying eggs in the right places turning the man cave into a bug
den. Why? Well for starters you took a dead animal, whittled it
Larvae of a “mount” eating machine....
down, put the acid to it, dried it out, put it on the wall and thought it would last forever, because you paid. Great plan, now let’s talk reality. Some years ago, about 25 roughly, the EPA took issue with some chemicals that tanners and
Attention Attention New New Hampshire Hunters Hunters
The New Hampshire Antler & Skull Trophy Club 7th Edition NH Big Game Record Book is now available!
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taxidermist, or even terrorists were using. Arsenic, a prime example, was now banned for understandable reasons and the world was left with no permanent moth solution. You see tanning only effects the hide as a preservative and does nothing to protect the hair from natural consumption by these little Buggers. The arsenic dusts and residues made old mounts toxic to moths and even their owners. When I asked a national champion taxidermist about the subject he scoffed publicly and in private conversation had this to offer.” Rod, it’s the dark side. Nobody wants to admit their stuff could get chewed, even big tanneries. People,” never have bugs in my house!” and we taxidermist all use the old “blame the other guy” and collect on the upset customers of the completion, excuse. That’s men for ya!” Just catch it early. Clean up any food sources. Just good upkeep.! “ That was a long time ago and my first thought was great job lie to your customers! So, I did some digging. AS it turns out, there is no permanent solution as we speak, but things are not all that scary. The moths only get water through what they eat so keep things as dry as you can to help discourage them. Hanging the deer in the basement, barn or garage is risky! They like natural materials. Hair and horn (not antlers) is made of keratin a favorite! They especially like, oily, bloody or urine soaked animal hides of dark colors, high in body fats. Each moth goes through stages and the larvae will cut one hair at a time and eat the stump down to the leather, chewing a small trail like a mini fella- buncher! The moth in the flight stage does no eating, just more mating and
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Address: City:
State:
Telephone Number:
Zip:
Please allow 2 - 4 weeks for delivery. Mail or photocopy this form and send to: NHASTC Record Book Roscoe Blaisdell, President 22 Schribner Road Raymond, NH 03077
tions are good and as larvae can travel good distances crawling. Most insecticides are local and have limited effects so don’t put to much faith in long-term results. Like most pests they can be managed through their food so try to learn the food sources and eliminate them. Dog food, cat food, bird seed or the kids bag of Halloween candy half gone in the your closet are good starters. Cluster flies are an easy miss, so clean out those lights. Moth traps are available cheap at a hardware store to trap one sex of moths, but they really are just a good indictor of your inside population provided you keep the windows closed. So read up on it check it out. Clean and inspect and protect your trophies...the bugs can have the rest! See our facebook for more photos and chats. Rodney Elmer and his wife Theresa own and operate Mountain deer taxidermy in Northfield,Vermont.
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July 2013
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July 2013
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The Coastal Zone Captian John Curry By Captain
Color Change Blues
The dock lines were unleashed and the Pesky Pole was headed out once again to ply the waters of Buzzards Bay in search of inshore game fish. Since it was early June the chance of a mixed bag of stripers, blues and various bottom species were on the agenda. For some reason the baitfish are running very small in size this year.
Blue on the Pink Jig/Fly combo.
The colder than usual spring water temps may have something to do with it, but I’m thinking it’s more a result of the viscous winter storms that wreaked havoc on our bays and estuaries this past winter. Our light
tackle rods were rigged with sand eel and silver side colored soft plastics on various colored jig heads. The fly gear had a basic white Clouser minnow pattern tide direct to the fluorocarbon leader. The main target was stripers on the flats on the early outgoing tide. Our first stop on Mashnee flats had a few terns working a school of busting fish. We set up our drift to intersect the school as not to bust up the school as so many fishermen do as they drive right onto the diving birds. This only scatters the bait and makes the blitz evaporate. I’m always shaking my head as a boat blats into a school and scrambles to throw large casting plugs only to look confused as nothing takes their offerings. Since this was midweek we had the flat to ourselves and my clients were eager to get started. The first drift produced a few nice school sized stripers in the 22-25” range and then the action stopped. On our second drift we blind casted to a likely depression and I climbed up into the top helm to view the water for bait
Skid Stick blues. and fish. Quickly I noticed some nice sized blues following each lure only to turn as they neared the boat. Now, for any of you who have fished the waters of Cape Cod, you know
from where the original surface action ended. It didn’t take long for the fish to respond to our change of color. We had roughly 20 minutes left on this flat before the water
Pink Bill Hurley jig and red/black alternative. that normally the bluefish will pounce on just about anything thrown near them. What made this even more interesting is that there was no bird action or surface blitz commonly associated with feeding blues. The only bait that I noticed was one lone juvenile squid darting into the shadow of the hull. After a few more casts and yet another follow, I thought a change was needed. I quickly changed the jigs to pink and bubble gum colored 7” Bill Hurley’s and added 40lb fluorocarbon leaders. The tide was dropping fast on the flat so we needed to act fast. I positioned the boat for a perfect drift line
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Pink Clouser pattern.
July 2013
would be ankle deep and the action over. We picked up 4 nice fat 5-6lb blues once we changed tactics before we had to head elsewhere. I had a spot in mind where a creek empties into a small bay in upper Buzzards Bay lined with boulders on both sides that is often a good spot for stripers to wait for small bait to flush out of the estuary. The wind was starting to pick up from the south and the tide was emptying directing from the north so this would help us keep in line between the boulder fields. As we idled down there was no activity in either bait or birds, but I had a hunch. After a few casts a nice striper boiled on one of our light jigs, but never inhaled it. A few more casts and a rod bent over. Instead of a striper a nice blue came over the rail. These clients, like me enjoy a meal of bluefish so into the fish box it went. As you know blue fish have incredibly sharp teeth so I came supplied with enough soft baits to last the day. The action continued on
Continued next page
The Outdoor Gazette
each drift and we did pick up a few more stripers mixed in with the blues. When we had close to a limit of 20 blues in the box we decided to experiment a little. My clients were convinced that they would hit anything we threw at them as so customary to feeding blue fish. We changed lure colors to green, white and silver with brown flecks. Well the action slowed instantly other than a few small stripers.
The experiment was on so I changed one anglers lure back to pink and one to a red/black colored bait. The pink landed the remaining two fish for their limit while the red/black bait didn’t even get a sniff ! To prove that on some days color does matter one angler started tossing the white streamer fly with only a few short strike boils. Once again I retied a pink Clouser on ( with a light steal bite guard) and after three casts a blue smashed the fly right at the
Ethan Curry from Essex VT with a nice Buzzards Bay early season bluefish.
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from previous page
Blue on the Bill Hurley. boat as he was lifting it for the back cast. The color change made all the difference. The strange thing is as I was filleting the blues I examined the stomach contents only to find small silver sides in their paunch. No squid? So why would they ignore a silver side/ sand eel pattern only to inhale anything pink? I may never know why that happened, but I’m glad I noticed that one small squid early in the day and made the color change. Once we fin-
July 2013
ished with the bluefish it was off to the black sea bass grounds and you bet I was ready with pink and white Spro jigs once we got there. Capt. John Curry grew up in Rehobeth, MA and summered on the Cape mainly in the Bass River area. He has over 30 years of fishing and boating on Cape Cod and Rhode Island waters. Currently living in W. Yarmouth and summers in Bourne. He runs a sportfishing business on tha Cape, visit his website www.capefishing.net.
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Trail Camera Photo Contest Sponsored by Chadwick’s Trail-Cams
From PA
Rany Hillis- Vestal, NY
MD Tom Connelly - Baltimore Rosce Blaisdell - Raymnod NH
2013 Trail Camera Photo Contest Sponsored by ChadwicksTrailcams.com Send in your trail camera pics, and for every picture that is published in The Outdoor Gazette you will get one chance to win one of three Trail Cameras.
Two (2) Winners will be drawn randomly and announced in the January 2014 issue. Plus One (1) Winner/Owner of “The Trail Camera Picture of the Year”, will be chosen by the Outdoor Gazette staff and folks on our Facebook page. The “Pic of the Year” will be on the cover of the Jan. 2014 issue!
Are you worried that by sending in your pic of that trophy buck or huge bull moose, will give away your secret location? No need to worry! We will post your pics anonymously, with as little info as you like. Your secret is safe with us!
Rosce Blaisdell - Raymno
d NH
2012 Trail Camera Photo Contest Winners ; Trail Camera Picture of the Year - Marty Wall - Randolph, VT Random Winners - Donald Cooke- Columbia, NH and Robert Drouin, N. Anadover, MA
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Send photos to: fred@theoutdoorgazette.com with the subject line “TC Photo Contest 2012”
Rosce Blaisdell - Raymnod NH
July 2013
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The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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Primitive Skills By Michael Douglas
Finding Water in Wild Places
Filters, purifiers, canteens, water bottles, hydration packs: all for the ability to move through wild spaces and remain hydrated. Water is life. We wouldn’t last a week without water…really. As a culture, we are chronically dehydrated. Being low on water is serious business. It impairs your judgment, awareness, problem solving ability, reflexes, and strength. Most food cravings are miss-assigned cravings for more fluids in the body. How can you tell if you need more water if awareness and judgment are the first to go? There are a number of self-tests you can conduct. A well -hydrated person should be urinating frequently. That means clear and copious output at least once an hour. Check capillary refill by pressing down on your fingernail until it turns white-ish underneath. Stop pressing and see how long it takes for your nail to return to its original color. It should be immediate. Skin plasticity is another indicator of hydration. Simply pull the skin up on the back of your hand and see if it snaps back in to place or lags a lit-
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tle. You can look at the veins in the back of your hands as your arms are resting at your sides and note if they seem to “disappear” when you lift
your hands above your heart. Lagging skin and disappearing veins are all indicators you need fluids. Perhaps the best bet is to drink water
when you find yourself trying to remember all these tests. Where do we get our water? Generally, the safest source is still underground. Springs, seeps, and aquifers can provide a year round
It’s important to know some key concepts when it comes to any of these products. The first thing to consider is the porosity of the filtering material. Porosity is the size of the holes in the filter. The bigger the
supply of safe drinking water if you know how to locate them. Remember however, that we are in a closed system when it comes to our water. Time and eventuality are not on the side of those who would rather drink straight from the mountain stream. Biological contaminants are easy to deal with. Just boil your water and the biological contaminants die. These include monarans, bacteria, and viruses. Chemical contaminants are a whole different ball game. We are already walking around with a wide array of chemical contaminants coursing through our veins. Pharmaceuticals entering the municipal water systems through sewage treatment, crop management through herbicides and pesticides, and the exhaust of industry are a few of the bi-products we have become unwitting hosts to. The game has changed. It is no longer a matter of avoiding contaminated water. It is, instead, an awareness of risk and the best approaches to minimizing exposure. The myth that fast moving water is safer than still water comes from a long gone time of emergent water threats in far away places. The standard in today’s world is to assume that all water is contaminated and must be treated. What about water filters? Water filtration is a dizzying industry. Put a bandana filled with sand next to a device a ceramic filter, a fancy lever, and surgical tubing, and you are looking at two different “water filters”. There are even filtration straws.
holes, the more contaminants can get through. These holes are measured in microns. The industry standard for quality backpacking water filters is 0.2 microns. Be mindful that filters with pores this small, often called “micro filters” will filter out bacteria but not viruses. Also consider that the smaller the porosity of a filter the more expensive it is. It is also easier for the filter to clog. Most reputable companies recommend that you gather your water from clean and clear sources. Durability and maintenance issues are other key factors to consider when purchasing a water filter. Can the filters be changed? What is the amount of water the filter can filter before being changed? How many moving parts do you have to deal with? What is the quality of the materials and construction? Many of these questions can be answered by reading the package. With some fundamental understanding now established we can explore primitive means of water gathering, purification and storage. Join us for next weeks article as we explore drinking water from the landscape.
July 2013
Michael Douglas has been sharing Survival, Tracking, Awareness, Wild Foraging, and Primitive Technology at the Maine Primitive Skills School since 1989. He continues to be a student of the natural world and our abilities to interact with it through his school and full immersion trips in the North Woods. He is eager to answer questions and hear your comments and can be reached at staff@primitiveskills.com. The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
July 2013
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The Gazette’s Book Review
By Colonel J.C. Allard
Where Cool Waters Flow By Randy Spencer Islandport Press, 2009 316 pages, $15.95 ISBN: 978-1-934031-28-5 Every dedicated outdoorsman with a passion for hunting or fishing or canoeing or the territories of the Great North Woods, at some point dreams of becoming a Registered Guide. We all envy the life of a guide and wonder what it might be like to make a living from the activities we love. The romance of a guiding life strikes an appealing note like the song of a wood thrush or the call of a loon at sunset. It’s easy to imagine a fulfilling life in places where most of us vacationers only visit a few precious days a year, or perhaps only a few precious days in a lifetime. The literature of northern New England’s guides dates back to the wilderness travels of Henry Thoreau, or the early hunting expeditions of Theodore Roosevelt. Now comes a 21st century addition to the genre in Master Maine Guide Randy
Spencer’s first book, Where Cool Waters Flow. Subtitled “Four Seasons with a Master Maine Guide,” this excellent book is much more than a year in the life of a guide. Set in the fabled Grand Lake Stream, Maine, a village as iconic to the sporting life as the Rangeley area, the Connecticut Lakes region in New Hampshire, Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, or Adirondack Park in New York,
Where Cool Waters Flow is a sporting history, memoir, how-to and travelogue all tied together in a wonderful package. Written in an easy, pleasing style, the words and paragraphs flow like the waters in the title. Spencer’s prose is spare and direct, no doubt formed by his years as a successful outdoor magazine writer and newspaper columnist. He has also had a music career dating back more than 40 years. His talents as a singer-songwriter have so far resulted in five CDs and regular public performances. The lines of Where Cool Waters Flow retain something of the lyrical quality of a song. If Spencer wrote his book to be something of a song, clearly it is a love song. His love for the woods, waters, wildlife, and people of Grand Lake Stream and its environs comes shining through the pages. He weaves together sketches of guides who taught him the skills and the business, of “sports” he has guided, bits about his several careers, family life, fly-tying, camp receipts, hunting grouse, woodcock and deer, and even a proper way to load a Grand Laker canoe. For all the pressure of modern life, the guide’s life retains much if not most of its founding traditions. This is especially true Downeast, where Maine runs up against New Brunswick. The native Passamaquoddy remain a
physical, as well as a cultural presence. The guides and their sports still work from hand-built canoes. Camp meals and tradition-bound shore lunches punctuate days afloat or afield; and an evening’s entertainment is a well-told story. Tradition binds together the changing seasons and the progress of history that each new client or each new adventure adds to the larger context. Randy Spencer knew early on that he wanted a deeper life linked to the favorite places of his youth. Many catch a glimpse of the wonderful world of the Grand Lake and the St. Croix River watershed. Few find a way to make it their own. Guiding is a strenuous, gambler’s life, something akin to farming, never easy nor lucrative, its rewards are mostly spiritual. But what a life it must be. With his music and his writing and his Connecticut upbringing, Randy Spencer is something unique in a profession renowned for its characters. If Grand Lake Stream is where cool waters flow, then let’s hope this won’t be the last book to flow from Spencer. He leaves his readers wanting more. Col. J.C. Allard lives in Pittsfield, NH about 20 miles north by east of Concord. “We're in the shadow of the Belknap mountains here, but we can see Mt. Washington on a clear day”.
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July 2013
“The Outdoor Gazette”
The Outdoor Gazette
Pictures Gone Wild Our reader submitted photos
Jordan Allard with his first of two consecutive “foul” hooked Bluegill
Tnnr Allard hoisting up a trophy Bluegill from Lake Morey
The The Coolest Coolest Gift Gift Idea Idea
Your Picture on The Outdoor Gazette! No, not the real cover but an 8x10 full color mock-up of our cover. You can put your favorite hunting, fishing, snowmobiling or anything you can think of, right on The New Hampshire and Vermont Outdoor Gazette cover and it will look like the real thing. It’s the perfect gift for any outdoor enthusiast. Cover will be full color on heavy stock photo paper and will fit an 8x10 picture frame.
Fred Allard- We all pitched in for a nice family fish fry, with some chunky Lake Morey Bluegill.
Price is only $20.00 including postage
What do we need from you? A digital photo with at least 200dpi resolution at 8x10 size or original photo mailed to us for scanning. 4 headlines of 30 characters or less and the month and year you would like on the cover The Outdoor Gazette
Want to buy one? send email to sales@theoutdoorgazette.com
July 2013
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The Keystone Corner Fly Fishing: “Not Just For Trout”
Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? I have been an avid fishermen since the age of twelve and have enjoyed it to this very day. In those years I’ve used many different rod and reel combinations. My first pole was an old closed face Zebco Rhino 33, a great starter that could take some abuse and taught me the basics. I later graduated to a more advanced spinning reel, a hand me down Shakespeare given to me by my grandfather. The majority of fish I have caught in my life have been on these spinning reels with the exception of Largemouth Bass taken with a more recently purchased bait caster. All this equipment helps you diversify your techniques and maximize your chances of catching all kinds of fish. I thought it would be a neat idea to make a list and I’ve caught thirty-two different species but I needed a new challenge… Fly fishing has seen a huge surge in popularity these days partly due to an increase in the manufacturing of more affordable gear and made more available in department stores and local bait shops. I had thought
By Aaron Thomas Ohl
about picking up a fly rod in the past but couldn’t justify spending the extra cash to catch more trout, since
that’s all they are good for right? All my perceptions changed however the day I came across a photo of my fly fisherman friend Mike Skibo with a fifty plus inch Musky! I had never
Bowfin on a fly even caught one on spinning gear and knew immediately that there
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Carp on a fly
July 2013
was much more to this fly fishing business. Last year I purchased my first fly rod, a nine-foot, two-piece in five weight. Learning to cast wasn’t nearly as difficult as I had imagined and with Mike as my guide I was catching various panfish in no time at all. It wasn’t long before I netted my first trout, a beautiful Rainbow from the Shenango Dam that took a crystal nymph. I’ve hooked Largemouth and White Bass on poppers in Pymatuning Creek. Fly fishing was much more involved with a feeling of increased control similar to driving a manual car. It was very addicting but it wasn’t until my first trip to Erie for Steelhead that I became a full blown junky! Steelies as they are called, with their good size and incredible fight are a true test for a fly fishermen’s skills and I spent many a day off headed north in search of such battles. I have since also made a list just for species caught while fly fishing and I’ve got twenty three under my belt. The more interesting and difficult of these fish has been a Northern Pike on a zuddler minnow followed closely by a Common Carp that took an elk hair caddis while dry fly fishing. My favorite encounter of all took place in Geneva Swamp going for
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The Outdoor Gazette
the famed Bowfin. It’s one of America’s oldest fish dating back to the Jurassic Period and they have some serious teeth. I knew the fish were in good numbers at our location as they began breaking the surface to take in air. An enlarged swim bladder acts as a lung to allow Bowfin to breathe oxygen in stagnant waters. Fishing was tuff and I threw every fly in my vest trying to entice them for a bite, with no luck. That’s when I remembered reading
from previous page
an article online that said they were also scavengers eating dead or dying fish as they sunk to the bottom. It just so happened that a twelve inch white sucker had beached itself somehow below the dam and I quickly grabbed the fish and cut a fillet into strips. I tied on a muddler minnow and tipped the hook with a piece of the fresh cut bait, the “meat fly” was born. I gave a long cast over the many lily pads and into the murky water. My offering slowly
Pike on a fly
Mike Skibo with Musky on the fly
The Outdoor Gazette
came to rest on the submerged vegetation, just as I raised the tip of my rod for a retrieve something hit hard. I held the rod high and gave the running fish plenty of line, when the fish tired I applied some pressure and took the upper hand. The Bowfin made two great leaps in his grand finale before being swept into my net. Fishing as with most hobbies can be as simple or complex as you wish to make it. There will always be new fish to catch and unique ways to catch them. From a cane pole with bobber and worm fished on a creek bank to large caliber saltwater gear
July 2013
with sophisticated fish finders on untamed oceans, it’s your adventure so get out and enjoy it! Aaron Thomas Ohl is from Sharon, Pennsylvania. The Great Outdoors is his life and has been since he was a small child. Those early days were spent at a nearby creek catching snakes, frogs and crayfish with his cousin Mike. Hunting is his true passion but started more as a way to spend time with my father who was an avid sportsman. In 2009 I created Keystone Outdoors to raise awareness that Pennsylvania was a highly underrated outdoors destination and launched the Keystone Outdoors Facebook Page in April 2011.
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The Outdoor Gazette