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November 2012
The Outdoor Gazette
Volume 6 Issue 11
Publisher/Editor: Fred Allard Graphic Design: Dan Millet
Send correspondence to: The Outdoor Gazette 1166 Court Street Haverhill, NH 03765 Tel: (603)989-3093 • Cell: (802)738-6755 Web: www.theoutdoorgazette.com e-Mail: fred@theoutdoorgazette.com
ABOVE - Headless deer seen in Berlin , New Hampshire on Halloween! photo from Dan Millet. RIGHT- Roadside vegetable stand in “Eaton” New Hampshire.
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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.
On The Cover
Trevor Bunnell last day of VT's 2011 muzzle-loader season. Town: Granby VT- 8pts 205lbs- Jason Parent of NH Guide Service, 2012 Maine buck228lbs, 7 pt.- courtesy of Mt. Dustan Country Store.
November 2012
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A family affair!
Well this issue is finally done….about time right! Ya, sorry about that. I have learned a valuable lesson, being a computer idiot, always have a back up plan should your computer fail! Computer went down in the middle of creating November issue and I paid the price for not being prepared. That issue is now addressed and won’t happen again. Enjoy this late, November issue of the gazette. Decembers will be up on Dec 4. Then each new issue after that will be up on the website on the first of the month…. Comings and goings- Tom Rideout and Martha VanderWolk have decided to give up on writing for the Gazette. They will still be operating their cabins and guide services up on Sturtevant Pond so if you have the urge to hunt or fish in the Maine wilderness give them a call. We will miss both of them here at the gazette and I appreciate all the support they gave me over the last couple of years. Mary Kay the “Outdoor Angel” has joined us as a regular contribu-
Editor’s Back Porch
tor. Her experiences can be seen on TV or Youtube. Mary travels around the country experiencing new outdoor adventures. Her enthusiasm for
By Fred Allard
about her experiences trying to gel with an all male, outdoor family. Tina is from Vermont and her stories have a nice local feel as ell as reaching across to women in other states that are trying figure out this
A family affair, Josh and Devin Allard together during Vermont's bow season and now working with their dad (me,yeeha) at The Outdoor Gazette.
the outdoor experience is a joy to watch. Mary is from Illinois but makes trips all over he US including a couple to the Green Mountain state last year. Tina Corron is also new to us. She will be a monthly contributor writing
“outdoor” thing the men in their lives love so much. My two oldest sons are now heavily involved in the everyday operations here at the Outdoor Gazette. Devin and Joshua are both helping with the marketing, events planning
and adding content to our website to keep it fresh. You may have noticed the “events” section of website is getting quite full. Devin has been busy researching and then updating our events page and calendar. If you have something going on, drop him an email at HYPERLINK "mailto:devin@theoutdoorgazette.c om" devin@theoutdoorgazette.com, he will get your event posted for you. You want to rent a booth at the upcoming Twin State Big Game and Outdoor Show? You can email any one of us, but Josh is the project leader in that department …josh@theoutdoorgazette.com. Nice for me to have some legitimate help. Having my two sons work with me on this “Gazette” thing, I am a happy outdoorsman! 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.
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The Outdoor Gazette
62% of Hunters Successful in 2012 New Hampshire Moose Hunt
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s 2012 moose season wrapped up on Sunday, October 28, 2012. While hunters have until close of business today to register their moose at N.H. Fish and Game headquarters or regional offices, preliminary figures show that 174 hunters succeeded in taking their moose during the 9-day season. With a total of 281 permits issued, this represents a statewide success rate of 62%. That’s down from last year, when 71% of hunters got their moose. The breakdown for the harvest this year was 61% bulls and 39% cows. Final season results will be available upon completion of registration data entry and analysis. Several factors contributed to the increase in the antlerless moose harvest and the decrease in overall success rate, according to Fish and Game moose biologist Kristine Rines. “There were more AntlerlessOnly moose permits issued this year which helped increase the percentage of cows in the take,” said Rines. “Hunter success overall was also affected by the reduced moose population and the unusually warm weather. By this time of year, moose
The Outdoor Gazette
have grown their heavy winter coats, so they really feel the heat. On warm days, they tend to bed down, making them harder for hunters to find. The first day of the season was decent, but after that, it was much too warm, except very early in the morning, for moose to be moving
about.” Some hunters also reportedly cut their hunts short to head home before the arrival of developing Hurricane Sandy. Around the state this year, preliminary numbers show moose hunters having a 73% success rate in the Connecticut Lakes Region; 82% in
This great N.H. bull, 680 lbs., with a 46-inch antler spread, was taken in zone C-1 by Mike and Bonnie Blanchard of Sullivan.
November 2012
the North Region; 64% in the White Mountain Region; 51% in the Central Region; 45% in the Southwest Region; and 35% in the Southeast Region. Check out a growing gallery of photos of some of this year’s successful New Hampshire moose hunters at huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_ species/hunt_moose.htm. Everyone is invited to get into the spirit of the New Hampshire moose hunt with a limited-edition 2012 New Hampshire moose hunt commemorative shirt, available only through November 23 at huntnh.com/mooseshirt. In all, more than 13,400 people entered the moose hunt lottery for a chance to win a permit for the New Hampshire moose hunt. About 85 percent of the permits went to New Hampshire residents. The odds of winning a moose permit in the lottery are among the best in the nation, about 1 in 26 for New Hampshire residents and 1 in 85 for nonresidents. The 2013 moose hunt lottery opens in late January and runs through May 31, 2013. Watch huntnh.com for details.
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Stick and String By Fred Allard
Run and Gun
Run and Gun deer hunting. Nothing all that new I suppose, but new to us and it really works. We headed to Ohio the last week of October, to hunt public land. This was our second year there. The first year taught us a lot. The biggest lesson, the best night in a
day or two or three. Our approach this year was to hunt in established morning spots, easy to get to, then scout like crazy during mid-day, everyda( the “run”). When we found a good location, we hunted it that night(the “Gun”). No giving it time to “cool off ”.
morning on Saturday. Then we hit the woods looking for deer sign. Luther and Randy both encountered deer the first evening. Luther had a group of six does at about 30 +/- yards and Randy a group of 4. Both of them were on the ground. The wind swirled and spoiled Randy’s chance at a first night score. We busted Luther’s chops all week for not trying a broadside shot with his compound. John, Josh and I saw nothing but squirells. Day two we slept in a little, recovering from our long drive and hit the
They were totally relaxed and made their way thru the oaks without suspecting anything. Run and Gun payed off for Josh, the very first night. This helped our confidence to stay with this approach. Monday morning, we all went to a small corner of public land and sat on some trails coming up from some farm fields. Josh and Randy both saw a beauty of an eight point but could not get a shot. After the morning hunt we all split up and we were off scouting once again. Josh and I drove around until
Josh, high speed, mid-day scouting...Hunt it that evening. stand/location, was the first, and if these high pressured deer were suspicious, or worse, alarmed by your presence, that spot was toast for a
My son Josh and I applied this technique to this large piece of public land on our Ohio adventure. We arrived and set up camp mid
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woods an hour after daylight. Stillhunting at first, then as the day warmed the high speed scouting began. Josh found a great spot mid day. A 5-acre clump of ridge top oaks, dropping acorns. I went to a sign-post rub I had found last year, but the rub had not been touched, I set up on some nearby trails. My evening was uneventful, but Josh had three does go by just out of range.
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we spotted an oak ridge off in the distance that looked promising. We grabbed our bows and headed up the ridge. As soon as we made it thru all that green briar (what is the point of this stuff anyway) The oaks opened up and there were buck rubs everywhere. We immediately backed out and headed back to camp. I would hunt our new spot this night
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and Josh would head back to his honey hole. We ate lunch, I dropped Josh off and headed for the new spot with my climber. It was pretty windy most of the evening but at last light it calmed
from previous page
made her way about twenty yards in front of my stand and I had to quickly turn back and re-nock before the deer got out of range. I was able to do this as well, and this shot was a textbook double lunger. The deer was down in seconds. My heart was
The group at camp- Back- Randy and Josh. Front- Luther on the left, me, then John. and had his evening ruined by rabbit hunters…The joys of public land. I hunted a spot I found last year, but no deer were seen. Wednesday We found a great spot for Josh with one of the biggest rubs
One of the many rubs found on another mid day ramble, I arrowed two does here that evening.
and two deer entered the oaks to my right. Both were does. I had 2 doe tags in my pocket and was more than happy to put some meat in the freezer, if they gave me a shot. The larger of the two stayed to my right and made her way to about 5 yards from the base of the tree I was in. I had to turn almost 180 degrees to get a shot, but I did it and the arrow flew true. The second doe lagged behind and became curious when the other deer ran off. She
pounding like crazy, what an evening! The guys helped me track and drag that evening, I sure appreciated it. So Tuesday we were back to sitting in the morning and scouting midday. I really didn’t find anything that turned me on this day, but Josh found another spot. He did not see anything from the oak patch the second night, so he left it alone. He moved a mile to another oak patch
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I have ever seen. He set up there and he told me about a spot he found a couple days ago and said it looked really good and I agreed to try it out. Again this would be the first night we hunted in both these places. I saw three deer but no bucks showed. Josh had 2 does come in and he shot over both of them! Catch and release deer hunting. HAHA. The big rub was too much to resist and Josh headed back there he next day. No deer were seen the night
after scaring those two does. I went back to the same spot as well. The previous night I had spooked two of the deer when I moved. They picked up my white fletching on my arrows…game over! We both saw no
deer this evening. Friday night our last night, I decided to go back to where I shot the 2 does 4 days ago and Josh headed for the oak patch he sat in on Monday and Tuesday. He had hung a trail camera there on Tuesday. The camera showed a 4 point in the area the previous night. Josh set up his ground blind. The grond blind was set up perfectly as he saw the 4 pointer enter the patch of oaks…He
Continued on page 9
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November 2012
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A Waterfowler's Perspective By Brian Bouchard
Why we get up so early and work so hard
Finally the waterfowl season has begun. It seems like each year the anticipation is harder to deal with than the year before. However, this year after having spent all summer working on a new food plot for turkey & deer and building a new elevated 12x6 hut to hunt from with my dad, this waterfowl season seems to be on us before we knew it. Being a veteran of opening days we were well prepared. The scouting had been done and we had made a trip to Canada in September so we did have the cobwebs all shook off. This year's opening day will be to hunt a field I lease that consistently holds well over a 1000 geese. So on October 13th 2012 with my buddy Rene, his son Andrew and Leo LaBonte we are ready to go. Although I have a guiding business I reserve opening day for me and my buddies. It allows us to just go after them and crank away. We know that afterwards the days will be filled with many hunts with lots of different folks. Although it is always a blast to hunt with guys & gals and put them
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on birds, many for the first time, it's nice to hunt opening day with the
We set out from my house about 4:30am like normal. Plan was to put
Brian & Rene DeLaricheliere on opening day 2012 photo by Andrew DeLaricheliere guys you have been doing it with for out a full spread of geese and ducks. years. This opening day proved to be Hiding 4 guys in lay out blinds a great time. would be easy in the picked corn. A ton of cover to be had when the farmers pick the corn. We make our usual stop at the local Maplefield's Mobil station to fill our thermos full of hot coffee and pick up some
45 minutes and we are careful not to overheat. Once we are almost done I take the ranger back to the trailer and walk back into our set up. We only have about 15 minutes until legal shooting time so we get settled in quickly. The geese tend to start flying around 7:30 or so and today would be no different. There is little that's more exciting than seeing those lines of geese starting to appear in the distance. They weave and wobble their way through the sky as they search out a place to settle in to feed for the morning. We hunker down and get our calls ready. I'm set up on the outside and have the flag going as they approach from our left. Leo & Rene start in with some calling then I chime in as they get close. There are about 25 geese in this group with 100's on their way well off in the distance. We know there will be over a 1000 geese in the field soon so we plan to waste no time if a shot presents itself. As luck and hard work would have it 6 geese peal off and head our way. The shot is called and out we pop. We take 3 of the 6 but with a ton of birds in the sky heading our way we have to stay covered up. We get a good look at where the birds fell so we can gather them up when the opportunity allows. No dogs today just Rene. He is as loyal and in all the
Andrew DeLaricheliere on opening day 2012 photo by Brian Bouchard snacks. The field I have is less than years I can count on one hand the 10 minutes from my place so it's not times he has not come back with the long before we are parked and birds. The action doesn't let up. unloading my Polaris ranger and fill- These birds want into the field and ing it full of gear. we are more than willing to let them We head to the previously deter- in. Well, at least until they get within mined spot in the corn and start set- shotgun range, then it's game on. ting decoys. The method remains After about an hour of non stop the same. Two guys on decoys two on blinds & cover. This takes about Continued next page
November 2012
The Outdoor Gazette
Continued from page 7
No camping/hunting trip is complete with out a nightly campfire. released his arrow and the flight looked perfect, until a twig stepped in the way and deflected his arrow under the buck. So no monster bucks taken but lots of action on pre rut, public land whitetails. Next year, “Run and Gun” will be our approach once again. We are going to try it a little later though in hopes we can get one of the big boys in front of us.
action and watching well over 1000 geese fly over we end the morning with a limit of 3 each, except for Leo who had to pick up early and go coach his sons football game. Bummer how sports can get in the way of an amazing goose hunt. I will say Leo is a great dad and takes his boys hunting every chance he can. I'm sure they would want to be with us if it wasn't for the football game. Leo did manage to knock down a few before he had to head out. When the hunt ended we picked up and headed back to clean the geese and re-live the morning hunt. Rene's son Andrew who is a sophomore in college, and usually loves his weekends to sleep in, commented on why we get up so early and work so
The Outdoor Gazette
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 works as a Registered Nurse at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. Fred can be reached by emailing fred@theoutdoorgazette.com.
I took many “cool” pics of the woods on our Ohio trip.
from previous page
hard. He knows it's for the opportunity to be able to experience a great waterfowl hunt with family & friends. He, like his father Rene, and his Grandfather Phil before him, will become a great waterfowl hunter and cherish these days like the rest of us. I look forward to many more hunts and many more opening days with my hunting buddies. I wish you the same. 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.
November 2012
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Embrace Your Redneck Tendencies by Tina Coran
The Zen of Archery- My attempt at fitting in with my family of men.
“How is it going up here?” asked one of the archery experts at Pelkey’s Archery, my favorite indoor range, located in St. Albans, Vermont. I was at full draw, released my arrow into the target, turned and said with a smile: “Well I am leaving ‘not bad’ and starting to gain on ‘pretty good’.” “What does that mean?” He asked. “My sons devised a rating system so as not to hurt my feelings” I explained. “It starts out at ‘ok’ then progresses to ‘not bad’; you can be at ‘not bad’ for quite a while until you get to ‘pretty good’.” He laughed and went back to work. I just kept knocking my arrows and shooting my target. I thought about the rating system as I shot, and I smiled to myself as I ruminated about the thoughtfulness of my sons. I am still not sure what constitutes ‘pretty good’ but I got my first Robin Hood a couple of weeks ago so I think it is fair to say that I am definitely gaining on ‘pretty good’. * I took up archery several years ago as a way to spend time with my husband and boys. I had romantic notions of
learning the art of archery and shooting on the range with my family. There would probably be a picnic lunch and hot cocoa involved, such as you might see in a magazine that caters to the outdoor-minded woman, with a full archery
The author at full draw...trying to fit in!
themed menu that Martha Stewart would have been proud of,(oh wait are there any of those?) I probably just imagined that as well as the ‘family time’ I had envisioned. This whole archery business started
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because my husband liked to go on 3-D shoots with his friend. He always came home excited about the whole experience. It was then that I saw a way for us to have a hobby we could enjoy together. While I did grow up in a hunting family, I never shot a gun, but a bow and arrow hmmmm…that sounded like a fine idea and since my husband was already in on the archery thing, I could learn to shoot and we would be in business. So here is what really happened. My parents gifted me with archery lessons for Christmas one year. I followed through with the instructions and loved every minute of it. The instruction was given at a prestigious archery shop, Pelkey’s Archery in St. Albans by a highly qualified instructor. Seriously, if he could teach me, he can teach ANYONE. I am not even kidding. I had never so much as pulled a bow to full draw in my life and suddenly I am shooting like I was born to do it. (Well, it did take a few lessons before I was actually hitting the target with regularity.) I was using a recurve bow and totally enjoying what I thought of as the genuine experience. Shortly after my archery education, my husband and I were invited to join our friends for a 3-D shoot. We were happy to go and since we were having brunch first I could not see a down side to this little adventure. After all, I could show off my new skills. Little did I know that, while I thought I was enjoying success with my recurve, everyone else had a compound bow. Off we went on our hunt and at every target we came upon, it went something like this: “Tina, you go up closer to the target and we will all shoot from back here.” Humiliated, I would walk about 5 yards closer to the target and shoot. I usually hit my target, but it is hard to shoot when you are kind of embarrassed because all the other kids have better toys than you do. After a few 3-D shoots, that was it, I decided I needed a compound bow. I now shoot a lovely Browning Adrenalize and I have custom arrows. I feel like that leveled the playing field for me and I could shoot with the big kids. My husband and I signed up for a winter indoor archery league. I figured it would be fun, until I got there. Everyone had competition bows and I had a hunting bow. Once again, I felt inadequate to the job, and worried that I was going to hold back the team. Seriously, those bows had balance bars the length of my arm and who knew what kind of sights were involved. All I could think was that if those folks didn’t hit a bull’s-eye every time there must be something wrong with them. Then I thought “Good God we are being rated and I am going to be found wanting.” That whole season was a test of nerves for me as I didn’t have a
November 2012
balance bar at all. I do now, but it turns out I did not need one that bounces off the ceiling if you turn your bow the wrong way. So dear reader, size is not everything, unless, of course you are discussing the rack (don’t be filthy) I meant the rack on the buck you mean to shoot with your bow, but I digress. My husband and I did walk away from that season of indoor archery with trophies for ‘most improved’ I am sure my husband would never have gotten that trophy if it were not for me, as quite frankly, he is a great shot. That is how I ended up taking up archery, and I love it. I try to shoot every week so that when the indoor league starts, I will not be the one holding back our team. The bonus is that when I shoot, I am at peace. It is quiet; there is no room in my brain for anything except the bow, the arrow and the target. When I pull the trigger on the release, I feel the Zen of the arrow flying through the air and embedding itself deep into the target. I thought archery would be an activity to participate in with my outdoor loving family, it didn’t turn out that way, but it gives me something to talk about with my boys that they can relate to. Plus, I think they are a little bit proud of their mom—I mean I did get a trophy for a sport, my first one ever. *The Corron Boys’ Rating System (as far as I can figure it out). 1) “O-k” I think this means that while you are shooting you are not a direct danger to yourself or others, you may not necessarily be hitting a target but perhaps the surrounding area, and there is little fear that you will actually shoot your own foot or put your eye out. 2) “Not bad” This rating occurs after a significant amount of your arrows hit your target with regularity. You do not actually have to hit a bull’s eye or even the printed part of your target as long as you have consistent arrow groupings you are considered ‘not bad’. You can have this rating for quite some time but with practice you can get to ‘pretty good’. 3) “Pretty Good” Occurs after a great deal of practice. Arrow groupings are tight and consistently in or very near the bull’s eye. I am not sure what rating comes after ‘Pretty good’, I will probably never know and will have to be satisfied with being pretty good. I have made my peace with it. 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. The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
November 2012
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Mass Meanderings My Dad’s Shirt
People are superstitious. We all have our favorite jacket, or our lucky fishing hat. Professional athletes are incredibly superstitious. Many of them follow the same daily routine or ritual on game day. Some never touch the baselines when running off the field after an inning. Outdoorsmen aren’t any different. Many of us have our lucky arrow, gloves, or socks. Some guys follow the same routine during deer season, and I don’t want to get into favorite stands and lucky guns. When my father died, I inherited all of his hunting stuff. All of his guns, bullets, equipment, and clothes, everything. My other brothers didn’t hunt, so I got it all. Most of his stuff I already had a few of, like knives, and guns, and most of his clothes are either way outdated or they don’t fit. My father was a few inches taller than I am. One item I did get though, was a Woolrich hunting shirt. It’s a size large, red and black buffalo plaid wool shirt. My mother gave this shirt to my father in the 1940’s, as a Christmas
By David Willette
gift. This shirt is older than I am. My father hunted religiously with this shirt. Back then rabbit hunting was popular, and every weekend he would wear this shirt, listening to our beagle, “Pax”, drive cottontails, (we
called them “greybobs”). He’d keep his Newport cigarettes in the left side pocket. Then deer season would open on the second Saturday of November and his shirt was pressed into big game hunting. He would have his solid red hunting jacket and pants,
(that I’m bringing out of mothballs this Thanksgiving), his felt boots, the worst thermal underwear in the world, and his hunting shirt. I have a few recollections of this shirt. The first is the aforementioned rabbit hunting and that we would go to church, (sometimes), the 6:30 mass at St. Francis. In the back-row with us were other rabbit hunters, all dressed in their hunting clothes. All of us snuck out early. My fondest and most vivid memory of this shirt though occurred during deer season, when I was in the sixth grade. I was walking home from a basketball game at the St Francis Parish hall. All the kids played there in the St. Francis Youth League. As I got to the edge of my yard, I saw my father’s arm come across the kitchen window, and I saw this red and black shirt. This only meant one thing; my father had gotten a deer. He never came home before dark when he deer hunted, I know, because I used to wait for him on the porch every Saturday and Sunday during deer season.
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November 2012
I immediately started running for the back door when the door opened and he stuck out his head and yelled in his gravelly voice, “David, go see what’s in the drive-way”. There in the back of the red Dodge Coronet station wagon, surrounded by David and Ray Bissailion, was a huge eight pointer, with its tongue hanging out. I think that I was more excited than he was. It was a monster. I still use the horns to attempt, (unsuccessfully so far), to rattle-in bucks during breeding season. But it was that red and black shirt that I remember the most vividly. Today, during deer season, when I’m in the woods, that shirt never leaves my back. When I’m hunting deer, I won’t hunt without it, I can’t hunt without it. Two years ago I was mule deer hunting in Idaho with nine other hunters. Everyone in camp had shot a nice Mule deer and the weather was starting to heat up. Every morning I got up looking for something to change my luck, and a few times I thought about changing my shirt to a lighter more comfortable one. Every morning I said no, and I kept wearing my dad’s shirt. My luck turned on the last day of the hunt when I nailed a nice 5 x 5 mulie, while a group of hunters watched, at 293 yards, the best shot I ever made. Even during bow season, I wear this shirt. I’d rather hunt barefoot, than to not wear this shirt. Every year I travel to some other state out west to hunt elk or deer. Every year I take my dad’s shirt, I don’t leave home without it. In the years to come, hunting will probably become less popular than it is now and my sons may or may not hunt. When the time comes, I will pass this shirt down to them, and hopefully they’ll get to hunt with it. I really can’t call this shirt mine until that day comes and I join my father in the Happy Hunting Grounds, and one of my sons starts to wear it. Until then it will always be my Dad’s shirt. David Willette is a free-lance outdoor writer who lives in Western Massachusetts. He can be contacted through www.coyotewars.com
The Outdoor Gazette
Pop’s Kitchen
Rancher's Rancher's Rave Rave Barbecue Barbecue
AA ranch ranch style style barbecue barbecue recipe, recipe, cooked cooked in in the the crockpot. crockpot.
Sponsored by Green Mt. Marinades
11 1/2 1/2 lbs. lbs. stew stew venison/bear/moose venison/bear/moose cubes cubes 11 1/2 1/2 lbs. lbs. pork pork cubes cubes 22 cups chopped cups chopped onions onions 33 small small green green bell bell peppers, peppers, seeded seeded and and chopped chopped 11 can can (6 (6 oz.) oz.) tomato tomato paste paste 1/2 1/2 cup cup packed packed brown brown sugar sugar 1/4 1/4 cup cup cider cider vinegar vinegar 11 tsp chili powder tsp chili powder 22 teaspoons teaspoons salt salt 11 teaspoon teaspoon dry dry mustard mustard 22 teaspoons teaspoons Worcestershire Worcestershire sauce sauce
Combine Combine ingredients ingredients in in slow slow cooker. cooker. Cover Cover and and cook cook on on high high for for 66 to to 88 hours, hours, or or until until very very tender. tender. Shred Shred meat meat with with aa potato potato masher masher or or forks; forks; serve serve over over buns, buns, potatoes, potatoes, rice, rice, or or any any pasta. pasta.
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
November 2012
Page 13
Riverbank Tales Tenkara, traditional Japanese fly fishing
Fly fishing, when you get right down to it, is pretty simple. The basic equipment required for fly fishing hasn’t changed much since the 1800’s. What has changed is technology that has gone into modern equipment. The use of graphite in fly rods, aircraft grade aluminum fly reels and plastic coated fly lines have certainly made fly fishing a lot easier. However, if you handed a fly rig made in 1890 to a modern day fly fisher, he would have no problem recognizing all of the parts and feel right at home fishing with it. I guess it is human nature to complicate things and fly fishermen are no exception to the rule. Most of us head to the stream with far too much stuff. The fly vest is a great thing, but it does lead us into temptation. With all of those pockets we feel duty bound to fill them up. There has been some movement, in recent years, to simplify. There are those who try to minimize their gear and travel light. In the last few years a new style of fly fishing, called Tenkara, has taken the “go light” community by storm.
by Bill Thompson
Tenkara is a traditional method of Japanese fly fishing. The outfit consists of a rod, a line and a leader. The line is attached to the tip of the rod so there is no need of a reel; it
will extend up to 14 foot. The lines are attached at the tip of the rod and are around ten feet in length. A leader is added to the line. Because of the length and fine tips on these
doesn’t get much simpler than that. Traditionally the rods were made of bamboo today; however, the rods are made of graphite and are telescopic. A graphite Tenkara rod will collapse into a twenty inch tube and
rods a light tippet must be used; no more than 5X or 6X is recommended. As a result fishing for big trout is out of the question. There are tradi-
needed for the long rod. Casting a Tenkara rod is just about the same as casting a conventional fly rod. Any fly angler will have no trouble adapting to the long rod. I should point out that this is not dappling, you do cast the line. We spent the day fishing dry flies and soft hackles. Had we wanted to, I see no reason why, we could not have fished nymphs. To answer the all important question: did we catch fish? Yes we did. In kind of an unscientific comparison test Pat fished a six foot two weight conventional fly rod and caught just about the same amount of fish as with the Tenkara outfit. It is important to note that NH Fish& Game does not recognize Tenkara as fly fishing, so be advised if you are fishing in “Fly Fishing Only” water you are illegal. I think that this is rather odd on there part as about the only real difference in definition is that no reel is used. I would guess that would mean that if you tied the fly line on the handle of your fly rod and fished without the reel you would not meet the require-
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Page 14
tional Tenkara flies, but good old American ones will work just as well. Not long ago I spent a day with good friends Pat and Rick Gerber learning the art of Tenkara fishing. The Thompson’s and the Gerber’s have fished together for years and Rick is the drift boat guide for the North Country Angler. Rick is an accomplished artist and perhaps because of this was attracted to Tenkara. Tenkara fishing is very well suited for fishing in mountain streams of which there are an abundance of in our White Mountains as well as in Japan. For our outing we choose a local stream that we knew would have an abundance of smaller trout and would have the kind of room
November 2012
ments of the law as it is interrupted by Fish and Game. I am not sure I am going to sell all my fly rods and take up Tenkara, but I will say this: it is a lot of fun. If your motto is “Simplify” than it just might be the way to go. 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
Pennsylvania Game Commission Releasing bobcat back in to the wild
DALLAS, Luzerne County – A cat may not have nine lives, but a young bobcat in the Poconos received a second one recently, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission officials. A female bobcat kitten was discovered in a wooded area of Luzerne County this past spring by a couple hiking in the woods. The seven-week old cat was found weak and unable to walk, and without any adult female seen in the vicinity. The situation remained unchanged the following day, and arrangements were made to deliver the bobcat the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center near Saylorsburg, Monroe County for medical care and rehabilitation. The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is licensed for wildlife care through permitting by the Game Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Game Commission Northeast Region Biologist Kevin Wenner speculates that the female parent may have met an untimely demise. “Bobcats are sometimes hit on the roadway, or die from disease or a variety of other causes,” Wenner explained. “It would be rare to have a female cat abandon her young.” When the bobcat arrived at the rehabilitation center it weighed about 1.5 pounds and was in poor physical condition, according to Kathy Uhler, Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center director. “It was provided an initial diet of specialized formula, and then weaned to a diet of small mammals and birds including rabbits, pigeons, rats and mice,” Uhler said. “Animals were fed to the cat alive when possible. While this may sound distasteful to some, it is necessary in order to stimulate natural hunting behavior. “The cat was housed in a secure enclosure with double doors to prevent escape and human contact was kept to an absolute minimum in an effort to discourage imprinting.” When it was time for the release, Wenner approached the enclosure quietly and cautiously, as a group of students from East Stroudsburg University and reporters from the local media looked on. “The cat seemed to sense something was amiss and it let out a low, guttural growl,” Wenner said. “The cat was positioned high on a rafter as Eric Uhler, who is largely responsible for the daily care of the animal, and I entered the innermost door. We were greeted with menacing bared teeth and hissing, as the The Outdoor Gazette
young cat swiped at the air from above. “The tranquilizer dart, containing a mixture of animal immobilization drug, found its mark in the cat’s
rials. The cat, still groggy from the day’s ordeal, slowly regained the use of her legs and made some initial tentative steps. A few moments later, the cat had some distance
Female bobcat in enclosure prior to being immobilized for release on State Game Land 186 in Monroe County.
shoulder, and soon made handling the animal possible. The bobcat was taken outside and a scale showed its weight at a healthy 14 pounds.” East Stroudsburg University students obtained hair samples to determine its genetic profile, as part
between her and a few observers, and then slowly dissolved into the woods. “Not all wildlife found in similar situations are candidates for rehabilitation and young animals left vulnerable to predation, the elements, and starvation don’t often
From left to right, Eric Uhler, of Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, and Kevin Wenner, Game Commission Northeast Region biologist, prepare to weigh bobcat before its release into the wild.
of an ongoing study, and then the bobcat was transported in a pet carrier to a remote section of State Game Land 186 in Monroe County. “The habitat there makes it an ideal release site,” said Wenner. “It provides plenty of food and cover to meet the animal’s needs. The hunting and other survival behaviors of bobcats are largely instinctive, and this cat has a good chance to make it.” The pet carrier door was opened carefully and the young cat got a first glimpse of her new surroundings. It was an environment free of human sounds and manmade mate-
make it, which is a hard fact of nature,” Wenner said. “Returning this apex predator to the wild was a unique and successful operation made possible by efforts of the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, the Game Commission, and a host of wildlife volunteers.” The handling of sick or injured wildlife is unlawful and poses serious health and safety concerns. If someone encounters sick or injured wildlife, he or she should contact the appropriate Game Commission Region Office. Bobcats are Pennsylvania’s only feline predator and inhabit wooded
November 2012
areas where they feed on a variety of small animals including mice, chipmunks, squirrels, birds, and rabbits. They are highly secretive in nature and mostly nocturnal. “Bobcats are fascinating animals and they are an important component of Pennsylvania’s diverse wildlife community,” Wenner said. “They keep prey species populations in balance and also provide sportsmen with valuable hunting and trapping opportunities.” Bobcats in Pennsylvania have gray-brown fur with dark spots and bars, which are especially noticeable on the legs. A ruff of fur extends out and downward from the ears. Bobcats are efficient predators, and equipped with sharp senses of sight, smell and hearing. They have four large canine teeth to pierce deeply into prey; behind the canines are sharp cutting teeth. Five retractable, hooked claws on each front foot and four on the rear, add to the cat’s arsenal. Although a bobcat is a fierce fighter, it isn’t a large animal. A mature bobcat averages 36 inches in length, which includes a stubby tail. This “bobbed” tail gives the cat its name. Adult bobcats weigh between 15 and 20 pounds; with large individuals weighing as much as 35 pounds. Some may live up to 15 years of age in the wild, and much longer in captivity. Because of their secretive nature, bobcats rarely interact with domestic pets or livestock. Bobcat kittens are born in early spring, with litter sizes ranging from one to four. Adult female bobcats guard their young carefully as an adult male bobcat may try to kill and eat the young. This behavior makes the discovery of the kitten from Luzerne County highly unusual. In 2000, the Game Commission created a limited bobcat season. The 2012-13 bobcat trapping season runs from Dec. 15-Jan. 6, and is open in Wildlife Management Units 2A, 2C, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4C, 4D and 4E. The bobcat hunting season, which is open in the same WMUs, runs from Jan. 15 to Feb. 5. Hunters and trappers must possess a furtaker license and a bobcat permit, and the season limit is one bobcat. For more information about bobcats, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), put your cursor on “HUNT/TRAP,” then click on “Trapping & Furbearers” in the drop-down menu listing and then click on “Bobcat.” Page 15
Lock, Stock and Smoking Barrel By Stan Holz
What’s Next?
So, what’s new in the world of guns? An interesting question, especially given the politically charged nature of gun ownership in this country. In no particular order, here’s what I think we’ll be looking at in the near future.
failure. Although violent crime has dropped by 41% over the last ten years, calls for tougher gun laws will never go away. In his second term in office, I expect the Obama adminis-
gun laws, but I’ve been known to be wrong on occasion. Two Supreme Court appointments will likely be made during the next four years. The Obama nominees are likely to be very anti-gun and could conceivably compromise the two key gun
GUNS.
POLITICS. Ah yes, the wonderful world of politics and politicians. By the time this article is published we will have to deal with the incumbent, and decidedly anti-gun, administration of President Obama; or the new and supposedly pro-gun administration of President elect Romney. My gut feeling is that we’ll be looking at another four years of President Obama. Regardless, I do think the pro-gun bias of Congress will likely remain intact. That should provide some opposition to any sweeping new gun control measures. President Obama is officially on record as favoring a new “assault weapons” ban, even though the last one was universally deemed a total
tration to push for that gun ban as well as additional measures to limit magazine capacities to ten rounds or less. It is my expectation that Congress would not pass any new
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and I am not seeing the endless increases that we have all endured. Contrary to popular belief, the shortages and price increases are not due to some sort of government intervention. This is a simple supply and demand situation.
rulings the Court has already made, both which strongly affirmed our second amendment rights. If Mr. Romney becomes our next president, it would be very unlikely that any new gun legislation would be proposed or passed. Although, as governor of Massachusetts, he presided over one of the most antigun states in the nation, he claims to have no anti-gun agenda himself. I think it is very unfortunate that gun rights have become a liberal versus conservative issue. Not all conservatives support gun rights, and not all liberals are opposed to them. We have many pro-gun Democrats currently in Congress, as well as some Republicans who are vehemently anti-gun. Support of our constitutional rights should have nothing to do with one’s political affiliation. AMMUNITION. Over the past few years, our industry has experienced unprecedented demand for both handgun and rifle ammunition. This has resulted in some severe supply issues. That demand .., plus the increase in cost of metals such as brass, copper, and lead … has produced some frightening spikes in ammunition prices. Some ammo has come close to doubling in price in only the past three or four years. Currently, most of the shortages we’ve been plagued with are over. I am still experiencing some delays in getting .22LR ammunition as well as .223/5.56, but most numbers are coming in with no or few delays. I think the worst of it is over. Prices are also stable for the time being,
November 2012
Well, new models fuel demand, so most manufacturers try to come up with something new to bring in new buyers. Savage has come up with a winning formula with their Axis series of rifles. Developed from the moderately successful Model 200 and Edge series of rifles, the new Axis has a streamlined stock, detachable magazine, and is available in a variety of calibers and finishes. They shoot well and are totally reliable. Even with Bushnell 3 to 9 power scopes, these guns sell for under $400, making them an incredible bargain. Ruger, not to be outdone, has introduced its American series of bolt action rifles. Although not yet sold with factory scope packages, the American is a well made rifle that also sells for less than $400. Savage has also recently re-introduced its line of combination rifle/shotguns. The old Model 24 is now back as the Model 42. It is not the same gun, being smaller and lighter than the original. It is currently being offered in either the .22LR or .22 Magnum over a .410 shotgun barrel. They are easy to operate and I’m sure will be popular with shooters who have missed the old Model 24 since it was discontinued several years ago. The trend in many guns now is to use plastics where practical. Trigger guards, triggers, butt plates and other hardware are sometimes no longer made of metal. Gun stocks, often a thing of beauty made with fancy, well figured walnut, are now more often than not made of plastic. Laminated wood, also called plywood, is now commonly used on rifles and shotguns. I recently got in a new shipment of Marlin 30/30 lever action rifles. The wood stocks, that were used until quite recently, have been replaced with a laminate. The front barrel band, traditionally steel, is now plastic. The nice polished metal, with a bright blue finish, has been replaced with a bead blasted flat finish. Less work, cheaper materials, lower cost … higher profit. Another trend is to have guns made overseas. This is nothing new, but the practice is expanding and can be quite deceptive. Remember
Continued next page
The Outdoor Gazette
Sale of new HERON sticker will fuel 2015 aerial survey
The Heron Observation Network of Maine (HERON) is partnering with Burly Bird, a Maine-based conservation sticker company, to help raise funds for an important statewide aerial survey for nesting great blue herons. Members of the public can support HERON in its efforts by purchasing the UV-coated vinyl sticker of a great blue heron that can be placed on car bumpers and windows, water bottles, coffee mugs, laptops, bikes and anywhere else. HERON is a volunteer adopt-acolony program started by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in 2009 in order to gain a better understand-
the trusty old Winchester Model 1300 pump shotguns? They were around forever, but were discontinued went Winchester went bankrupt. Winchester was bought out by Browning and the 1300 is back in production. Looks and feels almost the same, but it now has a “Made in Turkey” stamp on it. The 94 Winchester is also back … with a “Made in Japan” stamp on it. How about a Springfield Armory Model 1911 pistol? Could there be a more American gun? Except this one uses frames from Brazil. CZ, an old time Czechoslovakian company, and Franchi of Italy, now both have their over and under shotguns made in Turkey. Mossberg over and under shotguns, as well as the H&R pump shotguns, are also Turkish imports. Michaels of Oregon, also know as Uncle Mikes, moved all their production to Vietnam a few years ago. This all can get just a bit discouraging. THE FUTURE I’m hoping there are no major changes coming in gun legislation.
ing of the great blue heron’s status within Maine. Proceeds from the sticker will go towards funding the next aerial survey scheduled for 2015, which With a Romney administration I’m not too worried; with an Obama administration I’d be very worried and just have to hope Congress wouldn’t go along with further restrictions. If we have four more years of an Obama administration, I expect demand for guns and ammunition will continue to be high as people fear for their gun rights. This may lead to some future shortages and price increase as demand outstrips production capacity. Women shooters will make up a significant portion of the gun owning public. Currently, more and more women recognize guns as a viable means of self protection. These women are buying guns and ammo, they are enrolling in shooting classes, and are a welcome addition to the responsible gun owners of our country. As more and more people embrace gun ownership … either for self defense, hunting, target shooting or collecting … support for gun control measures should become less tenable as a platform for politicos seeking their coveted re-elections to office.
will help find new heron colonies that may have recently popped up. The great blue heron was designated as a Species of Special Concern in Maine in 2007 due to a decline in breeding pairs along the coast. Little was known about the inland breeding population before 2009 when the Department ramped up its monitoring efforts by creating HERON. Through HERON, volunteers across the state collect information on great blue heron colonies during the breeding season to help state biologists understand the species’ population trend and prioritize future conservation efforts.
The Burly Bird HERON sticker is now available just in time for the holidays. They can be purchased from the Burly Bird website (www.burlybird.com) or through the Department’s online store (www.mefishwildlife.com). They sell for $4 each, with $3 going directly to fund the aerial survey. Sticker sales will also help leverage federal funding through Maine’s State Wildlife Grant Program. For more information about the Heron Observation Network of Maine, visit www.maineheron. wordpress.com, or contact Danielle D’Auria at danielle.dauria@maine.gov or (207) 9414478.
The change in the public perception of guns and gun ownership is what will, ultimately, protect our rights from those who would try to curtail them. More Americans support gun rights now than ever before. Do you want to help protect our gun rights? The take a friend out shooting, introduce new people to the shooting sports, and support your local gun club. “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” is an old cliché. It is, however, very true. Whenever some psychotic takes a gun and commits a heinous crime, the media jumps all over it and focuses on the gun or guns used in the crime. The knee jerk reaction from anti-gun politicians is always to go after the guns,
not the sick individuals who actually did the deed. We can never stop criminal actions, but we can do our part to insure that people do not see gun ownership by law abiding citizens as the problem. Hopefully, we’ll all have many more years where we and future generations can enjoy the shooting sports as well as the right of self defense.
from previous page
Stan Holz lives in Whitefield, NH and, with his wife Sandy, has owned and operated Village Gun Store there since 1974. He invites everyone to stop and visit. Aside from his interest in firearms and shooting, Stan is also involved in amateur astronomy, photo-graphy, ham radio and scuba diving. He can be contacted by emailing him at saholz@myfairpoint.net.
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The Outdoor Gazette
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November 2012
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Page 17
Family Tracks Setting the Pace
I suspected we may have a problem brewing as we scrambled up through the boulders in the trail and started our ascent from the parking lot. Ben took off at high speed, jumping off rocks, and ran ahead where he came quickly to the first trail junction. He turned the wrong way and sprinted almost out of sight. We came to the section of trail which was a wide gravel road, and yelled to Ben. He spun around, realized his mistake, and charged straight back at us, rushing by with a whoosh of spraying gravel. We continued on, the dog leading the way, and Meg and Ben running behind with equal energy back and forth across the wide, flat trail, weaving around trees and jumping off of little hills and rocks. “Be Careful” we preached pathetically. I felt there was no way they would be able to finish the whole hike running like this, but there was no slowing them down. The trail switch backed up the hill side, leading through a stand of mature hemlock and pine. It was dark beneath the canopy despite the bright, sunny
Page 18
By Brian Lang day. Here and there in the dark woods were large boulders, glacial erratic's that were covered with moss and in the dark woods looked like
eerie, actually, and maybe that’s why the kids and dog ran through so fast. Soon, we heard the waterfalls up ahead. As we traversed along
This magical orange mushroom unlocked miraculous energy reserves. sleeping giants cuddled up under the main trail, several little spur trails soft, green blankets. It was kind of led back down the hill toward the falls. We decided to check it out on the way back and keep gaining elevation while everyone was fresh. We paralleled the stream for a few hundred yards, admiring the deep clear pools in the small rocky gorge, and soon came to a picnic area with a large wooden bridge spanning the stream. The kids got handfuls of leaves and threw them off the bridge on one side, then ran across to see them bounce through the rapids, floating on the whitewater for a few seconds before getting drowned. As we moved along, I saw a guy fishing one of the pools. I spied on him a little through the trees, trying to see if he had any action. “Let’s Go, Daddy!” yelled Megan from up ahead. There I was, dawdling again. I trudged on and caught up, thinking that next time I would bring a rod. We soon came to a clearing and another junction. The sign said 1.5 miles, and the trail started right away to climb up a much steeper pitch. Soon, the shorter hikers in our group pleaded for a break. The running and chasing was over, but after a quick drink we were able to move on. The going was much slower now. There was some whining going on and we had to encourage every step. We held hands for encouragement, literally pulling them up the hill. That worked for a little while, until they said they couldn’t move their feet anymore. November 2012
“I can’t take another step!” protested Ben, Mr. “sprint as fast as I can” when we started a mere 30 minutes ago. “Come on Ben” we encouraged, just a little ways more and we’ll take a break. We’re looking for a good spot. He just stood there in the trail, arms folded, not moving. Just then, I spotted a weird blotch of orange color in the trail about 30 yards ahead. “Hey, look at that! There’s something up there!” I announced with great enthusiasm. Miraculously, they were cured and instantly broke into a dead run, straight uphill, again leaving me in the dust. We approached the object, and discovered it was a soggy stump that had a large, orange fungal growth coming put if it. It had many layers, creating a funny looking mushroom “flower” that was a little bigger than a basketball. It must have been a magical mushroom, because after that the attitudes changed for the better. Soon after the orange mushroom, we took another break and had a drink and half of our sandwiches. We had a discussion on what it means to pace yourself, and were then able to push on confidently to the top. We spotted a woodpecker, and noticed many diseased beech trees, something we had been reading about on another local walk. We slowly gained elevation until we actually started going down the other side of the ridge to the open rock cliffs where the views were. It was windy at the top of the cliff, and very dangerous, too. We immediately set the limits of how far we could all go towards the edge. We did not want to turn this into an inadvertent BASE jumping trip. There was a great view of the Adirondack Mountains in the distance, and the shimmering waters of Lake Dunmore at our feet. A single sailboat punctuated the blue expanse near the center, and the kids noticed two kayaks, just tiny red specs from this distance, along the near shoreline straight below us. We ate the rest of our lunch and had some water while trying to keep all our wrappers from blowing away. As we squinted into the chilling wind, we observed how the dark patch of clouds that we saw in the distance upon arrival had moved closer, and we could now easily see the slanted grey streaks of rain falling onto the landscape below. It was sunny all around, but this shower was blowing steadily straight at us. It was time to get off this cliff. There was a shorter trail on the way back that took us in a loop to the
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The Outdoor Gazette
Vermont’s archery deer results may be good news for rifle hunters
Vermont’s preliminary archery deer hunting season results are up compared to the previous three-year average, and that could be good news for hunters during the November rifle deer season. As of November 7, the number of deer taken during the October por-
tion of archery season was 2,420, according to reports received by Vermont Fish & Wildlife from agents throughout the state. This represents nearly a 20 percent increase over the average for the past three years at this time even though there are few concentrated food supplies
such as apples and nuts this year to attract deer. A final archery total will be available after all reports are received by Fish & Wildlife. Vermont’s traditionally popular 16-day November rifle season begins November 10 and ends Sunday, November 25. One legal buck with at least one antler having two or more points may be taken anywhere in the state. The antler regulation for a “legal buck” was designed to recruit more bucks and older bucks into the population. Hunters may take one buck with at least one antler having two or more points one inch or longer. Spike-antlered deer are protected except during the youth deer weekend. A point must be one inch or longer from base to tip. The main beam counts as a point, regardless of length. “Vermont’s pre-hunt deer population is estimated at approximately 125,000 animals this year with the greatest numbers of deer found in the southwest, east-central, and northwestern regions of the state,” said Deer Project Leader Adam Murkowski. “Deer populations have benefited from excellent
survival during the mildest winter recorded over the last four decades and good fawning conditions during the spring and summer.” Planning Your Hunt
The 2011 Vermont Deer Harvest Report, available from the Fish & Wildlife Department’s web site (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) has a wealth of information to help plan a hunt, including the number of deer taken in each town. Click on “Hunting and Trapping” and “Big Game” to download a copy of the report. Vermont’s regular hunting licenses, including a November rifle season buck tag and a bear tag, still cost only $22 for residents and $100 for nonresidents. Hunters under 18 years of age get a break at $8 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. Licenses are available on Fish and Wildlife’s web site and from license agents statewide. Contact the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department for more information. Telephone 802-241-3700 or Email fwinformation@state.vt.us.
Sturtevant Pond Camps On 580 acre Sturtevant Pond
Magalloway, Maine Erik Werner of Brandon, VT shot this 10-point buck in Vermont’s October archery deer season. Archery results are up, which bodes well for Vermont’s Nov. 10-25 rifle season. Photo Courtesy of VT Big Game Trophy Club. car. It was steeper though, and would have been a tough walk up. On the back side of the ridge again, we were sheltered from the wind, although we got pelted with some rain showers sprinkling through the vast canopy of the monster hardwood forest we were descending through. Of all things, Meg and Ben now yelled “We wanna run! We wanna run!” Megan said “My legs feel like they have to run.” So now, ironically, we had gone from “I can’t take another step!” to “I wanna run!” It was too steep and rocky to say it was OK to run, so we had to literally hold them back until we returned to the gravel road. As we past the roar of the falls again, we took a short trip down one The Outdoor Gazette
from previous page
of the spur trails and got a glimpse of the foaming cascade of water tumbling down through the rocks, with a faint rainbow in the mist. We decided to save any further exploring down below the falls for the next trip, and instead let the kids run, full tilt, back down the trail and straight to the car. 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.
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November 2012
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Anchor Points By Todd Mead
Nervousness
Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to harvest some really nice animals with a bow. I’ve also shot state, regional and national archery events that have given me a taste of what it’s like to make shots under pressure when championships are riding on the execution of a good shot. Many people think that archers who are successful in tournament archery, as well as bowhunters who consistently take trophy animals, don’t get nervous when the moment presents itself. This isn’t the case. These archers have trained themselves to execute under pressure as they do in practice. When a big buck presents himself he can appear in an instant or take a while wandering around in front of our stands before he makes his way to us. This is when an accelerated heart rate begins to make itself known. Your breath becomes shallow and sometimes it feels like your heart is going to burst through your skin. The legs sometimes begin to shake and it feels like they’ve turned
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to jello. With all of these things going on at once it isn’t hard for everything in front of you to speed up. This is where unprepared people get lost. They will lose focus and the moment they’ve been waiting for can turn
Before the season I always visualize some scenarios that I think I might encounter while hunting. This usually helps because I have a picture in my head before the animal shows himself. When he appears it makes it easier to place him into the visualization that I’ve practiced throughout the year.
described above. The closer an archer gets to the finish the larger the prize becomes. Many shooters will skip ahead a few arrows rather than shoot them one at a time. The same thing happens as in hunting and the tournament suddenly speeds up. It was probably going at a steady pace and for some reason when win-
Heart rate at the moment of “Truth”..Staying calm ( as calm as possible) is the key to making a good shot on the range or in the woods.
into a disaster. When I encounter a situation that makes me nervous I try to slow things down. As the animal approaches I tell myself to remain calm and focused. I take a deep breath and exhale very slowly. After a few deep breaths I can feel some of the excitement turn into concentration.
Now, instead of being a chaotic frenzy in front of me, things have slowed down. I can take in my surroundings and enjoy the moment as I watch it unfold. After getting past the initial excitement you will still have to follow all of the steps necessary to make a good shot. If you have practiced enough this routine should be automatic. If the nerves are still getting in the way it might be time to rehearse the steps in your mind and follow them one by one. I always tell myself to pick a spot behind the shoulder and squeeze the shot off. A fair number of people will punch their trigger due to the excitement and launch an arrow through the woods. If you tell yourself to squeeze the trigger it will be an easier guide to follow until the arrow is on its way. There are very few people who don’t get nervous when a good opportunity presents itself. Turning the nervousness into positive energy is something that must be done to be successful. Tournament archery often brings the same type of feeling that I’ve
November 2012
ning became part of the equation the shooter put more pressure on himself. It’s always easier if you shoot one arrow at a time and continue the process until you are completely done. If you let your mind get involved the whole thing can blow up in your face. You’ll be left to wonder about what could have been rather than holding the coveted trophy in your hands. No matter what you’re hunting you need to have a plan ahead of time. It’s just like mapping out directions for a drive to a town in another state. If you don’t write the directions down with a few side notes you’ll have a much more difficult time arriving at your destination. Don’t forget that it’s perfectly normal and ok to be nervous. Heck, if I didn’t get that rush of adrenalin while hunting and shooting tournaments I think I would have to find a few new hobbies. 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.
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November 2012
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Guided by the Light or is That a Train Coming? A Guide to Hiring a Guide
I have a few thoughts to help you get your money’s worth the next time you hire a guide. I’ve seen this from both sides of the guide-client relationship and made my share of mistakes. If this is your first time working with a “pro,” here are a few considerations that might prevent the need for threats of violence at the end of the day. T he secret is to do your homework ahead of signing on the dotted line. T hese guys (and a few girls) are trying to make a living. They need to be successful but there’s no way they can guarantee fish. On the other hand, they should pull out all the stops, when necessary, to give you a good experience. Spend time on the phone with the guide before you book a trip. A guide who won’t answer your questions on the phone won’t do any better on the river. Let your expectations be
known so he can tell you if they are reasonable. This prevents going in with expectations that can’t be met. Do you want: lots of fish; trophy fish; dry fly only; a wilderness experience; etc, or are you willing to let the guide decide what’s best? Let him or her know. For example, 20 or more fish released on the Beaverkill around the end of May should be no problem (barring weather problems). A wilderness trip, here in norther n Ver mont, means some walking. Sight fishing to steelhead means a lot of standing around. You want to know what to expect ahead of time. What’s your fly casting skill level? Be honest. If you’re a beginner, let the guide know. He’ll see you in action soon enough. But, he might make different plans depending on the difficulty level required by certain locations. Some fish require precise casting and
By Tony Lolli
drag-free drifts. It’ll be a frustrating day, for both of you, if you can’t do this consistently. He might know a dif ferent
beverages? How many hours are included for a half-day trip? For a whole day? What’s the cost? Are there any addi-
location that doesn’t require as much skill. Would you prefer to have the guide do ever ything from changing your flies to giving casting instructions? Let him know. Some clients I’ve had simply wanted me to take them to new places and then turn them loose. That didn’t mean I could leave them to their own devices. If the fishing was difficult, I made sure to offer suggestions to improve their experience. Are there any physical limitations the guide needs to know about? Almost any condition can be accommodated if the guide knows ahead of time. Some areas are easier to get into than others. He’ll be able to make the best location selection if he knows about your needs before you show up in your waders and vest. Other, smaller details will make the day more enjoyable: Will I need a wading staff, bug repellant or insulated waders? Is lunch included? How about
tional expenses to be anticipated such as paying for flies or leaders the guide may provide? While we’re talking about money, what about tips? Guiding is a service for hire and the usual customs apply. If you feel the guide has given you his or her best efforts, then the usual 20% would be added (and much appreciated). On those occasions when the fishing is dif ficult and the guide has tried every trick he knows, maybe 25% is more appropriate. Guides make a living from repeat customers so they should give you such a good experience you’ll want to book with them again. Hey, it’s your money and you should get value for what you pay. Doing a little homework is your best insurance of a trip to be remembered for all the right reasons. Tony Lolli is from Cabot, VT. His book, Go-To Flies: 101 Pattern the Pros Use When All Else Fails is available online from Amazon and Barnes&Noble.
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 22
November 2012
rblaisdell1@comcast.net
603-895-9947
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Above - Tucker Sweet, 212 lbs, 5Pts Below - Tim Eastman 157.50 lbs, 8pts All photos Courtesy of the East Corinth General Store- East Corinth, Vermont. See more successful hunters on their facebook page.
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Above - Troy Maxham, 164 lbs, 7pts Below - Patrick Burnett 153 8pts Burnett 109 3pts
November 2012
andJarrett
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The Captain’s Corner Bucks, Ducks & Bright Chrome!
Is there any finer time of the year to be in the outdoors?? You won’t get an argument here. The biggest challenge is trying to decide which species to pursue & how much time to dedicate to each!! Fins, feathers or fur, there are just about as many options as there are days in the month. In the last week we have literally chased Bass & Trout, Dabbler ducks & small game, a couple of days all of these in a 10 hour stretch! Two weeks ago I had a fellow firefighter accompany me with good Friend Capt. Andy Bliss of Oswego NY for Spawning King Salmon action on the Oswego River! Needless to say Andy & his drift boat put us on the fish, & my buddies first ever King! Both the Oswego & the famed Salmon River are enjoying one of the best runs in possibly 20 years! So many fish in places that you swear you could walk across them! The Salmon run is trickling to an end now, but behind them come the colorful
Browns & Chrome Steelhead! There is truly no better time of year to pursue these species as the crowds from the Salmon run
My son Logan with his 2011 VT buck
MOUNTAIN DEER TAXIDERMY
By Matthew Trombley have - left & the Trout are feeding voraciously on all the Salmon eggs in the river! Eight to Ten pound Browns, Rainbows, & Steelhead are possible with some topping the fifteen pound mark!
Just as the Salmon season has produced, we are seeing some
Rainbows spawn in the fall along with the Browns. The male Rainbows get some wonderful red & pink coloration in them, the Steelhead spawn in the late winter/early spring with the same brilliant colors! One thing is for sure; right now is a fantastic time to get in some great….uncrowded action! November has brought us in to that time of the year where the days are increasingly shorter & cooler with an occasional snow squall that hints of things to come. Leaves are off, the Ducks & Geese that summered and raised their young are beginning the trek south & their Canadian counter parts are increasing their numbers every day that the cooler temps & North winds set in. Waterfowl numbers in some areas of Ver mont have been down a bit but reports from the Champlain Valley have seen some great early season gunning. Snow Goose numbers in the Addison County area have been steadily on the decrease over the recent years as the grain crops in northern NY have attracted more of the numbers in the
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Todd from VT with a Salmon River Steelhead stellar Steelies with some beauti- Atlantic Flyway birds. Early Season Canadian Goose ful hooked jawed Browns in the mix! Many ask how you can tell hunting has been great but the between migratory numbers in the later the difference Rainbows & Steelhead? Well Continued next page
November 2012
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fall are on the increase as well. Once the cold sets in (which we hope comes in soon as it was very late to arrive last year) usually announces the arrival of the migratory Mallards & species of Divers such as Whistlers( Golden Eye) Blue Bills, & on Lake Ontario Red Heads, Old Squaw & Scoters. The die-hard of the water fowling world anxiously await the flights of these birds, as with the Salmon run, the early season crowds & hunting pressure have subsided & gunning can be fast & furious! Not for the faint of heart, this can mean hunting in sub-freezing temps; blinding snow & howling winds….but also can be some of the fastest shooting of the year! To me…saving the best for last is what November is all about! Coming from a long line of Deer hunters….November means nothing more than that time of year when we get the long awaited chance to pursue the most favorite quarry in North America. Some mild winters in the last few years has meant well balanced deer herds & over six years of antler restrictions in Ver mont is showing its proof that we all hoped for! Many two & three year old bucks around (My son & I have both been lucky enough to harvest two year
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old plus bucks in the last two seasons!) have been noted in the late summer & we have seen some fantastic bucks taken in our
standards are true trophies that get local scuttlebutt going! One can only hope that there is a few left for the upcoming
Logan & I on a sea duck hunt in Plymouth Ma
area during the archery season! An eight pointer & two phenomenal ten pointers that all were over the 125 inch mark have been harvested, these by local
Firearm seasons, but none I have become more fond of then taking my son out on the first weekend of November, set aside for the youth only hunt! My son was
November 2012
from previous page
lucky enough in the opening half hour of the 2011 youth hunt, to harvest a great nine point buck that field dressed at 180 pounds! A fine buck by any New Englanders standard, but a trophy for a life time for a youngster to tag for his first deer! To sit and witness him calmly take the shot as the buck came in chasing a doe ( one couldn’t have scripted it better!) has become and will probably always be the most memorable day afield in my life! Tears of joy & elation along with much high fiving & hugs are what that day has left etched in my mind…… No finer experience that we hope to duplicate & wish others the same luck for seasons to come! Memories at deer camp with those that have left us during the last year, along with stories that we all cherish, will surely be discussions enjoyed in the crisp November air. With any luck, sagging game poles & newly made memories will accompany those for years to come! Matt Trombley is a career firefighter, residing with his wife & son in Florence Vermont. He is a U.S.C.G licensed Master captain, guiding & chartering fishing trips through out Vermont & New York. His charter business, 3rd Alarm Charters can be viewed at www.3rdalarmcharters.com
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The Trap Line By Randy Barrows
Muskrats - Part Three
All of the previous sets mentioned work well when water levels are stable but toss in heavy rain and you will spend a lot of time adjusting sets. To combat erratic water levels you need to improvise. My favorite for this condition is float sets. This past fall float sets were a must with the abnormal rainfall we experienced. Float sets are simply traps attached to anything that will float. I usually use what I find along a stream. Dry logs will float as a rule. Simply notch out the top of the log, set the trap in and staple the chain to the log. Push the log out into the stream, anchor it and the set is complete. Depending on the length of the log you can set four or five traps on a log and will produce in high and low water conditions. The other high producer is by using the conibear trap. Conibear or also known as body grips are easy to set and wicked efficient. Body grips in the 110
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size placed on the edge of a stream will quickly hold and dispatch your catch. Winter weather is a trapper’s nightmare. Once ice occurs the
weather will weed out the amateur trappers. Ice up will test
you on every level from frozen traps to frost bit fingers. Checking traps is fun chopping through three inches of ice to just check them will really test your sanity. I always watch the weather closely and when the
and leave some seed for next year and remember no traps on or in a rat pushup or directly in front of a bank den. And now that you have caught them prep the fur and eat the meat. Yup you heard me rats are
big freeze is predicted I bite the bullet and yank the steel. Not totally though as I use a set that produces all winter is what I call a crate set. Chop a six inch hole in the ice and push a stick down in the mud , take a two foot square wooden crate with a carrot nailed high on the wall with the trap stapled to the crate turned upside down over the hole and you are set. Any rat in the area will investigate the hole, climb up the stick and see the carrot and the rest is history. Leaning pole sets with body grips on foot traps will produce also. So there you have it, all of these sets will work and with practice you will know what will work and what will not work for you. Do not trap an area out
excellent table fare. Par boil for twenty minutes, drain, break the meat of the bones, dunk in melted butter, roll in flour and deep fry in oil in a cast iron fry pan. If ya do not like it, ship it to me and I will eat it. Keep your waders patched and your lures in the shed and more importantly take a kid outdoors with you.
November 2012
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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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 Want to buy one? send email to sales@theoutdoorgazette.com
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November 2012
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Continued next page
Behind the Sights
Continued on page ??
By Charlie Chalk
Best Knives
As summer melts into fall, our thoughts turn to plans for outdoor activities. For the blackpowder shooter, our calendars begin to fill with dates of hunts and woodland rambles. Guns are often the focus of my articles; but this time, I want to look at knives. The knife is an indispensable item in any outdoors man gear. I carry two period style knives. The first is a small three inch Damascus made by Dan Winkler of North Carolina. This was a gift from a dear friend. All of Winkler knives are primitive in their style, yet truly functional. He has produced knives for the movie industry that have been used in films like "Last of the Mohicans". While still available at moderate prices, many would like a forged knife for less. My other belt knife is a semicustom made from a file. Weighing in at about 10 oz., the thick blade serves well for splitting wood or other camp chores.
A knife of this strength serves as a knife and ax and has become a constant companion in the woods. Made in North Carolina,
Damascus Knife by Dan Winkler
by an unknown maker, it is a copy of an original found in the mountains and estimated to be made in the early part of the 19th Century.
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In choosing a good knife I would suggest a forged blade. True forged blades are amazing in both strength and sharpness. Forged blades come from forges of a blacksmith. This style of
knife almost faded into history in the early 1970's when only a dozen blacksmiths existed. The formation of the American Blacksmith Society helped to preserve this art and teaches the skills in educational seminars the United States. across Members start a journeymen for two years and then submit their knives for a journeyman test. The test consists of using the blade to (1) cut a free hanging 1" manila rope with one swipe and (2) chop 2x4's and still shave with the edge and finally putting the blade in a vice and bending it ninety degree without breaking it. A you might expect, such blades are costly compared to factory blades, but there is at least one knife maker I can recommend that makes quality knives for a fair price. Dennis Miles of “Double Edge Forge” ( doubleedgeforge.com ). Dennis is a
member of the American Mt. Men and is well known to those who rendezvous here on the east coast. His work was seen in “Gangs of New York” movie as every major character carried only his knives. His knives are guaranteed for life as he says, “Yours or mine”. No matter what kind of knife you have, a little care will always be necessary. A good knife is not a pry bar or screwdriver. The first blade you chip or break will convince you never to do that again; a lesson we have all learned. Secondly, keep it sharp. There are dozens of different tools to help get the perfect edge. Their job is to get the right angle on the edge. Learn what type of angle works for what kind of work the knife will be used for and you will sharpen less often. Wipe off the three most dangerous enemies; moisture, blood and food before you sheath the knife. I always store my knives out of the sheath when I get home; just to be safe. A final word on handle material seems in order. Antler and wood look good on primitive and modern knives but they do require care. The common problem is cracking, which is caused by exposure to high temperatures. Never let your knife become too hot to touch. Next month, we will work on a project article on how to build a couple of knife sheaths. There is nothing like a custom sheath to show off a fine knife. 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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The Outdoor Angel Reflections of The Outdoor Angel
From fishing to the field, it was time to head to Vermont. As we crossed through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York my anticipation grew. I’ve never been to Ver mont and didn’t know what to expect. Bennington, Vermont was the destination and meeting with Lee Dufresne, the owner/creator of Elusion Camo, was the mission. After getting settled into the home of our hostess, Stephanie Calabro (Lee’s business partner), I was itching (not because of ticks either) to get going. I’d been fishing in Indiana for 3 days and then immediately jumped in the car to drive 14.5 hours to Vermont. Needless to say I was a little sleep deprived. This would be easily rectified with a long nap, which I attempted, but didn’t really accomplish. I was eager to get started on the adventures Lee Dufresne had planned. The afternoon consisted of learning all about Elusion Camo (revolutionary) and its operation. Dinner that night would feature Lake Trout caught by me! I’d impress my hosts with a fish boil. We ate, we laughed and we got acquainted. I felt like I’d known these people a lot longer than the 3 hours it had been! As our impromptu party broke for the evening I was told to be ready at 4:30 for turkey hunting. Ok, this wouldn’t be so bad. Wrong – 4:30 AM! Well, this is what I was here for, so I’ll have to do it. I went to bed with eager anticipation of what the morning would bring. Now I am not one to wake up, get dressed and go. I have a beauty regimen and turkey hunting would not alter that! Actually if I didn’t put makeup on I probably would have scared the turkeys away! I’m sure my male hunting partners rolled out of bed at 4:27, got dressed and were in the truck. Maybe they even slept in their Elusion Camo! It was dark as we made our way to the favored field. I was told where to go (and didn’t even take offense!) and got set. I can’t remember the last time I willingly got up at 4 in the morning to sit still in the woods. Probably because it has NEVER happened! But after being out there, listening to the wildlife and experiencing the new day dawning, I will take every opportunity The Outdoor Gazette
afforded me. As the sun started its ascent I remained suitably still. Lee Dufresne was sitting next to me and started calling
the birds. He whispered that I should not move – a bird was making its way toward us. I had to remove my glasses so the light wouldn’t catch and I squinted to see. But I would find that squinting wasn’t even necessary because the bird was basically in my lap! That’s how amazing the Elusion Camo is. I literally melted in to my surroundings undetected by the natural inhabitants! When another black spot appeared on the horizon my excitement level would soar. It wasn’t a large turkey, but a coyote. Here too the coyote was so close I could have reached out and put a collar on to take home as a pet. Of course this didn’t happen because I didn’t have a collar along and I wasn’t allowed to accessorize (no necklace) my Elusion Camo! At least I could pet my new friend. Before that happened though, he spotted a decoy we had set out and took off. He needed breakfast and didn’t want any part of my shenanigans. The morning sit-in finished off with geese flying overhead and a hike back to the truck. I thought we were now done for the day, but what did I know? Lee fired up the engine and we were on a tour of the beautiful Bennington vistas. I was amazed
By Mary Kay how he drove and whipped the car to the shoulder after spotting something FAR off in the distance. I didn’t see anything, but then again I didn’t really know what I was looking for and his
eyes are younger than mine! Sure enough, more turkeys. I was glued to the window hoping to show off by spotting something 1st, but the men would outshine this angel’s wings – for now! The plan was made for the following morning, but this time it would involve me, and a gun and hopes of killing my 1st predator! Back at the ranch (not really a ranch) after an exciting morning, I changed into my fashion camo and headed downtown. This was something I was good at. I know how to SPOT a bargain, not a turkey. Anyway, people were
November 2012
stopping me on the street to comment on my outfit (sequin camo and high heels, naturally) and remark how I wasn’t from “around here”. What gave me away? As I would learn later it had to be the lipstick. Apparently the native Bennington women do not wear lipstick. The two items I had to have in the pockets of my Elusion Camo were my sunglasses in their case and LIPSTICK. What hunter goes into the field without it?! The downtown area was charming as were its shop keepers. I particularly enjoyed the Crazy Russian Girls Bakery (check them out on face book!). I could have sampled everything in their case, but I had my custom made Elusion Camo suit to fit into! As it was I did go away with a few of the tempting treats and true to form, kept them for myself. I was not inclined to share and didn’t even feel guilty. I sat in the back of the truck sneaking samples and no one was the wiser. My only give away was when we got out for an impromptu AR 15 shooting lesson and I had sticky fingers! There I was sitting in a remote wooded area, which was good because I’ve never shot an automatic anything before. I was wearing a sequin camo top. I had high heeled camo boots on. I was wearing jewelry. What’s the big deal? I was showing you can be fashionable while doing any outdoor activity. I felt good with the weapon in my hands. It did not intimidate me and I had some sympathy for the coyotes I’d be stalking in the morning. Well, that would remain to be seen. To be continued…
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From the back of a canoe Kennebec Runs
Overall things were going good until October rolled around. I had a drift trip on the Androscoggin the first week of October. After going through Franconia Notch the Jeep warning signal started beeping; the temperature gauge was high. I stopped at a garage in Twin Mountains and had the thermostat replaced. Just before Lancaster the Jeep overheated again. By that time it was after five and there were no garages open. From there to Errol it was two hours of stopping to let the engine cool down and going 1 to 5 miles before it overheated again. I was stopped on 110A by Cedar Pond around 7pm when Chris Clark came by heading home. Chris had a half day trip the next mor ning and four hours on the road to get back to Errol. I explained the problem to Chris and offered to let him stay with me if he would shuttle my boat. Chris turned around and headed back to Errol. I made it about an hour later. Chris shuttled my boat at 6:30 in the morning and then picked
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me up later in the afternoon. I was staying at the Errol motel and Richie the owner was good
By Jim Norton to Berlin for repair. I was able to get a ride to Berlin the following day and get a rental car. A few days later we went to Brownfield Maine to winterize
Here I am with a landlocked salmon on the East Outlet of the Kennebec - Photo by Gerry Crow
enough to have my Jeep towed
the camp and then to Berlin for the Jeep and to Errol to pick up the boat. It turns out it was a faulty thermostat; the replacement one was bad. Unfortunately between excessive labor charges, towing, an extra night at the motel and the rental it turned out to be in an expensive trip. I was fortunate not to have any serious injuries during the season except for Memorial Day weekend. Launching the boat and the winch handle hit the knuckles on my left hand and my fingers ballooned up. I could
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still row and by the end of the day the swelling was down to a manageable level. I was getting my gear together for bird hunting and banged my left leg above the ankle. It was swollen and I hobbled around. After four days I was able to do a wade trip for brood stock Atlantic salmon. I was on the water all day moving between two anglers and able to get in position to net two salmon. It was the first time fly fishing for one of the anglers and the other described himself as a novice; he did a great job playing the fish. The guys were probably at least half my age or younger; half a foot taller and in great shape. At the end of the day they were getting tired and the next morning my ankle was swollen again. On May 23 2009 I had sprained the same ankle and banged up my knee on the Androscoggin. It was easy to remember the date because it was my wife’s birthday and I asked her to drive me to the emergency room at midnight. That was a long recovery process and it looks like anytime the ankle gets hit going be a repeat. it’s Unfortunately I had signed up for a trip to Maynard's in Rockwood Maine to fish the East Outlet of the Kennebec the following day Sunday October 14th. Most rivers in Maine close the end of September but the Kennebec is open to the end of October with Catch & Release only. I had planned on taking our setter Duchess bird hunting for half a day and fish the other half. With the ankle swollen hunting was out; it looks like it
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could be a lost season. The trip was with the Bull Salmon club. The club was originally comprised of employees of Honeywell Bull Infor mation Systems. Our first trip was to Maynard's in 1989. That was 23 years ago. We used to take two trips a year, spring and fall. Over the years most of the members faded away; some forever and were replaced with friends. My partner Gerry and I are the only two original members who still go on trips. With guiding our participation has become less frequent. Sunday morning October 14 we were headed to Maine. We hit rain on the way up and stopped in Solon to check on a shuttle for Monday. Around Bingham we hit snow with 2 to 3 inches on route 8. We encountered one serious accident; an SUV rolled over. In the afternoon the other five members on the trip headed out to fish the river. With my ankle swollen I stayed at the cabin and watched the football game. We had the largest cabin which had four bedrooms, TV, and a wood stove. It was blustery with showers all afternoon and the troops returned discouraged with only a few strikes. The Pat’s loss to Seattle closed out a gloomy day. The forecast for Monday was not great but it turned out to be a phenomenal day weather and fish wise. It was overcast and mild; no wind and almost like a summer day. There were only a few other boats on the water and not many anglers wading. Gerry and I each had a nymph and streamer rod with droppers. Nymphing was not productive; everything we got was on streamers. In the first pool I had four brookies and several salmon. Gerry got off to a slow start but made up for it as the day when on. Overall it was the best day we've had on the river for large fish. Two members
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who drifted with a guide also had a good day. The two who waded got skunked. There's a difference looking at a river from the perspective of drifting versus fishing it. I started drifting the East Outlet in the early 90s thanks to Mike Jones a guide who showed me the runs on the river. Mike was a great guide; unfortunately he’s no longer guiding. I’ve heard he’s taken a full time job; probably with health care, retirement and other benefits like vacation, holidays and sick time. As often as I had fished the river I never looked at it the way Mike did. The East outlet is a challenging river; comprised mostly of class II and III water. The characteristics of rivers change with different flow levels. The East outlet was flowing at 1200 cubic feet per second when we arrived and was at 1000 the day we drifted. It would be good to say I remembered all the runs but the last run was ten years ago. Another problem with guiding is you’re usually on the water guiding not fishing and the years roll buy quicker then we would like. I remembered the major pools and the difficult drops. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the runs on the Androscoggin unless senility sets in. Years of being on the water for weeks on end at different flow levels etch every riff and rock into memory. That’s not to say that occasionally I don’t clip one trying to put the boat into a nook or cranny. Fortunately even with the low flow conditions I was able to navigate the river. The guides had client’s walk 400 yards around a particularly difficult stretch. I was able to go through the run with Gerry in the boat; I think he’s put on a few pounds in 23 years. If I did it again at the same flow he’d walk. 1000 CFS is a very difficult flow to run the river. I would not put
the boat in if the flow was lower. A raft would be ideal for low flow levels but it would be a long row across Indian Pond to the take out if the wind was up. Most of the guides on the river use motors on the pond; rowing can be challenging if the wind is up. Maynard's provides lodging and meals from Mother's Day to mid-October and just cabins in the winter. We were the last group to have dinner and breakfast. When we told Gail that we first visited Maynard’s 23 years ago she said they had clients that have been coming for twice that number of years and more. As usual the food was great, Tuesday morning the forecast was not good; rain and high wind. We headed to Solon to fish the river to North Anson. We put in at the Evergreens Campground which also provides shuttle service at a reasonable fee. We lucked out again as it was relatively mild with no wind until almost 1 o'clock. It's a section of river I had never been on. Friends and guides I talked to said it was a good area. The flow was around 2000 CFS. The Kennebec in this section has numerous islands; similar to the
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from previous page
Androscoggin below Shelburne. After a long day on the river Sunday we planned on getting off by midafter noon; it was another four hours to get home. I spent most of the day on the oars while Gerry fished. Sunday Gerry spent quite a bit of time fishing dries to no avail. Monday was a different story and skating caddis turned out to be productive with several nice salmon and browns. Overall it was a very enjoyable day. This is an easy section of the river to drift and great water for a canoe or kayak. There are a few rocks and ledges and a good current flowing several hundred yards around a few of the islands which looked like great nymphing runs. There were areas that are very shallow even at 2000 CFS. There are a few others sections of the river in the Solon area I would like to try; hopefully I’ll make it before another ten years go by. Jim a native of New Hampshire enjoys fly-fishing & tying, bird hunting and a variety of other outdoor activities and is a registered NH fishing Guide www.nhriversguide.com and author of the book Granite Lines.
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Fish & Wildlife Management By Wayne A. Laroche
Managing Big Game: Getting the Data
It’s fall. It is time for hunting and harvesting, and it’s time for biologists to begin gathering the data that will help set permit numbers and regulations needed next year as wildlife agencies seek to sustain and manage for healthy, abundant big game populations. Whether data is gathered by state biologists at biological check stations, by big game reporting stations or through hunter surveys, accurate information plays a vital role in the process of science based big game management. All of us can play a part this fall by making sure that we do our part to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data that we provide for the game that we harvest and encourage others to do the same. This is, of course, required by law. Still, there are those that by intent or by laziness don’t always do their part. Deer and moose reporting stations have historically been vibrant and exciting places to hang around during the first weekend of season. In my home state of Vermont, local country stores have historically played a key role as deer reporting stations. Paid $1.00 for each animal reported, Vermont country stores have over the years served as check stations more to help draw customers interested in seeing the deer than for the purpose of making money by reporting deer. In the past decade, large companies have bought up many country stores that were historically owned and operated by “mom and pop.” Now run entirely by “hired help”, the managers of company run stores are not so anxious to serve as deer check stations. A dollar per deer doesn’t go very far these days towards paying the help, and
corporate philosophy frequently cares little about local traditions and may even take exception to a little blood spilled in the parking lot. These issues pose challenges for
Paying reporting agents a higher fee might help a little. However, hunters will almost certainly foot the bill for any fee increase which in Vermont’s case would have to be first approved by legislature.
Biological check stations provide vital data necessary to sound, science based big game management.
state wildlife agencies as they work to sustain adequate big game reporting into the future and ensure that necessary, high quality data is available on which to base management decisions.
A little appreciation, patience and courtesy from hunters waiting to have their animals reported may also help a little. I have had store owners complain to me about rude behavior by hunters that have felt that they were not waited on as quickly as they would have liked…all for a $Buck. The following links provide locations for the 2012 big game reporting stations: Vermont: www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library /vendors_and_sources/big_game _reportingstations.pdf New Hampshire: www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting /check_stations.html
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Hunter surveys provide another tool by which biologists obtain important data used in big game management. Frequently, surveys
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are mailed to random samples of hunting license holders to gather information concerning the hours and dates hunted, animal sightings and other information that is used in statistical processes for estimating deer and moose population sizes. Given enough accurate data, the statistical techniques now available to game biologists are capable of providing very accurate estimates of animal populations. Unfortunately, every year many hunters simply don’t bother to fill out and send in hunter survey forms. Some don’t think that it matters. Some just don’t get around to it. Some don’t respond because they are disgruntled about some element of big game management. It has been said that one has little grounds for complaining about the government when one does not bother to get out and vote during state, federal and local elections. I would argue that the same can be said about hunter surveys. If we don’t do our part by accurately responding to hunter surveys, how can we justify complaining about big game management when it does not suit our fancy? If you win the lottery and receive a hunter survey this fall, fill it out and send it in. Your vote does matter. New technologies are beginning to provide new data that may go a long way towards “fine tuning” big game management at the regional level in the future. Aerial, forward looking infrared and other camera technologies along with global positioning satellites and new mapping technologies together provide exciting and undreamed of ways to collect tremendous amounts of data on big game populations. The future of big game management is exciting. Let’s hope we can keep enough people excited about big game hunting to keep it a necessary endeavor. Don’t forget to be considerate and appreciate the biologists and big game reporting station operators this fall. Please take the time to send in the surveys. 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. The Outdoor Gazette
Trophy Spotlight by Roscoe Blaisdell
My Kazakhstan Ibex Hunt: Bad, Worse, Life is good, Bad!
It all started at the Grand Slam Club Ovis convention in Reno last spring. GSCO is an international organization for sheep and goat hunters. I was the high bidder for an ibex hunt in the Republic of Kazakhstan near the China border. (There are 7 “Stan” countries. I bet you can’t name them all). Unfortunately someone else wanted the hunt as much as me so I paid almost full price. The outfitter for the hunt was Erdogan Avci, a guide I had on a hunt in Asia a few years ago. During the summer my son and I climbed over a dozen 3500’+ mountains in NH to get in shape for the tough hunt I was anticipating. As it came closer to the hunt date in September, Erdogan e-mailed me, saying that there were problems so the hunt was put on hold. Finally the hunt was rescheduled for October. He had me fill several forms printed in Russian that I had no idea what the content was. Hopefully I didn’t give him my house or the rest of my estate by signing these documents. Two weeks before my trip I had an accident while land surveying, having a rock in a stone wall crush my middle finger, exposing the tendons and requiring 10 stitches. The morning of my flight, I took out my last stitch and a nasty liquid came out from deep inside my finger. Not good! I called the local clinic (Lamprey Healthcare, Raymond, NH) and was told since I had not seen the doctor there since 2005 they might not want to see me. Excuse me for being healthy! They said they would call me back. After several phone calls back and forth over a few hours they said their morning schedule was full. I pleaded with them to see me for a few minutes as I desperately needed a prescription of antibiotics as I was about to leave for a flight a third world country and be 2 days travel to the nearest hospital. “Sorry”. After around 24 hours of flight I arrived in Kazakhstan. As I went through customs I was asked to show my visa. I told them I didn’t have one. I had specifically asked Erdogan if a visa was needed. He replied that Americans don’t need one as long as the stay is less than 2 months. Note to self: Don’t trust your outfitter’s advice that could land you in prison. I was next shuffled from official to official over the next 2 hours, then a lady came up to me and said “YOU BE DEPORTED!” I thought she was kidding. She wasn’t! While all of this was happenThe Outdoor Gazette
Roscoe Blaisdell, president of the New Hampshire Antler and Skull Trophy Club, accompanied by his two guides and of the object of his quest, a Trophy Ibex from Kazakhstan. ing I got a call on my cell phone to get better. By morning some of from a survey client back in NH ask- the pain subsided so we jumped on ing lots of questions about his survey. some horses and worked our way to I told him I was in the process of the hunting area. During the ride I being deported from Kazakhstan so asked Erdogan why he had postI couldn’t talk to him right now. I poned my trip from September to don’t think he believed me and I mid October. I had figured someone have not heard from him since. I was with more money or influence had ready to be put in a holding cell or whatever they do with illegal immigrants with firearms waiting deportation. The next step was probably the fun “Cavity Check” with rubber gloves. I told them that my outfitter was waiting for me outside the door with all of my other documents including my gun permit. Finally Erdogan poked his face through the customs door. “You are in a lot of trouble. Why didn’t you get a visa?” Over the next few hours, going from official to official I was finally given a visa. They had made a compromise that would allow me to have a 3 day hunt instead of a 7 day hunt. I don’t know if any money exchanged hands but I finally made it through customs. We drove all day and as we got nearer to the China border we were met by a military checkpoint. We had to show our papers and firearms to the armed soldiers. I took a few photos but Erdogan said to stop as it was a tense situation and he didn’t want me to piss off the soldiers. After the long drive we finally arrived at the base camp. I was greeted by a support crew of a dozen people and I was the only hunter. No wonder this is so expensive! I went to bed but didn’t get any sleep. The painful infection from my finger was now working its way up my arm. It looked like I would have to cancel the hunt and get to a hospital ASAP. All night I had nightmares of having to cut off my hand so I just willed it November 2012
taken my prime spot. “I didn’t want to tell you, but 14 people were shot in August by the soldiers near the area we are to hunt in”. “I canceled my first 6 hunters so you are the first to hunt after the killings”. I guess I knew what I was getting into. My hunting buddies, Stewart from Minnesota and EB from North Carolina had attempted a similar hunt here a few years back. When the locals found out there were some Americans in the area, the village held a protest and my buddies had to leave before getting a chance to hunt. Also my buddies told me not to joke around with the Muslims. They remembered me telling of my “mooning” some of the Muslims while on a hunt for tur in Azerbaijan a few years back. No sense of humor! I later found out the penalty of this sort of thing was having my head in their game room. I was fortunate on this trip that my army camo clad guide would carry my gun while we rode the horses. He would be the first to be shot by a
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The Maine Hunter Using Trail Cameras For Scouting
I highly recommend buying lock boxes, ratchet straps, cable locks and padlocks keyed alike so you always have your key with you! I’ve been a deer tracker long before trail cameras became affordable to use as extra eyes in the woods! I have relied on following deer sign on the forest floor since I started hunting on my own at 16 years old and actually before that when my Father and Grandfather would point out the tell tale signs of deer movements to me at age eight to fifteen! There is nothing like the experience of your elders to get a young hunter on the right track; pardon the pun! Learning the tell tale signs on the forest floor takes years of observations and experience, having an old timer by your side for many years can really jump start that knowledge, and now we have new tools to apply that knowledge too! Trail cameras have come a long way and now come in many shapes, sizes, trigger speeds, distance, flash, infrared, battery life, and satellite images now delivered right to your cell phone as they happen. Choosing a trail camera is preference and typically what your wallet can withstand! This is not to imply that if you spend a lot of money on a trail camera that you will get the best one! Although this may ring true with some cameras, others well… not so much! With any camera you purchase I highly recommend buying lock boxes, ratchet straps, cable locks and padlocks keyed alike so you always have your key with you! The reasons for this are ease of mounting, animal proofing, and most importantly thief proofing your cameras. While most people will respect that a camera attached to a tree with a bungee cord belongs to a fellow sportsmen, but some so called sportsmen will steal
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By Steve Beckwith
that camera in a heartbeat especially if it is an easy grab! Boxes, cables and locks are something a “would be thief ” will have to do a lot of advanced planning to steal! Frankly the people that will steal your camera typically do not have enough
them from human hands touching the cameras! Location of your camera on the tree is very important for capturing animal activity, it needs to be about 2-3 feet off the ground in most cases, (Read your owners manual) and you need to remember that your camera will be taking pictures of anything in
ambition to return to where a locked camera is located with bolt cutters and risk being caught in the act by the owner or risk being caught by another camera they didn’t see along their route too and from the area! I know my setups are not always easily detected and are backed by several other cameras in the area. Priority one in pacing a camera is similar to setting a trap to catch an animal! Keeping your gear human scent free and food scent free are crucial for capturing good wildlife activity! Human scent free for animals like deer, fox, and coyotes, where food scent free is critical for the well being of your cameras around bear baiting stations! Many a trail camera has been destroyed in or out of a metal protective case, which has food or attractant scents left on
the close proximity of the camera out to the recommended distance in your cameras manual for day and night photos, as well as the angles from the lens that will be captured in the photo! This takes practice and trial and error will determine how your camera settings react! I like to set up new cameras near my bird feeders so that activity is captured easily and then I can see just how well my camera functions. Typical setups should always have brush, leaves and grasses that are close to the camera removed, or the camera relocated. These items near a camera will rob the flash or infrared projected as well as cause more wind related false alarms and cause a lot of dark or black photos. The sensor reacts to the movement of an animal, but these obstructions grab the
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light in the front of your photo and nothing reaches the back! Some trail cameras are just terrible at anything further then 15 feet away from them, while others will take decent photos at night at further distances. So placement for night travel, to a game trail, must be closer and at an angle to the trail so you can catch movement before it walks past your camera when the camera finally reacts and snaps the picture, this is called trigger speed. Don’t place slow trigger speed cameras at ninety degree angles to a trail, place them at a forty five or thirty degree angle to the trail, you may catch only the rear end of a animal as it travels a trail, or the head on shot but at least you will know what walked by your camera at night! If you are only concerned with movement during the daylight place the camera further back from the trail and place your camera more on a seventy-five degree angle to the trail. Most all cameras react to movement during daylight further away from the sensor then the motion/heat sensors at night! Placing more then one camera in the same immediate area can help you out in several ways, primarily they can help to detect animals using a nearby run that day rather then the primary traveled run. It also can help to determine morning and afternoon travel directions of the animal. Most cameras only give you a rather small window of view of game movement in the woods, using more then one camera even on the same tree can often give a better view of what a hunter might see if in the tree above! As you use trail cameras for scouting more and more, you will develop skills in placement that trial and error will explain this the best! There is down sides to using cameras directly in a natural food source
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sniper and I could hide in the rocks if I made it in time. I had a money belt and pouch containing $7000 cash, a GPS, smart phone with language translation, and Canadian hat and shirt if I needed to get out of there and work my way home. I understand Muslims do not like Americans lately due to the recent problems over the anti Mohamed movie. Great timing! We saw several groups of ibex during the first day then finally an absolute monster was spotted in the cliffs below us. We made a stalk but as we approached within 200 yards a band of females spotted us and alerted the big one who made one jump over the cliff out of our sight. We spent the rest of the evening trying to locate him with eventual luck but he was out in the open 800 yards away. There was no way to get closer to him so we rode off and made spike camp. We were up the next morning before light to see if the big one would show up in an area that would present a stalk. I woke up in a sickly state, either from altitude sickness or my body trying to fight off the infection spreading through my
body. At this altitude, the oxygen was low and any effort to climb hills was a chore. In half an hour we arrived at the cliffs and after a few hours our prize was spotted down low in the valley with a group of females. We worked our way down to him and as we approached 330 yards the group spotted us and began to flee. I quickly bent down over a rock and let my first bullet fly. Let’s just say the first shot a little far back didn’t damage any edible meat, but the second shot took him through the neck and put him down for good. As we approached the fallen ibex we could see what a truly nice animal he was. His teeth were worn to the gums, and the 49” long horns showed him to be at least 11 years old. He was near the end of his life and instead of being food for the wolves and snow leopards, would feed the local villagers and decorate my wall back home. My guides quickly butchered the goat after the celebration and photo session. The next day we started our 12 hour trip back to the airport. After 1 hour of travel the truck made a horrible noise and broke down.
area that you are planning to hunt! Deer often times get spooked by trail cameras when they go off. Most cameras make a clicking sound as the shutter engages and infrared cameras, in my opinion, are a nonnatural light source coupled with a click coming from the camera location, infrared it is a glowing light and deer do see it. The flash of the bulb camera most wild animals naturally associate it with lightning in the woods something they see all the time and can be less problematic to deer, but more expensive to you because flash cameras tend to drain batteries ten times faster then infrared cameras. Some deer get used to either of these style cameras at night, but deer coming to a feeding area just at dusk are already on edge, all their senses are on alert and just when they get to the food source, cameras start clicking and deer become jumpy and leave without returning to that food source! Ever click your stand with a deer below you…they look up or jump most times! So I prefer to catch glimpses on trails coming to and from a food source of the deer I am hunting! If you can read sign at all, you can read sign where deer are foraging, so for my scouting I already know deer are feeding there and I just want to see the deer’s headgear and when they
are traveling too and from that feeding area! If my camera jumps them on a trail they don’t associate it with where I will be hunting them over the natural food source, if they take a different trail the next night to avoid my camera, they often times still end up in the natural food area below my stand. Trail cameras are a lot of fun to see the photos or video clips you capture no matter what you use them for and what you want to capture with one! There are many uses and they can show people just what appears at night by their back porch or bird feeders! By day or by night trail cameras have opened up a new way of seeing movements of all animals never seen by humans, and for the most part only imagined!
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Ibex - Continued from page 33
“MacGyver” fashioned some tools and used pieces of a rag to put between the nuts and bolts where the threads were stripped and got it running again after an hour. I was very concerned because we didn’t have much time to spare as I had to get out of the country before my visa expired that evening. I finally flew out of the country and had a little hiccup in Frankfurt as they wanted to detain me over my firearm. I got through that as the airplane was ready to leave but was not so fortunate at the customs in Newark, NJ. One number of the 10 digit serial number for my gun didn’t match the paperwork. It is fine print and I thought an 8 was a 6 as it was a little marred. The customs officer told me it is very important to have these number correct so he seized my firearm. I can see the New Jersey headline now - “International gun smuggler Roscoe Blaisdell caught by customs officer Barney Fife”. I eventually arrived home without my gun. After several weeks of phone calls to local and NJ customs agents, and ten calls to United Airlines (out sourced to India where there is a language barrier), I still have no gun. Today I was told that it would soon be transported to Maryland to be destroyed. I have not given up but it does not look good. If you want your own fun adven-
ture in Kazakhstan call Erdogan at 90 312 418 9573. And say hello to my friends at all of the customs agencies. My wife Kathy says this will be my last “Adventure Hunt”. Ya, sure. I get an adrenalin rush when I travel to these unpredictable countries, not knowing what incident will be next. Hum, maybe another “Stan” country. Or Turkey where 5 years ago 10 angry customs agents surrounded me, took my passport and had lots of questions about my gun. My interpreter had left with all of my papers an hour earlier. I almost became someone’s boyfriend in an Istanbul prison. That wouldn’t be good as I’m already married. Or Azerbaijan where my buddy Peter and I tried to smuggle carpets over the border. The government has this scam that if you buy a carpet you have to take it to a museum and pay $100 to prove it is not an antique. We said bull to this as my brand new shiny $100 carpet was definitely not an antique. We were caught at the customs and all hell broke loose. Am I creating my own problems? No, it’s everyone else’s fault. Roscoe Blaisdell is president of the New Hampshire Antler and Skull Trophy Club. Roscoe can bereached at; 22 Scribner Road, Raymond, NH 03077, 895-9947 - Rblaisdell1@comcast.net
Steve Beckwith is a Registered Maine Guide, ThermaCELL Pro Staff, and owns these owns these websites: • MaineGuideCourse.com • MaineHunters.com • CoyoteCrosshairs.com • MoosePermit.com • MaineGuidedHunts.com He is a life member, editor and webmaster of the North Berwick Rod and Gun Club. A videographer, website designer and internet entrepreneur with his online portfolio located at MultitaskWebsites.com, Steve can be reached through any of his websites.
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331 Rte. 26, Colebrook, NH 03567 November 2012
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Southern Side Up By Alex Cote
Eat, Sleep, Hunt...
Well, it is that time of year again now isn’t it? Some of us go through that annual transformation from nice guy to “Mr. Grumpy Pants”! My wife’s phrase among others that can’t be printed in Fred’s magazine! The longer I am out of work in quest of the “Right Deer”, the better the names get! All we want to do is eat, sleep and HUNT! My god, you’d think that we were the ones in RUT! Let’s think about it for a minute, RUT, what does that really mean. Well, “R” could be Relax. Depending on the job you have and how much time you can get away from it, it should be a time to relax, get up, get out and get the hell away from the office for awhile. Or, it could be for Rewind as we get older. You can magically rewind your life and go back to past hunts and other related memories from the years gone by.
The letter “U”, could say, be “Unwind”. Time out in the clean fresh air enjoying the simple surroundings, not knowing what lies over the next ridge and pushing yourself that extra to find out. It could also be “Understand”, some people just don’t understand how hunting consumes one’s entire being for that several week stretch of the year! For some, it could be “Undone”! When that magical buck of a lifetime steps out, they mentally come “Undone” and can’t get it done! “T”, is for timing, it seems as though that there are always things that “come up” that NEED to be done around the house during hunting season! Or, there just happen to be family events planned. Funny how there are 52 weeks in a year and the only time things are on a Need to be done schedule are
Alex II came through on the last day of the fall shotgun season and dropped this 20 pound gobbler. He shot it with his grandfathers 12 gague pump! The shotgun was purchased by alex sr as a christmas gift for his fathr in 1974. Ernest Cote passed this life on May 18, 1975. This shotgun was the only new gun that Ernie ever owned. He would be proud of his grandson today if he were here to enjoy it! He is watching from beyond, I'm sure, Love you Dad!
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during the first couple of weekends of deer season! Some of you other do it yourselfers must be able to relate to that, projects mysteriously pop up that need to be done, the kitchen wall was fine for 49 weeks this past year, now it is a crisis to be fixed! But maybe from a less that supportive “significant other” things would be much different! Looking at “R”, it could be “Really!” I would suspect it would go something like, Well, I’m going hunting with the boys this weekend. The reply would be something like Oh Really, my mother is coming for the weekend! All the more reason to go hunting! Or, what do you have planned for the weekend? Well,
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I was hunting with the guys! Really, going to be a nice weekend, we should rake the lawn! How about this one, what are you doing tonight? I was planning on going to the gun shop for a few last minute things for the weekend. Oh really, where in the hell is that money coming from? “U” is for understand. Yes, I understand that you had planned on going hunting but I made the plans for US to go to my brother’s for the weekend weeks ago! How about I understand that you wanted to go hunting this weekend, but you went last year didn’t you? Why can’t we do something together?
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The Outdoor Gazette
It’s going to rain, don’t you think that you should stay home? “T” is not as tough it’s simply, THAT‘S TO DAMN BAD NOW ISN’T IT? Well, the projected deer harvest according to the experts looks to be “Good” largely due to the mild winter. We don’t have record number of deer statewide but the numbers are reported to be stable. In my neck of the woods, we were seeing deer until the acorns started to drop! Once we located the favored oaks, we were back to seeing deer. In talking with several other area hunters we realized that we were encountering the same problem. None of us were seeing many does! At one stretch, I had one camera that took over 200 pictures in about a 10 day span. Realizing that there were a bunch of photos on the card, I couldn’t wait to get home and look at the pictures on the PC. To say that I was amazed was an understatement. Out of the 200 plus pictures, there were less than ten of a doe and fawn. Those were the only pictures of does that I had! The rest were all bucks! There were at least ten different bucks using a small food plot that we had planted in the spring. If I were a little more computer/game camera savvy, I would be happy the send them along! My wife and youngest son were putting their names on the bucks that they planned on tagging this month! We all know how that works though! Based on the findings, I hung a new stand on a trail about 150 yards before the food plot that showed plenty or deer traffic. I placed a second camera on the trail at the stand. The pictures still came, not as many as the camera on the food plot, but there were several bucks that I
wouldn’t be ashamed to tag! As the opening of archery season approached, I was maybe checking the camera at the stand every other day. I had a pretty good idea of the deer’s comings and goings. Or, at least I thought I did. Then, the owner of the property threw me a long sweeping curve ball! The field where I had put a small food plot and was getting all of the pictures and where the new stand was set up, was going to get fertilized. I told the owner that shouldn’t be too big a deal, I had fertilized the food plot and that didn’t bother the deer any. It was pointed out that the fertilized was going to be poop, in fact, human poop mixed with wood ash! A reasonably new process that had been developed a number of years back with excellent results! Well, the results have been awesome! I haven’t had a deer in the food plot since! Must be some type of new Greenpeace tactic I guess! So, we needed to do some serious rearranging in a hurry. We are now getting some pictures on a regular schedule. That schedule just so happens to be after midnight and before 2:00 am, but at least it is daily! So, with the promised stand screwed up from the poop, I had a back up stand that had been good to me during the last several seasons, and thought that I should sit it. After a week of seeing nothing, I put out a camera and that too, showed me nothing. I hung a new stand and immediately was getting a few deer traveling in and out of the oak fringed hemlocks. Now, mind you due to the circumstances mentioned earlier, I hadn’t seen an animal since archery started. I had a work schedule of back to back 24 hour days coming and would miss a few days in the woods. As it just
so happened, the deer activity was picking up so I was hoping to at least see one! Part of my job happens to be very political. That isn’t always one of the most enjoyable parts and this being an election year, makes things less than desirable at times. Well, I was slated to meet with Congressman Frank Guinta. There were some issues that he and I were planning to chat about and both state and national levels. Well, I will admit that meetings like this are usually cool because of the cast of attendees. It isn’t all that bad. Well, the meeting was scheduled for 2:30 in the afternoon and expected to last an hour. That would give me time to get into the woods for the evening sit! 2:30 came and went and I received a call from a staffer saying that the meeting was delayed until 3:30! A little dishearten for me but still doable, I could get into the woods. 3:30 and no Congressman! 4:00, no Congressman , no phone call! This is how I have learned to adapt to the world of politicians! 4:15, the phone rings, the staffer apologizes 10 times and tells me that the congressman got tied up and we will have to reschedule. I grab my gear and hurry out. As I am approaching the stand, I spot a white flag waving in the air going away from me. I know damn well that the deer isn’t surrendering! So, I climb up in the stand anyway. All that shows is a resident flock of turkeys. Upon getting down, I putt the SD card from the camera. I get home tell the misses, she chuckles, hey its all part of the game right I convince myself, no biggie. I put the card in the PC. From 4:35 to 5:15 in 5 minute increments, I have some really nice pictures of a TEN POINT BUCK having his way under the oak trees! Isn’t that the limit!
from previous page
Well, at this writhing, I am desperately trying to put my 12 year old onto a fall shotgun turkey. This will be a special bird or us if it happens, hope that it will. My father wasn’t much on deer hunting but loved to coon and rabbit hunt. He never had a new gun in his life. In 1974, just prior to Christmas, I had worked a pile of overtime. IN a card, I gave Mom, 5 crisp 100.00 dollar bills for what ever she wanted to do with them, fill the oil tank in the house, whatever. I couldn’t think of a better gift for Dad, I went to a local gun shop and bought the “Old Man” a shinny new pump shotgun. On Christmas day, that was the first time in my life I ever saw my father cry! He fired the shotgun once that winter felling a fine snowshoe hare on warm, Sunday afternoon. That following May, at 56 Dad died of a massive heart attack. I had the shotgun back. Over the years, I had used the 12 gauge, taken a number of deer and my fair share of grouse with it. Several weeks back, I cleaned out one of my gun safes and gave everything a good cleaning.. My 12 year old assisted me in this event for the first time. He had a million questions about each gun, what I had taken with it and so on. When we came to Dad’s shotgun, I had him hold it and had him clean it. I told him the story behind the gun. At my son’s asking, he is trying to take his fall turkey with his grandfather’s shotgun. Should he succeed, what a fitting bird it will be for the both of us! 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
Dean Vanier • PO Box 1327 • Lebanon, NH 03766 • 603 523-9206
November 2012
Page 37
The Coastal Zone Captian John Curry By Captain
The Striper Funnel
The Cape Cod Canal is a very special place when it comes to catching striped bass. This man made waterway has a long history of storied catches of large stripers and is the main attraction for shore bound anglers in New England. Why am I writing about a body of water that can’t be fished from a boat? Well let’s look at why the “big ditch” as it’s affectionately called, is an important piece of the Cape Cod fishing puzzle. I will come back to why this is important for us anglers fishing mainly from a boat. First of all the canal offers two primary features that big stripers love, current and bait. The distance that is the main land cut is roughly 8 miles long. The canal does have a high and low tide, but is more important to understand its tidal direction when it comes to knowing when the fish may turn on the feed. Many local fishermen prefer an east going tide as its water levels rise. This may be true on most days, but like fishing anywhere other factors can influence feeding behaviors.
Let’s consider the geography of the region first. The canal acts like a funnel between Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay. Considering that these two large areas of ocean hold
time that the tide stops running in either direction. Imagine the hydraulic force of sea water that is created at this moment and you can better understand how the tide can run up to 20 knots at certain times. This mixture of the
Dan from Quebec. Caught at the west end of canal by boat.
massive amounts of sea water and you will understand why the current in the canal is so active. When one bay has a dropping tide and the other has an incoming or high tide, the canal receives a large volume of water from both bays until a certain
nutrient rich warmer waters of Buzzards Bay and the cooler North Atlantic waters of Cape Cod Bay create a perfect ecosystem for certain types of bait fish. Atlantic mackerel, squid and sand eels all stay in the canal much longer than most inshore areas of Cape Cod Bay. Juvenile flounder, silversides and bay anchovies stay in the canal longer than when they are in Buzzards Bay. It truly is an hour-glass shaped phenomenon that has a unique way of holding bait and game fish all year long. The canal also has a seasonal spring herring run that provides a jump start to the season around the first of May each year.
John W. Durkee of Tunbridge, VT. Fishing from shore in the canal using top water poppers in July.
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As these oceanic migrants travel hundreds of miles from the Gulf of Maine the stripers are right on schedule from their spring migrations north out of the Chesapeake Bay and Hudson River spawning runs. This first run of fish fatten up after a long migration on the much needed river herring. I’m always
November 2012
impressed with how nature has its own clock and just how the stripers know the herring are here is a natural wonder in my opinion. The Cape Cod Canal has two paved recreational paths running the entire length on both the mainland and Cape Cod sides. Access is easily gained through many paved and unpaved parking areas and on certain times it can be hard to find a spot where the fish are busting bait on top in the early morning. Because of the paved recreational trail on either side many canal diehard’s or “canal rats” as we locals call them, use bicycles to cruise up and down the canal looking for signs of an upcoming blitz. It’s impressive to see some of these set ups. Rod holders, built in coolers and an assortment of lure boxes custom made on two and three wheel bikes tells you these guys are serious. As a charter captain I am always keeping an eye on what is happening in the big ditch. As I mentioned earlier, although you are restricted from fishing the land cut portion of the canal and both ends you can access many prime spots just outside of the channel markers on each end. The Cape Cod Bay side or “east end” is a great ambush point for stripers as they feed their way through the canal on their spring migration to points north. The Buzzards Bay side or “west end” has a continuation that reaches 10 miles past the land cut that is technically off limits to boat fishing even though it reaches far into the expansive Buzzards Bay fishery. By keeping an eye on the catches and bait present in the canal at certain times of the year I can plan my fishing strategy. In the spring and summer stripers like to corral the mackerel in the east end of the canal so tossing Yozuri Crystal Minnows in the mackerel pattern will produce on some mornings for a wide area around the east entrance. When the May herring run is in full swing trolling or casting large Sebile Stick Shads in the blue /silver pattern can be deadly on the west end of the canal. One pattern that always produces fish, is to dunk a live eel whether you are on foot in the canal or by boat at either entrance. On a recent charter the wind was howling out of the north at 30 knots so we had limited areas to fish. I chose the west end of the canal because the upper reaches of Buzzards Bay offer many small bays and creeks to dodge the wind in some cases. After catching mainly small stripers on top water baits we hit the west end right by the
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The Outdoor Gazette
A Buck for Brody by Daniel Bell “Papa, can you take me hunting tonight?” were the first words I heard when I answered my phone. I was gathering my gear, bone tired from spending three days volunteering with the QDMA Military Youth Hunt, where we gave kids from military families the chance to go deer hunt during the Kentucky Youth Season. I was looking forward to getting home, unloading my truck and relaxing some before another work-week. During that time I had thought about my grandson Brody a lot, and the fact that while I was volunteering my time taking someone else’s child into the woods, I was missing out being with him. His dad, uncle and other grandfather had taken him out though, and evidently come home empty handed. Here was a chance for me to make up for it and I couldn’t turn him down and told him I would pick him up on my way home. Brody had just turned 7 the week before. He was probably three when he first accompanied me into a deer stand, 5 when he first saw a deer harvested while sitting beside me, and 6 when he shot his first deer. He shot his first deer while I was at last year’s QDMA hunt, with a single shot .223 youth rifle that I had gotten together. His dad had taken him out and had to help him aim and steady the rifle and he was thrilled with the doe he got. I had done a lot of shooting BB guns and .22 rifles with him and had told him that when he was with me, he would have to aim and shoot all by himself and he had surprised me the week before by shooting some impressive groups at about 65 yards with the little .223. This year, my trail cams had shown several small bucks running around my property, located in central Kentucky where I live. There were some 1? year olds: a spike, a 5 Massachusetts Maritime Academy training ship and dropped a few eels down in the fast current. It didn’t take long for a 48” striper weighing roughly 37 lbs to inhale our slimy offering. Many boat fisherman hate to hear that the canal is producing when other locations aren’t. Not me I like to know what’s happening in the big ditch as it can certainly help you put fish in the box if you know how to use it in your favor. If you go: Remember the canal is a commercial waterway used for all types of ocean transits. It is not unusual for you to see massive cargo ships and military vessels transit the canal. If you go on foot be careful as these ships can produce huge waves and the rocks can be very slippery in The Outdoor Gazette
point, and a dandy little 4 point. There was also a 2? year old six with 4 points on one side and 2 slightly misshapen points on the other. I had seen him while bow hunting the week before and taken a picture.
I fumbled to get a shell into the rifle. Before I could get it loaded though, they pranced right by the stand no more than 15 yards away and disappeared into the woods. The disappointment was evident
Grandpa took this picture of Brody’s buck a few days before Kentucky’s youth weekend.
Brody saw the picture and decided he WANTED that buck. I wanted the buck out of the gene pool and he was being an annoyance by rubbing his antlers on the plastic tubes protecting some trees I had planted in the spring so I was all for it. We headed back to the stand about 4:30 with the sun still high in the sky and clouds blowing from some serious winds that were predicted to turn into a storm later. I have a small brassica, clover, and alfalfa field beside a pond. A buddy stand is at one end, uphill and downwind of the prevailing winds. We had just climbed into the stand and I hadn’t even sat down when Brody whispered “There’s a deer, Papa, can I shoot it?” He likes to try and fool me all the time and I didn’t take him serious but when I looked over my shoulder there really was one! Suddenly there were two, one was the little spike buck. Brody was about to explode with excitement as
from previous page
spots. Be extra careful if fishing in waders as the current is strong and the drop off are steep. Many local tackle shops offer good advice on where the fish are hitting and can provide the canal tide and current tables. Of course if you want to experience the canal one day and the boat the next day, give me a call. 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.
and he sat dejectedly with his face down, the bill of his hat covering his eyes. This was the last few hours of the youth weekend and he knew that his best opportunity had probably
to convince him we really needed to stay out there a while longer. He began fidgeting and talking, getting impatient, having decided that his only opportunity to get a deer had passed. The shadows were getting long and I was about ready to give in and head to the house when we heard a shot from several farms over. Brody perked up and I told him that probably some little boy who decided to stay out there and be quiet had probably just got a deer. I don’t know if he was mad at me or really took me serious but he suddenly went silent, peering back and forth across the field. I was just about ready to give in and head for the house myself when I noticed movement at the far end of the field. I raised the binoculars and there was a small buck stepping through the trees at the edge of the field about 100 yards away. I told Brody to get ready to shoot and he was on it. The buck stopped in back of two trees with just his shoulder and rib cage visible. I told Brody to take the shot and waited for the sound as I peered
Brody and his trophy, taken while hunting with his Grandpa, Daniel Bell. come and gone. Like most kids his age, he occasionally likes to whine and cry when things don’t go his way. This time though, he sat silently and I noticed his chest was heaving and finally a tear ran down his cheek. The little guy was crushed but he was trying to be a big boy and hide it from me. I put an arm of comfort around him and assured him that we might see more, even as I was also trying to convince myself. I pointed out that if he shot the spike, he would never get a chance if anything bigger walked out of the woods. He was adamant that he really wanted that little two pointer but finally began cheering up. We waited as the sun started down and the wind really picked up, rocking the stand back and forth. With the wind came a drop in the temperature and Brody started telling me he was ready to go home and I had
November 2012
through the binoculars. Finally he said “Papa, I can’t make my heart stop beating so hard!” and he was trembling with excitement as the rifle barrel wavered back and forth. Suddenly the buck turned and disappeared into the woods. Brody looked up at me and told me his heart was beating so hard he couldn’t get the gun steady and he was afraid of making a bad shot. I have heard many stories of grown men taking shots at sounds, movement in the brush, and anything they thought might be a deer and this little 7 year old had just put them all to shame by not taking the shot. I was bursting with pride and told him so. He was obviously disappointed but this time there were no tears. Instead there was a look of excitement at how close he had come and it was obvious that he had realized the
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Trail Camera Photo Contest Sponsored by Chadwick’s Trail-Cams
Clint Shwarz- N
ew hampshire Moo
Danny Pellerin- Shediac,
se
New Brunswick
e pics, berta. Everyone gets big gam Al ay dw Ra r nea en tak e Holy Crap! Pictur berta , Canada I get this. - Rick B. - Al Love is in the Air!- Danny Pelleri
2012 Trail Camera Photo Contest
n- Shediac, New Brunswick
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 2013 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. 2013 issue!
Are you worried 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!
Eric Wagaman- maam bea
r and cub from Pennsylvan
ia
2011 Trail Camera Photo Contest Winners ; Trail Camera Picture of the Year is Dan Green from Lyme, NH Random Winners - Thomas Flynn from Holderness, NH and Mary Emery from Enfield, NH
It’s a Granite State Sweep!
Send photos to: fred@theoutdoorgazette.com with the subject line “TC Photo Contest 2012” Page 40
Eric Wagaman- Couple of big boy s from pennsylvania
November 2012
The Outdoor Gazette
Trail Camera Photo Contest Sponsored by Chadwick’s Trail-Cams
Ben Hochshwender- Newfields, New
Ben Hochshwender- Newf
The Outdoor Gazette
Ben Hochshwender- Newf
Hampshire
ields, New Hampshire
ields, New Hampshire
Ben Hochshwender- Newfields, New
November 2012
Hampshire
Page 41
The Gazette’s Book Review
By Colonel J.C. Allard
Coyote Wars By David Willette Maine Outdoor Publications 2011 141 pages, $19.95 ISBN: 978-1-60458-774-6 The first descriptor that comes to mind about David Willette’s book Coyote Wars is “not for the faint of heart.” Like actual coyote hunting, Coyote Wars is blunt, direct and sometimes brutal. Subtitled “A Deer Hunter’s Guide to Hunting Coyotes,” Willette’s book is a fullspectrum examination into the techniques and methodologies for hunting the eastern coyote (canis latrans), including the critter’s biology and natural history. It is also a passionate deer hunter’s plea for the faithful to embrace coyote hunting as a way of reducing predation on the deer herds in the northeast. In recent years, game managers, biologists and hunters have slowly acknowledged the coyote’s impact on the whitetail deer population – especially on deer trapped in the winter yards. Even
though others claim that hunting coyotes is futile because increased hunting pressure results in increased coyote birth rates. Until now, few offered any suggestions for our intervention into the deer-coyote struggle. With Coyote Wars, Willette makes his position abundantly clear. Deer hunters need to become active, aggressive and equally passionate coyote hunters. Certain to spark controversy and enflame debate, Coyote Wars serves as a beginner’s guide to the three
principal types of coyote hunting: calling, blind hunting over bait, and hounds. In all three instances, Willette seeks advice from experts in each particular style of hunting. These experienced coyote hunters flesh out the text with interesting and thought-provoking quotes. Willette also calls freely upon the wisdom of serving and retired biologists versed in ways of canis latrans and its impacts since its western ancestors began moving eastward in the 1930s. The biologists not only provide the basis of the behavioral chapters, but also paint a state-bystate picture of the current situation with regard to coyote populations and activities. No neophyte himself, Willette writes and hunts from his home in western Massachusetts. His work regularly appears in the Outdoor Gazette, among several other regional and national publications. Though he has hunted coyotes deliberately for only about three or four years, he has amassed enough experience to credibly address the broad range of the subject. I wanted to dislike this book. At first glance its graphic images and warning label are off-putting. There are significantly more raw and violent images than necessary to make a point. However, dismissing the book because of its disturbing photographs would be a huge mistake.
Taken together with the wellresearched text, the whole becomes an important work for our times. Coyote Wars is bold, expressive, absolutely controversial and perhaps the most significant hunting book so far this century. Without any varnish it opens a conversation that all hunters, naturalists, scientists, landowners, state and federal official need to have and to share with laymen everywhere in the northeast, including in our most urbanized terrain. When we removed the other great predators from the eastern United States, we created the niche which the coyote now fills. What that will mean for the rest of the ecosystem is in some ways still up to us. Dave Willette, the deer hunter, refuses to be a watcher. His zeal and his book will hopefully stimulate a lot of action. Too bad no one wrote a book like Coyote Wars when the woodland caribou was eradicated from the northern reaches of New England a little more than 100 years ago, and the whitetail deer became an invasive species. 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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November 2012
The Outdoor Gazette
Pictures Gone Wild Our reader submitted photos
This pick of a “harvested” 10- point was sent to me - Anyone have any idea where this picture was taken?
Ken Monte of Arlington, Vermont - Opening day success!
Alex Cote II of Raymond, New Hampshire- Granite State youth weekend thrill without having even pulled the trigger. Right there I saw my little buddy mature as a hunter. I asked him if he was ready to go back in but he was insistent that we stay until dark in case the buck came back. Shooting light was almost gone and I knew that the day was almost at an end but if he was willing, I was going to stay. Suddenly there was movement at the far end of the field where the last buck had appeared from. One look in my binoculars and the crooked antler assured me this was the buck we had come after. He slowly grazed out several feet into the field and finally presented a broadside shot. I was hesitant to give him the ok to shoot. The light was fading, the wind was blowing the stand back and forth and the range was about The Outdoor Gazette
85-90 yards, much further than Brody had ever shot. I knew he was a good shot though, and couldn’t make myself hold him back. I whispered to him to take the shot. After a few moments the rifle cracked and the buck stood there browsing, never even flinching at the sound! I quickly reloaded the gun and told Brody to settle down, take his time, and take a breath before he shot. This time when the little rifle cracked, the buck dropped in his tracks and Brody was jumping up and down, giving me hugs and hi-fives. The buck wasn’t done yet though, and managed to get to his feet and stagger to the edge of the woods. It was almost dark now and even though I thought the deer was hit hard, I had horrible thoughts of tracking a wounded deer all night. The buck
disappeared into the darkness and I insisted we go back to the house and eat supper, giving the deer time to lie down and expire. I tried to pace myself eating but I shoveled it in as my wife hugged Brody assuring him how proud of him she was. Brody’s dad, Cory, and I prepared to head out in search of the buck. Right before we left the house the rain let loose hard and I had a sick feeling in my stomach. We hopped on my ATV and headed into the darkness with the rain stinging my face. We got to the place where the buck had first fallen and couldn’t find a drop of blood. The wet leaves were glistening in our flashlights and the autumn colors were full of blood red leaves. We started edging into the woods and Cory shouted out, “There he is!”
November 2012
Continued from page 39
He hadn’t gone more than 20 feet into the woods before falling dead. We field dressed the deer and took it back to the house for pictures. Brody was beside himself, literally pacing in circles talking about all the people he had to call and tell the news to. Even as he was on the phone, he couldn’t stand still. As we were talking a skull mount, he was talking a full shoulder mount and we had to calm him down and assure him that there were much bigger deer ahead for him. It was late by the time we got the deer skinned and quartered and I finally got a hot shower. As I lay in bed, I knew that if I got a buck this year, no matter how big it was, I wasn’t going to feel any more satisfied than I was seeing my grandson take his little six point. Page 43