Northwoods Sporting Journal, Aug. 2020

August 2020

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August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 3

Maine Coyote Hunters

Perhaps coyote don’t get the merits they deserve in the state of Maine. They can be far more challenging to hunt than deer. People that love the thrill of the Maine deep woods deer hunt usually exude a keen interest in hunting coyote.

Quite often the two go

second weekend in December. This means potentially over 50,000 deer could be eliminated in one year accounting for over half the population. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that is far too many deer. The state of Maine forests can only sustain

the hunters again fill deer tags and shoot more coyote to insure a proper carrying capacity.

The reality of the matter is most Maine hunters don’t have all the time in the world.. Luckily the

Maine deer hunters want to see those bucks make it through the winter to go on and grow into trophies. The dedicated hunter will work hard to thin out the coyote population around their deer hunting areas. When doing this the deer stand a good chance of surviving a harsh Maine winter. At least those tired worn out bucks won’t get run down by a coyote. One can only hope.

Maine’s former state deer biologist, Gerry Lavigne once estimated that predation by coyotes accounted for nearly 30% of deer mortality in one year.

Surprisingly this amounts to 20,000 and upwards of 25,000 deer assuming the current state of Maine deer population is around 80,000 to 85,000 animals.

Deer hunters harvest about 25,000 to 30,000 deer from September through to the

and coyote. The biologists work hard to figure out that carrying capacity. In turn it let’s the state officials know how many deer can be harvested without devastating the population.

One extremely important wildlife conservation tool that helps restore a healthy balance between the coyote and deer populations is to actually shoot coyotes in addition to the minimal average yearly deer harvests.

The births of deer fawns and coyote pups each year bring the populations up significantly. Every year

average Maine coyote hunt might take anywhere between 95 to 120 minutes of time. This includes driving time, walking into location and the time it takes to call in and shoot a coyote. This just made coyote hunting seem easy.

It’s not!

The three traditional methods for hunting coyotes in Maine are with trained dogs, using manufactured mouth or electronic distress calls and sitting nearby a bait pile.

Not one of these coyote hunting tactics guarantee

The three traditional methods for hunting coyotes in Maine are with trained dogs, using manufactured mouth or electronic distress calls and sitting nearby a bait pile.

Not one of these coyote hunting Coyote hunters Steve, Shane and Jason. tactics guarantee instant success. hand in hand. Devoted a certain number of deer

On The Prowl

By Justin Merrill, Cherryfield, ME instant success. Under normal circumstances, here in Maine, a hunter might try these hunting methods half a dozen times before shooting a coyote.

I know three gentlemen that I regard as being

the most successful coyote hunters in the state of Maine. I don’t know where they buy their free time to go shoot coyote. It seems like they are always on a coyote hunt.

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On The Cover

Bear Season Again - Pg 29 New State Togue Record - Pg 8 FREE Range Target - Pg 14 Camps, Cottages and Land for Sale - Pg 67

Contents

3. On The Prowl - Justin Merrill 5. The Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer 6. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram 9. Native Fish Talk - Bob Mallard 10. “A Hiker’s Life” - Carey Kish 11. Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds 12. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes 16. The Gun Cabinet - John Floyd 17. What’s in Your Woods - Bud Utecht 18. Outdoor Sporting Library - Jeremiah Wood 20. Aroostook Woods & Waters - Mike Maynard 22. Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill 24. Question Of The Month - John H. Sewell 25. Post-Script From Pocassett - Josh Reynolds 28. The Tyer’s Corner - Hugh Kelly 29. Flight Of The Arrow - Jerome Richard 31. “Just Fishing” - Bob Leeman 32. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood 33. Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective - Tom Kelly 34. Fishin’ Lake Ontario - Ernie Lantiegne 35. Youth Writer Contest Winner - Magnolia Harms 36. Fly Fishing - Joe Bertolaccini 38. New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James 39. Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham 40. The Allagash - Matt LaRoche 42. Ramblings From T8-R9 - Benjamin Rioux 43. On Point - Paul Fuller 44. Maine Tails - Jonah Paris 46. The Trail Rider - Rod Fraser 47. Northwoods Voyager - Gil Gilpatrick 48. The Back Shelf - V. Paul Reynolds 49. The Fur Shed - Blake Dougerty 50. Vermont Ramblings - Dennis Jensen 52. Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton 53. Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair 54. Mass Wanderings - David Willette 55. Against The Current - Bob Romano 56. Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard 58. South Of The Kennebec - Stu Bristol 59. Marsh Island Chronicles - Matthew Dunlap 60. Outdoors In Vermont - Gary Moore 61. Best Bassin’ - Bill Decoteau 63. Northwoods Sketchbook - Mark McCollough 64. Anticosti - Mark Cote

Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

The Sportin’ Journal The Outdoor Paper For “Maine Folks”

The Northwoods Sporting Journal is the Northeast’s most comprehensive and readable monthly outdoor publication. Published at the trailhead of Maine’s sprawling North Woods, the Sporting Journal prides itself on being an independent voice for the region’s outdoor community for more than 20 years.

Some of our writers are seasoned and specialized outdoors people who will share their know-how and insights; some of our contributors are simply lifelong outdoor people with interesting stories to tell.

Our aim every month is to capture the essence of Northern New England’s remarkable outdoor heritage by stirring memories, portraying outdoor humor, and sharing experiences and outdoor knowledge.

We also keep our readers up to date with late-breaking outdoor news and hard-hitting editorials about fish and wildlife issues.

Anyone who loves to hunt and fish, or simply finds the Great Outdoors a treasured place, is more than likely to find some special connections amid the pages of the Northwoods Sporting Journal.

www.sportingjournal.com

Main Office Phone: (207) 732-4880 E-mail: info@sportingjournal.com Fax: (207)732-4970 Vol 27 Issue 8 is published monthly by Northwoods Publications, 57 Old County Rd. North, W. Enfield, ME 04493 Periodical Postage Paid at W. Enfield, ME. and additional mailing offices.

The Northwoods Sporting Journal (ISSN#1548-193X) Postmaster: Send address changes to: Northwoods Sporting Journal, PO Box 195, W. Enfield, ME 04493 Northwoods Publishing Group Victor Morin - Susan Morin - Diane Reynolds - V. Paul Reynolds Publishers - Victor Morin Jr. - V. Paul Reynolds Editor - V. Paul Reynolds Director of Marketing - Victor Morin Assistant Editor - Josh Reynolds Associate Editor - Donna Veino Graphic Arts Manager - Gayleen Cummings Subscription/Distribution Manager - Alicia Cram Operations Manager - Annette Boobar Webmaster - Mike Morin General Sales Manager - Victor Morin Jr. Sales Department; Thomas Schmidt, Paul Hatin & Michael Georgia Aroostook Advertising Manager - Jim Thorne The Northwoods Sporting Journal invites submissions of photographs and articles about the Maine outdoors.

Manuscripts should be sent with a self-addressed envelope to: NORTHWOODS SPORTING JOURNAL P.O. BOX 195, W. ENFIELD, MAINE 04493 The Northwoods Sporting Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited photos or manuscripts. Photos submitted without a stamped, self-addressed envelope will not be returned.

All rights reserved, 2020. Written permission must be obtained from the Northwoods Sporting Journal to reprint any part of this publication. Any errors or omissions in ads or editorial matter will be corrected in the next issue of NWSJ. The views and opinions expressed by our monthly columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

Best Bassin’ - Pg 61

By Bill Decoteau

Muzzleloading Afield - Pg 56

By Al Raychard

The Buck Hunter - Pg 32

By Hal Blood

Fishin’ Lake Ontario - Pg 34

By Ernie Lantiegne

Other Great Stories & Information

8. Editorial/Letters 13. Outdoor News 41. Trading Post 45. Carroll’s Corner - Carroll Ware 67. Real Estate

Cover Photo: Bear photo provided courtesy of I-Stock Photos

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Sorry, We’re Open

Years ago, I began a series of columns called, “Sorry, We’re Open.” Over time, as I ran across businesses that qualified, I added them to the list, without naming them of course.

Rather than bring harm to any Maine business, I wish success for every single one. But success often seems to rest on a very few

people.

A picture is worth a thousand words, unless you have to make your choice without the benefit of any words that would give the real picture. We decided to go for it. The fishing certainly looked inviting against a backdrop of surrounding mountains. And there were also photos on

Page 5

The Singing Maine Guide

There were cabins all right, but in front of them, obstructing a view of any

by Randy Spencer, water, was an RV park.

Grand Lake Stream, ME From the porch of almost any cabin on the property, actual story, we might have was on mornings and evenings. But then, why have what you saw instead of chosen differently.

Oh well, we made faucets in the kitchen at all a lake was a sea of white campers closely packed the trip, so let’s make the if they don’t work?

No linens were suptogether like sardines. No best of it, right? The cabin plied, but we’d brought such picture was to be was beautiful. Well-built, found on the website that sturdy, boasting an open some just in case. “Fully brought us here. Those porch and log bunk beds, it equipped” means different No linens were supplied, but pictures showed only the was our cup of tea. Oh, no things to different people. we’d brought some just in case. cabins, the mountains, the bathroom? Well, ok, we’re Of course there was no wifi used to that. Then you walk or cell signal at our cabin, “Fully equipped” means different water.

N o t h i n g a g a i n s t over to the sink and turn but again, no worries there. things to different people. Of course campers. We’ve used them, the faucet on, only to find, We’re used to it. there was no wifi or cell signal at our Next, time to rent a stayed in them, rented them, there’s no running water. cabin, but again, no worries there. and had a blast doing it. But Well, not exactly true since boat. Stepping into the We’re used to it. here, we’d been lured not we found a hose and spigot open, aluminum boat, I saw that it was not exactly principles, the most impor- the website taken during so much by lies, as omis- outside that worked, but (Sorry cont. pg 30) tant of which is the truth. the hunting season, so that sions. Had we known the only when the generator This year, “stayca- if we liked it, we might tions” during the pandemic return in the fall. have taken on a new meanIt was good news to ing. Staying within the bor- find out that dogs were alders of Maine where you lowed, so we loaded up the don’t have to quarantine for truck with the Springers, fly two weeks has put people rods and tackle, bug dope on highways and byways and groceries, and set out. to find their undiscovered As someone who spends home state. most of his time in the With some time off woods and on the waters Exclusive Moose Hunt No Lottery, No Drawing, No Waiting! due to guiding cancella- of Maine, I never tire of the 2020 Hunting Lodge tions, my wife and I started new landscapes Maine has pouring through the possi- to offer. And new water!

Moose Package for Sale Price Includes: bilities. There are so many! Just the thought of evening 1. Permit One really caught our eye. hatches of Green Drakes 2. Lodging & meals for 2 people This destination was billed falling in a blizzard over 3. Registered Maine Guide as a “wilderness camp- a trout lake made my foot 4. Delivery of Moose to our reserved butcher in Greene Maine ground,” but the website press down a little more on 5. Zone 7 October 12-17th 6. Fishing on Tea Pond with use of boat (catch & release showed cabins, not RV’s. the accelerator.

October Fishing) In fact, it was the Teddy Our kind of journeys Roosevelt-type cabins that tend to take a toll on tires, Not Included: really sparked our interest, tie rods, and ball joints. No 1. Cost of butchering & packaging 2. Taxidermist 4. Gratuity since that’s the kind of ac- complaints there. Weighed 3. Hunting License commodation we love to against a golfing vacation Eligibility Requirements • Hunting License Required - Applicant must be eligible to obtain a Maine find. in Myrtle Beach, I’ll take big game hunting license.

These cabins, the ad- the flat tire on a logging • Minimum age 10 - The hunter, the sub-permittee and the alternate subpermittee must be 10 years of age by opening day of the moose season vertising said, were “fully road every time. To each (9/28/20) equipped.” Living off the his own. We lucked out • Hunter Safety - All applicants 16 years of age and older must comply with grid as we do for almost this time without a single Maine’s hunter safety law before a hunting license can be used.

• Three year waiting period-After winning a Maine moose hunting permit half the year, this sounded breakdown. or lodge moose permit, you must wait three years to become eligible to like luxury to us. An upWhen we arrived, we win another (so if you received a permit in 2017, 2018 and 2019 you grade. Come to find out, wondered how we got to be are not eligible for 2020). “fully equipped” means this old and so naïve at the Call 207-670-3009 or email events@sportingcampsmaine.com different things to different same time.

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Page 6

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Adventures of Me and Joe

by Bob Cram, (Alias T.J. Coongate) Medway, ME

The murder trial of Cyrus Clutch was just two days away. Most of the citizens of Mooseleuk thought the trial was simply a gesture to placate officials down in Augusta. Clutch was guilty as sin and if the townspeople had their way, he’d hang ten minutes after the verdict was announced. Unfortunately, Maine chose to forego the death penalty in the 19th Century so the best we could hope for was life imprisonment.

What raised the ire of the community was that the murder victim was old Flynn Podauger. For as long as most anyone could remember, Flynn had lived in the Podauger Mansion on the bluff overlooking the Little Salt Pork River just north of town. Flynn’s grandfather, Equestrious Podauger, had made a fortune providing horses to the Union Army during the Civil War and had built the mansion as a visible display of his wealth. He also built the courthouse in town, the very courthouse in which Cyrus Clutch would be tried for murder.

Flynn’s father, Desul-

tory Podauger, known as Sult by nearly everyone, had managed to squander the family fortune by investing in some of the most outlandish schemes anyone in northern Maine had ever seen. One 1910 investment was in the production of a wood-burning car. Another, in 1915, was Sult’s attempt to bankroll a new political party called the Do-Nothing Party. It was Sult’s opinion that the best thing a politician could do was nothing. That way he wasn’t passing laws for people to obey and raising taxes for them to pay. His Do-Nothing Party enjoyed a brief popularity until representatives elected under its banner lived up to the party ideals and did absolutely nothing in Augusta.

The wheels of government nearly ground to a halt and the voters were quick to show their displeasure in the next election.

The final blow to the family fortune was Sult’s investment in a huge expedition to find the lost continent of Atlantis. The fact that the expedition was sailing from San Diego did not bode well for its chanc-

August 2020

The Podauger Murder

We turned to look and the revolver fell from Joe’s nerveless fingers and bounced on the floor’s thick carpet. Flynn Podauger stood just inside the room, hale and hearty as ever. He smiled wryly at our stunned expressions and crossed the room to settle in a tattered wing-back chair with a tired sigh. es, but unfortunately, or fortunately as the case may be, on the very day that the expedition was to leave,

If you just can’t get enough of reading our Me & Joe Adventures, check out the All Outdoor section of our new Northwoods Sporting Journal website:www.sportingjournal.com You’ll find an ample supply of Me & Joe stories to keep you checking for a long time.

the stock market crashed and the Great Depression cancelled both the search and the rest of the family finances.

All that was left to Flynn was the old mansion on the hill and 147 acres of surrounding forest.

For Flynn, that was more than enough. Although he couldn’t keep the mansion in the first rate shape, he did manage to keep it from falling down around his ears.

He worked in the woods for most of his life and was a

mainstay of the great log drives that ran down the Little Salt Pork River to the Aroostook, and on down to the sawmills along the St. John. When the drives ended in the early 1970s Flynn was already an old man.

He retired to his run-down mansion and contented himself with serving the community he’d watched grow up around him.

He’d been elected Mayor of Mooseleuk five times. There’d been talk of (Me & Joe cont. pg 7)

August 2020

Me & Joe

(Cont. from pg 6) electing him to the legislature but Flynn just smiled and commented that the climate south of Mt. Katahdin was bad for his health. He worked on the fund drive to build the town library, sponsored local kids to summer camp, and gave land for a new Boy Scout outdoor center. He drove a big old Ford 4-wheel drive pickup with a plow on the front and no local family of limited means or older person living alone ever had to worry about their driveway being plowed all winter. Flynn would never accept a penny in return.

Flynn’s only enemy, if you could call him that, was Cyrus Clutch. Clutch was Flynn’s nephew by marriage and, unfortunately, his only living relative.

Cyrus did little but always

Northwoods Sporting Journal seemed to have money.

His main interest was real estate, and he was notorious for buying up notes and evicting people when they couldn’t pay back their loans. He’d then turn around and sell the land or homes at inflated prices to wealthy out-of-staters who wanted a gateway place in northern Maine.

For several years Cyrus had tried to get his Uncle Flynn to let him turn the mansion into a summer resort and develop the surrounding land into golf courses and tennis courts. Flynn adamantly refused and the tension between the two was palpable. Flynn had once told Joe that Cyrus was lower than whale puke and that if folks knew half of the lowdown things his nephew was involved with they’d run him out of town on a rail. “I’m jist glad he ain’t

no blood relative,” Flynn said firmly.

And then the worst had finally happened. An anonymous phone call drew the County Sheriff to the mansion. Everyone was pretty sure the call came from Doris Ragmop, Flynn’s three-time-a-week housekeeper, but Doris adamantly denied the charge.

At any rate, investigators found blood on the drawing room floor, where smashed furniture and broken fixtures indicated a fight had taken place. Flynn was nowhere to be found.

Further investigation disclosed that Flynn had approached Oscar Brief, a local lawyer, about redoing his will. He had wanted to ensure that Cyrus Clutch would not inherit the mansion and its surrounding land. He also confided to Brief that he was afraid of Clutch and that if anything

Page 7

should happen to him, the law should investigate his nephew.

With this information state police detectives had obtained a search warrant for Clutch’s property. In the trunk of his Lexus they had found blood. Both the blood in the car and that at the mansion was identified

by DNA testing to be that of Flynn Podauger.

Flynn had been seen around town the previous day and Clutch had no viable alibi for the following night. Perhaps the most damaging piece of evidence was the disclosure that Clutch had started proceedings to have Flynn

declared mentally incompetent. It was surmised that Flynn had found out about it and confronted Clutch with his knowledge. In the fight that followed, Clutch had bludgeoned the old man to death and used his Lexus to transport the body to an undisclosed location.

“Bet he weighted ol’ Fynn down an’ dumped him in one o’ them deep holes in the rapids o’ the Little Salt Pork,” Lester Crankcase, owner of the Mooseleuk Garage opined.

“They found fresh tire tracks from Clutch’s Lexus at the boat landing on The Lake Where the Woman (Me & Joe cont. pg 15)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

The Glowa Petitions There is probably no other anti-hunting activist in Maine who is more determined, persistent and passionate than John Glowa from China. Founder of the Maine Wolf Coalition, Glowa has been promoting the recovery of Gray Wolves in Maine since the early 1990s.

Glowa has also opposed the hunting of coyotes in Maine at every turn. As deeply as most sportsmen disagree with his antihunting, anti-trapping dogma, you have to hand it to the guy. He knows how to play the political game, and he knows how to exploit the old sop that there is “more than one way to skin a cat.”

According to Gerry Lavigne, wildlife biologist for the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM), Glowa has successfully filed three legal petitions with the Fish and Wildlife Department( DIF&W) which, if enacted, “would all but eliminate bear and coyote hunting and trapping in Maine.”

DIF&W is duty bound to hold public hearings on the Glowa petitions this fall.

There are three petitions and, while each is cleverly drafted and “nuanced,” the bot-

tom line is this: Petition One would ostensibly ban coyote trapping. Petition Two would ban the recreational hunting of coyotes. Petition Three would impose a timetable of increasing restrictions on baited bear hunts that would result in the elimination of recreational bear hunting by 2029.

Glowa’s rationale, that predators like coyotes and bears, need to be naturally regulated, not regulated by man, has a seductive appeal, until you dig into the facts.

Coyote and bear numbers are already too high in Maine. Stabilizing both coyote and bear populations through hunting helps protect whitetail deer populations, especially in the North Woods. Coyotes and bears prey on wintering deer and especially spring fawns.

Lavigne writes, “DIF&W has been struggling to control growing black bear populations for more than two decades.

Hunters need to take more bear, not less.

Glowa’s proposal would cripple that effort since 80 % of Maine bears are taken over bait.”

Glowa is also trying to get a new legal status for Maine coyotes, one that would classify our coyotes as “eastern coywolves.” This would open the door to federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. It doesn’t take much imagination to anticipate the sweeping implications of a listing of Maine coyotes on the ESA protection roster.

When does all of this come to a head?

In a chat recently with David Trahan, the very capable executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM), I asked him what issues would be getting top priority in SAM’s lobby efforts with the state legislature come fall. “The Glowa petitions,” he asserted without hesitation.

As sportsmen we are blessed that SAM is there in Augusta keeping a close eye on the political process, which is not always creating policy that serves the best interests of sportsmen or those of wise wildlife stewardship.

- VPR

Andover Man Catches Record Togue Erik Poland, 34 of Andover, caught a lake trout July 2 that broke a 62-yearold state record. Poland’s togue measured 44 inches and was certified to weigh 39.2 pounds! The previous record was a 31.5 lb lake trout caught at Beech Hill Pond in 1958 by Hollis Grindle of Ellsworth. Both fish were caught trolling.

Poland’s record fish was caught at Lower Richardson Lake in the Rangeley area. The Andover angler told Bangor Daily News outdoor writer John

Holyoke that the fish was in 94 feet of water. He was fishing 15 colors of lead core line with a DB Smelt lure. Poland fought the fish for more than an hour and eventually was forced to land the played out fish with his bare hands.

Andover angler Erik Poland with his lunker lake trout, a new state record at 39.2 lbs!

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Saving Maine’s Atlantic Salmon

Thirty-five years ago, I saw a fish over 30-inches, leap from the brown water and attempt to clear a small falls on the Seboeis River, only to slide back into the white foam below. It tried twice more before disappearing into the darkness.

I had just seen my first Atlantic salmon in the wild,

years, the first Atlantic salmon caught in Maine each year was delivered to the President of the United States. The first went to President Taft in 1912, and the last to part-time Maine resident President George H. Bush in 1992.

Salmon Clubs Established in 1887,

important Penobscot, along with the Kennebec and Androscoggin Rivers were added to the list.

Good for Maine Atlantic salmon restoration is good for Maine.

It creates jobs, and much of the funding comes from the federal government, nonprofs, and private donors.

And other species such as smelts, alewives, shad, and even brook trout benefit as well.

Native Fish Talk

by Bob Mallard, Skowhegan, ME hands-off position in regard to Atlantic salmon.

While they have a 25-inch maximum length limit on landlocked salmon and brown trout in rivers and streams to help protect adult Atlantic salmon from misidentification, they are not protecting juvenile fish.

DMR has a 14-inch limit on landlocked salmon and brown trout in coastal

Unfortunately, IFW refused the request citing among other things jurisdictional issues pertaining to what they refer to as a “marine species,” and therefore the responsibility of DMR.

an experience I will never forget, and a fish that has haunted me ever since…

Sea-run Atlantic salmon were once found from Connecticut to Maine. What native Atlantic salmon are left in America are now found in Maine. Restoration efforts in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire, have been suspended. While the strains are still being maintained in a federal hatchery in Maine, stocking has ceased.

Per Dwayne Shaw, Executive Director of Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF), fewer than 100 wild Atlantic salmon, those born in nature from naturally deposited eggs, return to Maine waters some years. And it’s likely that one or both their parents were stocked.

Presidential Salmon For roughly eighty

the Penobscot Salmon Club in Brewer is said to be the oldest fishing club in America. Veazie and Eddington Salmon Clubs are located on the Penobscot as well. All are operational.

Downeast’s Dennys River Sportsman’s Club is closed and in disrepair.

By 1948, things had gotten so bad, the commercial fishery for Atlantic salmon was suspended.

While salmon stocks were collapsing, anglers harvested critically important adult fish. The walls of clubs are adorned with pictures of dead fish.

In 2000, Atlantic salmon were listed as “Endangered” by the federal government. The listing covered Cove Brook and the Dennys, Ducktrap, East Machias, Machias, Narraguagus, Pleasant, and Sheepscot Rivers.

In 2009, the critically

Maine or Bust As the lights dim on the “King of Fish,” we must ask, are we doing everything we can to save this iconic fish and important part of Maine’s outdoor heritage? The answer, is no. Politics, turf, and paranoia are all coming into play as Atlantic salmon sink into the abyss.

While Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is technically responsible for Atlantic salmon, they spend their first few years in water managed by IFW. Without IFW fully committed to their recovery, salmon face an uphill battle.

While in freshwater, Atlantic salmon are vulnerable to misidentification and incidental mortality.

Most salmon waters are open to bait, which comes with a 30% incidental mortality rate. There is no way to avoid encountering juvenile, and even adult, salmon.

IFW has taken a

Page 9

waters to protect juvenile Atlantic salmon from misidentification. IFW has a 14-inch limit on landlocks, but the limit on browns, easily confused with Atlantic salmon and present in some Atlantic salmon watersheds, is just 6 inches, putting juvenile salmon at risk.

By not doing everything we can to save Atlantic salmon, we are lengthening the duration of federal restrictions and

putting us at risk of further restrictions. If you don’t like intervention, fix the problem. One way to do this is to list salmon as “Endangered” at the state level which would get everyone on the same page.

Recently, Native Fish Coalition, Downeast Salmon Federation, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Union Salmon Association, Upstream Watch, Kennebec Reborn, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, Elliotsville Foundation, former IFW Commissioner Ray “Bucky” Owen, former IFW Deputy Commissioner Matt Scott, and retired fisheries biologists Ed Baum, Joan Garner Trial, PhD; Mark Whiting, PhD; and others sent IFW a formal request to list Atlantic salmon as Endangered at the state level.

Unfortunately, IFW refused the request citing among other things jurisdictional issues pertaining to what they refer to as a “marine species,” and (Salmon cont. pg 19)

Did you know that you can instantly access current and past digital issues of the Northwoods Sporting Journal? It’s true.

Simply Google: http://www.sportingjournal.com/digital-issues

Page 10

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Making Friends on the AT

“A Hiker’s Life”

by Carey Kish, Mt. Desert Island, ME Editor’s note: Carey Kish is a two-time Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and recently completed the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail through California, Oregon and Washington.

Ten miles north of Hot Springs, North Carolina, the Appalachian Trail

August 2020

360-degree views and a welcome breeze and proved to be a wonderful place to relax and rest.

I had several different parties visit me during the night (the tower was accessible by road), locals out late on a Saturday looking for some wee-hour enter-

of fire tower camping.

Forty trail miles ahead, the AT climbs 5,500-foot Big Bald, its grassy meadows offering an incredible panorama.

I’d hoped for a good day on this peak and got one, but I couldn’t tarry long for the blustery winds howling undeterred from the west.

North of the Nolichucky River, I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon on

Tennessee before reaching Virginia. In this section I stopped for a night at the Mountain Harbour Bed and Breakfast, a comfy respite near the trail.

Upon check-in I was presented with a surprise package and trail magic of

my belly aching on the hike out. I’d remember that meal often as I pushed north through the Pisgah and Cherokee national forests and on to Damascus, Virginia, nearly 500 miles from the start.

Note: Smartphones

Forty trail miles ahead, the AT climbs 5,500-foot Big Bald, its grassy meadows offering an incredible panorama.

I’d hoped for a good day on this peak and got one, but I couldn’t tarry long for the blustery winds howling undeterred from the west. reaches an old fire tower atop Rich Mountain at 3,500 feet. It had been on my mind for some time to camp at this spot and that’s just what I did at a delightfully early afternoon hour.

Like so many towers, the large 10x10-foot cab was in disrepair, covered with graffiti, and all the windows were missing.

Despite these shortcomings, the tower provided

tainment. I’m not sure who was more surprised, me or them, but we had some good laughs before they let me get back to sleep.

Early the next morning, however, I awoke in a cloud, with horizontal rain blowing in and soaking my sleeping bag and other gear. In five minutes, I was packed and out, charging northward into the storm.

So much for my bright idea

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the open summit of Beauty Spot, and a fine campsite on its north shoulder. But then the weather turned sour, and cloaked in thick clouds, I missed the views on Unaka and Roan mountains, as well as Jane Bald and Round Bald, enduring several days of cold, soaking rain.

Once again under sunny skies, I was rewarded with a magnificent walk over Little and Big Hump mountains, and reveled in the beauty and far-reaching vistas. Beyond Hump, the trail leaves the state line and North Carolina behind, traveling across northeast

With a trail handle like “beerman,” friends know what to give you for that hiker’s thirst. the finest kind, a 12-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Apparently, I’d made quite an impression on some of the nighttime visitors to Rich Mountain fire tower, who’d arranged to have the beer delivered to me at one of my planned stops ahead.

Having the trail name “Beerman” does have its perks!

Mountain Harbour cooked up the best breakfast of the trip to date, a monstrous spread that had

are nearly ubiquitous on the trail. I carry my iPhone to stay in touch with family and friends, most especially my lovely wife at home, by calling and through email and Facebook. Plus, the gadget makes it easy to call ahead for hotels and motels, shuttles and such.

And as if it makes a difference, I can also check the weather.

On such a long journey it’s nice to be connected, and rather than detract, technology has actually enhanced my hike. Even so, I often feel a bit odd standing on a mountain top with phone in hand.

Carey Kish is the author of “AMC’s Best Day Hikes Along the Maine Coast” and editor of the “AMC Maine Mountain Guide.” Follow more of his outdoor adventures on Facebook @Carey Kish.

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Funky Fly Rods

Fly fishing for trout – any trout, big or small - is my thing. You would think that after more than 50 years of indulging my passion that 1) my gear box would runneth over with top shelf, big name fly rods, and 2) My casting ability would be up there with the

at least check me out before you head for the trout waters.” I obliged.

In my driveway, the dainty 3-4 weight rod cast surprisingly well. Surprisingly because the rod was, I knew, not in a class with, say, an Orvis or a Sage. Not being one to put on airs

(Photo by V. Paul Reynolds) when it comes to hunting top ten.

Not so. In fact, my and fishing equipment, cribbage game far sur- performance is what moves passes my roll casts or long the needle for me. The line double hauls. And my little economy rod, $50 at go-to fly rod is a 1960s era, Walmart, had a promising shopworn 5 wt L.L. Bean feel, bargain price notwithDouble L. Most of my oth- standing. It was light and er rods got to my gear box shot 4 weight line through as a result of competition the furrules with authority.

The rod, in a soft box cribbage games at Grand Lake Stream (GLS) during instead of a tube, got tucked the annual May gathering away in my truck bed for of the fabled Olive Wooly- the trip north along with my old standby Double L. bugger Gang.

The Gang’s High Upon arriving mid-afterPooh-bah, Bob Leeman, noon at Secret Pond, Scotty who owns almost as many and I were enthralled imfly rods as he does L.L. mediately by what we saw.

Bean shirts, generously The hatch was on and the donates, to the GLS crib- pond was boiling with bage kitty, a fly rod each feeding trout! ear from his vast array of From the soft box fly fishing sticks. Recently, came the Crystal River while preparing for a North 3-4 weight virgin rod and Woods trout fishing trip its matching reel with tawith my eldest son, one pered floating line and the of my many untried fly leader already installed. rod prizes, neatly boxed, The sectional 5-piece rod looked down at me from assembled smoothly and the garage shelf. “Open an # 18 Parachute Adams me,” it seemed to say , “and rounded out the lash up.

Scotty tied on a Dark Hendrickson with a Nancy’s Prayer dropper. As soon as our flies touched the surface between the rise forms, we were both into trout, big time!

We each boated a couple of respectable feisty brookies. “This is a nifty little rod, Scotty, I really like it,” I said.

“Dad, fish off your

Page 11

Outdoors In Maine

by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME

that rod can be improved by “roughing up” the section ends where they seat into each other. But once I lose confidence in a fly rod or the action on a deer rifle, I tend not to grant equipment a second chance.

As for the rod maker, “Dad, fish off your bow at 2 o’clock,” Crystal River, it is too bad.

Scotty said. It was a bit of a reach. I For the remarkably low price they have a fine castfalse casted trying to load up the rod good for the long cast. The smooth line ing lightweight fly rod – if it would just stay together shot out beautifully….. on long casts. bow at 2 o’clock,” Scotty problem rod did play some Back to the drawing said. It was a bit of a reach. fish but no matter how board, Crystal River.

I false casted trying to load firmly I reseated the rod up the rod good for the long sections it would shoot a The author is editor cast. The smooth line shot rod section down the fly of the “Northwoods Sportline when you least expect- ing Journal.” He is also a out beautifully…..

“What the hell?” I ed – once with a fish on.

Maine guide and host of When the trout are a weekly radio program exclaimed. Half of the rod section separated itself hitting you don’t ask your — “Maine Outdoors” — from the rod butt and also canoe mate to leave the ac- heard Sundays at 7 p.m. shot out beautifully along tion to fetch a backup rod. on “The Voice of Maine the fly line and wound You simply soldier on and News - Talk Network.” He up floating almost out of avoid long, energy-laden has authored three books; reach. The fly made it to casts. online purchase informaAs you might surmise tion is available at www. the rise, but the fish decided that something wasn’t that particular fly rod never maineoutdoorpublications. quite right and demurred. saw any further action on com. or at www.sporting“Geez, Dad. You must the trout water. No doubt journal.com have not seated the sections when you assembled the rod in all of the fish excitement,” Scotty said.

“No way! I have been doing this a few years, ya know.”

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Sporting Journal Northwoods

Late Summer Birds

The Bird Perch

by Karen Holmes, Cooper, ME Birds can enable people to resist depression over the covid-19 quarantine.

I read an article recently about how a man named Jos Baart in Belgium, Europe is enjoying some birds in a nest outside his thirdfloor apartment window.

Three big fluffy Eurasian Eagle Owls hatched there.

They watch him through a window day and night.

He also has seen that they watch his TV. When they leave the nest, he said he will “have empty nest syndrome.”

I can understand how he will feel because when birds I raised or rehabilitated left my care, I missed

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them. August is the month when many birds start to leave my area in Cooper, Maine. I miss seeing and hearing them. Yellow and other warblers left the end of July. The many species of shorebirds such as dowitchers, plovers, and other sandpipers are leaving their breeding grounds up north and passing through. First come the adults and then the juveniles. By the second week in August late in the afternoons, I watch for the migrating Common Nighthawks. With their bold white wing patches and boom-a-rang shaped wings, they are easy to see as they dart to and fro giving raspy, loud “peent”

the shores of ponds and lakes.

T h e r e are many y o u n g birds of the year around and they are a challenge to i d e n t i f y.

S o m e adults, especially warblers, have changed into fall plumage.

You really need to notice field marks that a good bird identification guide will provide. Wild turkey poults are eating insects while the parent hens seen with

use to line the inside of their cuplike nests. In August I begin to see flocks of Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds which remind me that fall is soon coming to Cooper.

By the second week in August late in the afternoons, I watch for the migrating Common Nighthawks. With their bold white wing patches and boom-a-rang shaped wings, they are easy to see as they dart to and fro giving raspy, loud “peent” calls.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Page 13

Outdoor News - August 2020 Edited by V. Paul Reynolds

Late summer offers many options in the Maine outdoors. It is also a time to prepare for the coming season. What’s available to us now, coupled with the anticipation of what follows in the fall, will keep us very busy if we’re to be part of it.

The July Hex hatch is a fading memory. Dog days of August lull us into lazy reverie. We lounge on the porch, waiting until evening to go out on the lake for a bucketful of perch, or to fish past sunset for smallmouth bass. Tomorrow, maybe a daybreak troll for salmon and togue.

Sure. There’s plenty of fishing left. But it’s not too early to sight in a deer rifle or spend some time on the skeet range to get the cobwebs out of our shooting skills.

The anticipation of fall is tinged with a growing sense of urgency. The first August night that you need another blanket snaps you to attention. You drew a moose permit this year?

Have you started scouting where you’ll hunt? Are you hunting bears? Is your bait supply rounded up? Are your stands in order? Still going to practice with the bow, before deer season, like you promised yourself last year?

When the September rains come, brookies and landlocks that have sulked in deep water will show up in feeder streams as they migrate to spawn. Then, like their fall spawning colors, they’ll be gone. There are fall hatches of small olive mayflies to anticipate, and the woodcock often arrive when the autumn trout

fishing is at its peak. How about a New England “Cast ‘n Blast” with a partridge hunt in the morning and rising trout in the afternoon?.

You didn’t fix that leak in your waders yet?

Better get to it. The water’s gonna get cold again! Time to oil the guns, maybe tie a few flies, too. But don’t take out the hunting vest yet. The dog will go nuts!

Vermont: Fall Bird Seasons

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has announced the 2020-2021 migratory bird hunting season dates and bag limits.

A printable copy of the Migratory Bird Syllabus can be downloaded from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife website (www. vtfishandwildlife.com) under “Hunt” – “Waterfowl.”

A printed version also will be available from license agents and post offices by late August.

A statewide Vermont open hunting season for resident Canada geese will occur September 1-25. The daily bag limit is five Canada geese in the Connecticut River Zone and eight in the rest of the state during this September season. The purpose of the September season is to help control Vermont’s resident Canada goose population prior to the arrival of Canada geese migrating south from Canada.

A second Canada goose hunting season for resident and migrant geese will be held October 10-November 8 in the Lake Champlain and Interior Zones with a daily bag limit of two Canada geese

In the Connecticut River Zone, the second Canada goose season will be October 6-November 8, and November 17-December 12 with a daily bag limit of two Canada geese.

Duck season this fall opens on October 10 in the Lake Champlain and Interior Vermont Zones and on October 6 in the Connecticut River Zone.

The Lake Champlain Zone has a split season (October 10-November 1 and November 21-December 27).

The Interior Vermont Zone has a straight season (October 10-December 8). The Connecticut River Zone has a split season (October 6-November 8 and November 17-December 12).

Vermont’s youth waterfowl hunting weekend will be September 26 and 27. Resident and nonresident hunters 17 years of age or younger on those dates may hunt ducks and geese

within the Lake Champlain and Interior Vermont Zones during this weekend while accompanied by an adult 18 or older. In the Connecticut River Zone, youth must be 15 years of age or younger on those dates.

Both adult and youth must have Vermont hunting licenses. The adult may not hunt or carry a firearm.

Youth ages 16 and 17 must have a Vermont Migratory Waterfowl tag and federal duck stamp.

Woodcock hunting season is October 1- November 14 statewide with a three-bird bag limit.

In addition to a hunting license, a waterfowl hunter 16 or older must carry a current federal duck stamp and Vermont Migratory Waterfowl tag in order to hunt waterfowl in Vermont. Federal stamps are sold at post offices, federal refuges, or online at www.fws.gov/birds/

get-involved/duck-stamp/ buy-duck-stamp.php. State Migratory Waterfowl tags are available on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife. com) and from license agents. The hunter must sign the federal duck stamp.

All migratory game bird (woodcock, ducks and geese) hunters must also be registered with the Harvest Information Program (H.I.P.) in each state they hunt. You can register on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website or call toll-free 1-877-306-7091.

After providing some basic information, you will receive your annual H.I.P. registration number, which you then need to record on your hunting license.

The hunting season dates, bag limits and related regulations for all migratory birds are set annually within a framework established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in coordination with New York and New Hampshire.

Waterfowl season dates and bag limits are set in three zones: Lake Champlain, Interior Vermont, and Connecticut River. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department sets the season dates and bag limits for the Connecticut River Zone.

Rafter Dies on Kennnebec

A 33-year-old Fairfield woman died after being ejected from a whitewater raft on the Kennebec river early in July.

Emily Fournier and her family were whitewater rafting with the Magic Falls (News cont. pg 21)

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August 2020

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 7) Drowned” Joe said morosely. “Clutch says Flynn asked him for a ride down to the marina to put some life jackets in that old boat of his on the day he disappeared. Nobody believes him. Can you imagine Flynn goin’ anywhere with Clutch? The staties figure Clutch took the body out on that big boat o’ his and sunk it somewhere in the lake. It’s a big lake.”

“Eels,” Lester nodded emphatically. “Lotsa eels in that lake. They’re prob’ly already twistin’ an’ squirmin’ arount Flynn’s body, bitin’ an’ feedin’. A few days, an’ they won’t be nothin’ left but bones!”

Both me and Joe turned a shade paler.

The state police arrested Cyrus Clutch for murder and it didn’t take the district attorney long to come up with an indictment. Clutch’s lawyer tried to get a change of venue to Presque Isle but Judge Ezra Hangum was having none of it. The crime had occurred in Mooseleuk and that’s where the trial would take place.

That afternoon, two days before the trial, me and Joe walked up to the mansion. Although Flynn’s will had never been changed and left the house and land to Cyrus Clutch, the will had also included a provision leaving Flynn’s old Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver to Joe. Flynn knew Joe had always admired the immaculate pre-war handgun and the executor had agreed that we could go up to the mansion and get it.

Jo e r etr iev ed the Smith & Wesson from

Northwoods Sporting Journal where Flynn kept it in a box atop the fireplace mantle in the drawing room. As we examined the finely crafted revolver Joe looked up at the box and then down at the handgun again with a thoughtful expression.

“Wonder why Flynn never grabbed this here gun to defend himself when Cyrus was beatin’ on him?”

I looked at the mantle and frowned.

“Maybe it was because he couldn’t make it to the mantle in time.”

“Maybe it was because no fight ever took place,” came a voice from the doorway.

We turned to look and the revolver fell from Joe’s nerveless fingers and bounced on the floor’s thick carpet. Flynn Podauger stood just inside the room, hale and hearty as ever. He smiled wryly at our stunned expressions and crossed the room to settle in a tattered wingback chair with a tired sigh.

“But…but…” Flynn held up one hand stop Joe’s stuttering.

“I know, I know, I’m supposed to be dead. Well I ain’t, an’ now I suppose I got to face the music.”

“But Flynn!” I swallowed to clear my throat.

“Everyone thinks Cyrus murdered you! He’s going to be tried day after tomorrow! If he didn’t kill you, where have you been?”

“Chicoutimi.”

“Chicoutimi? Where the heck’s Chicoutimi?”

Joe roared in consternation.

“Northern Quebec.

Great brook trout fishin’ in them high ponds. Always wanted to go there an’ ketch some. Did too. Drove up to Riviere de Loup, took the ferry acrost the St. Laurence to St. Simeon an’ headed northeast.

Fishin’ was great an’ you boys know I speak a little French, so I get along fine.

Trouble was,” he shook his head sadly, “I found out I jist couldn’t go through with it.”

“Go through with what?”

He looked up and glanced back and forth between us. “Sendin’ Cyrus Clutch to jail fer murder.

Even though he deserves it.” As we started to ask questions, Cyrus waved a hand at the other chairs in the room.

“You boys may as well sit down. This here’s kind of a long story.”

As we drew up chairs in front of the cold fireplace, Flynn sat back in his chair and crossed his hands over his small pot belly.

His old face looked even more lined and worn than I remembered.

“I knowed Cyrus was bad, even when he was a boy,” Flynn began. “Useter pull the wings off’n flies, steal people’s pets and go away with ‘um, things like thet. Weren’t nothin’ you could prove, but I knew.

One time I caught ‘im with Tabby Grout’s ole yeller cat. Had ‘im an axe in his other hand. I tole ‘im what I’d do do ‘im with thet axe if’n he didn’t leave go o’ thet cat. He didn’t like it one little bit, but I also tole ‘im what I’d do if thet cat ever disappeared again.

The cat, I says, better lead a charmed life from then on if’n he didn’t want the whole town to know what he was doin’. One thing about twisted folks like him; they like what they are, but they don’t want folks to know what they are.

“Anyways,” he rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Cyrus, he growed

up into an even worse man than he was a boy. You boys know about his real estate shenanigans, cheatin’ folks an’ takin’ away their propitty?” We nodded. “Well, he wanted this place in the worst way. Weren’t no way I was gonna let ‘im git his grimy hands on it.

Figger to leave it to the Chew ‘N Spit. Thet Pioneer Home is about ready to fall down arount them retirees ears and I think this would make a fine place fer ‘um.

Jist hadn’t gotten arount to changin’ my will.

“Then one day a few weeks back Cyrus came here an’ demanded that I turn over the house an’ propitty to him. Said if’n I didn’t, he’d have me declared mentally incompetent an’ take it anyway.”

“What did you say?”

Joe looked like he wanted to commit murder himself.

“I laughed at him,” Flynn smiled grimly. “I tole him I could put a dozen people on the witness stand that would swear to my sanity.

“A hunnert,” Joe muttered.

“I said if he didn’t back off, I’d have a friend in the state police start lookin’ into his shady transactions an’ maybe cut back on some of his money schemes.”

“What did he say?” I asked.

“It was his turn to laugh,” Flynn replied angrily. He sat forward in his chair. “He said he already had lots of money.

Said the drug business was makin’ ‘im rich. He bragged about it. Turns out he’s been smugglin’ dope acrost the border from Canada for months now.

You know how he’s always foolin’ around with those radio controlled model

Page 15 airplanes?”

We nodded. Cyrus had several model airplanes that he flew from nearby fields in his spare time. He was only one of several model airplane enthusiasts in the local area.

“Well he’s got a couple of good sized ones.

He goes over into Quebec an’ makes a drug deal, then loads bags o’ heroin into one of them planes. It don’t take much heroin to make a lot of money, an’ a whole lot ‘o human misery.

Then he goes back acrost the border to Maine, takes his radio control, an’ flies the model planes acrost a remote stretch o’ the border. Even if the border patrol intercepted one o’ the planes, they couldn’t prove it was his. He wouldn’t be anywhere near.”

Flynn shook his head and looked down at the floor. I tole him I’d turn ‘im in, but he jist laughed again. He said nobody’d believe me an’ if they did, he’d find some other way to smuggle it acrost. After he left, I thought about it long an’ hard. Somethin’ had to be done, but I couldn’t prove nothin’.” He looked up at us. “So I decided he’d have to kill me.

Joe jerked and Flynn waved a placating hand.

“Not really kill me, I jist planned on everybody thinkin’ he’d killed me. If he went to jail for killin’ me he wouldn’t be smugglin’ no more filth fer people to shoot inter their veins.

So I set everythin’ up to make it look like he kilt me an’ then jist disappeared.”

Once again he hung his head. “Only I couldn’t go through with it. Guess I’m jist too blamed honest. I couldn’t put a man in jail, even a rat like Cyrus, fer (Me &Joe cont. pg 23)

Page 16

The Gun Cabinet

Northwoods Sporting Journal

A Guide’s Gotta Work

by John Floyd, Webster Plantation Most years I am on the water at least four days a week, guiding anglers from May through July.

This fishing season however was a catastrophe for sporting camps and guides due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Trips were

occurred to me that if I was forbidden from working by the governor’s executive order, I ought to get some neighbors on the boat and show them a great day of fishing while catching up.

First up was Mike, a logging crew supervisor

noon after a slow morning.

As we drifted down the shoreline casting at bass beds, we talked about his family and work and what was going on in our lives in general. I could see him fully relaxing and enjoying himself – my goal. We got to know each other even better and had a great time doing it.

Bill and I had fished together before so I knew

But fishing guides need to fish, whether there is a paying client in the boat or not. The idea occurred to me that if I was forbidden from working by the governor’s executive order, I ought to get some neighbors on the boat and show them a great day of fishing while catching up. canceled left and right because of the restrictive quarantine requirement in place for the lion’s share or our clients – nonresidents. Guides and sporting camps scraped what they could from the rubble of Maine’s once robust sporting economy. But fishing guides need to fish, whether there is a paying client in the boat or not. The idea

August 2020

who was currently laid off due to the pandemic and slow down of work. He is one of the hardest working people I know, and I think the layoff was the only time I’ve ever seen him not working. That translates into not much time to fish.

This was his first time on Junior Lake and we got into some nice fish in the after-

he would be up for a day on the lake. We hadn’t seen much of each other in the past few years though; I had been busy growing my guide service and working just about every season for clients. He told me he hadn’t wet a line all season as of yet and told him we needed to fix that.

Early on, Bill hooked into a trophy-class smallmouth that doubled his rod over.

I went for the net as he worked the fish, but a big, old smallmouth knows the game. It came out of the water, tail-walking towards the boat and threw its head to the side in a convulsive attempt to throw the lure – it worked. The lunker

Bill hooked into some big smallmouth with his topwater lure.

Jakob with a beautiful bronzeback smallmouth bass. stole Bill’s favorite popper, but the look on his face while he was fighting that fish was priceless. After re-rigging his rod, Bill continued to put fish after fish in the boat with another top water lure; just as fast

as I could get them off the treble hooks, revived and released.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Summer Cameras for Fall Bucks

Page 17

What's In Your Woods

by Bud Utecht, Dedham, ME

in the fall. Without doubt as early as the young ones. this tends to happen 100% I have many cameras that of the time. If you can find show young bucks stalking scrapes that look well-worn a doe as much as a month and maybe even used over before the big mature bucks multiple years, in a does enter the picture. When the area, place a camera on it. big boys arrive they are not Putting cameras on around long, perhaps a day Summer trail cameras will help you pattern the does, which will in rubs and scrapes can get or two. They will sweep time connect you to the bucks. (Photo by Bud Utecht) frustrating. All bucks make the doe out and keep her Somewhere in your and spread them out to see summer, and more impor- rubs and scrapes. Many at bay until she is ready to garage or maybe a tote if I can find the boundary tantly, is to find the does. times the small bucks are breed. So go dust off those labeled “hunting gear” limit of certain animals. The earlier you find them, running around making cameras and see “What’s in Your Woods”. your game cameras are Many years of placing cameras year round has taught safely stored waiting to me differently. Although, on some occasions, I have seen Bud Utecht is a Regisre-emerge in September. ter Maine Guide, avid wildthe so called bachelor groups; more often than not I will This is the time to get out life enthusiast, Browning the woods and see which see the biggest bucks alone or a yearling will be trail camera dealer, and bucks made it through last tagging along with him. trail camera consultant. hunting season and winter. the faster you can nail Sometimes it’s not as far them everywhere where the His trail cameras are straWhy would you put camdown the territory where as you may think.

I will see dominant bucks are more tegically placed throughout eras out in the summer?

The bucks are not in the certain bucks reach their they raise the young. Why selective, only marking the Maine Woods. Feel free same areas they will be boundary and then I pick is this important? Like with territory that are holding to email Bud for trail camduring the hunting season. up different bucks which every species, if you follow does. Older bucks seem to era tips or to discuss what’s Probably in their bachelor don’t tend to overlap. This the female you will inevita- know they need to conserve in your woods. bud@ groups, which won’t really is the number one reason bly find the male. The areas energy and they do not start whatsinyourwoods.com tell you anything or maybe I place cameras out in the I place cameras in for does and their babies will turn you can prove this to be summer.

The second reason to into places where the bucks untrue through the lens of place the cameras out in the will come looking for her your camera.

Many years of placing cameras year round has taught me differently.

Game camera property management • Browning trail camera Although, on some occaGame camera tips, talks & tales • wildlife speaker The elusive Northwoods Sporting Journal’s sions, I have seen the so moose Marty.

Strategically placed cameras. Extraordinary results called bachelor groups; Call or email to learn more about WHAT’S IN YOUR WOODS He has wandered into the northwoods. more often than not I will BUD@WHATSINYOURWOODS.COM (207) 404-1442 GAMECAMERAARTISTRY.COM Find Marty somewhere in the Northwoods Sporting see the biggest bucks alone Journal (Hint: he will be located in one of our ads) Send or a yearling will be tag- us the page number he’s on and you could be a WINMarty ging along with him. Many NER! Win a FREE Northwoods Sporting Journal Marty We will draw one winner from all correct entries times I see the yearling Hat. submitted each month. We will announce the winner in trying to do battle with the the next issue. big boy and sometimes the Shown actual size PLEASE MAIL THIS FORM TO: Northwoods Sporting Journal little one takes quite a beatP.O. Box 195, West Enfield, ME 04493 ing. The funny part is that Keith Schneider Name he just keeps coming back (Marty was for more. It is also helpful Address found on pg 67) to know how many bucks City State Zip Entries must be are in a particular area. postmarked by Phone Placing several cameras in 8/10/20 to be eligible for different locations is helpI found Marty on page this issue. ful. I will place cameras

HELP US FIND

Page 18 Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Outdoor Sporting Walter Arnold, Maine Trapper Library preserved for future genby Jeremiah Wood, Ashland, ME

If I’d known how much work it was going to be when I started, I may not have done it. I’ve heard others say that about writing and publishing a book, and based on my experience the past few months,

Olson’s annual New England Trappers Weekend a couple years ago, when a friend mentioned the possibility of putting together a collection of Walter Arnold stories. As a trapper and fan of history, I was aware

erations, and it was all available in the collection he donated to the University of Maine, it made sense that someone would, or should, eventually dust it off and bring it back.

But half a century later, nobody yet had. With a little encouragement and some motivation to share

I spent a lot of hours poring over the huge collection of letters, notes, journal entries, receipts, pictures, personal items and articles in the six boxes housed at the University library. It was kind of overwhelming looking at what was essentially an entire life’s work, and trying to boil it down to a book that readers would find interesting.

I can’t disagree. But I’m happy to share with you that I did get it finished.

“Walter Arnold, Maine Trapper: Stories from one of the Last Mountain Men” is now available for purchase.

It all started at Neil

of the legendary trapper’s stories from the 1930’s, ‘40’s and ‘50’s, and also knew how difficult they were for most people to find nowadays.

S i n c e Wa l t w e n t through painstaking work to ensure his papers were

Maine trapping history with others, I decided to give it a shot.

I spent a lot of hours poring over the huge collection of letters, notes, journal entries, receipts, pictures, personal items and articles in the six boxes

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“Walter Arnold, Maine Trapper: Stories from one of the Last Mountain Men” is now available for purchase. housed at the University library. It was kind of overwhelming looking at what was essentially an entire life’s work, and trying to boil it down to a book that readers would find interesting. I decided to focus on Arnold’s trapping articles.

He wrote a pile of them, covering a wide range of topics with oftentimes extremely in depth treatment.

After selecting articles and clarifying literary rights, I typed them out, edited where necessary, and provided readers some of my own perspective and views on the topics as a modern day trapper.

With so much mate(Trapper cont. pg 19)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Work

(Cont. from pg 16) high school this past June, I knew the perfect gift for him – a fully guided fishing trip with all the bells and whistles included. Jake wasn’t a rookie by any means, having fished with his parents for salmon and togue for years, but this was going to be a different experience for him. Our first stop was one of my favorite spots – a submerged boulder field around a point on the lake. Jake had his first smallmouth on within 15 minutes of leaving the dock and never stopped reeling them in all day. Among the things I learned as we talked was that he was heading to college in the fall and would be pursuing a career in welding, one of his many passions. We put on shore for lunch and met up with Joe Jack, a guide for Wild Fox Cabins on Junior Lake, and his clients. Joe and I prepared a traditional Maine Guide shore lunch for everyone – our broilers stuffed with steaks and pork chops, fried onions and potatoes in our skillets and guide coffee to finish.

As Joe sliced the potatoes and onions, I filleted the catch of the morning and fried them up fresh over the fire as an appetizer. Later that night, Jake’s mother told me he hadn’t stopped talking about the trip since

he got home and really enjoyed it. So did I - and I very much enjoyed fishing with neighbors this season.

John is a Registered Maine Guide, an NRA Certified Instructor and is the owner of Tucker Ridge Outdoors in Webster Plantation, Maine. He can be reached at john@tuckerridge.me or on Facebook @tuckerridgeoutdoors

Trapper

(Cont. from pg 18) rial to work with, one of the greatest challenges was boiling it all down to something manageable.

“Walter Arnold, Maine Trapper” is actually three books in one. Book 1 covers Arnold’s wilderness trapping adventures and

experiences. Book 2 contains his writings on Maine furbearer species, including beaver, bobcat, otter and fisher. Book 3 consists of trapping tips, tricks and techniques from the old days, including some interesting ones you may never have thought of, as well as a little bit on making your own trapping lure.

All in all, the final product turned out to be more than 300 pages of Walter Arnold’s best work spanning three decades. I think it provides a pretty good glimpse into life as a wilderness trapper back in the good old days. You can purchase a copy of “Walter Arnold, Maine Trapper” on Amazon.com, or by sending me a check for $22.00 (postpaid) at 408 Goding Rd., Ashland, ME 04732.

Page 19

Salmon

(Cont. from pg 9) therefore the responsibility of DMR. And herein lies the problem, while Atlantic salmon spend much of their life in freshwater, IFW does not see them as their responsibility, and as such, restoration efforts continue to fall short of what’s needed to save this iconic gamefish.

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Page 20

Aroostook Woods & Water

Dog Day Musings

of broad shouldered, slab mer, we were treated to sided brookies were a very the sight of a bear the size pleasant surprise early one of a Volkswagon foraging

by Mike Maynard, morning. They were gently at the river’s edge. Later, Perham, ME unhooked, photographed, we watched as a mother The old saying, ‘the looking for colder temps, and returned home with bear and a lone cub ambled down the road, carefree, dog days of summer’, has and the deer fly population, our thanks.

After supper, when fat, and happy. If there’s never felt so appropriate as like the proverbial herd of it does this summer. It isn’t zombies, comes to feast on the sun is well down and a benefit to these dry days the temperatures are finally it may be that the grouse just mad dogs and English- uncovered flesh.

I’ve left the trout on the decline, I like to were able to hatch more of men standing too long out in the noonday sun that streams alone. Water lev- head for the mouth of the their chicks. No cold, wet are wilting, nothing seems Bear sightings this season have been significantly higher to stir in this stifling heat.

I get up early and wander than in the past two seasons. Canoeing the Fish River above out onto the deck at camp Portage earlier this summer, we were treated to the sight of a bear the size of a Volkswagon foraging at the river’s edge. and sit with a cup of coffee and watch a family of Mer- els are too low, water tem- river where it runs into the spring days to hamper a ganser’s float by, chicks in peratures are too high and lake and cast Haystacks successful clutch. I know tow. I was lucky enough no good can come from and Ausable Bombers until I’ve seen far more juveearlier to watch as mama further stressing an already I can’t see them anymore. nile birds running around loon swam past with her half poached fish. Trolling The experts will tell you to than in years past. They chick riding piggyback. the lake in the early morn- keep casting into the dark say Grouse populations The bald eagles on the lake ing using a downrigger has and listen for the ‘gulp’ as are cyclical and prone to take a long siesta during the paid marginal dividends a fish inhales your fly, then seasonal fluctuations, but day, the fish head further with a handful of nice fish set the hook. Whenever we’ve been blessed here in down the water column coming to the net. A couple I do this all I get is a fly the County with an abunwhizzing past my ear. Still, dance of birds for a very I keep doing it because the long time. I don’t think I’ve alternative would be to sit had a bad bird season in the inside and not go fishing. last ten years. Now, having Bear sightings this said that… season have been signifiEarly season deer cantly higher than in the scouting has been limited past two seasons. Canoe- to evening’s glassing fields ing the Fish River above for deer; walking through Portage earlier this sum- the woods has been an

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exercise in overheated exertion. Hunting from tree stands these days, for me anyway, has been almost completely replaced by the use of ground blinds.

1. they’re far easier to position. 2. They keep the cold icy winds of fall off these aging bones. The older I get the more attention I pay to the thermometer and the wind gauge. It wasn’t always like this, I used to be immune to the weather when I wore a younger man’s clothes.

I like the fact that I can place a blind in a favored location far easier than I can find a suitable tree to climb. Sometimes I think the act of preseason scouting and ‘dressing in’ my blinds, the anticipation of a new season, is as much fun as hunting from them.

These days, a day hunting will turn into a walk in the woods, enjoying nature; I have to keep reminding myself that I’m supposed to be hunting. Hunting from a blind keeps me focused because I can’t feed my curiosity by wandering around and wondering what’s over the next hill.

Earlier this year, I had mentioned being bitten by the spey casting bug. After reading everything I could get my hands on, buying a couple of well researched books, watching every spey casting video ever made; I can honestly say that I am a victim of self-inflicted information overload. I made it harder than it should be. Don’t get me wrong, I love to read, but I learn far better by simply ‘doing’. I probably should have read a single well written article, watched one instructional casting video and then gone (Musings cont. pg 30)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

News

(Cont. from pg 13) Rafting company when she and two others in the raft were ejected from the raft when they paddled through one of the larger rapids on the upper Kennebec river.

Fournier floated through a portion of the Kennebec River after being ejected and was pulled back into the raft but was unresponsive. Once in the raft, emergency life saving measures were performed until the raft pulled over at an emergency evacu-

ation point at the Moxie Lake Boat launch where they were met by EMS personnel, and she was loaded into an ambulance.

Fournier was declared deceased by EMS personnel and was taken to the Lawry Funeral Home in Fairfield.

The Maine Warden Service, Magic Falls Rafting, Somerset Sheriff’s Office, Forks Fire and Rescue and Upper Kennebec Valley Ambulance Service all assisted with the incident.

No further information is available at press time.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 22

Women In The Woods

by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME I woke my son up at 1:40 in the morning so that we could be in Millinocket by 4 a.m. I have made it a point this year to take advantage of local

trips and as a local, I am happy to take advantage!

We had been in quarantine for 12 weeks at that point and it was leading up to my son’s birthday. So at 4

August 2020

Millinocket Moose Safari

termined to find a few moose before the storms rolled in. With bug spray, binoculars, cameras and face masks, we headed out on the Golden Road to find some moose. We didn’t have to go far before Paul spotted a young bull. Excitedly and quietly, we hiked close to the edge of the

We went to two different ponds and each time there was a larger bull moose that was closer to where we were. My son snapped more photos. We were able to get some great pictures and watch an amazing sunrise.

Keeping an eye out for summer moose. you take a deep breath and out his moose call. When Maine guides, who are a.m.we met up with Paul pond to get a better view. struggling because of the Sannicandro of Moose The sun was just starting just be grateful - even amid the bull didn’t respond, cancellations from out-of- Woods Guide Service to go to crest the trees and illumi- the swarm of mosquitoes. Paul assured him that it was Paul helped my son because the moose couldn’t state hunters and anglers. on a moose safari. nate the snow on the peak Many guides and outfitters The weather called of Katahdin. It was one of snap a few pictures with hear him. We watched the have great discounts on for rain but we were de- those moments that makes his camera and let him try bull eat and wade through the water. My son asked a Wireless Internet OVERLOOK MOTEL lot of questions and talked Air Conditioning Cable TV • Private Decks about the outdoors, things Hot Tub Suites he learned from Wild KratEfficiencies ts and how he had perfected 2 & 3 Bdr. Apts. his moose call. Paul was In-room Coffee Makers & LAKESIDE COTTAGES fantastic and made sure Tanning Bed • Private Beach Phill LeBoeuf Tel:(207) 444-4535 to keep the conversation 3232 Aroostook Rd. Coin-up Laundry going with a very talkative P.O. Box 347 Eagle Lake, ME 04739 Large Parking Lot overlookmotel.com (almost) seven-year-old.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 15) a crime he didn’t really commit.” He looked out the drawing room window.

“Guess I’d better go down an’ fess up. I ‘pect they’ll be puttin’ me in jail after what I done.”

I looked over at Joe, but he seemed deep in thought. It was a crying shame to see this fine old man go to jail while a skunk like Cyrus went Scot free, but I didn’t see what anyone could do about it.

Flynn made to get up out of his chair but Joe held up a staying hand.

“Wait jist a minute, there Flynn,” he leaned ahead and gazed at the older man. “Maybe they’s a way you kin come out o’ this smellin’ like a rose and still see ol’ Cyrus git what’s comin’ to him.”

Flynn stared. “How in the world can we do that?”

Joe smiled. “Why, we’ll jist use the legal system, the way them big time lawyers do. I’ll have to talk to Abner Slick, the Assistant District Attorney. It may take some convincin’, but I think he’ll go along.”

He hitched ahead. “Here’s what we’ll do…”

The next afternoon me and Joe stood in front of the one way mirror and stared into the interrogation room in the courthouse downtown. Inside were Cyrus Clutch and his lawyer, Trent Sleaze. Across the table facing them sat Assistant D.A. Slick and state police lieutenant Porter Heartfelt.

“You’ve been asking for this meeting, Sleaze,” Slick began. “We’ve got enough evidence for an easy murder one conviction. Why should we deal?”

Cyrus gulped and looked at his lawyer.

“Look, my client is innocent,” Trent Sleaze said vehemently. “All you have is circumstantial evidence.

How about manslaughter?”

“No way! You’re going down, Clutch.”

“Look,” Cyrus blurted desperately, “there must be some kind of deal we can make! Isn’t that how the system works?

Slick stared at him for a slow count of ten. “You want a deal?” Cyrus nodded so fast his stringy hair fell into his eyes. Slick sat back and tapped a pencil on the table.

“We’ve heard rumors you’ve been running a

drug smuggling operation across the border.” The state trooper jerked up straight and Cyrus looked guiltily at his lawyer.

“Why, I don’t know what…what’s that got to do with the trial?”

Once again the Assistant D.A. stared at Clutch.

“Tell you what; you give us full particulars about the drug operation and admit full responsibility, and we won’t press the murder charge.

“Say what?!” Trent Sleaze’s mouth dropped open.

Abner Slick waved a hand. “We think we can get an easy conviction, but you never really know with juries. Like you said, the case is circumstantial.

This way we can be sure of a conviction that will put this joker away for a good long time.”

“Say, I don’t…” Trent began.

“I’ll take it!” Cyrus shouted.

The next day in court, Judge Hangum looked down from his bench and scowled.

“Are you sure you want to go along with this deal?” he said to Abner Slick. The Assistant D.A.

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stood.

“Yes, your honor.

Lieutenant Heartfelt of the state police investigated the accused’s information and confiscated 30 bags of pure heroin, as well as the model airplanes. The accused’s confession also led us, in cooperation with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to arrest five other people involved in the smuggling operation.”

The judge swung his hooded gaze to where Cyrus stood beside his lawyer.

“And you two accept this deal as well, is that true?”

“Yes your honor. My client has agreed to atone fully for his crimes.” Trent said as Cyrus nodded.

“Very well,” Judge Hangum banged his gave.

“I herby sentence you, Cyrus Clutch, to 20 years in prison.”

From the corner of his mouth Cyrus whispered to Sleaze, “I’ll be out in five.”

“Without parole,” the Judge added grimly.

Clutch’s face fell.

As the bailiff took Cyrus’s arm, the door at the back of the courtroom swung open and Flynn

Page 23 Podauger walked down the center aisle, a look of puzzled uncertainty on his face. Pandemonium broke out among the spectators. Judge Ezra Hangum banged his gavel several times. Slowly the uproar died down.

“Flynn Podauger, get your butt down here!” the judge growled. Flynn hesitantly approached the bench. Hangum glared down at him as everyone else stared openmouthed.

“Where the hell you been, Flynn?”

“Why, I’ve been to northern Quebec on a fishin’ trip,” Flynn replied mildly. “Chicoutimi, it was.

The fishin’ was great. I jist got back an’ hear about this trial. What’s it all about?”

“What it’s about,” the judge said sarcastically, “is that Cyrus here, was accused of murdering you and disposing of your body.”

Flynn erupted into laughter. “Why, that’s absurd. As you kin see, I ain’t even a little bit dead.”

“Yes, I can see that,” the judge said with great patience. “But what about the blood in your house and (Me & Joe cont. pg 27)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 24

August 2020

Question Of The Month August 2020

Natural Bear Baits: Do They Work?

By John H. Sewell Hunting black bear in the early September season is one of my favorite hunting past times. The conditions of no bugs or bitter cold provide highly enjoyable hunts. As I cruise the fields I often come back full in the belly from sampling the many apple trees and berry bushes. I also come back full in the

evening of this year’s hunt with my girlfriend by my side (who was running our video camera), I connected with my 4th bruin using this strategy. Taking bears in this manner may not always be the most efficient way, but with some good preseason scouting and knowledge of bear activity you, too, can have first evening success without

sign is very evident and marauding bruins can destroy entire orchards. A key to hunting orchards can often depend on other food sources that may be available. Bears know that the apples aren’t going to go anywhere and they may hit them later in the season.

Many types of berries are available during the early bear season. One

Other sources that can be effective places to find bears all season are beech ridges, oak groves and cornfields. During years of good beechnut production, bears are taken through out November and sign may even be seen into December. Cornfields that are left for harvesting in the spring

hunting adventure. A great place to start your scouting is at the above mentioned food sources or areas where you have seen bears throughout the summer. Always examine any fresh scat that is located.

Bears do not digest their meals very well and it is very easy to determine

There are almost too many food sources that a hunter has to consider when scouting for bear activity in early September.

With such a bounty of produce (not counting Twinkies and Ding-Dongs) it is often hard to concentrate one’s effort. soul from the splendor of waning light on an early September evening.

When most people think of black bear hunting, they think of an elevated stand over a barrel or log cubby filled with sweets, used cooking grease or any other locally available bait such as old french fries.

While this is a highly effective way to take a black bear in Maine, there are many other ways that may provide a hunter with a more fulfilling hunt.

My preferred method for hunting northern Maine black bears is over natural food sources. On opening

the extra calories!

Natural Food Sources There are almost too many food sources that a hunter has to consider when scouting for bear activity in early September. With such a bounty of produce (not counting Twinkies and Ding-Dongs) it is often hard to concentrate one’s effort. The ultimate early season food source (in my opinion) is ripe oat fields.

Techniques for hunting this bear magnet are described later in “Oats Are The Ultimate”.

Another bear hot spot are apple orchards. If bear are hitting the orchards,

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of my favorites is choke cherries. Bears love these bittersweet morsels when a favorable year produces a large crop. Chokecherries are found along many fields. Keep a good distance down wind and look for shaking bushes and an occasional paw reaching for the clusters of fruit.

Raspberries can also be a good source but often they have gone by when the season starts. Another berry that is often overlooked is the white berry of the dogwood. During years of poor fruit and mast production they can be real a hot spot.

Clover fields are a magnet for all sorts of wildlife and bears are no exception. While finding isolated areas of all food sources is the best idea, with clover it is especially important.

There is no cover in a clover field and bears have to feel secure to enter them during shooting light. If this type of area is found, bears can often be seen laying on their stomachs and gorging on the sweet plant.

A bears worst sense is his eyesight, so getting close comes down to wind direction and noise. Wind direction should govern your entire hunt. If the wind isn’t right for the field you want to hunt, find another because a bears’ nose will bust you every time. can be a prime spot all hunting season.

Landowner Permission Most landowners and farmers will be happy to provide access if bears are lying down and consuming their oats and corn, or if they are tearing down their orchards. As we all know bears can become a nuisance when they find a meal in a garbage can or a beehive. In these instances land owners or hive keepers may come to you. In any case, good relations must be kept with landowners, so ask permission!

Scouting Scouting is a key to being successful in any

what they have been feeding on. Three years ago during a very bad mast year I was having trouble locating natural food sources.

I was finding little scat in my usual areas but the scat that I was finding had small seeds from an unknown source. After a little detective work I keyed the seeds out to the dogwood berry.

That fall I came face to face with a sow and cubs in a patch of these white berries and then with a boar that I made a 20-yard shot on.

If you feel confident in the food source that bear are concentrating on then you have won half (Question cont. pg 26)

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Moose Extraction: The Case for Separation

Editor’s note: This person traveling on a pubcolumn was first published lic or private way. www. in the August 2019 edition maine.gov/ifw of The Journal.

This may seem odd to hunters accustomed to Winning the Maine moose lottery can be a hauling whole critters out once in a lifetime chance of the woods. For western to hunt the Northwoods elk hunters, this is how biggest land mammal. No it’s always been done. For matter the season drawn, the vast majority of moose

by August it’s time to get hunters, they are only inserious about preparing for the hunt. I’ve been on four successful moose hunts in Maine. The one common theme with them all was prior planning on how to deal with such a large animal once it’s dispatched.

Read on to learn some tricks I’ve learned from past hunts.

Gone are the days of riding logging roads and lucking into a hefty bull standing in clear cut next to the road. It still happens, but the animals are fewer and they have become educated since the early days of the moose hunt.

To maximize your chances of success, be prepared to hunt in woods and on the water, away from roads. In the early years, the law dictated that the entire carcass needed to be extracted from the woods to be tagged.

This law was dumb and has been updated to reflect a more enlightened view.

A moose may be dismembered for ease of transportation, and the lower legs, head and hide may be removed. If the head of the moose is not brought to the registration station, a canine tooth or the lower jaw must be.

Parts of a moose left in the field may not be placed where they are visible to a

when it comes to cutting through the ball and socket of the hind quarters and forward shoulders – a must in separating the parts.

3. Hatchet: It’s not very delicate, but if you get into trouble with the bone saw. The hatchet will work and won’t break.

Page 25

Post-Script From Pocasset

by Josh Reynolds, Wayne, ME backbone, that’s right. Cut through the hide, in the center from the top of the rump all the way to the top of the hump. Peel back the skin to expose the beloved back straps. Cut along the spine, straight down, on both sides all the way to

No big equipment or complicated logistics needed, just some dirty and rewarding work. If you did everything right, you never open the belly or deal with any gut pile.

terested in the vast quantities of lean, wild, beautiful meat and perhaps a big rack if it’s a bull. So why bust a gut trying to get hundreds of pounds of bone, hide, and head out of the woods intact? You risk spoiling the meat when it’s hot and when it becomes truly difficult to get the whole animal out and into a truck or on a trailer – and it’s always difficult. Save yourself the hassle and plan on taking the animal apart in the field. An added bonus of this technique is that you don’t even need to gut the animal, a particularly nasty job on a moose. To take a moose apart in the field, here’s what you’ll need and the basic steps involved.

1. Sharp knives: Bring multiple, sharp, sturdy knives for skinning. One good knife will do, just be prepared to re-sharpen once or twice during the event if one is all you bring!

4. Battery power reciprocating saw/ Sawsall: I use them when I butcher my deer and can see their potential for separating moose parts in the field.

5. Cheese cloth: You are going to need something to put the back straps in to keep the flies away while you work on the animal – cheese cloth works very well.

6. Coolers, tarps and block ice or frozen, water filled milk jugs. Once you get the meat to the truck, it needs to be cooled down as quickly as possible. I would put the back straps and any de-boned meat straight into the coolers on ice. The hind quarters and forward shoulders won’t fit into a cooler, so unless you want to de-bone in the field, just put a big tarp in your pick-up or trailer, pile the quarters in there, throw the ice on top and wrap the whole thing up in the tarp.

2. Bone saw: There are many varieties, simple will do the trick. My favor7. Come along or ite is the Gigli saw. This is a block and tackle: flexible wire saw. It’s light, On to the how to. flexible and very handy Start by skinning at the

where the rib cage connects to the spine. Keep cutting away, front to back and you’ll be able to pull the back straps straight out, in one, whole, glorious piece of meat. Don’t forget the inner loin, you’ll find this just under the spine where the ribs end, cut where they attach under the spine on either end and out they’ll come.

Hind quarters: Don’t bother skinning the hind quarters, leave the hide on to protect the meat. Just get your buddies to hold up the hind quarter – or use the come along/ block and tackle and a tree to pull up the hind quarter so you can gain access to the ball and socket joint. I’ve separated the ball and socket of an elk with just a knife, it can be done, but tough in the field if you’ve never done it before. You’ll need to remove enough inner hide to gain access to the joint. If you have a wire saw, get it around the joint and start sawing, you can also use the hatchet or the sawsall. Don’t worry about wrecking some of the meat, you’ll have plenty. Unless you’re a surgeon, or skilled

butcher, there is no dainty way to do this, just get to the joint and get it apart however you can and keep cutting away hide, skin, bone and meat until its’s free.

Forward shoulder: Pretty much the same drill as the hind quarter. I save this for last because you will be taxed from getting the hind quarters off and the forward shoulders are smaller and easier to get off.

Antlers: If you are not in a position to take out the whole head (very heavy) and you want the antlers, the sawsall will come in very handy here. You basically cut off the skull cap, make sure you cut deep enough to take plenty of skull with the antler. Take too little skull and antlers will break the skull cap.

Now all there is to do is get the pieces to the truck. If on, or near the water, they’ll go nicely into a big canoe for transport. You can drag the hind quarters, just like a deer, remember to haul it hide side down.

The forward shoulders can be dragged or carried with a buddy. There it is. No big equipment or complicated logistics needed, just some dirty and rewarding work.

If you did everything right, you never open the belly or deal with any gut pile.

Good deal.

Josh Reynolds is the Assistant Editor of The Journal. He is a former Registered Maine Guide and can be reached at jreyn207@gmail.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 26

Question (Cont. from pg 24) the battle. Scout for these food sources in many areas, but keep your time

in the area brief. If bears are there, sign should be obvious. Only go back and hunt the areas that have produced the most sign or bear sightings before the opening evening. Stick

with these spots and they will be back!

Oats Are The Ultimate Not only do bears love ripe oats (they should be golden ripe when hunted), oat fields are easy to

hunt. Most of the time, bears stand out in an oat field. When scanning an oat field, look for movement or dark color, it may only be the tips of his ears.

Open country is an-

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A bears worst sense is his eyesight, so getting close comes down to wind direction and noise. Wind direction should govern your entire hunt. If the wind isn’t right for the field you want to hunt, find another because a bears’ nose will bust you every time. The peak hour for bear activity in the oats is the last hour of shooting light and many times the wind may die down so an approach will be possible. Look in the farthest most hidden corner of the oat field always adjacent to a good patch of woods, but don’t be surprised when you see him out in the middle of the field either.

Shooting sticks are also a good idea while hunting the oats. This is something that I have learned the hard way! One evening I was stalking one of the largest bear I have ever seen and ended up coming home empty handed because I didn’t have a good rest. When I sat down to rest on my knees, I could no longer see him (because the oats were too tall) and I did not dare to stand and take an offhand shot. Needless to say, I wasn’t holding the rifle very steady while I was trying to settle in on this monster’s boiler room.

As the light was fading and he was feeding away from me, I took an off hand shot while on my knees, a clean miss and a hunter’s broken heart. A good pair of shooting sticks probably would have made the difference.

If rotten meat and stale doughnuts aren’t your bag then try the naturals and you can get the same result, a beautiful rug and a freezer full of the best meat (bear meat is wonderful but that is another topic all together).

August 2020

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 23) in Cyrus’s trunk?”

“Blood?” Flynn looked bewildered. Then his expression brightened.

“Oh, I remember. I had a nosebleed the day before I went north. Got some blood on the carpet. I meant to clean it up. And then when Cyrus gave me that ride to the marina and I went to get the life jackets out of his trunk, some drops must have fell inside. That explains it.”

“Yes, I suppose it does,” the judge said grimly. “What about the damage in the drawing room of the mansion?”

“Oh,” Flynn chuckled sheepishly. “Cyrus got me interested in model planes.

I couldn’t afford a radio controlled one so I got one of those little ones you fly on the end of a string. I should have taken it outside to try it. It sure made a mess of the drawing room.” He hung his head and scuffed one toe on the floor. “I guess I should have cleaned that up before I left, too.”

Judge Hangum stared at Flynn for a few moments and a look of grim humor seemed to touch his face.

“Yes, I can see how that all could happen.”

“But wait!” Cyrus lurched forward, dragging the baliff with him. “That means I can’t be charged with murder! The deal’s off!”

The judge’s expression was syrupy sweet as he gazed down at the condemned man. “Oh, I’m afraid that’s not so, Mr. Clutch. You see, you confessed of your own free will and the evidence against you is overwhelming. I’m afraid you’re going to be the state’s guest for at least

Northwoods Sporting Journal the next 20 years.”

Protesting and swearing, shouting threats at his uncle, Cyrus was led away.

Judge Hangum looked down at Flynn and smiled

grimly. “In the future, I”d to where me and Joe sat be careful if I were you Mr. in the middle of the courtPodauger. I hope you’ve room. He smiled grimly.

“Oh yes, your honor. learned something from this whole affair.”

Flynn glanced across

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Page 27 I’ve learned that it’s always best to let the legal system punish the guilty. You see, there’s always a way.”

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 28

August 2020

The Salamander

The Tyer’s Corner

by Hugh Kelly, Detroit, ME

This month’s fly is another from Alvin Theriault (www.theriaultflies.com) of Staceyville, ME. This is a “big fish” fly that can really pull them up from deep water. August is the month for dredging, this is the fly. I like it because it obviously imitates crayfish or dragonfly nymphs and it’s easy to tie. The fluorescent red speckles make the fly more visible and that means more fish see it. If

you want to fish deep for above average sized trout, you could do a lot worse.

Recipe for the Salamander Thread – Black Hook – Six 6, 6xlong or Mustad 3665A, renamed Mustad L87-3665A Rib- Size 2 (medium) Black/Fluorescent Red Speckled Chenille Body – Size 3 (large) Peacock Danville Rayon che-

nille, two wraps First, tie in the speckled chenille deep into the bend of the hook. This will become a rib and you will finish the fly with this piece. Next start the green chenille just behind the eye and wrap back into the bend of the hook and then

wrap forward to the eye. If you only wrap it back to the point of the hook shank where the bend starts, some trout will spit it out. If you wrap the body a bit down into the bend of the hook, you’ll get better hookups.

This last part is an important feature of this fly. Tie

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off the green chenille behind the eye and cut.

F i n a l l y, t a k e t h e speckled chenille that you started the fly with and wrap forward to the eye in about five wraps. The chenille will pull into the body wraps and leave you a speckled fly that the large trout seem to like. Dredge this one in some of those deep holes where the big trout live.

Hugh Kelly has fly fished and tied his own flies for over 40 years. He and his family live in Detroit where he ties flies, drinks Moxie and plans fishing trips. He can be reached at hkellymaine@gmail.com and he writes a fly tying blog at puckerbrushflies. com

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August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Bear Season Again

Bear season is here again! Whether you hunt over bait with a firearm or bow, trap, or use hounds it can be a great time of the year prior to the deer season. For me it was great to be on stand with the mild temperatures and great cover of the leaves still on the trees. The 30-days prior

next year or for a few more years until they become shooters. Those repeat sites don’t seem to take much to keep them active and ready to refresh for “start up bait” too. I noticed in the spring some of my sites get hit by bears coming out of hibernation and quickly returning to the site by last

to the season came with some work of setting up stands, trimming a shooting lane, and setting up the bait site, but it was worth it once I was on stand for the opening day.

Some of you might remember last year’s article where I pointed out asking potential guides services about their hunts or for hunters just getting into doing the bear hunt themselves. Personally, I like doing my own setups and my own personal challenge of drawing in a big bear. Just the challenge of get the big bear to my site and during legal hunting hours is part of the sport especially when using my archery equipment at 15-20 yards.

One thing I really like about doing my own bear hunts is that I have had great luck by using the same sites year after year.

When I pass up the younger bears in hopes of a bigger bear it is more likely the younger ones will return

year’s scent of grease and molasse’s cling to the tree bark and roots.

I don’t like using meat scrapes on my bait sites because I have had mixed result where some years it was great and other years it didn’t help. One old trapper friend of mine freezes beaver carcasses during his trapping season and then uses them for bear bait. He always said “everything likes a little beaver” and it appears he was right. I have

strapped a beaver carcass to a tree trunk and wrap it with some chicken wire and sure enough the bears coming in to beavers! I use to go around summer outdoor parties where people had a lobster and steamer feed going on and offer to “dispose” of the lobster and clam waste by putting on my bait sites, but that was

Page 29

Flight Of The Arrow

by Jerome Richard, Clinton, ME site. Every trip to the bait site I always spray the evergreens with anise spray to let them know I stopped by with fresh bait. I also only bait in the morning hours just as the sun rises

trees far in advance of the bear season and then when it’s time to legally set the bait, I only need to walk out and bait the site and not worry about wasting time sitting the stand and trimming shooting lanes About 3 to 4 days before the hunt on that first day of baiting. starts, I cut back hard on the bait by Coming opening day leaving only 1/3 of the normal bait in of bear hunting over bait, order to draw the bear out earlier I’m sitting on stand with during legal hunting hours. my bow knowing a decent such a hassle, so beavers – never mid-day or in the size bear will show up and are a better choice for me. afternoon. About 3 to 4 at close range with a bow I only use fresh bait, days before the hunt starts, it is pure excitement to be not junk that is stale or been I cut back hard on the bait that close and watch the stored for months on end. I by leaving only 1/3 of the animal before deciding have never seen a bear turn normal bait in order to whether to take the shot! down marshmallows and draw the bear out earlier Jerome Richard is a fresh donuts. Two guaran- during legal hunting hours. bowhunter from Clinton, I don’t store up bait teed items at my site are raspberry coconut Zingers except for the beavers from ME. He is past president and marshmallows at the trapping season. My meth- of the Maine Bowhuntbottom of the drum with a od of getting fresh bait at ers Association, Master good covering of donuts. local discount stores may Outdoor Safety Education The drum is covered with be expensive compared to Instructor for IF&W, Reglogs to prevent raccoons others, but by using the re- istered Maine Guide, and a and coyotes from getting peat sites I don’t have much Licensed Professional Eninto the bait. I cover the wasted in getting quick gineer. He can be reached ground with some sugar results. I’ll setup my stands at jerome.richard7@gmail. beet molasses so all the and chain the bait barrel to com other critters act as my calling card to my bait

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 30

Sorry (Cont. from pg 5) full of water, but there was a fair amount. Thing was, there was a batteryoperated pump in the rear which clearly wasn’t working. The seats with backs on them that were screwed into the boat’s bench seats were probably good once upon a long time ago. Now, they were thread bare and torn apart from years of use and UV rays. There were no cushions. On the floor

were two “wearables” as we call them in the guiding trade. These were supposed to be personal flotation devices, but they were so dry-rotted, they wouldn’t float themselves, never mind a person. Again, it is what it is (even though there was no discount for these deficiencies), so off we went. But wait. The 9.9 hp outboard couldn’t seem to get going. The aluminum boat plowed a furrow in front of itself, never reaching a plane. Given the size of this lake, it would take

all day to get across and back at this less-than-halfspeed rate.

There was more, but why kick a dead horse?

This business had already qualified for the “Sorry, We’re Open” award, and it had already taught us a lesson we seem to have to learn over and over. Good marketing, however deceptive, will lure a customer once. But the truth will bring them back again and again.

Randy Spencer is a working Maine guide and author. Reach him at randy31@earthlink.net or via www.randyspencer.com

August 2020

Musings (Cont. from pg 20)

(Cont. from pg 22)

down to the river to flail, fail, and learn. One thing you will learn very quickly is that it is a casting style that is far more nuanced than what the written word can describe. Water loading the rod is the key. Trying to do this on your lawn will not prove helpful.

move in mid-morning and we decided to end our adventure a little early.

After being up for almost nine hours, a nap was in store. As we said our goodbyes, Paul handed my son a biography of Theodore Roosevelt, wished him a happy birthday and told him to keep exploring the wild places.

We need more guys like Paul. We need to support and promote the work that they do and continue to nurture the love of the outdoors in the next generation. It was a fantastic trip filled with great stories, bull moose and a breathtaking landscape. We can not wait to go back.

Mike Maynard is a part time farmer, grandfather of several, and an incorrigible water logged stream rat. He lives in Perham, Maine and can be reached at perhamtrout@ gmail.com

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August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Dainty Rod Blues

Page 31

“Just Fishing”

Recently, I got to worth a try. a fish had two frogs in its thinking. I’m going trout I recall one day a few stomach? Two of ‘em, and

by Bob Leeman, fishing tomorrow to one years ago, I paddled up- they were still kicking!

Bangor, ME of my favorite spots, and stream to that location in And, he still had the apmid-July or petite to attack my fly cast “Y” in the flow up ahead. the imitation. Then drawso, and really imitation---the same little First, I’ll grab that high ing it back slowly. Still hit ‘em. Would #14 muddler I was going grass on the left and just nothing! Maybe a different you believe to present to the brookies below the inlet, with ease, fly, I thought. Maybe it’s twenty-five or today! Well, that’s a story and not startling anything, not the right time of day, I thirty brook- in itself. I’ll have to write and then tie up. pondered. Or…or…Then ies, all frypan that one up some day.

A loop or two around an EXPLOSION! It was But right now, I’m the overhand, with a twist like the bottom came up! size, or better for some. All Wow! Then drawing it back slowly. Still were released.

I guess there was a I probably had nothing! Maybe a different fly, I thought. fish in here alright. But...

Maybe it’s not the right time of day, I o n a B o b ’s Holy Mackerel! I didn’t white maraexpect this! Now we arrive pondered. Or…or…Then an bou muddler at my decision to bring my EXPLOSION! It was like the bottom fly. It’s my falightweight---really lightcame up! Wow! vorite choice weight Orvis two ounce at this stream. hoping for something--- of the canoe rope, and pull wand. It felt like nothing It sure was the and I’ll certainly be satis- tight, and I was ready to in my hands. This fish, as I right choice at fied with a fish or two, just cast a fly. After a few false have yet to see, has doubled The author with a dainty rod brookie. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds) that particu- one quarter that size. Yes, presentations, the tiny two- my fly rod in two! Then you know what I’ll do? lar time. It was Father’s even smaller. After all, I weight felt like a twig in it headed on upstreamBy gosh, I’m gonna take Day, June something, but only have my two ounce my hand. Then a gentle --clipping off lilypads as it that little two ounce Orvis mid-month anyway, as I Orvis with me today. I’d ark in the line, to drop the sped away. certainly be happy with a fly exactly in the middle Then, the final disasflyrod when I go. It’s only a remember. few strikes, at least. location, just off the cool ter! A snapped leader! I felt I hooked, and finally six footer, but the brookies After pulling over stream inlet.

Nothing!

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The Buck Hunter

Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Breaking Down the Seasons

by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME the downside is that more of them are getting hit by vehicles. I went to Rockwood one morning and when I came back in the afternoon, there was a nice young buck dead on the side of the road. Between my house and Jackman, I was seeing a nice bull in the road quite often. Well, about a week ago he made (Photo courtesy of Hal Blood) his last trip across the road, thirty years, I have seen a Since that time at least half right now there is less than when he was hit by a tuck of the moose herd has died one permit issued for every Now the first season is at the beginning of the rut and the off from not only winter 10 square miles of woods second season is after the rut. This means that you have to tick, but a couple other in the northern zones. Yes, adjust your tactics for each season. parasites that affect moose that’s right, you can do the the jet stream, but I hope it and killed. It’s sad to see lot of changes in not only such as lung worm. The math yourself. How can changes soon. Maybe with these animals killed that the habitat of moose, but herd needed thinning but you possibly think that this also their habits. From the it would have been nice can do anything significant summer coming early, fall way.

This month I wanted early 90’s up until about if hunters had a chance to to the moose herd? Anywill come early as well.

I’ve been seeing more deer to follow up on moose 2010, there was an over- shoot those moose and use way, on to the hunt. and moose along the roads, hunting that I talked a little population of moose. There the meat instead of having One thing that the than I have in a long time. about last month. After were never enough permits it rot in the woods. I might drop in the moose populaIt’s nice to see them but guiding moose hunters for given out to slow down not make any friends here tion has done for moose the growth of the herd, let but my opinion is that there hunting, is that now you alone to keep it in check. should be at least twice as actually have to hunt for Hence came the winter many permits issued. Some moose if you want a good tick problem which is a people still think we are chance at a trophy bull. Beparasitic way that mother killing too many moose but fore there were two seasons nature controls the herds. to put things in perspective, to hunt bulls, we hunted the first full week of October, which meant that the rut was still going on. Now the SALLY first season is at the beginMOUNTAIN ning of the rut and the second season is after the rut.

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I can’t remember another summer in the Moose River Valley since I’ve lived here with this kind of heat. I’m sure its just the weather pattern from

Jackman

Master Guide

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal Guns & Ammo:

Finding Hope: Back to Basics

Here we are, we have survived the Great COVID Pandemic Panic of 2020. We have survived the Murder Hornet panic that no one cared about.

We now must survive the racial upheaval that seems to have taken over everyone’s attention. This tragic set of circumstances has been manipulated by the media to cause maximum chaos in our society. What are we to do?

and grow a garden. It’s too late to start a garden, but we should all be buying vegetables from the roadside stand or farmers market.

Guess what, they are outside. Stop at the vegetable stand on your way home from taking your kids or grandkids to the range. My kids are all grown and have their own kids, but this time of year, all of them gather at the lake. We have a great time together. We shoot

opinion carries no weight with the decision makers.

So, my solution is that we as parents and grandparents should provide that “in-person” training. Practice safety in everything you do. From a firearms standpoint, my observations have shown that two things need to be stressed.

The inexperienced shooter needs to be convinced to keep their finger off the trigger and keep the muzzle

The inexperienced shooter needs to be convinced to keep their finger off the trigger and keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. If these two principles are followed, most if not all unintentional discharges can be eliminated. The ten commandments of firearm handling must be stressed.

I have some suggestions. Let’s focus on the future we want to live in. I am referring to our outdoor future. You have heard me say, “take a kid hunting, shooting, fishing, hiking, etc.” in every column I write. This has never been more important. So, what does that mean? It’s summertime, even the busiest people have more time thanks to longer days. I was still fishing a few nights ago at 8:45 p.m. I took a ride to Moosehead Lake a couple of days ago with a couple of friends. We were at the boat ramp at 4:45 a.m. and it was broad day light. We saw one other boat.

Some principles that 2020 has reinforced is that we should all own a gun

a pile of .22 rimfire. We sight in the rifles for bear season. The salmon, bass and white perch also get a lot of attention. It is a great time to be outdoors. Time spent outdoors with young people has another important lesson. Safety must be stressed above all things.

In the last couple of years, I have noticed a disturbing increase in hunting- related incidents. My theory is that some of this can be directly related to online replacement for classroom Hunter Education training.

Many states have at least partially replaced in-person classes with online training. I think in-person training is more effective. The online classes are much easier for the state bureaucrats to manage. My

pointed in a safe direction.

If these two principles are followed, most if not all unintentional discharges can be eliminated. The ten commandments of firearm handling must be stressed.

They are: 1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

2. Keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

3. Be sure of your target and what is beyond.

4. Keep your finger

Page 33

A Guide’s Perspective

by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME

off the trigger until you are ready to fire.

5. Check your barrel for obstructions.

6. Only shoot the correct ammo.

7. Unload your firearm when not in use.

8. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot.

9. Store firearms and ammo separately and safely.

10. Never consume alcohol while using firearms.

I don’t mean to sound so elementary, but firearm safety is really that easy.

The difficult part is the discipline to follow these rules every time you handle a firearm. Okay, enough preaching, let’s talk about the fun stuff. I have been explaining to a 16-yearold family member why wounded bears are so difficult to track. The soft downy under fur near the skin absorbs a lot of blood before it can reach the

ground. A few days after this conversation, he was working with me setting up some places for bear bait stands. While clearing a spot for the ground blind, I found a tree where a bear had been rubbing.

There were little tufts of the downy fur stuck in the bark. I called him over and showed it to him and reminded him of our previous conversation. I could see the lesson being completed. In another example of practical learning, my wife and I took one of my grandsons with us to run our rabbit hounds. While walking down a woods road, we saw a waddling porcupine. My grandson spotted it first and didn’t know what it was because of the grass. I asked him if he wanted a closer look, of course he did. We ran down the road and easily caught up with him. I stood in front of him and he bristled his (Basics cont. pg 39)

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At camp, this guy and his gundog - after a morning of chasing pa’tridge - found a comfy place to spend some time with their favorite read, the Northwoods Sporting Journal.

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Page 34

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Fishin’ Lake Ontario

by Capt. Ernie Lantiegne, N.Y. If you’re planning on a trip to Lake Ontario to fish your own boat for king salmon, you cannot find a better trolling bait than whole alewives, the same forage fish these salmon have fed on all their lives.

Whole alewives, rigged properly and fished clean or trailing an attractor are deadly for Great Lakes kings. The combination of flash, vibration, and fresh scent of a properly tuned alewife has proven itself time and time again aboard my charter boat, out fishing Pacific herring cut bait.The key to catching kings on any bait is the quality of the bait itself. Bad bait is worse than no bait.

The whole alewives I use are caught on sabiki jigs, placed in an ice brine immediately, left in the ice brine overnight and frozen in vacuum packs, top

quality bait. The same bait is available at local tackle shops.

Tuning whole bait to rig alewives for trolling, because of their narrow heads, specially designed plastic alewife bait heads, available online are a must.

The heads are rigged with a 5/0 beak hook and trailing #2 wide bend treble on 50# leader.

Follow these steps to get started; 1. Open the frozen bait pack and immediately put the bait in a salt brine or ziplock bag with kosher salt to prevent scale loss and maintain freshness and keep the bait on ice.

2. Snug up the leader in the bait head by placing a toothpick in the blister at the tail end of the bait head, then break off the toothpick. This keeps the leader from sliding freely

August 2020

Alewives for King Salmon

thru the bait head.

3. Insert the alewife inside the bait head, pushing it all the way to the front of the head, leaving no air space between the head end of the bait and the inside of the bait head.

Insert a toothpick through the bait head, pinning the bait firmly in place.

4. Pull the leader from the hook end out through the bait head so that there is about a foot of leader between the beak hook and the bait head, allowing enough slack line to position the beak hook completely through the side of the bait.

5. Hook the beak hook through the side of the alewife about 1” from the tail with the trailing treble swinging freely at the tip of the tail. l.

6. The next step is the secret to properly tuning whole alewives! Take a piece of 19 ga. galvanized wire, lay it alongside the bait, and cut a length of wire the same length as the distance between the center of the eye and the base of the tail. Insert this wire through the bait along the right side of the backbone, inserting it in the skin at the base of the tail, all the way through the bait, and into

Monster kings like this love whole alewives. the back of the skull so the faster it can be trolled at the tail end of the wire disap- proper cadence of 1-2 rotapears into the bait, and the tions per second. Put more wire lays on the outside of bend in the bait for slower the bend of the bait. trolling speeds.

7. Pull the leader A little experimenting through the bait head so boat side will produce the the eye of the beak hook desired action at preferred is pulled toward the bait trolling speeds, and you’re head and the tension on the on your way to catching leader puts a bend in the kings. bait. The toothpick in the bait head blister will hold Capt. Ernie Lantiegne the leader snugly in place. has operated Fish Doctor Control the arc in the bait Charters on Lake Ontario by bending the wire. for 37 years, and worked as 8. Speed of rotation of a fishery biologist/manager the bait is controlled by the for the NYS Dept. of Enviamount of arc in the bait. ronmental Conservation The straighter the bait, the for 22 years

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Page 35

Youth Writing Contest Winner

By Magnolia Harms Editor’s note: This entry was one of the winners in the Youth Writing contest sponsored by the New England Outdoor Writer’s Association.

It is that time of day in summer. It is that time of day in summer where the sun has set but it’s not dark yet. My face is covered in sweet juice from watermelons cut fresh from the field, still slightly warm from the sun. We are having a potluck in the farm field, close to the river. I am barefoot, my feet are nearly invisible under the layers of dirt, and the breeze sends chills through my bones.

“Brrr!” someone ex-

That Time in Summer

up and jump. The water explodes around me; engulfs me. I feel it on my eyelashes, all over my skin, all around me. My hair expands and floats around my head. Everything is quiet.

Then I come up to the surface and gasp for air, surrounded once again by We jump out and run over the tree roots, racing to jump in the water. As my skin hits the water, I feel my muscles relax. splashing and noise.

It was that time in The water is warmer than the air, but still surprising. summer. That time in sumthe road. the dock, jumping and mer where I was free like a cally.

After much discusAfter we get our bath- splashing, then jumping lightning bug in a big open sion, there are five teenag- ing suits on, we get in the and splashing some more. field. ers and one adult in the old farm truck, and once again Above us now is a sky spotrusty farm truck bumping the truck rockets down ted with stars and a sliver down the dirt road to go the bumpy road to the big of the moon. Everyone is Magnolia Harms is get swimsuits on. The air field of wildflowers by the jumping off backward and whips around our faces as water’s edge. There are doing flips, pencils, can- a student at Massabesic we sit, legs dangling out fireflies everywhere, flying nonballs, and cartwheels. Middle School. She lives in I just run, lift my knees Waterboro. the back of the open truck, around in the field. claims dramatically. “I kind-of want to go, swimming?” they say, asking it more like a question.

“Ohh, that sounds fun!” I agree.

“That sounds ... cold,” someone else says, skepti-

the red paint peeling off the sides. We watch as the truck leaves a dust storm behind us. As we drive past the pigs, they all jump up from their big mud puddle and run around their pen, chasing the farm truck up

We jump out and run over the tree roots, racing to jump in the water. As my skin hits the water, I feel my muscles relax. The water is warmer than the air, but still surprising.

We all swim out to

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Page 36

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Fly Fishing

by Joe Bertolaccini, Orrington

Deep Nymphing for August Trout

patterns, stonefly nymphs, hellgrammites and the light For those of us who feed continually on aquatic colored maple syrup. Attached is a photo of several look forward to fly fishing nymphs and larvae. for brook trout, we can Getting down to the productive flies.

Before discussing begin the season by cast- fish requires at least a six or techniques, the first effort ing small streamer flies seven weight fly rod with a along rocky shorelines matching weight forward is to find spring holes and and mouths of tributaries fast sinking fly line. To probably the best way,

Start off with a slow hand twist retrieve and speed up as the fly approaches the surface. Try changing retrieves between slow and fast, always starting from the bottom using long or short pulls within each cast to provide a different look. immediately after ice out when smelt are spawning.

As the season progresses we enjoy casting dry flies in streams and ponds but after the latter part of July when surface water warms up to 70 degrees or more, the brookies go deep to find cooler and more suitable habitat, especially during daylight hours. It’s at this time that the largest trout of the season can be found in deep cool well oxygenated spring holes where they tend to congregate and

keep the fly as close to the bottom as possible, a short six foot leader tapered to a six or eight pound test (2x) tippet is needed to lay out the straight casts needed to detect subtle strikes. Fly sizes range from six to 10 and most of my success has been with the darker colors, black, brown, olive and grizzly. Examples include black and brown clipped wooly worms., black and grizzly wooly buggers, marabou leeches, crayfish

August 2020

albeit rather tedious, is to use a digital thermometer attached to a length of wire that can probe the depths to find an abrupt change in water temperature down to about 55 degrees. Often spring holes can be located at the base of steep surrounding topography as well as from depth maps provided by DIF&W. Look for bottom depressions that range from about 10 to 20 feet deep, or as I do many times, use your best judg-

Some of the author’s favorite flies for late summer brookies. ment and hope for the best.

It’s not my intention to get overly technical during a relaxing day of fishing.

Techniques – Lay out a straight 40 or 50 foot cast

Katahdin

letting the line sink to on or near the bottom. This will require some trial and error to estimate the time it will take and occasionally you may get hooked up but that is not as disastrous as it sounds. Spring holes will often be surrounded by weed beds and a six or eight pound test tippet can easily pull through them.

Additionally, the sinking line may be first to hit bottom and with the fly slightly riding up, will not get snagged.

There are many retrieves that can be successful. Start off with a slow hand twist retrieve and speed up as the fly approaches the surface. Try changing retrieves between slow and fast, always starting from the bottom using long or short pulls within each cast to provide a different look. It is also important to keep the rod low (Trout cont. pg 37)

August 2020

Trout (Cont. from pg 36) to the water to maintain as straight a line as possible between the rod and fly.

The late Jack McPhee, retired DIF&W warden pilot and former owner of Macanamac Camps took deep nymphing to another level. In his desire to keep the fly crawling along the pond bottom for as long as possible he thrust his rod vertically in the water down to the reel handle and retrieved in that position. His theory being that a straight line between the rod tip and fly enables a better feel for light strikes and increased hooking qualities.

Another technique that I’ve used successfully is to cast a soft hackle fly with a weighted bronze or copper bead head over deep water. Let it sink to the bottom and retrieve it to the surface with a slow jigging motion. Productive colors include a yellow or black blood marabou feather, simply tied with two or three turns around the bare hook.

Most fly fishers never take advantage of the opportunity to catch these fat, healthy brookies in August, but understandably many enjoy only dry fly fishing

Northwoods Sporting Journal and others choose to pursue Maine’s excellent saltwater angling during the hot summer months, which I frequently do myself.

However I find it exciting to feel that strong tug on the line, down deep, not really knowing what’s on the other end.

Finally, most of my deep nymphing has been in small lakes and ponds in and around Baxter State Park and for me, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Joe has enjoyed fly fishing for over 65 years.

His book, Fundamentals of Fly Fishing, is now available. He can be reached at: brewerberts@aol.com

Hunters (Cont. from pg 3)

shoots a pile of coyotes in his deer hunting areas every winter. Steve puts in the time to learn everything about his quarry and the areas he hunts. I’ve noticed how thorough he is when scouting. Steve and his close friends Shane Plummer and Jason Jack have learned how to utilize the “Made For Killing” (MFK) line of diaphragm mouth calls. These three coyote killing machines truly know how to talk coyote.

They call up coyote with ease – so it seems!

Second up, we have Shane Plummer, I personally call the “Coyote Whisperer”. Shane has got to be the most passionate coyote hunter I know. Sure he has his fair share of deer hunting successes. Pursuing the coyote would be where his mind is at most

First up, we have Steve Peaslee, the Master Maine Guide. All the years I’ve known Steve he has shot a trophy buck. He

Page 37

of the time. Shane and his two son’s, Clay and Audie, have hunted coyotes with the founders and makers of the coyote MFK diaphragm mouth calls. The Plummer’s are on a fast track to learning everything there is to know about coyotes.

It might be far fetched but in my eye’s I see Shane becoming the most successful coyote hunter in Maine.

Third up, we have Jason Jack who has mastered the art of calling in and killing coyote in the daytime hours. Steve and Shane absolutely slay the coyote during the late night hours, whereas Jason will kill coyote in the daytime.

I’ve learned so many valuable hunting tactics from Jason. He is a thorough hunter. He will not overlook the slightest detail.

That is determination and

passion for the hunt.

Coyote hunting in Maine has gained popularity through the years. Steve, Shane and Jason (the trio) do a great job promoting the sport of coyote hunting.

I firmly believe a lot of the coyote hunters in Maine have become converted due to the trio’s promoting of the sport through social media websites. These three are an asset to the sport of hunting. The world needs more like them.

Justin is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA). He authored two books and is the owner of a online digital TV show called, “SPIKES and GILLS”. You can learn more by visiting his website at, www.wildmaineoutdoors.com

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Page 38

New Hampshire Outdoors

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Special Deer Permits: No Lottery

by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H. There was a time, a few years ago, when my luck at lotteries, raffles and door prizes was really good. Almost to the point where folks would moan when my name was drawn and mutter quietly, “What.

Again?” But, those days

names are announced for the special Unit L-antlerless only deer permits. The on-line lottery ran from July 8-July 21. On August 5, applicants will be randomly drawn and notified through email whether or not they were selected.

22. Unit M permits may be purchased either online (at www.nhfishandgame. com) or at Fish and Game headquarters in Concord. I picked up mine already because I’m sure that they’ll go quickly as the pandemic has created an urgency for folks to get out and fish and hunt.

Last year, it was the squirrel population that exploded in the state. This

A total of up to 4,000 hunters are being allowed to purchase Special Antlerless Deer Permits for Unit M- with no lottery involved. All Unit M permits cost $36 and come with 2 deer tags.

are in the rear view. I’d be lucky to come out a winner in a Yankee Swap with the prize being, “Two, slightly used mouse traps”. My recent luck held true to form when I got shut out of the New Hampshire and Maine moose lotteries. Given my track record, I took a pass on the Vermont Moose Lottery.

But, I’m hoping my luck will change when

Hunters who are selected may then visit the NHFG licensing site on August 5 beginning at 9:00 a.m. to purchase their permit.

A total of up to 4,000 hunters are being allowed to purchase Special Antlerless Deer Permits for Unit M- with no lottery involved. All Unit M permits cost $36 and come with 2 deer tags. Sales for these permits began on July

year, the chipmunk population has flourished largely because of a bumper acorn crop last summer as well as having a relatively mild winter. The coyotes, bobcats, fox, hawks and other predators should have no trouble finding chipmunks to add to their menu. A Fish and Game biologist said that the likelihood of seeing a repeat of last year’s mast crash this year is small.

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August 2020

That’s good news for deer and turkey hunters. Perhaps this year, feeding sources and travel routes will be more predictable than they were last year when you did a lot of walking and didn’t find an acorn. It’ll be interesting to see if the abnormally dry conditions that we experienced in late June will impact the mast crop this fall?

Those dry conditions coupled with air temperatures in the 90’s caused some concern about trout fishing. They were doing fine in lakes and ponds but the rivers that experienced lower water levels, warmer temperatures and reduced oxygenation were reasons for apprehensiveness. Brook trout are known to be stressed when water temperatures get over 65F degrees. And, if they’re already stressed and you catch one and play it responsibly and immediately return it to the water, the damage may already be done. So, it becomes a judgement call whether you should fish the smaller rivers and streams when the water temps start getting near 70F. Hopefully an August with some clouds and regular showers will alleviate those concerns and head us into fall with good water levels and tables and healthy trout populations.

All of the outdoor stores that I’ve spoken with have reported well-above

The fish are waiting for you at Profile Lake in Franconia Notch. average sales for their fishing and hunting products.

The biggest complaint is trying to get inventory.

Whether that’s hooks, line, sinkers, flies or ammo.

Typically, whatever they order, they’re only getting a fraction of that delivered. Another example of how COVID has affected manufacturing and transportation.

All we have to do is spend this month in or on the water and then next month we can get back in the woods. Bring it on!

Peter St. James, host of the award-winning NH Wake-Up Show on 107.7FM in Concord, is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, Outdoor Writers Association of America and is a licensed NH Fishing Guide. Reach him at : stjames.peter@gmail.com

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August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

A Trout Story

The following fish story comes from F. A. Stone on return trip on the Allagash. It was published in the Maine Sportsman in June 1907; “I had gone about a mile ahead of the rest, when I came to where there was a big boulder which divided the stream, and behind which was quite a large pool.

The water swirled down into the head of this pool swiftly, and it looked good to me for a trout, so dropped in my hook and almost immediately it seemed as though I had caught on a stump as I had a light rod, but as I pulled again I saw that instead of a stump the hook was fastened to a fish and he began to kick up a rumpus.

I had no landing net, so gradually worked him into shoal water, got hold of the line, and slid him upon the shore, where the hook pulled out when he was not more than a couple of feet

from the edge of the water.

One of the quickest things I ever did was to go down on my knees and grab that trout with a vise-grip.

He was a three pounder and I grinned to myself to think that I had to show “the boys” when they got along. I had broken the tip of my rod in the encounter and was trying to get it re-

paired to try the pool again, when Henry came along, and seeing what I had got, tried the pool himself and in a moment he had fastened onto another big one.

He could not make much headway being so handicapped without a landing net, and finally got me to catch hold of the line to try and pull him in but his hook was too small and the trout broke away. Disappointed, he fished for quite a while

I had a hook and line in my pocket and was going to the river, and try for that trout that Henry lost, so he said he would go along with me. We went through the woods about a half a mile when we struck the river and in a short time were at the pool.

It was getting late in the afternoon and near sun down and whatever was done had to be done quickly. Ned and I stood

Basics

self when teaching about firearms. We should take these opportunities to teach new shooters about the performance of different calibers and bullet weights. We should teach them about ballistics as they become more familiar with shooting. For example: They need to understand that a .357 Magnum is not the same as a .35 Remington Magnum, just because they are both .35 caliber. .357 Magnum 158 gr. muzzle energy 535 ft. lbs. .35 Rem Mag 200 gr. muzzle energy 1921 ft. lbs.

They are not the same by a long shot…..

Please take a kid hunting and fishing. It is for all

of our futures. Stay healthy and vote. Come visit us at the lake.

(Cont. from pgn 33) quills. I took my hand and tapped his quills. A few of the quills stuck lightly in my hand and I gave them to my grandson. This encounter allowed me to explain to him about the hollow quills, the animal’s defense mechanism. It also allowed me the opportunity to talk to him about finding food in a survival situation. This is one animal that could provide several days of quality protein.

The simple encounter was priceless.

There is also an opportunity that presents it-

after but could not get the trout to take hold again.

About three weeks after this happened we were making our way out of the woods and were traveling on the tote road to make it easier for the guides who were on the river. As we got along to about what I thought was the nearest point to the pool, I told Ned

Page 39

Old Tales from the Maine Woods

by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA

there looking at each other, when he put his hand in his coats pocket and after fumbling around and handed me something saying, “you can try that if you want to.”

It was a piece of dried salt

One of the quickest things I ever did was to go down on my knees and grab that trout with a vise-grip. He was a three pounder and I grinned to myself to think that I had to show “the boys” when they got along.

Tom is a Registered Maine Guide. He is the owner/operator of Shamrock Outfitters of Orient, Maine with is wife Ellie. He is a retired police officer as well as a retired manages of two major firearm manufacturers. He is an NRA certified instructor as well as a Hunter Safety Instructor in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. You can reach Tom at 207-694-2473. Please visit our Facebook page: Shamrock Outfitters and Properties.

cod fish, the remains of his lunch. I fastened it on the hook and waded in some distance, and swung the salt cod piece behind the boulder.

It must have looked especially inviting for

scarcely had it begun to eddy around, when there was a good solid yank, and then there was immediately a great commotion as the fish tried to get clear. I began to make my way ashore slowly and followed the same tactics as when I got the first one, but Ned was there to swoop down on him like a hawk.

He was not quite as large, registering at two and a half pounds.

Steve is an avid hiker, paddler and historian, having collected over 25,000 Maine Woods articles to date.

Visit: www.MaineGuides.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 40

The Allagash AWW Superintendent, Matt LaRoche, ME I was asked recently to make a recording of what is wild about the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW). I came up with quite a list, but the profound sense of peace that I get on an Allagash River trip was the most outstanding wilderness quality that came to mind.

On my first trip down the Allagash in 1975, my college roommate and I started at Churchill Dam

feeling a little unnerved at the time because of all the sounds.

When on an AWW river trip, you will probably notice that on the first day you are still thinking about what is happening in the world or what was going on at work. After a day on the river, your thoughts will gravitate towards the rhythm of paddling, reading the river and what is around the next bend in-

The Allagash: Sounds of Solitude

Along the Allagash Waterway, camping and canoeing, there is much to see and solitude every moment. group Allagash canoe trips for the First Baptist Church in Beverly, Massachusetts once told me that many young people would com-

One of the most memorable experiences of an Allagash canoe trip is the night sky. I have had countless people tell me that they had never seen a night sky so dark and the stars as brilliant as they are in the Allagash. in the fall. There were not many other parties on the river during our trip.

As a matter of fact, I only remember seeing one other single canoeist and a ranger on the entire trip. The first night of the trip was filled with sounds of the night: loons were crying, owls hooting and something was rustling the leaves behind the tent. I can remember

stead of the crazy stuff that is going on in the world that we can’t control.

One of the most memorable experiences of an Allagash canoe trip is the night sky. I have had countless people tell me that they had never seen a night sky so dark and the stars as brilliant as they are in the Allagash. The late Rev. George Tooze, who led many youth

ment about how bright the stars were at night on a trip and how insignificant they felt as they gazed at the Milky Way. He thought that these simple moments of reflection changed many young people’s lives.

Another highlight of any wilderness canoe trip are wildlife sightings.

Sightings of the majestic moose are normal along the

Allagash. Seeing a moose up close and personal and hearing the water run off it’s antlers as he brings his head out of the water is not uncommon, especially early in the morning or in the evening. Bald eagles are regularly seen roosting in large pine trees or flying overhead as you paddle the waterway. Numerous waterfowl and mammals will be seen as you paddle along the river or from your campsite.

I personally like to fish and could not resist bringing my fly rod along on any canoe trip. During the summer when the water is warm in the lakes and river, trout are drawn to the cool water of tributary

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August 2020

streams to seek relief from the heat. They will readily take a fly if presented properly. What could be better than a meal of native brook trout on a wild river in the middle of the Maine Woods?!

The sounds of nature and the solitude you can experience on an Allagash canoe trip are good for the soul. The natural world is full of wonders if we take the time to listen a look closely!

In the modern world we live in we are more accustomed to hearing traffic and sirens than the cry of the loon or hoot of an owl.

The Allagash Wilderness Waterway is just waiting for those that want to make the effort to get away from it all for a few days and experience the peacefulness of a wild river.

There is some valuable information and outstanding trip planning tools on the AWW conditions and alerts page at: www. maine.gov/allagash For safety’s sake, please stay near shore as you paddle the large headwater lakes and wear your lifejacket.

The AWW is managed by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Parks and Lands as a (Solitude cont. pg 43)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Seasons (Cont. from pg 32) ers tend to over call. Don’t make it sound like you are an overanxious cow, but instead play hard to get.

Quite often a bull will hang up out of sight. I use a call, that I call a whine. This is basically imitating a cow wanting to breed right now.

Most bulls can’t refuse that call even if the are with another cow. If I have a bull answer but won’t come because he is with a cow, I will circle slowly downwind dragging my shoulder blade through the brush, so

I sound like another bull trying to horn in on his cow.

Many times, I have walked up and caught the bull standing there with his cow sizing up his competition.

Sometime the cow will drag her bull away, if I here them going away I will try challenging the bull. This is when I rack the brush hard with my blade and grunt.

The bull might do the same thing back, which means I have his attention. And I will keep the challenge up. If the bull “barks” (a loud quick snort like noise) which is a challenge, that bull will come and meet his maker!

The second season cow calling will work, but response rate is much less than the first season. You can walk right by a bull that will not answer. This season I spend more time dragging my blade as I walk through the woods.

This stimulates the bulls that are now trying to be social after the rut as they start to bachelor up for the winter. I will also grunt back if I get a grunt from a bull. Again, I am trying to figure out the mindset of that particular bull. Every bull and every situation are different. Don’t try to use a cookie cutter approach to

calling. I’ve always called using my mouth and sometime will use a birch bark megaphone to make the sound carry better. I learn my calls from watching and listening to moose communicate. I don’t like electronic calls as you are limited to the same sounds. Moose know that their calls are not that constant. Although electronic calls work, they are still a limiting factor to calling. The second season is a good time for spot and stalk hunting or sitting. The bulls are back to feeding more and are not traveling as much as the first season.

My final tip is: DO

Page 41 NOT run around calling before the season starts.

When you scout, you are looking for moose sign such as racking in the alders and rut pits. If you find that sign, there are bulls around, so save the calling for when you can shoot.

Until next month, Good luck on the trail!

Hal is a Master Maine Guide and author. He lives in Moose River Maine with his wife Deb and can be contacted at: hal@bigwoodsbucks.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 42

Ramblings From T8-R9

by Benjamin Rioux, Millinocket Lake At the tail-end of June I spent five days guiding a young couple from New Hampshire. By this time the pond fishing was in full swing, the area rivers and streams were warming fast but still held fish, and the temperatures stayed relatively comfortable throughout the trip. It really was the perfect week. My people got to fish a remote pond on day one, fly to a remote stretch of river on day two, fish sinking lines on a high mountain pond on day three, and finish off the week on day five stripping streamers for salmon on one of my favorite rivers.

Ryan and Katie were two of the most impressive casters

On day four we paddled a 20ft canoe about a mile up a small stream with the sun at our backs.

My clients swapped out 5wts and sinking lines for lighter tackle – including a beautiful 1wt Orvis Superfine carbon that’s worthy of a column all on its own.

It was a picturesque day, and the warmest of the trip so far with temperatures reaching into the 80s for the first time all summer.

Around the second corner of our journey we saw our first moose, and around the next we got a close up of a cow and her young calf.

The silence was broken only by the occasional strokes of our paddles as

August 2020

Delightful Day On The Stream

These wild, native fish are a treasure at any size, and watching them truly enjoy the experience while fishing this tiny little stream in the North Maine Woods made me appreciate more than ever just how lucky I am to live and guide in such a special place.

(Photo by Ben Rioux) in the shallower stretches What we had figured fish in big water. I’ll always I would simply hold the would take us about half love and gravitate towards boat and follow them down the day ended up dragging fishing large rivers with while they fished. into the afternoon. They heavy streamer lines and From the very first had doubles in the net sev- size two grey ghosts, but cast I knew we were in for eral times, and watching watching Ryan and Katie

From the very first cast I knew we were in for a special day. Ryan made a perfect cast against the opposite bank and a hungry brook trout rewarded his accuracy and put a bend in his 7ft fly rod. With a big smile, he released the fish and was soon into another.

I have ever had the pleasure of guiding. They listened to instructions well, were eager to learn new techniques and fish new water, and they genuinely appreciated their surroundings.

By all measures it was a spectacular week, but day four was without a doubt the best day of the trip.

we meandered upstream; navigating through narrow braids of whitewater ripples and up around large, deep runs with overhanging trees. The plan was to paddle all the way up to where they could eventually get out and wade. In the deeper sections we would fish from the canoe, but

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a special day. Ryan made a perfect cast against the opposite bank and a hungry brook trout rewarded his accuracy and put a bend in his 7ft fly rod. With a big smile, he released the fish and was soon into another.

It wasn’t long before Katie put a bend in her 1wt and was releasing a trout of her own. For nearly an hour we barely moved; both of them picking up beautifully colorful brookies on nearly every cast. I lingered behind, watching the magic unfold with a cigar in one hand and our canoe in the other.

Gradually we worked our way downstream, crossing from bank to bank, fishing deep sections from the canoe, and pausing for photos with fish and the occasional moose.

them work those tiny runs and overhangs with light fly rods was truly a sight to behold. What struck me even more was how truly excited they were to be fishing and catching trout in such skinny water. No monsters were caught, but that’s not really what we were after. These wild, native fish are a treasure at any size, and watching them truly enjoy the experience while fishing this tiny little stream in the North Maine Woods made me appreciate more than ever just how lucky I am to live and guide in such a special place.

I learned a lot about myself by the end of that day, but my biggest takeaway was that I spend far too much time chasing big

gave me a renewed appreciation for the delicate nature of small streams and the trophies that they hold. Trophies not measured in pounds or inches, but by the brightly colored spots on their backs. This type of fly fishing is in my opinion vastly underappreciated, and I can’t wait to show more guests just how special it can truly be.

Call 207-435-8274 or visit www.libbycamps.com to book your trip today!

Ben is an avid fly fisherman, registered Maine Guide, and the Marketing director for Libby Sporting Camps. When he’s not exploring T8-R9 in search of new water, he can be reached at ben@libbycamps.com

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 43

Gundogs: The Two Second Rule

Do you know the difference between an average dog trainer and a very good dog trainer? Two seconds.

Three years ago, I heard this adage while attending a meeting of several professional bird dog trainers in Kentucky. All the trainers

to the unwanted action is the harder of the two. To be successful, you must fully understand your dog.

Dogs typically give a signal as to what they’re about to do. That means you must continually be paying attention to your dog and

ue. Dog training has always been through association. If the correction is not delivered immediately, the dog will not associate the correction with the unwanted action. Since our canine buddies hardly ever forget anything, they will remember that they got away with the unwanted action and they will remember the cor-

On Point

by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. of the tell-tale signals that the dog intends to chase is a softening of the point.

The dog will relax and may begin flagging slightly.

Within two seconds, you either whoa your dog or deliver a tone or vibrate on the e-collar. In either case, your dog must be

In addition to physical signals, learn your dog’s language also. Their language will dictate what they’re trying to tell you.

They may need you.

A “woof” usually means that something different has entered their world. They’re not sure

It’s hard to pin-point the origin of the two-second rule. It may have been a result of a US military study many years ago that you must correct a canine mistake immediately or the correction will have no value.

Your dog will give you signals as to what they’re going to do…watch carefully. were in agreement. It’s the two-second rule.

The two-second rule means that you have two seconds to prevent your dog from doing something you don’t want him to do or two seconds to deliver a correction if the unwanted action is completed. Delivering a correction prior

understanding your dog’s signals. Correction may be verbal or with an e-collar.

It’s hard to pin-point the origin of the two-second rule. It may have been a result of a US military study many years ago that you must correct a canine mistake immediately or the correction will have no val-

Solitude

perintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, a Registered Maine Guide, and an avid outdoorsman.

(Cont. from pg 40) wilderness canoe area.

Allagash Notes: The Bureau of Parks and Lands and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation recently released the Allagash Explorer- a take along pocket guide that will help visitors connect with the heritage of the AWW. For information on where to purchase an Allagash Explorer go to www.awwf.org Matt LaRoche is Su-

rection, however, they will not associate the cause and effect. This is confusing for the dog.

Again, the importance of studying your dog from the moment the pup comes into your household and then throughout his career as your hunting buddy, can’t be overstated. You need to understand what yours is about to do…and then take action.

One of the most common infractions by a pointing dog is breaking point and flushing a bird. One

“whoa” trained (meaning to stop immediately) or ecollar trained to stop when toned or receiving vibration. Never use electric stimulation if the bird is still on the ground.

Another example would be if you’ve sent your dog for a retrieve and he begins to munch on the dead bird. Correct immediately with either a recall command or deliver a tone or vibration. It’s okay if you use the e-collar to stop the munching and then recall for delivery of the bird.

After watching your He can be reached at 207- dog carefully, you will 695-2169 or at matt.la- learn the signals they will roche@maine.gov give you prior to performing an unwanted action.

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exactly what it is but want you to be aware of it. They want you to check it out.

And, you may only have two seconds before a problem develops. An actual bark could be from fear or anxiety…both need your attention…and quickly.

If you study and understand your dog, you will learn numerous signals that require immediate attention. Follow the twosecond rule and you’ll be a better trainer.

Paul Fuller is host of Bird Dogs Afield TV. Past episodes may be seen on his website which is www.birddogsafield.com Contact: paul@birddogsafield.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 44

Maine Tails

By Jonah Paris, Scarborough, ME One morning during the fall of my sophomore year at UMaine, I found myself seated in the back of a cramped lecture on the first floor of Murray Hall.

The pretty blonde girl sitting in front of me smelled of tropical perfume, and the young scholar to my right reeked of stale beer and sweat - his stained

longer roam Maine’s forestlands and the presence of wild mountain lions in recent years remains debatable among experts, but we still experience the phenomenon of large predators swimming into our waters every summer.

Our annual visitors to the Gulf of Maine are blue sharks, porbeagles, thresh-

August 2020

Misconceptions of Maine Shark Fishing

shark, a scrappy five-foot blue, aboard a 22 ft center console. As true with any big game fishing, the layout of the platform is often more important than the size. Keep an open deck to minimize the chance of an accident. This means leaving no hooks laying around, lashing down coolers, stowing unused ropes and fenders, securing gaffs and knives, and wearing

A small blue shark investigating the chum bucket. (Photo courtesy of the author.)

Over the past five years, I have been fortunate to spend my summers as first mate aboard several Southern Maine charter boats. The scorching days of August now mean one thing to me: sharks.

Hawaiian shirt evidently his attire from the evening prior. The professor of the Vertebrate Biology class, a patient, prematurely gray fellow, offered a brief introduction to the class. “This week we will be studying the Carboniferous Period, also known as the Golden Age of Sharks.” My eyes widened, I reached for my pen, and flipped open my notebook.

I’m convinced that buried deep within the human psyche is an innate fascination for large predators. Gray wolves no

ers, makos, and perhaps a species quite a bit larger than the rest.

Over the past five years, I have been fortunate to spend my summers as first mate aboard several Southern Maine charter boats. The scorching days of August now mean one thing to me: sharks. Unfortunately, there are an abundance of misconceptions surrounding shark fishing in Maine. I hope to dispel a few of them below.

Misconception #1: You need a big boat.

I caught my first

proper footwear. Regardless of the size of the craft, fishermen must remember that weather in the Gulf of Maine is highly unpredictable. A typical offshore forecast for August is 10 to 20 knots S or SW, with seas 2-5 ft by early afternoon. Small craft fishermen should look for breaks in the weather and take advantage of any calm days.

Acquire and maintain appropriate safety equipment, check reliable weather sources and marine forecasts, formulate a plan, determine your window of

A large porbeagle coming alongside the boat prior to release.

(Photo courtesy of the author.)

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Misconception #2: Sharks are only caught offshore.

The blue shark described above was caught less than four miles off Bailey Island, ME in 150 ft of water, well within the

confines of Casco Bay. Last summer I watched an estimated 500 pound thresher gorging on mackerel five miles off Old Orchard Beach in less than 175 ft of water. While the run out to the mud-bottom “deep (Shark cont. pg 45)

August 2020

Shark

(Cont. from pg 44) water” (400-600 ft) often provides more reliable action, fishing nearshore structure, within five or six miles, can be effective during August and September.

Nearshore sharkers should locate warm water (ideally in the mid 60’s) over 150 ft deep before setting baits.

When fishing structure, the odds of hooking into a “sporty” shark - porbeagles, threshers, or makos - increases.

Misconception #3: You need to drift.

Though shutting

Northwoods Sporting Journal down the engine, tossing out a bucket of frozen chum, and creating a slick as you drift with the current is the traditional method of New England sharking, anchoring can also be highly effective. An added bonus of anchoring is you can participate in two fisheries; jig the bottom for groundfish, and suspend your shark baits on floats.

You should still deploy chum, but keep in mind that actively jigging and the process of reeling in fish can be the most effective way to attract sharks.

Misconception #4: You need expensive gear.

Penn International 50’s are, quite literally, the gold standard for New England sharking, but the old classic Penn Senators work just fine - just be prepared to upgrade the drag washers. Even on the charter boat, we still fish a vintage star-drag Daiwa conventional alongside the shiny Internationals. Regardless of what reel you choose, pair it with a stand-up 50 class rod, and spool up with ample yardage of high quality monofilament (5080 lb test). You’ll also need

cables, wire leaders, floats, and hooks. One set-up puts you in the game, two is even better, and - when the time comes - three is ideal.

Multiple set-ups allow you to fish baits at a range of depths to maximize your chances of a hook-up. As a matter of personal preference, I like to suspend baits at 70 ft and 40 ft. I set my third bait, the downline, at 20 ft right under the chum bucket; some prefer to set baits deeper in 90-100 ft.

Regardless, most of your bites will come on the

Page 45 shallow downline. Chum and fuel will become your largest expenses.

Misconception #5: Sharks are never picky eaters.

Whenever possible, bring a variety of different baits. I’ve seen blue sharks refuse both live and dead mackerel for hours, but seconds after pitching them a fresh chunk of pogie, we were hooked up. I’ve also witnessed filleted haddock racks outfish fresh mackerel. Mackerel, pogies, (Shark cont. pg 67)

Carroll’s Corner Prepare The Camp For Fall Fun

August is here, water is warm, fishing is slow, and most days it’s too hot to train the dogs. However, relief is around the corner! For my money the most enjoyable fishing time of the year is upon us. Hunting seasons are coming, and so there is much to think about as we prepare our camp for fall and colder-weather activities.

So much to do at the camp! We need to be sure that our fall and winter supply of dry firewood and kindling is under cover and ready. Thinking ahead to wood heat for the camp, the chimney needs to be inspected and cleaned. This should include getting on the roof (carefully) and running a brush up and down the chimney. Once done, this should be followed by removing the elbow from the back of the stove, emptying the soot that you created by cleaning the chimney. The stove pipe damper should be inspected and in working order, Stove grates should be checked and any broken grates replaced. Getting most, but not all of the ash in the firebox cleaned and the ash box emptied is next. Remember that when you clean the firebox, leave a layer of ash in the stove to protect the grates. If your stove has an adjustable thermostat (like an Ashley for example), be sure that the mechanism is working properly and add a drop of oil if needed.

Checking the roof for leaks and replacing damaged shingles or roofing paper may need doing. A less pleasant job, but a very necessary one is to check that the camp has remained level or mostly so. Remote buildings move around as the seasons come and go, so check with a 4 foot or longer level. If any leveling needs to be done, check the blocking or piers under the camps and reset with jacks if needed. Check to be sure that none of the logs or stringers that the camp is on are sitting in the dirt. Our camp at The Forks has always been subject to some movement., Water under the camp in the spring has been an issue when the frost leaves the ground. Last fall, my fellow owners and I spent a substantial amount of time ditching from the uphill side of the camp to the front. Water around our piers has been problematic in the past, but this spring, due to the ditches we dug last fall we’ve had little or no water standing under the camp and building movement has been minimal. If you draw your water from a spring or well, these should be cleaned out, with water pipes and fittings checked. A visual check for overhanging or dead trees is important and removing them before they have a snow load is important and maybe a source of more firewood? Broken windows, doors that don’t open and close smoothly or are difficult to lock are important to repair. Sooner or later, somebody has to go and shovel under the outhouse! The task is decided at our camp by a cut of the cards. Want to guess who lost last time! Yuuuk!

Attending to all of these and other issues will mean more time for recreational activities as we approach fall, like fishing, hunting, great camp meals, cribbage and other of life’s necessities!

Next month…..Weapons preparation and care Carroll M. Ware is a Master Maine Guide, holder of forty-eight world fly-fishing records and a two-time Maine Professional fly-casting champion.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 46

The Trail Rider

by Rod Fraser, Hyde Park, MA To me, flyfishing on a beautiful natural river is one of my favorite summer past times. In New England, we have 400 years of human alterations of our rivers and streams, much of which have hemmed the natural beauty and disrupted the natural fish populations.

Restoring these rivers to their original character is a huge improvement in our region and investment in the future. There is a lot of discussion about balancing the need for more clean electrical power with the push for river restoration.

As the nation’s population continues to grow, we will be seeking new ways to produce clean energy to keep up with increasing demand, but at the same

time, improvements in technology allow us to operate equipment using less energy. I believe that the restoration of the rivers to their natural character and the improvement in the sea-run fish populations will be of more benefit in

August 2020

Existing Dams Still Blocking Salmon Passage

was removed opening up the waters above the dam for Atlantic Salmon and other species to increased spawning areas. In recent River Notes from the Atlantic Salmon Federation 33 Atlantic Salmon were counted at the Lockwood Dam, a 10 year high. The Lockwood Dam is located

Atlantic Salmon and other sea-run species for the first time in over 100 years.

The Sheepscot River, which is home to one of seven critically endangered populations of wild Atlantic salmon in the Gulf of

tory fish to the 320-acre pond between the town of Palermo and China.

I hope that the work done by the ASF and their partners will result in other New England Rivers being opened up and restored

I hope that the work done by the ASF and their partners will result in other New England Rivers being opened up and restored to their natural character.

the future than the electrical benefit from a few old dams.

The Kennebec, one of Maine’s longest rivers, is historically a very important waterway for Atlantic Salmon, alewives and herring, among others.

Back in 1999, the Edwards Dam by Augusta, Maine

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in Waterville, 22 miles upriver from Augusta. According to my friend Tom Moffat at the ASF, “the fishway at the Lockwood Dam is poorly designed, under most conditions is hard for the Atlantic salmon to find, and perhaps this year’s higher numbers are because salmon can find the fishway in times of lower flow. The Kennebec still has a long way to go to be considered a river with restored migration of sea-going species.” Whatever the reason for the high number, this is illustrative of the improvement in the river’s health since the Edwards Dam removal.

In 2008, the Fort Halifax Dam in Winslow, ME was removed, adding the Sebasticook River to the total area of spawning habitat and opening that river up to

Cougars in Maine?

The ASF is working with legislators and local communities to restore fish passage at Sheepscot Pond which is currently blocked by a state-owned dam.

Maine, is now the focus of the ASF recovery efforts. In July 2018, they, along with their partners, spearheaded the successful removal of the Cooper Mills dam in Whitfield. This was the first of four major projects planned for the Sheepscot River. The Head Tide Dam in Alna was partially breached in 2019 to allow easier passage for differing fish species. Future restoration projects on the Sheepscot include building a modern fish passage at Branch Pond Dam to restore access for migraIf you think you’ve seen a mountain lion (cougar) anywhere in Maine in the last five years, we’d like to hear from you.

Please phone or email our editor, V. Paul Reynolds, at 207-745-3133 or vpaulr@tds.net

to their natural character.

The Atlantic Salmon is an endangered species and without the ongoing work of organizations like the ASF, it could become extinct. Learn more about the ASF at https://www. asf.ca/. If you want to see their good work continue, join, as I did, and help contribute. I wish you all tight lines this summer! Please email me at rjfraserjrusn@ yahoo.com with any good riding stories. I would love to hear them. Have a great riding destination? Let me know, I might like to check it out! Ride safe, ride right!

Rod Fraser is an avid outdoorsman and twentyyear Navy veteran. Originally from Maine and living in Massachusetts, Rod has written extensively about snowmobiling. visit his website at www.snowmobileenthusiast.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Camping Tips to Stay Healthy

After dealing with covid-19 throughout the spring and summer I got to wondering if camping would change in this new world we find ourselves in.

It certainly seems like the ideal way to get away from the stress of social distancing, mask wearing, staying home and all the other things we are expected to do. However; it is a good idea to remember that there are other things out there that can cause problems besides that pesky virus.

Ticks are a menace that we never had to deal with in Maine years ago.

The first ticks I ever saw was in Germany when I was in the service and had been sleeping outside on maneuvers for a week or so. I came home and found two of them camped out on my shoulder. I’m not sure when they started to be a menace in Maine, but they seem to be here to stay. A lot has been written about how to protect ourselves from ticks, but I have not

read about the one I found that has worked very well for me. It is called permethrin. You don’t put it on your skin. You spray it on your clothes. It is claimed to last through two or three washings, but I spray after each wash. I still spend a lot of time in the woods, and I have not had a tick on my body since I started using it about two years ago. I

wilderness water in Maine could throw my way. I was wrong! After one weeklong trip I came down with giardiasis, commonly known as beaver fever.

Without going into detail, I will just say I will take every precaution in the future to prevent getting it again. Happily, the symptoms disappeared quickly once I saw my

A lot has been written about how to protect ourselves from ticks, but I have not read about the one I found that has worked very well for me. first bought it at Agway, but with no Agway near where we live now, I ordered a couple of cans from amazon.com.

Water can be a problem too if we’re not careful. As a boy roaming the woods around home I would drink water from brooks, streams, lakes, rivers and even woodland pools. Because of this past history I assumed I was immune to just about anything

doctor and began taking the prescribed medication for giardia. I later learned from a researcher that although giardia is currently present in Maine waters, it wasn’t when I was a boy. I was sorry I had not met that researcher earlier!

There are a number of ways to treat water to make it safe to drink and use for camp cooking. Filter pumps can be used and are effective. There are a

At long last, revived from the archives of the once-authoritative books on New England streamer flies and how to use them: Trolling Flies for Trout & Salmon, by Dick Stewart and Bob Leeman.

Trolling Flies for Trout and Salmon was first published in 1982 and again in 1992. There were 350 signed Limited Edition hardcover copies and several thousand hard and soft cover copies sold out with the two printings. Many fly tyers view this book as an up-to-date version of new and available streamer fly patterns and crave to have it in their library. Used copies have been selling on AmazonBooks.com for the last few years with a price tag up to $300.00 for each copy! There are 125 pages with 32 color plates of more than 90 classic streamer flies and tying recipes from a Winnipesaukee Smelt to a Barney Google and a Rangeley Centennial. Leeman and Stewart also share with readers many tips and tactics for trolling streamer flies for trout and salmon throughout New England.

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Page 47

Northwoods Voyager

by Gil Gilpatrick, Skowhegan, ME

number of them in different configurations. Chlorine can be carried along in the form of Clorox in a small bottle. I always added two drops per quart of clear water and four drops if the water was a little murky.

Iodine tablets can be used and are effective when used as directed. And, of course, there is good oldfashioned boiling. Do it for five minutes at least, but ten would be better.

New things come along all the time, but whatever you decide to use be sure to try it out at home to ensure it will stand up to the rigors of outdoor living. Experienced outdoors people know that wildlife while not normally dangerous, can be a pest when there is food around. I always advised people not to leave food in their tents or in any packs or containers that an animal could tear its way into. I used my fiberglass food boxes which kept my

supplies safe and secure, but if you leave stuff in soft packs or baskets it is a good idea to hang it from a tree or some inaccessible place.

Even the smell of food, long gone, will entice the pests to tear into whatever the stuff was in. Enjoy the late summer in the woods folks and stay safe!

Gil Gilpatrick is a Master Maine Guide, and is the first living recipient of the Legendary Maine Guide award. He is a life member of the Maine Professional Guides Association, a founding member of the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization, and served as a member of the Advisory Board for the Licensing of Guides from 1996 to 2010. He is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association and is the author of seven outdoorrelated books. Contact him at Gil@GilGilpatrick.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 48

THE BACK SHELF

From the files of the Northwoods Sporting Journal The best hunting and fishing columns going back 25 years

By V. Paul Reynolds Sooner or later, most career game wardens place themselves in harm’s way in the line of duty. The same can be said for game warden pilots who often

pilot Dufault from the air.

Amid the swirling snow squall, the kids were seen floating down the Kennebec River five hours after they were reported missing.They were eventually

Warden Pilots: A Special Breed

time was of the essence.

Without question, in the eyes of these kids and their parents, Dan Dufault is a very special guy. They will not soon forget him and his courage and airmanship. Dufault is one of a long line of Maine Game Warden Pilots who have served Maine citizens with courage, dedication and uncommon airmanship.

Two Game Warden

Two Game Warden Pilots died in the line of duty. In 1956, warden Pilot George Townsend was killed in a plane crash at Maranacook Lake. Later, in 1972 at the same lake, warden Pilot Dick Varney drowned when his helicopter crashed into the lake. Former Chief Warden Pilot Jack McPhee was killed last year when his personal Super Cub crashed up north. are called upon to assist, from the air, in coordinated ground searches for missing persons. More often than not the weather is nasty, and warden pilots find themselves up there under the “scud” in what flyers sometimes call “high pucker” conditions.

On December 4 Game Warden Pilot Dan Dufault found himself in exactly those kind of conditions.

It was windy and snowing that morning when the parents of 11 year- old Dylan Butler and 3 yearold Madison Richardson reported the kids missing.

The missing youngsters were eventually spotted by

rescued and hospitalized with hypothermia.

Dufault didn’t have to fly. Conditions were almost impossible with poor visibility and a low overcast. In cases like this, it is the warden pilot’s call. He knows the risks and nobody, including his bosses, ever second guesses a warden pilot’s decision to stay on the ground in weather that can kill the most skilled bush flyer. In all probability, Dufault’s willingness to take the calculated risk and search for the kids, while flying his Cessna under the scud at treetop level, is the reason they are alive today.

With falling temperatures,

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Pilots died in the line of duty. In 1956, warden Pilot George Townsend was killed in a plane crash at Maranacook Lake. Later, in 1972 at the same lake, warden Pilot Dick Varney drowned when his helicopter crashed into the lake.

Former Chief Warden Pilot Jack McPhee was killed last year when his personal Super Cub crashed up north.

Maine’s first Game Warden Pilot was Bill Turgeon. In 1937, Warden Turgeon flew an airplane belonging to the then Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Stobie. The airplane was a Gull-Wing Stinson.

There have been about 20 game warden pilots during the nearly 70 years that the Maine Warden Service has had flying game wardens.

The names that I have found are: Bill Turgeon, Bob Bacon, George Later, Gary Dumond, Malcom Maheu, Andy Stinson, Dick

Varney, George Townsend, Eben Perry, Jack McPhee, Dana Toothaker, Gary Dumond, Jim Welsh, Alan Ryder, Roger Wolverton, Jason Bouchard, Char-

Maine Warden Service.

He also flew choppers in combat in Vietnam and Desert Storm. Toothaker, who is 64 today and operates a landscaping business

Warden Pilots are called upon to fly in all kinds of weather and conditions.

lie Later, Dan DuFault and Durwood Humphrey.

There was a warden pilot nicknamed “Windy,” and there may be a few that I have missed.

During my stint at MDIF&W, I flew with a couple of warden pilots.

Spending time with Dana Toothaker, who was Chief Warden Pilot for a number of years, I picked up stories. Toothaker chalked up 19,000 hours during his 26 years in the air with the

in Phillips, winters with his wife in Punta Gorda, Florida where he fishes away the hours.

Toothaker: “It was my first year as a warden pilot.

While flying patrol in the Super Cub, I spotted dogs chasing deer not far from Benton. A state trooper I knew had a home nearby with a short field. In trying to land on the snow-crusted surface of his field on skis, I misjudged the distance and (Warden cont. pg 51)

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Cage Trapping

Cage traps can be useful. You can set cages most any place. In granite country where you can’t dig a trap bed, in grassy trails, along waterways and even fastened to leaning trees.

With the introduction of wire trigger cage traps water trapping has even become possible. Like all

smaller cage for skunk and opossum, as small as 5” x 5” x24” but then you would be limiting your ability to catch raccoon. Be sure to clear the area under the cage of debris so the treadle is fully operational. To secure the trap use two pieces of 18 inch rebar to secure it to the ground. Where you

the cage. Once the animal steps on the treadle to get the bait the trap fires. It’s not critical to brush in these cages to heavily or even at all. Usually loosely tucking the cage into a briar bush or long grass is all it needs.

This is more to keep people from seeing it too easily.

A good lure combination is a castor based lure in or above the cage and any type of gland lure inside

Page 49

The Fur Shed

by Blake Dougerty, Suffield, CT floor of the cage in dirt and then grass clippings and/or leaves to make it resemble actual earth. This is an important step. There are lead in scents that can be used to up the odds of connecting.

These scents are intended to entice a bobcat into the

tance call lure about 3 feet above the cage.

The same approach applies to beaver and otter and follows the same concepts as trapping with body grip traps as far as location goes. Runways, dam sets and crawl outs are all fair

Bobcat cages should be tall and narrow. Brushing in the cage prohibits the cat from satisfying its curiosity from outside the cage and increases your odds of a catch by encouraging the animal to enter the cage to investigate smells swirling around the set. Everything including the kitchen sink goes in the cage. the cage.

trapping, setting on sign is important and certain species are better targeted with cages. Let’s focus on those species.

Raccoon, Skunk & Opossum A 10” x 12” x 32” cage can be used for all three species. You can use a

can’t drive a stake use large rocks around the trap to stabilize it. A well bedded trap is essential to success. Any wobble at all is enough to spook a critter. For raccoon, skunk and opossum bait use something smelly like fish or cheap wet cat food in a back corner of

Bobcat Bobcat cages should be tall and narrow. Brushing in the cage prohibits the cat from satisfying its curiosity from outside the cage and increases your odds of a catch by encouraging the animal to enter the cage to investigate smells swirling around the set. Everything including the kitchen sink goes in the cage. Bait, a skunky call lure (just a hint), gland lure, a castor based lure and urine go in the back past the treadle or wire triggers. Wire a pheasant or duck carcass to the back of the cage. Cover the

cage to get him to rub, roll or investigate the other lure of bait being used. Once satisfied with set construction, hang a visual attractor above the set. A dvd, or pheasant wing works well as does 18”-24” of Christmas garland. Garland really shines and flashes when the sun hits it. If there are no nearby branches to hang an attractor from use 9 or 11 gauge trappers wire and attach the wire to the cage itself to create some height to hang something from.

Once a visual attractor is hung up, smear a long dis-

game and good spots to set.

Castor mounds in or on top of a cage also work. Jim Comstock of Comstock Traps makes a very nice line of double door traps designed with double wire triggers rather than treadle pans to trigger the trap. As the animal goes through the trap and pushes the wire triggers forward the trap doors close.

If non-lethal methods or pets are a consideration in the areas you trap consider cage traps as another option.

(Trapping cont. pg 51)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 50

Vermont Ramblings

by Dennis Jensen, Vermont

Yes, these are trying times. I promised myself that I wouldn’t get into the whole virus thing, that it has become too much, that every day, we are hammered, in the press, on TV, even the monthly magazine I read. Everything is about the virus. Enough already.

I am going off-script.

So instead of wringing my hands about what we are all facing, I thought it might be helpful to pass on what I have been doing with my time. I’ve been out on the mountain bike several times now, I am still walking almost two miles every other day, I am writing on a daily basis and trying not to watch much news on TV. Too much is too much.

If ever we needed to get out into the wonders of nature, now is the time.

Yes, I know. Everyone out there does not live with

big woods in their back yard. But you can jump in your car and travel to someplace, nearby, where you can wonder about, at your leisure.

Meanwhile, a dog ran off and was lost in our neighborhood only yesterday and it got me to think-

Searching for Angel I was giving my chainsaw a thorough cleaning in the basement of my home and, by early afternoon, after giving it some thought, decided that the chain saw could wait. The woman, whose dog was lost a day earlier, was a teacher, now retired, who once had my children and grandchildren in her class.

I decided to set out, behind my house, because the

one point, I could hear the voice of a woman, calling out, “Angel, Angel, Angel.” I ran into a man, walking along a cut, green field. He was from the village, a good four miles away, and yet here he was, out searching for Bonnie’s lost dog.

Finally, after some two hours of searching, the legs said, “No more.”

I headed back home, ex-

As I trekked up one big ridge and down another, I kept my eyes peeled for the color of bright green. I kept to the woods and, at one point, I could hear the voice of a woman, calling out, “Angel, Angel, Angel.”

ing about how, even when things go wrong, the best nature in people can emerge.

A neighbor down the street was in tears after her dog ran off. Good neighbors, up and down the country road where we live, passed by in search of Angel. But there was another problem with this rescued dog: He was not prone to barking and would almost certainly not be found by the sound of its voice.

dog was last seen running into the woods, maybe a quarter mile from where I live. While the dog was not expected to bark at its predicament, there were two things it had going for it: It was loose with a leash intact and wore a bright green coat.

As I trekked up one big ridge and down another, I kept my eyes peeled for the color of bright green.

I kept to the woods and, at

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August 2020

hausted, fearing that if this dog was to spend yet another night in the woods, its chances for survival were getting dimmer. If Angel is out here, the odds are very high that her leash has become entangled in a large limb or thick brush, rendering the dog immobile. It would be easy picking for coyotes. In fact, there was a good chance that Angel

was already the victim of hungry coyotes.

Later that afternoon, my wife got the message on Facebook. Angel had returned home, on her own.

It is but one little story, with a happy ending, from one little town in Vermont.

But there is a message of inspiration, of hope, that good people from the surrounding area would band together to help one person find her dog. People are capable of doing good things in hard times.

I hope these good people continue to have that kind of goodness in their hearts for I fear the worst of times are still ahead of us. Above all else, we must find a way to stick together.

Dennis Jensen is the outdoor editor for the Rutland Herald and Barre Times Argus and a longtime member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association.

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August 2020

Warden Cont. from pg 48) hit a telephone pole damaging the plane badly.”

“Did the boss give you hell?” I queried.

‘Well, he came up to the accident scene. He looked at me funny. All he said was, ‘ A little small, Dana.’ “ One winter, Warden Pilot Malcom “Mac” Maheu, who was a bomber pilot in WWII, crashed his warden plane through the ice at a remote lake where there was a warden cabin.

Maheu got himself out of the plane and the icy water and to the cabin. Shivering with hypothermia, he could find no wood or kindling in the cabin. The story has it that Maheu went back to his plane, got under the icy water and retrieved his ax from the cockpit so he could start a warming fire in the cabin. The pilot was eventually rescued. From that day on, the order come down from on high. No warden cabins will ever be left by any occupants without leaving a prepared fire in the stove ready to be lit.

As far as we know, nobody is keeping track of just how many lives have been saved over the years as a direct or indirect effort of Maine’s Game Warden

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Trapping

Pilots. My guess is that the figure is substantial. Of course, modern airplanes (Cont. from pg 49) are expensive to buy and expensive to keep in the air.

Blake’s Take When there are are budget HAGz XL Spring Clips shortfalls in Augusta, the number crunchers begin looking at possible cutbacks in warden airplanes and pilots.

Maybe this can’t be helped. But if you were the parent of a missing child, the wife of a lost hunter, or the son of an elderly person who walked off into the woods, there would be Using these clips and comfort in knowing that a 1/2” rebar stake I have the Warden Service Rescue Unit is using every tool found I can eliminate the at its disposal- including need to wire off body grip Game Warden Pilots.

Like Warden Pilot Dan Dufault, and those skilled bush flyers before him, flying game wardens are a special breed.

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network (WVOM-FM 103.9, WCME-FM 96.7) and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is vpaulr@tds.net

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Page 51 it, and doesn’t interfere with the spring eye.

Uses gravity to mount/ lock in position on 1/2” rods, simply slide it where you want and let go, easily adjustable to any height on the rod making it a very quick and versatile body grip stabilizer.

Use it in conjunction with the HAGz Bracket to stabilize a Body Grip Trap virtually anywhere.

Due to the size of larger traps, it’s recommended to place a cross stick or additional rod between the jaws to prevent any spinning.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 52

Green Mountain Report

by Bradley Carleton, Charlotte, VT There’s a lot of things I should be doing; repairing the hole in my duck boat, weeding the garden,

August 2020

Playing Hookey

most folks my age have.

There is some part of me that still finds wonder in the simple reflections of life in a mountain pool. Most and I’m just plain worn adults would recognize this out from being “a slave to is called “burn out” and call commerce” as my favorite in to their job demanding a writer, Gordon McQuarrie, “personal day.” Me, and the

Within a half an hour I am standing in one of my favorite brook trout waters, canopy of green overhead, cool spring water rushing around my wet sneakers.

I tie on one of Fran Bet-

fins with white tips, orange dots, with blue halos shining in the pillar of light that radiate through the trees. I am playing “hookey” because my soul needs it. How are you feel-

ter’s “usuals” and cast into the riffle where the white frothy falls fan out into the deep pool. The instant the fly hits the surface a rocket in green and black screams from the bottom of the pool and leaps above the surface, flashing orange

ing? Bit of a stomachache?

Headache? Stressed out? I thought so.

The Fish & Wildlife Department’s Dummerston Fishing Access Area on the Connecticut River will be closed for repairs during the entire month of July, starting on July 6. The existing boat ramp at the department access has been silted in for years, making it impossible for motorboats and most paddlers to launch their boats. A new boat ramp has been designed that will be longer, deeper, and built into the

The instant the fly hits the surface a rocket in green and black screams from the bottom of the pool and leaps above the surface, flashing orange fins with white tips, orange dots, with blue halos shining in the pillar of light that radiate through the trees.

working on our budget, patrolling the estate where I go part time, or heading off to the office to create loans for folks who need money even more than me.

But it is a hot August day,

used to say. My spirit is sagging from the obligations of everyday life. I need solace from the stresses of adulthood, which I can honestly say, I have never embraced the way

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inner child that still wants to rebel against authority, call it “hookey.” So that is what I will do. Play hookey.

My fly rod and vest are always in the back of the cab of the truck. And I always keep my favorite fishing cap back there too, because, you know the right time is gonna catch up to me. So, instead of turning north out of the driveway toward the bustling suburb of Burlington, I turn south and head for the mountains.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Moosehead Fishing: The High Life

By now, it’s a wellknown secret. The fishing on Moosehead Lake has been absolutely phenomenal. Heavy, deep, colorful wild brook trout are caught regularly, ranging in the four to six-pound range.

This is an historic time on

beautiful country, try some of the meadows off the many rivers and streams that feed Moosehead Lake.

It may be that you have to drag a canoe in places, but it’s worth it. I’m of the mind that 95 percent of the fun is in creating your own

For us, it’s about getting back in the woods, living close to nature. Not so much finding the nearest shopping centers, fighting traffic and crowds to see the latest tourist attraction. the lake, with trout this big never before seen in recorded logs. Even Camp Comfort, which kept a log for 60 years, from the turn of the last century, rarely recorded a trout over three pounds. A four-pounder was considered a prize.

The landlocked salmon and lake trout have been beautiful too. Enough said.

Many anglers enjoy lake fishing. But if you want to see some other

Blues

adventure, so won’t mention specific places. All I can say is there are many special places, and the Moosehead Lake region won’t disappoint. August at Moosehead, even in the heat of the summer, is a miracle place. You will find your own bit of heaven, in the soul surrounding solitude of soft breezes, swaying tree tops, the sweet smell of warm green, and high, open skies, often with

trout. That’s what it is designed to do. But next time I fish that spot again, or any (Cont. from pg 31) other one of my big trout trout? I‘ll never know. It holes I’ll have my 7 ½’ – might well have been only 4oz. flyod with me---just ten or twelve inches. Then in case! it also might well have Bob Leeman is a Masbeen much bigger.

I often think about ter Maine Guide, outdoor that experience that day. writer, naturalist, book I put that little Orvis two- author, and a co-host of ounce fly rod away and the MAINE OUTDOORS haven’t used it since. But radio program on Sunday you know, I think I’ll take it evenings from 7-8 p.m. His out of mothballs and give it three books are all availanother few casts…maybe able, in soft cover only, today. And maybe at that at several bookstores and fly shops, or directly from same spot.

Now don’t get me him. For information on wrong. That little fly rod his books, please call 207is fine for catching small 989-7696.

the scud of heavy, billowing white clouds moving slowly across the blue — and very likely, you will be in the lone company of a soaring eagle, gliding quietly overhead. As my aunt and I used to say, “You can’t make this stuff up.” Moosehead offers the high life.

Finding the high life is what it’s all about. There are other places around the state that fill the bill.

For us, it’s about getting back in the woods, living close to nature. Not so much finding the nearest shopping centers, fighting traffic and crowds to see the latest tourist attraction.

When we were kids, we grew up fishing on the other side of the state, in the Chain Lake area.

We went for the month of June. Usually it was cold and rainy. But the fishing was good, we were way back off the beaten path,

Page 53

Kineo Currents

by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME and we had the time of our lives. The family also went to Baxter, before it was a well-known park, and hiking wasn’t a particular activity. During my father’s time, the family moved from Mattawamkeag and set up camp for a couple of weeks, fished for food, but it was considered a work trip. The marching order was to pick enough blueberries to can for the year, then you could go fishing.

We also canoed, fished, and camped up around Allagash and the Big Black.

Each place provided something neat and different.

Each place was its own high life. Even today, they still are.

These are places embedded in my grey matter.

They are called up during times of needed sustenance.

Today, I am burying the aunt from Mattawamkeag.

We made many memories

that seemed inconsequential back then. A simple trip on a rainy day, from Mattawamkeag to Millinocket, looms large now.

The days spent on Chain Lake, laughing and acting foolish around the campfire, loom large. A peaceful, sun-lit place on a backstream meadow, the smell of Maine in my nose, looms large. I hope every girl and boy gets to lock into that high life, and keep holding it close.

Suzanne AuClair lives in Rockwood. She has been writing about the Moosehead Lake Region for 25 years. She produced Maine’s first anthology, “The Origin, Formation & History of Maine’s Inland Fisheries Division.” It will be introduced at the American Fisheries Society 150th Anniversary this year.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 54

Mass Wanderings

Back to Brookies Basics

on the worm, or you’ve drifted into to slower current and the worm has settled on the bottom.

Sometimes the aggressive native will swallow the whole thing while other times the trout is hanging onto to the worm with its mouth and when I lift them out of the water they

to catch so I usually catch my limit but I always bring them home and cook them that night for supper. I’m not into stockpiling trout in my freezer, like I did back when I fished for stocked trout, a long time ago.

I’ve been twice so far this year and both times it felt that I was 10 years old again, (how I wish).

The first time was up on Dunbar Brook at the top of the Mohawk Trail, near the sight of the now totally gone Monroe state prison camp. The Dunbar meanders along Tilda Hill Road and then drops down

worms. I was always shuddered at the thought of buying worms but I have since acquiesced. The size 10 hook is the key as even the smallest of trout get hooked. There isn’t any casting at all, simply get the worms swinging back and forth and then flip it at the right time to the designated spot. Kind of an upside down fly-fishing, if you will.

The worm will slowly drift downstream, (it’s amazing how difficult it is to follow the line these days), and when it stops there’s either a brook trout

sometimes simply let go.

If I’m quick enough and I flip the trout onto the bank before it lets go, otherwise the fish falls back into the water. What I’ve discovered about brookies is that I can hook the same trout a few consecutive times but it doesn’t stop biting until it comes out of the water and then falls off.

One of the problems around here is that there aren’t that many streams that hold decent sized, (7-10 inches), wild brook

trout. The biggest trout that I catch is 6”, tops.

That’s OK, but I really want to catch fewer trout, but bigger trout. Totally by chance that changed this year. The state of Vermont, like most states, has a free fishing weekend. I didn’t think much of it because I know very few small streams just over the border in the Green Mountain State. After my first time fishing in Massachusetts I posted on Facebook a picture of the small brook trout in a pan frying. I got a comment from a former co-worker that Vermont was having its free fishing weekend and that I should try Broad Brook in Pownal.

So I did.

On a hot Saturday afternoon I took the short drive to Pownal and had at it. Broad Brook is also very rocky but my sneakers held well, even on wet boulders.

It didn’t take long to see just what this brook had to offer. On my second flip I was standing on a rock the size of a small car and the water ran under the rock,

Hookey

encouraging all visitors to be aware of how and where they park to allow as many access visitors as possible to use the access. For more information, please call F&W Lands and Facilities Administrator Mike Wichrowski at 802-9171347.

The VT F&W reminds the public not to swim at fishing access areas due to safety concerns.

The primary use of the fishing access areas is for launching and retrieving motorboats. The VT F&W maintains 196 developed fishing access areas on

lakes and rivers throughout the state. These areas have allowed uses determined by law, and swimming is not one of them. The access areas were purchased and are maintained with funds derived from the sale of fishing licenses and motorboat registrations, as well as a federal excise tax on fishing equipment, fishing tackle, and gasoline for motorboats. These funding sources explicitly prohibit activities that are in conflict with fishing and boating.

F&W regulations prohibit certain uses of fishing access areas including, but

not limited to -- swimming, littering, camping, picnicking, making a fire, parking of vehicles not related to priority uses, and commercial activity. “It’s great that people want to get out in the water, but a boat ramp is not the right place to go swimming,” said Mike Wichrowski who oversees the Fishing Access Area Program. “There’s a reason motorboats aren’t allowed in swimming areas, and swimming isn’t allowed at fishing access areas -- it’s simply not safe.” “We understand that people want to go swimming, especially

Starting last year I got a hankering to get back to my fishing roots and go worm dunking for wild brook trout. I only go a few times each summer, but it’s amazing how good I feel while I’m out there. Brookies aren’t terribly difficult

by David Willette, N. Adams, MA

into the Town of Monroe Bridge where it dumps into the Deerfield River. It is a very rocky stream. The weapon(s) of choice for me are a 7’ Fenwick combo fly/ spinning rod, and old Penn reel, size 10 hooks, no sinkers and store bought garden

I dove on that fish like it was a fumble in the end zone. I haven’t done that in a long, long time.

(Cont. from pg 52) river to avoid the siltation problems that have plagued the existing ramp for years.

The parking lot will also have a small expansion, including ADA parking and a path to the ramp. Boaters and anglers are asked to use the Putney Landing Fishing Access Area during this closure, which is located about one half mile upriver.

The parking area at Putney Landing is small and popular, so Fish & Wildlife is

August 2020

three feet below my shoes, so I was kind of fishing blindly, but the line was so close that I could see that it had stopped. I thought that I had a snag as I started to pull on the line to tighten up the tension, but then I could feel a strong fish on the end. I lifted it out of the water and I could see that it was a real nice brookie. Just as I flipped it onto the bank, it fell off the hook and started flopping towards the water. I dove on that fish like it was a fumble in the end zone. I haven’t done that in a long, long time. As there was no way that that fish was getting back in the water. I fished a few more holes and caught some more 7” trout.

It was a very tasty supper that night.

So the next time that you’re in Vermont for free fishing weekend and you see some grey-haired guy acting like a 10 year oldit’s only me getting back to my roots.

during hot weather, but we are urging folks to swim at locally approved swimming areas,” he added.

“Finding a safe swimming area is easy in most communities. Just ask at a general store or other place where people gather.” The fine for swimming at an access area is $162.

David Willette is the author of “Coyote Wars”.

He can be reached at coyote wars@gmail.com

Bradley Carleton is the founder and Executive Director of www.sacredhunter.org which teaches the public respect and empathy through hunting and fishing.

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

A Hidden Jewel

Located deep within the northwest corner of Maine’s vast forestland, Parmachenee Lake is one of the brightest jewels in the crown of lakes and ponds that comprise the Rangeley Lakes Region.

Legend has it that the lake is named after an Abenaki princess.

after his only daughter.

The Magalloway River crosses the Canadian border, snaking through bog, meadow, and wood for nearly three miles before its serpentine course slips into Parmachenee Lake not far above Indian Cove, a quiet backwater frequented by moose that graze on the

and fished the Parmachenee tract since he was a young boy, and like the legendary guides of old, he enjoyed then, as he does now, to regal his sports with tales about the region.

Over dinner one night, Tom explained that the wooden structure below Black Cat Cove had been built in the early part of the 1900s to replace a more primitive dam. As

Page 55

Against The Current

by Bob Romano, Rangeley, ME went across two spillways.

A gravel road stretched down from one bank of the river to the other, enabling trucks to cross. Tom recounted how a number of loggers lost their lives in accidents that occurred as their trucks navigated the

ing and Trapping On The Upper Magalloway River and Parmachenee Lake: A Winter In The Wilderness.

Having explored the lake and the forested hills surrounding it, Danforth soon created a thriving business guiding sports

The Native Americans of the region did not keep written records, and for this reason it is hard to distinguish between fact and fiction when it comes to their legacy, but there are a number of tales that involve Chief Metallak.

The Parmachenee Belle, a famous Rangeley fly named after the lake.

The Native Americans of the region did not keep written records, and for this reason it is hard to distinguish between fact and fiction when it comes to their legacy, but there are a number of tales that involve Chief Metallak. It has been documented that on many occasions, the kindly Abenaki assisted early settlers, hunters, and trappers, with many of them counting Metallak as a loyal friend. This included Enoch Lincoln, the Governor of Maine during the 1800s. One account has it that as a young brave, the future chief climbed upon the back of a moose he found sleeping in a meadow. Waking, the bull crashed through wood, field, and into a river while the young Metallak hung on for dear life. It is said he lived for 120 years, during which time the “Lone Indian of the Magalloway” named Parmachenee Lake

lush grasses and water lilies found there. At the southeast corner of the lake, the Magalloway River reemerges as a wide, slowmoving stream. A cabin is maintained by the warden’s service beside Black Cat Brook, a streamlet that enters the river within view of what had once been a wooden dam.

More than thirty years ago, I watched my wife battle her first landlocked salmon in a pool below the stone cribwork that once formed the foundation for the dam below what is known as Black Cat Cove.

The fish danced upon its tail while leaping a number of times before coming to the net.

That was about the same time my wife and I became friends with Master Maine guide, Tom Rideout. Following in the sporting tradition established by men like John Danforth, Tom has hunted, trapped,

we sipped our coffee, the Master Maine Guide described how the dam had been used to hold back water at the top of the ravine so that it could be released each spring to allow logs cut during the winter to be floated from Parmachenee Lake over the large boulders that rise from that stretch of the river’s surface as the Magalloway narrows for over two miles before entering the top of Aziscohos Lake.

Named after the man who conceived it, Keenan Dam was also a bridge that

steep grade leading down to the bridge. This caused Jim Keenan to insist that the road be diverted to a safer crossing.

Although he was not the first white man to venture into the region, like Chief Metallak, John Danforth will be forever linked to the Parmachenee tract.

While still a young man, he and his friend, Fred Barker, spent the winter of 1876 hunting and trapping in what at the time was true wilderness. They later wrote a book about their adventures entitled, Hunt-

from as far away as Boston, Hartford, and New York City. Wishing to make his living in this way, he’d hoped to build a sporting lodge, but was stymied by a land dispute. Not to be outdone by his competitors, Danforth constructed a floating lodge that could be moved about the lake and along the river. The lodge was christened Camp Caribou when a sport shot one of the animals that were plentiful during the 1800s. At some point, the legal issues that plagued (Jewel cont. pg 57)

Page 56

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Muzzleloading Afield

by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME

I’ve been into muzzleloading and a muzzleloader hunter for nearly 50 years now, starting out with a Thompson/Center Hawken, eventually transitioning to in-lines when they hit the market and the simplicity, accuracy and reliability of the in-line

concept quickly became apparent. Today, in-lines are the most popular muzzleloader system sold and carried in during hunting season.

Since their introduction I’ve watched as the industry has tried to push the in-line concept to maxi-

Federal Premium’s Firestick

mum limits with specific primers, cleaner-burning propellants and more ballistic co-efficient projectiles that promised better accuracy at greater range.

Some did, some didn’t but ultimately few modi-

fications or “new” innovations peaked my interest. I finally started wondering, how far can you push a dead horse? What new, unknown innovations are out there that will make the in-line muzzleloader any

St John Valley The Firestick sounds like a decent concept, we’ll have to wait and see, but investing in the new NitroFire muzzleloader is required to use them.

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better, more reliable and accurate or easier and more user friendly? I finally came to the conclusion

Visually, the Firestick resembles a 28-gauge shot shell, minus the primer, and like a shot shell is intended for a one-time use and cannot be reloaded.

Consisting of a sealed polymer capsule, a breakable front cap completely encases the factory-loaded 100-grain or 120-grain powder charge. there weren’t any. But I’m no engineer and my brain don’t work that way.

Well, the folks at Federal Ammunition think they have come up with something and teamed up with Hodgdon and Traditions Firearms to develop the Firestick. Announced at SHOT back in January, the Firestick is a premeasured, self-contained powder charge of Hodgdon’s new Triple 888 powder, or Triple 8 for short, a nitrocellulose-based propellant.

Not much is known about Triple 8 and Hodgdon isn’t saying much except to say it is cleaner burning. Compared to what, I wonder?

Visually, the Firestick (Firestick cont. pg 62)

August 2020

Jewel (Cont. from pg 55) Danforth were resolved, and he received permission to build a sporting camp on Treat’s Island located in the middle of Parmachenee Lake, where he docked his floating lodge.

A fly pattern known as the Parmachenee Belle is attributed to John Danforth’s good friend, fishing companion, and New York attorney, Henry P. Wells. This wet fly is said to imitate the fin of a brook trout. It is meant to tempt larger trout that are known to stalk smaller fish, and continues to be cast by anglers throughout Maine.

In 1890, a number of wealthy sports, including Henry Wells, formed the Parmachenee Club, with their headquarters in

Northwoods Sporting Journal New York City and their clubhouse at Camp Caribou. Shortly thereafter, the members bought out Danforth’s interest. While Danforth would remain as manager, Treat’s Island became known as the Parmachenee Club.

By World War II, the large corporations that owned much of Maine’s forestland were constructing roads of dirt-and-grit to allow logging trucks access to the abundant timber found in the northern parts of the state. At the same time, gates went up preventing use of these roads by the general public. Over time, many of these gates were removed, although those barring vehicles to Parmachenee Lake and the upper portion of the Magalloway River remain.

Although landlocked salmon were introduced

in the late 1800s, the region’s native brook trout have called Parmachenee Lake home since before the first Abenaki paddled their birch bark canoes across its sparkling waters. The restricted access and a catchand-release philosophy have resulted in a superb fishery. Native brook trout exceeding twenty inches are not uncommon, and in early spring and fall trout and salmon can be found in the river’s deeper runs.

Bosebuck Mountain Camps is a traditional Maine sporting lodge located on the western shoreline of Aziscohos Lake.

The owners of the camps, Mike and Wendy Yates, have a limited amount of keys to the gates, allowing their guests access to Parmachenee Lake and the upper portion of the Magalloway River.

While paddling a canoe across its sparkling waters, you’ll discover that little has changed since young Johnny Danforth spent a winter trapping and hunting the surrounding forest. Passing by Treat’s Island, you can view the cabins that once housed Henry Wells and his wealthy friends. If you look closely you may even spy a ghostly apparition waving back at you.

Passing through Indian Cove, you might spot a moose or two, and while wading the deeper pools and runs found along the upper stretches of the Magalloway River, you’ll have the chance to hook

Page 57 a salmon willing to dance on its tail or a brook trout that may take you into your backing.

And just maybe, when the breeze sweeps along the shoreline or a loon cries out as the sun goes down, you may turn to find Chief Metallak smiling back at you.

Now in its fourth printing, Bob’s book, Shadows in the Stream, contains stories about Parmachenee Lake, the Magalloway River and many other lakes, rivers and streams in the Rangeley Lakes Region. He can be reached at magalloway@mac.com

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Page 58

Northwoods Sporting Journal

South Of the Kennebec

by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME Down here in the heart of southern Maine’s Vacationalnd with over ten miles of sandy beaches it is impossible (and illegal) to fish during the daytime hours. That suits many of us just fine. The summertime prize for saltwater anglers is the striped bass and sometimes bluefish,

come home at daybreak.

One fellow night angler said it best. “Night fishing is a win-win for me. I can keep the wife and kids happy by laying on the beach during the day and I can do my fishing at night.”

Of course you will need to plan a few aspects of your trip, such as the

August 2020

Anglers in the Night Many of the local beaches prohibit fishing during the daytime. Each town has it’s own regulations so check with the Town or City Clerk for details. One of my personal favorites is the beach at Ocean Park and the mouth of Goosefare Brook in Old Orchard Beach.

Over the past few years I have been meeting a friend from Vermont on the beach for striped bass

sary for beach fishing. This consists of a snap swivel that features a small tube through which you feed your line and a one or two ounce pyramid sinker is

will likely be fishing past midnight you could legally take one fish before midnight and a second after midnight but coastal wardens may scrutinize

I’ve had the best luck on the incoming tide between two and three hours either side of high. Stripers have surprised me as to which baits they prefer. One time they will take fresh mackerel and other times they won’t touch the macs but will gobble down clam necks or seaworms. and they both shy away from bright lights and slow water.

Nighttime fishing is for people who either have vacation time or are retired.

For weeks of hot weather like we just had there are a lot of positive reasons to take a long nap in the afternoon and head out just before dark with plans to

type water, if you have a boat or perhaps your plan is to fish off the beach or a jetty.

With the water temperatures in the coastal rivers very high, the striped bass, especially the larger ones will be cruising the surf after dark and that’s when I suggest you get your feet wet, so to speak.

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angling after dark. Surprisingly, we have seen very few other surfcasters especially when the high tide rolls in around midnight.

I’ve had the best luck on the incoming tide between two and three hours either side of high. Stripers have surprised me as to which baits they prefer.

One time they will take fresh mackerel and other times they won’t touch the macs but will gobble down clam necks or seaworms.

You’ll need to exercise some caution when fishing off the beach, especially in areas where the tide washes in to lower areas. Be prepared to move quickly if the tide begins to wash in behind you.

I take a beach chair and a five-gallon bucket to hold all my gear. I use two 9-10-foot surf rods and a couple of sand spikes to hold the rods into the sand.

On the end of each rodtip I tape a small glowstick that helps me see when the fish strikes.

A sliding rig is neces-

Night surf angler on Old Orchard Beach.

(Photo by Stu Bristol) clipped on. The weight helps to cast the line out and the line runs freely through the slider rig and the fish can pick up bait without feeling the weight.

Of course you will want a flashlight or headlamp. I prefer the type that uses a red or green light, similar to the ones used by deer hunters in a blind.

They don’t ruin your night vision as quickly as a white light.

Saltwater regulations change every year. For 2020 anglers may keep only one striped bass that measures between 28 and 35 inches. Because you

your catch.

In fresh water, night fishing can also be great fun. Of course, if you are using a boat, you need to be familiar with the waters you are fishing and I mean every rock pile and point of land. It’s very easy to get stranded at night with a broken propeller.

On nights without a moon you’ll need to use top-water baits that make a lot of splashing noises.

That’s for bass, of course, but if your game fish is bullhead (horned pout) you will just need a folding chair or bucket to sit on, (Night cont. pg 65)

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 59

Lucky Chances

Most young men are lacking in the reflective, problem-solving, fightor-flight decision-making skills common to those who live long lives. Sometimes we get old not by skill, but by a heavy dose of good luck. I am certainly counted among the population of that benighted demographic.

Eventually, I went from knee-deep to thigh-deep to in up to my hips— and reaching out and down as far as I dared, finally found the second half of the rod, and in grabbing it, also freed the spoon.

As quickly as I could, I lurched back to shore.

I love fishing, and in those days of my youth fishing took a far more important place in my daily schedule than washing dishes, doing laundry, buying and preparing food and many of the other routine necessities of life. I found ways around those unsavory distractions; I ate out, and did laundry only when on the brink of throwing away my favorite shirts. With the extra time, I fished.

I worked hard, but like all young men, I had bills to pay, and eating out adds up, so my budget for fishing gear was often trespassed upon by other needs. Losing even a cheap jig in an underwater defile or to a tree limb on the other side of a stream prompted me many times to howl mighty oaths to the fishing gods.

One day when the

season was still young, I rode my bike along a mysterious, ancient, and mostly abandoned stagecoach road to a little-visited part of the Penobscot River. The water was high and fast, but there were some deep eddies and back flows where I knew the big fish lay in wait. One of these holes was behind a large cropping of glacial erratics on the other side of some fast water.

I tied on a spoon, and cast it out into the deadwater, twitching the end of the rod as I slowly retrieved the line back in. And then—

stuck. I couldn’t tell if I had hung up on a submerged log or a rock. I whipped the rod up and down a few times, and then my bad situation got even worse.

As I pulled on the line and tried to free the spoon, the tip end of my two-piece rod came free, and lazily disappeared, riding the line beneath the water to where the spoon was stuck.

Breathless, I surveyed the situation quickly. The current was fast—actually, roaring. I can’t swim a stroke to save my life, and I’ve been in situa-

Welcome to Rangeley & Oquossoc Region

Marsh Island Chronicles

by Matthew Dunlap, Old Town, ME tions where that would have been a handy skill to have to supplement a life jacket. Despite my deficit in assets, I decided that I couldn’t countenance losing both the spoon and the rod.

Anchoring the reel and handle of the rod around a tree, I carefully began making my way into

the current, holding the tenpound test line like it was a mighty hawser. Eventually, I went from knee-deep to thigh-deep to in up to my hips—and reaching out and down as far as I dared, finally found the second half of the rod, and in grabbing it, also freed the spoon. As quickly as I could, I lurched (Chances cont. pg 65)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 60

Outdoors In Vermont

by Gary W. Moore, Bradford, VT As I think of August, I think of Nat King Cole’s verse, “Roll out those lazy, hazy days of summer.” August is often hot and muggy and I retreat to our spring fed trout pond or above tree line in the mountains. My fishing is usually restricted to early morning or occasionally at dusk.

Most of our lakes have warmed so trout and salmon are down deep requiring different techniques from those that brought success back in May and June. Many of us concentrate on bass and walleye which will be found at less depths. That said, anglers can still do well if they put in the effort.

August is a good time to visit your local range to get in some practice whether with rifle or shotgun. Many of our clubs of-

fer trap, skeet and sporting clays as well as rifle and handgun ranges. Honing your skills in August will prove beneficial when the fall hunting seasons arrive.

Time To Enjoy The End Of Summer And Plan For Fall Seasons August is a good time to get in a family vacation at one of our many state

August 2020

Those Lazy, Hazy Days

Go to: https://vtstateparks.com/index.html to make reservations or learn more about the parks or call 1-888-409-7579 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Should you be looking for private campgrounds, bed and breakfasts, or luxury inns or simply ideas for things to do and see check out, http://vermontvacation.com/, the official state tourism site. Another good resource is http://www.

The oldest deer harvested were a pair of 17-year-old does taken in Rockingham and Fairfax. The oldest buck was 10 years old and was taken in Shaftsbury. parks located in all regions of the state while scouting and planning for the fall hunting seasons. While the kids are in the water at midday, do some exploring.

A little effort can pay big dividends come September and October.

voga.org/, the website for the Vermont Outdoor Guides Association. There is so much to do and see in Vermont that you can finds things to make the vacation special for all members of the family.

Bits and Pieces Hunters who provided the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department with a tooth from their deer can now find out how old their deer was by visiting the department’s website www. vtfishandwildlife.com A total of 2,489 teeth were received from successful rifle season hunters.

When added to the 1,148 deer examined by biologists during the youth and rifle seasons, the department was able to get accurate ages for 3,637 deer.

The oldest deer harvested were a pair of

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Remote mountain ponds can provide relief from the heat and beautiful brook trout.

17-year-old does taken in Rockingham and Fairfax.

The oldest buck was 10 years old and was taken in Shaftsbury. *** Fish and Wildlife will allow antler less hunting in all WMUs except E1 and E2 in the northeast corner of the state. The August drawing awarded 23,000 permits.

A statewide Vermont open hunting season for resident Canada geese will occur September 1-25. A second Canada goose hunting season for resident and migrant geese will be held October 10-November 8 in the Lake Champlain and Interior Zones. In the Connecticut River Zone, the second Canada goose season will be October 6-November 8, and November 17-December 12.

A printable copy of the Migratory Bird Syl-

labus can be downloaded from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife website, www. vtfishandwildlife.com, under “Hunt” – “Waterfowl.”

A printed version also will be available from license agents and post offices by late August.

Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore is a lifelong resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game. He may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@myfairpoint.net or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033. His latest book, Four Seasons in Vermont, can be purchased at local stores or ordered online at www. bondcliffbooks.com, on Amazon at www.amazon. com. A signed copy can be ordered by sending $17.95 to cover postage and handling to the author at the above address.

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Hollow-Body Frogging

August can be a heatexhausting experience for both bass and bass anglers.

Those dreaded three-words hazy-hot-humid are enough to make you shut-off that early morning alarm-clock ringing, roll back over in bed, close your eyes and get back to dreaming about frogging for bass.

However, dedicated frog-

Leap FrogZ, “Both the Walking and Popping Leap FrogZ have a defined Vshaped bottom, which allows for easy side-to-side walking techniques in both styles!” The aggressive opened extended cupped mouth of the Popping Leap FrogZ produces loud gurgling, spitting and bubbling

Best Bassin’

tures where bass are in their comfort zone. Fan casting these areas leaves trail markings, which in turn aid in locating areas with underwater cover as well as bass blow-ups.

One huge misconception relating to bass and heavy matted vegetation is...’This is where the bass

Working your frog around heavy matted vegetation provides, shade, security, ambush points, plus cooler water temperatures where bass are in their comfort zone. anglers hop out of bed and head to their favorite body of water and start casting frogs for bass.

On August mornings when the sun is still low in the sky, bass will be more apt to wander further in search of food. Chasing your walking frog not only increases your opportunities, it also allows you to cover more water. There are literally hundreds of artificial rubber frogs available on the market; basically though there are only two style frogs. Popping frogs and walking frogs, some companies such as ZMan Fishing Products produce both solid body frogs and hollow body frogs. (Note: ZMan’s New hollow body Leap FrogZ is NOT made of ZMan’s ElaZtech plastic, it is roto-molded from vinyl and comes with extra-long silicone skirted legs. www.

ZManFishing.com) ZMan’s Luke Clausen is a frog fanatic who assisted in designing ZMan’s

Major League Fishing Pro Luke Clausen.

(Courtesy of ZMan Fishing) action. Add in the defined keel shape bottom, and anglers can keep this FrogZ in the same open location for extended periods of time.

Clausen is quick to advise frog anglers the importance of utilizing the correct balanced tackle.

“I spool my casting reel with 65 lb. braided line, mounting it to a heavy action rod.” Luke goes on to explain, the heavy action rod provides the power for hard solid hook-sets, required for big bass with hard mouths. While the strength and durability of the 65 lb. braid eliminates stretch cuts through vegetation and has the strength to keep from breaking when battling big bass out of heavy thick vegetation.

Working your frog around heavy matted vegetation provides, shade, security, ambush points, plus cooler water tempera-

Page 61

will be, if not than they are in deep-water, especially during the month of August!’ Not completely true!

Yes, matted vegetation and deep water will hold bass.

However, other areas also provide perfect habitat as well. Remember shade,

by Bill Decoteau, Hampden, MA cooler water and ambush points are the key factors.

And, this is another reason Hollow Body Frogs work so well in August.

Concentrate on the cooler shallow areas with the following features: Docks, (especially those low to the water) overhanging trees, pontoon boats, isolated cover in the form of trees, vegetation, float rafts and never rule out moored boats or large buoys. These floating items provide shade all day long.

Position your boat to make the perfect cast keeping your frog inside or above the shaded areas. Submerged vegetation within shaded areas is an excellent location to work popping frogs to draw attention to the surface.

So why fish hollow body frogs in hot weather?

They are light, cast well, are totally weed less, skip excellent under docks, do not make loud noises when

hitting metal docks or boats and they catch big bass.

One last tip; try coating your frogs with a frog scent like Bio Edges Frog, this will allow your frogs to skip better, slide over wood and ride on top of matted vegetation besides leaving a frog scent trail leading to your Hollow Body Frog.

God Bless and Best Bassin’

Billy “Hawkeye” Decoteau is an outdoor journalist with a strong passion for pursuing the Black Bass. His activities include; emceeing The Bass University weekend educational seminar programs, as well as emceeing benefit tournaments such as Maine’s Annual May Special Olympics Team Tournament, Fishing For Freedom, and working with the USO.

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Page 62

Firestick (Cont. from 56) resembles a 28-gauge shot shell, minus the primer, and like a shot shell is intended for a one-time use and cannot be reloaded. Consisting of a sealed polymer capsule, a breakable front cap completely encases the

Northwoods Sporting Journal

factory-loaded 100-grain or 120-grain powder charge. To discharge an independent 209 primer is inserted into a moistureproof primer pocket on the other end of the capsule making the Firestick impervious to moisture. Unlike the powders and pellets typically used the Firestick can be conveniently and

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easily loaded and removed as needed and supposedly the Firestick is compatible with any muzzleloaderspecific or 209-type primer and any brand of muzzleloader bullets.

The biggest downside as I see it is the Firestick cannot be used with the standard break-open inline muzzleloaders with

a breech plug most of us already own, hunt with and mostly probably like and trust. The Firestock is a proprietary system that can only be used in Tradition’s new NitroFire rifle introduced this year.

The .50-caliber NitroFire comes with no breech plug, and inside the breech area is a shelf the bullet

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August 2020 sits on. Unlike a typical loading procedure where propellant is loaded first followed by the bullet and primer, with the Firestick system the bullet is loaded first until it seats against the shelf in the breech area.

A Firestick is then inserted in the breech and basically acts as a breech plug and supplies the powder charge all in one.

The Firestick sounds like a decent concept, we’ll have to wait and see, but investing in the new NitroFire muzzleloader is required to use them. Too bad. I’m always open to concepts that make hunting with a muzzleloader and cleaning them easier and more convenient but I have to wonder how many front-end hunters are willing to lay $500-plus dollars on the counter just to give them a shot. Again, we’ll have to wait and see.

August 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 63

Bicentennial Pine

I like to think it started with a chickadee. Or maybe a red-breasted nuthatch exploring the nooks and crannies of clusters of pine cones in the canopy of one of the last of the King’s Pines. The stately monarch towered 220 feet into the ocean blue Maine sky. Sixty years earlier it was discovered by a “mast agent” surveying Soudabscook Stream above the falls and was marked with King George’s broad arrow, a vertical line topped with an upside-down “V” that warned all colonial ship builders away. But the sawyers, British or American, never returned for this giant. It was above the falls and could not be floated down the stream. It would take too much effort to haul with oxen to the shipyards in Bangor or Winterport.

Eventually lightning would claim its crown.

But on this breezy September day in the early 1800s, it was an industrious chickadee that dislodged tiny showers of seeds from the top of the King’s Pine.

Caught on the zephyr wafting up Penobscot Bay, the seeds whirled on tiny wings over a newly-cleared pasture. One lodged in the crevice in the rock wall at the edge of the cleared forest. Buried in snow for six months, it germinated on a spring day about the time Maine became a state on March 15, 1820.

The pine sunk it taproot into the moldering humus below the rock was and prospered in the sheltered enclave between the carefully placed granite boulders. Although the pine inherited superior parental genes, it became a “pasture pine” subject to

It provided shade for the sheep and cattle on both sides of the pasture. Normally, weedy pines like this were cut, but not this one.

It had the good fortune to grow on a property boundary and adjacent farmers didn’t know who owned the tree that was claiming its place on the sunny fencerow. The adage, “Good fences make good neighbors” was around long before the poet Robert

Northwoods Sketchbook

by Mark McCollough, Hampden, ME War, the farms played out.

By then, the pine was casting its own clouds of whirling seeds into the pastures below. One year the pastures weren’t “spruced up,” the sheep and cows gone, and the toil of 50 years of farming was reclaimed by the forest. Second growth

The “Grandmother Tree” was a favorite family hiking destination. On cold winter days our snowshoes would crunch and squeak in the snow on a trip through the woods to visit the great tree. As a young family, we would link hands and encircle the tree, not able

World wars came and went, when a new type of farmer arrived and looked at the second growth forest as a crop ripe for the harvest. Foresters and woodsmen marveled at the pine that grew high above the canopy of all the others.

A true bicentennial tree, it stands tall to this day.

(Illustration by Mark McCollough) the ravages of white pine weevils. When the tree was about 10 feet tall, these beetles with their tapirshaped snouts laid their eggs in the terminal leader causing its weeviled mainstem to fork like a tortured candelabra.

The pasture pine grew quickly (especially with two main crowns), but was of little material interest to generations of farmers and woodsmen who exploited the Soudabscook valley.

Frost borrowed the phrase in 1914. Maine politeness saved the pine.

The growing pine witnessed the prosperity and growth of the determined young State. From its lofty canopy it warily observed the smoke rising from the nearby Sterns lumber mill on the Penobscot. It watched a young attorney, Hannibal Hamlin, travel from his residence in Hampden to his law office in Bangor. This young man would later become Abraham Lincoln’s vice president. His sons would leave the young town of Hampden to become Civil War generals. Nearby was the homestead of Dorothea Dix. She too would leave for the Civil War, but to lead a corps of Army nurses.

Shortly after the Civil

of pine, oak, and maple replaced the livestock. The pine grew in height and stature toward its first century mark.

World wars came and went, when a new type of farmer arrived and looked at the second growth forest as a crop ripe for the harvest. Foresters and woodsmen marveled at the pine that grew high above the canopy of all the others.

One advised, “You know, that tree is just taking up space. Let me cut it down.”

Another argued that it produced pine seeds enough to reseed 50 acres. No loggers dared to lay an axe or saw blade on the tree that grew on the property line.

As logging technology advanced, it escaped several rounds of chainsaws and whirling blades as it watched its offspring fall.

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to quite join hands until the kids got older. Many times, I stopped to marvel at the massive pine when deer hunting. The forest was cut again two winters ago, but someone put a blue ribbon around the tree. It was spared by the woodman for another few decades.

The old tree measures 12 feet in circumference and 4 in diameter. Its height is about 110 feet. Counting the rings of the stumps of its nearby offspring, I estimate the old tree is over 200 years old – a true bicentennial tree! But the measure of an old pine is more than the statistics of rings, cords, or board feet.

Hundreds of generations of chickadees and nuthatches have each unloosed their own shower of pine seeds. Ospreys and eagles (Pine cont. pg 69)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 64

Anticosti

by Mark Cote, Rumford, ME It looks like the season will go on after all!

Sepaq has announced that the Canadian Government anticipates the border will be reopened by July 21st, with quarantine restrictions, if the COVID situation continues to improve.

Since twenty-five percent of the hunters on Anticosti

on the border proved to be too much for one of the other outfitters on the island. They cancelled all of their September hunts.

Hopefully they can sustain their operations and not become another casualty of the pandemic.

The summer fishing season on the island was

August 2020

Border Will Open: Hunt is On!

A week ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sepaq’s newest team member, Benoit Voyer, the new Client Care Manager of Anticosti. We shared a few hunting stories, but in my opinion, the most important information he shared was the condition of the deer population. Winter is often very harsh on the

could have devastating results. Instead, Benoit said they are seeing plenty of last summer’s fawns, which are the most vulner-

bad weather preventing the plane from coming from the mainland.

My hunt last year was in the Martin La Mer

That gives us plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming September hunting season! This also means that regulations are likely to relax by September, except masks will still need to be worn on the plane, in the trucks, etc.

Island are traveling from the United States, the news of the border opening soon is a relief for us all. That gives us plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming September hunting season!

This also means that regulations are likely to relax by September, except masks will still need to be worn on the plane, in the trucks, etc.

Waiting for the word

severely impacted by the shutdown. The fertile rivers are prime Atlantic Salmon fisheries, attracting people literally from around the world, eagerly seeking a chance of landing one on a fly rod. Those people weren’t allowed to come and the rivers were silent.

Thankfully, it appears that the hunting season should go on as scheduled.

herd. Deep snow, brutally cold temperatures, and limited food all create a tough environment for survival.

Sepaq sends scouts to the wintering yards as soon as the snow retreats to assess the carcass count. Some years it looks like a mass grave. Benoit said fortunately, this year the count was barely measurable.

The winter and snow totals were considered average. It ended as scheduled, unlike some winters that last weeks longer than normal. If the snow and cold conditions linger for even just two weeks, it

The Auberge (hotel) expansion is nearly complete. Sixteen rooms were added and the long-awaited opening ceremony is scheduled for July 17th. able, and they survived territory during the first well. Every year we have week of December. We our fingers crossed hoping all got mature deer, but the sightings were less for mild conditions.

Benoit also reported than normal. Luckily, the that the Auberge (hotel) ex- mature deer we did see pansion is nearly complete. were successfully taken Sixteen rooms were added and we made good shots. and the long-awaited open- The final two groups of ing ceremony is scheduled the season after us were for July 17th. Having the plagued with foul weather. extra rooms will be a tre- I got several emails from mendous help if hunters late season hunters that can’t leave the island due to were disappointed. All we can say is, “That’s part of the hunt”. We can’t control the weather, but with the new population report I am feeling optimistic for the upcoming season!

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August 2020

Night (Cont. from pg 58) a lantern or light of some sort or, where legal, a small campfire.

It’s always best to fish with a buddy and that goes for daytime angling as well. It’s an added measure of safety plus the hours can get long and having a friend along adds to the enjoyment.

If you can’t get time to fish at night, the next best thing is just before daybreak or just at dusk for a couple of hours. Most game fish are active during these times and it still leaves plenty of sleeping time for those folks that

have a job.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Stu Bristol is a Master Maine Hunting, Fishing and Tidewater Guide, outdoor writer and custom game call maker. He operates Orion Guide Service out of southern Maine. His outdoor features have been published nationwide for more than 50 years. Stu was recently inducted into the National Wild Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Visit his website at www.deadlyimpostergamecalls.com

Chances

(Cont. from pg 59) back to shore.

Despite my success, among the stupid moves I’ve made, that was in the

top ten.

I thought of that episode a few weeks ago, when finally carving out a couple of hours to fish, I inventoried my tackle box and found it wanting. That was easily remedied by a quick dash to the Old Town Trading Post, where Dave and Melissa set me up with a couple of new lures—including a Rapala Skitter Pop®, pattern SP09F Frog, retailing for just under $14.00, which was about the price of the cheap twopiece spinning rod I had risked my life retrieving from the Penobscot thirty years earlier.

I didn’t have to travel far from the Trading Post to wet a line; in fact, right behind the Trading Post

Page 65

is the Gilman Falls Dam, where the Penobscot River branches, and suddenly becomes the Stillwater River below the dam. The Skitter Pop was deadly, roping three bull smallmouth bass in rapid succession. I decided to move to a honey hole off of College Avenue Extension, and upon arrival, prepared my new lure for its—roughly—tenth cast.

I misjudged my cast, and before I could recover, the Skitter Pop was looping around a tree branch like a gymnast. The water between me and the tree was deep. But not too deep.

“Maybe,” I thought, “if the water isn’t too deep, and it’s not too muddy…”

The experience of age

told me that at my funeral, they’d get it all wrong.

They’d say he died doing what he loved best. “I don’t think I’d love drowning,” I reasoned, and with no small amount of regret, snapped off the line, leaving the virtually new lure to someone lucky enough to have a boat. For my part, I’ll buy new lures, and live another day. Now that’s luck.

Matt Dunlap is a sportsman from Old Town and is a periodic co-host on Maine Outdoors, heard statewide every Sunday night at 7:00 pm on WVOM 103.9 FM, WVQM 101.3 FM, and 1450 AM in Rockland.

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Shark (Cont. from pg 45) shad, bluefish, herring, squid, and scraps from the fillet table all make great baits. Sharks’ keen senses have allowed them evolutionary success for over 450 million years. They are curious and respond well to color, sound, and movement. Placing a yellow or red plastic squid skirt above a bait, jigging the downline, tapping the hull, pouring buckets of seawater overboard, playing loud music, splashing the floats, and beating the surface of the water with the lid from a five-gallon bucket have all triggered reluctant sharks to bite on multiple occasions.

Misconception #6: Shark fishing is unethical.

Whether targeting sharks with clients aboard the charter boat, or personally on a day off, we practice strictly catch and release and use circle hooks.

We thoroughly enjoy the challenge of locating, hooking, and battling big sharks. At the same time, we understand and respect the critical role they play in the ecosystem. These apex predators are crucial for maintaining a healthy top-down control in the Gulf of Maine; that is to say that they are more valuable roaming the seas, than they are steaked up on the dinner plate. We have recently participated in the shark

tagging research program through the University of New England in order to learn more about these creatures.

Whether you’re an experienced shark angler or a novice, consider these misconceptions and take full advantage of Maine’s summertime shark fishery.

These large predators will captivate you. Tight lines out there!

Note: A National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit is required to angle for sharks.

Jonah Paris is first mate aboard the Teazer in South Portland, Maine. A four-season outdoorsman, Jonah lives in Scarborough, ME with his girlfriend, Ashley, and beagle, Aurora. Jonah can be reached at ​jonaheparis@ gmail.com​ Overhead Door Company of Caribou

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Page 67

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 68

August 2020

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The lodge known as “The Norway House” with lodge rooms, five comfortable rustic cabins plus two island cabins, one on Big Island, the other on Chain Island in the Sysladobsis watershed. The main land parcel offers almost 8 acres with over 1600’ of lake frontage, while Big Island offers .59 acres with 170’ and Chain Island offers 1.72 acres with 890’ of lake frontage. The American Plan is offered on the mainland while the island cabins are housekeeping but certainly you can boat over for an evening meal, if you choose.

This Downeast watershed is renowned for miles of salmon and bass fishing, as well as endless paddling opportunities originating from the front dock. In Sysladobsis Lake and The Grand Lake Stream region salmon and bass abound. Brook Trout are also available to test even the most experienced fly fisherman. Currently open from May thru the end of September. Years of history and sporting traditions have welcomed guests such as Andrew Carnegie and Calvin Coolidge to savor the magic and serenity of “The Pines” on Sysladobsis Lake. $795,000

An authentic Maine Sporting Camp established in 1929 and ran as a boy’s camp until around 1937. Nicatous Lake Lodge & Cabins has been established to the present day with a handful of owners who cherish the historical Maine sporting traditions. The experience is dominated by Lake Nicatous and Nicatous Stream which are pristine wilderness waterways. Many customers today are the direct descendants of guests that came to the Lodge 70 years ago! Designed for those who truly appreciate the simple, meaningful things in life: the pleasure of a warm fire, the healing ability of cool, crystal clear water, and the joy of early morning light when the fish are biting! Off grid with round the clock use of electricity due to generated battery storage. Nicatous Lake Region is a vast protected wilderness area to remain forever wild.

Nicatous Lake Lodge & Cabins has been well maintained by current owners, the property can be run year round or seasonally. The lifestyle of owning Nicatous Lake Lodge & Cabins offers a haven from the outside world where one can be connected to a healthy natural environment offering endless adventures for your journey in life! $839,000

Breathtaking views of Mt. Katahdin and the East Grand Lake Region, the First Settlers Lodge offers a haven from the outside world with first class amenities. Acres of unspoiled countryside compliment the panoramic views of the mountain, lake, hills, and valleys. A place to reconnect with friends, family, and nature whether sitting by the fireside with a good book or out on a trail with hiking boots, snowshoes, cross country skis, ATV’s or snowmobiles. The four season lodge has something for everyone…reunions, retreats, celebrations, meetings, hunting, fishing, or the forgotten art of relaxing. Private baths, luxury accommodations, plus a bunk room that sleeps 9 for the group that wants to eat, play, and share stories of the day’s adventures together. Satellite TV, internet, and a full service restaurant from the commercial kitchen. The lodge is coming furnished except for the seller’s private furnishings. An inventory list is available upon request.

Experience the opportunity to work from home in a well maintained, move in ready property. First Settler’s Lodge would also make a great home for a large extended family. A place to renect with the important things in life, family, friends, nature, and a healthier lifestyle. $799,000

Northwoods Sporting Journal

August 2020

Pine

ans portaging birchbark canoes, and sleigh bells ringing in deep-snow win(Cont. from pg 63) ters can be heard on the still perch in in heights breeze blowing through to survey the fish runs lofty branches. May the in nearby Soudabscook spirit of the Grandmother Stream. Flocks of war- Tree thrive and its verdant blers, vireos, and thrushes canopy continue to domiflit with joy through the nate the forest to witness candelabra canopy. Chip- Maine’s tricentennial. munks and squirrels still find shade among the scattered remains of the rock Mark McCollough wall. The ghost of the old marvels at pines from his King Pine still lingers in home in Hampden, Maine the woodlot. If you listen and can be reached at closely, the whisper of m a r k m c c o l l o u g h 2 5 @ wolves and caribou, Indi- gmail.com 207-265-4000

259 Main Street, Kingfield, ME

www.csmrealestate.com

Enjoy Maine's Vacation-land!

STRONG MAINE Spaulding Rd. 23 acres on dead end road. 2 bedroom, 1 bath home plus a 38x60 2 story heated workshop/garage!!! The property has a pond and views! Think of the possibilities of that garage/workshop! $225,000.

janet@csmrealestate.com

SELLERS LANE

BUYERS ROAD

Page 69

REAL ESTATE

5 Lake Street, P.O. Box 66, Lincoln, ME 207-794-2460

Email: cwa@cwalakestreet.com

Lincoln-3BR with 1 full bath downstairs and both a ¾ master bath and ½ bath upstairs. Paved drive, attached 2 car garage, enclosed porch, covered porch, and patio all overlooking 191’ frontage on Cold Stream Pond $299,000

Pukakon- Lakefront paradise cabin on o n e o f M a i n e ’s most desirable lakes, Junior Lake. Fabulous fishing. Hunting, Snowmobiling & ATVing are just some activities out your door. Lake views through many windows. $345,000

Lee- Privately plowed, seaonal road. Electricity & nice frontage on a beautiful, clean Silver Lake. Two lots being sold, could potentially sell one lot & keep the other. The well is on lot 14 while the buildings & septic are on lot 15. $139,000

Grand Falls- End of road privacy with power & great fishing pond on Saponac Pond.

Cabin needs some luvin’ but its cute, and taxes are cheap. Wonderful location that could be yours, on prime outdoor recreational area in Maine. $79,000

Burlington- Wellbuilt cute cabin tucked away in the woods with access t o M a d a g a s c a l ’s gorgeous private sand beach. ATVing & snowmobiling and POSSIBLE OWNER FINANCING. Take a look today on W. Madagascal Pond Rd. $49,900

Grand Falls- This cabin was landed on this lot two years ago and ready to finish off and use. This 41 acre lot sits high on a hill with great views on Lord Brook Rd. ATV and snowsled from this location. Take a look. $79,000

Mattamiscontis-1.6 & 2.4 acre lots, year round access, close to I-95 & Lincoln’s amenities, owner financing, enjoy fishing, paddling & hunting along the Penobscot River. $21,900 Lincoln- Nice 1.77/2.78 acre lots with 240’+/- of frontage, driveway in, electricity available & owner financing. Enjoy 800 acres of water to play on & snowmobile trails for winter fun on Long Pond. Reduced to $59,900 Cooper- Electricity available at the road, wonderful frontage on a high quality lake well-known salmon fishing in Maine. The view from this lot is known as Deep Cove Forest and will be maintained as forever wild. A must see Cathance Lake lot! $89,000 Cooper- Electricity available at the road, wonderful frontage on a high quality lake well-known salmon fishing in Maine. The view from this lot is known as Deep Cove Forest and will be maintained as forever wild. A must see Cathance Lake lot! $79,000

SELLERS LANE

BUYERS ROAD

GATEWAY RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES Office 207-746-3398 gatwainn@midmaine.com www.medwaygateway.com P.O. Box 637 Medway, ME 04460 SNOWMOBILERS - CAMP LOTS AVAILABLE Along ITS-83 From Houlton to Presque Isle

MATTANAWCOOK LAKE FRONT LOTS FOR SALE

ASHLAND: 10 Acres on Aroostook River. $14,000.

ASHLAND: 20 Acre, river frontage. $25,000.

GREENBUSH: 10 Acre camp lots, waterfrontage, large meadow, good views, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. $25,000 - $42,000.

CARMEL: 25 Acres. $42,700.

TROY: Hunting camp with 30 acres $45,000.

CRYSTAL: 100 Acres large deer population and other wildlife. Will divide off a piece, perfect for your needs. Large brook on property. $49,900.

CAMPS LOTS AVAILABLE ON MATTASEUNK LAKE & MATTAWAMKEAG AREA WE OWN WHAT WE SELL! OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 70 SELLERS LANE

August 2020 SELLERS LANE

REAL ESTATE

BUYERS ROAD

BUYERS ROAD

Houlton Office 207-532-4500 Hermon Office 207-605-0556 Scot Walker, Broker

For all your recreational needs!

First Choice Real Estate Land, Cabins, Acreage, Waterfront and more.

Hunting Camp in St. Albans, Maine

30+/- wooded acres, 22x42 camp Open concept kitchen/ dining/living

2 bedroom, 1 full bath Diesel Cummings generator

www.mainelandbroker.com DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN INSTANTLY ACCESS CURRENT AND PAST DIGITAL ISSUES OF THE NORTHWOODS SPORTING JOURNAL? IT'S TRUE. SIMPLY GOOGLE:http://www.sportingjournal.com/digital-issues.

“Serving Maine and the Katahdin Region Since 1984”

P.O. Box 616 Long Lake, NY 12847

518-265-9198

Adirondack Land For Sale "Build Your Dream Cabin and Explore this Pristine Mountain Wilderness"

www.adirondackmtland.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL Our Past. Your Future

P.O. Box 72 Houlton, Maine 1-800-341-1566 www.wardcedarloghomes.com

Call Amos 207-270-1098

(207) 696-4247

www.HearthAndHomeRealty.com 274 Main Street Madison, ME 04950

Licensed Forester on Staff

Land, Residential, Recreational and Commercial Properties 80 Penobscot Avenue - Millinocket, Maine 04462 207-723-9086 Office 207-723-2092 Fax www.northwoods-realestate.com nwre@myfairpoint.net

Snowmobile ATV access $165,000

Overhead Door Company of Bangor

“The original since 1921”

#4362-Anson;

Great price on this New Englander home.

Some work done to remodel but project is incomplete. Includes some lumber and other building supplies. 4 bedrooms and 1 bath. 0.11 acre. $39,900 #4356-Madison;

3BR, 1.5 bath home that is walking distance for in-town shopping. Lots of room here to have hobby’s or an at home office or study.

Room enough to grow! 2-car detached garage. 0.27 acres. $59,000

#3396-Madison;

Classic 3BR, 1 bath antique cape with large detached barn and a high tunnel for greenhouse.

83.5 acres in all with about 19 acres in fields. Big enough to land a plane. Hard to find these nice old farms with acreage. $207,000

Residential Sales, Service Parts for Residential, Commercial, Industrial 24-Hour Emergency Repair Reliability and so much more

Commercial

#560-The Forks;

5BR Farmhouse w/4 1/2 baths, large kitchen, fireplace, great room, front porch, large decks. Also heated office with 1/2 bath.

Would also make a great location for a business. 32.58 acres. $190,000

1-800-696-2235 56 Liberty Drive, Hermon www.overheaddoorofbangor.com

Judd Goodwin Well Co

"We Do It Right The First Time"

Complete Well & Pump

Installation, Service and Repair Residential • Commercial Camps • Cottages

P.O. Box 17 Greenville, ME 04441 Office: 207-695-695-3645 Cell: 207-280-0923 goodwinjudd@yahoo.com www.juddgoodwinwell.com Member Maine Groundwater Association

COVID-19 PREVENTION

$189.99-$352.99