Northwoods Sporting Journal, February 2024

Me & Joe Play Winter Football Wearing Snowshoes February 2024

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Salmon Thru The Ice - Jonah Paris

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* First Moose Hunt * Deer Season Wrap * Funky Febr uar y Fantasies * Camps, Cottages & Land For Sale www.sportingjournal.com FEB 02

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Page 3

Salmon Through the Ice

bold black spots, landlocked salmon strike with determination. They fight heartily, leaping high into the air when hooked in open water and darting in tight circles from beneath the ice. My favorite method of targeting salmon involves a river, waders, and waving a 5-weight fly

Maine Tails

By Jonah Paris, Ellsworth, ME a jig rod and sonar machine. No need to play out dozens of feet of trap line; salmon traps should be set just below the ice. Setting baits 2-5 feet below the ice in 20-50 feet of water is

rises above the trees. In my experience, wintertime salmon bite best between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. Setting up in the early twilight is especially important on highly pressured lakes.

Anyone familiar with smelts knows that they are the wimps of the forage fish world; look at them wrong and they will suddenly go belly-up out of pure spite. Two dozen smelts cost more than 20 chicken wings and two pints of beer at the local Orono hangout.

rod under the shadow of a mountain, but options for such outings are severely limited by winter in northern New England. Luckily, many waters across the state offer excellent ice fishing opportunities for A February landlocked salmon. salmon.

(Photo courtesy of Jonah Paris.)

Landlocked salmon Salmo salar sebago, in Maine inland waters. are one of the few species or landlocked salmon, are Streamlined and sleek, that I am more confident among the most elegant of boasting bright silvery targeting through the ice freshwater fish swimming flanks and peppered with with a string of traps than

routinely effective, though some anglers prefer to set baits a bit deeper in the 6-12 foot range.

Commotion on the ice seems to deter feeding and red-hot action can fizzle out quickly by mid-morning on even the most productive salmon waters. “The early bird gets the flag.”

Start Early I approach ice fishing for coldwater gamefish Fish the Structure much like hunting. Similar Setting traps off points to how I like to be sitting in the woods waiting for legal and outcroppings, along light during deer season, I narrows, and against cliffs want my holes drilled and and islands is a good place my traps set before the sun (Salmon cont. pg 5)

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Page 4

On The Cover

Me & Joe Play Winter Football Wearing Snowshoes - Pg 16 Salmon Thru The Ice - Pg 3 First Moose Hunt - Pg 56 Deer Season Wrap - Pg 50 Funky February Fantasies - Pg 20 Camps, Cottages and Land for Sale - Pg 68-70

Contents

3. Maine Tails - Jonah Paris 5. The Trail Rider - Dan Wilson 6. Cookin’ With New England’s Wild Cheff - Denny Corriveau 7. Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair 9. From Craig Pond - Bob Mercer 10. A Hiker’s Life - Carey Kish 11. On The Prowl - Justin Merrill 14. On The Ridge - Joe Judd 15. Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds 16. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram 17. Best Bassin’ - Bill Decoteau 18. Outdoor Sporting Library - Jeremiah Wood 20. Aroostook Woods & Water - Mike Maynard 23. Slipstream - Scott Biron 24. The Gun Cabinet - John Floyd 26. Marsh Island Chronicles - Matthew Dunlap 27. Just Fishing - Bob Leeman 28. On Point - Paul Fuller 29. Northwoods Sketchbook - Mark McCollough 33. Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective - Tom Kelly 34. The Maine Woods - Matt LaRoche 36. View From The River - Laurie Chandler 37. Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill 38. The White Buck - Daniel Schaeffer 39. Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham 40. Bucks and Boat Shoes - Calvin Wirfel 41. Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard 42. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood 43. Northwoods Voyager - Gil Gilpatrick 44. Cracker Barrell - Homer Spit 45. Tales Of A Maine Woodsman - Joel Tripp 46. Passing Down Tradition 47. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes 48. Vermont Ramblings - Dennis Jensen 49. Outdoors In Vermont - Gary Moore 50. Maple Country Outdoors - Ben Wilcox 53. Against The Current - Bob Romano 54. South Of The Kennebec - Stu Bristol 55. Basics Of Survival - Joe Frazier 56. Question Of The Month - Ron Joseph 57. New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James 59. Sebec Lake Togue - V. Paul Reynolds 60. Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton 61. The Northwoods Bowhunter - Brian Smith 62. The Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer 63. Warden’s Words - Kale O’Leary 65. SAM News - David Trahan 67. The Back Shelf - V. Paul Reynolds

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

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

The Northwoods Sporting Journal is the Northeast’s most comprewww.sportingjournal.com hensive and readable monthly outdoor Main Office Phone: (207) 732-4880 publication. Published at the trailhead E-mail: info@sportingjournal.com Fax: (207)732-4970 of Maine’s sprawling North Woods, the Vol 31 Issue 2 is published monthly by Northwoods Publications, 57 Old County Rd. North, W. Enfield, ME 04493 Sporting Journal prides itself on being Periodical Postage Paid at W. Enfield, ME. and additional mailing offices. an independent voice for the region’s The Northwoods Sporting Journal (ISSN#1548-193X) Postmaster: outdoor community for more than 28 Send address changes to: years. Some of our writers are seasoned Northwoods Sporting Journal, PO Box 195, W. Enfield, ME 04493 and specialized outdoors people who Northwoods Publishing Group will share their know-how and insights; Victor Morin - Susan Morin - Diane Reynolds - V. Paul Reynolds some of our contributors are simply Publishers - Victor Morin Jr. - V. Paul Reynolds lifelong outdoor people with interest- Editor - V. Paul Reynolds Assistant Editor - Josh Reynolds ing stories to tell.

Associate Editor - Donna Veino Our aim every month is to capture Graphic Arts Manager - Gayleen Cummings the essence of Northern New England’s Subscription/Distribution Manager - Alicia Cram Manager - Annette Boobar remarkable outdoor heritage by stirring Operations Webmaster - V. Paul Reynolds memories, portraying outdoor humor, Sales Department; Victor Morin,Thomas Schmidt, Paul Hatin, and sharing experiences and outdoor Traci Grant, Michael Georgia and Mike Brown Regional Advertising Manager - Jim Thorne knowledge. We also keep our readers The Northwoods Sporting Journal invites submissions of photographs up to date with late-breaking outdoor and articles about the Maine outdoors.

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The views and opinions expressed by our monthly columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

The Gun Cabinet - Pg 24 John Floyd

The White Buck - Pg 38 Daniel Schaeffer

Other Great Stories & Information 8. Editorial/Letters 12. Outdoor News 68. Real Estate

Cover Photo:

Author Jonah Paris’s wife with a nice salmon! (Photo by Jonah Paris)

South Of Kennebec - Pg 54 Stu Bristol

The Buck Hunter - Pg 42 Hal Blood

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Warm Seas and an Arctic Breeze

Page 5

“The Trail Rider”

It appears we are in a new age of intense storms and severe weather, causing calm waterways to become raging paths of destruction. The brook running through our property was high, and went over the new bridge, but didn’t wash out the road like earlier in 2023. The mighty Kennebec flooded its banks, covering the streets of Augusta, Hallowell, and Gardiner. Other floods in Rumford and Farmington put whole towns underwater and closed roadways.

In addition to torrential rain and melting snow, we also experienced high winds, some gusts reaching hurricane strength. I was fortunate to only be without power for a few days. I haven’t been over-in-back yet to see what trees have fallen across the trails, but

when I do, I’ll be sure to bring a chainsaw, as I suspect lots of downed trees and branches will don the paths.

Seeing wide-spread power outages impacting gas stations, made me think about fueling my snowmobile. My grandmother al-

read a few articles that recommend keeping your snowmobile’s gas tank full over the summer, to help reduce condensation. The same principle could apply year-round, especially if my snowmobile sits garaged for over a month while I wait for snow and

old?” Perhaps I’ll err on the optimistic side and just say we’ll have plenty of snow for me to use the gas before it’s time to prepare the sled for summer storage.

While Mainers re-

ways recommended keeping a full tank of gas in my car, and not letting it go below half full, especially when storms are coming.

This advice has always stuck with me, even though I’ve found myself driving on the last fumes of petrol on a few occasions, but nonetheless, I try to adhere as best I can.

If I follow this practice in my vehicle, then why not try it out on my sled? I’ve

safe trail conditions. Having a full tank of gas is also beneficial because if we are without power for days at a time [insert story from the Ice Storm of 1998] with roadways blocked by downed wires and trees, having a snowmobile to lay in supplies would come in handy. One concern I have with a full tank of gas in the snowmobile is what happens if we don’t have snow and the gas “gets

cover, restore, and repair, I begin to wonder what winter will bring? Forecasts have suggested it could be a snowy winter.

The arrival of El Niño has been declared by NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) leading to an El Niño winter. “During an El Niño Daniel Wilson works winter, the temperatures in the northern U.S. are usu- in healthcare and enjoys ally warmer and drier than time outside in nature with average, and the southern his family.

Salmon

whole bucketful of shiners only cost us a 10 minute walk through the woods, a few minutes of chiseling out our bait trap, and a handful of dog food.

We kept shiners alive for weeks in Mason jars in our landlord’s refrigerator.

Meanwhile, to acquire a weekend supply of smelts required a drive to the bait shop, a pocketful of cash, and a bucket with an aerator. Even then, there was no guarantee that they would make it to the lake alive. Anyone familiar with smelts knows that they are the wimps of the forage fish world; look at them wrong and they will suddenly go belly-up out of pure spite. Two dozen smelts cost more than 20 chicken wings and two pints of beer at the local Orono hangout.

But if I am targeting salmon in a lake where smelt are the key natural forage - and they are in most Maine salmon waters - then I am using smelt for bait. There is nothing wrong with being a “smelt snob” when it comes to salmon fishing.

and a #8 thin wire octopus hook on the bait end. I crimp two small split shots, spaced an inch apart, about six inches above the bait.

Thin wire hooks are less invasive to the smelt and allow for a livelier presentation. Don’t horse a large salmon at the hole, and you shouldn’t have a problem with bent hooks. If a fish takes the hook deep, and must be released, just cut the line. For all the money that we spend as sportsmen to pursue our passions, keeping a fish alive at the expense of losing a hook is well worth it.

several waters listed with liberal bag limits and reduced size limits on salmon. When fishing these waters, I can expect to see a bunch of flags pop, knowing ahead that nearly each one will be a small, skinny “racer” salmon. If the goal is to bring home a salmon dinner, I much prefer harvesting a few smaller fish than a single larger one. On other waters I fish - some notoriously slow - I don’t mind waiting the whole day for a single flag with the hopes of catching and releasing a “good one.”

Planning a Trip When planning an ice fishing trip for salmon, review Maine’s “Special Regulations” and set your expectations. You will find

A four-season outdoorsman, Jonah lives in Ellsworth, ME with his wife Ashley, and beagle, Aurora. Jonah can be reached at jonaheparis@gmail.com

(Cont. from pg 3) to start. Just like other predatory species, salmon utilize shifts in current and bottom contour to their advantage, and pin schools of bait against structure. Relatively deep troughs or guts should not be overlooked.

There is a particular lake I fish, and one bay is almost uniformly 30 feet deep. A narrow trench runs along through the center where the depth drops to 40 feet, and I have yet to be disappointed while fishing along that vein.

“Smelt Snob” During my UMaine days, bait became a source of contention among my frugal fishing crew. A

by Dan Wilson, Bowdoinham, ME

While Mainers recover, restore, and repair, I begin to wonder what winter will bring? Forecasts have suggested it could be a snowy winter.

Light Tackle One can still catch salmon on “old school” gear - snelled Eagle Claw hooks, a shiny brass snap swivel, and a split shot or two - but their catch rate will increase with updated tackle. I fish long leaders on salmon traps, often 5 or 6 feet. The highly visible and heavy trap line never leaves the spool when the trap is set. My leaders are 6 lb. or 8 lb. test fluorocarbon tied to a small black barrel swivel on the trap line end,

parts of the continental U.S. are usually cooler and wetter” says the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior (https://www.usgs.gov).

Meteorologists have forecasted that with a strong El Niño mixed with the polar jet stream, we could see a lot of snow later in the season, like in March, but until then, it has the markings of a pattern for a rainy coast and a snowy inland for Maine.

Sounds like I might need to plan some trips up country to take some snowmobile rides on the trails.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 6

Wild Romance

Cookin’ With New England’s WildCheff

by Denny Corriveau, Kennebunkport, ME

Once a year we get a designated day to celebrate romance. I believe it should be 365 days per year, but appreciate the fact that at least a day is called out to draw attention to this

create a tasteful romantic memory with the one you love.

Wild game has a romantic quality to it. There are qualities about it that separate it from all other

things – i.e. various ways to enjoy it. It loves when you dress it up as it looks appealing on the plate so you desire it. It can be enjoyed plain, slightly seasoned, or even spicy. It aims to please you. It smells good.

Sometimes it gets saucy for you. It can be warmed up

to make a delicious Wild Turkey Alfredo served over pasta.

If you have some duck or goose breast handy, remove the skin and then slice cutlets. Put olive oil on the cutlets and season them, followed by dredging in flour. Saute them in

In creating a romantic experience with game, you just have to put some thought into it. Is the person you are making it for a person who likes quality steak? Are they into pasta dishes, or maybe they enjoy food made in a creative way. topic.

While taking someone special out to dinner is notable, game enthusiasts are presented with a tremendous opportunity to share their love of game on this special occasion. With a little guidance, you can

proteins that compete for your attention.

After all, it’s sexier than standard meats. Every bite is delicious and satisfying and has the ability to make you say Mmm when you eat it. It’s versatile and is willing to adapt to new

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over a period of time, and at other times it prefers to get hot quickly. Sounds like a good match for romance, don’t you think?!

In creating a romantic experience with game, you just have to put some thought into it. Is the person you are making it for a person who likes quality steak? Are they into pasta dishes, or maybe they enjoy food made in a creative way. All approaches work, and no option for game is off the table.

Start off with a nice salad, which can include a small skewer of grilled game.

If you have wild turkey on hand, consider slicing cutlets off the breast meat and making a tasty Wild Turkey Parmigiana.

You could also slice a turkey breast into diced pieces and saute them with olive oil, butter and garlic, and then add heavy cream and fine grated parm to a pan

olive oil and butter until they are browned and set aside. To the pan, add some garlic, dried cranberries, and sliced mushrooms, along with a tablespoon or two of butter to the pan and when the garlic perfumes, add some sweet Marsala wine to the pan and cook the wine sauce until the alcohol burns off and the sauce thickens up a bit, then remove pan from the stove. Add the cutlets back to the pan and with a pair of tongs, turn them in the sauce to coat with the sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes.

The effort you put in to creating a nice game dinner for your other half will be appreciated.

Other ideas include tapping into some of your loin you have from your bear, deer or moose.

One option would be to grill or use a cast iron pan to sear some of those loin steaks and serve it

February 2024

topped with a beer cheese sauce.

If you are adventurous, you could fine chop a container of baby bella or shiitake mushrooms and saute them in a pan and then cool them off. Top a seasoned loin steak, wrap in puff pastry and place into a 400 degree oven to make a Venison Wellington.

The possibilities are endless. Suffice to say, part of your romance for wild game can be linked to the one you love by utilizing your game to make a tasty memory on Valentine’s Day. Bon Appetit!

WildCheff - Denny Corriveau is award-winning National Game Chef, Metis (Mi’kmaq) Native Chef, and the Founder of the Free-Range Culinary Institute, the only national wild game cooking school in the country. You can learn more @ www.wildcheff.com or visit him on Instagram @ thewildcheff or Facebook at @WildCheff WildCheff’s Venison Loin with Beer Cheese Sauce Ingredients 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. of venison backstrap (bear, deer, moose – sliced 1.5 – 2” thick) WildCheff Rosemary Olive Oil WC Sagemary Sea Salt WC Roasted Garlic Powder WC Chef’s Grind Pepper For the Beer Cheese Sauce 3 T of Kate’s Maine Butter (Romance cont. pg 9)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Bring a Map, Compass and GPS

A reader asked why I would write not to rely on a global positioning system (GPS) in the North Woods, since a GPS is supposed to track your location, anywhere in the world. The short answer is your device may or may not show the most up-to-date information or level of detail that you want. And, GPS may not provide you the best route.

A GPS is only as good as the back-up information available within your unit. For example, it may show a general location but may not show the road or trail that you’re on. Also, atmospheric conditions or some sort of heavy cover, like a thick canopy of trees, can give a poor signal or block the signal that you’d otherwise receive from a satellite, and you’ll have to move to a more opened area to get a reading. There are some dark places in the North Woods, where the trees are so thick they block out the light.

Also, if you’re not familiar with the territory and only rely on GPS, it can send you to places that you don’t really want to go.

For example, it will give you the shortest distance to a destination, but that route might be impassable or very poor, or the road not used anymore (if you’re using a road). There

are old and new logging roads throughout the North Woods; some have been discontinued for a long time, some just discontinued; some are new. What seems like a roundabout route may end up being the best one. I, and guides that I know, carry maps and consult them often — in addition to checking a GPS, as with a Garmin

path, or directed by satellite down an old logging road that may dead-end before they get to their destination. Not all devices have the most current layers of technological information or detail of geographic features. It is not unusual for some people to eventually arrive here in Greenville, nerved up and frazzled.

For example, a couple

Page 7

Kineo Currents

by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME will save your vehicle and heartburn, especially if you don’t know what you’re in for or you expect to go faster than 25 miles per hour. One couple, once they caught a breath and calmed down, said, “Well, that’s what GPS told us to do.” Another couple drove a Cadillac down a snowmobile trail in the middle

Another couple drove a Cadillac down a snowmobile trail in the middle of winter because that was the image they had in their minds of what a Maine road was. unit. But GPS is not the be all, end all. It can lead you to a false sense of security.

Today, many people have become glued to relying only on GPS. It’s a neat tool and fun to use. But the expectation is high for it — do you feel lost without it? A GPS should not be expected to lead you out of all situations. Carry a map and a compass. Know how to use them. DeLorme is a preferred one. Other topographic maps may work too, depending on what you need and how current it is. Also, what’s on the ground can look different from what you’re given from space.

In my work I have met many a harried couple who got turned around in the North Woods by just relying on their GPS. They are not used to being lost in a remote place, off the beaten

Let us know your opinion. Send letters to the Editor to: NWSJ P.O. Box 195 W. Enfield, ME 04493

from New York visiting Millinocket decided to take a day trip to Greenville.

GPS told them to take the road by Gulf Hagas.

Yes, it may be the shortest distance, but it’s rugged in places and definitely not the way to go. The best route would have been to drive Rt. 11 over to Rt. 15. It’s a wide swing, but

of winter because that was the image they had in their minds of what a Maine road was. GPS is a great tool, but like anything, it’s only as good as the features provided in your device and only as good as the human using it. And, hopefully, your device works.

There are more satellites moving across space

than ever before, even over northwestern Maine, so GPS is getting better and better. But moving on the ground is different.

GPS can be useful, for the most part, but it’s a good idea to have some fail-safe back-up to it, especially in remote locations. Any number of devices can malfunction out there, so be prepared with tools that don’t require power.

Suzanne AuClair lives near Rockwood. She has been writing about the Moosehead Lake region for 28 years and produced the state anthology, “The Origin, Formation & History of Maine’s Inland Fisheries Division.” She is an award-winning member of the New England Outdoor Writers Assn.

Page 8

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

The Great Renaming It seems to me that historical revisionism in the name of political correctness in this county is taking our confused culture into unchartered territory that is as absurd as it is dishonest to history itself.

Since man is imperfect, and always will be, our self-righteous attempts to erase some of the ugly truths of our history, will only serve to hide from future generations lessons of life and the essence of history: truth.

Teddy Roosevelt was a great man who left a very positive legacy, not the least of which is our treasured national parks. Yet TR was bigoted toward American Indians.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt interred Japanese Americans during WWII. Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, was known to regard blacks as inferior to whites. These were great men, but flawed like the rest of us.

Once you start “cleaning up our history” where does it end? It is by knowing our past, however misguided, that we are

Zero Facts

able to move ahead and take pride in what we have overcome.

This unbridled revisionism, destroying statues and paintings of past American leaders, has brought us to a juncture that has my head shaking in disbelief. The American Ornithological Society (AOS) has announced a major undertaking of Herculean proportion that comes under the mantle of politically correct historical revisionism that ascends to a new level of audacity. AOS is going to do away with the naming of song birds after people and, apparently, is going to rename birds named after past individuals, whose beliefs or behavior do not measure up to AOS’s moral standards.

Maine bird columnist Karen Holmes, who writes a bird column for the Northwoods Sporting Journal, recently listed just some of the birds that are named after people, for example, Wilson’s Snipe, Wilson’s Warbler, Franklin’s Gulls, Lincoln’s Sparrow and Nelson’s Sharptailed Spar-

best outdoor publication in the nation, jumped to To the Editor: conclusions with zero facts Unfortunately, Ran- when he wrote about the dall Poulton, in the De- tragic Lewiston shooting. cember 2023 issue of the Mr. Poulton disguised his

rant about the incident as being about anti gun control and stricter standards; however, he ignited the anti law enforcement fire with his ignorance and lack of factual knowledge about what law enforcement agencies actually did prior to this horrific action.

The truth has come out in an independent investigation about how many efforts law enforcement agencies in that geographic area conducted. I only hope that someday, people in this great nation will realize and appreciate those that run toward the gunfire when most are running away from it. I’m guessing Mr. Poulton sits comfortably with days to think, while he criticizes those who protect

row, to name a few. Holmes says that the new names will try to convey something about the birds themselves, such as plumage variations, differences in song or even DNA. McCowan’s Longspur will be renamed because it was named after a slave owner.

As Holmes explains this is a huge undertaking that is complex and long lasting.

Talk about a make work project! The folks at AOS must be bored with conventional assignments. AOS is reaching out for public input from birdwatchers the world over.

If you are a serious bird watcher who has been cataloging all of your sightings over the years, this great renaming has got to be a whole new ball game.

As for me, a casual bird watcher and an old school traditionalist, I think that this whole undertaking is for the birds.

- VPR

and serve in a split second.

With all due respect, please wait for facts before adding fuel to the anti law enforcement fire.

Nick Grass Vassalboro

Hard-Earned Deer Steaks To the Editor: Glad to hear that V.Paul Reynolds’ deer season was a success, but I agree with his wife that he is too old to be dragging them out. My 90th is coming up shortly, and many years ago I decided that since I could think of no good reason to keep it in one piece, and I would soon be cutting it up any-

way, why not have in the vehicle a pack board, a hatchet, and several garbage bags, and once the deer is field dressed and tagged, return to the truck and leave the hunting gear, get the pack board, etc, and return to the deer. After turning a 150 lb. carcass into three easily handled sections, I would make three trips, or less if I had company, with no tugging, sweating, or swearing, but walking upright with a reasonable load of 50 lbs or so on my back, camoflaged in a plastic bag. If 75 is acceptable, two trips.

I took a mature bull moose out this way in 5 loads years ago, about a quarter mile back in a thick spruce (Letters cont. pg 19)

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 9

The Knife

I recently read a piece in a magazine about a man that was gifted a special knife which had been handed down through the generations. It just so happens I own such a knife. It was my Dad’s hunting knife.

My Dad was a Marine during WWII and a veteran of Tarawa and Saipan. He was one of those boys raised in rural areas that could shoot.

He was raised hunting and was well versed in the use of fire arms. He was also a very good and aggressive athlete. He was custom built for the Marines.

Fortunately, he returned home from the war.

Then he and my Mom married and settled down to raise our family. One of the rituals of the times was budgeting, and they kept to a very strict budget. I found a ledger that reflected this discipline.

Every food product such as milk, bread, meat, etc., was part of the budget. The meat budget was unique, in that if Dad killed a deer in November, the meat budget

for November and December went toward Christmas.

From a practical point of view, hunting became important; it was more than just a recreational pursuit on weekends, though I am sure that was also a big part of the experience.

When Dad passed away I inherited his hunting knife. I am not a knife expert but I believe his is a really good knife. It is well made with a nice bone

handle. It is kind of strange because on the tang, it is stamped “Ideal Shirt Co. Made in Germany”. I know he valued it because over the snap strap that kept it in the sheath was tied a piece or raw hide as insurance. It sharpens up real well and was used to paunch out several deer. I think of the time that knife spent on my Dad’s hip as he trudged through the

grown? How can I gauge which one will cherish and care for it best? Do I pick one who hunts a lot, or one that simply has a strong spirit towards nature and the out-of-doors?

In a story I read, the person that received the knife was over whelmed by the history and the responsibility that it entailed.

The knife took him back to all the special hunts he

Romance

On a plate, bring the loin steaks up to room temperature. (Approx. 15-20 minutes) Coat the loin steaks with the rosemary olive oil and seasoning.

If using a cast iron pan, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter to the hot pan. Swirl the butter until it melts into the olive oil.

Now add the steaks to the pan and cook so they are browned and seared on both sides but leave them medium rare. Note: If you cook them on the grill or in a cast pan for 3-4 minutes on each side you should

accomplish this.

(Cont. from pg 6)

3 T of unbleached allpurpose flour 1 C of whole milk 1 C of Sam Adams Boston Lager 1 T of Worcestershire sauce 1 Tsp. of ground mustard 1 Tsp. of WC Roasted Garlic Powder 2 Tsp. of WC Cajun Spice Blend 3 C of Extra Sharp cheddar cheese Directions Making the Steak Medallions

woods or sat on stand at a nice crossing. What would this knife have to say if it could speak? What stories and experiences would it recall? What did he think of while he was carrying it?

Now that my hunting activities have been more or less tapered off, the question becomes what to do with Dad’s knife? To whom do I pass it on? Do I pass it on to a child, or to a grandchild, all of whom are

From Craig Pond

by Bob Mercer, Bucksport, ME

had been on over the years.

This person hunted all over the world so there were a lot of exotic memories.

My kin have had no such adventures. They have had those special times we experience here locally.

The experience of getting blown at by a deer for the first time, not dress-

Now that my hunting activities have been more or less tapered off, the question becomes what to do with Dad’s knife? To whom do I pass it on? Do I pass it on to a child, or to a grandchild, all of whom are grown?

will present itself to resolve my conundrum. I suspect that as time goes by, things will become clearer and the right answer will come to me. It is nothing I have to do today; I do have time to ponder. Though it is clear that there has been more water over the dam than is backed up in front of it, I will have several such decisions to make. I believe I should pass on family heirlooms and not leave that to others after I am gone.

It appears that this is the beginning of a process that needs to be pondered over and resolved by me and not left to others. Passing things on, it seems, is not as simple a process as one might think. It requires a fair amount of thought and soul searching.

ing properly and having to come in early from the cold, the first time at hunting camp with the adults, first time being allowed to traipse off with a gun alone.

Then there is the first deer and all that engenders, like paunching it out; mine is still clear in my memory Wish me luck. bank and I suspect that is true for most of us.

Bob Mercer lives in So, I sit typing away Bucksport. hoping some magical clue

remove from heat. leave on very low heat until Add the cheese, a lit- the venison is ready.

Making the Beer tle at a time, whisking after Plate by spooning Cheese Sauce each addition to melt it in. beer cheese over venison In a medium saucepan Taste and add more garlic, medallions. Serve with over medium heat, melt the and Cajun spice if desired. your favorite veggies. butter. Whisk in the flour Cover the saucepan and and stir well until it starts to take on a golden color.

Add the milk, whisking well. Now bring to a light boil, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pan from the burner.

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Page 10

“A Hiker’s Life”

Northwoods Sporting Journal

By Carey Kish, Mt. Desert Island, ME Haskell Hut is perched on a wooded bluff overlooking the East Branch of the Penobscot River in the unorganized township bearing the original land grant designation of T5 R8 WELS. Rushing

Haskell Rock is a striking pillar of conglomerate, a type of sedimentary rock made of pebbles and stones that were embedded in mud or sand and hardened into solid rock over the eons.

Below, the whitewater con-

downstream from Stair Falls a half-mile above, the unfettered river slows here and broadens into Haskell Deadwater before churning wildly through Haskell Rock Pitch a halfmile below.

Protruding 20 feet out of the river’s middle,

tinues unabated for 3 miles over Pond Pitch, Grand Pitch, the Hulling Machine and Bowlin Falls.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument encompasses all of this natural beauty and rich history and so much more within its 87,500 acres,

For several days, my adventurous companion and I wandered hither and yon on both skis and snowshoes, on trail and off. In the frosty cold under impossibly blue skies, we followed the tracks of a gray fox, enjoyed big mountain views, negotiated a hillside glade and made tracks along the wild river.

Coastal

wiscassetspeedway.com

February 2024

Winter in Woods and Waters

most of which lies between the Penobscot River’s East Branch and Baxter State Park. And wintertime, buried under a thick blanket of snowy white, may well be the best time to visit this

freeze early one February.

After firing up the wood stove and getting settled into the cabin, we set off in midafternoon to check out the neighborhood, beginning with

humans are 4 miles north at Matagamon Wilderness Camps or the same distance south at Bowlin Camps.

For several days, my adventurous companion and I wandered hither and yon on both skis and snowshoes, on trail and off. In the frosty cold under impossibly blue skies, we followed the tracks of a gray fox, enjoyed big mountain views, negotiated a hillside glade and made tracks along the wild river.

Nothing finer. With a warm

primitive wildland.

From the monument’s north entrance, it’s 5 miles by skis or snowshoes to Haskell Hut, and with a loaded sled in tow, the trek takes about three hours with breaks for snacks, sightseeing and investigating animal tracks. The mildly undulating route through the scenic river valley follows Messer Pond Road and the markers of the International Appalachian Trail.

Haskell Hut makes a great base camp for exploring the northern reaches of KAWW. It’s a worthy day trip objective on its own, but better is to spend several nights there in the basic comforts of the log cabin with its camp-like furnishings, wood stove, bunks and privy. And that’s exactly what a friend and I did just after an Arctic deep

Haskell Rock, of course.

Then it was out across the frozen expanse of Haskell Deadwater, where we reveled in a panorama of snowy summits ranging from Katahdin to the Traveler peaks and Bald and Billfish mountains.

Nighttime at Haskell Hut, enveloped in the warmth of its old vertical log walls, is a special experience indeed. Outside, the heavens above are inky black while the surrounding woods thick with pine and cedar are profoundly quiet. The nearest other

cabin to return to each afternoon, to boot.

For info on planning your own KAWW winter adventure, trail conditions and a map of the crosscountry ski trails, visit nps.gov/kaww A call to the park office at 207-4566001 is a good idea, too.

Reservations for Haskell Hut are required and can be made through recreation. gov.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! (See page 47)

Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island, ME is the author of Beer Hiking New England, AMC’s Best Day Hikes Along the Maine Coast, and the AMC Maine Mountain Guide. Catch up with him (maybe) at maineoutdoors@aol.com on Facebook, and on Instagram @careykish

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Off-Season Coyote Tips

You may already be aware of the year-round hunting opportunities that small game, such as the coyote, offers in many states. If where you live has no closed season on coyotes you will be doing yourself a favor by taking

game hunts? I have noticed my confidence and gut instincts raise exponentially when I don’t slack on a coyote hunt. I wouldn’t overlook the slightest detail when hunting deer, bear, moose and turkey, as I’m sure you wouldn’t either. It

Coyote hunting on the off months honed my skills as a lifelong hunter and marksman.

In keeping pace with the theme of year-round practice I’d like to share with you four hunting principles I use while coyote hunting on the off months that helps me be a better hunter. Number one – I scout year-round by way of reading animal signs that will tell me a story about the animals travel patterns, food preferences and core living areas. I take mental notes of prime locations.

Hunting coyotes in the

Page 11

On The Prowl

by Justin Merrill, Cherryfield, ME

departures.

Number three – Know the wind! I notice what the wind is doing now, not what it did last month. Don’t forget thermals, (swirling, hovering, turning and nonconsistent), pattern them too. My buddy, Joe Saltalamachia, likes to place a smoke canister on his tree-stand platform. Once lit he gets down and steps back to study the smokes every move. If the smoke

be hunting) stapled to plywood and propped up in a sand pit or anywhere with steep hills that stop my bullets. I then will shoot from a standing and sitting position. I also will shoot with my gun rested, gun not rested, shoot downhill, shoot through tiny openings and shoot up close and far away.

Don’t forget to use these hunting principles to kill coyotes year-round

Know the wind! I notice what the wind is doing now, not what it did last month. Don’t forget thermals, (swirling, hovering, turning and non-consistent), pattern them too. My buddy, Joe Saltalamachia, likes to place a smoke canister on his tree-stand platform.

Long time subscriber Bob Knowles sent in this awesome game cam photo from Arrowsic Maine. advantage of this. If you shouldn’t be any different want to be all ‘toned’ up when hunting coyotes. for those invigorating, and When I’m hunting highly anticipated fall and coyotes during months winter hunts, what bet- prior to other hunting seater way than to chase the sons it’s like doing my coyotes during those off ‘Hunters Homework’, months. studying right after each Continuing to hunt hunting season till I tag out periodically throughout the next season. Hunting the year allows you to coyotes year-round keeps exercise your thinking, me all toned up. I do it for planning, preparation, or- fun, but also, while pursuganizing, execution and ing the incredibly smart, shooting muscles. I ask tough to kill coyote, I’m you this – why wouldn’t noticing important details you treat a coyote hunt the in and around the places I same as your trophy big hunt other game animals.

summer, early fall and late winter months allows you to do this. Your walks to and from coyote haunts allows you to check for animal signs left by those you hunt in later months. When in an ambush for coyotes on a field edge you may get actual visual sightings of the other animals you hunt and get to determine where to set tree-stands and blinds.

Number two – I will determine the least disturbing approach and departure to ‘NEVER’ educate the target animal(s) of human existence. When feasible, I cut limbs, and clear a path to use for a quiet entry with minimal human noise and scent left behind. Utilizing drainage ditches or any type of ravine to navigate through your hunting area helps immensely. Just always remember to use the topographical features to hide your approach and

tells him to move his stand, then Joe moves his stand to where the wind and thermals agree. He doesn’t waste any time on a stand where thermals will bust him every time.

Number four – I stage shooting practices that simulate realistic hunting scenarios in hopes to avoid fouling up during the moment of truth. For example: I set up 3-D targets to shoot my bow sitting, standing, I shoot through tiny openings, from high elevations and wearing hunting clothing I would in a real hunting situation. I am certain this type of practice has been the result of my bow hunting success through the years.

When practicing with firearms, you need to have an adequate backdrop to stop your bullets. I like to set up paper targets of coyote, bobcat, fox, deer, or bear (whichever I may

and be prepared for all your hunts to assure a successful ending. However, there are no guarantees when it comes to ill prepared hunters. You may beg to differ; however, I will stand firm in my commitment to being well prepared. I firmly recommend these hunting principles for off season coyote hunts. Do it to kill more coyotes but mostly for good wholesome yearround hunting practice.

Justin has his Wildlife Biology degree from Unity College and is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association. He is the author of the books, “Wild Maine Outdoors – Hunting Tactics, Tricks & Secrets”. Also the book, “THE SIT SPOT – Discovering the Forest Near You”.

He is the owner of the YouTube channel, “SPIKES and GILLS”.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 12

February 2024

Outdoor News - February 2024 Edited by V. Paul Reynolds

February. Not a bad month for outdoor types.

If you look closely, you’ll notice longer days. Cabin fever sufferers take heart.

There are sportsman shows and ice fishing derbies that make a relatively short winter month go even faster. On late afternoons toward the end of February, when the sun’s rays begin to hold promise and the wind stays down, it can be downright pleasant near those ice fishing holes.

If you’re shopping for winter diversions beyond the bunny hunts or tying bench, don’t forget to check out the many sportsman shows, ice fishing derbies and bait dealers whose ads appear this month in the Sportin’ Journal.

As we said in this space last year at this time, the best part of the month is the perennial promise that helps Mainers endure the abbreviated days and prolonged nights: the coming of March, then the April thing, and then spring!

on the evening of February 21st at the Penobscot Conservation Club in Brewer!

Incredible donations from both Club’s Members will make this the opportunity for enthusiasts of all types to have access to limited edition items and equipment! All proceeds go to help our Salmon Clubs!

Wardens Locate Missing People Lost In Bog

Game Warden K9 Breezy and Game Warden Lucas Bellanceau located two missing people in late December after they had spent a night in the woods after they had become lost while on a hike.

48-year-old Joseph Caroto of Limington and 55-year-old Stacey Gain of Baldwin had gone on a hike with another friend off of Mills Street in Steep Falls when they got turned around and could not find their way back.

The trio spent the night in the woods over night, and in the morning, the friend was able Salmon Club to hike out and wandered Auction to a house, shoeless and The Veazie Salmon cold, and told the homeClub will be joining the owner that his friends were Penobscot Salmon Club for still lost in the woods and an exciting Silent Auction weren’t doing well.

Game Warden Lucas Bellanceau starts a fire in order to warm up the hyporthermic victims, and in the other photo, Game Wardens and other emergency personnel carry out one of the victims on a litter.

Portland

K9 units from the Maine Warden Service and Cumberland County Sheriff’s office convened in the area and began searching the large bog in the area.

In the afternoon, Warden K9 Breezy struck on a scent, and led Warden Bellanceau to the missing pair who were lost in the middle of the bog. Both Caroto

and Gain were severely hypothermic, and unable to walk. Game Wardens started a fire, and gave the subjects some food and warm drinks to warm them up.

With the pair unable to walk, Maine Game Wardens, along with emergency response personnel from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and fire departments from Standish, Sebago, Baldwin, Buxton, Limington and Hollis were able to carry the the pair out through the bog on litter, at times carrying them through waist deep water in order to get them out of the woods. Once out, they were transported by ambulance to the hospital, where they are expected to make a full recovery.

Bluefin Bonanza Continues Support for Education, Conservation

The Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza tuna tournament continued their mission of supporting community, conservation and education with awards to several local groups.

At the Southern Maine Community College campus, CBBB president Bob Humphrey presented a check for $16,000 to Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges (FMCC) president John Fitzsimmons. These funds will be awarded as $1,000 scholarships to 14 students, 2 from each of Maine’s 7 community colleges enrolled in trades and marine sciences programs and an additional $1,000 scholarship for two students, one each from Southern Maine (News cont. pg 13)

February 2024

News

(Cont. from pg 12) Community College and Central Maine Community College. “We deeply appreciate all the work of the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza to raise funds for our students,” said Fitzsimmons. “Gifts like yours provide an opportunity to attend Maine’s community colleges that would otherwise not exist.” In addition to annual scholarships, the Bluefin Bonanza also has a $50,000 endowment with the FMCC that ensures scholarships in perpetuity.

The Bluefin Bonanza also awarded a check for $25,000 to Liz Erickson, Director of Philanthropy at the University of Maine Foundation, Dr. Walt Golet, Assistant Professor from the UMaine School of Marine Sciences, and Research Scientist at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Diane Rowland, Dean of the UMaine College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture, which oversees the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine.

“These internships offer an invaluable opportunity for our interns to gain practical field experience and make connections that will help them advance their professional careers,” said Golet.

“The support also allows the Pelagic Fisheries Lab to increase the scope of our work on bluefin tuna.”

“We are very proud to be able to give back to the community that supports us,” said Humphrey.

“Many of the businesses that support our annual event are in dire need of skilled trades workers and our scholarships help produce more qualified individuals for the local

work force. Meanwhile, our support of the GMRI students and staff ensures that the best available science is applied in managing our valuable bluefin tuna resource, which in turn, supports local fishermen and the countless businesses associated with their infrastructure.” Capts.

Kurt and Erik Christiansen, who provide financial and logistical support to the Lab were also on hand for the presentation. “We’re thankful for the opportunity to support research that ensures our fishery remains healthy and sustainable,” said Kurt.

Northwoods Sporting Journal New Hampshire Deer Tally

The final number of deer taken in Vermont’s 2023 hunting seasons will not be available for a few more weeks, but the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says the final tally will be a little over 16,800 deer. Those deer will provide approximately 3.4 million servings of local, nutritious venison. The buck harvest will be close to 9,800, which will be up from 2022 (9,619) and the previous 3-year average of 9,336. The final antlerless deer harvest will be around 7,000, which will be down

l. to r. back row: Nick Metayer, CBBB committee, Diane Rowland, Dean of the UMaine College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture; Bob Humphrey, CBBB President; Liz Erickson, UMaine Foundation; Kurt Christensen, CBBB committee, Erik Christensen, CBBB volunteer; Shawn Tibbetts, CBBB Vice President; front row: Jessica Metayer, CBBB Treasurer; Jane Humphrey, CBBB Secretary; Walt Golet, UMO/ GMRI Pelagic Fisheries Lab. The Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza is a 501 (c) (3) is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to the purpose of raising and expending funds in support of educational scholarships to deserving individuals, giving charitable donations to those in need and building a better community. For more information, visit: www. bluefinbonanza.org or email bluefinbonanza@ gmail.com

from the previous 3-year average (8,101).

“Hunting conditions were mixed in 2023,” said Nick Fortin, the department’s deer project leader.

“Warm weather in October limited deer movement during the day, and frequent weekend rain events reduced hunter effort. This resulted in harvests during the archery, youth and novice, and October muzzleloader seasons being down considerably from 2022.

Page 13

Conversely, seasonable temperatures and snow in much of the state during November and December resulted in increased harvests during the regular season and December muzzleloader season.”

sures deer and the habitats that support them remain in good condition and productive,” said Fortin. The 2023 White-tailed Deer Harvest Report with final numbers will be on Fish and Wildlife’s website in early March. Beginning in late March, the department will be holding informational hearings to share biological information and to listen to any information people wish to share.

The primary goal of Vermont’s deer management strategy is to keep the deer herd stable, healthy and in balance with available habitat. “Maintaining an appropriate number of deer on the landscape en-

Vermont Ice Conditions

Ice conditions across Vermont are inconsistent due to warm and variable weather, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Depart(News cont. pg 32)

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Page 14

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Digging Deep on Antler Sheds

On The Ridge

by Joe Judd Shelburne, MA The warm weather that stayed with us right through the end of the 2023 deer season, and beyond.

It reminded me of another mild year, just a few years back, when sightings of whitetail bucks throughout the region still carrying antlers into mid-February captured my complete at-

Massachusetts, sent me a picture of a mature buck still carrying a full set of antlers on February 5th of that year, which caused me to question everything I thought I knew about why, and when bucks drop their antlers. And after hitting the research books on this subject, I began to learn

saying that the testosterone levels are affected not only by photoperiod, but also by poor nutrition, injuries, dominance, and by the presence of does still in estrus. For instance, in Massachusetts, most does are bred during mid through late November, but if un-bred does are still present later in December, bucks will keep their antlers longer.

For instance, in Massachusetts, most does are bred during mid through late November, but if un-bred does are still present later in December, bucks will keep their antlers longer.

tention! When it comes to bucks shedding antlers, I freely admit, I am no biologist. But I’ve always had my own, uneducated, beliefs and theories about why and when bucks lose their antlers. And when others have shared their theories with me about this I’ve usually just listened, added their thoughts to my own, and moved on to the next thing!

But, in 2021 that all changed after a good friend of mine from Charlemont,

February 2024

the real facts that simply enlightened me! And as you read on, you may find something to add to your own set of theories that might enlighten you as well.

As I dug deeper into this subject, antler development is dependent on many different things, like photoperiod (hours of daylight per day) and testosterone levels, not necessarily just temperatures alone. Antler drop is also dependent on these same principles.

I’m certain that many deer hunters know that elevated levels of testosterone are necessary to keep a buck’s antlers firmly attached to his skull. But when testosterone levels drop, antlers loosen up and begin to shed. Many wildlife biologists take it a step further

Another factor is continued fighting between bucks, which could also be related to additional does in estrus. If bucks continue fighting late into the winter, testosterone levels will stay up, which helps their antlers to stay on longer.

And that’s something that just never occurred to me in over 50 years of chasing whitetail deer! Trying to intelligently explain this to someone requires a much better understanding of the subject than what I possess.

This is especially so when you consider that whitetail deer can be found in varying climates throughout the United States, and each climate plays a role at the start of a new antler cycle.

For example, antler growth begins with the additional daylight hours starting in

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the springtime, and along with that comes a rise in the breeding hormones.

As antlers grow, they are covered in velvet with hundreds of blood vessels laced within. By mid to late summer the antlers

winter months even into February, especially in the Northern and upper Midwest regions of the country.

However, I’ve also learned that bucks in Florida, or their Gulf Coast counterparts, may retain them

Photo of a still-antlered buck taken in February. (Photo by Vicky Griswold) have begun to harden, the blood flow starts declining, and eventually stops completely. Soon after, the velvet starts to peel away, which is often enhanced by a buck scraping his antlers against trees, fence posts, shrubs, bushes, or anything else he can find as summer continues into autumn. By late October, the antlers are fully hardened and bare of velvet as the rut approaches and sparring begins for breeding dominance. This is when the clocks really start ticking regarding antler drop which, again, commences with less daylight and falling hormones usually right after the height of breeding season. Antlers then begin to weaken as certain cells, called osteoclasts, that live at the base, or pedicle, of the antler start reabsorbing calcium. And eventually, the antler will drop, leaving a bloody pedicle that quickly heals over. Also, antlers don’t always shed at the same time, which is common knowledge, and bucks with one antler are often seen during the later

while remaining in the rut all the way into mid-winter, or even later because of the drastic changes in the different climates. However, weakened bucks will shed their antlers much earlier than that, just like they do in any other region of the U. S! But back to my friend’s picture. Later in that very same year, she sent me another picture of a smaller, but very healthylooking, buck. And you guessed it, the young buck was still sporting a very tall set of spikes in the middle of that same February!

Which left me scratching my head while continuing my search for even more data on the subject!

Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also a member of the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro/ Cabela’s Pro-Staff.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Ticks and Turkeys

In Maine, it seems, wild turkeys are the brussel sprouts of our game species: people either love them or hate them.

When wild turkeys were transplanted in Maine from Vermont stocks in the 1970s, not even our wildlife biologists thought these large birds could establish

biologists and conventional wildlife science finds no basis in fact regarding these popular beliefs.

Myth two: The explosion of deer ticks in Maine can be traced to the introduction of turkeys.

Turkeys are transporters of these ticks. Here is an explanation from the Maine

correlation does not imply causation. In other words, two independent events trending similarly over time does not definitively prove that one produced the other. Why? There are countless other variables in play! Changes in temperature, humidity, human population, wildlife populations, habitat and much more were also occurring

Page 15

Outdoors In Maine

by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME ing prior to becoming engorged, limiting spread.

So, could turkey preening and foraging actually decrease tick densities?

Unfortunately, no. Study results show that turkeys are relatively ineffective predators of ticks. Overall,

usually a moose. Mild winters combined with high moose population densities are the key elements in proliferation of winter tick and reproductive rates of moose.

Yes, Maine’s wild turkeys have been getting a

Myth two: The explosion of deer ticks in Maine can be traced to the introduction of turkeys.

Turkeys are transporters of these ticks. at the same time, so the determination of cause and effect is complex to say the least.

A number of scientific studies have been conducted to investigate interactions between turkeys and ticks and determine if wild turkeys are likely beneficial hosts for deer ticks at any stage in the life cycle. The results were clear. Deer ticks rarely successfully feed on turkeys. While turkeys can and do sometimes carry ticks, it’s not at high levels, and most are quickly consumed during preen-

Maine’s wild turkey population, at 70,000, is getting a bad rap. themselves so pervasively, Department of Inland Fishor prove so tough when it eries and Wildlife: came to winter survival.

The timing of the Maine’s current tur- expansion of ticks does key population is estimated coincide with the reestabto be an incredible 70,000. lishment of wild turkeys, For hunting purposes, the and with such suspicious wild turkey is considered timing, turkeys seem like to be big game, and our an easy scapegoat. But, as spring and fall turkey hunt every good scientist knows, has provided exciting and challenging hunting opportunities.

The elusive Northwoods Sporting Journal’s But, from a public moose Marty. image standpoint, all is not He has wandered into the northwoods. gold that glitters. Myths or Find Marty somewhere in the Northwoods Sporting erroneous notions abound Journal (Hint: he will be located in one of our ads) Send us the page number he’s on and you could be a WINMarty when it comes to the public NER! Win a FREE Northwoods Sporting Journal Marty image of our large game Hat. We will draw one winner from all correct entries submitted each month. We will announce the winner in birds. the next issue.

Myth one: The prolifShown actual size PLEASE MAIL THIS FORM TO: Northwoods Sporting Journal eration of wild turkeys can P.O. Box 195, West Enfield, ME 04493 be blamed for declining Rosemary Gordon Name (Marty was found deer numbers. Deer don’t on pg 52 & 25) Address like turkeys and will leave City State Zip an area where turkeys Entries must be Phone abound. Besides, both of postmarked by 2/12/24 these species compete for to be eligible for I found Marty on page forage. Studies by wildlife this issue.

wild turkeys carry a few bad rap. ticks and eat a few ticks, and have a net zero impact.

The author is editor Turkeys have also of the Northwoods Sportbeen blamed for the wor- ing Journal. He is also a risome proliferation of the Maine Guide and host of winter tick that has been a weekly radio program ravaging Maine’s adult and “Maine Outdoors” heard calf moose. The science Sundays at 7 p.m. on The also vindicates the turkey Voice of Maine News-Talk on this count. The winter Network. He has authored tick has been with us long three books. Online purbefore turkey introduc- chase information is availtions, and the winter tick able at www.sportingjoursurvives on a solo host, nal.com

HELP US FIND

PLEASE SLOW DOWN SPEED IS DANGEROUS RIDE RIGHT RIDE SAFE RIDE SOBER

Be Aware of Shared Trails Watch Out for Groomers, Return Like you Left,

Alive!

Page 16

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Adventures of Me and Joe Teenagers can be a heartless bunch, especially when it comes to nicknames. When Choke Rockne finally sired a son, he proudly chose to name the boy after that most famous of his distant relatives, the legendary football coach Knute Rockne.

All went well until the boy’s junior year in high school. In the tryouts for the football team, young Knute came down with a savage head cold.

The coach sent him to the showers early and, had Knute merely showered and headed home, all would have gone well. But the cold slowed him down.

He showered, then sat on a bench by his locker, resting and building up his strength before getting dressed and heading home.

In the meantime, the substitute English teacher, Miss Hourglass, sought him out. It seems that Knute had neglected to turn in a report on the previous day and, although Miss Hourglass didn’t know him by sight, she did know he was trying out for football.

At the field the coach

by Bob Cram, (Alias T.J. Coongate) Medway, ME informed her that Knute had showered and was probably heading home.

She might, he said, catch the boy as he was leaving the locker room.

Not being a rocket scientist, Miss Hourglass barged right into the locker room, figuring Knute was already dressed and ready to go. Acutely embarrassed, Knute leaped from the bench where he’d been dozing and tried to cover himself with a towel.

“You, boy,” Miss Hourglass said sharply.

“What’s your name?”

Struggling to hold the towel in a strategic position and hampered by his clogged sinuses. Knute croaked out, “Nude…Nude Rognie, ma’am.”

The story spread through school like wildfire, and forever after, in the eyes of his peers, anyway, Knute Rockne became Nude Rockne, whether he liked it or not.

Nude did indeed make the football team and he proved to be a successful running back. So infatuated was he with the game that he went into a deep

February 2024

Legend of Nude Rockne

Seeing it was just out of reach, he dove headlong and caught the football with outstretched fingers. But the top of a pier piling was buried in the deep snow and he dove headlong into the unforgiving wood. depression when the season ended. One day in late winter he came to me and Joe and we could see right away that something had changed. Nude looked excited and his normal aura of depression had disappeared.

“Hey, guys,” he said enthusiastically. “I’ve got an idea!”

“Gee, that’s too bad, Nude,” Joe replied sympathetically. “But the pickerel are bitin’ over on Crutch Pond. I’m sure, after a few

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.

hours of ice fishin’, that nasty ole idea will go right away.”

Nude eyed him uncertainly. “No, really…you guys know how much fun it is to play football, right?”

We nodded slowly, wondering where this was going. I played tight end on the high school team and Joe was quarterback.

But once the season was over, both of us were glad to go on to other things, like hunting and fishing.

“Well,” Nude continued, “I’ve come up with a way to play winter football!”

“Winter football? You mean, like in the gym?”

Somehow I couldn’t quite picture it.

“No, outdoors! On the snow out on the river!

Look,” he dug a list out of one pocket. “I’ve simplified the rules. And we can do it on snowshoes. With all the padded clothes we’ll be wearing and with running on snowshoes, nobody will get hurt. It’ll be a great way to spend some time on these winter evenings. The lights from town will be enough to see by.”

Me and Joe looked (Me & Joe cont. pg 22)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Salty Prey on the Fly

Rewinding my memory clock back ten years, I recall meeting one of the most pleasant, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and likeable young bass anglers. At the time this young man was pursuing his college degree in Marine Biology at the University of Maine. Our connection involved the University of Maine’s FLW College Circuit Fishing Team. As the classroom coordinator for The Bass University, I invited the University of Maine FLW College Fishing Team to join us at one of our TBU Educational Two-Day Seminars.

This in turn spawned one of my most treasured friendships. During the following years, we spent time fishing together for bass in Maine. However, I quickly learned, how talented and devoted this young man was. Not only to freshwater fishing, but also his passion for saltwater fishing with a variety of techniques.

After graduating in 2017 from the University of Maine, my energetic young friend quickly utilized his Marine Biology Degree, as he entered the worldwide fishing industry. With his passionate eyes fixed on the preservation of fisheries, and developing water policies on land, he never wavered

Page 17

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Wayne Short lived quite the life. After his parents pulled up stakes in the lower 48 and moved to Alaska with their three sons, the family became fully immersed in the remote and adventurous life-

After marrying and bringing his new bride into the rugged country he loved – Warm Springs Bay on Baranof Island, Wayne took on the new challenge of supporting a family of his own out there. Unlike the vast interior of Alaska, this part of the state is rich in fish and game resources, and it was a good era to be

Outdoor Sporting Library

by Jeremiah Wood, Ashland, ME

populations, the whims of customers and businesses that use the products you harvest or create. It can be stressful and never all that predictable. But such a life offers a level of freedom, independence and excite-

This Raw Land

After marrying and bringing his new bride into the rugged country he loved – Warm Springs Bay on Baranof Island, Wayne took on the new challenge of supporting a family of his own out there. style offered in southeast Alaska. They became commercial fishermen in summer, trappers in winter, and many things in between.

Carving a living out of nothing but what you can produce with your own two hands and the gray matter between your ears can be tough. You’re dependent on the seasons, the weather, fish and wildlife

ment that just can’t be achieved with a steady job.

In his popular book “The Cheechakoes”, Short described how the family came to Alaska, built a remote home while learning to live off the surrounding wilderness, and got started in the commercial fishing industry. His next book, “This Raw Land” picked up where the first left off.

employed in harvesting them.

Salmon and halibut were abundant and well priced, and Wayne and his wife Barb spent many of their summers fishing and delivering fish to the canneries. Some days the fish would bite and they’d make a big profit – thousands of dollars in today’s prices. Other days the fish

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were nowhere to be found or they’d run a line in shallow water and lose hundreds of dollars worth of gear. One never knew.

One salmon season, Wayne took the opportunity to buy fish for one of the companies, and spent weeks working almost around the clock to get fish loaded, weighted and bought during the busy salmon gill net season.

Long hours of backbreaking work and navigating boats so full of fish they nearly swamped in rough seas made for some good stories. And it paid off.

For their efforts Wayne and Barb took home the modern day equivalent of about a hundred grand.

High demand for fur many years brought Wayne and his two brothers back to the trap lines they’d established long before. With abundant food from the ocean, the area supported unbelievable numbers of mink and otter. One year they lived and worked out of their trapping camp for

February 2024

a month and harvested a couple hundred pelts. The big challenge was getting the fur to market at the best possible price. After being deceived by an irreputable fur buyer in Seattle, it took two flights, a devastating plane crash and the threat of gun play to get paid.

But get paid they did, and it was enough to live well until the next season, the next opportunity, the next adventure.

“This Raw Land” is Wayne Short’s second book, and the last describing his adventures in Alaska. Reading it made me wish he’d written even more. As I write this, I believe Wayne Short is still with us, living in Petersburg at nearly 100 years of age. You can find a video on Youtube with Wayne and his son reminiscing about the old days. What a time to have been alive!

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February 2024

Letters

(Cont. from pg 8) swamp. Beats hiring a skidder and making a road!

Never worried about leaving it up north, but closer to the settlements where not everyone is trustworthy, I have left a note saying “Wait here Fred, I’ve gone to get Joe to help us, be right back.”

Hope he is well and enjoying the hard earned deer steaks.

Charlie Tobie

Northwoods Sporting Journal

ican bird’s name through a subjective, woke, moral filter and changing every name that doesn’t pass muster. He characterizes this decision as “historical revisionism in the name of political correctness,” that “is taking our confused culture into uncharted territory that is as absurd as it is dishonest to history itself.”

Historical revisionism as Reynolds uses the phrase is misleading and untrue.

Bird names that include famous folks like Lincoln, Lewis, and Audubon are

almost universally white and men; sometimes to commemorate someone famous; other times to name the guy who shot one and stuffed it for a museum. Where, besides Hawaii, have we awarded equal consideration to bird names we first learned from our indigenous predecessors? Where in our field guides are the names of women naturalists and artists who were contemporaries of those white men? The names we have assigned to birds over the

Reynolds Rant To the Editor: Since reading V. Paul Reynolds’ rant about the plan to rename numerous North American bird species, several things have stuck in my craw that deserve equal air time. I am a life-long avid birder and have spent more than 50 years learning birds’ names the hard way, just like Mr. Reynolds. I welcome the coming changes.

Reynolds believes that ornithological institutions in America will be passing every North Amer-

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years were chosen selectively and with great prejudice, which I submit is about as revisionist as you can get.

Reynolds’ basic claim is also incorrect.

The American Ornithological Union intends to remove all names of people appended to birds, without passing them through a panel of judges. The AOU’s website states, “We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features

Page 19

and beauty of the birds themselves.” Bird names in the future will be more interesting, more inclusively chosen, more educational, and more inviting to new enthusiasts than our present roster.

Mr. Reynolds wants the world to be populated by nature lovers just as much as I do, I presume, which is where I hope he and I can find common ground.

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Page 20

Aroostook Woods & Water

Northwoods Sporting Journal

by Mike Maynard, Perham, ME I love February! I love bad weather! I love that perpetual, never-ending grayness and the bleak outlook conveyed by the thermometer every time I look at it. It’s February, kids! Every day feels like I’m living through the same weather that sunk the Ed-

deconstructed bruschetta and blackened mahi-mahi bites, washed down with a couple of cachaca cocktails, we could go off in search of some bonefish?

Yes, I’d like that, please!

Have any of you ever really looked closely at a bonefish crab pattern? I mean,

Funky February Fantasies

February 2024

bearing and the oil tank is lower than you’d like it. No, we’re stuck on a frozen lake in some forgotten corner of Aroostook County, bravely doing our best to stave off imminent frostbite, all in the name of jigging up a handful of doinky white perch.

For our repast, it won’t be deconstructed bruschetta;

Sadly, we are not in the Keys. The lack of discretionary funds deemed necessary to facilitate such an adventure, are nowhere to be found; the family mini-van needs a wheel bearing and the oil tank is lower than you’d like it. No, we’re stuck on a frozen lake in some forgotten corner of Aroostook County.. mund Fitzgerald.

Actually, if we had half a brain between us, you and I, we would be at this very moment, down in the Keys somewhere. Ferried around some nameless atoll on a flats boat, throwing flies the size of small children to tarpon. Maybe after a light shore-lunch of

they’re all fuzz, foam and feathers; it makes me think that’s what Muppet spawn probably looks like.

Sadly, we are not in the Keys. The lack of discretionary funds deemed necessary to facilitate such an adventure, are nowhere to be found; the family mini-van needs a wheel

Aroostook County

we will be gnawing on still frozen red hot dogs that never got quite warmed through on that pathetic, wind-blown fire we tried to make. Your cachaca cocktail is a thermos of coffee gone cold hours ago. And that little flask of bourbon you brought to liven up the coffee? It slipped out of your pocket as you were skimming that last hole, and now lies at the bottom

The author, who would never trade an Aroostook County winter, insists that he prefers the Dark Months in the North Country to slinging tarpon flies up on azure waters in the Florida Keys. of the lake. You remember that flask, it’s the one the kids saved all their allowance money for. They gave it to you for Christmas.

Way to go, dad.

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There’s a wonderful old saying and coined specifically with the ice fisherman in mind: ‘Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad!’ And when they say, ‘mad’, they don’t mean angry. No, they mean stark raving crazy. So appropriate, don’t you think?

At this point you need to be smart; go home!

To ease the pain of being humiliated by Mother Nature, again, you could indulge yourself and stop for a couple of gas station burritos in Ashland, mmmm! I know it isn’t blackened mahi-mahi, but if you stop at Hannaford’s in Caribou on the way home you can buy yourself some of that great fake sushi they sell. Boys, I’m telling you what, that stuff is just the (Funky cont pg 21)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Funky (Cont. from pg 20) thing to take your mind off dropping a priceless Christmas present to the bottom of the lake. Maybe, as you try and drive while gnoshing on fake sushi, you can start to rationalize away the pain. Tell yourself, enough times, that your betters down in the Keys don’t know what they’re missing and you might even start to believe it. By the time you pull into your yard it might even be true.

But the truth is, if we only hunted, fished, or paddled on those rare bluebird days, we would only make it out once or twice a season. And, we sure wouldn’t have a damn thing to talk about when we went to camp the next time, would we! We go out in all weather because this is just what we do, it’s in our collective DNA. We don’t know any better (well, yes, we do; but that certainly isn’t going to stop us). The heart wants what it wants.

You have to suffer for your passions. Love without the weight of pain, guilt, and

remorse is no love at all. If the stories told around the fire at camp next spring didn’t ring with all the hallmarks of futility and self-inflicted disaster, why even go to camp at all? If every trip out on the ice were wonderfully successful, it would immediately become a tale of blandness and never-ending sameness. Your exploits would become worthy of a TV show on the Magnolia network; you could get Maine Cabin Masters to come out and rebuild your bob house for you.

I sometimes feel a twinge of regret and selfrecrimination for not doing enough in my earlier life to be able to afford to ignore the slings and arrows of an Aroostook County winter and simply jet off to the Keys every time the mercury tanked. But then I am reminded just how much I love living here, in all weather. Sure, I bitch and whine; …so do you, but most of us just wear our hearts on our sleeves and do it all over again the following weekend. If we’re lucky enough we

have wives who share this demented life philosophy.

It turns out, I will never be one of those ‘snowbirds’ who migrates south for the winter, even if I could afford the shore lunches pulled straight from the pages of ‘Better Boats and Mangrove Flats’.

Nope. Stay home, go out on the ice in really lousy weather and make some memories.

Mike Maynard lives in Perham, Maine. He can be reached at perhamtrout@ gmail.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 22

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 16)

at each other. Unless you were cusk or smelt fishing, you couldn’t fish at night anyway, and you certainly couldn’t hunt at night.

Maybe this idea of Nude’s had some merit.

By nightfall, word had spread among the teenage boys in Mooseleuk and a crowd gathered at the landing on the Little Salt Pork River. We quickly chose up teams and the only markers on the snowcovered surface of the river were some hastily erected goal posts in the form of spruce poles stuck deep in the snow.

Perhaps surprisingly, the game turned out to be a lot of fun. Bear paw snowshoes quickly became

the preferred style for this form of winter football, as they allowed sharper turns and quicker maneuvering.

Punts and field goals were accomplished by the simple expedient of standing on one snowshoe with the other foot free for the kick.

“This is great!” Nude waxed enthusiastic at halftime with the score tied at 14. “Once the idea gets around, I’ll be famous!”

“Yeah,” Joe agreed with a grin. “Nude Rockne’s winter football. You’ll be a reg’lar legend.”

The second half began well enough. Our team made a series of first downs, putting us well down the field toward the opponent’s goal. Then matters took a turn for the worse. As Joe took the snap on a second down, the op-

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posing linebackers broke through and were all over him. In desperate haste, Joe shot off a long throw downfield.

I’ll give Nude credit.

He was game. Running as fast as snowshoes allowed, he veered to the left, arms outstretched, trying to snag the ball out of the air right at the landing. Seeing it was just out of reach, he dove headlong and caught the football with outstretched fingers.

But the top of a pier piling was buried in the deep snow and he dove headlong into the unforgiving wood.

The loud “thwock!” carried through the cold night air.

We a l l g a t h e r e d around the still figure lying in the snow.

“Think he’s dead?”

Gasper Gooch asked curiously.

“Naw. Look there, he’s still breathin’,” Joe answered.

“That was…uh… some catch!” said Condon Fishbane.

“Sure was,” Goat Fletcher agreed. “But if’n that pili’n hadn’t been there, I think he’d of been out of bounds.”

“Maybe we ought to

get him to the hospital,” I suggested.

“Oh…good idea.”

Mr. and Mrs. Rockne met us at the Mooseleuk Hospital. In the emergency room, they stripped the unconscious teenager and placed him on a gurney. Dr. Norton Slit made a careful examination.

“Who is this boy?” he asked, lifting an eyelid and shining a light at the pupil.

“He’s Nude,” Joe volunteered.

“I can see that. But what’s his name?”

“That is his name.”

“What?”

“Nude!”

D r. S l i t s c o w l e d fiercely. “ H i s r e a l n a m e ’s Knute Rockne,” I hastily interjected.

Dr. Slit glanced at me.

“I thought he was dead.”

“Oh, my God!” Mrs. Rockne screamed. “He’s dead!” She swooned into her husband’s arms.

“No, no! I meant Knute Rockne!” The doctor said hurriedly.

“Yeah, he died in an accident, too,” I agreed.

“What do you mean, too?” Mr. Rockne glared at me while trying to support

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February 2024 his wife.

Dr. Slit shook his head, obviously trying to clear it. “Look, all you people are going to have to clear out! I’ve got to get some x-rays and do a more thorough examination.”

The upshot of it all was, Nude had a skull fracture and Dr. Slit had to operate in order to relieve pressure on the brain.

Eventually, Nude made a full recovery, with only a small scar along the hairline to show from the ordeal.

The accident kind of spelled the end to winter football. But I’ve always thought the idea had great potential. All that was needed to make it a big time sport was the right sponsor.

Perhaps one of the major breweries would be interested.

At any rate, Nude grew up and moved away.

He became a successful real estate developer in the Portland area. As an adult, he became just plain old Knute again and it was under that name that he met and married Emily Snoot.

Knute and Emily came back to Mooseleuk one summer for our high school reunion. At a dinner party, the pair sat at a table with me and Joe. I smiled, looking at Knute’s hairline.

“That scar’s pretty small now,” I remarked.

“You can barely see it.”

“Knute says it’s from an old football injury,” Emily said.

“Yeah,” Joe agreed.

“That was when he was Nude.”

Emily looked at her husband, startled. “You played football in the nude?”

(Me & Joe cont. pg 31)

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 23

My Trolling Set Up

I get questions all the time about how I set things up for trolling. These questions are really good and can often stimulate some deep-seated opinions. As with most things fishing there are no “hard and fast rules”. I understand people often stick with what they were taught. Or more importantly, what has offered

Lake Winnipesaukee and the anglers I shared the boat with were always worried about the “Salmon Chop”.

It was so important to them that they often would quit fishing if the chop disappeared. Their theory was that the “chop” helped to get the LLS excited.

Many years later I was introduced to a small

Trolling line is a grey line that is 5-8wt and 150’ in length. The combination of the backing, 150’ of line and leader is why I size up the reel. The line is really unique because you can adjust the depth of your fly by how much or how little line you let out.

The leader set up for me is 15’ of Seaguar Fluorocarbon, a very small

Slipstream

by Scott Biron, New London, NH Gene, his brother Emile or their fishing friend J Hubert Sanborn. However, what I’ve come to understand is how much of the nuts and bolts of trolling they tested.

Boat speed, line distance from the boat, line posi-

gestions outlined in the book and somedays I just try to add or remove one aspect if things are not working but I really appreciate Letourneau’s study in the area of trolling. In the end it’s up to the fish…the

Having tried many different methods as well as listened and watched other anglers I did what I enjoy doing, some historical research. There are times that no matter what you do nothing seems to work and that should really be factored in this discussion.

them the most success.

Having tried many different methods as well as listened and watched other anglers I did what I enjoy doing, some historical research. There are times that no matter what you do nothing seems to work and that should really be factored in this discussion.

It must have been back in the 60s when I was first introduced to trolling which we did on Lake Umbagog.

I vaguely remember the flies we used which were sparsely tied bucktail patterns. We would head to the area where the Rapid River meets the lake and troll the mouth of the river. If we did not catch anything my grandfather would announce we were fishing with cut bait and trolling was over for the day.

At the time I never paid attention to aspects like how much line was out, where the lines were in relation to each other or the boat speed. More importantly I never considered what the conditions were, the time of day or the water temperature.

In the 70s I trolled on

booklet written by Gene Letourneau called Secrets of Streamer Fly Fishing.

A good part of this book focuses on trolling for Brook Trout and LLS. After reviewing the book and making note of a few things I returned it to its owner. Unfortunately, I never purchased one for the high price it sold for of one dollar.

Years later I re-read the book mostly focusing on the fly patterns but I also concentrated on the actual trolling fundamentals that were laid out in the book.

My trolling line set up had evolved and now I was interested in tweaking things.

My friend Rick dislikes trolling and will bring that up to me on a regular basis but he often is a wealth of information having grown up in Wolfborough, NH and trolled many of the area’s lakes, he always offers great tips.

My set up is as follows: I use a 6wt 9’ Orvis Recon rod and or a 9’ fiberglass set up I’ve had for years.

I size up my reel one size to accommodate the line I use which is Cortand Level

barrel swivel and then 5’ more of the leader material to the fly. I usually make up a dozen or so of these leader setups each spring and keep them handy. The end that attaches to the fly line has a perfection loop on it which attaches to a heavy mono butt and is nail knotted to the fly line.

It’s a sturdy set up and the barrel swivel helps keep the fly from looking unnatural. My trolling partner Chuck and I use these rigs all season. In the summer we might use lead core line too.

What I liked best from the Letourneau book was the methods they used trolling. I never met either

tioning as well as keeping their rods in rod holders all interested me.

Chuck and I always played with the boat speed and had some rough plan on having our lines in or near the slipstream of the boat. The rod holder aspect intrigued me. I had observed many anglers lose LLS on the first strike.

They yanked the hook out of the fish’s soft jaw. I also felt that many times the LLS would ambush the front of the fly attempting to injure it only to circle back and then come in for the kill shot. My catch rate went up using this rod holder method.

I don’t use all the sug-

ice is getting thinner and it won’t be long.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 24

Hunt Predators, Save Deer

The Gun Cabinet

by John Floyd, Webster Plantation, ME It’s no secret that the deer population in Maine has been on a downward trend for several years.

While pockets of the state hold decent whitetail numbers, many rural and remote regions continue to see a decline in mature deer. Mild winters and abundant food sources haven’t changed that as far

are opportunistic killers of prey species, meaning they take healthy animals along with the weak. It also means they may kill more than they can eat. Also, the average size of a male Maine coyote is 35 lbs. versus a typical 24 lbs. for Western Coyote, enabling them to bring down adult deer.

February 2024

along a ridge line. I had noticed plenty of game sign in the area including deer tracks, bear scat and a fisher that came to steal an apple from a tree 25 yards away as I was making final adjustments in my stand.

I started making some doe bleats to entice a buck, but to my surprise, the biggest coyote I’ve ever put glass on came in looking to kill that doe just 15 minutes

enough to take down both fawns and adult deer. While snowshoe hare are the main staple of the bobcat’s diet, a 1984 study cited in the MDIFW’s 1986 Bobcat Assessment revealed that 40% of adult male bobcats had deer in their

the more populated areas of the state, but here on Tucker Ridge we have a healthy population of them.

On Monday of the third week of deer season I was in a different stand about 300 yards away. I followed a similar routine as

Like coyotes, bobcats are also opportunistic killers.

Averaging 3 feet in length and weighing in at around 30 lbs., male bobcats are big and strong enough to take down both fawns and adult deer. as I can see. One thing that has changed though is the ratio of predators to deer I see and hear on Tucker Ridge year after year. It’s time for us to get serious about predators.

Coyotes get a lot of the blame According to the Eastern Coyote species assessment released by MDIFW in 1999, the coyote is the top predator in the food chain here in Maine. The report notes that coyotes

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In a 1981 study conducted in Alberta, deer remains were found in less than 10 percent of coyote stomachs collected during the winter. In contrast, a 1995 winter study of Maine coyote scats found that 60 percent contained deer material.

Curiously, the assessment comes to the conclusion that starvation and wintering affect deer mortality more than coyote predation on does. I’m not a biologist, nor do I discount the findings of the smart folks down in Augusta, but I know what I see and hear.

Opening day of deer season I was perched in my tree stand long before first light, over watching a game trail that snaked

later.

I shouldn’t have been surprised though. We hear several distinct packs of coyotes all along the ridge.

At night we can hear the celebration of a kill. It can send chills down your spine when they are close and catch you off guard in the silence of the big woods. There seem to be more and more coyote every year and less deer.

Ask any deer hunter and they will tell you a coyote story.

Bobcats are deer killers too Like coyotes, bobcats are also opportunistic killers. Averaging 3 feet in length and weighing in at around 30 lbs., male bobcats are big and strong

Coyotes get a lot of blame but Maine bobcats are deer killers too. stomachs. first light washed over the Bobcats are reclu- ridge and started calling for sive animals that thrive in deer with a doe bleat. habitats that sport rocky Much the same as ledges, dense underbrush opening day, I was surand woodland blow downs. prised by what came slinkThat pretty much describes ing in not 50 yards from my Tucker Ridge. Much of the stand. A big bobcat moving preferred terrain bobcats’ left to right up the ridge, use is also choice bedding looking for a meal. These area for Maine whitetails. cats aren’t just in the deep “Maine is near the woods though. northern edge of the bobA neighbor at the cats range. When the tem- n o r t h e r n e d g e o f t h e perature drops below 46′ ridge sees bobcats movdegrees, a bobcat has to ing through her property increase its metabolic rate regularly. Just recently she (and therefore the amount captured a photo of an adult of food it eats) just to keep female with two young a warm (Gustafsen 1984)” couple hundred yards from notes Karen Morris, author the house. That’s two more of the MDIFW’s assess- bobcat than bucks she saw. ment.

Hunting them To me that read, “We Night hunting is the have some hungry bobcats most popular method for in Maine.” successful coyote hunters, M D I F W ’s “ L i v - while hounding for bobing with wildlife” bobcat cats is the most preferred page notes that these ani- choice. While these methmals are “rarely observed ods are proven, my recent in the wild”. I have no experiences tell me they doubt that may be true in aren’t the only way.

(Deer cont. pg 25)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Deer

(Cont. from pg 24) Coyotes use their sense of smell as the primary tool when hunting.

Their vision and hearing are also remarkably developed. Bobcats are more sight and sound hunters.

What these predators both have in common though are their choice of prey.

I keep a red squirrel bag in the game freezer that I add to all year long.

When the snowshoe hare and ruffed grouse seasons open in October, I kept the carcasses after I process

them as well. Any and all deer leftovers from processing complete the menu.

A bucket with a plastic handle gets filled with bait and gets carried in to my hunt site, about 100 yards from my setup. I fix the handle in the up position and hang a squirrel tail or partridge

Page 25

wing from it so that during a gentle breeze, it provides a visual attraction on top of the smell.

Calling gets their attention; the smell and visual seals the deal.

tified Instructor and is the owner of Tucker Ridge Outdoors in Webster Plantation, Maine. He is also an active member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association. Reach him at john@tuckerridge.me or John is a Registered on Facebook @tuckerridMaine Guide, an NRA Cer- geoutdoors

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 26

Marsh Island Chronicles

by Matthew Dunlap, Old Town, ME One of the many pleasures of the outdoors is how, when you can step off into the woods, you can simply immerse yourself in the wildness of it. No cell phones, no calendar reminders, no to-do lists,

The Accidental Outdoorsman

their tree stand in the dark, clatter up the tree steps, and then—only then—settle down, become quiet, and expect a deer to just come striding out to meet its destiny?

It’s an occupational

I realized then that I had to focus the first few days of deer season on the hunt, and not on anything else. Once I had rinsed the world out of my brain, I could truly begin to rebuild it. Maybe this is why we call it “recreation”. no appointments; with the only hard stop coming when you’re ready to head back to camp.

Being outside, however, seldom comes with an on-off switch; if unprepared, we can step into the trap of spoiling it for ourselves easily enough.

How many new hunters go crashing into the woods in the predawn hours on Opening Day, finally find

February 2024

hazard of those who spend much of their lives farming money, raising families, or just drilling deep into something they love are prone to fall into. In my early years as a senior state administrator, I remember ducking out of work a couple of hours early to hit my tree stand and try my luck during bear season; then came the afternoon I had the revelation to leave my

Blackberry in the truck, because I was doing so much work that I felt like I had moved my office desk into a large beech tree twenty feet in the air just east of the Caribou Bog in Old Town. I realized then that I had to focus the first few days of deer season on the hunt, and not on anything else—and once I had rinsed the world out of my brain, could truly begin to rebuild it. Maybe this is why we call it “recreation”.

Another revelation in

the outdoors came from a guide who had set me up in a small trout brook, and after I had missed several tantalizing strikes, he patiently told me something I never forgot: “You have to be ready for the bite,” he said. “You don’t know if they’ll strike as soon your fly hits the water, or if they will have to come to it—you just have to always be ready.”

For those of us who’ve learned to be ready for that fish to bite, we learn to

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never stop scanning the woods, never stop studying the riffles in a stream, never stop looking up and down the river for what’s flying, and always stop to study a track.

We may at times annoy our families when we suddenly pull over to glass a patch of fast water that defies freezing in the deep winter months to discern whether those bobbing waterfowl are goldeneyes or hooded mergansers, or take a GPS reading on a heavily-used game trail into an obscure, dense thicket that might hold a deer yard.

Sportsmen are students of the outdoors. It doesn’t always make for scintillating cocktail party discussion—not everyone is enthralled with the why and how of a buck shedding his antlers, for example, or the life cycles of mayflies and other emergers. But being immersed in the outdoors all the time isn’t a bad mindset, and for me, anyway, it helps me keep my balance when work keeps tapping me on the shoulder.

Recently, after reviewing a pile of work (Outdoorsman cont. pg 31)

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 27

The Elusive Trout

Aw ! T h e e l u s i v e brook trout. Where does it hide?

Our brook trout fish species finds many places for security from predators, mostly. Riffles, where brookies are borne and bred, provide fine cover for the early life span, but not for long.

Cut banks are often carved out by curling wa-

deep and well hidden under alders, and overhead cover of arching brush and tree branches. A comfortable water temperature for brook trout in the Northeast would be around fiftyfive degrees temperature, slightly more or less.

Spring, summer and fall aquatic insect hatches of different stages of development would be: nymphal

cool confines.

Deep spring seepage can be discovered in many trout ponds by exploring the bottom areas by handlining a thermometer, then marking the spot by tree/ shore alignments.

During the critical months, trout will gather over or near such places for comfort and survival.

Predator’s list Man may be included

“Just Fishing”

by Bob Leeman, Bangor, ME genus ranks high on the list as the enemy of the species, which depletes the natural inheritance of feeding habits, security and protection, and other genes.

The “hooking” and eventual release of “short” trout should also be included on the list.

In summary: Salvelinus Fontinalis has no exceptional long life, with an average lifespan of less than two years, which is probably not bad considering.

It’s hard to believe that some of the brook trout genus actually make

A hatchery-raised trout does not have the natural survival instincts of a wild trout. So the fish stocking of the brook trout genus ranks high on the list as the enemy of the species, which depletes the natural inheritance of feeding habits, security and protection, and other genes.

ters that gouge out hidden caverns for those seeking refuge; under banksize tree roots are favorite locations---but not wide enough openings for predators to enter.

Deep holes will secure overhead observance, but not for a family of cruising otters on a feeding frenzy.

Brook trout, a close kin to the Arctic Charr, fends quite well for itself in its comfortable waters in the Northeast U.S. But just how is this accomplished over these many years?

Actually, brookies seek shelter and comfort in unusual haunts that become available in their environment. That is in riffles, cut banks, deep holes, shaded areas, fast water, favorable water temperatures, etc.

Too, these creatures actually turn color to blend into the environment.

Spring holes must be

to adult stage of caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies, and assorted land-hatching beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, etc. Being bottom feeders, for the most part, except for insect emergers and top water hatches, these finned things find solace in deep,

in the “predator” list, but perhaps not the worst.

That is, not recently, with stiffer fishing regulations imposed these days, from those days in the past, when catching all that could be caught would be the norm.

A hatchery-raised trout does not have the natural survival instincts of a wild trout. So the fish stocking of the brook trout

The animal and bird predator list will include otter, mink, and “other fish”, and on occasion, raccoons.

And certainly, last but not least, is encroachment and pollution. Among bird predators are eagles, great blue herons, kingfishers, gulls, a few species of diving ducks, like cormorants and loons.

it to four or even five years of age.

Bob Leeman is a Master Maine Guide, outdoor writer, naturalist, book author, and a co-host of MAINE OUTDOORS radio program on Sunday evenings from 7-8 p.m. On station 103.9 FM.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 28

On Point

by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. Mid-winter is a popular time to decide to bring a new puppy into the household. We’ve written in this column previously regarding picking a puppy, however, it’s a major life decision and worthy of a

It will require love, understanding and training from all family members. We’ll assume in this column that you’ll be looking for an upland bird dog.

After the family has voiced approval, selecting

February 2024

Picking A Puppy

breeds are English setter, Brittany, German shorthaired pointer and Pointer (English). All four breeds are known world-wide for their upland bird finding abilities and pointing skills.

The pointer (English) and English setter may naturally range a little farther than the Brittany and shorthair, however, range can be con-

Now that we have decided on a breed, we need to locate a breeder. I highly suggest you locate a breeder within a days drive. I’m not a fan of shipping puppies via air.

Also, you’ll want to visit

ing genetics. Buy the best genetics possible. If you’re a wild bird hunter, you want genetics that hunt wild birds. Also, never buy from a breeder that releases the puppies to the new owners in less than

Now that we have decided on a breed, we need to locate a breeder. I highly suggest you locate a breeder within a days drive. I’m not a fan of shipping puppies via air. repeat performance. It’s easily a ten year commitment which requires a clear and thoughtful path.

The first step is having a consensus in the household regarding a new puppy being brought in to the family. Everyone should be onboard. Everyone should want to contribute to making the new puppy a family member.

a breed is the next step.

Since this column has always been about pointing dogs, that’s the category in which we’ll work. Maybe you’ve had pointing dogs in the past and have a favorite breed. That helps with the first step. If this is your first pointing dog, your author highly recommends you choose from one of four breeds. Those

trolled with good training.

Attending a North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) event would give you an excellent opportunity to watch several breeds work in the field.

Google NAVHDA and locate a chapter near you.

They usually have their event schedule posted on their website.

Getting the puppies excited.

(Photo by Paul Fuller)

the breeder and check out their kennel. Is it clean?

Dogs well cared for? Will they provide references?

Can you see either the sire or dam work in the field?

Keep in mind you’re buy-

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eight weeks. Nine or ten weeks is even better. A good source for puppies is Gun Dog Central (www. gundogcentral.com).

Another point regarding breeders. My father was a veterinarian and a breeder of field trial beagles. He would run a pregnant bitch on rabbits up to ten days before the litter was due.

He felt strongly that this genetic desire was passed onto the puppies. We did that with our first litter.

We ran pregnant Dena on spring woodcock up to one week before she was due.

That litter produced amazing bird dogs, including our beloved Cordie. Ask the breeder if the bitch had bird contact late in the pregnancy.

When it comes to actually picking a puppy from the litter, the breeder may do this for you. The breeder has handled these puppies multiple times a day and knows the puppies. They may be able to select a puppy that fits your family the (Puppy cont. pg 30)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Page 29

The Phantom Stag of Carver Island

After a difficult passage of 65 days, Harper spide first lande in Her Majesty’s New Colony. Our location is uncerten As we have been sorely driven back by Storms and Ferce weather. Ye thick Fogge prevents Celestial reading.

From the looke of ye thicly forested country, Harper believes we are north of ye Massachuset Colony.

Reefed sails and Anchored in lee of a right high island of fine firre and oake. As suplice were exhausted, dispatched a crew of 4 sailors, commanded by Carver, to finde provisions of fishe, fowle, and fresh water.

Armed with fowling piece and capten’s musket. View of there progress hampered by fogge, but 5 shottes were fired from lee’wrd of ship from the direction of ye islend. Capten and crew being sorely distressed when Carver did not return at duske, dispatched search parties to ye isle. At first light, skiffe was found secured on ye cobble beach.

Searchers reported seeing a large, but elusive stagge, but after 4 days search no sign of the crew was founde, save for Carver’s powder horne found in the crotche of an oake. The search exhausted and season being late, at 7 am on the 5th of Nov. we weighed anchor and set sail to press

morning that would make your heart skip a beat or two.”

We rounded Brimstone Island – its ebony, cragged silhouette commanding the entrance to the inner bay like a sinister shipwreck tossed on its side. The outer islands

by Mark McCollough, Hampden, ME “Never been logged,” mumbled Jonathan through doughnut crumbs. “Looks just the way it did 300 years ago.”

Trees on the island now eclipsed the brightest morning star. Jonathan throttled down, and the

to the slippery rock like a limpet. My face, hands, and wool clothing were covered in briny slime.

“Best of luck.” Jonathan shouted over the engine roaring in full reverse.

“Pick you up here after closing time.”

Her Majesty’s ship ye brigantine Red Harte Captain’s log 31 October, year of our Lord 1709 lay like an armada scattered across the horizon.

“That’s Carvers, the high island far out there off the starboard bow,” Jonathan gestured as he swung the boat around and sipped steaming coffee from a battered tin mug.

“Every deer in the south’ard. God rest their bay must hear us,” I shoutsoules.

The throb of the diesel ed over the engine din.

“They don’t mind the engine roar rattled the windows of Jonathan Beales’ lobster boats,” said Jonalobster boat. Stars poked than, “They put up with us here and there from be- all summer.”

Our destination hind velvet clouds, their reflections dancing on the loomed large on the hobathwater-calm waters of rizon. I squinted in the Penobscot Bay. This was predawn glow to evaluate my first deer hunt on a the terrain where I would Maine island. “Some is- be hunting. The forms of lands are crawling with giant oaks were discerndeer – no predators and able along the shoreline, easy winters,” explained but the interior of the island Jonathan who tends lobster looked to be a thick tangle traps around these islands of spruce and fir. out of Vinalhaven. “I see plenty of nice bucks along the shore in August. But there’s a buck I glimpsed on Carvers on a foggy

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purr of the diesel echoed back from the rock-bound shoreline. “I’m going to put you on that large rock.

Get your gear together on the bow. When I bump the rock, I want you to jump like your life depended on it! Remember that legal shooting time isn’t until 6:41. Sound travels far over the bay, and I don’t want to tangle with the marine warden!”

I was anxious, but followed his instructions.

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Just where “here” was, and how to find this spot at the end of the day crossed my mind. I tied my red handkerchief to a shoreline snag then slipped and slid like a drunken sailor through windrowed wrack toward a cobble beach that lay to my right. A small trickle of a stream tumbled into the ocean here and looked to be an easier path into the heavy-timbered interior of the island. A pale aurora glimmered on the eastern horizon, but did little to reveal the secrets of the mysterious island.

Doubts crept into my (Stag cont. pg 30)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 30

Puppy

(Cont. from pg 28) best. If the breeder doesn’t recommend a puppy, sit in the grass with the litter and yell puppy, puppy, puppy and see which one comes to you first. That’s the pup for you.

Here are a few tips on training your puppy. Patience, Persistence, Praise and Consistency. Those are four golden words when it comes to pointing dog training. Don’t lose your cool; don’t become angry.

Your dog will recognize

and appreciate your patience. Training is a series of building blocks. You start with one small success and build from there. And, be consistent. Don’t keep changing your training technique or expectations.

Many pro trainers feel that consistency may be the most important of the four golden words. If you praise and reward your dog for for an obeyed command and then next time offer no praise or reward, you’re inconsistent and the dog becomes confused.

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Stag

(Cont. from pg 29) mind. “I would rather be home in my familiar tree stand,” I thought. This was a desolate, unfamiliar, and eerie place. I was out of my element. I looked out to sea hoping to be consoled by some sign of civilization – a lighthouse or navigation beacon, but there was nothing save a vague white veil that obscured the southern

horizon.

I parted the fir branches and dove into the claustrophobic, inky interior. It was jet black here. Unseen spruce, fir, raspberry and hardwood whips glazed with frost clawed at my face and grabbed my wool hunting jacket as if they wanted to prevent me from learning the island’s secrets. At times I became so entangled my forward progress was completely halted. Sometimes my feet never touched solid ground for dozens of yards as I clawed my way over blowdowns and thick budwormkilled spruce. My only orientation came from the occasional tinkle of the stream to my right. “How will I ever see, yet get a shot at a deer in this quagmire?” I wondered.

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February 2024 self in a monochrome of grays and blacks. I checked my watch at a point of indecision of how to negotiate a giant, fallen fir. Seven o’clock – it was fruitless to load my gun in this hell-hole. I struggled for another 20 minutes orienting toward a massive oak that lay in the direction of the stream.

“It’s well past opening time, and by now the sun should be up,” I thought while shaking the old man’s beard lichen and fir branches covering my jacket. The base of the ancient oak was a good place to cool off and catch my breath. For the first time I could see some distance through the gloomy forest. It looked like a cedar swamp opened for 50 yards or more below the oak – the most likely hunting spot I’d seen after an hour of grappling through the puckerbrush. I loaded the 30.-30. and sat between two gnarled roots than ran like giant pythons over the black bedrock.

I looked skyward up the twisted trunk of the primeval oak. The sun would not shine this day.

What started as a clear sky was now obscured by a cold, clinging fog that stole through the woods and chilled me to the core.

There was not a breath of wind. The lichen-festooned branches of the great oak seem to entice tendrils of fog into its outstretched arms. The fog slithered down the trunk of the tree and seeped into the cedar swamp. A cold chill ran down my back. Where minutes ago I had been hot and sweating, now I shivered uncontrollably. Frost soon coated the fingered branches above. Within minutes an icy rime cov(Stag cont. pg 35)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Outdoorsman (Cont. from pg 26) papers and reports, I took a deep breath and decided to go for a walk. Where my office is near the Maine state capitol, I can easily access the Kennebec Rail Trail where once not so long ago, freight trains carried their wares to and fro before the dominance of the interstate highway. Old telegraph poles still stand at attention, wires hanging down or gone altogether,

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 16)

“No, no…you don’t understand…” Knute flushed a deep red. Joe tried to correct the misconception.

“No, you see, we all called him Nude.” Emily frowned. Joe hurried on.

“See, it all started when Miss Hourglass saw him naked…”

I could see where this was headed and, rather than get subpoenaed in a divorce case, I excused myself and stepped outside. The summer moon was nearly full and its light reflected on the surface of the Little Salt Pork River. For just a moment I could picture it as it had been on that long ago winter night. The deep snow, the churned up playing field, and Nude lying unconscious beside the pier. It seemed like, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t get away from our roots, from the things that formed us when we were young. Behind me, through the open door, I could hear Joe desperately addressing that same theme.

“So, you see, Emily, even though you’ve always known him as Knute, he’ll always be Nude to us!”

but otherwise looking as though they could still carry word of births and deaths, business deals and news reports of war and peace sparking up the line.

This day, I noticed what looked like a group of seagulls in the Kennebec River. Seagulls are frequent denizens of south-central Maine; even though they’re sea birds, many species nest in fresh water. I didn’t pay them much mind until some of them began taking off—which is when I realized they weren’t gulls at all, but ducks. A vast raft of buffleheads, leapfrogging up the river, following the ocean tide and the feed it was carrying. I stopped, took pictures, and took video of the flying ducks, with part of me remembering a duck hunt on the St. George River some twenty years ago on the one hand,

and watching the patterns of the rafting ducks for a future decoy spread on the other.

Like being ready for the fish to strike, paying attention to what’s happening around you in the outdoors keeps your senses keen, reminds you of what awaits when the season opens, and helps translate an accidental observation into an intentional adventure. We live the lives we have to—but in keeping our eyes on the horizon, we can also live the outdoor lives we want.

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 WRKD 95.1 FM in Rockland.

Page 31

Best Shot!

Thomas Ray from Blackstone, MA says he does his best reading of the Sporting Journal in this setting at his Maine camp.

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Page 32

News

(Cont. from pg 13) ment is urging anglers to put safety first if they venture out ice fishing.

“Check the ice as you go, avoid areas where currents can create weaker ice, and if you are not sure the ice is safe find a different waterbody,” cautioned fisheries biologist Shawn Good. “With good judgment ice fishing is a safe and fun way to get outside in winter. But that means making cautious, smart decisions and changing plans if conditions are not what you hoped for.”

Ice conditions are currently variable across Vermont. At higher elevations and in the Northeast Kingdom many lakes and ponds have frozen over completely and have fishable ice. But in southern Vermont and the Champlain Valley, many lakes and ponds are not yet safe for ice fishing.

“Three to four inches of clear black ice is the

minimum for safe ice fishing,” said Good. “For the kind of gray or opaque ice we get after repeated freezing, thawing, and refreezing we recommend

a set of personal ice picks for self-rescue. Anglers should avoid fishing alone and should let someone know where they will be fishing and when they plan

February 2024

other than your home waters can be part of the adventure and allure of ice fishing, and is a great way to explore Vermont.”

To learn more about ice fishing safety, tips for beginners, and places to fish visit Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s “Ice Fishing Basics” and “Ice Fishing Opportunities”

New Hampshire’s New Tree Stand Laws

anglers look for at least six inches of ice where they plan to fish.”

Even on a single waterbody it is important to know that ice thickness is not always uniform. Areas around pressure cracks or near stream or river inlets can be thinner and weaker than surrounding ice.

The department says anglers should always carry a spud bar to test the ice as they go and should have

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on returning home.

But despite poor or non-existent early season ice conditions in some areas of Vermont, eager anglers can still find safe ice fishing opportunities this month.

“While we wait for colder weather to freeze up waterbodies statewide, I recommend anglers focus on planning and getting their gear in top shape— or that they hit the road and explore the higher elevation waters or northern waters where there is already good ice,” said Good. “Fishing somewhere

Law changes governing the installation of tree stands and game cameras in New Hampshire went into effect on January 1, 2024.

Below is a summary of the changes to RSA 207:36-a, regarding the use of tree stands, observation blinds, and pit blinds: All tree stands or observation blinds must be labeled with the name and contact information of their owner in a clearly visible manner. Name and contact information shall include either name and address or name and phone number.

A portable or temporary tree stand or observation blind may be used April 25 through June 1 and August 1 through December 31 of a calendar year. All stands and blinds must be removed from the property by June 1, unless allowed by permission from the landowner or designee.

All permanent tree stands or observation blinds require landowner permission.

For a comprehensive list of laws applying to tree stands visit www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/ XVIII/207/207-36-a.htm

Send Us Your Favorite Game and Fish Recipes!

Most outdoor folks like to eat what they bring home from the woods or the waters. And you like to cook it yourself, too right? So what is your favorite culinary lashup with fish or fowl? The Northwoods Sporting Journal would like to know. And we invite you to help us share your proud concoction with all of our readers. Our Northwoods Sporting Journal website:www.sportingjournal.com has a new addition: Outdoor Connections, which includes “Sporting Journal’s Top Shelf Game & Fish Recipes.” It has become a popular spot for visitors to find some great outdoor recipes, not from TV cooks, but from folks like you who live it.

Email us your favorite outdoor recipe to editor, V. Paul Reynolds, at vpaulr@tds.net. We won’t send you any money, or give you a new boat and motor, but we will list your recipe with all the others, along with your name.

If your recipe catches on and goes viral, we’ll figure out some kind of reward - say a new fry pan, a crockpot, or maybe a dutch oven?

So get crackin’...

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal Guns & Ammo:

The Iconic Big Buck Rifle One of my favorite downtime activities over the winter and spring is catching up with family and friends about their hunting seasons. We talk about successes, close calls, what equipment and calibers or gauge was used and bullet weights, optics etc., etc.

We also talk about what places were hunted and what regulations and rules there were.

There is an important note here, if you plan to hunt out of your home state, make sure you know the rules. Some states now require a hunter safety card to purchase a license. They no longer accept a previous license. In addition, if you buy your license at Walmart, in any state, their system only accepts a Hunter Safety card. If you are like me, it has been a long time since that card was issued. Mine was issued in 1964.

Take the time and get your license well in advance. Every state has an online license capability.

Give yourself time to react to any problems. This past season also provided some firsts. One of our extended family members, Jagger Nero, shot his first bear in September and his first deer in November. He is 15 years old. Nice job Jagger! We are all very proud of you. I am sure these fine animals are just the beginning.

It, once again, has become evident in my un-

official poll that the rifle of Maine hunters is the Remington 760/7600 pump action rifle mostly in .30/06 caliber. Many of these rifles are fitted with receiver peep sights. This is a near perfect big woods rifle. It

choose is the only thing you see. Simply place the dot or crosshair on your target and squeeze. Very fast just like the peep sight.

There are models that have the option to add one or two x-magnification, but

Page 33

A Guide’s Perspective

by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME

etc. Whichever you feel comfortable with.

Please take a kid or new hunter with you on your hunts. Help another young man or woman realize their dreams like our

He is a retired police officer as well as a retired manager from two major firearms manufacturers.

He is an NRA Certified Instructor as well as a Hunter Safety Instructor in Maine,

It, once again, has become evident in my unofficial poll that the rifle of Maine hunters is the Remington 760/7600 pump action rifle mostly in .30/06 caliber. young Jagger.

New Hampshire and Massachusetts. You can reach Tom at Shamrock Outfitters Tom is a Registered (207) 694-2473. Please Maine Guide. He is the visit our Facebook Page: owner/operator of Sham- Shamrock Outfitters and Jagger Nero with his fall harvest. rock Outfitters in Orient Properties and come visit is the favorite with many then why not use a conven- Maine with his wife Ellie. us on East Grand Lake. deer trackers. Those in- tional scope? Just another trepid followers of our improvement for us old own Northwoods Sporting timers or anyone with any Journal, legend Hal Blood eye problem. Back to the and the Benoits from years 740/7400 Remington Pump before. The gun cycles fast, rifle. The Winchester Mod is relatively light and the 94 in .30/30 may be Amerpeep sight allows quick ica’s deer gun, but here target acquisition. It does, in Maine, the 740/7400 is however, need practice to ours. The problem is that become proficient with the this rifle has not been made peep sight. In my case, my for a number of years and aging eyes have difficulty the turmoil that Remingfocusing on the tree planes ton has gone through in required to make the shot. recent years ensures that The target, the front sight it is not coming back. We that is centered in the ghost can only hope that another THE LATEST IN INSTANT ACCESS TO ALL OF ring and the ghost ring quality manufacturer will THE ONLINE LINKS THAT ANY SPORTSMAN OR itself. I have 3 rifles with recognize the hole left for SPORTSWOMAN WILL EVER NEED! these types of sights. a pump action hunting rifle.

With any device, simply google www.sportingjournal.com My solution is to re- Cards and letters to Ruger and click on the box: Outdoor Connections – One Stop Shopping. place the rear ring with a and Winchester could help.

Looking for a guide or outfitter? Want to list your camp with compact low profile halo- In the meantime, you can a realtor? Looking for a hunting regulation in your state? Lodggraphic heads-up display occasionally find one at ing in the North Woods? A fish stocking list? Wondering about sunset time on opening day? Or you simply need a new recipe sight on one rifle and a your dealer on the used for venison, moose or bear? compact red dot sight on gun rack. There are also It’s all there at your fingertips with one click of your mouse. another. These sights allow other carbine style rifles in Try it! www.sportingjournal.com and click on Outdoor Conthe shooter to keep both other actions available like: nections.

The Northwoods Sporting Journal...helping you get the fast eyes open and focus on the lever guns, bolt actions, information you need so you’ll have more time to hunt, fish and target. The dot or crosshair semi auto (which are not explore the great outdoors. or whichever display you assault rifles) single shots,

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Page 34

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Maine Woods

February 2024

The Lombard Log Hauler

Matt LaRoche, Shirley, ME

The Lombard Log Hauler revolutionized logging operations in the Maine Woods in the early 1900s. A blacksmith in Waterville, Maine by the name of Alvin O. Lombard patented the behemoth steam powered Lombard in 1901.

This was the first successful application of the continuous track vehicle.

These log haulers resembled a giant 30-ton

down a slope. The loaded sleds could push the log hauler faster than the engine causing the sleds to jackknife and forcing the whole string of sleds and log hauler into the woods.

To slow the train of sleds down, they would spread hay on the ice road to increase friction on the skis thereby slowing the train down.

Edward “King” La-

The top speed for a Lombard Log Hauler was about 5 miles per hour but they could pull a train of logs over long distances. It has been said that one log hauler could do the work of 60 horses. snowmobile with a platform on the front where a steersman sat above the skis turning a steering wheel to guide the machine over iced down roads to log landings. These log landings were located along our waterways which were the primary method for transporting logs to the mills located downstream from the Maine woods.

One of the greatest challenges of operation for the log hauler was towing a train of fully loaded sleds

Croix, who was a lumber barren at Churchill Depot, once had a considerable fleet of gasoline powered Lombards. He had a contract with Great Northern Paper to deliver pulpwood to the mills in Millinocket. LaCroix was sledding pulpwood with Lombards from as far as ten miles away to Churchill for eventual delivery to Millinocket via the log drive.

The top speed for a Lombard Log Hauler was about 5 miles per hour but

MAINE WOODS GUIDE SERVICE

An old Lombard Log Hauler. (Photo by Steve Wieder) they could pull a train of logs over long distances. It has been said that one log hauler could do the work of 60 horses.

A typical logging operation of that era would have men cutting trees with crosscut saws and limbing the trees with axes. Logs would be cut out of the butt section of the tree and hauled to a yard with a horse. The pulpwood would be cut into fourfoot lengths and piled at the stump. A horse drawn sled would come by and the woodsmen would load that sled by hand. That sled was pulled out to the yard where it was unloaded either directly onto the sleds being pulled by the Lombard or onto the ground for eventual pick up by a log hauler.

There were at least

ten gasoline powered Lombards located in the Lombard shed at Churchill Depot as recently as the 1960s. When I came to work in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway only one of the log haulers remained at Churchill Depot. It was located in the field between the ranger station and the barn. It was a popular attraction for canoeist and people passing by. A picture of that Lombard accompanies this story.

I was at Churchill Depot on a cold day in December when the Department of Transportation came to pick up the Lombard for delivery to Augusta. The tracks were frozen in the ground and it wouldn’t move so they removed a pin in each track and left the tracks there for delivery on a warmer summer

day. That machine is fully restored and on display at the Maine State Museum in Augusta.

The remnants of one steam and one gasoline powered Lombard are located near Cunliffe Depot Campsite. Just follow the path from the campsite that leads across the little brook for about 50 yards upstream and there they sit slowly decaying into the ground.

Alvin Lombard built 83 steam powered Lombards between 1901 – 1917.

He began building gasoline powered machines in 1914 and even built one diesel powered Lombard in 1934.

The gasoline powered Lombards were considerably simpler and easier to operate than the steam powered machines.

(Hauler cont. pg 39)

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• Canoe Trips • Fishing • Hunting • Wildlife Watching Matt LaRoche - Registered Maine Guide 207-695-2877 www.mainewoodsguide.com

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Let us help you. Contact our sales department at 207-732-4880 or check out the advertise page on our website at www.sportingjournal.com ““We have been using the Northwoods Sporting Journal to promote our business for years.

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February 2024

Stag

(Cont. from pg 30) ered my rifle barrel. I put on gloves and periodically cleaned frost from the gun sights.

After an hour I thought a heard a twig snap, breaking the deadly stillness. Minutes went by in silence, and I began to doubt my senses. Another crack – unmistakable this time. Soon after I caught a movement in the swale; the tines of a tremendous deer rack obscured behind a fallen cedar not 25 yards distant. Adrenaline surged through my body, and I forgot the shivering and cold.

I thought that surely the buck could hear the staccato pounding of my beating heart. I had the rifle raised and hammer cocked when he stepped into an opening.

His antlers were heavy and chestnut, with pearls of

Northwoods Sporting Journal

beading encrusting their fist-sized bases. The soaring, evenly-matched tines lifted skyward, each tipped in yellow as if dipped in beeswax. He was on full alert – nose flaring, muscles rippling, fur bristling, and flicking tail held high.

I was sure he would bore holes through me with his glistening carbon-black eyes. Agitated, he stomped his front foot as I aligned the sights behind his front shoulder. The ice-covered trigger was frozen in place so my finger further tightened its grip.

The roar of the explosion sent ice shards cascading from the oak branches above. I blinked at the surreal scene – the buck was still standing there! Swirls of ice-fog unfurled from his flared nostrils as he stared in my direction. I worked the lever action, leveled the sights, and shot again, and

again – four times in all – until my gun was emptied.

With disbelieving eyes, I watched the buck disappear with an exhaled snort and a single, soaring leap into a vortex of ice-fog as if erased from the page of an artist’s sketchbook.

It was then I heard a human voice, indistinct and garbled at first, but then louder. I had not expected to see Jonathan on the island, but undoubtedly he would have heard the reports from my rifle.

“Yes, of course he would come,” I thought. “Jonathan,” I hollered, “Over here…by the big oak!” I was confused now, because there were multiple voices – seemingly excited and talking about a stag and blood trail. Was someone else hunting on the island?

Four figures appeared as if trailing the buck. They conferred among them-

selves; one kneeling to examine the buck’s spoor and another reloading what looked to be a flintlock musket. They were oblivious to me a scant 20 yards distant. Their dress and appearance was unusual – long wool coats, tunics, breeches, leggings, odd high-laced boots and their hair pulled back in queues.

The kneeling man jabbed his finger excitedly in the direction the buck had taken. The other aimed the flintlock and fired. With a flash in the pan and a whoosh of smoke the apparitions vanished and the island returned to sulk in its silent, icy shroud.

Jonathan had indeed heard my shots and spent most of the day trying to find me. When he finally discovered me at the base of the oak late in the afternoon he said my face was ashen, wool clothing stiff

Page 35 with frozen ice fog, and my hands and gloves in a frozen grip on the gun. The hammer of my rifle was still cocked with no shell in the chamber. Four empty casings littered the ground around the base of the oak.

“I heard four shots in quick succession…and then later a fifth. I thought for sure you got a deer!”

Jonathan exclaimed.

Some warm tea on the lobster boat helped restore my senses, but it would be weeks before I could find the courage to recount my tale to Jonathan. I never returned to the island, nor had a desire to hunt Maine islands for deer again.

From now on, Mark McCollough will stick to his home woods in Hampden, Maine. He can be reached at markmccollough25@gmail.com

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Page 36

Northwoods Sporting Journal

View From The River

by Laurie Chandler Bremen, ME The ancient art of origami evokes images of delicate paper, precisely folded into imaginative shapes. Origami likely originated in Japan or China a thousand years ago. It is both simple and magical, as a flat sheet of paper transforms into something far more complex.

Did you know that

is rated for 20,000 unfoldings in its lifetime. That, I decided, would cover the rest of my lifetime as well!

There are six models available, including a tandem option, and solo models designed for ocean kayaking, fishing, and various lake conditions. After watching and reading some reviews, I settled on the

February 2024

New Folding Kayak inches. This allows it to be checked as standard baggage when flying. The owner’s manual recommends purchasing the Oru Journey Pack ($159) for air travel.

No frills means no footrest, skeg, float bags, or spray skirt, although all of these items are available to purchase as added accessories. Unlike some of Oru’s fancier models, the Lake

match that required a lot of force, while simultaneously hoping that nothing was getting damaged.

The open, unassembled boat is not flat. It has three sections and folds up in thirds to make the “suitcase.” The bow and stern are partially preformed

patrol, with a towel and dry clothes, just in case.

The manufacturer cautions against scraping the boat on gravel. “Whenever possible, enter the Lake from a dock or a place where the kayak is floating in the water.” I waded out through a thin crusty rim

The Lake retails for $499. I purchased mine from Walmart for $399, plus tax, with free shipping. origami has also inspired kayak design?

I recently became interested in a company called Oru Kayak, whose boats can be found at outfitters like REI and L.L. Bean. In planning for an extended solo RV trip this winter, I was searching for a more compact watercraft than my 13-foot canoe.

Oru’s lightweight, foldable kayaks are manufactured near Oakland, California and come with a 3-year warranty. They are constructed of 5 mm, double-layered polypropylene with a 10-year UV treatment. Folded, they resemble a large suitcase with a handle. Each boat

newest, cheapest, and most “plain Jane” choice—the Lake.

A 2022 Kickstarter campaign provided the funding to add this basic model to the Oru lineup.

“With the Lake,” the company explains, “we set out to eliminate everything extra and stay true to our origami roots. We captured the simplicity and elegance of folded paper in every line and curve…no frills, just the boat.”

The Lake is 9 feet long and 32 inches wide, with a capacity of 250 pounds. It is available in white or black and weighs 18 pounds. When folded, it measures 42 x 10 x 18

has only one removable part, the floorboard/seat unit, which stores inside the boat.

The Lake retails for $499. I purchased mine from Walmart for $399, plus tax, with free shipping. It arrived quickly, and I spent a few days curiously studying the large cardboard box before finding the time and courage to dive into assembly.

Common sense and customer reviews promised there would be a learning curve in transforming the boat from its box form into a water-ready boat. The single sheet of plastic has pre-marked fold lines that gradually develop a memory, allowing for quicker assembly. The company admits that some force will be needed in places, especially when the kayak is new.

The inaugural folding session took well more than an hour, rather than minutes. (The Oru Kayak website says that the Lake can be assembled in “under a minute.”) This was not delicate paper with precise folds. It was a wrestling

The author on Biscay Pond in her new Oru folding kayak (Photo credit: Lance Bremer) and have small hard plastic caps to protect against abrasion.

Initially, I had to use my foot, rather than my hand, to pop the folds out into a concave kayak shape. This step has gotten easier with subsequent unfoldings, but a couple of the folds are still very stiff. Next, connecting the straps brings the bow and stern tightly into place. My biggest challenge was with the “swallowtail” strap on the stern. Eventually, I tried heating the plastic with a hair dryer, then bending it into position.

I was determined to get the kayak out on the water at least once before heading south. With the air temperature hovering around 40 degrees, it was just warm enough to safely unfold it outside. On some soft grass by Biscay Pond, I assembled the boat and donned my PFD. My friend Lance stood by on safety

of ice to deeper water. The boat felt more stable than I’d expected as I hopped in.

I only paddled a short distance. Tracking was not perfect in the light breeze, but the boat went where I wanted it to. As I travel south this winter, I plan to explore the lakes and quiet rivers of the southeast and perhaps even venture as far as the Louisiana bayous.

Wherever I go, there will surely be stories to tell.

Laurie Apgar Chandler is the author of Through Woods & Waters, which provides an adventurous look at Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, and Upwards, the story of her 2015 solo self-propelled thru-paddle of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.

For more information or to purchase the books, visit www.laurieachandler.com

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Deer Hunter’s Ammo Lesson

During the 2022 season, I shot a doe on the opening morning of rifle season. Maine hunters’ ability to shoot both a buck and a doe has allowed me to be more strategic about how I hunt. I can focus on shooting a doe to put meat in the freezer and then hold out for a big buck.

Last season my game plan was the same; shoot a doe first and then hold out for a large buck.

The first two weeks of the season were fantastic. It was during the third week of the season that I learned something new about my rifle and ammo.

I grabbed three new 180 grain bullets as I headed out on Saturday morning.

My usual brand bullets didn’t pierce the buck’s hide the previous week and while we did find him, there was no blood even though it was a double lung shot. I figured that with these other bullets, I would get blood.

In the final hours of

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the day, two does walked up through the trees and crossed a trail. They were feeding so I had time to aim my rifle at the next opening that they would have to cross. The smaller doe walked through first and then the larger doe. She gave me a clear shot.

Putting my cross hairs on her shoulder, I squeezed the trigger. The puff of smoke gave way to her still standing there.

S h e trotted up on to a ridge a n d

stopped.

I watched h e r through the scope, thinking maybe she would start to stagger and fall.

But she didn’t act hurt. I shot again and still, she acted unsure of what was happening.

She did not act like a hurt or shot deer.

Dad joined me on the ground as the sun started to set. I could see both deer still standing on the ridge. I pointed and yelled to Dad hoping he would be able to see the deer that I could still see from up in the tree.

Page 37

Women In The Woods

by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME inches lower than the original bullets I had used when the season started. Seven inches! How is that possible? They were the same grain bullets. I wasn’t close to hitting the doe. I was

throughout the season!

Erin is a member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, Outdoor Writers Association of America and the New England Outdoor Writers

It didn’t make sense. I had successfully shot my buck the week before with the same gun and in the same spot on the body. We searched and came up with nothing.

He took a few steps and two flags ran away from us.

Again, neither looked like they were injured.

I joined Dad on the ground and we looked where she had been standing when I shot. There was no hair and no blood.

While it was a different stand, she had been standing closer to me than my buck had been when I shot him. It didn’t make sense. I had successfully shot my buck the week before with the same gun and in the same spot on the body. We searched and came up with nothing.

On Sunday, Dad called me with an update. The bullets I had grabbed were patterning seven

Caribou Area

shooting the ground! After two decades of hunting, I learned something new. I will know now to either re-sight in my gun or stick with the one type of bullet

Association. She is a senior writer for Drury Outdoors’ DeerCast. You can read about Erin’s adventures and contact her at www.andastrongcupofcoffee.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 38

The White Buck

By Daniel Schaeffer

Two weeks prior to the 2023 Maine rifle season opener, I sat down with my wife to discuss my upcoming vacation time, starting on November 7th. Previously being a teacher and changing careers last February, this was the first year that I was able to take a vacation during deer season.

I told my wife my dream and long term goal was to shoot a mature buck on my late father’s birthday, November 7th. You see, I love to hunt because he loved to hunt. But I never got to

did not think that it would give me any intel that I did not already have. But to my surprise, I had a beautiful piebald buck on camera in this one spot on top of an oak flat. He appeared to be a 4.5-5.5 year old deer.

His rack had mass and he was tall tined. At one time, he had been a nine point but after some fighting for dominance he had lost a brow tine. This buck had been on camera once during September and a few times during October. I typically name mature deer by

Buck”. It was a rainy morning and the conditions were perfect for walking and trying to sneak up on a deer. I began to head towards the oak flat because I knew that the falling acorns would attract does and that the does would attract bucks. As I entered the woods I almost immediately came across a scrape that had just been opened back up with fresh pawing. As I continued to creep toward the oaks, I caught movement. A button buck making his way past me at 20 yards with

February 2024

walked up to me at almost 10 yards as I was just standing there as still as I could.

He looked at me and kind of bobbed his head around wondering what I was. I moved my arm slightly and he kept walking past me until he hit my ground scent and quickly bolted out of there.

I continued to walk to the old cut and I stopped in a thicket of cedar where I saw a trail that was pawed

crosshairs on his shoulder again and I squeezed the trigger for the second time, hitting him again in almost the exact same spot as the first shot. He dropped immediately on the second shot, only going 20-25 yards from where I hit him with the initial shot.

I could not believe what had just happened and how fast it happened. I just got the buck that I was hoping to simply lay eyes

up. I lifted my head and suddenly saw movement… a deer walking through the regrowth heading towards the swamp. I saw the irregular white patches around his belly and up his side.

“That’s him!” I remember thinking to myself in awe.

I shouldered my rifle and as I did I could see the left side of his rack. I found an opening in the trees with my scope and my crosshairs found his shoulder.

I squeezed the trigger and I knew I hit him good. He bolted out to a sprint from what had been a walk. I quickly thought to shoot again but realized I had my father’s .308 bolt action instead of my father in-law’s semi-auto 30/06, which I had used the last few seasons. I quickly racked the bolt back and chambered another round. I swung my gun in “The White Bucks” direction and found my

on or chase for the majority of the season. I got him on the first day of my vacation.

But most importantly, I got him on my dad’s birthday with his rifle that he gave to me seven years ago when I began hunting.

I walked up to the white buck for the first time and I was in disbelief at how beautiful he was.

To see his piebald coloring and the mass of his rack, it was everything that I set out to do and he was more incredible in person. I knelt down on my knees next to my buck and thanked God for this deer’s life and the meat that he would provide for my family, just like my dad always taught me. And just like that…my long term goal and dream had come true.

I lifted my head and suddenly saw movement…a deer walking through the regrowth heading towards the swamp.

I saw the irregular white patches around his belly and up his side. “That’s him!”

hunt with him because he got sick before I started to gain interest. Now, when I am out in the woods, I feel as if I am out there with him and I just enjoy the peace that hunting brings me.

Fast forward a bit, and my vacation was fast approaching, but my cameras were showing me no signs of any mature bucks in the area. I began to lose some enthusiasm knowing that most of the bucks appeared to be 2.5 year old deer. But on November 5th, everything changed.

There was one camera that I hadn’t checked all fall. I

specific characteristics so that people know what deer I am talking about. I ended up referring to this buck as “the piebald buck” or “the white buck” due to the irregular patches of white in his cape. I quickly showed my wife what I had on camera and the conversation turned into, “Can you imagine if I got this buck on my dad’s birthday?!” I was now very ready to start my vacation.

On the morning of November 7th, I started my vacation and I headed for the woods. My plan was to go after “The White

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his nose on the ground. I watched him speed walk past me with no idea that I was watching him.

I then continued to head for the oak flat on the ridge, so that I could sit down for a bit and watch the top. Roughly ½ hour later, I had what I believe was a buck cruise past me, side hilling the ridge with his nose on the ground searching for a hot doe. I only caught the back half of his body but the behavior suggested to me that this was a buck. I tried to grunt and I tried to bleat to no avail. I sat for another ½ hour before deciding that I needed to move because the deer were very active already. I packed up my things and I began to walk.

I made a big loop and I started to creep towards the edge of a big swamp and an old cut. As I began to head towards the old cut, I saw movement again.

This time I had a spike horn coming towards me with his nose on the ground. He

Daniel Schaeffer lives in Veazie, Maine.

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Big Blow

Frederick B Perkins and his friend Harry set out on a great trek in 1854, taking a train from Springfield, Mass. to Meredith Bay at Lake Winnipesaukee.

From there they walked northeast, climbing over Mount Washington and finally reaching Errol at the foot of Umbagog Lake. He published his long account in Putnam’s Monthly, Aug/ Sept 1854.

“In despite, therefore, of the high wind and the admonitions of my landlord, I embarked once more, stowing my little cargo well forward, so as to trim the boat as evenly as possible.

At first, I sneered a little at Mr. Bragg’s apprehensions.

But, when I came fairly out upon the lake, I saw that he was not so far wrong; and that I should have a good pull for it, if I got across at all. Waves are more precipitous—shorter, as the phrase is--in shallow, than in deep water.

“Umbagog is quite

shallow; and the short jerking seas, were faced as perpendicularly as a wall, besides being crested with curly “white-caps,” signifying that they were quite ready to jump aboard of anything accessible. The lively skiff surged up and down like a rearing horse; her quarter gunwale at every plunge coming down within an inch of the water, and many times fairly under it, shipping gallons at a time.

“Even if I had desired

now, when I was midway in my passage, the dancing white-caps jumped higher and wilder than ever, in joy at having secured a prey. I looked behind me to the setting sun, and I was so startled at the wild scene that I missed a stroke, and nearly fell overboard. I had not realized the height of the waves while looking at them from behind. But they were quite hid from the low shore I had left except as I rode upon their summits.

“The level rays of

Hauler

seum in Bradley, Maine.

They fire that machine up at least once a year for special events. Another steam powered Lombard is on static display at the Lumberman’s Museum in Patten, Maine.

BTW- if you have never been to the Patten Lumberman’s Museum, you are missing out. If you like logging history -it is

definitely worth visiting!

(Cont. from pg 34) Of the 83 steam powered Lombards that were built only six are known to still exist. Only three of those are in running condition. One of the working steam powered Lombards is located at the Maine Forestry and Logging Mu-

Page 39

Old Tales from the Maine Woods

by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA

they came, innumerable racing monsters, roaring, foaming, gnashing white teeth, the vengeful messengers of the offended lake-God, commissioned to whelm me in their muddy depths; to vindicate the sacred solitude I had dared infringe.

“I trusted my passage to the winds, therefore; and

leeward and knock is disappointed head to pieces, if he chose, against the iron-bound eastern shore.

I drifted thus, through an hour’s exhausting labor, until I was blown within forty rods of the eastern shore, and partly under the lee of one of the rocky headlands which define the bay I was seeking.

The wind went down with Over and over, wallowing headlong in their haste, they the sun; the waves rapidly came, innumerable racing monsters, roaring, foaming, fell; and the dim interspace gnashing white teeth, the vengeful messengers of the between sunlight and night, offended lake-God, commissioned to whelm me in I reached the end of the extreme end of the bay. Here their muddy depths. retreat, it would have been the sun shone through the with wary eye and ready I drew up the skiff, caught hopeless for me, wearied red water and gave a lurid hand, addressed myself a trout or two from under with my long pull up the glare to every billow. All to avoid the incessant as- the lily pads, and prepared river, to attempt work- the lake was a rolling tum- saults of the dancing foes for supper and rest.” ing back to its outlet. If bling mass of dark waves, upon whose back I rode.

Steve is an avid hiker, I pulled straight across flecked and crested foam, As each sea sprung forward at me, a quick stroke paddler and historian, havthe lake, I was sure to be and tinged with the dark swamped by some billow red gleam from the west. turned the light boat, and ing collected over 30,000 from behind; for I could Over and over, wallowing passed the hostile wave Maine Woods articles to not outrun the waves. And headlong in their haste, beneath me, to roll off to date.

Matt LaRoche is a retired Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, owner of Maine Woods Guide Service and an avid outdoorsman. He can be reached at 207695-2877 or at matt.laroche2877@gmail.com . See www.mainewoodsguide.com

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Page 40

By: Calvin Wirfel

“That should be it,” George said, as he heaved his duffle bag, adorned with bright red letters reading ‘Dickinson College Soccer’ into the back of the car.

“Double check you got your license,” I reminded him, careful to open my wallet and make sure I had my own. It was there, that glossy yellow paper, my golden ticket.

We hopped in the car.

My 2007 Subaru Impreza was wedged between two Range Rovers, both with Connecticut plates. It was a balmy fall day, uncharacteristic for late November in Pennsylvania. The sun radiated through the leafless trees and reflected bright off the limestone dormitories.

“I guess this is why you are the only person at this school with cammo seat covers,” George ribbed me with a wry smile.

“You’re about to find out,” I said with a dash of sarcasm. “Let’s just hope

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Bucks and Boat Shoes

things go better than last year.” I put the car in gear, and we were on our way.

I met George during college orientation. It was my first time away from home in the truest sense.

Until that point, I had lived my entire life in the same place. In a small, former steel town along the Ap-

nia. My classmates said they were from places like NOVA, meaning ‘Northern Virginia,’ though for a month I thought they meant Villanova, Pennsylvania.

When I met George, he was wearing a green Patagonia fleece, clean pressed khaki pants, and leather boat shoes. I hadn’t

mon that I had initially thought. Despite growing up primarily in the suburbs, George appreciated the outdoors in an uncommon way. He hadn’t spent any time in a deer blind but had a bevy of stories about sailing through the Chesapeake–manning the ropes with his dad at the

when it came to hunting.

It just wasn’t something many people did in the Philadelphia suburbs. Just like people from my town didn’t (and still don’t) play lacrosse or shop at Whole Foods. This isn’t to say that one is better than the other, just different.

I was grateful to take George. He was the first person I met in college to show any interest in hunting. The only other time the subject was brought up was during in-class debates over veganism. I wanted him to enjoy it and did my best to show him the ropes.

The first step was completing his hunter’s safety course. “I have to take a class for this?!”

George asked, “I thought you could just go hunting.” Thankfully, for his sake, times had changed since I took my hunters safety course a decade prior. Rather than spend evenings crowded into the local sportsman’s club, George took the course from the comfort of our college library. While our colleagues were reading Toni Morrison and Virginia Woolf, George was learning how to field dress

The previous year, George had asked me to come along.

Though he had been shooting several times, he was entirely green when it came to hunting. It just wasn’t something many people did in the Philadelphia suburbs. palachian Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. For better and for worse, it was all I knew.

At first blush, my new classmates seemed so different. Nestled in the heart of Central Pennsylvania, a place not unlike where I grew up, Dickinson College may as well have been in the suburbs of New York or New Jersey, with a dash of granola more at home in Hanover, New Hampshire than Hanover, Pennsylva910 Exeter Rd, Corinna

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got the memo to dress well and was sporting my finest light-wash Wranglers, a Pittsburgh Pirates t-shirt, and grass-stained Asics.

But nonetheless, within a couple of weeks we hit it off.

---------A few hours later we exited the turnpike and headed north up state route 869, almost back in Cambria County. “You ever seen this before?” I nettled him, pointing to a brood of chickens pecking in someone’s yard, “bet they don’t allow that in your neighborhood.”

“Damn right they don’t,” he said, giving me a quick jab to the arm. We both laughed.

We had more in com-

helm–and making campfires in the woods outside Vienna, where his family lived for several years. He even loaned me his copy of Into Thin Air, my first Krakauer book.

We also enjoyed fitness, and spent three mornings a week for four years, rain, snow, but rarely shine, working out with the other ROTC cadets. I taught George how to lift weights and he taught me how to run fast (or at least faster).

And while I may have had the edge in book smarts, George was miles ahead of me in common sense.

The previous year, George had asked me to come along. Though he had been shooting several times, he was entirely green

(Bucks cont. pg 66)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

February: What to Do?

Winter is not my most favorite of the four seasons.

If you’re tired of hearing it my apologies, but at the moment we supposedly live in a country where a person can express his or her opinion, although sometimes you have to wonder. Of the winter months the only

say they are more excuses than anything and I should get off my butt and partake of winter’s blessings rather than complaining about it.

They’d be right. But it’s easier to complain, stay inside and keep the wood stove stoked, go outside only to clear the driveway

haven’t cleaned yours it might be a good idea. It’s a long time until next season.

This is generally a prime time to get out on the ice, if there is any. As this is written in early January most waters around here only have a thin sheet, hardly enough to be considered safe. That could change and probably will.

More seasonable temperatures, meaning ice-making temperatures are in the forecast, but be careful if

Page 41

Muzzleloading Afield

by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME and October and November. Overall I’ve found some of my most productive deer-hunting areas at this time of year.

The big thing these days seems to be hunting predators, especially coyote. There are occasions when they wake us in the dead of night howling not far from the house, some-

day and night-time hunting remains open all winter with a permit. The seasons are also open on bobcat and fox until February 21 and 28, respectively.

Yes, if you like to fish or hunt and don’t mind the cold, wind and snow and are properly geared there’s plenty to do in February.

Maine’s regulations and al-

The big thing these days seems to be hunting predators, especially coyote. There are occasions when they wake us in the dead of night howling not far from the house, sometimes it seems just outside our window. Coyotes breed in late January and February so I figure they are just doing their thing or are hunting for food.

good thing about February, in my opinion, is its short, just 28 days. After February we have to look forward to March , which isn’t much better.

So why do I dislike winter and February so much? I could list a bunch of reasons. Some might

when needed and dream of warmer days.

I have to admit, there’s plenty of things to do. I cleaned my muzzleloader at the end of the muzzleloader deer season back in December. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give it another go-over. If you

you head out.

I’m not sure how many hunters are into it these days, but the snowshoe hare season stays open until March 31, although it’s not as exciting or productive without dogs, more like a walk in the woods.

On those blissful “warm” February days I do occasionally get out there, but once I cut deer tracks my attention is more interested in discovering where they go or where they came from. They don’t always pan out. A lot of things change between February

times it seems just outside our window. Coyotes breed in late January and February so I figure they are just doing their thing or are hunting for food. It reminds me of the time I was char fishing in northern Labrador. It was common to hear wolves howling at night. I recall lying there memorized until they stopped.

On those nights they didn’t sing out I was actually disappointed. It’s a sound you don’t soon forget. Just in case you’ve forgotten there’s no closed season on hunting coyote during the

lowances are pretty generous in that regard. You just have to get out there and take advantage of it all and not sit around like a lump on a log waiting for spring.

Like me.

Al and his wife Diane live on 43 +/- acres in Lyman, Maine that offers good deer and turkey hunting which they both enjoy. If the property had a trout stream it would be true paradise. Al can be reached at alraychard@ sacoriver.net

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Page 42

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Adirondack Buck

The Buck Hunter

by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME For one reason or another, I had not deer hunted in the Adirondack Mountains for five years.

Sometimes they get early snow in places there, but it usually only lasts a day or two before melting off or turning to crust. I would only make the trip there if I had tagged my buck here or if they had snow and we

February 2024

the following Wednesday, so I was anxious to get out to the Adirondacks again.

That chance came when on Monday after Thanksgiving, the snow began to fall over there, and the forecast was for six inches or more. I packed up my hunting gear on Sunday night and headed out on the nine-hour drive Monday

to be a challenge. Joe suggested that I circle a small mountain that bordered a river. I made a day of it and saw four deer tracks all day. One was a small buck, which I ended up seeing and letting him go on his way. Joe lucked out after not seeing a deer track in seven miles and cut a good track walking the road back to his truck.

It was still snowing, and the track didn’t have any snow in it. Joe caught the buck feeding in a cut within

After seeing some small tracks around the cuts, I continued south until I crossed a beaver swale and came to a hardwood flat.

There, I cut a nice track, skiing through the hardwoods. Heavy snow squalls had blown through since daylight and I couldn’t see

After my half hour break, I took up the track again. The buck went another mile due south before heading down the backside of a mountain.

I checked my OnX to see how far from the truck I was, as it was one o’clock.

Seeing that I was three miles from the road and

As I got my gun to my shoulder, he was running directly away, and I could see that his antlers were wider than his ears. That was all I needed to see to make a decision to shoot, and I let loose with three shots from the old pump, before he disappeared over the top of the ridge. didn’t. This was a year that snow blanketed the north country of Maine the first week of the season and there was no snow in sight for the Adirondacks. My buddy, Joe Dinitto, made the trip here for a few days of tracking. The snow was gone by Saturday of that week and so was Joe. We always keep each other posted on our tracking conditions, so we both have another option for chasing the old bucks on snow.

I had shot my buck here in Maine on Saturday of the second week, and my grandson shot his buck

morning. Joe had a bed for me at camp along with a couple of other friends. By the time I rolled into camp just after dark, there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground and it was snowing steady. I stowed my gear and swapped a few stories with the guys before heading to bed for a good night’s sleep.

I was up at five a.m. and Joe was rustling up breakfast. There was about six inches of nice powdery snow on the ground, and it was still coming down.

We all knew that finding a good buck track was going

350 yards and put him on the pole.

After getting some supper and hearing Joe’s story, we hit the bed again knowing the bucks would be moving during the night, since the snow had tapered off. After breakfast I followed Steve Grabowski to a spot that he thought we might cut a track from the road and, if not, we would both strike off in opposite directions in the woods.

With no luck finding a track from the road, Steve sent me in a southerly direction to check around a couple of small clear cuts.

Buck hunter Hal Blood with his Adirondack buck. the print, but he was walk- four miles from the truck, ing like a big toe dragger. with four streams to cross, Figuring the track was a I decided to turn around, few hours old, I hustled knowing that I had at least right along on it. To my a two hour walk if I could surprise, I came to his bed easily cross the streams. and a running track within Although I didn’t see 200 yards. His track was many tracks, I bumped one of those that was as big into two small bucks on of a track as you will see in my way back. One was a the Adirondacks. Game on! basket rack buck at thirty The buck went about yards. I had no interest in two miles south before shooting him and he went he slowed down and be- on his way. At 3 o’clock, gan to feed his way up a I had made it to a new cut hardwood ridge. I knew that was within a half mile he would be laying down of the road. I began sneakclose, so I began to take ing along the main skid one step at a time while road out, when a small bull scouring up the ridge for moose stood up in front of any hint of brown. Then, me. I grunted at him, so he thirty yards in front of me wouldn’t spook anything he jumped out from behind that might be in the cut. a spruce and bounded up The bull was walking out the ridge. I never had a the same skid road, so I let chance for a shot, and I sat him get over a knoll before down to eat my sandwich. (Success cont. pg 52)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Northwoods Voyager

Snowshoe Country

Many years ago Dick Mosher and I had a log hunting camp that was located back in the woods, about four miles from the nearest dirt road. The struc-

even though the ground was bare around home.

The wisdom of this practice was borne out a couple of times when we had heavy snows while staying at the camp. It would have been a real struggle wading out through the

conditions they seemed to not be so spooky. We saw a lot of them.

On one occasion we found snowshoes to be valuable in a situation that did not include deep snow.

We were hunting around camp for a few days with some relatives and friends.

Page 43

by Gil Gilpatrick, Brunswick, ME ence! The snowshoes provided the needed traction while the snow provided the low friction surface to drag out our trophies. This chance discovery was used

el the four miles over the frozen marsh and sometimes we would make our way over the greater distance through the woods.

Sometimes we packed our

Of course, no current pushes you along on snowshoes, but Maine’s winter woods makes the trail travel rewarding in its own right. While wildlife sightings no where near as frequent as in the summer, the story of their passing is easily read in the snow and tells a fascinating tale to those who will take the time to read it.

ture overlooked a large marsh and was accessible by canoeing four miles up the marsh. The only access by land was over a trail through the woods, about three miles of the trip could be made by four-wheel drive truck, the final two miles had to be traversed by foot. Later though, the final leg could be completed by ATV. Our ownership of the old camp pre-dates snowmobiles and ATV’s and so early on we had to make the trip by canoe, as long as the marsh remained ice-free, and then on foot, much of the time on snowshoes.

We made frequent trips to the old camp in those early years and snowshoes were as much a part of us as our own feet.

To our delight, there were several seasons when the woods were snow covered through the month of November for the deer season, and we would not think of heading for the camp without our snowshoes

deep snow.

Most Maine hunters pray for snow during November, but we took it a step further and wished for heavy snow. “Think white” was the oft’ repeated by-word.

One year, when we experienced exceptionally heavy snows throughout the rest of the winter, we were accused by friends and family of wishing too hard through November and it took all winter for the snow to catch up. We loved hunting on snowshoes. We could move through the woods with no sound except the almost inaudible swish, swish, swish of the webs on the soft snow. Of course the deer moved silently too, but under the heavy snow

There was only about three or four inches of snow on the ground so snowshoes were not needed to get around. However, as always, we had them with us.

At the end of our stay we had the happy, but daunting task of getting a deer and a bear out to our truck, two miles away over the forest trail. All up hill, by the way.

We started out with our packs and snowshoes strapped to our back and taking turns dragging the animals. With snow on the ground the dragging was relatively easy, as dragging goes, but we were slipping and sliding, unable to get any traction with our boots.

After a turn or two apiece, one of us decided to try dragging with the snowshoes on. What a differ-

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many times after that episode, and made the policy of taking along the snowshoes no matter what, all the more plausible.

We used the old camp in all seasons in those days.

Sometimes we would trav-

supplies on a toboggan, and sometimes we carried them in a pack on our back.

We found the difference between the two routes to be roughly comparable to the difference in paddling a (Snowshoe cont. pg 52)

Page 44

Cracker Barrel

by Homer Spit

I like a good mystery.

And I like it even better when the mystery gets solved.

Two years ago, during a June fishing trip to Aroostook County’s DeBouillie area, a fishing buddy and I came across the bare re-

few remains, a stove lid, a door hinge, an encrusted skillet with a hole in it, all tweaked our curiosity as we tried to piece together the story.

How big was the cabin? Why was it back in the woods and not along the

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

The Trapper’s Cabin

in the days before WWII there was a fire tower on the mountain and, though there were no roads back then into this remote area of the County, there was a single telephone wire that went for miles from Portage through the woods and had its terminus at the fire tower above the lake.

(Sections of the wire can still be found along the fire tower trail).

Meeting. Imagine that!

What a special breed of man he must have been.

Here are Floyd’s recollections of Uncle Walter, in his own words: He was an old bachelor, he sort of adopted us nephews(I had six brothers) and we in turn were awed by the old man who looked like Santa Claus. He was a

of beavers he had caught, and made that stew. It was some good. That same week, we went out on a trapline he had up toward Three BrooksMountain. As he pulled a beaver out of the water, he took the hide off right then before it froze up. On the way back to our camp, he stopped and stepped out of his snow-

On the way back to our camp, he stopped and stepped out of his snowshoes and walked up a leaning tree that had hung up in some dense evergreens. He reached down and pulled a hind quarter of a small moose that was hanging in the evergreens.He chopped off about two pounds of meat and put it in his packbasket. mains of on old cabin along the trail to the fire tower above the lake. It was a lovely June day. Sunny, and the south breeze off the lake kept the bugs down. We lingered about the site of the cabin. We poked around and sifted through a carpet of leaves and old bottles and rusty soup cans. The

water’s edge? Who lived there? A hermit? A fire tower employee? A game warden? A trapper?

We walked away from the site still trying to imagine when the cabin was built and who lived in it.

My curiosity led me to do some cursory research later on. I did learn that

That’s about all I could find out. Then this week, right out of the blue, I learned the rest of the story. A former fishing companion, Floyd Bolstridge, who grew up in a one-horse town, not far from this wonderful country, connected the dots for me.

The cabin was a trapper’s winter digs. And the trapper, Walter Bolstridge, was my friend’s uncle.

According to Floyd his Uncle Walter would hire a bush plane to fly him and his gear into the roadless DeBoullie area in October.

He would stay and trap.

In March he would come out with his furs in time to make the Annual Town

great man who always had a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his face. He was a little man, about 5 foot 6 inches tall. Tough as nails.

One Christmas week, when I was in high school, I snow-shoed into his camp that was on a brook flowing into Goddard Lake, near Silver Lake. It was nine miles in and I was tired by the time I got there. He had a big stew on, and gave me a bowl full. I ate all of it and took some more. He asked me if I liked it. He told me it was beaver tail stew ! He took the meat from the tail

shoes and walked up a leaning tree that had hung up in some dense evergreens. He reached down and pulled a hind quarter of a small moose that was hanging in the evergreens.

He chopped off about two pounds of meat and put it in his packbasket. We had a great feast that night. He said that the young Game Warden patrolling that area never noticed there was no snow on that leaning tree.

He said that if Wilfred “Sleepy” Adkins were patrolling that area, he would have noticed that right off .

I never went in to his Labyrinthia Guest House camp on Debouille during the winter, since you had to Ripley, Maine fly in, but I was there during the summer, when we Private Rooms in a beautiful country setting followed the telephone line where breakfast is served. Entire house that ran from Portage Lake available for deer camp. Near ATV and winter Forestry Headquarters to trails. For reservations use Airbnb or call direct the top of Debouille Mt. for full-house pricing, discounts and availability. where the lookout tower (207) 270-1744 Labyrinthia@yahoo.com (Cabin cont. pg 45)

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February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 45

The Muddy Muzzle Whoop!

Who knew playing the trombone would come in handy while hunting the wily whitetail?

When my son Forrest was just old enough to hunt he carried an H & R 410. It is the perfect gun to learn with, light, one shot, easy to clean.

We had been out that morning for a few hours, then back to camp for hot chocolate and cribbage.

After lunch we ventured forth. We walked up Sand Pond Road to an old log landing and turned in to inspect the remains of a log brow built into the banking.

After a thorough inspection and lengthy explanation of logging with a team (Forrest had a 4H team of steers and I am a forester/ blacksmith given to talking endlessly about the history of logging) we headed into the woods.

At the back of the landing the last skidder operation had bulldozed a

berm to keep vehicles from driving down the main skid trail. The resulting hole was full of water and the clay soils were slippery. As we approached the puddle I cautioned Forrest to be careful and led

Cabin

Walter may still hold the record for having trapped the largest Otter ever recorded. He got his name in the newspaper. The Maine Fish and Game Commissioner at the time, George J. Stoble, said that the critter, which Bolstridge trapped on the Fish River, was a world record otter.

One June day, my buddy and I may hike that trail again. If the bugs aren’t too bad, we’ll stop and linger awhile at what is left of Uncle Walter’s winter home. The sight of it will mean even more now.

(Cont. from pg 44) was situated. His camp was at the beginning of the rock slide, and he also had a little building about the size of a large doghouse where he kept his food that he wanted to keep fresh. He used this at the beginning and the end of the trapping season. The building had ice in it year around, that had frozen during the winter. He told me that he took trout from Debouille, and Big Black for some of his food and that he had caught some that ran about ten pounds. Of course, it was illegal to do that!

By the way, Uncle

I spun expecting to hear a splash and see Forrest flat out in the puddle.

To my surprise Forrest was standing beside the puddle wide eyed and perfectly dry. Beside him in the puddle standing muzzle

Tales Of A Maine Woodsman

by Joel F. Tripp Limington, ME feel the need to recant them and belabor the issue. We focused on the gun. Is it loaded? Yes. I held his left hand and he leaned over the puddle and got a grip on the gun with his right. I pulled back bringing boy and gun

his plugged gun. He gave it another shot, his eyes bugged out a little and the plug blasted out onto the ground. Five inches of solid mud.

We rinsed the muzzle until it was clean then re-

To my surprise Forrest was standing beside the puddle wide eyed and perfectly dry. Beside him in the puddle standing muzzle down in the mud was the 410.

the way. Forrest had been experimenting with the various ways to carry a gun all morning. He had settled on hanging his gun over his arm as his favorite. There were fresh deer tracks ahead so I was focused down the trail when I heard “whoop” behind me.

Homer Spit lives on a lake in Maine. He likes to keep a low profile.

down in the mud was the 410. As Forrest had approached the puddle he had his gun over his right arm and was going around the left end of the puddle.

When he slipped he went to the right and he broke his fall with the gun. Barely suppressing the desire to roar with laughter I calmly asked him if he was okay.

He nodded affirmatively still wide eyed wondering what I was going to do.

Well I figured he had taught himself enough lessons that day about how to carry a gun so I did not

together. Step one, unload, step two, look down the muzzle. No daylight there.

A 410 is pretty small.

The jackknife was no help clearing the muzzle. Instead we used the knife to start the screw on the fore stock and broke the gun down. Forrest had been playing trombone in the school band for a year so I swished the muzzle in the water handed him the breach and said “blow trombone boy”. He gave it a good blat, nothing. I swished it in the water for several minutes and handed it to him again. I may have mentioned going back to camp to show everyone

assembled the gun. We spent the afternoon walking down the trail, talking and exploring. One of my favorite days ever in the woods.

Joel F. Tripp is a Maine Woodsman and Master Blacksmith who has been blessed to hunt with both his father and his son. For more information go to: trippsend.com

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Page 46

In the heart of the changing seasons, as autumn leaves paint the landscape in warm hues of red and gold, a timeless tradition unfolds in the woods and fields of countless families across the nation – deer hunting. Beyond the pursuit of game, this tradition weaves a tapestry of generational connec-

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Passing Down the Tradition hunter that lies within. For generations, parents have heeded this call, and in doing so, they have opened a door to a world where the bond between generations is forged in the crucible of the wilderness.

The Passing Down of Wisdom As a parent takes Their child into the woods for the

the tools of the trade. From the careful selection of gear to the pre-dawn breakfasts shared in anticipation, each aspect of the hunt becomes a lesson in the importance of preparation and respect

materials and engineering.

Firearms have transformed from classic rifles to stateof-the-art, precision-engineered weapons. Yet, amidst this evolution, the core values of respect,

for the process. Parents and their children bond over the flickering light of a campfire, swapping stories of triumph and defeat, creating a tapestry of shared experiences that binds them together across the years.

The Evolution of Equipment While the essence of deer hunting remains unchanged, the tools of the trade have evolved with time. The creaking wooden stands of yesteryear have given way to high-tech tree stands equipped with the latest advancements in

responsibility, and conservation remain unwavering, passed down through the ages as a sacred trust.

Conservation and Stewardship Deer hunting, at its core, is not just about the harvest; it is about conservation and stewardship. Parents teach their children the importance of maintaining a delicate balance in nature – harvesting responsibly, contributing to population control, and participating in conservation efforts. Through this, a sense of responsibility for the land and its inhabitants is instilled, ensuring that the legacy of hunting is one of respect for the environment and its fragile ecosystems.

Building Character and Resilience The challenges posed by the wilderness forge character and resilience in those who venture into its depths. In the face of adversity, be it inclement weather, a missed shot, or a fruitless day of tracking, parents guide their children

For generations, fathers have heeded this call, and in doing so, they have opened a door to a world where the bond between generations is forged in the crucible of the wilderness. tion, as parents pass down the art and ethics of deer hunting to their children.

In exploring the deep roots and enduring significance of this practice, we uncover a story that transcends time and generations, connecting families through the shared experiences of the great outdoors.

The Call of the Wild Deer hunting is more than a sport; it is a rite of passage deeply rooted in the fabric of American culture. The echo of a distant buck call or the rustling leaves beneath a cautious doe’s hooves elicits a primal response, awakening the instinctual

first time, they impart more than just the practical skills of tracking, sighting, and shooting. They share the accumulated wisdom of years spent in communion with nature – the patience required to wait for the perfect shot, the understanding of the ecosystem, and the profound respect for the cycle of life and death.

In these woods, parents become mentors, passing down not just a skill but a way of life that extends beyond the hunting season.

The Rituals and Traditions Within the realm of deer hunting, rituals and traditions are as integral as

February 2024

to persevere with patience and grace. The lessons learned in the woods extend beyond the thrill of the hunt, nurturing qualities that shape young minds into resilient, determined individuals capable of navigating the complexities of life.

The Emotional Landscape Beneath the surface of the hunting experience lies an emotional landscape that binds parents and their children in ways words struggle to convey. The shared moments of silence in a tree stand, the shared excitement at the sight of a majestic buck, and the shared disappointment in a missed opportunity – these emotions create a tapestry of connection that transcends the spoken word. In the stillness of the woods, parents and children find a language of their own, a silent communion that speaks volumes about the depth of their bond.

Conclusion As the embers of the campfire fade and the echoes of the hunting season linger in the crisp autumn air, the generational aspects of deer hunting reveal themselves as a powerful force that transcends time. Bound by the unspoken language of the hunt, we share a connection that spans generations, shaping the character, values, and traditions that define a family. In the heart of the woods, where the call of the wild beckons, the timeless bond of generational deer hunting lives on, an enduring testament to the enduring power of tradition, nature, and familial love.

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Crossbills I never see either crossbill species at my feeder station. I just hope that I will have them visit the various conifer trees nearby. Crossbills cannot forage as other songbirds do. Their bills cross over at the tip instead of aligning there like other birds. This causes an inability to snag insects or fruit.

However, they are perfectly suited to pry open cones of spruce trees and of other conifers. Getting seeds out of cones is a com-

plicated process. Crossbills insert their bills between the scales and then use their crossed bill tips to push them apart. Then they can probe for the seeds there.

Lastly, they crack the seeds open and swallow them.

This sounds like a long process, but they can consume 20 seeds per minute. This is a lot less time than it takes me to describe it.

In Downeast Maine where I live you sometimes can see both species of crossbills. But their specialized diet causes irregular sightings. White-winged

classified them into 10 different types because of differences in voices and preferences for certain areas.

Reds are winter visitors in Maine. I saw a flock of Red Crossbills flying over my home in late October and in November. I heard them first as they often produce loud and animated chatter

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I live in Cooper during the year. Reds especially are the ultimate nomads.

They have often moved 2000 miles to get food. All crossbills have to be ready to move where there will be adequate food supplies.

In Downeast Maine where I live you sometimes can see So when I see lots of new both species of crossbills. But their specialized diet causes cones on my tamaracks, irregular sightings. White-winged Crossbills can be present hemlocks, firs and spruces in the fall of 2024, I can all year long in Maine. hope to see both species Crossbills can in flight. Then they began Instead they build nests again. They are beautiful be present all foraging on the bumper and lay eggs wherever and unusual members of year long in crop of cones festooning there are seeded cones in the finch family of birds.

Maine. They my conifer trees. White- the trees. They are nesting are truly deni- winged Crossbills I have opportunists.

K a re n H o l m e s i s zens of the seen on the roadsides gathThe adults feed their boreal forests ering grit from the gravel to young regurgitated cone a naturalist in Cooper, here and in aid their digestion. I hope seeds. So as long as an area Maine. She lives on 74 northern New that maybe having feed- has plenty of seeded cones, acres of woods and fields England and ers with shelled black-oil White-winged Crossbills and enjoys seeing all the N e w Yo r k . sunflower seeds will help might nest from January wildlife there. She is also They also can me see them at my feeding to March and maybe even a citizen scientist and rebe seen in Alaska, and station. from July into September. cords sightings for Project across Canada. Red CrossB o t h s p e c i e s a r e This can result in more than FeederWatch, the Maine bills are seen in southern beautiful. The males are one nesting attempt. Crops Loon Project, etc. On Alaska and across Cana- apple red with dark wings. of conifer cones have boom Cathance Lake in Cooper da and from the western The females are a yellow- or bust cycles. Scarcity can and Cathance Township mountains and eastern Ap- ish green. Both sexes of follow abundance during she volunteers to do courpalachians.

White-winged Crossbills years. I feel very lucky tesy boat inspections and Ornithologists have have white bars on their to see both species where aquatic plant surveys.

Nace Gets Charged By 10 Point Buck After Being Rattled In November 2022

Page 47

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Page 48

A Lion-sized Derby in Vermont

Vermont Ramblings

by Dennis Jensen, Vermont There are ice fishing derbies. And then there are ice fishing derbies that stand out. The one that has it all, in my opinion, is the Lake Bomoseen Ice Fishing Derby, sponsored by Castleton Lions Club. The derby, which attracts about 500 anglers from around Vermont and surrounding states, will be held on Feb. 17 and 18.

Anglers bring in their fish and have them weighed at derby headquarters, located at Crystal Beach.

The best fish get put up on

a longtime Lion, has always been my go-to guy whenever I covered the derby. Patch said that the derby is the second-biggest fund raiser for the Lions every year and the loss of revenue hurt the Lions last year.

The great thing about the Lions Club is how much it does for the surrounding communities. Eye tests and eye glasses for those in need, scholarships for the local high school, scholarships for young people who want to attend the highly-

for the community. “All of the money we raise goes back into the community for class trips, eyeglasses, hearing aids, scholarships, food for the needy and the kids Halloween Party. We do a lot for the community.”

The derby offers big cash prizes in four People gather around the fish board at the headquarters categories: the of the Lake Bomoseen Ice Fishing Derby in Castleton. largest northern All the money raised from the derby, sponsored by the Castleton Lions Club, goes back into the community.

I have either fished the derby or covered the derby as an outdoor writer for the local newspaper for decades. But this month things will be vastly different. I joined the Castleton Lions Club about six months ago and when the derby is held this year, I will be part of the large team of Lions who work the derby. the fish board where folks from all over come to see the spectacular fish that come out of the big lake.

Last year, the ice was declared unsafe so the derby was cancelled. Stan Patch,

successful Green Mountain Conservation Camp, a kids fishing derby each spring and much more.

John Brough, a spokesman for the derby, said the derby does so much

February 2024

pike, bass, trout and yellow perch.

One of the big parts of the derby follows the 3 p.m. fishing deadline on Sunday, the second day of the derby. People from

Vermont Vermont Outdoor Guide Association hosts Vermont's most complete directory of outdoor recreation services, guided tours and adventure travel resources. https://www.voga.org/

(Photo by Dennis Jensen)

all around, hundreds in fact, will gather at derby headquarters to catch a glimpse at the fish hanging from the fish board and to celebrate those who are good enough to make the board and a cash payout.

I have either fished the derby or covered the derby as an outdoor writer for the local newspaper for decades. But this month things will be vastly different. I joined the Castleton Lions Club about six months ago and when the derby is held this year, I

will be part of the large team of Lions who work the derby.

While I will be unable to fish the derby, which has been something me and my sons have done from time to time, I’ll put my jig rods and tip-ups aside and work alongside a group of people who give their time and energy for the good of the community.

Dennis Jensen is a freelance writer from Vermont. Contact him at d. jensen62@yahoo.com

SubscribeToday!

(See page 47)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Protecting the Gulf of Mexico Fishery

The Gulf of Mexico has long seen increasing fishing effort and in some cases that has led to overfishing for some marine pinfish species. In early

and statisticians with the best information available to help make fishery management decisions.

The Reel Surprise is 65’ Bonner capable of car-

never seen several of the species.

As soon as we started fishing, Marie set up her gear to measure and tag the fish caught. Those that were legal and kept were simply measured and recorded while those released had dart tags attached under the skin near the dorsal fin.

As a former Commis-

Page 49

Outdoors In Vermont

by Gary W. Moore, Bradford, VT

vances in computer software and hardware allow for researchers to incorporate the technology into field data collection. Big Fin scientific is one of the companies that offer digital fish measuring boards such as the one that caught my attention when Marie set up on board. It has bluetooth

a total of 2,454 fish were observed with 998 reef fish tagged upon release.

I learned that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Resources Division has participated in At-Sea Observer programs for the last eight years when funding was available. The program consists of at-sea observers who are trained Captain Randy Boggs and his crew field staff riding along on worked hard to put us over fish, frequently moving to find the schools. participating state or federal for-hire vessels to obsioner of Fish and Game capabilities to connect to serve catch and release (Fishery cont. pg 52) for Vermont, I was very a tablet preprogrammed interested in how quickly with a Big Fin Scientific Marie was able to measure application to create data and record the fish. No entry screens specific to a more writing information researcher's data collection down on paper and later activity.

Market & Restaurant entering it into a computer Marie told me this is 7 Pinecrest Drive data base back at the office, the first year that her agenEssex Junction, VT 05452 all was recorded on a tab- cy has used the devices (802) 879-3611 let she had attached to her and that between March www.raysseafoodmarket.com measuring board. I have 1 and August 31, 51 sammemories of smudged data pling trips were completed “Where the catch is caused by wet hands and aboard participating federal always the best” failed writing instruments. and state for-hire charter Technological ad- boats. During those trips,

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Biologist Marie Head measures and tags fish to be released.

September Linda and I spent a day fishing some 23 miles of the coast of Alabama with Reel Surprise Charters while we were in Gulf Shore/Orange Beach to attend the annual conference of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

During our six-hour trip we and our OWAA friends caught many fish and, thanks to Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Resource Division biologist Marie Head, learned a great deal about the ongoing efforts to gather data to provide fishery managers

rying up to 65 passengers.

It is very comfortable, has a large airconditioned cabin and ample deck space around all sides to allow for anglers to be spaced out.

Captain Randy Boggs and his crew worked hard to put us over fish, frequently moving to find the schools. We thoroughly enjoyed our six -hour trip, even the two hour ride out to the fishing grounds.

Our group caught: blue runner, tomtates, vermilion snapper, gray triggerfish and queen angelfish. It was a real learning experience for me as I had

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Page 50

Maple Country Outdoors

The 2023 deer season was maybe the most anticipated I can remember, and will go down as probably my toughest season yet. I say most anticipated because my 2022 season was

Northwoods Sporting Journal

by Ben Wilcox, Essex, VT

challenging season.

Fast forward to 2023 and I could not wait for deer season to arrive. I had a few nice local bucks I knew about, a trip to Kentucky to look forward to,

But when I pulled the trigger, the limb of my bow hit the tree and almost knocked the bow out of my hands. I knew the limb would expand and was consciously trying to keep the bow away from the tree and I still made the terrible mistake. really hampered by lack of mobility while recovering from major foot and ankle reconstruction surgery that summer. While I did get a smaller buck, It was a real

and a long weekend with friends up north, hopefully on snow.

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February 2024

Deer Season Wrap

of killing 1-3 big bucks for over a decade came to an end. I made a big mistake and karma has bitten me in the butt. While dragging a nice Ohio public land 8 pointer out of the woods at midnight, we had a cell cam take our picture. Instead of moving on we posed with the deer in front of the camera and chuckled that someone was getting pics of us in the middle of the night. From that moment on I’ve been paying the price with multiple big buck encounters gone wrong! 2023 was no different.

The 2023 bow season started off well. I had seen a small buck and a decent racked buck both out of bow range, and passed a handful of does in hopes a buck would be near. The latter half of the season was fairly uneventful and I could not quite figure out how to get close to a large buck in October.

The Author’s son and father dragging out his 2023 VT muzzleloader deer on the last day of the season.

November rolled around and my dad and I headed to Kentucky. After a few days of scouting/ hunting, I decided to set up a tree stand on small point of a hillside where I thought a buck would cruise through midday looking for does. At

10:30 the first morning in the stand a nice 8 pointer with a tall rack and big body cruised through and picked up the smell of four does that I had seen earlier.

He cut behind my stand and when he was directly behind me, I was able to (Wrap cont. pg 51)

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February 2024

Wrap (Cont. from pg 50) get a good shot from 7 yards. But when I pulled the trigger, the limb of my bow hit the tree and almost knocked the bow out of my hands. I knew the limb would expand and was consciously trying to keep the bow away from the tree and I still made the terrible mistake. I watched the deer bound away and hoped to hell I missed because there was no way I hit where I was aiming. Unfortunately, I had hit the deer and found a few drops of blood. We waited 4 hours and tracked the deer on marginal blood about 250 yards where we jumped him out of his bed.

We decided to wait until morning and tracked on our hands and knees for a 1/2 mile finding a spec of blood here and there.

Only because he stayed on a deer trail were we able to stay on him. He crossed a creek and headed straight up hill. We lost his track where other deer had been pawing in acorns during the night. The buck never bedded back down. Based on the broadhead and all of the evidence, I think I hit the deer in the rear end just in the meat of the hind quarter. It was a real shame and I was pretty upset about losing the deer. During the final two days of the hunt I passed up four bucks in the 115-130lb. range but never saw one I was willing to pull the trigger on.

The remainder of the season in the northeast was fairly uneventful. I had some fun hunting with my

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Northwoods Sporting Journal kids but we never saw a deer. I made every wrong move possible it seemed.

I did get one day on snow up north and tracked a buck most of the day. I saw him once at 40 yards but just couldn’t get him in the crosshairs. Finally, on the last day of the VT muzzleloader season, I was still hunting in the rain. I passed up a small 4 point buck,

then got a shot at a doe at 35 yards, and hit a tree. In utter disgust, I kept hunting through the pouring rain when a deer jumped up in the fog and gave me a 15 yard shot while on my way back to the truck. My dad picked up my 4 year old son and helped me drag out the deer. It was a rewarding way to end my most difficult and unsuccessful

Page 51

season I can remember. He also owns a large MaI really hope karma gets ple Sugaring Business, back on my side for 2024. Amber Ridge Maple. These occupations allow him to be in the woods or water Ben Wilcox is owner nearly every day of the of Maple Country Anglers, year. He can be reached located in Northwest Ver- at maplecountryanglers@ mont. He is a current mem- gmail.com ber of the USA Fly Fishing Team. He is a registered Maine Guide and graduate of the University of Maine.

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Page 52

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Success

nine pointer, and I was glad to be blessed with him. It was great to get back to (Cont. from pg 42) the Adirondacks and I’m continuing my sneak. I looking forward to the next went about another 100 trip back. yards along the skid trail, Good luck on the trail! with a screen of firs going up the ridge. Just as I Hal is a Master Maine cleared the firs, I spotted a guide and author. He lives buck standing in the cut at in moose river Maine with about 75 yards. He looked his wife Deb, Hal can be good sized and with no contacted at: hal@bigtime to look through binwoodsbucks.com oculars, I started up with my gun. As I did, the buck swung his head to bolt, and I could see 5 points on that (Cont. from pg 43) side.

As I got my gun to canoe over a lake as opmy shoulder, he was run- posed to paddling down ning directly away, and I a river or stream. On the could see that his antlers lake the straight line diswere wider than his ears. tance makes the paddle That was all I needed to time shorter, but the mesee to make a decision to andering river or stream shoot, and I let loose with is much more interesting three shots from the old and the travel time seems pump, before he disap- less even though it may peared over the top of the be greater (unless a swift ridge. I eased my way up to current helps your canoe where I had fired the first along).

Of course, no curshot and could see blood rent pushes you along on in the snow. When I crested the top, I could see that the snowshoes, but Maine’s snow was painted with a winter woods makes the red mist of blood. Glanc- trail travel rewarding in its ing 30 yards down the mist own right. While wildlife trail, the buck was laying sightings no where near as dead. He was a beautiful frequent as in the summer,

Snowshoe

the story of their passing is easily read in the snow and tells a fascinating tale to those who will take the time to read it. Sometimes the wildlife is there even though there is absolutely no evidence of it.

We were walking over a new snowfall and the clean white surface was unbroken, not a track or other mark anywhere. All of a sudden I felt and heard something right under my snowshoe. When I took the next step a partridge burst from the snow and flew to the cover of the trees.

During the snow storm the night before it had allowed the new snow to cover it and was still luxuriating in the relative warmth when we came along and walked right over it. I would not have purposefully have disturbed the bird, but it did cause a little rush of adrenaline when the silent calm of the winter woods was so suddenly broken.

One final advantage of getting out on snowshoes is the benefits to your overall good health. It is a great aerobic workout! You will be puffing before you know it and your heart will beat

February 2024

faster. Of course, you can pace yourself to make the workout fit your own needs and level of fitness. I have always found it hard to stay in shape during the winter and have used the snowshoes to help out. So, I can guarantee that if you make a regular practice of snowshoeing this winter you will be in much better shape to enjoy the outdoor pleasures of coming spring and summer.

Think white!

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

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Fishery (Cont. from pg 49) practices of reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico as Marie did with us.

Marie told me that, “At sea observer programs provide reliable information to fishery managers because at sea observers are directly observing and recording the catch and release practices of marine anglers along with other information. Data collected through recreational fishing trips provide valuable information to fishery scientists and researchers to improve management strategies on recreationally important marine finfish species.”

Orange Beach, Alabama based reel surprise Charters is a family owned business. Captain Randy concentrates on the Reel Surprise while his daughter Elizabeth captains the Islander, a 36’ Hatteras that can carry up to six passengers.

For more about the operations got to: www. reelsurprisecharters.com or call 251-981-7173.

Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore is a lifelong resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game. His latest book, Four Season in Vermont, is available at many bookstores and sporting goods shop or from him directly. He may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! (See pg 47)

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 53

Graydon Hilyard

When my wife and I purchased a cabin a few miles below Parmachenee Lake, I was not much older than John Danforth and Fred Barker when those two young friends spent the winter of 1876 trapping and hunting around the lake.

That was a time when herds of caribou grazed through old growth forest and the region’s brook trout appeared inexhaustible.

Like so many before me, it was my search for trophy-sized fish that led me to the Rangeley Lakes Region of western Maine.

I spent my waking hours exploring the many streams and rivers while casting flies to brook trout native to the region and landlocked salmon introduced in the late eighteen-hundreds.

Our cabin did not have electricity, still doesn’t.

Each evening, I’d read by gaslight, more often than not a book about the many men and women drawn to this tiny corner of northern New England.

Our cabin is not far from Upper Dam, the place to be, if fishing during the “Golden Age” of fly fishing.

It is where Wallace Stevens once guided anglers and where his wife, Carrie, tied her Gray Ghost streamer.

The author of a number of fly-fishing books, Colonel Joseph Bates also cast his flies in the pools and runs below the celebrated structure as did Shang Wheeler, who penned an ode to a mythical fish known as White Nose Pete.

A bit further down the road is Haines Landing, the hamlet where flyfishing’s renaissance man, Herbert Welch, took time away from his paintings

and sculptures to create the Black Ghost, a streamer pattern that remains highly effective today.

Not far from there, below Middle Dam, along the carry road beside the Rapid River, Louise Dickinson Rich wrote her celebrated memoir, We Took To The Woods.

In Oquossoc, the faithful still congregate each Sunday in the little Catholic church constructed with funds Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby helped raise during the same time the Barrett boys were building their Rangeley boats.

While growing more and more interested in the region’s sporting history, I continued to wade the rushing current of the larger streams as well as those narrow rivulets passing under the shadows cast by the conifer forest. In 2004, I began work on a series of essays that would become Shadows in the Stream, my first book in celebration of the Rangeley Lakes Region.

Four years earlier, the late Graydon R. Hilyard’s book on Carrie Stevens was published. Carrie Stevens: Maker of Rangeley Favorite Trout & Salmon Flies was meticulously researched, beautifully illustrated, and so well written, I was concerned my little book would be of little interest to readers. Gathering my courage, I wrote to Graydon, known as Bob by his friends, and asked if he’d review the manuscript, and perhaps provide a comment. He soon wrote back, providing a few kind words, which graced the book’s back cover.

The following year, I

spent a weekend promoting my new book at the THE FLYFISHING SHOW held in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Late, on Sunday afternoon, an older fellow with snow-white hair falling over his shoulders in a manner reminding me more of a Civil War general than a twenty-first century author approached the bookstore booth. He wore a tattered khaki-green jacket, the kind purchased from military surplus stores. His beard was as white as his hair and resisted any attempt at control while his mustache drooped down over his lips. As he ambled closer, his bright blue eyes betrayed an impish sense of humor. I’d read about leprechauns, but as of then, had not encountered one.

Having never met Graydon, I was surprised when he introduced himself. In awe of this sporting historian, I had trouble expressing my appreciation for his superior intellect and skill as a writer, but after a short time, his warm demeanor drew me in and we had a pleasant conversation.

Thereafter, we kept up a now-and-again correspondence, always writing by regular mail as Graydon was not fond of computers.

With each letter, I imagined the twinkle in his eye, for although sensitive and thoughtful, his letters always contained a bit of humor. Like so many others in the fly-fishing community and beyond, I was saddened to learn of this gentle man’s death on April 2, 2020.

Graydon Hilyard wrote for various magazines. An example of how

Against The Current

by Bob Romano, Rangeley, ME he combined historical fact with wit can be found in his article, The Rangeley Lakes: A Sinner’s Paradise found in Volume 46 of the summer 2020 edition of The AMERICAN FLY FISHER Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

His three books— Bogdan (2006), Herbert L. Welch: Black Ghosts and

collector of sporting memorabilia, Leslie Hilyard, carries on his father’s passion for western Maine’s rich sporting tradition.

Like the men and women he chronicled, Graydon Hilyard has passed into legend. Perhaps, someday, someone will write a book about this unassuming man, whose painstaking research

His beard was as white as his hair and resisted any attempt at control while his mustache drooped down over his lips. As he ambled closer, his bright blue eyes betrayed an impish sense of a humor.

Art in a Maine Guide’s Wilderness (2018) and Carrie Stevens: Maker of Rangeley Favorite Trout & Salmon Flies (2000), remain classics of fly-fishing literature. Co-author of the latter two books, his son, the celebrated fly tier and

brought to life so many of our sporting notables.

More information about Graydon Hilyard’s books can be obtained by emailing Leslie Hilyard at rangeleyfavorite@gmail. com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 54

South of the Kennebec

No Insults, Please!

Outdoor writers like me go through extensive scrutiny before my material is published. The largstormy night.

Is all this name call- er publications have fact ing supposed to be seen checkers to double check as some kind of term of my assumptions. If I say endearment? If so, then there is a boat ramp on the what do you call your best featured water, they call lohunting or fishing buddy? cal authorities to see if my “My crappie fishing buddy facts are right. When we

by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME

Sorry folks, I won’t insult the fish and game I take by name calling. In my world the hair-raising gobble in the still early morning air is not the call of a “thunder chicken” and if I can lure him into shot-

February 2024

pictures with words. Set the scene for your outing with descriptive sentences.

“Ground fog covered the partially open hardwoods

one with each person who reads or hears your comments.

While I have your blood pressure raised

Most outdoor publications frown on the use of cute phrases and attention-getters. It’s “ice fishing” not “hardwater angling.” In their minds, the writer certainly shows no respect for the fish or game he or she is about to expound upon. gun range I certainly am not going to give that bird a “dirt nap.” If all of you are so proud of the fish and game you worked so hard to come home with, why in the world would you resort to insults?

The bigger fish I manage to land are not “monsters,” they are very attractive and that’s why so many anglers run to a taxidermist with their personal best to create a wall mount. Monsters are those critters that reside under the beds of pre-schoolers on a dark and

is called “Slab Charlie” or the guys and gals in my deer camp are referred to as “murderers row.”

Think for just a minute about how you look to your friends and the public by slinging remarks such as these. In today’s world of political wokeness, you could find yourself “cancelled.” Social media posts and GoPro podcasts and blogs are becoming an accepted form of media these days but without that added safety check offered by editors.

have an idea for an article, we send a letter of inquiry pitching the work. If I were an editor, reviewing your query for publication it would hit the circular file before I read the second paragraph.

Most outdoor publications frown on the use of cute phrases and attentiongetters. It’s “ice fishing” not “hardwater angling.” In their minds, the writer certainly shows no respect for the fish or game he or she is about to expound upon.

It’s acceptable to paint

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and drops of dew dripped from the high grass that surrounded my shooting position.” Not “That monster of a thunder chicken rattled the timber as I snapped to alert, waiting for my opportunity to give him an anticipated dirt nap.”

If you are writing a social media post or blog or talking into a GoPro camera, consider who is on the receiving end of your words and how you will be judged. Take it from a guy who has sold thousands of outdoor articles, you are communicating one-on-

enough to cuss me out for taking you to task for insulting fish and game, let me say a word or two about the illustrations you add to your communications. Editors have long since rejected photos of fish or game, especially deer, bear and moose that show large amounts of blood or tongues hanging out.

I’ve either left social media groups or have been barred for my criticism of such distasteful photos.

Granted, you have only a few minutes to properly (Insults cont. pg 64)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 55

Winter Camping

Basics Of Survival

by Joe Frazier, Bangor, ME

Winter can be the best time for camping. There are fewer people, the scenery is amazing, and best of all there are no mosquitoes.

However, it does take some preparation and planning.

Read about the signs and symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. During extreme cold these can cause real problems in a hurry. Know how to properly treat them as well.

The best way to get started in cold weather camping is in your backyard. Learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to stay comfortable. You can build your skills and be safe at the same time.

To get started, you don’t need to spend lots of money on hot tents and heavy duty sleeping bags.

You can use your 3 season gear with a few adjustments.

Wind is one of your biggest problems. If you are out camping you want to find a site that is as flat as possible and protected

from the wind. If you have a 10x10 shelter, set it up with 3 walls and set up your tent inside it to block the wind.

If there is snow, either shovel the snow away from your tent area or walk on it and pack it down as level as you can. Once it starts to freeze it will be very hard to reshape.

Put a tarp down to set your tent on. That way the tent will not freeze to the ground. If the ground is frozen, use landscape spikes/ large nails for tent pegs.

You will want insulation under your sleeping bag to protect you from the cold ground. Closed cell foam mats work well, or a cot with a blanket then your sleeping bag on top.

A space blanket under your sleeping bag works well too. Do not blow up air mattresses with your mouth in winter. The moisture in your breath will freeze in the mattress and keep you cold.

Once your camp is set

up you will want a LOT of firewood. Dark comes very early and it will be hours before you are ready for bed. Winter is a good time to experiment with dinners that take a long time to cook and are more elaborate than in the summer.

A stainless steel thermos is great for winter camping. Before bed, make some hot coffee or oatmeal in the thermos and it will be ready for you first thing in the morning before you get your fire going.

About an hour before you go to bed you should boil some water and fill a hot water bottle and put it in your sleeping bag. You also want to drink something hot right before bed.

I like hot chocolate with powdered milk, a little chili powder, and a pat of butter.

Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day as well. In winter you can get dehydrated fast and not even notice.

Keep a small brush near the door of your tent to

brush off any snow before you go inside. Keeping your gear dry is important for staying warm. Laying a beach towel on the floor of your tent is handy to give you a place to take off your boots and not track snow or mud inside.

If you put your boots inside a trash bag and put them in the bottom of your sleeping bag it will keep them from freezing and

inside your sleeping bag so you can get dressed in the morning before you get out of bed.

When you do get into bed; you should take off all your clothes, dry off any sweat, and put on a clean layer of clothes. Poly pro underwear top and bottom are good. NO cotton clothes in winter. That way you will be warm, dry and comfortable to sleep.

A space blanket under your sleeping bag works well too. Do not blow up air mattresses with your mouth in winter.

The moisture in your breath will freeze in the mattress and keep you cold. you will not get into cold boots in the morning. If your clothes are dry, put your outer layer and an insulating layer under your sleeping bag before you get in. They will help keep you warm and they will not be cold in the morning.

Any batteries or electronics you have should go into a cloth bag and inside your sleeping bag as well.

Extreme cold is very bad for electronics and it will kill batteries quickly.

You should put an insulating layer of clothes

If your head gets cold you should wear a hat.

Never put your face into your sleeping bag. The moisture from your breathing will make the inside of the bag wet and you will be cold all night.

With a little research and practice, winter can be the best time of year for camping. Be careful, use common sense, and give it a try.

Joe is a Husband, Father, Author, and Marine.

Joefrazier193@gmail.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 56

February 2024

February Question Of The Month

Maine’s First Moose Hunt: How Did It Go?

By Ron Joseph

In late September 1980, Maine’s annual moose hunt resumed for the first time in 54 years, but not without controversy.

In 1979, the six-day hunt

from anti-hunters, hunters, business owners, state senators and representatives. Arguments for and against the moose hunt was great live theater, unscripted and unrehearsed.

continue it in 1982.

In 1980, Doc Blanchard, an imposing, legendary regional wildlife biologist, administered the state’s largest moose check station in Greenville. Supervising a team of 10 biologists charged with collecting biological data from dead moose, Blanchard’s other task was officiating disputes between hunters and anti-hunters, some of which were filmed by CBS

largely subsided. Except for a few protesters carry signs “Good luck moose,” and “Long Live Moose,” opponents of the moose hunt boycotted the check station, choosing instead to air their grievances in newspaper op-ed columns and in front of Maine television news cameras. But general interest in the hunt had not waned. State wildlife biologist Joe Wiley warned me that controlling

McKernan’s office had even sent a representative, a woman in a red dress and high heels, to observe the proceedings.

This was the setting when on my first morning on the job, a pickup truck carrying an impressive bull moose rolled into the hangar. As curious on-lookers gathered, the electric hoist groaned and shivered to lift the big bull. Finally free from the truck’s bed, the

The crowd, mostly dressed in hunter orange, parted for trucks with a dead moose before quickly chasing it into the Stobie airplane hangar at the south end of Moosehead Lake.

Inside the cavernous hangar, I operated an electric hoist weight scale. Governor McKernan’s office had even sent a representative, a woman in a red dress and high heels, to observe the proceedings.

(Photo by Paul Cyr)

was preceded by several highly contentious legislative hearings in Augusta.

In packed hearing rooms, the Legislature entertained passionate testimonies

The Legislature wisely chose to re-open the moose hunt with an agreement to pause the 1981 hunt to allow biologists and legislators to reassess whether to

Evening News with Walter Cronkite and other national news networks. An argument between Blanchard and John Cole, head of SMOOSA (Save Maine’s Only Official State Animal), nearly came to blows before levelheaded game wardens intervened.

In 1988, I replaced Doc Blanchard as regional wildlife biologist in Greenville. By then, controversy surrounding the hunt had

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT!

Where do you read your copy of the Sporting Journal? At camp, in the boat, at the ice shack? We’d love to see a photo of you with your copy of the Journal at an unusual place. If we like it, we will publish it in the Journal. If we select your best shot for publication, we’ll send you an exclusive Sporting Journal hat created just for the occasion. Send your Jpeg photo and a short blurb to vpaulr@tds.net.

Please include your contact information, too. www.sportingjournal.com

a crowd of several hundred moose gawkers and a half dozen competing taxidermists would be my biggest challenge as lead biologist of the Greenville check station. He was correct. By 8 a.m. on day one of the hunt, according to a Piscataquis County sheriff in charge of traffic control, the station’s parking lot was filled with three hundred moose gawkers. A vendor representing the Greenville Chamber of Commerce sold hotdogs, burgers, popcorn, coffee, and donuts. Collecting biological data from dead moose in a carnival-like atmosphere was surreal.

The crowd, mostly dressed in hunter orange, parted for trucks with a dead moose before quickly chasing it into the Stobie airplane hangar at the south end of Moosehead Lake. Inside the cavernous hangar, I operated an electric hoist weight scale. Governor

moose hung and twisted in the air, held up by heavy chains wrapped around the base of its stout antlers. As anticipation hung silently in the air, I climbed a 10foot stepladder to read the scale. It seemed an eternity before the arrow settled.

I yelled out the weight: 1,158 pounds. The crowd turned to each other, and like an echo, repeated the weight from end to end in the hangar.

The large moose’s weight, though, wasn’t the most exciting moment. As I lowered him back into the truck, the spleen rolled out of his chest cavity and splattered on the cement floor. McKernan’s representative jumped back in horror. Everyone laughed, but not at her. Watson, a local basset hound, shot between her legs, grabbed the organ, and dragged it (Moose cont. pg 58)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

New Hampshire Outdoors

Cabin Fever Relievers Welcome to February.

Unfortunately, because of funding, attendance and site cost issues there will be no Fly Fish NH event planned for this year so you’ll have to head outside to get your fishing fix.

The good news is that the 45th annual Ice Fishing Derby sponsored by the Meredith Rotary Club will be held February 1011. And even though the Derby Headquarters is at Hesky Park on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith, you can fish any State of New Hampshire public water… but not private bodies of water. What does that mean? It means you can fish any of the 975 lakes and ponds in the state but you can’t fish the stocked pond on your neighbor’s farm. Clear enough?

The Derby is offering over $50,000 in winnings. First Place will take home $15,000 cash, Second Place-$5,000 cash and Third Place will leave with $3,000 cash. The fish eligible for Derby prizes are: Black Crappie, Lake Trout, Cusk, Rainbow Trout, Pickerel, White

Perch and Yellow Perch.

Fish that are not acceptable are Bass, Brown Trout or Salmon. Every ticket purchased is entered into each cash drawing over the weekend so you could win over $5,000 without even baiting a hook! For more Derby information, go to : icefishingnh.com If Cabin Fever is setting in, make plans to be at the Best Western at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA, February 2-4, for the New England Fishing Expo.

It’s your chance to experience the latest innovations in freshwater, ice, saltwater fishing and boating. Try out the best gear, talk to top manufacturers and guides and learn from world class industry professionals.

Next month (March 8-10) the New Hampshire Outdoor Expo will return to the Hampshire Dome in Milford, NH. Speaking of planning ahead, New Hampshire’s Open Snowmobile Registration weekend, Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3 is just around the corner. Riders from

throughout New England, as well as those from all around the U.S. and Canada, have the opportunity to explore the over 7,000 miles of picturesque trails New Hampshire has to offer.

During the three-day Open Snowmobile Registration Weekend, sleds legally registered to ride in other states and provinces will be able to operate on New Hampshire’s trails.

All New Hampshire laws

Page 57

by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H. Show”, The Great American Outdoor Show at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA which runs March 3-11. The Show occupies 650,000 Sq. Ft. of exhibition space with more than 1,000 exhibitors. To thoroughly see the entire show, it’s recommended you plan to attend at least 2 days. I

regulates the use of game cameras was signed into law by the Governor last August. That law requires consent from the landowner to set a game camera on private property. This would include snowmobile club members who wish to hang a camera to catch violators. Along with consent of the landowner, the camera must be marked The Derby is offering over $50,000 in with the owner’s name and winnings. First Place will take home contact information.

If you’re getting tired $15,000 cash, Second Place-$5,000 of the early, dark evenings cash and Third Place will leave with of Winter, the good news is $3,000 cash. that Daylight Saving Time and regulations regarding was there a few years back begins on Sunday, March the operation of snowmo- and it is impressive. Even 10 at 2:00 A.M. We’re getbiles will be enforced, in- ran into New Hampshire ting there!. cluding speed limits, safety folks there as well! It’s a equipment, carrying signed seven and a half hour ride Peter St. James is a landowner permission let- from Concord. Maybe hop ters, compliant exhaust Amtrak in Durham and go member of the New England Outdoor Writers Assystems relative to noise that way?

Just a reminder for sociation, Outdoor Writers and decibel levels, and youth operation standards. those who may have gotten Association of America, If you’ve got some game cameras for Christ- a licensed NH Fishing time and really want to mas and have been itching Guide. Reach him at : see an outdoor extrava- to try them. HB 221 which stjames.peter@gmail.com ganza, check out “The World’s Largest Outdoor

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Page 58

Moose

(Cont. from pg 56) out of the building as fast as his short legs allowed. He became an instant crowd favorite and the unofficial mascot of the 1988 moose season. Throughout the week, the sheriff held up traffic as Watson dragged moose parts to his cache beneath a porch of a lakeside cottage.

I quickly learned to expect the unexpected.

Day two produced another

Northwoods Sporting Journal

surprise: cooked moose.

A Subaru Brat — a tiny vehicle that’s half car and half truck — carrying a large bull moose had failed to climb Scammon Ridge’s Lily Bay Road on the east side of Moosehead Lake.

The moose’s weight exceeded the manufacturer’s recommended payload weight limit, causing the Subaru to overheat. The vehicle stalled, caught fire, and was engulfed in a ball of flames within minutes.

By the time fire trucks

arrived from Greenville, vehicle and moose were reduced to a black smoldering mass. Game warden Pat Dorian drove me to the Greenville Texaco Station where the Subaru had been delivered on a flatbed truck. He asked, “Are you going to tag crispy moose?” “Yes, indeed,” I said, placing a metal tag around the charred Achilles tendon before extracting a lower incisor with a screwdriver and buck knife. (Removing a tooth

for aging is standard moose check station practice. If I had collected a dollar each time someone said, “I’m sure glad you’re not my dentist,” I could have retired many years earlier.)

By the fifth day of the 1988 moose season, 93 percent of the 1,000 permit holders were home enjoying the fruits of a successful Maine moose hunt. Only a handful of dead moose trickled into the check station on day six. One sorry hunter arrived at the Greenville check station on the last day of the hunt with a cow moose crammed into the back of his Ford Explorer.

He’d shot the cow late the previous day several hundred yards from a logging road. He hired a skidder operator to stuff the cow into the folded backseat of the Explorer. Exhausted from gutting and loading the moose, the hunter slept in his vehicle that night with a dead animal in the backseat.

By the time he arrived in Greenville the following morning, rigor mortis had taken hold of the moose.

When he backed into the hangar, the face of the cow moose was smashed against the blood-smeared rear window. Moose legs were bent in all sorts of unnatural angles. By then my team of biologists had tagged 250 dead moose and we had become jaded. We

February 2024

quickly dubbed this one “canned moose,” because no body parts moved when the doors were opened. The floor of the vehicle, however, was alive with movement. As the moose cooled during the night, hundreds of ticks had dropped off the carcass. The bedraggled hunter, young and inexperienced, was oblivious to the ticks crawling all over him.

“Will you weigh the moose for me?” he asked. I told him that it wasn’t possible and advised him to deliver the moose to a butcher shop as soon as possible before the meat spoiled.

Watson’s droopy and expectant eyes stared at me in disbelief. I swear he was disappointed that I sent the hunter home without weighing that cow moose.

“Watson,” I said, “don’t give me that look. You’ve had an exciting moose season and so have I.” Undeterred, the basset hound trotted to a 55-gallon barrel overflowing with moose legs discarded by the Mane brother’s portable butcher shop, secured a lower leg, and dragged it across the parking lot. Although my first moose hunt was officially over, Watson’s hunt hadn’t quite yet ended.

Ron Joseph is author of Bald Eagles, Bear Cubs, and Hermit Bill: Memories of a Maine Wildlife Biologist. It’s his first book.

DISTRIBUTOR NEEDED!

The Northwoods Sporting Journal is looking for a part-time distributor for the Southern Maine area. Applicant must have personal transportation and will be responsible for delivering the Northwoods Sporting Journal to stores in Southern Maine on a monthly basis. For more details contact Alicia at 207-732-4880 or Email: info@sportingjournal.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

Sebec Lake Togue

By V. Paul Reynolds

It was July, a perfect summer day, in the early 1970s. For reasons that now elude me, I wound up fishing for togue on Sebec Lake, a fabled togue fishery at the time. My buddy, who liked to fish but did not have much togue time under his belt, asked me to show him the ropes. His gear was marginal at best.

colors back onto the spool.

Not far from the surface, the spent togue got a second wind. It made a valiant run for freedom, and, dagnabit, the old lead core line parted and the big fish, free at last, scooted back to the cool depth of Sebec Lake.

We never did lay our eyes on that fish. Was it

Not far from the surface, the spent togue got a second wind. It made a valiant run for freedom, and, dagnabit, the old lead core line parted and the big fish, free at last, scooted back to the cool depth of Sebec Lake.

The old rod and Sal Trout reel that once belonged to my buddy’s late father had obviously laid dormant in an attic for years. What I didn’t like the looks of were the faded colors of 10 lb lead core line, but a couple hard tugs did not separate the line.

Less than 20 minutes after the old lead core line was bobbing a sewn smelt and a Murray Spoon just off the bottom, a hook up!

From hours of togue fishing with my dad as a kid and young adult, I knew this was no ordinary lake trout.

It was no doubt a lunker.

My fishing partner could barely move the sulking togue off the bottom. My fishing partner played the fish well, and soon, as the fish tired, the old Sal Trout reel began winding the

one of the 25 pounders that are known to inhabit Sebec Lake? Perhaps, but we will never know. My buddy, good-natured about the dashed expectations, took it all in stride, much better than I. Sebec has an interesting togue history. A fish survey in 1955 revealed very marginal togue population in the lake. Biologists theorized that the fish were not native to the lake and migrated there from some other neighboring waters, and that there was no appreciable togue reproduction taking place.

In 1961, the Maine Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted some serious stocking of togue in the lake.

Today, according to the regional fisheries biolo-

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gist in Greenville, Tim Obrey, there are indications that lake trout spawning is taking place. Obrey is convinced that Sebec Lake may hold togue as big as 25 lbs. Obrey and his team last fall installed PIT tags on 59 togue, which will allow the state to get a better understanding of togue habits there.

Says Obrey, “We will have very good insights into the population and exploitation of lake trout in Sebec Lake based on the proportion of recaptures, the number of wild vs hatchery fish, and an estimate of total harvest.

In Maine, the record togue was for many years a 31.8 pounder caught in 1958 at Beech Hill pond

by Hollis Grindle. Then, in 2022, Erik Poland of Andover, Maine boated a new state record at Richardson Lake. The monster togue weighed in officially at 39.2 pounds.

For togue anglers, finding the heavies, the Mother of All Lakers, is the name of the game. Who knows, Sebec Lake could

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Togue like this from Sebec Lake can be a lot of fun to catch, even on lead line and heavy gear. be ground zero for another “Maine Outdoors” heard state record.

Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk The author is editor Network. He has authored of the Northwoods Sport- three books. Online puring Journal. He is also a chase information is availMaine Guide and host of able at www.sportingjoura weekly radio program nal.com.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 60

February 2024

Waiting on The Ice

Green Mountain Report

by Bradley Carleton, Charlotte, VT February should be a We measure the thickness time of confidence to walk with the markings on the on Vermont’s lakes and back of our scoops. When it ponds. After last year’s consistently reads six inchmultiple drownings, we es of “good” black ice, we had all hoped that that kind feel confident enough to set of fear would disappear. As up. I think back to my first my crew walks out onto few times ice fishing on

I’ve been watching the ice fishing forums online and after a considerable amount of research, I would boldly state that, at the time of this writing, 95% of Vermont’s lakes and ponds are open water. one of the shallower bays on Lake Champlain, we are keenly aware of the late start of the season. We read the ice carefully, looking for pressure cracks, the boot prints of those who have walked before us, and the texture and geometric patterns under the surface.

Step by step, we walk further, testing the thickness with each poke of the spud.

Mallet’s Bay in Colchester with my old friend, Ozzy, and how we drilled our holes by hand and everyone’s shack was a wooden one on skids. Now, pour equipment has evolved into electric drills, pullover Clam shanties, Vexilar and Marcum fish finders, short, hyper-sensitive rods with invisible lines, bibbits of all colors and designs and

reels with five bearings.

But once we sit inside the darkened shanty, the camaraderie is the same. Competition, practical jokes, and maybe some venison sausage cooked over the propane stove. Once one

of us lands a nice perch, it is game on! Everyone is laser-focused on the slightest twitch of the rod tip. Staring down the icy cylinder between my feet, I can’t help but think about the great friendships that

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have come and gone, and in a moment of revelry, I realize the true reason we choose to sit out here in -10 degrees; the simple act of being there. Many have quit, some have died, some have moved on, focusing on family or slowing down as age creeps up on us. I, for one, refuse to let my spirit, or my love for this sport, grow old. Perhaps one day, I will be the old guy sitting on a bucket all alone in the middle of the bay, hunched over the hole, and dreaming of the past. If you see me, please come over, sit down, and ask “how you doin’?” I’ll share a story and offer you some venison jerky.

I’ve been watching the ice fishing forums online and after a consider(Ice cont. pg 64)

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Quality Equipment that Works!

My wife said “I don’t want to use your rifle again, I like mine better!” She’s familiar and confident with her Kimber Pro Hunter 6.5

use her lightweight twenty going forward. She likes to stick with firearms she is comfortable with and will always perform reli-

The author’s wife with a handsome Maine buck.

Creedmoor and Leupold ably and accurately. Most VX-2 Scope. I installed ul- firearms, optics and bows tralight Talley ring mounts work well but some a lot and we sighted in with Hor- better than others! nady Superformance 129 I have been using Grain SST resulting in ¾” Browning firearms for 50 groups. The whole setup years and my most treawith sling and four rounds sured one is a Belgian weighs less than seven lbs Superposed Lightning 20 and has very light recoil be- gauge over/under made cause of the muzzle brake. in 1960 and given to me She never misses with it by my Dad who passed in and in the last five years 2021. It’s made like a fine has taken five big bucks, watch, weighs only six five coyotes and a bear lbs and thousands of shots with it. She has also taken later, still locks up like a five spring gobblers with bank vault. I purchased her sub six pound Benelli my first A-Bolt rifle 1986 20 Gauge using Hevishot and have taken moose, loads out to 40 yards. Once caribou, bear, whitetail she shot a fall tom with my and mule deer with them.

Benelli 12 gauge while My favorite are the Mounstanding, but the recoil tain Titanium Models that knocked her backward. She weigh under six pounds advised she only wanted to and have detachable maga-

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The Northwoods Bowhunter

zines for ease of loading.

They had a soft rubbery Dura-touch coating on the stocks that was non slip in the rain and snow. Last year the camo finish started to get sticky so I called Browning. They sent me prepaid shipping labels and installed new high quality stocks on each rifle for free.

I stay loyal to companies that guarantee their product

by Brian Smith, Machiasport, ME the 22-250 has accounted for numerous coyotes. My Savage Ultralight Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor has dumped a few coyotes and my Bushmaster Carbon 15 in 223 has as well. I bought my first Benelli Semi Auto shotgun in 1999 and have never returned to pump shotguns. The M1 Super

models free of charge. That great service and lifetime warranty is very important to insure customer loyalty.

We use innovative Hornady, Winchester, Federal, Browning, Nosler and CCI rifle and pistol ammunition that is very accurate and always lethal.

My archery equip-

In 2008 Browning introduced the awesome X-Bolt rifle, with feather trigger, better magazine, X-lock scope mounting systems and sub MOA accuracy guaranty.

They are my favorite big game rifle now and the muzzle brakes reduce recoil by 40%. for life. In 2008 Browning introduced the awesome X-Bolt rifle, with feather trigger, better magazine, X-lock scope mounting systems and sub MOA accuracy guaranttee. They are my favorite big game rifle now and the muzzle brakes reduce recoil by 40%. I prefer bolt rifles with short bolt throws, crisp triggers, removable magazines, weather proof metal finishes and synthetic stalks. We use clear, tough and light weight Leupold scopes with strong ultralight Talley ring mounts.

Tikka T3 Lite is a wonderful rifle made in Finland by Sako. They are very light, extremely accurate and have excellent triggers. My 7mm-08 has taken several deer and

90 and Super Black Eagles are lightweight, weatherproof and always work using the low maintenance inertia driven system. For handguns, I’m impressed with Heckler and Koch, Glock, Sig Sauer, Kimber, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, Ruger and Keltec, My muzzleloader is a Thompson Center Triumph Bone Collector that has taken three nice bucks with Hornady SST Sabots and Hodgdon Triple Seven pellets. We use Leupold, Steiner, Zeiss and Vortex binoculars, all great companies that stand by their products. Last year, I had to return a 15 year old scope, rangefinder and set of binoculars to Leupold for repair. They replaced all three with new higher grade

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I use a Mathews Heli-M bow with QAD rest, Easton Axis arrows and Muzzy three blade broadheads with Trocar tips. We stick with trusted equipment from manufacturers that stand behind their products that perform as advertised.

Brian Smith is a Retired Maine State Police Detective and Firearms Instructor. He serves on the boards of both SAM-ILA and Maine Bowhunters Association. His email is bowhunter@mgemaine. com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 62

The Singing Maine Guide

February 2024

Go When It’s Low

by Randy Spencer, Grand Lake Stream, ME The moon was full, but you couldn’t see it due to the low pressure system that had begun to move in just before dark. We decided against putting out cusk lines since the day was bluebird all the way––high pressure––and we were all feeling defeated from a skunked half day. Now, the cloud cover offered some hope for the following day.

If you’ve got to plan an ice fishing outing in advance in order to fit ev-

ments have been flying around since Isaak Walton wrote The Compleat Angler in the 17th century.

The Solunar Tables are another source for both fishermen and hunters, the official description of which runs as follows: “Solunar tables are tables that fishermen and hunters use to determine the best days of the month and times of the day for catching fish and hunting game. Knowing the time of the tides, sunrise,

will feed, land animals will move about, birds will sing and fly from place to place, in theory, all living things

An approaching storm, or the presentiment of one, must trigger some sort of primal response in both humans and animals to store up, stock up, fill up. eryone’s schedule, you can’t do anything about the weather that moves in for that weekend. But once in a while, and this was one of them, the high pressure moved out the day we got there, and from then on, it was a falling barometer.

Theories and argu-

and sunset help fishermen predict when fish are going to bite. For hunters, the tides are not a factor.

Hunters use the alignment of the sun and the moon to determine when game are likely to be moving the most. Other conditions not being unfavorable, fish

will become more active, more alive, during solunar periods than at other times of apparent equal value.”

These tables were published during the 60’s and 70’s in monthly outdoor magazines earning a huge following. Then, whether this theory fell out of favor, or lost the sheen of newness, it began to fade in popularity. As we all know, anglers need new lures, new line, new gear, and new theories to fuel the fishing fires in our souls.

Our crew had come into camp, not because we had planned it in advance, but because we saw the forecast. We had the luxury of flexibility in our schedules, and so we waited for the weather that we all knew to be conducive to chasing flags in February.

That weather is low pressure. These days, there are wonderful, short tutorials on weather that you can find online if you’re a weather buff, which many fishermen tend to be. There, you can learn that in a low pressure front, air moves upward and inward toward the center of the system, and moisture condenses.

Clouds form, and with enough available moisture, it will rain, or snow depending on the time of

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year and other factors.

At daybreak the next morning, we couldn’t get the snowmobiles started fast enough. A mist hung over the lake and you could almost feel the fish coming alive. Is there really much of a mystery here? Think about what happens when a low suddenly moves in after a series of bluebird days. If you feed birds, you’ll be hard pressed to keep your feeders full, and even harder pressed to fend off squirrels. Likewise, deer go on the move, foraging. And so does everything else. An approaching storm, or the presentiment of one, must trigger some sort of primal response in both humans and animals to store up, stock up, fill up.

The three of us could legally set out 15 tip-ups, but each of us were purposely one shy so that we could jig inside the ice shack. We had an awful time setting out those 12 traps. Flags were sending us backwards to yard up a salmon, a perch or pickerel, rebait, and then try to continue. Normally, it doesn’t take an hour to set out a dozen lines, but it’s a lot of fun when it does.

(Low cont. pg 64)

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 63

On the Trails

During the snowmobiling season in Aroostook County, which generally lasts nearly 6 months from December until early May, Game Wardens actively patrol the interconnecting trail systems to enforce safety laws in an effort to keep the sport safe for everyone to enjoy. Snowmobiling is a huge boon

months. “Why are you guys not out more and issuing more summonses to these crazy riders?” With the next group of riders telling us, “Let people have fun and leave us alone”. It’s a “catch 22” but we always have the goal of keeping everyone who ventures out on the trails safe at the end of the day. I feel that

A couple winters ago, I was out on Long Lake in northern Aroostook County with Warden Nick Raymond. We were patrolling the lake from our snowmobiles, while Warden Ryan Fitzpatrick was patrolling nearby in his truck in the event that we needed to transport an operator for a chemical test. It was around 10:30 pm. when four headlights approached Warden Raymond and I, coming down

Warden’s Words

by Game Warden Kale O’Leary, Ashland, ME the first time but admitted he was embarrassed he was so drunk on this fateful occasion. I radioed to Warden Fitzpatrick to come over near our location to transport the man in his vehicle to a local police department for a breathalyzer test to determine his blood alcohol level.

We took a short snow-

Ryan, extended his hand and said in a very slurred dialect “Officer Fitzpatrick, what an honor sir to be able to ride with you in your truck”. It was a comical moment that I still joke with Ryan about today, but an example of a rider that absolutely had no business getting out on a fast-moving snowmobile and onto

I continued watching as the last rider in the group approached us at a high rate of speed before continuing past, nearly rear-ending his buddies, eventually coming to an ungraceful, skidding stop. I walked over to this rider, who was clearly struggling to even hold his head up.

the lake from one of the local bars.

Warden Raymond signaled for the lead snowmobile to stop A head-on snowmobile crash that occurred in 2020 and the first three on ITS 85 in Oxbow. snowmobiles came to the local economy, as it is more effective to be to a controlled stop. I conthousands of riders venture proactive in our enforce- tinued watching as the north each season to enjoy ment, rather than reactive last rider in the group apthe incredible riding con- and picking up the pieces… proached us at a high rate ditions that area snowmo- literally. of speed before continuing bile clubs and landowners One area of enforce- past, nearly rear-ending his provide for everyone to ment that I truly believe buddies, eventually comenjoy. As Game Wardens, makes a difference is our ing to an ungraceful, skidwe patrol these trails to OUI enforcement, ensur- ding stop. I walked over to enforce safety laws in an ing that operators are so- this rider, who was clearly effort to keep the sport safe ber and not under the in- struggling to even hold for everyone to enjoy. The fluence when operating his head up. Before long, success we have in doing their snowmobile. Alcohol I inquired to the amount so can be debated and I greatly reduces things like of alcohol this rider had often wonder if any amount reaction time, reflexes and consumed and received of enforcement would be decision making, often a very truthful answer of enough to truly keep things leading to deadly results. “4 or 5 whiskey drinks”. in line.

The vast majority of fatal The operator was not from A d v a n c e m e n t s i n snowmobile crashes that the area, and continued to snowmobile technology I have responded to in my ask if I had ever been on have continued to push career can be contributed “the TV show”, referring sleds faster and faster, and to alcohol. The following to “North Woods Law”, with no speed limits in is a short, humorous story which I reminded him for Maine, riding is often fast about OUI enforcement the third time that I had and furious. We hear from that luckily did not result not. The man was thrilled both sides of this issue all in one man hurting himself to be meeting a “real life the time during the winter or others.

Maine Game Warden” for

mobile ride over to meet Warden Fitzpatrick, having to stop several times so I could keep him from falling off my snowmobile and coherent enough to hold on. Finally, we reached the awaiting Warden truck and I began explaining the next series of events that were to take place. I could tell the man was not paying attention as he was completely star-struck by meeting Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had been featured on “North Woods Law” several times.

The man walked over to

the trails with other riders.

We never know how many of these arrests truly save lives, but I feel strongly that some have.

Enjoy the riding season this year, ride right and sober. Be safe!

Kale O’Leary is a Maine Game Warden who covers the Oxbow/Masardis district in central Aroostook County. He has been a Game Warden since 2016 and lives in Ashland, ME.

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Page 64

Insults (Cont. from pg 54) pose a deer or fish. It seems they always present themselves right at dusk, when the lighting is bad, causing you to hurry.

Photograph deer before you dress them out and take pictures of fish within a few minutes of taking them off the hook. One group resorted to personal threats because I objected to a photo of a pre-schooler sitting on the back of a dead deer that had been propped up to look alive. “This is a hunting site. That’s how we roll.” They shout, and “do-gooders like you are not welcome.”

Just as it goes with television, you are just a click away from losing the eyes and ears of readers, viewers and listeners. I have long since stopped watching the tv shows of fish and game taken on ranches and high fence hunts. Young hunters

and anglers are competing with cellphones and video games, not to mention the increased demands by schools to lure students into more ball sports. If the new media gang doesn’t clean up their act soon, we will be looking in the rear-view mirror and asking why our youth has no interest in outdoor activities.

Insult me all you want but don’t shoot the messenger. I can take it, but our hunting and fishing communities cannot.

Stu Bristol is a Master Maine Hunting, Fishing and Tidewater Guide and Outdoor writer. He operates Orion Guide Service in southern Maine. He was inducted into the New England Wild Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame in 2019. He owns and operates Deadly Imposter Game Calls. His outdoor features and books have been published nationwide for more than 60 years. www.deadlyimpostergamecalls.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Ice

(Cont. from pg 60) able amount of research, I would boldly state that, at the time of this writing, 95% of Vermont’s lakes and ponds are open water. We all want to get on that first ice, but, with last year’s losses, let’s all show respect for those who are no longer with us and be extra careful.

Typically, the first bays to lock up on Champlain are Carry Bay in the Islands and Lapham’s and Benson in the South. In the Northeast Kingdom there’s Joe’s Pond, Island Pond, and Elmore. Hopefully, by the time this issue hits your mailbox, there will be many more!

My talented friend, Chris Ingram, has been stirring up enthusiasm for the hunting opportunities left in the winter season.

Chris, an exceptional outdoor writer, and photographer is making waves in

the rabbit and coon hound arena with writing and photography of one of Vermont’s truest and oldest winter traditions. Check out his contributions at Full Cry Magazine. Chris was published in the December issue with a delightful story titled “A Timeless Tradition” and a terrific cover shot. This guy never ceases to amaze me. He is a top-notch competition waterfowl caller, ambitious upland bird hunter, and then throws us on a new track with late December squirrel hunting and now – hounds and bunnies! Do yourself a favor and follow this guy’s posts. He’s on Instagram and Facebook and you can find his writing and photography everywhere we want to be.

February 2024

Low

(Cont. from pg 62) To any reasonable person, the next part would surely sound like pure fiction, for why would fish tend to strike on the hour and half hour? Isaak Walton himself didn’t even address this strange phenomenon. And yet, you could almost set your watch by the flags going up, as in, “get ready boys, the 11 o’clock flurry is about to start.” Right after that, the next thing you heard was the whir of snowmobile engines. If there’s a new theory out there to explain this, there are three fishermen I know of who would love to hear it.

Randy Spencer is a working guide and author.

Bradley Carleton is His three award-winning the founder and Director books are all available of Sacred Hunter.org which on Amazon. Reach Randy teaches the public respect at randy31@earthlink. and empathy through hunt- net or www.randyspencer. ing, fishing, and foraging. com

To Military Personnel Worldwide!

In these troubled and divisive times for our country, we at the Northwoods Sporting Journal remain proud to be Americans. We still stand for the National Anthem and thank our lucky stars that we live in the land of the free.

And we still salute our military men and women, who have served and continue to serve their country, here at home and in faraway lands. To them we owe our gratitude and appreciation for what they do, and for safeguarding our American way of life, which we value deeply.

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Gun Control Advocates Wrong on Two Counts

What types of firearms are used to commit murders? Would a ban on AR-style rifles help to curb the violence? With rifles being a relatively uncommon type of weapon used in homicides in the United States, a ban on AR-type rifles may not make much difference when it comes

insights team at the Joslyn Law Firm charted out how often different types of weapons were used in homicides in the U.S.. Of the 16,425 homicides that occurred in 2019, the FBI was able to collect supplemental data for 13,922 of them, which is what our data is based on. The weap-

United States.

Homicides are overwhelmingly committed using handguns; they were found to be the most common murder weapon for nearly half of all homicides in the United States in 2019. Even hands, fists, and feet are used to commit homicide almost twice as often as a rifle is.

An NIH study that investigated the levels of

Page 65

SAM News

by David Trahan, “Executive Director” a better mental health-care system that is accessible to those who need it most? To understand how homicides compare to other preventable deaths in America, last year 109,680 people died from drug overdoses. Each of these deaths is tragic and they all warrant our commitment to prevent them to the degree practicable.

will policy makers again target the firearm used, or will they pursue the much more difficult path of dealing with individuals who reach for a weapon of one form or another when in crisis? Unfortunately, a lone wolf shooter knows in the end either he, or the police will likely take his life.

For reasons known only to

Would a ban on AR-style rifles help to curb the violence?

With rifles being a relatively uncommon type of weapon used in homicides in the United States, a ban on AR-type rifles may not make much difference when it comes to the number of murders that occur.

to the number of murders that occur. Gun control advocates would have you believe that there is an epidemic of gun violence sweeping the nation involving semi-automatic rifles. They imply that if we just ban AR-style rifles, there will be no more mass shootings.

Gun control advocates are wrong on both.

This quote from the Joslyn Law Firm says it best. “Using FBI homicide statistics from the 2019 Crime in the United States report, the

Happy Groundhog Day!

on types are broken down into the different types of firearms: handguns, rifles, shotguns, and a category for homicides in which the type of firearm was unknown. It also compares the number of homicides that were committed by non-firearm weapons such as knives or cutting instruments as well as bodily weapons, which include people’s hands, fists, and feet. Non-firearm weapons were used for one-quarter of all homicides in the

criminal activity committed with AR rifles or other high-capacity semiautomatics also found that these types of weapons are only being used in a small percentage of crimes: “Assault weapons (primarily assault-type rifles) account for 2–12% of guns used in crime in general (most estimates suggest less than 7%).” [Note the misuse of the term “assault weapon” to describe the AR rifle and other semi-automatic rifles, which is so pervasive in the US today.] Wouldn’t all the time, money, and resources being used to push for an AR rifle ban be better used elsewhere, such as creating

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Based on the above statistics, rifles, including the AR platform, are used far less often to commit homicide than other firearms or other non-firearm means. Yet, the strategy by gun control advocates is always the same: blame the guns instead of the person committing the crime.

What happened in Lewiston was a horrible and preventable tragedy and this event will undoubtedly lead to attempts to change firearm policy, both in Maine and nationally. But

them, this type of shooter’s intent is to inflict maximum carnage against innocent civilians. In a sense, they are often mentally ill or suicidal terrorists. Would a lone wolf shooter suddenly decide not to kill if we made a whole class of firearms illegal for law abiding citizens? Not likely. They would just choose another lethal means. Or they will acquire these firearms illegally.

David Trahan is Executive Director of SAM.

Page 66

Bucks

(Cont. from pg 40) a deer. Had anyone looked at his laptop, they would have been rather confused, and perhaps a little concerned.

George passed, and after a late-night trip to Wal-Mart, was a licensed hunter. But like I told him, there is a reason they call it hunting, not getting. That first year I took George to the family farm was the worst hunting weather in recent memory. I can handle the cold, and am no stranger to the rain, but both? No thanks. That year, the temperature didn’t break 35, the sun never shone, and the rain didn’t ease up for even a moment.

The cherry on top was a stiff wind that blew the rain near horizontal, soaking our faces and making it all but impossible to keep our scopes clean. To his credit, George took it in stride. He didn’t complain about the cold, even if his chattering teeth betrayed him. “You see anything?” I

Northwoods Sporting Journal asked as we walked back to the truck, our heads down against the wind.

“Just a few squirrels and a stray cat,” he replied, but without a hint of bitterness. By any metric, it had been a rough day of hunting.

That’s why I was surprised when George asked me to go again the following fall. “I want to give it another shot,” he said.

---------We went through our gear the morning of the hunt. Like the previous year, I found some clothes for George, a mishmash of my dad and my former wares. As a courtesy, I gave him my newer jacket, not wanting to leave him with nothing but secondstring gear. I even set him up with my favorite deer rifle, my Savage Model 116 stainless, chambered in the quintessential white tail round, the .270.

Despite our optimism, it was cold and rainy yet again. On our drive to the farm, my heart sank as I watched the half-fro-

zen droplets of rain melt on the windshield. As we prattled down the winding roads–covered in a slurry of muck, snow, and ice–I tried to convince myself that this wouldn’t be a repeat of last year. Nonetheless, George was in good spirits. “Here we go again,” he joked, nudging me in the elbow and flashing a grin through the darkness.

“Yep, here we go again.” I was happy he was enjoying himself but remained skeptical.

When we got to the farm the rain was coming down in sheets and water rushed along the edges of the fields like miniature rivers. After sloshing through the muddy slush, we were up in our stands before daybreak. The sky gradually brightened, turning from a murky gray to a dull, off-white overcast.

The rain eased and a thick white fog took its place.

Anything further than 50 yards was cloaked in an impenetrable mist. There was a denseness to the air, like your hand would get

wet by merely waiving it around. I knew there was no getting dry.

The day unfolded slowly and without success. No matter how hard I willed it, the deer never emerged from the fog. Sitting in my damp clothes, I could feel the cold seeping through my layers, burrowing into me. My gloves were all but saturated from wiping down my scope and icy water gnawed at my hands. Though I couldn’t see him, I knew George was faring no better. He was 200 yards away, separated by a thick mess of undergrowth and a longabandoned apple orchard.

‘How long do you want to sit, I think my toes are numb,’ he texted, in an uncharacteristic admission of discomfort.

‘Let’s try and make it until 11:30,’ I replied, speaking as much to myself as to him.

I put my phone away and let the time pass. I looked at the fog, thinking about how many deer were lurking just beyond

February 2024 my reach. The cold was getting deeper now, and I too began to lose feeling in my toes. The only sound was the croaking of a raven perched overhead.

At 11:30, I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to walk around and warm up.

I slung my rifle over my shoulder, grabbed my thermos of coffee and trekked up the hill. I emerged into a barren corn field, where George was waiting.

“How are you doing man?” I asked, knowing the answer already from his pale complexion and purple lips. His pants were dark, still wet from the morning rain.

“I’m alright, it’s just a little slow,” he replied, his hands trembling as I handed him the thermos.

“I’m sure things will pick up,” I reassured him, hoping this was true. We exchanged a few more words, joked about the party we missed the night before, then went back to our stands.

---------The day dragged on. With the sun hidden, there was no way to tell the passage of time. The world around us was in stasis, the overcast sky never breaking, the shadows never shifting, and the temperature never changing. Though warmed temporarily from our mid-day rendezvous, I once again felt the dampness of my clothes against my skin, sapping away my remaining hope for a successful day. I couldn’t help but think about eating breakfast at the cafeteria after a hard winter workout. About fried eggs, home fries, and a piping hot cup of coffee.

About what our friends might be doing. About (Bucks cont. pg 68)

February 2024

Northwoods Sporting Journal

A Close Shave

By V. Paul Reynolds

This event is true. The names have been changed.

It took place on a deer hunt in northern Canada.

There was some snow on the ground, and more coming. Bill, with his rifle slung over his shoulder, was driving a four-wheeler along a river bed. As directed earlier by a hunt guide, he was following old four- wheeler tracks that led him up the river bed and across the different meandering river branches.

Earlier in the hunt, a guide had left four-wheeler tracks across the river at specific locations, always where the river was the most shallow and safest to cross.

Bill’s destination was a plywood deer-hunting blind, a mile or so up river, located on a bluff overlooking a dry river bed not far from the river itself. The temperature was just below freezing and large snowflakes were pelting Bill’s face as he bounced along.

He stayed in the fourwheeler tracks and two different river crossings went smoothly, although he noticed that the water was up to the ATV’s running boards, and the vehicle’s exhaust made a disquieting glug glug sound as he bumped across the river’s freestone bottom.

Bad Steer Just before the third and final river crossing, a doe and a yearling appeared in front of him and bounded off. They caught his attention and he inadvertently drove to the left of the old four wheeler tracks and into the river and a deep hole. The four wheeler nosed over into the unseen watery abyss. In an instant, Bill was in icy

water up to his neck and the ATV stalled out. The cold water stunned him momentarily but he bailed off the machine and floundered his way to the river bank.

“Oh my God,” he said to himself, as he assessed his dilemma and glanced quickly at the shiny ATV handlebars protruding above the quick -flowing water. “I could be in trouble here.”

Probing around in his water-filled pockets for his Bic lighter or mobile handheld radio, he realized

Page 67

THE BACK SHELF

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

By their very nature backshelf articles, resurrected from our archives, may contain information or facts that have been altered or changed by the passage of time.

body heat up despite his waterlogged camo clothing. “How long is that good for?” he wondered.

At the third river crossing, Bill beheld way off in the distance what he later described as a

more look back and, from the more intense waving, sensed that something was wrong and headed back toward the signaling hunter.

Bill said later that he never in his life saw such a welcome sight as “Jim on a rescue vehicle” coming his way. The pair made it back to camp long after dark, but only after a cold tenmile ride on an openfour wheeler.

“Oh my God,” he said to himself, as he assessed his dilemma and glanced quickly at the shiny ATV handlebars protruding above the quick -flowing water.

“I could be in trouble here.” with a quickened pulse that the two critical devices that could save him were in his day pack. It was strapped to the back of the four wheeler, completely underwater. He wasn’t about to go back in that icy water for anything.

He made a decision.

There was no choice. He would keep moving, even if he had to walk all the way back to camp. After crossing the river three times on foot, he would be a mile from the main dirt road, which was ten miles from camp. “ There’s an hour of daylight left. One of the other guys returning to camp are bound to find me, once I get to the main dirt road,” he reasoned.

“It’s my best chance.”

Serious Predicament A seasoned outdoorsman, Bill knew he faced a very serious predicament.

His adrenaline was flowing though, keeping his

“true miracle.” Another hunter on a four-wheeler coming toward him! It was Jim, one of Bill’s fellow hunters who, by sheer happenstance, had decided the last minute to hunt up this particular river bottom before dark. Bill waved his arms frantically in the air.

Jim at first thought he was getting the wave off to hunt elsewhere and turned to go back from where he came.

By chance he took one

Camo Icicle Incredibly, back at camp, Bill was uncomfortable and looked like a camouflaged icicle when he dismounted off the fourwheeler, but didn’t seem to be even in the early stages of hypothermia. He said that during the ten mile ride back to camp his outside clothing froze solid in the wind, and seemed to ward off some of the cold air from his body. Go figure.

In time, the ill-fated four-wheeler was retrieved from its watery location and towed home, by a guide.

That same guide stepped into Bill’s camp and, without a word, dropped his soggy day pack on the floor and walked out, closing the door quietly.

That night, Bill reveled in his warm sleeping bag and said a prayer of thanks, not only for his friend Jim but for whatever fate or Divine intervention brought them together on the same track at the crucial moment.

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored three books.Online purchase information is available at www.sportingjournal.com

Get Hooked on the Sporting Journal! www.sportingjournal.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 68

Bucks (Cont. from pg 66) the eight of us crowding into our tiny living room to watch college football.

About the cozy leather booths at our favorite bar, the Gingerbread Man. But despite this, I was grateful to be there. School had left meager time for hunting, and I had learned to savor whatever I could get.

I texted George every hour or so. ‘You see anything?’ Invariably the answer was ‘Not yet.’ Despite hunters in the woods, the weather had the deer bedded down, and they weren’t budging. To make matters

worse, the wind picked up as we neared evening. I felt the tree sway and gripped my rifle tight, trying to relieve the numbness from my fingers.

George texted me again, ‘Let’s go for a walk, meet me in the field.’ Though normally a dedicated still hunter, I was down the tree before I could text him back.

For the second time that day I made my way up the hill and met George in the field. This time was different. His head was down, and his hands were plunged deep in his pockets. I noticed the magazine was missing from his rifle.

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to smile through a shiver.

“Still a little slow today,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“I don’t know man, do you want to call it? I might be done.” The fickleness of both the weather and the deer had corroded his willpower. I could hardly blame him. He had endured miserable conditions for two years only to get skunked both times.

Just then, something over George’s shoulder caught my eye, “George, turn around!”

I saw them, 6 black silhouettes charging across the horizon, getting larger with each bound. Their pace waned as they crested SELLERS LANE

BUYERS ROAD

February 2024

the hill. “Get your gun,” I whispered. George slung his rifle off his shoulder, jammed the magazine back in, worked the bolt, and got on the scope.

“Can I shoot?” he asked.

“If you have a shot, take it.”

The deer jogged closer and at 50 yards froze stiff as a board, staring directly at us, their ears perked high.

BOOM. I heard George’s rifle go off beside me. The deer scattered like glass hitting the floor, with one racing ahead of the others, likely hit I thought.

Another stopped to look back at 75 yards, BOOM, I squeezed the trigger, and

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it was off to the races.

George turned to me.

The color in his face had returned and he was grinning for the first time since that morning, “did that just happen?”

“I think it did.”

We found the deer quickly, both lying along the edge of the field not a stone’s throw apart. “Now for the fun part,” I said dryly, reaching for my skinning knife. To my surprise, George was anxious to help, holding up a leg so I could work unobstructed.

That night we fried up thin slices of preacher’s meat and recounted the day. We went on and on about how lucky we were to have taken a break when we did. About how we were in the right place at the right time. About the irony of success striking just as we were about to throw in the towel.

All the while, I thought about hunting, about friendship, and about the dance the two did. I thought about the presumptions we all make and how they so often aren’t true.

And above all else, I was glad I brought my friend with boat shoes hunting.

Calvin Werfel lives in Summerhill, PA

Northwoods Sporting Journal

February 2024

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BUYERS ROAD

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Page 69

#573-Norridgewock; #8466-New Have a business in P o r t l a n d ; mind? Here is the Absolutely perfect location right breathtaking views on Main Street. Year with this 4.66 acre round access to a major snowmobile, 4x4 parcel. Surveyed, and ATV trail system. Use a 2 storefronts 1,000 of brook frontage and abutting 5 acres or 1 larger space if needed. Possible owner is also available to purchase if you’re looking financing available. $115,000 for more acreage. $65,000

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 70

February 2024

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SELLERS LANE BUYERS ROAD

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