Northwoods Sporting Journal, Jan. 2020

Vic Hokes Falsely Accused Of Participating in Prostitution Ring Janurary 2020

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* Too Many Does? * Brook Trout Blues * Nor thwoods Honeyholes * Kids In The Deer Woods

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January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

South Of the Kennebec

by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME All of us who love outdoor recreation and conservation lost a good friend December 13. Renowned wildlife artist, Randy Julius passed away unexpectedly.

wildlife. In addition to his writing skills he was well known as a member of the 1960’s cover band, Dale and the Duds, in which he played bass alongside his brothers.

For over a decade Randy led the nation’s oldest outdoor communication organization, the New England Outdoor Writers Association.

Known for decades as the Outdoor Columnist for the Brockton, MA Enterprise and for producing multiple Massachusetts Duck Stamps and Wildlands Stamps was known by all of us around New England who hunt fish, hike or paddle.

Randy gave generously of his time and art to further the wise use and conservation of fish and

Page 3

NEOWA President Dies Unexpectedly

photographs. I will miss him greatly as will a majority of hunters, anglers and wildlife lovers. Our collective condolences go out to Randy’s wife Mary, brothers Dale and Barry and his friends and family.

For over a decade Randy led the nation’s oldest outdoor communication organization, the New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA) as its President.

It was my honor to have travelled throughout the Northeast and Atlantic Canada with Randy, hunting wild turkeys, deer and collecting a huge file of outdoor

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Page 4

On The Cover

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Vic Hokes Falsely Accused Of Participating in Prostitution Ring - Pg 6 Safe Ice Fishing - Pg 34 Too Many Does - Pg 45 Brook Trout Blues - Pg 58 Northwoods Honeyholes - Pg 28 Kids In The Deer Woods - Pg 8

Contents

3. South Of The Kennebec - Stu Bristol 5. The Tyer’s Corner - Hugh Kelly 6. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram 9. Cookin’ With New England’s Wild Cheff - Denny Corriveau 11. “A Hiker’s Life” - Carey Kish 12. Northwoods Voyager - Gil Gilpatrick 13. Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard 14. The Allagash - Matt LaRoche 15. The Gun Cabinet - John Floyd 16. Post-Script From Pocasset - Josh Reynolds 17. A Buck For Dad - Brian Evensen 18. Outdoor Sporting Library - Jeremiah Wood 24. Question Of The Month 25. Flight Of The Arrow - Jerome Richard 28. Ramblings From T8 - R9 - Benjamin Rioux 29. The Perch King Of Downeast - Jonah Paris 32. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood 33. Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective - Tom Kelly 34. Maine Outdoor Adventure - Rich Yvon 35. Best Bassin’ - Bill Decoteau 37. Fly Fishing - Joe Bertolaccini 39. Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham 41. What’s In Your Woods - Bud Utecht 42. Fishin’ Lake Ontario - Capt. Ernie Lantiegne 43.Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill 43. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes 45. Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer 46. Flight Feathers - Brad Allen 47. Northwoods Sketchbook - Mark McCollough 48. Salt Corner - Doug Jowett 49. Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton 50. Vermont Ramblings - Dennis Jensen 51. Taking Dad With Me - Joe Boyd 52. Outdoors In Vermont - Gary W. Moore 53. Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair 55. New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James 56. On Point - Paul Fuller 57. The Trail Rider - Rod Fraser 58. Against The Current - Bob Romano 60. Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds 61. “Just Fishing” - Bob Leeman 62. On The Prowl - Justin Merrill 63. New Hampshire Guides Journal - Tim Moore 64. Malarkey Cabin Chronilcles - Ray Dillon 66. Anticosti - Mark Cote 67. Marsh Island Chonicles - Matthew Dunlap

January 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

www.sportingjournal.com

Main Office Phone: (207) 732-4880 E-mail: info@sportingjournal.com Fax: (207)732-4970 Vol 27 Issue 1 is published monthly by Northwoods Publications, 57 Old County Rd. North, W. Enfield, ME 04493 Periodical Postage Paid at W. Enfield, ME. and additional mailing offices.

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

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

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

The Buck Hunter - Pg 32

By Hal Blood

The Gun Cabinet - Pg 15

By John Floyd

Anticosti - Pg 66

By Mark Cote

Green Mountain Report - Pg 49

By Bradley Carleton

Other Great Stories & Information

8. Editorial/Letters 10. Outdoor News 25. Carroll’s Corner - Carroll Ware 37. Trading Post 60. Taxidermy 67. Real Estate

Cover Photo:

Photo courtesy of Twin Maple Outdoors

January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Gartside Sparrow

This month’s fly is a deadly pattern that comes from the late Jack Gartside of Boston. I am a fan of Jack’s books; you should checkout jackgartside.com.

This fly can be tied with various substitutions and I’ll describe some of these for you later but the one I’ve chosen to tie this month is very effective here in Maine. You can buy a dyed Ring-necked pheasant skins for about $15. I think black, olive and natural, and maybe yellow are the most useful.

The feather you want to look for is the rump feather.

When you pull it out, there will be a second fuzzy little feather attached to the stem.

This second feather, the aftershaft feather, will be the head of the fly, so set it aside for later.

Recipe for the Gartside Sparrow

Thread – Black Hook – 3x long nymph hook, sizes 6-12

Page 5

The Tyer’s Corner

by Hugh Kelly, Detroit, ME

Tail –Red duck quill Body – Peacock Hackle- Collar style, Ring-necked pheasant rump feather Head- Pheasant aftershaft feather The tail is a few red fibers from either a duck quill or some red saddle hackle; a red tail feather is optional but highly effective.

The body is peacock herl.

Trophy buck, a 220 lb. 8-pointer, bagged by Doug Hews from Orland

Take care not to wind the body too close to the eye of the hook; you’ll need space behind the eye for the hackle and the fuzzy head. After the peacock herl body is tied off, pluck a rump feather and remove the aftershaft feather.

Then strip off the fibers on one side of the rump feather.

You do this because it is easy to over hackle this fly and it won’t fish as well. Sparse is the key here, so strip off

Wayne Bernier of Allagash Adventures Guide Service bagged this 200lb, nontypical 20-pointer the last day of the deer season in the Allagash area.

one side of the rump feather.

Tie the prepared feather in by the tip or by the butt and wrap one or two turns to create a long, sparse hackle that flows around the body and is as long as the tail.

If the hackle does not lie back, don’t worry- you can force the hackle to lay back by wrapping a few thread wraps ahead of the tie in spot and wrap back over the hackle wraps. Don’t overdo it; wrap just enough to force the hackle fibers back over the hook shank.

Tie in the aftershaft feather and wrap on a fuzzy head. Be gentle with this feather, it will break easily.

If you break it just pluck out another and try again, be very gentle. Some substitutions you should try out: buy a black dyed pheasant skin and tie a black version with

a peacock herl body; this is a great stonefly imitation. A natural pheasant skin works well too with a gray or tan yarn body, and a yellow dyed skin has rump feathers that imitate a mayfly nymph nicely.

This fly does not look like the typical imitation we use up here. Trust me, I use this fly with a lot of success and while it takes a few tries to tie it right, it’s deadly.

We all owe Jack Gartside a greeting card for this one.

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

Page 6

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Adventures of Me and Joe

The List

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

I sipped at a cup of coffee and watched Joe eat a second helping of fried eggs and moose sausage. He ate with enthusiasm and intent, like it might be his last meal.

“Hungry?” I asked innocently.

“Didn’t eat a thing all day yestidday. I cut the track of that big ol’ swamp buck back of Joel Crossbeam’s farm yestidday at daylight. He led me all the way through Crazy Bog, then turned around an’ went all the way back through.

Then he want an’ swam the river above Horrid Pitch about dark. I give up. By the time I crawled onter the porch here, I was about dead. Gnawed a piece of jerky an’ fell into the bunk.”

“You’ve been after that old buck for two years. If you catch up with him, he’ll be tough as a gum boot.”

“I know, I know,” Joe laid down the fork and gazed out the window. It’s just the idea of the thing…what the heck is she doin’ here?”

I looked at him in confusion just a knock came at the door of the cabin. Joe got up and opened the door, standing aside as Tawdry Spiel swept into the room.

Tawdry was a tall, thin woman in her 40s who had purchased the local newspaper, the Mooseleuk Mouth, a few

months before. Curly black hair, shot with gray, framed a narrow face with a generous mouth. Coke-bottle glasses gave her a slightly surprised look. She turned startlingly bright green eyes on Joe and waved a pad and pen in the air.

“I need a quote!” she said loudly.

“I do not choose to run.” Joe said firmly.

“What?” Tawdry said, a look of confusion crossing her face.

“If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know,” Joe said, smiling. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the list!”

“What list?”

“The list of offenders,” Tawdry said impatiently.

“Surely you’ve heard about the arrests over in Munsungan at that house of ill repute?”

“Oh, you mean Mag’s place.”

Tawdry’s eye’s narrowed. “I don’t suppose your name will be released?” she said caustically. “They’ve only released the first batch.”

Joe flushed to the hairline. A week before, Mag’s Gymnasium in the neigh-

January 2020

“Didn’t eat a thing all day yestidday. I cut the track of that big ol’ swamp buck back of Joel Crossbeam’s farm yestidday at daylight. He led me all the way through Crazy Bog, then turned around an’ went all the way back through. Then he want an’ swam the river above Horrid Pitch about dark. I give up.

boring town of Munsungan had made the national news when a small but thriving prostitution ring was found to be operating out of the fitness center. In keeping with a national trend, the names of clients were being released in batches, causing great turmoil in the surrounding area as citizens and clients alike waited for each

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.

successive shoe to fall.

“No, I ain’t on no list!”

Joe said angrily.

“Well, all the names haven’t been released yet,” Tawdry said knowingly.

“Anyway, I need a quote for the article I’m writing. It’ll be front page in tomorrow’s edition.”

“Why me?” Joe asked.

“Because you’re the Mayor of Mooseleuk.”

“I ain’t no mayor!”

“Joke McDonald says you are.”

“Joke’s jest pullin’ yore leg. We ain’t even got a mayor. We got selectmen.”

“And Joke is First Selectman, so he should know who the mayor is.”

“Look!” Joe said, exasperated. “I ain’t the mayor, no matter what Joke McDonald says. An’ besides, why do you need a quote? I

don’t know nothin’ about no prostitution ring.”

“But one of our prominent citizens has been named in the latest release of customers,” Tawdry said with a smirk. “And I need a quote about it from another prominent citizen, in this case, the mayor.”

Joe looked at me and I stared at Tawdry. “Who’s been named?”

“Vicarious Hokes,” Tawdry said with an emphatic nod.

“Vic Hokes?!” Joe said with a snort. “Vic Hokes is 75 years old. He’s a retired president of Bentley College. I doubt if he kin walk across the yard without an oxygen bottle.”

“That may all be camouflage. He’s a widower, and there’s no woman in his

(Me & Joe cont.pg 7)

January 2020

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 6) life right now. I checked. He may have to go out of town for companionship.”

“I doubt if Vic kin even make it out of town in that ol’ Chevy he drives,” Joe said. “What’s wrong with you, Tawdry? He no more visits prostitutes than I do!”

Tawdry scribbled on her pad, biting on a corner of her lip. “Mayor sympathizes with accused,” she muttered.

“Says handicap my limit participation.”

“I didn’t say no such thing!” Joe thundered.

“And I ain’t the mayor!” He glared over in my direction.

“C’mon! We’ll go on over to Vic’s place an’ git to the bottom of this!”

“I’m coming along,” Tawdry said, following us out the door, still writing on her pad.

“No you ain’t!”

“I’m coming along!”

Northwoods Sporting Journal A few minutes later Joe swung the Jeep into Vicarious Hokes’ driveway with Tawdry Speil’s BMW right on his bumper. Hokes lived in a small, neat bungalow, surrounded by wellkept flower gardens, now barren with the cold. Hokes himself stood along the walkway, carefully hoeing a border. He looked up as Joe hurried up the path.

“Joseph!” he said, straightening with an effort. “It’s good to see you.”

His look changed to one of uncertainty as Tawdry came bustling along the walk with me right behind. “To what do I owe…”

“I need a quote!” Tawdry interrupted briskly. She held up her notepad, pen poised above it.

“A quote about what?”

Hokes said in a puzzled tone.

“Look, Vic,” Joe began apologetically. “There seems to be some…”

“About the prostitution ring in Munsungan!” Tawdry continued, peering myo-

pically at Hokes through her thick glasses.

“Well,” Hokes said, smiling. “I hardly think I’m a good one to consult.

My knowledge about such things is limited, but I must say that…”

“I mean about your participation,” Tawdry said.

Hokes’s jaw dropped.

“Say what…?”

“The first list of clients has just been released. I got one of the first copies. Your name is on it. What d you have to say for yourself?”

“But, but, but…there must be some mistake!”

“That’s what they all say,” Tawdry remarked, scribbling furiously. “Accused makes trite remark,” she mumbled.

“Wait! Wait!” Hokes said hurriedly. “I mean, there must be some misunderstanding here. My name simply can’t be on such a list.”

“You deny your name is among the accused.”

“Of course I deny it!”

Page 7

“Thank you. That’s all for now.” She turned and hurried off toward her car, still writing on the pad.

Vicarious Hokes put a hand to his chest and dropped the hoe. “I’ve got to sit down,” he croaked.

Me and Joe both took an arm and helped him in the front door and eased him down into a chair.

“I don’t understand what all this is about,” Hokes said worriedly. “I mean, how could my name be associated with such a thing?”

“I dunno, Vic,” Joe said. “I think I read somewhere that in the past, the wrong names have been released by mistake. Or more than one person has the

name and the press targets the wrong one.”

Hokes smiled weakly.

“I doubt that’s the case here, don’t you? After all, mine isn’t what you’d call a common name.”

“Well somebody sure has some wrong information,” Joe said. “Look, Vic, don’t you go getting all upset about this. Probably, things will git straightened out by tomorrow.”

But they didn’t get straightened out, and the next day’s Mooseleuk Mouth sported glaring headlines that read, “Local Man Accused in Prostitution Bust!”

Below, a smaller headline stated, “Mayor voices sup-

(Me & Joe cont. pg 20)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Kids in the Deer Woods

This past deer season a 7-year-old deer hunter made the front page of the Bangor Daily News – above the fold! She had a reason to smile. With the help of her grandfather, the young girl had bagged a trophy buck that will earn her the right to wear a Biggest-Bucks-in-Maine patch.

It got me to thinking, and I have searched my soul to make sure that my undoubtedly unpopular view is not a case of envy.

When I was an aspiring youth hunter, too many years ago, there was an apprenticeship process that led to the deer woods.

At about 10-years-old I traipsed behind my Dad in the deer cover. He carried a 30-30; I toted an air rifle. He taught me how to carry it safely, how to climb over a fence with a firearm. Using a compass, he mentored me in woods navigation, how to start a fire in the rain, how to track a buck. I learned how to read weather. As I grew and proved myself, more responsibility was entrusted to me,

The CMP Powerline – Where’s the beef?

To the Editor: I am a long time SAM member and, like most Mainers, I really have no dog in the fight over the proposed CMP transmission

including the opportunity to carry a small caliber deer rifle. My dad insisted that I take two sanctioned hunter safety courses, not one, two!

In a nutshell, I earned my stripes, and in turn found the confidence and self satisfaction that comes with a knowledge of woodsmanship and whitetail habits.

Although I brought up my boys the same way, I sense that something special is being lost along the way when youngsters simply dispatch a deer from a ground blind or a treestand perch.

It’s the times I guess. The outdoor TV shows almost always misrepresent, or at least don’t tell the whole story, about hunting or the hunting heritage. Too many deer are shot or arrowed and too many camo-clad clods gush over the antlers and high-five each other until it becomes a cliche.

The Maine law used to be that a youngster had to be 10 years or older to hunt deer.

line. That said, I am perplexed why anyone would oppose it. Well, actually, I know a guy who has a camp near Beattie Pond and I guess I can understand why he doesn’t want to see a powerline cross thru his little piece of paradise. But for the vast majority of SAM

members – where’s the beef?

As usual, there is a lot of misinformation being spread about. Here are a few basics that I think some people are missing: Maine is part of a massive electrical distribution system managed by ISO New England. The

The law was changed in 2016. The argument was an easy sell: let parents decide if a kid is ready, not the government. Today in Maine, there is no minimum age for deer hunters, as long as they are under adult supervision.

Next year, probably a 5 year-old will bag a buck.

The whole idea, or course, is to protect the heritage: get kids into hunting. Isn’t it also a fair question to ask: Is a child of six or seven emotionally developed enough to understand the life cycle and the act of harvesting wild meat?

When the law was changed for youth hunters in 2016, most of us supported the change. After all 39 others states have no minimum age, and what is not to like about the concept of letting parents, not government, make the call.

I am beginning to have second thoughts.

-VPR

other states connected to the New England grid are Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

All the power generators and customers in these six states are interconnected and under the control of the Independent System Operator (ISO New England).

Electricity moves at the speed of light. When you turn on your TV, the electricity comes from the New England grid. You can pretend your TV runs off a mountain top windmill, or one of the natural gas-fired plants in Veazie or hydropower from a dam in Quebec or Seabrook’s nuclear plant or whatever generator floats your boat. But the facts are all electrons are the same and they are all mixed up on the New England grid.

Adding 1,200 megawatts of clean hydropower to the New England grid will displace other dirty and

expensive generators (the owners of old, oil-fired, power plants may well be funding the “No CMP” campaign). For context, a typical nuclear power plant is about 1,000 megawatts, so hooking Hydro Quebec to the New England grid is a big deal. When ISO buys cleaner, cheaper, dependable power, it seems to me we all win.

As to the “devastation” that the powerline ROW will rain on northwestern Maine’s flora and fauna – sober up! Powerlines provide valuable edge habitats and are notoriously good hunting. They also provide transportation corridors for snowmobiles and ATVs. The proposed CMP ROW would be a mere 50 yards wide!

Heck, I used to be able to throw a football 50 yards!

As I said – where’s the beef?

Randall Poulton, Winterport

January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Flatbread Matters!

Two of the most common questions that I get asked are - what your favorite type of wild game is, and what is your favorite type of food?

I can honestly answer that my favorite kind of food is obviously wild game. As to which one – well, any wild game that was harvested properly and followed proper field to table protocol is fair game for my menu. I also enjoy fresh local produce from my local farm, and foraged foods combined with my game. Eating close to the source always yields better food!

I can name many types of food styles that I enjoy, but in a pinch, how can you top a tasty oven-baked or grilled flatbread?! The answer to that is – top it with fresh ingredients and your wild game!

Flatbread is a nonyeast oriented pizza (the dough does not rise) and is a great foundation for you to have fun enjoying your game.

One key thing to pay attention to are that you monitor the bottom of that flatbread so it doesn’t burn, but do allow it to brown.

I recommend brushing a small amount of olive oil on the top and follow that with your ingredients.

Sometimes you will utilize new ingredients and follow a theme, and there will be other times when

you have leftover game from a dinner you cooked, and this is a perfect opportunity to make a really unique repurpose of that game you enjoyed for dinner.

Examples of this would be – let’s say that you made some wild game chili and have some left. Pick up a flatbread at the grocery store and make a Tex/Mex Venison Flatbread.

Simply drain excess liquid from the chili and then place some of the chili on top of the flatbread. Top it with some Mexican shredded cheese and place it in a 375-400 degree oven on the rack until the cheese melts and voila, you now have a compelling flatbread!

Do you ever make Salisbury Steak with your venison? Imagine taking that burger, onion and gravy mixture and crumbling it over a flatbread, and then topping it with shredded cheddar. Now you’re talkin’!

Have some grouse breast in the freezer from fall hunting? Gently pound those breasts out with a meat mallet, then lightly coat them with olive oil, Tuscan seasoning and garlic powder. Sauté’ the breasts in a pan until half-cooked and then remove them and set them on a cutting board to rest. Cook some baby bella or shiitake mushrooms, minced shallots and dried cranberries in the pan you cooked the breasts in; sea-

soning with some ground sage and sea salt.

Now brush coat the flatbread with olive oil, and top it with some sliced grouse, and mushroom and dried fruit mixture, and some crumbled goat cheese or shredded Gruyere.

You may be a person who likes is simple and straight-forward. I can respect that. Put ingredients on top of your flatbread that make sense to you.

Don’t forget about that these flatbreads can be enjoyed morning, noon and night. Your creativity is your only limit.

Needless to say, creating wild game flatbreads may become just one way that you begin to enjoy game in a whole new way!

Page 9

Cookin’ With New England’s WildCheff

by Denny Corriveau, Kennebunkport, ME

Directions To make Tuscan game sausage: Take ½ lb. of ground venison and place into a bowl. Add ½ tablespoon of WildCheff Tuscan Sausage Blend seasoning and a tablespoon of olive oil.

Thoroughly mix and leave in refrigerator for minimum of 2 hours. (Tuscan Blend available @ WildCheff.com) For the Flatbread: Heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and real butter in a pan. Add sausage to pan and cook until mostly done (o.k. to leave a little pink).

Drain off any excess liquid WildCheff’s – Tuscan and crumble the sausage.

Brush the flatbread Wild Game Breakfast with a light coating of olive Flatbread oil.

Top the flatbread with Ingredients crumbled sausage and roast1 large packaged flat- ed peppers. Now top with bread some shredded Parmesan.

1/2 lb. of wild game Scramble the eggs with sausage desired amount of salt and 1 small jar of roasted pepper and a small amount red peppers, drained, pat-dry of cream. and diced Now gently pour some 3-4 farm fresh eggs, scrambled eggs over the top, scrambled light cream sea salt and pepper 1 oz. of shredded Parmesan cheese 1 package of Italian blend shredded cheese

and then top the flatbread with desired amount of Italian cheese blend.

Place into a pre-heated 375 degree oven until eggs are cooked, cheese is melted and flatbread is lightly browned.

Bon appetit! ~WildCheff Note: To ensure that egg mixture does not spill, you can use a pizza pan and/ or sheet pan.

WildCheff - Denny Corriveau is Award-Winning Celebrity Game Chef, Iron Chef Winner, and the Founder of the Free Range Culinary Institute, the only national wild game cooking school in the country. As a Wild Game Evangelist and trendsetter for wild game culinary arts - Denny is a nationally noted authority regarding his “best practice” methodology regarding the culinary side of wild game. You can learn more @ www.wildcheff.com or visit him on Instagram @ thewildcheff

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Sporting Journal Northwoods

January 2020

Outdoor News - January 2020 Edited by V. Paul Reynolds January. For ice fishermen, this is the best month to fish landlocked salmon.

Early March is nicer, but the action is generally slower then. Liberalized togue limits on many waters make for extra opportunity. As you make your plans to fish, don’t forget to check out the names and locations of the many statewide bait dealers listed this month in the Journal. Maine in January can be harsh, but for those willing to be bold with the cold there is much to do in the outdoors. Snowsledders and cross country skiers will be busy enjoying some of the best trails in the country.

Our snowmobile trail system stretches from Kittery to Fort Kent and provides incomparable snowsled opportunities. The toughest among us will keep on hunting: rabbits, coyotes and sea ducks. Meanwhile, some of us will hunker down near a warm stove, dream of spring and tie up some dry flies with an eye to warmer days.

However you get through Maine in January, all of us at the Northwoods Sporting Journal wish you a peaceful and prosperous New Year!

Game Wardens Use Hovercraft To Rescue Two Men On Penobscot River

Maine Game Wardens used a hovercraft to rescue two Millinocket men who attempted to go hunting the last day of the deer season, one who was in a small boat trapped on the ice on the Penobscot River, and the other stranded on the river shore.

Hunter Cote, age 18, and his uncle, Jason Hartley, age 42, both of Millinocket were attempting to cross the Penobscot River in Millinocket to go hunting when they became stuck around noon.

The pair were in a 14-

foot aluminum boat without a motor and towing a canoe as they rowed toward the opposite shore when they became stuck on thin ice that had formed. The ice was too thin to walk on, and too thick to break with the boat, but Cote was able to get to shore in the canoe. Utilizing a rope, he started to pull in Hartley who was still in the aluminum boat, but the rope broke, setting Hartley adrift down the river and over rapids before he became stuck in the ice in another section of the river.

Game Warden Andy Glidden was the first to respond, and assessing the situation, contacted Game Warden Sergeant Ron Dunham who retrieved the department hovercraft, a vessel that can operate in shallow moving water, as well as on ice. Dunham towed the hovercraft near to the area the pair was stranded, launched the hovercraft and first rescued Hartley, and then rescued Cote who had walked over a ½ mile looking for an area to cross the river.

The pair were brought to shore, evaluated but did not need medical treatment.

Both were wearing lifejackets.

NH Outdoor Writer Killed in Boating Accident

New Hampshire outdoor writer and author Hal Lyon, 84, was killed Nov. 9, 2019 in a boating collision near Bear Island on Lake Winnepesaukee. Lyon, an avid angler and hunter, was a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association ( NEOWA) and a resident of Bear Island.

Lyon, was well-liked by his fellow outdoor writers and known for his personal energy and can-do approach to life and work. A memorial service will be held Aug. 8, 2020 at St. Johns Lake Church on Bear Island. His obitutuary reads in part: “Dr. Harold C. Lyon is a graduate of West Point, a former Ranger-paratrooper officer, U.S. Director of

Game Warden Sergeant Ron Dunham maneuvers a hovercraft over the thin ice and towards shore after rescuing a stranded hunter on the river (Photo Courtesy of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife).

Education for the Gifted, project officer for the development of Sesame Street, assistant to the president of Ohio University, faculties of Georgetown, Antioch, Dartmouth Medical School, Notre Dame College, Universities of Massachusetts and Munich where he currently teaches physicians to be more effective teachers.

He received the Gold Medal in the 32nd International Film & TV Festival of New York, a CINDY Award, and the Blue Ribbon in the American Film & Video Festival. He’s the author of 7 books, over 150 articles on military leadership and strategy, education, fishing and hunting, and numerous muiti-media productions.

His book, Angling in the Smile of the Great Spirit, won the New England Outdoor Writers Association “Best Book of the Year Award” in 2008.”

Maine Bear Biologist Retires

Randy Cross, who managed Maine’s robust black bear population for more than 30 years for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIF&W), retired in early November.

Nationally recognized as a black bear biologist, Cross was best known for his ability, not only to scientifically manage bears, but to educate the public about wildlife stewardship. His bear den visits were a popular undertaking for study

groups and lucky members of the general public.

A bear den visit was always a memorable experience, especially for those who got to hold a cub or watch Cross crawl in a den to drag out a tranquilized sow for examination and data collection.

On a personal level, Cross is a down to earth guy who is respected for his knowledge about bears and his patience and dedication to his bears and his work. In an article by John Holyoke in the BDN, a former bearstudy colleague, Lisa Feener described Cross as “selfless, caring, patient and kind.”

Another Cross colleague, moose biologist Lee Kantar describes Cross as “someone unique and special who excels in what they do and shares what they do.”

At this point, the Department has not named Cross’s replacement. One thing is certain, biologist Cross left his mark, and some big shoes to be filled.

Game Wardens Locate Missing Ellsworth Hikers

Maine Game Wardens rescued two Ellsworth women last November after they

became lost on Great Pond Mountain in Orland.

Patricia Mason, age 36, and Kathy Doyle, age 60, both of Ellsworth, hiked Great Mountain but darkness descended before they headed back down from the

(News cont. pg 12)

January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

One AT Hike Not Enough

“A Hiker’s Life”

Carey Kish is a twotime Appalachian Trail thruhiker. This is the first in a series of colorful stories covering his second grueling but rewarding hike along the AT from Georgia to Maine, in 2015 at the age of 56.

The Appalachian Trail isn’t the longest long-distance footpath in the world, but it is arguably the most famous and probably the most traveled. A complete traverse of the AT, as the trail is affectionately referred to in brief, is the ultimate backpacking challenge and the adventure of a lifetime for many hikers. In fact, several thousand people attempt the trail every year, but only a fraction of those who start actually finish the big hike.

This hiker is gearing up to once again tackle the entire Appalachian Trail, a journey of 2,189 miles from Springer Mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia to the lofty summit of Katahdin in Baxter State Park deep in Maine’s North Woods. This will be my second end-to-end or “thru-hike” of the AT; the first time was in 1977, right

Page 11

by Carey Kish, Bar Harbor, ME

out of Bangor High School at the tender age of 18. I’d like to say I knew what I was doing then, but I can’t.

I made it anyway in spite of myself you might say.

At 56, I am mentally tougher and physically stronger than the greenhorn kid of so many years past, plus I now have many years of backpacking experience, so I’m hopeful for a second positive outcome. Time will tell, of course. Anything can happen over the many long months of an AT hike, but barring serious sickness, debilitating injury or worse, I expect to finish. I’m not much of a betting man, but I will put a beer or two on the line for this one.

Ever since that beauti-

ful blue October day nearly four decades ago when I stood atop Katahdin after 5-1/2 months on the Appalachian Trail, I have dreamed of making the trip again.

Incredibly, a very full adult life lived in the meantime, that moment has arrived. I can hardly believe the opportunity is upon me once more.

My plan is to begin the AT hike in Georgia in midMarch and hike northbound, walking with the change of seasons if you will, from late winter into spring, then summer into early autumn. I chose the traditional southto-north route because with each step I’ll be getting closer to Maine and home, a very powerful incentive.

The Appalachian Trail passes through 14 states on its route over the crests and through the valleys of the Appalachian Mountains

from Georgia to Maine, including North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. Completed in 1937, the trail is continuously marked with 2-inch

statistic and perhaps why the thru-hiker success rate is relatively low.

Undaunted, every spring hordes of hopeful hikers take to the trail in Georgia intent on going the distance to Maine. There were no crowds in 1977 to be sure, so I’m likely in for

Ever since that beautiful blue October day nearly four decades ago when I stood atop Katahdin after 5-1/2 months on the Appalachian Trail, I have dreamed of making the trip again.

by 6-inch white paint blazes.

Some 250 three-sided leantos en route offer rudimentary overnight shelter from the elements; there are also a wealth of tent sites, plus a couple dozen towns with civilized amenities.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail requires about 5,000,000 steps while climbing more than 500 mountain peaks with a cumulative elevation gain and loss of some 565,000 feet. It’s roughly equivalent to scrambling up Katahdin with a loaded backpack nearly every day for five months, an amazing

some trail culture shock. The AT experience has changed, with a lot more people and hiker services like hostels, outfitters, shuttles and the like. It’s still the world’s premier big hike, however, and I can’t wait to experience it all anew.

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

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Page 12

Northwoods Voyager

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

which gave us ample room.

There was an additional benefit for me as the cellar area under the addition provided me with a workshop large enough to build canoes, snowshoes, snowshoe furniture and whatever else needed building.

Dot grew up in a residential neighborhood in Portland so she is a little more familiar with our new situation. I, on the other

big game and never had any desire to shoot one.

So that is my new life folks. I will continue to write for the Journal for as long as they will have me, or until I run out of something to say. But, with over 85 years of outdoor living I don’t expect that to happen any time soon.

Sergeant Ralph Hosford of the Maine Warden Service.

“Make sure you take enough food, water, and clothing in case you have an unexpected stay in the woods. It’s also important to stay calm if you become lost as the decisions you make could save your life when the weather

The Big Move

acres around the old house and sold it. Leaving us with 111acres, which we still own today, but the log home and land are for sale now for anyone interested.

The down-sizing didn’t work out too well as we found it a bit crowded when the family gathered for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. We had an addition built

hand, grew up in rural Fairfield and continued on there until the recent move. I’m finding it a lot different from my former life. The good news for me is that our condo is backed up with acres of woodland with a number of trails for me to walk with our dog, Sukey II. In recent years walks in the woods have become an important

part of life for me and so I can continue to do that.

Hunting, especially deer hunting has been a passion for me just about all my life. But, in recent years I have felt that passion eroding and the past few deer I killed failed to give me that thrill that it used to.

So, I will not miss hunting though I will always have fond memories and photos of past hunts. Very few deer seasons went by that I did not tag my deer so I have had my share, and then some. I have also managed to make several bear kills over the years. Some while deer hunting and some in free chase. I have been fortunate enough to have shot several moose over the years having had multiple moose permits that many would say are more than my share. I guess, officially there is one big game animal in Maine that I have never bagged: turkey.

Sorry, I don’t consider them

phone stating that she and Doyle were lost on Great Pond Mountain. Mason also informed her family that they were lost and called 911.

Utilizing the GPS coordinates emitted from the 911 cell phone call, three game wardens and two Han-

cock County deputies first located the women’s vehicle at the Don Fish trail head of Great Pond Mountain, then hiked the mountain and located the pair near the summit. With temperature in the 20s, and hypothermia a concern, the pair had built a small fire to keep them warm.

The group extinguished the fire with snow, and the wardens, deputies and the two women hiked down the mountain to their vehicle.

“Before heading out, it’s always important to tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return,” said Game Warden

by Gil Gilpatrick, Skowhegan, ME For the first time in my life, except for college and military, I am now living in an urban area. Now in our mid-eighties, Dot and I decided it was time to move a little closer to our kids, so we bought a condo in Brunswick and we are steadily working to get settled in and find a place for a lot of useless stuff that we have accumulated over the past 60+ years.

In 1968 we bought an old farmhouse, including 115 acres of fields and woods.

We lived in the old place for 20 years and worked steadily fixing it up and making better fit our needs. When our kids were grown and out of the house we decided to down-size.

News (Cont. from pg 10) summit, and they could not find the trail back down.

At approximately 5:10 p.m., the Hancock Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from Mason on her cell

We searched the countryside for a building site that we both would like. Finally, we decided that we liked it fine right on our own land. And so, we built a log home just down the road.

We surveyed off four

In recent years walks in the woods have become an important part of life for me and so I can continue to do that.

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.

(News cont. pg 30)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

In the Bunny Woods

Page 13

Muzzleloading Afield

by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME

On a cold winter’s day the author recalls what it’s like hunting snowshoe hares Southern Maine got its first measurable snowfall of the season on December second. Another six inches or so came the next day. Although I had seen several, the whitetails pretty much avoided me in October and November.

Not one presented an acceptable shot opportunity. I blamed it on a bumper acorn crop, lousy weather, too few hunters and deer not moving and anything else I could think of instead of where the true fault laid: my ineptitude to figure them out or failure to be in the right spot at the right time, or not putting in enough time and effort. By the time the first day in December rolled around I had yet to decide on partaking of the muzzleloader season.

As usual, I knew I would but it was with little hope or enthusiasm.

So it was a high level of relief and pleasure when an old hunting buddy of mine telephoned and asked if I wanted to spend a day hunting snowshoes. You know, what most folks simply call rabbits. Back in the day we spent considerable time pursuing the white hares each winter, back before our favorite haunts were developed, or posted to no hunting or bulldozed. Before they disappeared forever.

Back when several of us owned beagles. Like those old hunting grounds, the old friends and acquaintances that kept dogs back then have disappeared as well, but it seemed my old hunting companion still had his beagles and was as excited about rabbit hunting as ever.

Who would have guessed?

The problem was he was

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finding it increasingly difficult to find a human body to hunt with. So he thought of me, hoping that I might be interested. I was.

We met at a designated location a few days later in

on the radio any more, but when it is it brings back times dear to the heart. In an effort to make their acquaintance, the two commenced to sniff my boots and lick my hands. “That’s Betsy,” my old friend said pointing to the smaller of the two, “and that’s Mary. They seem to like you.” I took it as a good omen because we were about to spend the day together.

After developing a game plan we stepped into the snow-covered woodlands a few minutes later.

My old friend went left with the beagles while I proceeded deeper into the woods where after a hundred

There was also the question why I had stopped. Many answers came to mind. Time, things changing, the loss of old friends, different paths taken. a neighboring town. Pulling over to the side of a road I never knew existed and exiting the truck, I immediately heard the sounds of baying beagles. It was music to my ears. Old, almost totally forgotten music. Like an old Beatles tune seldom played

yards or so I was supposed to find a long, low-growing fir thicket growing alongside a bog. “They’ll be bunny tracks on the way in,” my friend had said, “but take a position with good visibility on the outside of the greens.

It’s the best cover around, so

that’s where we’ll find them.

I’ll come in from the far side and let the beagles work the thicket. Hopefully if anything is home they’ll come your way, so be ready.”

Obviously, my friend knew the area and had hunted it before, so I stuck with the game plan.

Finally reaching the designated position I could hear the beagles baying in the distance, but working in my direction. After several minutes I noticed a white blur through a maze of green a short distance away. An easy shot. No problem. One dead bunny!

As the blur entered a small window I raised my shotgun and pulled the trigger. And missed! What the ……! A few minutes later the beagles came screeching by hot on the trail. As they by passed with a brief glance my way as if wondering how I blew the shot I was in the process of asking the same question.

“Should have had the gun up and ready to shoot,” I told myself. “Whatever, you missed, live with it.”

That’s all the time I

(Bunny cont. pg 26)

Page 14

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Allagash

AWW Superintendent, Matt LaRoche, ME Roger Morneault is one of those guys that when he says he is going to do something – it happens!

Roger has been one of the driving forces behind the restoration of the tramway in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW). The tramway is a unique log moving apparatus that transported logs from Eagle Lake to Chamberlain Lake, a distance of 3,000 feet.

The tramway is nestled in a cove at the northeastern end of the Chamberlain Lake. It was built in 19021903 in an area so remote that when operations ceased five years later, the owner just walked away and left everything in place. Once the logs were dumped into Chamberlain Lake, they were boomed up and towed down to Telos Dam. From there, the logs were sluiced through the dam, down Webster Stream and eventually arrived in the Bangor area via the log drive.

In 2012, I put out the word that the AWW was looking for volunteers to help restore a section of the tramway. Roger who had previously volunteered to repair the Allagash Mountain fire tower contacted me expressing an interest to work on the tramway project. He recruited a bunch of family and friends. They were signed up as volunteers and they went to work clearing a section of the 100 plus-yearold railbed.

The work was not easy, but they stuck with it. One of the trees that had to be cut was over 20 inches in diameter. The stumps and roots had to be dug out using hand tools, come-a-longs and a chain-fall. When I went to check on them three days into the project, they were hard at work chopping roots and pulling stumps.

They made several remarks about how difficult it must have been to build the tramway back in 1902 using only

In Maine’s Allagash Wilderness Waterway

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January 2020

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manpower and horses.

This initial volunteer effort energized others to help. Steve Barns a carpenter in the Ellsworth area heard about what was going on and offered to reconstruct a 25-foot section of the tramway. Jim Young from Connecticut undertook the installation of the belt between the steam engine and drive mechanism. A group from Chewonki that was paddling the waterway helped rangers dig out the giant cog that turned the cable that moved the logs.

Roger has been back with friends on three other occasions to work on the restoration project. They jacked and leveled the drive mechanism, connected the steam pipes and reinstalled the smokestack.

Rogers wants to come back and resurrect the rollers at the end of the tramway next summer. When the logs came off the tramway cog, there was a system of rollers that transported logs into Chamberlain Lake.

One of the unique things about the tramway restoration is that the original parts were all laying on the ground right where they were when the tramway was in operation.

There has been tre-

mendous support for the tramway restoration effort.

The timbers were donated

by Viking Lumber, 100 miniature railroad spikes were forged at the Windsor Fair by a group headed by Bob Brann, Cianbro Corporation cut and donated the steel for the spikes, Brookfield Power had a bearing forged, the late Tom Thornton donated $2000, and the late Rick Denico, former Chairman of the AWW Advisory Council worked behind the scenes helping to line up donors.

Roger Morneault once

Greenville

told me, “I never thought this would happen in my lifetime”.

The tramway is an engineering marvel that operated more than a century ago. The steam-powered system for moving logs is a testimony to those who came before us, their ingenuity and willingness to take on any problem. The tramway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The AWW has about 1000 volunteer hours donated annually. People help with anything from maintaining campsites to building a chimney. If you would like to volunteer in the AWW or donate towards any of our ongoing projects, please contact me by email or phone.

The AWW is managed by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Parks and Lands as a wilderness canoe area.

Matt LaRoche is Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, a Registered Maine Guide, and an avid outdoorsman.

He can be reached at 207695-2169 or at matt.laroche@maine.gov

January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Know Your Cats

Page 15

The Gun Cabinet

by John Floyd, Webster Plantation

“Mountain Lions have round heads with no facial ruff and are typically 7-8 feet in overall length”.

My neighbor down the ridge swore she saw one of Maine’s elusive mountain lions on the edge of her property as dusk was setting in. She proceeded to tell me, with arms spread nearly four feet apart, that “its tail was this long!”

“This was a mountain lion…and I know what I saw!” The conversation then veered off into the night her husband heard a Sasquatch bellowing behind their trailer home down ridge towards the cedar bog.

All joking aside, more and more Mainers are reporting sightings of mountain lions. Are they really here?

Some folks emphatically say yes. While the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife does not officially recognize a mountain lion population in Maine, the uptick in reported sightings should make even the harshest of skeptics think twice.

Let us know your opinion send letters to the Editor to:

NWSJ P.O. Box 195 W. Enfield, ME 04493

Do I think cougars are prowling the forests and ridge lines of Maine?

I don’t really know. What I do know is that they were once here and the available habitat in the northern part of the state is prime territory for a mountain lion population. That is about the sum of my opinion. I do agree however with some skeptics who demand to see proof. In the day of widespread trail camera usage I’d expect to see at least one photo – just one, anywhere in the state.

I use numerous trail cameras at all of my predator bait sites – there are quite a few along Tucker Ridge.

There is one less than 500 yards from my neighbor’s alleged sighting. I have coyotes, bobcat and the occasional lynx. If these predators are lured in to the bait site, why does the cougar pass it up?

As I noted earlier, I do not have a steadfast opinion on whether mountain lions exist in Maine, but I know from experience that a lot of folks cannot distinguish a bobcat from a lynx even

at close distances. Identifying a cougar at 300 yards in failing light is a wholly different matter. Even the purported sighting of a long tail could be questionable in that type of visibility. If you are a hunter, you know what I mean. I’ve seen a bear turn into a rock at daybreak and a buck materialize into a small cedar stand as dawn approached. With Maine’s predator season in full swing, I figured now was a good time for a quick refresher on bobcats, Canada lynx and mountain lions.

Bobcats Bobcats are the smallest of the three averaging 20-30 pounds in Maine with short tails about 5-6 inches long. The underside of the tail is white with a black spot at the tip. The bobcat has slightly tufted ears and longer fur on the face called a “ruff”. Their overall color can be reddish, greyish or brownish with the underside and chin being a lighter color. Black spots are common on the legs and undersides while younger cats may display spots over their

2020

entire body. Bobcats have relatively short legs.

Canada Lynx Canada lynx are similar in size to bobcats but their big, long legs contribute to the perception of them appearing much larger. Lynx have distinctly big, heavily furred feet. In winter they sport gray fur with faint spotting and will appear reddish in summer with a much shorter coat. The black ear tufts on lynx are much more pronounced and the tail tip is solid black, unlike a bobcat with the white underside.

Mountain Lion Also known as cougars, mountain lions are far larger than lynx and bobcats averaging nearly three feet in height at the shoulders and seven to eight feet in length from nose to tail.

The mountain lions coat is typically a tawny shade with a light colored underside and chin. Cubs will display spotting and ringed tails. As cougars grow into adulthood they lose all spotting. Juveniles can be recognized by having spotting visible only on the rear flanks. The head

appears round with erect ears. There are no ear tufts or face ruff present. Mountain lions can resemble domestic short haired cats, albeit very large ones.

As I think about how to close this column, I find myself gazing out my office window at the tree line rolling down the east side of Tucker Ridge. It is dusk and the dense mixed forest is shrinking into the shadows, the snow falling softly in fat, wet flakes. What I see between a thick stand of fir and spruce causes me to jump up and grab my binoculars off of the gun cabinet. I put the binos right up to the window pane and I can’t believe my eyes!

Wait…nope. It’s just a stump.

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

Page 16

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Post-Script From Pocasset

by Josh Reynolds, Wayne, ME The following column was written by my close friend Josh Cottrell who lives in Brewer, Maine and formally wrote for The Journal.

By Josh Cottrell Looking back at the beginning of deer season, to youth day for deer, I truly enjoyed going through the Facebook posts and looking at the grip and grin photos.

These youth days are paramount to growing the sport and getting kids involved.

And in this age of immediate gratification it is great to see their success.

I know that my next statement may not be a popular one. However, I must ask, are we teaching our kids to hunt or to kill? Through following these posts and watching friends through the years I’ve noticed that when kids shoot deer it is often the first time they have been in the woods that year. They go out and sight in their guns and then show up to a stand/ blind that someone has set

up for them. The deer steps out and they pull the trigger.

Once again, a great way to get quick success, but are we teaching them anything?

The proverbial “if you give a man a fish”. And are they

Not Just Killing, But Hunting Too

would not work. He would always make time to get us in the woods. Whether it was bird hunting or deer hunting, every Saturday or vacation day of the fall was spent in the woods. My father was not a great deer hunter, having only shot

We didn’t need to kill a deer to have success. For me, this still carries on today. Sometimes figuring the deer out is the win. getting the quality time with a parent that we think we are giving them?

Having raised two girls to adulthood, I truly understand the time constraints that kids have these days. With sports becoming a full-time job for them from ages as young as 6. It seems there is very little time available for kids to spend time in the woods to learn. There is time, whether it is an hour or two here and there, we just need to prioritize it.

Growing up in Maine, Saturdays (no Sunday hunting here) were sacred. It was the one day that my father

January 2020

two deer in his life, but he really enjoyed being in the woods with his kids. That time in the woods taught me to be a good outdoorsman. I learned the habits of all animals, where they fed, where they slept and how to find them. It lit a fire in me that has never diminished. I have made hunting a priority throughout my entire life and it is a big part of the person I am today. The best parts of these days were that I spent time with family and friends. I can still recall most of those moments to this day, whether it was a first partridge, deer, or the simple

act of eating lunch in the truck between morning and afternoon hunts. They are plenty of stories from those days that are still rehashed to this day.

As for success, I am not sure easy success is always the best. As with anything in life, I think you appreciate the things that you worked hardest for.

Deer hunting in Maine is and always has been tough.

I didn’t shoot a deer until I was 18. I had a lot of close calls and endless does that I had to pass because I didn’t have a permit. When I finally shot my 1st deer while still hunting in 10 inches of fresh snow on a freezing cold Thanksgiving morning, I was elated. I have taken many deer since those days, with rifle and bow. I learned to hunt and enjoy trying to figure out deer.

If a young person expects to kill a deer every time they are in the woods, they will lose interest when they don’t. Get them out there and teach them what deer eat, or where they sleep

and why. This doesn’t have to be an in-season lesson.

Just like scouting yearround, do a couple of trips to the woods at different times of the year. Let the kids be part of the decision on where to put a stand or blind. My father was great at this, he would ask what we wanted to do. I failed a lot, but also learned a lot.

I would be ecstatic when one of my spots produced a sighting. We didn’t need to kill a deer to have success.

For me, this still carries on today. Sometimes figuring the deer out is the win.

Don’t get me wrong, any introduction to hunting is good. If all your child has time for is one or two sits a year, then take what you can get. If it lights a fire then great, we need hunter recruitment in our sport.

But if they have the time, then teach your kids to hunt and you’ll be giving them a lifetime of enjoyment and memories.

Josh Cottrell lives in Brewer, ME.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 17

A Buck for Dad

By Brian Evensen

It was a cold and crisp morning on November 9th 2019. I sat and talked to my brother-in-law and sister for

crunched a stick and made a lot of noise. So then I took my grunt call and called a few times in different direc-

the bottom of the chopping.

I couldn’t quite tell how big but I knew he was a buck!

The shadow of the

fast and steady pace walking through the pine tree thickets coming up the hill at me. He really wasn’t stopping to give me a shot and he kept getting closer and closer.

I quickly realized that he was only giving me about a 6-inch circle diameter shot through the thicket. Not being able to put my gun in

a big breath as I tried calming myself down so I could call my brother-in-law for some help dragging him out.

I felt like I was out of breath holding it so long so the deer wouldn’t see my breath and give me away.

Once my brother-inlaw picked up the phone I hesitated for a minute and

I sat on the stump for a minute to relive and grasp everything that had just happened. Then I called my dad with tears in my eyes because I knew this was my biggest buck ever.

a while at their house before heading into the woods.

Once it turned daylight I had my brother-in-law drop me off at my new hunting spot.

I stopped at the big rock next to the road and proceeded to de-scent my clothing, backpack and gun. I then loaded my rifle and walked towards the woods. There’s a 30- acres clear cut and a pine thicket to the right of it and to the left of it a cedar swamp all the way down at the bottom of the hill.

I was trying to be quiet walking to the woods tiptoeing in and out of the thicket of pines and through the clear chopping walking on moss. I knew it was the only way I was going to be able to stay quiet since it was so crunchy. Suddenly I thought I scattered something through the woods, so I stopped and not realizing it I put my foot down. I

tions. I walked about 15 to 20 feet further in and called a couple more times on my grunt call. Then all of a sudden I heard a loud grunt and snorting from about three to four hundred yards away. It sounded like big deer. As I waited and listened for about five minutes, a large deer appeared out of nowhere to my left about 200 yards at

woods didn’t reveal his true size. Then all of a sudden he ran back into the cedar bog. Again, he appeared out of nowhere, but this time to my right side down the hill where I could only see about 2 or 3 inches of the rack. I could not really make out the body of the deer. So then I called one more time as I got my gun ready. He was on a

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it’s proper place against my shoulder I knew at this moment it was now or never.

So I looked in the scope, put the cross hairs as close to the shoulder as I could get and squeezed the trigger on my Remington 770 model 308. Bang! He just stood there like I missed him. As I grabbed for another shell I saw him kind of lean back, move to the left and then down he went. It was a loud crash. Then it was just dead silence. No movement no nothing except for the beating of my heart. I never knew it could beat that fast and that hard. I finally took

said I need help. He said, “Really, already? It’s only been 20 minutes”. I said, “I know but I’m all done. I’m tagged out.” He said, “You got to be kidding me.” I said, “Nope, no joke.” He, of course, asked how big.

I said, “I don’t know I just know he’s big, about an 8 pointer.”

I sat on the stump for a minute to relive and grasp everything that had just happened. Then I called my dad with tears in my eyes because I knew this was my biggest buck ever. My dad was home because he had

(Dad cont. pg 26)

HELP US FIND

The elusive Northwoods Sporting Journal’s moose Marty.

He has wandered into the northwoods.

Find Marty somewhere in the Northwoods Sporting Marty Journal (Hint: he will be located in one of our ads) Send us the page number he’s on and you could be a WINNER! Win a FREE Northwoods Sporting Journal Marty Hat. We will draw one winner from all correct entries submitted each month. We will announce the winner in the next issue.

Shown actual size PLEASE MAIL THIS FORM TO: Northwoods Sporting Journal P.O. Box 195, West Enfield, ME 04493

Mikayla Hayes

(Marty was found on pg 9)

Name Address City

State

Phone I found Marty on page

Zip

Entries must be postmarked by 12/16/19 to be eligible for this issue.

Page 18 Northwoods Sporting Journal

Outdoor Sporting Library

by Jeremiah Wood, Ashland, ME

If you were dropped in the middle of the wilderness, alone, could you survive? What if you had no tools, no food, and improper equipment? And what if that wilderness was the Alaska bush, and the setting was midwinter? Survival stories in harsh environments are fascinating, particularly when the odds are stacked against a positive outcome.

The story of Leon Crane was truly incredible, and it remained all but untold for decades. When the World War II-era B-24 plane crashed in the Charley River drainage in December 1943, and weeks of searching turned up no trace of the craft or its passengers, it was assumed that all were dead. And when young Leon Crane, city boy from Phila-

delphia turned military pilot, showed up at a remote trapper’s cabin on the Charley River nearly three months later, it was unbelievable.

Crane, fellow pilot Harold Hoskin (from Houlton, Maine), and three crew members were on a test flight out of Ladd Field near Fairbanks, Alaska when something went wrong. The electronics went haywire, one engine quit, and the plane was uncontrollable.

After going way off course with no radio communications, it was apparent the plane was going down.

Crane got his parachute on, opened the bomb bay, and bailed out of the plane, assuming others had done the same. In a fiery explosion, the plane crashed on a remote mountain side.

January 2020

81 Days Below Zero

Leon Crane watched the blaze from a distance, hoping the others made it out. It was cold, and he was poorly equipped to deal with the conditions. With minimal winter clothing and no gloves, he began to freeze. But luck was on his side. With the matches he’d put in his pocket that morning and a letter from his father, Crane started a fire.

He used his parachute as a blanket to keep warm. For days, Crane waited near the crash site. He called for the others, made large fires and SOS signals, and watched and listened for searchers.

But nobody came. And after several days, it was apparent that nobody was coming.

Crane would either starve to death, or try to walk out on his own.

Crane had landed near a fairly good sized river. He didn’t know exactly where he was, but suspected it

might be the Charley, and

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determined the best course to civilization would be downstream. After days without food in subzero conditions, with only the parachute for shelter and a fire for warmth at night, things were looking bleak. And then, everything changed.

Crane found a cabin.

Phil Berail, legendary gold miner, trapper and all around tough guy, and the only year-round resident of the mining camp at Woodchopper, Alaska, had built the cabin way up the Charley River as a base for his winter trapping operations.

He hadn’t visited it in years, and now getting older, didn’t think he’d ever return to it.

But to Crane’s unwitting delight, the place was stocked with a season’s worth of supplies, a rifle, and winter clothing. On the edge of starvation and drained of energy, this outpost cabin and its cache of food had literally saved Leon Crane’s life.

Crane didn’t realize how remote he was. After

(Zero cont. pg 19)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Zero (Cont. from pg 18) finding a cabin, he thought a town must be just around the next bend in the river.

Or the next one. His wishful thinking led to a long trek downriver that nearly cost him his life once again.

Finding no sign of human life, he returned to Berail’s cabin to rest and come up with a plan.

Weeks later, Crane decided to make the journey downriver, no matter long it took to find civilization.

He gathered up food, rifle, and a handmade sled to tow supplies, and hiked out.

Days later, he came upon the cabin of Albert Ames, a trapper on the Charley River.

He was saved.

Months after going missing, the pilot who’d long been considered dead was at the home of Phil Berail, awaiting a plane that would return him to Ladd Field and his former life. To most, the story of Crane’s survival was beyond belief.

Leon kind of just shrugged it off, though. Crane left the military a short time later and returned to Philadelphia. He raised a family and became a successful businessman. The plane crash and his time in the Alaska

wilderness was something he rarely discussed, and he seemed to prefer keeping it that way.

John McPhee visited Crane after hearing the incredible story decades later, and recounted it briefly in part of his book, “Coming into the Country”. Today, more than 75 years after the events that took place that winter of 1943, the full story, background and details have been compiled

into a book. “81 Days Below Zero”, by Brian Murphy, tells the full story of Leon Crane’s survival in the Alaska bush in one of the most unfavorable circumstances one could face. Could you or I do it? Not sure. But it’s pretty awesome to know that somebody did.

J e re m i a h c a n b e reached at jrodwood@ gmail.com

Page 19

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Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 7)

port for Accused.”

Joe gritted his teeth as he scanned the paper. “I’m gonna sue that woman before this is done! Vic must have seen the paper by now.

Maybe we better go over again and make sure he’s all right. I mean, a man his age could have a heart attack or somethin’. He didn’t look too good yestiddy.”

As we turned onto Hokes’s street we realized that even worse events were in the offing. A crowd had gathered outside Hokes’s modest home. They carried signs and waved their fists in the air, shouting things we couldn’t hear. We parked across the road and then carefully began to push our way through the crowd.

I noticed suddenly, as we finally reached the front, that the crowd was made up entirely of women. Also, not one of the women appeared to be less than 60 years old.

The signs they held said things like “Pervert!” and “Get a Real Woman!”.

The level of noise died down as I saw Tawdry Spiel, sporting her inevitable writing pad, step free of the crowd and shout at the closed door.

“Mr. Hokes!” she cried. “I need another quote!

I’d like your reaction to the story in the morning paper.

And also,” she glanced back over her shoulder. “Your reaction to this gathering outside your home.” The crowd grumbled in apparent agreement.

I could see a little of Vic Hokes’s worried face in the window beside the door.

Joe pushed past Tawdry and I followed him to the door.

Vic opened it cautiously peered out past us.

“What in the world am I going to do, Joe? I didn’t do anything to bring this on.”

“I know you didn’t, Vic. I don’t really know what yer gonna do. Maybe if you came out here an’ told these folks that they’s been a mistake, that you didn’t have nothin’ to do with them goin’s on, you kin make ‘um understand.”

Hokes looked doubtful but he slipped out the door and stood there slightly behind us as Tawdry Spiel stalked up.

“What have you got to say, Mr. Hokes? We’re waiting.”

Hokes cleared his throat nervously. “This is all a mistake…” he began.

January 2020

“Mistake?” said Tawdry derisively. “Your name is on the list!” She waved a sheet of paper in the air.

“There are seven John Smiths on the list, but only one Vicarious Hokes. How could that be a mistake?”

“Can I see that?” I asked. She shoved the sheet into my hands and glared at Hokes, pen hovering over the note pad.

I glanced down through the names. As I reached the bottom of the list I stopped suddenly, my eyes widening. It couldn’t be…”

“Speak up Mr. Hokes,” Tawdry was saying. “Tell us just how your name mistakenly got on this list.”

“His name’s not on the list,” I said quietly. Tawdry jerked as if slapped.

“What?! What did you say?!”

I raised my voice.

“Vic’s name isn’t on this list.”

“What are you, blind?”

Tawdry said scornfully. “It’s right there… right at the bottom!”

I held up the paper and examined it closely while Joe stared at me with a strange look.

“There is a list of names here,” I said. “But the last name is Roger Fulton.”

Tawdry started to say something but I held up a hand.

“Just below that it says, and I quote: ‘Various Hoaxes have been perpetrated in the past concerning prostitution rings, but this one seems to be an actual fact.”

“What?! Let me see that!” Tawdry grabbed the paper and held it close to her nose, staring at the bottom through her thick glasses.

(Me & Joe cont. pg 22)

Aroostook County WANTED: OUTDOOR COLUMNIST FOR AROOSTOOK COUNTY

The Northwoods Sporting Journal has an immediate opening for a monthly outdoor columnist. If you hunt and fish and spend time in the outdoors in the County, enjoy talking to other sportsmen and women and have some outdoor savvy, we’d like to hear from you. This is a part-time position and, while basic writing skills are required, the successful applicant will me mainly someone who would enjoy keeping County sportsmen informed and be able to write on a computer.

This is a paid position. Interested applicants should email writing samples and/or questions to the editor, V. Paul Reynolds, at: vpaulrtds.net The Northwoods Sporting Journal is an equal opportunity employer.

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Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 20)

“Various hoaxes, not Vicarious Hokes,” I said.

The color drained from her face. She lowered the sheet and stared out at the stunned crowd. Then she turned to look at Vic Hokes.

“I…I…that is…” She suddenly clamped her jaw shut and shoved the pad and pen into a coat pocket.

“Never mind…” With that, she turned and pushed her way through the clutch of women to her car. The crowd of older ladies watched her for a moment, then turned hesitantly back to face the house. Most of the faces held expressions of chagrin and embarrassment.

A few smiled tentatively, signs drooping. Finally, they slowly began to disperse.

Vic Hokes moved up beside us on the stoop. He wiped his brow with the back of a hand and grinned nervously.

“Well…I’m certainly glad that finally turned out all right.”

“Can’t believe all this happened ‘cause that woman can’t read English. Don’t she have a proof reader or somethin’?”

“I think she’s pretty much a one-man band,” I said.

“Guess it would have all come out anyway,” Joe continued. “Once a few other folks read the actual list. You really didn’t have nothin’ to worry about in the long run, Vic.” “Oh, I knew that,” Vic smiled and nodded. “After all, Mag always said she’d never put down my actual name.” He pursed his lips. “I wonder which John Smith I actually was?

Mouth sagging, Joe kept turning to stare blankly back over his shoulder, but I just pulled him along down the walk toward the Jeep.

Page 24

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Question Of The Month December 2019

How Do You Dress for Winter in Maine?

Each season brings unique beauty, great bounty and a special set of challenges. Between the time of the maple sap and ice out in spring, to the insect hatches and movement of fish through our water ways in summer, to the legendary hunting of autumn, the three friendlier seasons offer sportsmen the bounty and beauty of the outdoors with risks that are worthy of respect, but often more forgiving than the harsh, often life threatening conditions that come wrapped in the beauty and solitude of our Maine winter.

In 1998 my young family enjoyed a rare vacation together due to an ice storm. The beauty of bent and popping trees laden with ice and enshrouded in bitter

cold created a magical landscape. The lack of power was a blessing, insulating us from the noise of the world and allowing us to enjoy in each other’s company.

We explored the trails, ate meals around the wood stove under the light of candle and oil lamp, split wood, and

den realization that people were in trouble, lives were being lost, and community was coming together over the air waves to assist those in need remains one of the most sobering moments of my life.

Here are some techniques that might help you

Here are some techniques that might help you enjoy the rugged and pristine beauty that our winter landscape provides and to do so in a fashion that will improve your comfort and minimize your chances of running into real trouble. thawed snow in to drinking water. It was a dream come true . . . until the fourth day.

That was when my wife decided to start the car and check the radio. The sud-

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enjoy the rugged and pristine beauty that our winter landscape provides and to do so in a fashion that will improve your comfort and minimize your chances of running into real trouble.

Dressing in layers is good advice. There is one thing to remember with this advice. In cold weather

survival one of the rules is to remain “comfortably cool and dry”. Anyone who has spent a winter day in the North Woods knows that this can be a tricky, and sometimes near impossible proposition. Unlike Alaska and other regions of the far north, our snow is rarely dry and powdery. If it is, it won’t be for long. In a twelve-hour period we can have rain, freezing rain, wet snow, and clearing skies at night where the temperatures can plummet well below zero. For this reason, personal shelter and the ability to make a warm fire are a priority when venturing out. This article will focus on clothing as our primary shelter.

Adequate shelter begins with the clothing on your back. As with any effective shelter, you should start with good materials and a solid foundation. The layer that makes contact with your skin should be hydrophobic.

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This means that it will not hold your body’s sweat or any other moisture close to your skin. Essentially, your radiant body heat acts to drive away the dampness keeping you dry and warm.

Nylon, polypropylene, and silk are great materials for this first layer, It is called the “wicking layer” because it wicks moisture away from your body. The next layer is the insulation layer. This layer traps radiant body heat in a bubble of “dead air space” around you to keep you warm. Fiber pile is popular and effective.

Goose down is available, but not only is it expensive, it is useless at creating a dead air space once it gets wet. My all time favorite for insulation as well as wicking layer is wool. Merino wool close to the body and a heavy wool insulation layer have been my preferred cold weather choice since 1979. The reason is quite simply that wool will retain your body heat even when wet. The last layer is the protective shell that repels weather. A good shell is either breathable or has ventilation in the form of a main zipper and “pit zips”.

Really good ones have both.

To prevent conduction, pay special attention to your feet. Thick liners or insulated inserts and socks nestled in a weather tight shell will not only keep your feet protected and dry from cold wet snow, it will also protect you from losing your core temperature through the active transfer of your body heat into the frozen ground. A good technique to remember is to keep a pair of wool socks on your feet and one tucked into the waste band of your pants.

When your feet get wet or cold, you always have a warm and dry pair of socks

(Question cont. pg 27)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Crossbow Rifle

Released for retailers in the Spring/Summer of 2019, Traditions Firearms has developed the Traditions Crackshot XBR that comes with a single shot .22 caliber rifle barrel and a crossbow barrel. It is an incredible new concept especially for handicapped hunters. Moosehead Trail Trading Post in Palmyra, ME received some of these last year and they gave me a quick “show and tell”. The owner, Jim Spraggins, was extremely impressed with how it shot and how well it drove the arrow into a layered block target all the way up to the fletching of the arrow.

The crossbow barrel comes with a 4x32 multicrosshair scope similar to other crossbow scopes. The arrow is loaded into the front of the barrel and shoots using a.27 caliber long cartridge (only use the Traditions XBR Powerloads).

Surprisingly this cartridge produces very low decibels (noise).

One of the main differences of how the arrow is projected down range is that the arrow is driven from the front of the arrow. All typical archery equipment is driven forward by a string attached to the back of the arrow with a nock. With the Traditions Crackshot XBR, it comes with three Traditions 2216 Firebolt arrows using 2” Blazer vanes. The arrow shaft slips over the inner barrel until it reaches

the end of the barrel. An outer barrel protects the inner barrel and allows clearance for the three 2” Blazer vanes. The .27 caliber long cartridge is loaded from the end of the breakdown action. Close the break action, cock the hammer back, and squeeze the trigger! The gas pressure produced by the cartridge drive the front end of the shaft, not the back end of the hollow arrow shaft. The rifle weighs about 4 pounds yet has very little recoil.

The advertised arrow speed for the Traditions Crackshot XBR is 385 feet per second. Effective kill range is advertised as 70 yards!

I can’t speak for the possibility of a deer “jumping the string” using this type of crossbow even with low noise.

Remember the speed of sound is about 1,180 feet per second compared to the arrow speed of 385 feet per second, but compared to the noise of some other crossbows it probably around the same noise level. This crossbow is powered by the .27 caliber cartridge which has a lot of advantages over a crossbow that uses compressed gas that needs to be recharged about every 50 shots. Also, you don’t have to worry about string life due to number of shots.

The trajectory of this

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crossbow is similar to other archery equipment, so you will need practice to be able to judge distance and know the range of each crosshair in the scope. The Traditions 2216 Firebolt arrows come with 100 grain field points.

Just my opinion, I would use a 100 grain mechanical broadhead because of the arrow speed.

The extra that you would need to buy separately would be a Traditions QD Quiver to hold the arrows to the crossbow along with plenty of Traditions XBR Powerload .27 cartridges

Page 25

Flight Of The Arrow

by Jerome Richard, Clinton, ME

plus a rifle sling. The .27 cartridges are about $25 per 100 rounds and the quiver is about $35. The Traditions Crackshot XBR with both the .22 caliber barrel and crossbow barrel, scope, and three arrows is advertised for around $450.

For more information and videos on the this crossbow, check out the Traditions Firearms website at www.traditionsfirearms.

com.

Jerome Richard is past president of the Maine Bowhunters Association, Master Outdoor Safety Education Instructor for MDIF&W, Registered Maine Guide, member of Franklin Search and Rescue, and a Licensed Professional Engineer. He can be reached at jerome. richard7@gmail.com

Carroll’s Corner Ice Fishing for Smelts Freeze-up is in full swing and this means ice fishing for many people. The demands of our business long ago dictated that we weren’t going to have much time to ice fish, because we were on the road much of the winter with sportsman’s show and our Maine Guide’s programs. However, we always seem to find time to get down to the lower Kennebec or one of the other rivers south of us to fish for the salt-water smelts that are making their way inland from the ocean.

Fishing for these delicious creatures is a great family outing. Rental shocks are set up in colonies where there may be several dozen shacks in productive areas of the river. Shacks are set up with 2 open-water slots, sometimes called ‘raceways” on the outside walls of the shack. A dozen or so lines are attached from the wall on a spring.

When the smelt bites the sand worm, the line will show movement and you set the hook and haul him in! While this is not a difficult process, recognizing the bite takes some getting used to. Sea smelts are considerably larger than their fresh water cousins. Our fresh-water smelts don’t usually get much bigger than 5 or 6 inches, but I’ve seen the salt-water smelts as large as 10”-11” but the norm is smaller. My experience tells me that the fresh-water version of these great little fish is sweeter tasting, but I cook the tide-water fish in the same manner and they are excellent eating.

My method is to clean the fish as you usually would, roll them in corn meal and either cook them in a deep-fryer with Crisco or a cast iron fry pan, in salt pork, which is my preference. In either case your cholesterol needle probably spins off the dial, but boy, they sure are good. A bunch of smelts, browned to perfection, a couple of slabs of home-made bread, and a cup of hot tea? Impossible to beat this combo! We sometimes will take the ‘fixins’ and cook our fish in the shack, fresh out of the water.

As much fun as the fishing is, the “social life” at the smelt colonies can be fun, although caution is always a good idea. Keep in mind that you are fishing on tidal water and that the ice can and does rise and fall with the tide. Recreational beverages seem to be a part of this activity for some fishermen, so remember to designate a driver for the ride home. I was fishing on the Eastern River once on what happened to be Super Bowl weekend. The Dallas Cowboys were playing the Giants and the game didn’t start until 6 pm. About half-past 5, someone came out of their shack, and yelled “Cowboys 24, Giants nothing!” A great roar erupted and all the Cowboy fans yelled and whooped!

Recreational beverages were present! Enjoy this great wintertime activity with friends and family, and stay safe.

February….Snowshoeing Carroll M. Ware is a Master Maine Guide, holder of forty-eight world fly-fishing records and a two-time Maine Professional fly-casting champion.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 26

Bunny

from, or close to it. Changing positions that offered a wider view that’s just what happened. After several long minutes the beagles seemed to be getting closer, and if my brain was working correctly the target should be well in front heading in the same direction. After several more minutes I spotted the hare slightly downhill.

This time I had the shotgun

(Cont. from pg 13) had. Somehow the dead brain cells from my early rabbit hunting days came alive and recalled hares typically hate to leave their home ground and when pursued by beagles generally run in a loop circling back to where they came

up and ready and when I pulled the trigger the game was over.

Throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon we worked several other areas and had more activity although I failed to score again. But it really didn’t matter. During the day old memories, reasons why I use to hunt hares and spend considerable time in the

winter woods to begin with came rushing back. Perhaps the most important was how much fun it is just seeing and hearing the beagles run.

What a joy! I had forgotten how much. The cold, refreshing winter air, the fir thickets covered in snow, the peacefulness of the woods were just added bonuses.

There was also the question why I had stopped. Many an-

January 2020 swers came to mind. Time, things changing, the loss of old friends, different paths taken.

When we called it a day and returned to the trucks, I did know one thing.

Perhaps life does come full circle because I vowed that December day wasn’t going to be my last in bunny woods.

Dad (Cont. from pg 17)

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surgery and couldn’t go in the woods so the conversation was very moving for me.

Because I always wanted my dad and my brother to be on a hunt with me. I knew I’d be bringing him this wallop of a deer since he couldn’t be there with me. So once the conversation was ended with my dad I heard my brotherin-law and sister at the top of the hill. I left my gun at the stump where I sat and went up to meet them. They asked me if I had checked him out yet. I hadn’t.

My sister was walking in front of us like she was excited to see him. So I told her look down and to her left from where she was standing. Once she saw him the look on her face was was like she was in total shock.

She looked like she was going to fall over. I could see her mouth drop and say Really he’s huge. Then all the sudden I heard from her, “He’s not a 8 he’s a 9”. I felt joy and happiness that I was able to take this trophy buck by doing everything my dad has taught me. He said if you think like a deer and act like a deer, you will get a deer.

The buck weighed 181.5 with a 26 inch spread. I shot him at 6:45 am. With a Remington 770 model 308. I had a awesome time sharing this hunt and my accomplishment with my entire family.

Brian Evensen lives in Fairfield.

January 2020

Question (Cont. from pg 24) to switch to. Even if you already switched into your dry pair, while your wrung out pair is drying in your waste band, the other pair is keeping your feet warm and dry. An inexpensive trick that helps keep your feet dry is to put on a pair of nylon dress socks before your wool socks. The nylon makes an inexpensive and effective wicking layer.

Outer garments and how you use them is important as well. A good thick cap beneath a hood adds extra protection and versatility to match our everchanging weather. Having overmits and two pair of glove “liners” (one to go on your hands inside the mittens and the other tucked in your waste line next to your extra socks) is also a great combination that affords you protection from the cold as well as the ability to use your fingers.

The old saying, “If your feet are cold , put on a hat” has some truth to it. Any time your blood flow is near the surface, such is in the arteries in your neck, or near the surface and away from your heart, like the capillaries in your feet, fingers, and scalp, extra insulation can be used to keep you warm.

In our next article we will explore the strategies used to stay warm beyond the clothes on your back to include habits that will increase your comfort and prolong your time outdoors during winter in Maine.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 28

Ramblings From T8-R9

by Benjamin Rioux, Millinocket Lake Editor’s note: Fellow guide Jeff Labree is filling in this month for Ben Rioux.

As a fishing guide I spend most of my time on rivers and streams. These are usually fast flowing with deep pools and productive runs. When I have a day or two to myself, I love going to a small beaver flowage or little brook.

Whether you are a fly caster or spinner and worm fisherman don’t overlook the small stuff. The north part of the state has seen a couple of good springs.

High snow melt mixed with adequate rain has helped water conditions in most of these little trout factories. A good source of information about where to find a nice

spot I’ve found is Ben’s Bait Shack up in Fort Kent.

Ben Rioux has been known to crawl under the security fence down at the old Maine Yankee Nuclear plant in Wiscasset to get the biggest worms and crawlers you’ll ever see.

Of course, your hands get kind of tingly using them but I’ve witnessed the fish they have killed...I mean caught. Ben also sells scented soaps and hand lotions that help with the smell of some of his more mature bait. The extensive dirt roads inside the gates of The North Maine Woods abound with culverts and small wooden bridges that are mostly never fished. I know a couple of older gentlemen who head up there each year and drive

North Woods Honey Holes

By Jeff Labree

to these little streams. They fish upstream and down on each and have a great time.

They’ve been going to the area for decades and know the roads better than most. If you would go on such an excursion plan on having a Gazetteer along. I would suggest it be an updated version. (Ben sells pre W11 survey maps). Keep in mind, we’re not after large rod-bending trout or highleaping silver sided salmon.

These smaller trout still possess the fighting spirit and beautiful colors of their bigger kin. You will quickly find yourself searching out tiny holding areas and shallow runs where a brookie can hide.

Let’s not forget the beaver dams and the flowages behind them. I keep a couple of canoes on some of these and spend fun-filled afternoons casting caddis

imitations and ant patterns to eager trout. There have been times when a much larger trout will burst out of the water and surprise the heck out of me. The trout can have darker coloration in these honey holes due to the cedars and brush that line the shores. I don’t mind getting off the beaten path to find a place like this and will rarely see any signs of other people.

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If you are fly fishing then I suggest a two or three weight 7 to 8 foot. rod. Floating line is all that you’ll need. If worm casting, I prefer a single blade gold spinner with no sinker or bobber. You won’t need to cast far. The beaver dams will continue to fish well as long as the water temps remain low. As the temps heat up trout will move to cooler locations. Try searching along the slow-moving flowages until you chance upon a spring or smaller inlet. The culverts and tiny brooks are drying up by mid-June (as a rule), and aren’t worth the inflated expense of a Ben’s glow-the-dark night crawler.

Although I know of at least three culverts that hold trout during the entire summer.

In closing I hope your winter is frostbite free and you spend a little of your snowbound cabin-fevered time with an open gazetteer searching out a couple tantalizing spots to try this next spring. rods.

Tight lines and bent

Jeff Labree is a registered Maine Guide at Libby Sporting Camps. When he isn’t guiding, you can find him in the Libby kitchen during the winter months, or at his camp tying flies. You can reach Jeff at jeffssmelt@ gmail.com.

January 2020

By Jonah Paris

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Perch King of DownEast

We heard him racing down the pond long before we saw him. His late 1980’s snow machine was emitting a constant growl, low and loud, like a sow bear does when a plot hound steps a little too close to her tree.

Then we saw him - the only person we’d seen all day on Pond X. Pond X, as we’ll call it, is located deep in the hills off Route 9, somewhere between Eddington and Crawford. Sporting a long grey beard, red wind-burnt cheeks, and a coonskin cap, the man looked like a character from a Jack London novel. Around the inlet he sped, heading right to us.

“Mornin’ Boys…er aftahnoon maybe… how ’ah they bitin?” he asked in a thick DownEast drawl.

“Not bad…some pickerel, a small trout, and a handful of perch.” My friend, Sully, and I stepped aside, and watched the man’s eyes widen as he focused on the pile of white perch laying on the ice.

“Holy!” the bearded man shouted over the sled’s deafening idle. “Them ‘ah some wall-hangahs!”

“Yah, they’re some good ones for sure.”

“Good ones?! That’s freakin’ Moby Dick right theyah” he said pointing his finger at a beefy 14 incher.

“That’s what I came heyah for. I want some of those. I travel all ovah DownEast lookin’ for the best perch holes. I just love perchin’!”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer - I started howling with laughter and Sully, always the polite one, was biting his lip trying to keep from doing the same. Luckily, Mainers, especially the kind folks of the DownEast region, are tough skinned. “ W h a t ’s a m a t t e r boy, you don’t like perch?

Lemme tell ya - these things make the best damn chowdah. I like ‘em fried though.

Nothin’ quite like ‘ah good

perch fry. You think haddock is fancy, well lemme tell ya, you clearly have nevah eaten a DownEast perch. The Old Lady just loves ‘em. I stock up the freezah every wintah and we usually finish the last of em oh ‘bout deeah season.”

We had met the Perch King of DownEast.

Mr. Perch King set his traps a couple hundred yards to our right. Far enough to be respectful, but close enough to keep tabs on our perch progress. As the afternoon passed, Sully and I continued to hook big white perch - one after another, after another. We then packed up, and Mr. Perch King did too.

“You boys walked all the way out heyah?”

“Yup.” With that, Mr. Perch King, now sitting quite proud in the saddle of his ancient Ski-Doo, generously offered to shuttle Sully and myself back to the truck. We accepted. Once back at the truck, our ears ringing, Mr. Perch King granted us some top secret knowledge. He told us of another DownEast pond a few miles to the East, Pond Y, that regularly produced piles of bigperch.

“Walk past the red

Page 29

pepper, an old cast iron skillet, and a mess of white perch fillets is all one needs to appreciate the legacy of the Perch King of DownEast this season.

To the friendly guy who generously handed a pair of goofy UMaine students the key to your secret perch shack somewhere off the Airline Road on a gusty February day in 2017: 1. The perch hole you met us at is still giving up colossal perch.

2. You were right; there is nothing like a DownEast perch fry.

shack, bangah left at the white one, walk a hundred yahds, and you’ah in fahtyfive feet of watah. There’s ‘ah green shack theyah.

That’s my perch hole. You boys are welcome anytime.

Heyahs the key. Leave ‘er unlocked - only rule is ya can’t keep ‘ah perch under ten inches.”

Last year we returned back to Pond X in the beautiful DownEast high country.

It was a forty-flag morning with the traps, and the jig rods produced steadily as

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Jonah Paris is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Teaching from the University of Maine. When not in class, he can be found wandering the DownEast Region with a fishing rod or shotgun in hand.

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Page 30 Northwoods Sporting Journal

News

(Cont. from pg 10)

changes. Start a small fire if possible, it can provide warmth, a signal for rescuers, and can help you stay calm and focused if lost.”

Possible changes to IFW policy could affect coyote management in a negative way.

IFW is holding listening sessions around the state to get feedback in how to best manage fur bearers, including coyotes.

Undoubtedly, the animal rights activists will be testifying in numbers to make significant changes on how coyotes are managed. Ideas, that we have heard rumors about include, shortening the coyote hunting season to match fox, banning dog hunting, restricting or banning coyote contests and changes to or eliminating the Department’s coyote management program in the North. Now is the time for us to tell the Department what we think of these ideas. See the dates for these meetings in the release below.

There are other species

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During the first week of December, the Department held a series of statewide public meetings that focused on furbearers. The meetings were designed to gather ideas and information from the public that will help shape management of these species over the next fifteen years.

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January 2020 input from the public that will help guide our furbearer management efforts over the next fifteen years,” said Nate Webb, “We’ve already conducted extensive public surveys, but this is your chance to provide additional input on the management of these species for years to come”.

In addition to public meetings, IFW is creating a dedicated online forum at https://www. mainefurbearerforum.org/ to provide a further opportunity for residents to voice their opinions on furbearer issues.

Starting November 7, residents will be able to access the online forum website and leave comments and suggestions at https:// www.mainefurbearerforum. org/. The website will stay live until December 31, at which point comments will be reviewed. Residents are encouraged to log onto the

(News cont. pg 31)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

News

Page 31

Central Maine Region

(Cont. from pg 30) website to submit responses to prepared questions as well as interact with one another in an exchange of opinions and ideas.

There will also be series of public meetings around the state to hear people’s thoughts and ideas regarding species management. A list of locations and time and date are listed below.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 32

Muzzleloader Bruiser

The Buck Hunter

by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME Another deer season is in the books. Congratulations to all of you that punched your tag. I have seen many pictures of some great bucks from all around the state. For me, this was the season of many lessons.

Guiding two hunters was fun and I had forgotten how much I like teaching people how to hunt the Big Woods.

I also realized, that as I get older, I need to pace myself a little better. I started off the season in full tilt, putting on at least ten miles a day even before the snow. Last month I wrote about my client shooting his first buck while tracking with me. The second and third week, I hunted for myself and chased some big bucks on the snow. I had a cameraman with me for the first four days and we got some good footage but

not of a dead buck. I gave one a haircut as he jumped into a spruce thicket. He was a wide heavy horned old boy. By the third week we had crusty snow making it hard to get near a buck, but

I kept at it. I passed up a few smaller bucks, but this year I had decided that I was only going to take the track of the old toe dragging bucks and shoot one of them or nothing. Over those two weeks, I had gone on a lot of missions and had a lot of long walks back to the truck. I guided another client the fourth week and by then the snow was getting deep but helped

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with the crust. We came close to getting him a buck a couple times, but our timing was off a little. In December, dug out my Woodman Arms BWB Tracker muzzle loader to once again hunt on my own.

I thought by now the bucks would have slowed down and it would be easier to catch up to them. Well,

of crust under it, that it was pretty hard going in the woods. We checked where I had picked up the big one on Monday, but couldn’t find a

wasn’t the toe dragger that I was looking for, but it was a pretty good buck. I decided to follow it to see if he might take me to something bigger

track, so we headed out to check some other spots in hopes of finding the track of one of those toe draggers.

I knew it was going to be tough as we had a little snow in the night, blending the age of all the tracks together.

As we turned onto a logging road, I saw the track of a buck walking down the road. When I got out to look, I could see that it had been made since the snow. It was

or maybe get a look at his rack. About a mile into it, the buck went between two trees about 16” apart. At that point, I turned around and headed back to the truck. By now it was 9:30 as we were driving to another spot, I spotted another track coming across the road. When I stopped and backed up, there was the track I had been looking for. It was a 4x3 inch squared toed old boy. The best part was that I was less than an hour old. I couldn’t believe that lady luck had finally caught up to me.

We parked the truck and jumped on the track.

It soon became apparent that this old buck was only interested in feeding. He stopped at every blowdown and fed on the old man’s beard along the way. He was dragging his feet like a cross country skier as he went. I knew it wouldn’t be long before he would find a place to bed down. In about an hour the track led from the hardwoods toward a dark wall of spruce with several blowdowns in front

At 3 O’clock after traveling through the open country, he headed into the green growth. I told Will that we would leave him for the night and pick up the track in the morning.

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Monday morning proved me wrong as I followed a toe dragger cross country. He even swam a river, that took me an hour to get around.

The next two days I couldn’t find a big track to take so I figured that most of the big boys were hunkered down putting the feed bag on and recovering from the rut.

Thursday morning, I met up with Will Altman, a cameraman for Donnie Vincent, a famous film producer. Will had shot a big buck down east where he lives after returning from a two-month hunt in Alaska filming Donnie. By now the snow was deep enough with a layer

(Brusier cont. pg 38))

January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Three Bull’s Eyes and a Bargain

We as sportsmen and women may give and receive gifts that are unique to our interests. These unique gifts may include rifles and scopes. These are great gifts for sportsmen. When we are lucky enough to receive or give such wonderful gifts, it is important to properly prepare them for the field. I would like to describe how I handle this task. Perhaps this can be of assistance the next time you do it.

The first thing I think about is what distances I am most likely going to be shooting. Here in the North Woods, 100 yards is usually the maximum distance for shots at game. The exception to that would be a powerline or gasline. So, for my purposes, I like to sight my deer or moose rifle in for around 1” high at 100 yds. I then shoot the same rifle at 200 yds to familiarize myself with what my rifle does at that distance. A great time saver for this task is to place a standard target in the middle of a big piece of cardboard like a 30” x 30” square. Start at 25 yds to zero the gun. When you have the gun sighted for 25

yds, move the cardboard and target out to 100 yds. Here is a trick I have mentioned before in this column. Rest your rifle into bags or a rest.

Shoot for the bullseye on the target. Find the bullet hole on the target. Focus the crosshairs on the bullseye of the target. Without moving the rifle, look through the scope and adjust the crosshairs to cover the bullet hole in the target. Shoot another round and it should be in or very near the bullseye. If done correctly, this should be accomplished with 2 or 3 rounds of ammo.

Pitfalls to this process that should be avoided are as follows: It is important that you space your shots with a couple of minutes between shots and a longer 10 minute interval after 3 shots to allow the barrel to cool. It is also important to use the same brand and bullet weight as well as bullet style throughout the process and into the field. Different weights, brands, etc. can significantly change your point of impact. POI. There you have it, pretty simple, but very important.

So why am I bringing

this up now? I have come into possession of a very interesting rifle. It is a Ruger Standard Grade American.

It is chambered in .30/06.

This rifle by all descriptions is an economy class firearm.

Real world pricing of this gun is around $400 maybe less at end of month sales.

Well, how much can you expect from a cheap hunting rifle? I can honestly tell you, I was very impressed.

Some of the features this rifle contains are a cold hammer forged rifle barrel.

This feature gives you an extremely accurate gun. It essentially stress relieves the barrel which eliminates barrel distortion as it heats up. It also comes with a Ruger Marksman adjustable trigger. It allows adjustment from 3 to 5 lbs. The action is pillar block bedded and the barrel is free floated in a composite stock. All of this translates to accuracy. Additional features also include a tang safety and a very smooth bolt system with a quick 70 degree throw. It also has sling swivals for convenience.

I mounted a 3x9 X Leupold scope with the in-

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Page 33

Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective

by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME cluded scope rings and went to the range. I shot a couple of different brands of ammo and was very impressed.

I was able to achieve sub MOA groups at 100 yds with 2 of the 3 brands I brought with me. The one group larger than MOA was less than 1 1/2 inches. For anyone who is not familiar with the term MOA, it means Minute of Angle; which is 1.05 inches at 100 yds.

Pretty impressive for $400.

Keep this one in mind if you are looking for an accurate, light, weatherproof rifle.

Full disclosure for the few who do not know, I retired from Ruger several years ago. Shoot straight and take

a kid with you, and oh yeah stop and see us at the lake.

Tom is a Registered Maine Guide. He is the owner/operator of Shamrock Outfitters in Orient Maine with his wife Ellie. 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, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. You can reach Tom at Shamrock Outfitters (207) 694-2473.

Please visit our Facebook Page: Shamrock Outfitters and Properties and come visit us on East Grand Lake.

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Page 34

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Maine Outdoor Adventure

Tis the season for getting outside and enjoying Maine’s winter activities! It is always fun when things are sunny and hospitable.

But, just as soon as there is an unexpected accident, equipment breaks or mother nature throws weather into your trip things can get nasty, uncomfortable and unsafe quickly!

Safety is priority one!

A safety protocol is in order with any outdoor adventure. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your next trip...

Always let loved ones know exactly where you are fishing, how long and when you are expected back...

Preplan and know how to have communication where you are fishing.

Use the buddy system – It’s always a good idea to work with a fishing buddy for multiple reasons. Its always safer and more fun

by Rich Yvon, Bradford, ME

with buddy!

Proper equipment – examples: Ice cleats, Ice spikes around neck, throwbag, 100 - foot rope, a suite with floatation etc...

The water type is crucial to understanding ice thickness before you even venture out. Are you fishing a shallow pond, a deep glacial lake, or a river? Remember, time of year, water depth, water springs, current, and wind exposure all play a role on ice thickness.

Early ice means an even more uncertainty of safety and ice thickness. The only way to check the ice is to make test holes with your auger or spud bar. Keep in mind that the shoreline typically freezes first on a lake or pond. The ice can get thinner as you venture away from shore. Study the ice color, clarity and conditions. If you are uncertain, use a rope and spud bar and check ice every few feet. This method

January 2020

Staying Safe on the Ice

can safely test ice thickness and make sure your ice is a minimal 4 inches before walking on.

Tag Line Ice Fishing is not a new idea, but I have adopted it in order to access ice where ice thickness can vary, especially early season ice. If you are out on the first ice of the season and not sure of springs or ice thickness, then here is a technique that may help you stay safe. In addition to checking ice and working from shore, you can affix a safety line to your fall gear or harness.

Having a line attached to a permanent fixture on shore, you can now go out and run your trap line. This way you have a safety measure in place to pull yourself out and or someone can help you out safely. This becomes even more important when fishing early ice and ice with current such as rivers.

Having “The right stuff” will not only keep your trip enjoyable but will keep you safe which is priority one. The Nebulus Emergency Flotation Device is a compact, portable lifesaving tool engineered for use in ice and water rescue situations. It lets a first responder do what they’ve never been able to do before: safely initiate a solo rescue without having to wait for backup. Small and light enough to carry in the trunk of a car, snowmobile

or ATV, the Nebulus inflates in seconds, helping a rescuer reach the victim quickly and pull them to safety. Fully inflated, it can support up to three adults and a submerged snowmobile. A few years back I was approached by a Maine state warden and was asked about the red bags on my machine. After a brief explanation, he was quickly sold on getting one!

It was great to see the State of Maine make the purchase of a Nebulus this past year. I hope they never have to use it but at very least they will have peace of mind. I’m sure it will prove for them to be a very valuable tool for emergency situations that require floatation.

Having proper clothing and safety gear like ice picks is a great way to stay safe.

There are many advantages in the hi-tech field of ice fishing equipment such as the warm, floating suit like the Eskimo Legend or Keeper suites. The warm fishing suites are also a wearable means of floating. The floatable suit combined with ice picks and a spud bar gives an angler peace of mind while venturing on hard water.

An approximate guide for blue, black or clear ice only 2” or less stay off ice 4” Ice Fishing/Ice Skating 5” Snowmobile or ATV

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Fishing Tip*: Fishing and understanding Lake trout water, is key to success in catching these Char of old. There are many lakes that offer a sparse bio-mass environment and then there are some that have a large quantity of biomass. By nature, when Lakers are not on the spawn, then they are very likely to be hunting and eating. Finding the mass forage in lake trout water is number one in finding the fish. When water temps average 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the mobility of lake trout increases, and fish can be found in all depths.

Lakes with hi bio-mass levels will in-turn make some fish feed more on occasion giving anglers the challenge of finding active and hungry quarry. In any case focusing on the food and water temperature will help anyone in their pursuit of the Lake Trout.

Rich is a full time Registered Maine Guide. He owns and operates Twin Maple Outdoors guide service and sporting lodge located in Bradford, Maine. He is a “Certified Yamaha G3 Guide” that runs fly and spin fishing trips with a G3 Jet boat and Stealthcraft drift boat. Rich also guides Maine Partridge, Turkey, Moose, Deer hunting and recreation adventures. If you are interested in a Maine Outdoor Adventure, please reach out to Rich! email: info@TwinMapleOutdoors.com call: 207-907-9151

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

The Real Deal is ZMan’s-TRD Pitman Creek Wholesale, LLC celebrated their 27th Annual Dealer Show in Sevierville, TN on October 6, 2019. Over 300 fishing tackle manufactures were on hand exhibiting their latest fishing innovations, all with anticipation of winning a prestigious Pitman Creek Award. During the award ceremony, Pitman Creek Chief Operating Officer John D. Johnson made it known very few manufactures receive Pitman Creek awards. Adding, “The Pitman Creek Commitment to Excellence Award is NOT awarded annually! This honor is reserved only for those manufacturers that go above and beyond normal business practices and greatly exceed

the expectations of Pitman Creek.”

With that Johnson announced, “This commitment is exemplified by ZMan Fishing Products and its rare collection of capabilities, from product innovation, manufacturing, customer partnerships and connection with the consumer via Social Media Marketing.”

ZMan Fishing Products was recognized as one of the world’s exceptional fishing tackle manufactures, earning the coveted Pitman Creek Commitment to Excellence Award. In addition to receiving this distinguished award, all tackle dealers attending the 27th Annual Dealer Show voted ZMan’s 2020 new TRD BugZ the ‘Best Soft

Page 35

Best Bassin’

by Bill Decoteau, Hampden, MA

Lure’. (www.ZmanFishingProducts.com) ZMan National Sales Manager Glenn Young is quick to give total recognition to everyone within ZMan Fishing Products!

Elated to be receiving the 2019 Pitman Creek distinguished Commitment to Excellence Award, Young included ZMan’s 2018 Pitman Creek President’s Award as a motivating factor to ZMan Fishing Products’ dedication in achieving the company’s long-term goals.

ZMan Fishing revealed 17 new products for 2020.

Just weeks after winning the Pitman Creek Awards ZMan Fishing Products helped win Gold and Silver Medals! ZMan Pro

Staffers Mark Daniels Jr. and Brian (B.Lat) Latimer won the Individual-Team Gold Medal representing Team USA during the October 2019 Pan American Black Bass Games held in Canada.

Daniels and Latimer, along with other Team USA members finessed an overall 2nd Place Silver Medal finish utilizing ZMan ElaZtech soft plastic TRD Ned rigs and Drop-Shot Finesse WormZ. While Team Canada members depended on ZMan Chatterbait’s ‘JackHamer’ and ‘Chatterbait Freedom’ to claim the overall Pan American Championship Gold Medal by .01 pounds!

As if Gold and Silver Medals, Best in Show Soft Lure and Pitman Creek’s es-

teem Commitment to Excellence Award wasn’t enough to celebrate with? Chicago, Illinois angler Joe Capilupo set the Illinois State Smallmouth record landing a Lake Michigan 7 lb. 3 oz.

Smallmouth Bass he caught utilizing a ZMan 1/5 oz. Ned Rig jighead paired with a ZMan Finesse TRD! Overwhelmed with ZMan’s string of unbelievable accolades, I placed a call to my good friend Professional FLW Tour Champion and ZMan Pro Staffer Brian (B.Lat) Latimer.

Knowing B.Lat to be a TRD Finesse Expert, I wanted to gather his insight on some of the new 2020 ZMan Fishing

(TRD cont. pg 36)

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Page 36

Northwoods Sporting Journal

TRD

(Cont. from pg 35) Products.

After elaborating on

the various new 2020 ZMan products, I bluntly said, “Pick your favorite Finesse TRD bait and explain how and why you would rig it

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along with the best way to fish it!” After a short pause, B.Lat replied, “ZMan TRD TicklerZ rigged on a NedlockZ HD jighead, to me it’s the most effective Ned Rig bait as it represents both crawfish and baitfish when retrieved along the bottom.

However, there is no wrong way to fish the TRD TicklerZ as it is a Do-Nothing style bait!” “The TRD TicklerZ is 2.75-inch solid body and has four tentacles which flare out at 45-degree angles, these tentacles just entice the bass to eat it as their realistic natural action come alive. I believe ‘Fall-Rate’ is most important, so I would suggest starting off with a 1/10 oz. NedlockZ HD jighead and change as needed.”

Latimer’s equipment for his Finesse tactics includes; Favorite Rods 7ft 1in. M/MH Sick Stick spin-

January 2020 ning rod, saddle with a #30 spinning reel spooled with either 20 lb. braid w/6-8 lb. fluorocarbon leader or spooled with 6-10 lb. straight fluorocarbon line.

To follow Professional FLW Tour Angler Brian Latimer log unto www.BrianLatimerFishing.com God Bless and Best Bassin’.

Billy “Hawkeye” Decoteau is an outdoor journalist with a strong passion for pursuing the Black Bass. His activities include; emceeing The Bass University weekend educational seminar programs, as well as emceeing benefit tournaments such as Maine’s Annual May Special Olympics Team Tournament, Fishing For Freedom, and working with the USO.

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January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Hellgrammites and Crayfish

One of my favorite flies for landlocked salmon and trout is the well-known hellgrammite, which is technically the larval stage of the dobsonfly. It is very similar to its smaller cousins, the fishflies that tend to inhabit the cooler areas of rocky and stony streams and is often used interchangeably. The dobson fly larva however is larger and frequently inhabits the warmer areas of slower moving waters. A good generic imitation of both is the clipped hackle wooly worm

pattern in the darker colors that I have written about in previous columns. Since the larvae of both live essentially on the bottom, it is necessary to either weight them

under the thorax and/or fish these patterns with a sinking tip or sinking fly line. In moving water, the cast should be well upstream and allowed to drift into the area where the fish are laying. Strike indicators may be helpful when using a floating line.

I look for small deep pools located immediately below drop offs and other similar places where your fly can be caught in eddy currents and circulated naturally through the pool, retrieving the fly slowly to cast again every couple of minutes or so. In still water, wait however long it takes for your

Page 37

Fly Fishing

by Joe Bertolaccini, Orrington fly to reach the bottom before starting the retrieve. It should be very slow at first, alternating the hand twist retrieve with longer strips and then speeding up as the fly comes off the bottom. Often times, fish will follow the fly from down deep and then suddenly take it as it speeds up toward the surface.

Following is a favorite dressing for the hellgrammite: Hook – Size 8, 4x long.

Thread – Black 6/0.

Tail – Black goose biots or

quills.

Body – Black floss.

Rib – Black ostrich herl spiraled over abdomen.

Wingcase – Black goose quill brought forward over the legs and thorax.

Thorax – Black chenille, black dubbed fur or peacock herl.

Legs – Picked out dubbed fur or collared black hackle.

Recommended sequence of tying steps: 1. Wrap a small bump of thread above the hook barb and tie in two goose

(Crayfish cont. pg 64)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 38

Bruiser (Cont. from pg 32) of it. I slowed to a creep as I could see the track going to the first blowdown. As I was searching every inch of those blowdowns, the buck jumped up twenty-five yards to my right. I couldn’t find an opening until he was out to 75 yards and I touched off the shot knowing that it was a hail Mary. I was kicking myself for not seeing him lying there, but I was just too focused on the blowdowns.

When we walked down to where I had shot, I could see that his track had slowed to a walk and disappeared into the green growth. We backed up and sat down for a sandwich and a half hour wait.

When we started again, I couldn’t believe that the buck had laid back down 25 yards from where I had shot at him and we had spooked him again. I knew right then that this buck was worn out and I was sure I could get him if I played my cards right. The buck wandered for about a mile

before heading into an old cut over spruce bog where we jumped him again when he was bedded under a cedar blowdown that he had been feeding on. He only went a couple hundred yards before stopping and waiting on us before running off again. All this buck wanted to do is eat and sleep. We bumped him out of his bed one more time before taking a short break to let him settle down.

This time he went a long way, but he was just slogging along slowly, and I realized that I shouldn’t have taken the break. He went through a lot of open country where there was a good chance of seeing him on his feet. The buck was traveling in pretty much a straight line the entire time and we were now a long way from the truck. At 3 O’clock after traveling through the open country, he headed into the green growth. I told Will that we would leave him for the night and pick up the track in the morning. We had a five mile walk back to the truck, but luckily after we had hit the main logging road, it was shortened by

two miles when we got a ride. With aching legs and a full belly, I rolled into bed for some much-needed rest.

The next morning shortly after daylight, we were headed back in to pick up the track. 300 hundred yards from where we had left the track, the buck had fed for quite some time and bedded down for a while.

His bed had a dusting of snow from the night and the track leaving it was just slogging along slowly. He went about a mile before crossing the road we had driven in on. The track led down a ravine to a brook with a hardwood ridge on the other side. I scan the woods before easing down the steep ridge. Just then I heard Will say: big buck, big buck. I could see where he was looking but there were several spruce trees in front of me. As I eased back up, I spotted the buck bounding up the ridge on the other side of the brook. There was no chance for a shot, but we both could see that he had a good set of antlers. The buck had spent the rest of the night feeding and bedding in

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that ravine. `Now that we had caught up to him, it was game on again. I got back on his track and eased along searching the woods ahead.

After jumping him two more times, I had his M.O. He would bound a short way and then slow down and drag his feet just before he would lay down. After about another mile he made his way up a steep ridge in an old whip filled cut. By now we were only about a mile from the Canadian border and I was afraid he might cross it. He hustled up a skid road and turn right to the next one and repeated it several times before dragging his feet again. I slowed down, eased ahead and saw him get out of his bed and run off. I could get a shot, but he stopped again at about 75 yards in the whips. I put the bead on him and fired thinking it was another hail Mary and the buck never moved, confirming it. He just waked away as I was loading up again.

To my relief, the buck turned back downhill and ran back down to where he had just been. The woods were much better there for another chance of killing him. He bounded about a half mile and once again slowed to his foot dragging walk. I peeked around every corner thinking that I would catch him walking away.

His track led down a skid trail with thick spruce along it. When the track turned hard left, I peeked around a spruce and there he was laying in his bed at 50 yards looking back on his track. I put the bead at the base of

January 2020 his neck at the snow line and touch off the shot. When the smoke cleared, I could see him stretched out in his bed. It had all finally come together. The culmination of a long season with a buck that I had been hoping for.

He was a big bodied old boy that had probably dropped 40 pounds over the season as his backbone and hip were sticking out of his hide. He had a beautiful heavy rack with long beams and tall tines. It was an emotional moment and once again I thanked the Good Lord for such a magnificent animal.

It was 11 0’clock and we had put on 12 miles over two days and it was worth every minute of it. We spent a half hour taking photos and then built a fire to toast our sandwiches before the drag out. I knew that were not very far from and old logging road, so I got out my OnX app to check. To my surprise the road was only 500 feet away. We grabbed our gear and set out to find the best way to drag. We pushed through a spruce thicket and hit a skidder trail.

I told Will that I could get my snowmobile in to there.

We walked the mile back to the truck rode my snowmobile in and shortened the drag to 75 yards! When we got him on the scales at the tagging station, he tipped the scales at 208 pounds.

He was a heavyweight for December 6th.

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Early Days in Maine

This incident happened to D. R. Howe when he was only thirteen, being published in Forest and Steam on February 21, 1914.

“One morning about the middle of September my brother, some two years younger than myself, and I, started for a moose hunt. I had a new rifle—a 44 Winchester—and I was proud of that gun. We headed for the south branch of the Machias stream, about sixteen miles from home, where moose were as thick as could be.

We passed an old hunter who told us to “be careful” as at that time of the year moose were cross. But as we thought he was only trying to scare us, we paid no

attention to his good advice.

We landed about noon, made camp, cut up a large pile of wood and made ready to stay for two weeks. The next morning about four o’clock we heard an awful bellow up the stream, a short distance and grabbed our rifles, jumped into our “Perog” and started. We knew it was a moose calling. Now our “Perog,” as we called it, was a log hollowed out and shaped like a canoe, about as hard to keep right side up as an ordinary log. I had gone “heels over head” out of it more than once.

We went up stream about a mile. I was in the bow. We were both standing, poling, my rifle laid ready.

Emily Bastian of New Gloucester Bagged this 9-pointer during the November season.

Suddenly the bushes parted right under the bow, and a large black object showed up. I waited for nothing more, but placed three shots as quick as I could work the lever, and that was pretty quick. We heard the animal run back into the woods, then heard a heavy thud and knew it was down. We landed the “Perog” and started in, I being in the lead. The bushes were as thick as the hairs on a dog’s back, with paths through them made by the game to drink and feed.

Suddenly we heard a grunt and the bushes swayed and cracked. My brother broke and ran for the stream.

I stood my ground about two seconds, then I headed for water, but too late. The moose saw me and charged after me. Say, I only remember hitting the ground once.

I felt his breath coming against my head. The next I knew I cleared the bank, went straight down, I don’t know how deep. But when I rose to the surface the moose had made back to its mate which I had shot. There was some awful bellowing.

I have heard moose bellow a thousand times since, but never like that.

I swam ashore on the

Page 39

Old Tales from the Maine Woods

by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA

opposite side, crawled into the bushes and lay quiet.

Suddenly the moose came again, bellowing and tearing straight for us. My brother fainted. I set my jaws and waited. When the bull came in sight, I could not raise my rifle—it had suddenly grown heavy. As luck would have it, he turned up the bank; I tell you I felt relieved.

We waited awhile, laying flat on the ground. Pretty soon we heard the brush crack behind us. Then I was scared. I grabbed my brother, dragged him to the

“Perog,” put him in it, and started downstream. He came to a little, but I could barely let him breath. We did not stop at camp, but made for our home where I got older brother and a cousin and went back. We found the cow moose I had shot, pretty well pounded to pieces. The two bulls had met and fought.

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 40

January 2020

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January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Crazy Moose

Page 41

What's In Your Woods

by Bud Utecht, Dedham, ME

Having cameras spread all over the State comes with a few geographical challenges. There are certain camera locations that cannot be checked in an afternoon.

Weekend treks are planned to make journeys to very remote spots.

Every September my brother and I head to the western Maine Mountains with backpacks, tents and freeze dried food. We really become excited about the annual fall trip. In addition to checking cameras that have been untouched since spring, we explore new areas. In our minds, this year’s trip would be no different than past treks and our itinerary included a few new mountainous areas to explore.

Upon arriving on a Friday evening, my brother and I went right in the woods to check six or seven cameras. We did this because checking them all Saturday would not give us time to explore the new mountain areas. When we arrived back at the truck to set up camp, another truck pulling in to our remote spot took us by surprise. It was a bear hunter who had a bait site in the area. We apologized and offered to relocate the campsite as we respect hunters and did not want to ruin someone’s guided hunt. The guide was a great guy and said he was going to put his

client on another stand and it was not an issue. He asked if we were planning to stay there for the night, which I informed him we were. He looked at us puzzled and said, “The bait site is very close” and I responded that it wasn’t an issue. It’s not very often you actually see someone’s ‘speech bubble’ but his was clear, “these guys are nuts”. Maybe true.

Bright and early the next morning we headed deep in the woods to check the rest of the cameras. The trip would have us removing some cameras and checking others. We would swap out some for the new area. After the fourth camera check we headed in to inspect one that we set up during our annual three brother spring hike.

I approached the camera when my brother said, “did you hear that, something is over there”. I had not heard it but the dogs had and they were alert. I had a hunch that whatever he heard would be long gone, so I just started

getting the pictures off the SD card.

While I’m looking at the pictures, Art, my brother, says “holy &$#! .there’s a moose right there”. This moose was walking right towards us and stopped about 30 yards out. Then after a few more expletives flying out of my brother’s mouth, he tells me his camera is packed and struggles to dig it out quickly from his back pack. So Art is rummaging for the camera and I see the dogs going to investigate the moose. I think my dogs weigh about forty pounds between the two of them, so I wasn’t worried for the moose’s sake. The pups went into the opening that the moose was in and the moose started to leave the area. I’m telling Art to hurry or we would miss the photo opportunity. The dogs began pushing the moose away until the large critter decided he was not running from a Rat Terrier and a Boggle.

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admit this however it’s a great story.

The young bull turned and went after the canine pair and it was not long before they decided the moose was larger than they were.

Do you know what little dogs do when being chased by a moose? They run. The problem is they run to you.

Through the trees the bull charged full steam ahead closing in on the distance between us, until he saw my brother standing there in his bright yellow rain coat. At this point, I’m thinking the camera must be ready and pictures would be a great addition for the annual fall trek story.

Evidently moose don’t like yellow or my brother.

Never figured out which the bull liked less as he turned and started to run back where he came from and so did the dogs. However, it did not take long for the moose, terrier, and boggle game to start up again. Mr. Moose reversed direction quickly and

came right at us. This time it looked as though he was not stopping and intended to run Art over. I yelled out, “He’s coming. He’s coming in hard”, as Art was fumbling with his camera. Art turned to run as the moose stopped in his tracks. He was much closer this time. My brother was looking over his shoulder and saw it stop. Art stopped, turned back around, caught his breath while feverishly waving his hand in the moose’s face and yelled “get outta here”.

And that’s just what he did. Another fall brotherly bonding trip in the books.

Bud Utecht is a register Maine Guide, avid wildlife enthusiast and trail camera consultant. His trail cameras are strategically placed throughout the Maine Woods. Feel free to email Bud for trail camera tips or to discuss what’s in your woods. bud@whatsinyourwoods.com

Page 42

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Fishin’ Lake Ontario

by Capt. Ernie Lantiegne, N.Y. It was one of those late August mornings on Lake Ontario when king salmon were being very, very fussy.

For the first hour after daybreak the spoons that had been catching fish every trip had been ignored. Ditto

do the same.

Surprisingly, many anglers who troll inland waters do not fish Dipsys or have been unsuccessful fishing them. That is unfortunate, because once an angler mastes their use, Dipsy

Dipsy Divers are just as deadly in Sebago, Winnipesaukee and other inland lakes as they are in Lake Ontario. on the copper lines we were fishing.

Not so, with the Jplugs trailing our two Dipsy Divers. They had been on fire producing 7 hits and 4 big kings in the box. Later, the riggers lit up, but the first hour, only Dipsy Divers did the damage.

This is why most Great Lakes charter boats almost always fish two or more Dipsy Divers on wire, braided, or monofilament line.

Over the years, Dipsys have accounted for about 25 percent of my clients’ trout and salmon catch. Other Great Lakes charter captains

Divers are just as deadly in Sebago, Winnipesaukee and other inland lakes as they are in Lake Ontario.

Two keys to successfully using them are, 1) fishing them properly on the right rod and reel, and 2) fishing them at controlled depths. A third is to forget the notion that Dipsys only catch fish in deep water, and start fishing them boat side with as little as 25 feet of line between the Dipsy and your rod tip when fish are near the surface, especially landlocks and brown trout.

Stepping back, a Dipsy Diver is a directional diving planer originally manufac-

January 2020

Simple, Deadly, Dipsy Divers

tured by Luhr Jensen.

It has a weighted keel This with settings from “0”, landlock which will fish straight hit a back and deepest, to copper 3.5” which will fish Mauler wide to port or starbehind board and shallowest, well out of the way a green of other rods you’re dipsy on trolling. A Dipsy at- May 25, taches to your fish- 2019 just ing line, and a bait outside or lure trails behind Oswego it on 6 to 8 feet of 15 Harbor. to 30 lb. test leader.

A tension adjustment trigger snaps the Dipsy into dive mode. Either a pull by in diameter and dives to 20 a fish or a the angler takes it feet is ideal for shallower out of dive mode, reducing inland lakes. the resistance of the diver Depth fished depends in the water as you retrieve on the size of the Dipsy, it, hopefully with a fish at- the amount of line in the tached. water, the diameter of the A depth chart is in- line, and the rudder setting cluded with each new Dipsy. on the dipsy. The finer the Available in four different line diameter, the less water sizes, the #1(4 1/8” diam.) resistance and the deeper is most commonly used in the diver will descend on a Lake Ontario. It reaches given length of line. a depth of 50 feet on 20# The first step in fishing monofilament line and over a Dipsy properly is to mount 100 feet on thinner diameter on the port and starboard 40# braid or 30# 7-strand gunnels of your boat, rod stainless wire. The size #30 holders that position your Dipsy which is only 2 ¼” rod horizontally to the lake surface. Secondly, use a line counter reel on a 9-foot rod rod with a medium heavy action for the larger Dipsys and a medium light action

for the smaller Dipsys.

To avoid the most common problem encountered by anglers new to using directional diving planers, let out the Dipsy slowly under tension at trolling speed. If not, and your line goes slack, the diver free falls and you end up with a twisted mess.

If you haven’t tried Dipsy Divers in the lakes and ponds fish, trust me…, the gain is worth the pain!

Capt. Ernie Lantiegne has operated Fish Doctor Charters on Lake Ontario for 39 years and worked as a fishery biologist/manager for the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation for 22 years.

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January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Becky’s Buck of a Lifetime

“We found new public land to hunt,” explained Becky Sucy, “So, we set up a stand and started hunting from it this season.” What Becky didn’t realize at the time, was that the spot that she picked was in prime swamp buck territory.

Becky laughed when I asked if she knew how many deer were in the area, “We

didn’t put any trail cameras out because we didn’t want to get focused on chasing one certain deer.” Instead, she put in the time and effort to be in the woods, in the right place and at the right time. She and her husband, Aaron went out one afternoon as the rut was just beginning. Aaron had tagged out earlier in the season so

he sat at the bottom of the tree and called while Becky climbed into the tree stand.

Aaron used a combination of a buck grunt and doe bleat and after about 90 minutes, Becky could hear the deer coming. “It sounded like a horse trotting. I had to stand up and peer around the tree to try and see the deer.”

Her first glimpse of the buck was just of his antlers. She knew that the deer was a shooter and she needed to get prepared. She sat back

Page 43

Women In The Woods

by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME see movement and then I could see his head.” Becky explained, “I put my sights on his head and took two deep breathes. When I saw his shoulder, I shot.”

Becky watched the deer run but she and Aaron could not find blood or hair.

“I climbed back into my stand and directed Aaron to

Below her, Aaron watched as the buck came into his calls, searching for a fight. In his mind, he tried to will Becky to shoot. down and got her gun ready for when the buck went through an opening.

Below her, Aaron watched as the buck came into his calls, searching for a fight. In his mind, he tried to will Becky to shoot. He could see the entire deer and didn’t know why she was waiting. “All I could see was bits and pieces of this deer. It was so thick from my vantage point. I could

Erin is a member of the OWAA and the New England Outdoor Writers Association. She is a senior writer for Drury Outdoors’ DeerCast and is the President and co-Founder of the nonprofit group Women of the Maine Outdoors. You can read about Erin’s adventures and contact her at www. andastrongcupofcoffee.com

Keeping the List

The Bird Perch

by Karen Holmes, Cooper, ME It is now January and I made my birder “New Year’s Resolution” on the 1st. It was to see 200 birds species from my Maine Audubon Field Checklist of Maine Birds. I saw over 170 bird species in 2019. In 2018 I saw only 164, but in 2017 I saw 169 species. These were almost all seen in Down East Maine. In order to reach my 2020 goal I will have to go out on pelagic trips in the Bay of Fundy. I will then be able to see shearwaters, petrels, jaegers, and alcids such as Razorbills, and Murres.

Since I wrote this column

where I last saw the deer.

Finally, we found some blood.” They tracked the buck and found a lot of blood when he jumped over a log. They caught up to it in some tall grass and Becky shot him again when he jumped up and tried to run. The buck stumbled and splashed into the stream.

“I was elated,” said Becky, “This is an incredible, beautiful deer. We didn’t

know how big he was until we waded into the stream to get him. And at that point, I was excited that he ran in the direction that we needed to go to get back out of the woods.” Becky and Aaron dragged the 200 lb deer down the stream and up the hill to their truck, careful to not get any of the 12 points stuck into the mud or dirt.

For Becky, it’s the second deer that she has shot but it is a once-in-a-lifetime buck that she will be able to remember forever.

in November 2019 as it has to be done two months ahead, I hope in January and February 2020 I will see irruptive species such as Snowy Owls, Northern Shrike, Bohemian Waxwing, Pine Grosbeak, Common Redpolls, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Pine Siskins. These northern bird species tend to arrive in Down East Maine when less food is available for them up north. It is “catch as catch can”. My 2019 list lacked Green Heron, Snowy Egret, American Bittern, and Virginia Rail, so I had

better visit more fresh water wetlands. My list contained few Plover and Sandpiper species and I will endeavor to go to more salt water wetlands and beaches.

The owls in 2019 were not easy to see or hear for some reason and I hope I find Great Horned, Northern Saw-whet, and Long-eared Owls. My warbler list lacked the Bay-breasted and Bluewinged Warblers.

It seems that more species are moving up from the south into Down East Maine every year. So I hope to see Red-bellied Woodpecker again and for the first time see Tufted Titmouse and Carolina Wren.

Keeping a year’s list I have done now in Maine

interesting and fun to keep records over the years and compare and contrast the results.

and in Massachusetts for over 43 years. I see species in Maine I never saw in Massachusetts such as the Pileated Woodpecker. Yet there I easily saw Green and Black-crowned Night Herons. Birders from Massachusetts come to Down East Maine to see Boreal Chickadees and Spruce Grouse. It is

Karen Holmes is a naturalist living in Cooper, Maine. She hopes to have successfully hunted a deer in 2019 on her 74 acres. The woods and fields have abundant wildlife. She writes for various publications and is an Associate Member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 44

News

who hunted and fished in Maine often. He is survived by his wife Mary, who is Executive Secretary of the outdoor writer’s organization. Wayne MacCallum, former director of the Mass Wildlife Division said this of Julius: Randy was a true sportsmen/ conservationist.

(Cont. from pg 31) Writers Association for more than a decade passed away Dec. 13 at his home in East Bridgewater, Mass.

Julius was a popular and dedicated leader of NEOWA and an active sportsman

vocate and support fish and wildlife conservation. His prints were a mainstay and raised much money at Ducks Unlimited banquets. He was an enthusiastic supporter in the development of the

He had passion for the outdoors and was a gifted artist, writer, speaker and educator.

A l ways there to contribute and help ad-

January 2020

Massachusetts Wildlands Conservation Stamp. His painting of the inaugural stamp of a woodland scene with a roughed grouse, trillium and stonewall captured the essence of spring in the woods of Massachusetts.

He could be counted on to step up and serve on various

(News cont. pg 48)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Too Many Does?

On the upside, I got to hunt almost every day of the season. That means I was out there in all sorts of conditions: rain, sleet, snow, blistering wind, and yes, even on those unseasonable 50-degree days. It’s

dictions at the department level were for a near-record breaking harvest.

Conversations with other hunters, with only a few exceptions, were corroborating this finding. They just weren’t seeing the deer

state’s buck only regulation is still in effect, making it the rule of law for most of the state of Maine.

Maybe it’s time for the science behind that law to be explained, and defended one more time. Too often in

Page 45

The Singing Maine Guide

by Randy Spencer, Grand Lake Stream, ME archery lands, I witnessed 40 does at a time moving as a herd without a single buck in the group. If there were sufficient numbers of bucks to warrant all hunting efforts being targeted towards them, wouldn’t the most stalwart hunters in the group

rotisserie turn to get situated for a shot, only to find that it was a quadruped alright, just not the kind I was hoping for. That porcupine was fun to watch though. He waddled out of sight about half an hour later.

Getting out there is

So, deer biologists, can you show us at least, the evidence that the population of does is not overbalancing the population of males?

Illustration by V. Paul Reynolds what I love. The watching, the listening, the being still for hours on end in an attempt to outwit an animal whose eyesight is better than mine, whose hearing is better than mine, and whose life depends on every sensory and instinctual power it can muster.

Along about the second week, I began to realize I wasn’t seeing the deer I would usually have seen by this time. Had they abandoned their old, tried and true haunts? Was the abundant mast crop having something to do with changing their movements and visibility? Was the high water table and so much flooding in the woods playing a part as well? Meanwhile, pre-

they were used to seeing.

The ones hunting expanded archery lands were seeing the usual stampede of does, but rarely a buck, even at the peak of the rut.

All of it, of course, is unscientific, and would better be described as chatter, or grousing, and will most likely be disproven when the harvest numbers eventually come out. There’s one thing, however, that keeps coming up in that chatter, and that’s the buck only law. Yes, there are many ways around it if you live in or near the right wildlife management districts. You can win the anterless deer lottery, or get a bonus tag, or hunt expanded archery and get an unlimited number of does. But the

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guiding, in hosting hunters, and in being part of various hunting adventures, the news that comes back to camp is all about does. We know that bucks are a retiring animal by nature, except perhaps, during the rut. It does seem though, that the hunting routine has become one of several hunters chasing the same buck around a huge area while seeing does on most of these outings.

This year, on expanded

stumble across bucks more often? So, deer biologists, can you show us at least, the evidence that the population of does is not overbalancing the population of males?

I guess you could say that the downside of the season was getting skunked, but that’s only if you discount the love of the hunt. The late season was great, with tracking snow galore (actually, there was tracking snow in early November) and some great days to be waving in the wind from a tree stand. On one memorable evening, I was frozen to my seat, staring straight ahead when I began to hear rustling off to my left. I studied the cadence and weight of the footfall, and determined that it seemed right. I began my

what it’s all about. That’s what I always fall back on when I don’t get a deer.

What would I replace that with if it were taken away?

Shopping? Watching TV? Social media? I don’t think so. I’m profoundly grateful to be able to go out there each time, full of anticipation that this might be the day. And if it isn’t, well then tomorrow might be.

That’s my connection to the outdoors that I never want to lose. It puts me in tune with the seasons, with nature, and well, maybe even with myself.

Randy Spencer is an author and guide. Reach him at randy31@earthlink.net, or via www.randyspencer. com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 46

Where are All the Birds?

Flight Feathers

by Brad Allen, Bangor, ME This question has plagued my staff of wildlife biologists all summer. While we have a number of theories that may factor into the answer, in truth, we’re not sure. Perhaps more importantly, what are we going to do about it? Below I’ll address some of the bird population theories I’ve heard or read about this fall.

If you are interested in birds, one cannot ignore the September article in the journal Science that reported that since 1970, bird populations in the United States and Canada have declined by 29 percent, or almost 3 billion birds, signaling a widespread ecological crisis. The authors report significant losses across diverse groups of birds and habitats. The study reported that 90 percent of the reduction were in 12 bird

January 2020

families including sparrows, warblers, finches, and swallows, common widespread bird feeder birds that play influential roles in food webs and ecosystem functioning from seed dispersal to pest control. Because birds are indicators of environmental health, it’s not a stretch to assume that many habitats and systems are now being severely impacted by human activities and that our space no longer can support robust bird populations. Two groups of birds recording the steepest declines are grassland birds and shorebirds, two groups we have been very concerned about here in Maine because these birds use sensitive and somewhat rare grassland and coastal habitats.

The study did not analyze the causes for the declines but postulated that

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bird friendly coffee grow in shade-grown areas that preserves a forest canopy in Latin America; and (7) Protect our planet from plastic.

If these suggestions don’t work for you, you might simply want to support a conservation group like Ducks Unlimited or become a member and support a land trust (e.g.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust) whose collective missions are to protect habitat.

I’ll end on a positive note. The previously referenced study in Science documented a few promising bird rebound scenarios resulting from galvaPhoto of a Bohemian waxwing by Paul Cyr. nized human efforts. causes of bird declines and northern Maine this year (a Waterfowl populations have have documented mortal- general lack of young grouse vastly improved over the last ity from predation by free- in the population) and de- 50 years, made possible by roaming cats, collisions with spite what appears to be no investments in conservaglass, buildings, and other shortage of wild turkeys, we tion by hunters and billions structures; and a general did record one of the lowest of dollars of government pervasive use of pesticides ratios of poults to adult hens funding for wetland protecand associated declines in this past August, indicating tion and restoration. Raptors insects, an essential food less than ideal production such as the bald eagle have source for birds. Climate from this population as well. also made spectacular comechange is expected to comSo what can I do to backs since the 1970s after pound these challenges by help reverse bird declines? the harmful pesticide DDT altering habitats and threat- After a little bit of internet was banned and recovery ening plant communities searching I found an article efforts through endangered that birds rely on to survive. out of the Cornell Lab of species legislation in the While the above noted Ornithology that provided U.S. and Canada provided article documents a cata- a list of things we all can critical protections. These strophic reduction in over- do. Every suggestion may efforts are possible when we all bird numbers, others not work for you but any invest in birds. Every state have speculated some other progress would likely be in the U.S. has a Wildlife reasons for the current per- beneficial. Here are the sev- Action Plan, but these plans ceived low numbers of birds. en things we all can do. (1) need funds to support the Besides the general lack in Watch birds and share what well-articulated Conservainsect numbers, other natu- you see; (2) Make windows tion Actions. ral foods appear abundant on safer with decals or bird the landscape and perhaps friendly glass; (3) Keep Brad Allen is a wildlife birds are not spending as cats indoors; (4) Reduce biologist with MDIF&W. He much time around our bird the size of your lawn and is also an avid bird hunter feeders because there’s plen- plant native plants to add and gun dog man. He would ty of food elsewhere. But interest and beauty to your be pleased to receive feedthis will change because bird yard; (5) Avoid pesticides back on his articles. E-mail numbers fluctuate annually (particularly insecticides him at brad.allen@maine. anyway. Was this past spring and weed killers); (6) Drink gov the largest factor driving declines is likely widespread loss and degradation of habitat, especially due to agricultural intensification and urbanization. Other studies have looked at various

and summer poor for baby birds and overall survival of young just happened to be below average this year?

From a game bird perspective this was borne out by poor grouse numbers in

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 47

Ear Hunting

Northwoods Sketchbook

by Mark McCollough, Hampden, ME

Crunch, crunch, scuffle-scurry. What was that! I hunt as much with my ears as my eyes in the deer woods in November. The various noises I hear and their interesting patterns keep me on my toes throughout the long day of still hunting. With fresh leaves on the ground, the woodland denizens make a lot of noise.

Being a good listener has resulted in many successful deer hunts.

Only on the rarest of occasions have I heard deer vocalize while hunting. A few times a grunting buck in rut chased a doe by me in the inky, predawn darkness while on my stand. I’ve heard a doe or fawn blat and bucks clashing antlers a few times. Once I saw the top of a sapling swaying wildly as it was being scraped by a buck, but it was so thick I never saw the deer. Years ago, I worked with captive deer at the University and was amazed to hear how frequently they talk to each other. Their blats, groans,

and grunts are subtle, and the sound does not carry far in the deer woods. Of course, the exhaled blow, snort, or stamping feet usually means that all you will see is a white tail wagging goodbye through the forest.

I pay close attention to the tattletales, red squirrels and blue jays. They take their jobs seriously and belie the existence of all that is foreign to their woods.

On the rare occasion they scold a buck or red fox on the move, but more often

they are irate at finding me.

My blaze orange is a calling card for blue jays who circle and cry their distaste for my intrusion into “their” woods.

Red squirrels don’t see color but pick out my slow movements while still hunting.

After an excruciatingly slow stalk through a cedar stand, its frustrating to have one of these chatterers patter their feet and lecture me for 15 minutes. I’ve experienced jays and red squirrels within inches of my face giving me the worst possible scolding.

I know deer are listening to them in November!

With the woods full of animals trying to fatten up for the winter, there is a lot of activity in the crunchy autumn leaves. You can learn to distinguish some patterns of sound. Just like birds, the first thing chipmunks and red squirrels do in the morning is call to defend their territory. Their chatters and chips guarantee they’ll be busy making lots of rustling near your morning stand.

Their hop-hop-hop-stop gait is usually easy to pick out. Larger gray squirrels do much the same, but often deceive me that a deer is coming. Sometimes you hear the remains of their breakfast dribbling on the crisp leaves below. Red-backed voles and shrews travel under the leaves and rustle a leaf here and there. They are fun to

watch poking their quivering noses out from under a log or stump.

I’m continuing my career-long search for the perfect hunting hat that allows me to hear. It must keep the rain and sun out of my eyes, my topknot warm, and allow me to hear without restraint. I’ve tried many iterations, but presently am using a concoction of a blaze orange ball cap covered with a knit toque. On the coldest days I cover my ears with the toque, but know that it comes with a cost of diminishing my hearing.

A clear, crisp, still morning is perfect for my form of ear hunting. But sounds from nearby traffic carries far on these rare, still days. It frustrates me to hear trucks on the distant

(Hunting cont. pg 53)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 48

Conservation Loopholes Hurt Striper Stocks

Salt Corner

by Doug Jowett, Brunswick, ME

I hate repeating the same message over and over again. But it’s important for striped bass anglers to understand that the Atlantic Ocean’s population of striped bass is in trouble. Even the stubborn Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council (ASMFC) has officially stated the striped bass stocks are over fished and over fishing is happening.

As previously speculated by me, the likely 2020 striper regulations would be one fish 34 or 35 inches long or larger over the entire east coast, including Chesapeake Bay where the vast majority of stripers spawn.

ASMFC held public hearings along the entire coast during the fall of 2019 and accepted written testimony as the process requires.

Overwhelmingly, the recreational anglers selected a

limit of one fish per day over 34 or 35 inches. Commercial and charter interests wanted a slot limit built around the most available fish. So money talks and conservation loses again as the ASMFC offered a one fish slot limit of 27 to 35 inches

for recreational anglers and a commercial limit to be determined. Then enters the convoluted Chesapeake Bay area limits which also includes a trophy season that allows fishing over large breeding stripers before they even spawn and also other limits inside and outside the Bay area.

Their entire regulation system is quite generous and complicated. I will confess to not really understanding

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all the exceptions given to the area for recreational and commercial angler including charter and for hire boats. If that isn’t enough of a loop hole, there is a system allowed called conservation equivalency which allows states to submit plans outside the general regulations proposed. Conservation

A back door way of getting what you want just for your state.

You might ask why Maine doesn’t stand up and complain. Well we do, but the state is a minuscule player in the politically, influential system.

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You might ask why Maine doesn’t stand up and complain.

Well we do, but the state is a minuscule player in the politically, influential system.

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Equivalency is defined as “Actions taken by a state which differ from the specific requirements of the FMP but which achieve the same quantified level of conservation for the resource under management”. Now, doesn’t that sound like a loophole to be taken advantage of? Usually these plans are a gift to money making systems like tournaments, charter boats, for hire boat desires and commercial fishing interests.

Crazy plans just to kill more and larger fish. It’s a way to game the system as they say.

watering hole, I met up with one of the members of the ASMFC striped bass technical committee which recommends to ASMFC commissioners what they feel should be the best regulations to propose. I asked the person how they go about their decision process.

I was shocked but not surprised when he said we ask the commissioners how they want the report to look and we make the technical report reflect their wishes. Guess he had too much fire water.

I would like to believe that

process has changed since then. But the obvious conservation measures never seem to be adopted for long term success.

As they say, now you know how they make sausage in Washington, DC. I was reminded of that cliché while butchering my deer for the freezer. Maybe Commissioner Patrick Keliher from Maine as the newly selected Chairman of ASMFC can bring some sanity to the system..

Captain Doug Jowett is a Master Maine Guide holding a USCG Captain’s License who charters on Cape Cod and Maine. He has been writing outdoors columns and articles since 1965 in regional and national publications and in six books. Reach him at: http://www.mainestripedbassfishing.com

News

(Cont. from pg 44)

formal and informal committees. He was a multi-term President of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, a regular featured presenter at the Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp evening programs, an effective speaker at Legislative and Regulatory Public Hearings on fish and wildlife matters, and an active participant in sportsman’s clubs at the local, league and state level as well as other conservation groups.

Randy was truly “salt of the earth”. He contributed much to maintaining and protecting our environment.

He contributed much to our Outdoor Heritage and way of life.

January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Yellowbelly Bucket

My friend John has a theory about why time passes more quickly as we grow older. It’s quite simple and it makes a lot of sense to me.

When we are young – say five years old – a year seems to last forever. When we are 60 that same span of time seems to pass so quickly that we find it hard to believe

try to be the first to catch the first perch of the day, I have found that I actually enjoy watching him try to beat all of us to the flag. Now, God knows, I am not one to sit back and not try to fill a bucket, but now it seems that the company I keep is more important than who catches the first fish. At the end of

from the southern end of the big lake started coming in on www.iceshanty.com on Sunday, Dec 1. Bluegills and smaller pike were some of the first fish to be pulled out of 3” of ice in Addison.

Another one of the first decent places to turn on with first ice is Alburgh Bay. It may pay off to do some reconnaissance though. The early yellowbellies tend to cluster near structure and

Page 49

Green Mountain Report

by Bradley Carleton, Charlotte, VT off the ultimate coup this summer and bought a nice little camp on the Georgia shore in St. Albans with access through the back yard for the ATV to get on the ice easily. We look forward to seeing on the hardwater this year!

will be ample opportunities to question and cajole with leading experts in every field, from turkey hunting to ice fishing, from waterfowl to big game in Alaska, from topwater fishing to stalking whitetails and everything in between. For a list of ex-

At the end of the day, whether one of us has filled a bucket or one of us has gotten skunked, it’s now how many fish we were able to catch. It’s how much joy we were able to experience.

that our parents may have passed away five years ago.

That last big buck we shot on the back forty happened 15 years ago. But it seems like just yesterday! Why? His theory is mathematical and bears consideration.

When we were five, one year was literally 1/5 of our entire life, when we’re 60, that same year is only 1/60th of our life. It seems to pass so quickly. And so now, we find ourselves staring down the barrel of yet another turn around the sun. What will 2020 bring to us? Well, we just can’t say. Some of our friends will have “graduated” to another level of existence. Others will hobble alongside us as we trek through the deep snow on the shoreline to get onto the new ice on the bay. We will set up our shanties, light propane stoves – which begs another curious question – why as we age does comfort mean more to us than “toughing it out” like we did when we were younger?

Sharing time on the ice with those who have walked beside us for years, perhaps decades, becomes even more meaningful. As I watch my dear friend Chris “Dot Com” Thayer, of Charlotte,

the day, whether one of us has filled a bucket or one of us has gotten skunked, it’s now how many fish we were able to catch. It’s how much joy we were able to experience. How full is your bucket?

By the time you read this, the smaller interior ponds should have enough ice on them and the bays of the big lake should be firming up nicely. Duck season ended early in the northern part of the lake due to ice locking up before Thanksgiving week. Reports

reefs. Another fine bet is Lake Carmi off the south end and way out in the middle in about 30’ of water. Last year this spot was on fire! Try jigging with Maki Plastics in the shape of freshwater shrimp and a super extra light action. Last year, the new noodle rods with the flat tip worked wonders.

Then there is always the early ice of Lake Iroquois in Hinesburgh. You must work your way through the many “dinks,” but if you stay at it and keep tossing them back, you can find a few slabbers for every dozen little ones.

My fishing buddy, Steve Osborne of Williston, pulled

Also, let’s not forget that January brings us the Yankee Sportsman’s Classic at the Champlain Valley Expo. This year it will land on Friday 1/17 from 12-7:00pm, Saturday 1/18 from 9:00am – 7:00pm and Sunday 1/19 from 9:00am – 4:00pm. Once again there

hibitors and seminars go to www.yankeeclassic.net. See you at the trout pond!

Bradley Carleton is the founder and Executive Director of www.sacredhunter.org which teaches the public respect and empathy through hunting and fishing.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 50

Vermont Ramblings

by Dennis Jensen, Vermont It was a request from a local guy, a man who does a ton of work for the community, helping to deliver Meals on Wheels for seniors, a representative for Trout Unlimited’s outstanding program for schoolchildren, a summer sail boating

ducks in a barrel. Several birds went up as each child, followed right behind by an adult, licensed mentor, pushed through the thick weeds covering a broad field.

After much effort and two flushes, the kids didn’t

January 2020

Youth Hunt Criticized

tor one of the kids and to see how eager young people took to hunting. It also featured a day of dedicated volunteers, Vermont game wardens and 16 adults who took the time to take a youth out hunting, the first hunt ever for many of the kids.

Anyway, I returned home that day filled with the sense that I had seen something special. Days later, after word got out about the

It was a rich experience for me because it gave me the opportunity to mentor one of the kids and to see how eager young people took to hunting. class for local kids and more.

Joe Mark of Castleton is that kind of man. So when Joe asked me if I could take his grandson to a pheasant hunt — he was out with a Trout Unlimited program that day — how could I turn him down?

The Townshend Lake Youth Pheasant hunt, hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was held in West Townshend. Sixteen youths, aged 8 to 15, would spend the day learning about gun safety, pheasants and wing shooting.

The kids were split into two groups and the first bunch of kids headed out with high hopes. But this wasn’t a case of shooting

react fast enough. During a second push, two shots rang out. When the group got back to the parking lot, only one bird was taken, by an 11-year-old girl.

The adult leaders put their heads together and decided to take the second group out with a decided advantage: an English springer spaniel, trained to find and flush birds. That bird made all the difference in the world. Duke, that magnificent hunting dog, flushed more than 20 birds and, by the time the lucky group returned, each kid had a pheasant in hand.

It was a rich experience for me because it gave me the opportunity to men-

event, I received a series of e-mails that attacked me and the people who put on the event. Writers condemned the day as a “canned hunt” that taught the youngsters little more than how to kill.

Yes, the bird were brought in earlier that day, 50 of them in fact, and set loose around the field.

“We should not normalize this kind of behavior toward animals, it could be considered animal abuse and that can lead to domestic abuse,” one man wrote to me. The e-mails only got nastier.

Interestingly, this is not the first time I heard the argument, in an e-mail, that any form of introduc-

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ing kids to hunting can lead to domestic abuse.

There is no such study, that I know of, that links hunting and domestic abuse.

The kids showed respect for the event and the birds and, quite frankly, were deadly shots, for the most part. After the event, several adults showed the kids how to dress and prepare the birds for the dinner plate.

I guess what has me so perplexed is the fact that we all know that the average hunting age in Vermont, in the entire country for that matter, is growing older and older. If we want to see the rich heritage that is hunting

continue we must get the kids out in the wild, teach them ethics and the safe measures of gun control.

No amount of criticism from people who almost certainly hate the sport of hunting is going to change my view, that we need to see more events of this nature if we want to see a great tradition, one that has been passed down to us for centuries, continue.

Dennis Jensen is the outdoor editor for the Rutland Herald and the Barre Times Argus and a freelance writer. He can be reached at d.jensen62@yahoo.com

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January 2020 As I walked up to the edge of the woods, I looked down at my compass, “Always take a compass reading before you go in the woods,” he said. I started walking, thinking where would he have gone? “Deer like to travel on the edge of the dark growth at the bottom of the ridge,” he said. That is where I will go. As I walked along, I caught a branch with my foot. “Pick your feet up,” he mused, Thinking back now he must have smiled as he watched me lift my feet to my knees like I was in a marching band. Silently walking along, occasionally stopping.

“Listen to the woods and it will talk to you,” he said. Scanning behind every tree as I stood in silence.

“Look for a twitching ear, an antler or the flick of a white tail, you won’t always see the whole deer,” he said.

I could see the green growth below. Which way should I go?

“Stay high so you can watch below like an eagle flies over a field," he said. I came to a set of tracks.

“Study them, look for that split toe that sinks deeply, he’s the one we dream of, “he said.

“Now keep your head up, you can’t eat the tracks,” he said. I could see a small brook below, a drink of water, a blown down tree for a seat, and a little leftover halloween candy for a snack.

Thinking back I remember him taking out a caramel candy on a stick, and with the first frozen bite I heard, “The only way I could be any more stupid if there were two of me,” as I watched the

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Taking Dad With Me

By Joe Boyd

go to the other, we can cover more ground,” he said.

I reached the top of the ridge and I looked across to the other side but there was no red plaid coat to be seen. I realized at that moment that he had been teaching me to walk alone, that someday he would not be there.

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candy being thrown away.

He had just broken a tooth.

It was at this point in our

My Dad,

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Walking along I came to a horseback. “You go to the top on one side and I will

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Page 52

Northwoods Sporting Journal Outdoors In Vermont

by Gary W. Moore, Bradford, VT

Ice fishing is popular In Vermont and many head to their favorite lake or pond in January in search of a meal of fresh fish. The opportunities are numerous as Vermont is blessed with a multitude of lakes and ponds in most parts of the state.

Dedicated ice fishermen are a different breed.

They seem to thrive on the challenges winter brings and look forward to a day on the ice, often enjoying the fresh air with friends.

Changes to Vermont Baitfish Regulations Please Some But Not All The days when we trapped our own bait and took it anywhere we wished are long gone and for good reason. Now we mostly purchase our bait from licensed dealers, often quite a distance from where we live or fish, and swallow hard at the cost.

As ice fishing commences, Vermont anglers are getting some of what they asked for, but many are still not happy. On January 1, new baitfish regulations will go into effect aimed at providing anglers with additional opportunities to use and catch baitfish.

The spread of diseases among fish and introduction of invasive species into the state’s waters has long

been a concern that Fish & Wildlife tried to address a few years ago by severely restricting the movement of bait fish.

The current regulation states that, “Personally harvested baitfish may be used only on the same waterbody

January 2020

January Cold Makes Ice for Anglers

allow the baitfish transportation receipts to be valid for 10 days instead of 4 days.

Bait will be allowed to be moved between waterbodies in two separate baitfish zones, an East Zone and a West Zone, as long as the waterbody isn’t listed

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant. If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) from which they were collected.” It also specified that, “Personally harvested baitfish shall not be transported by motorized vehicle away from the waterbody from which they were collected.”

The regulation further states that anglers must discard unwanted baitfish dead in the water or on the ice.

Anglers purchasing baitfish from a licensed dealer must carry a receipt showing the date of purchase, species and quantity purchased and the water body on which the baitfish will be used. This means if you tire of fishing one lake in the morning you can not move the bait to an adjoining lake in the afternoon. This was especially frustrating to many anglers.

The new regulations

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as a Black-List Water. The dividing line is basically the spine of the state and mostly divides the Lake Champlain and Connecticut River watersheds.

Several waters are now defined as Black-List Waters. These waters have known invasive species or fish diseases so baitfish can still only be used on this water and not on any other waterbody.

Some species of wild baitfish may be taken and moved within a Baitfish Zone if the person harvesting bait passes a free Baitfish Endorsement Quiz and adds this tag to their fishing or combination license.

“We spent the last two years listening to the public and working with the

The author about to release a nice northern pike.

Fish and Wildlife Board to improve regulations while limiting the spread of fish diseases and invasive species,” said Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department Fisheries Biologist Shawn Good. “I think anglers will be pleasantly surprised by these new regulations.”

Good added, “While these regulations provide more opportunities for baitfish use, anglers should still be aware of the risks of moving bait,” said Good.

“Always discard unwanted baitfish in an appropriate location on land or in the

trash, and drain and let dry all water from your boat, motor, bilge, live wells, and bait bucket to remove the threat of introducing microscopic invasive species and diseases from one waterbody to the next.”

Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore is a life long resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game. He may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@myfairpoint. net or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033. copyright 2020 Gary W. Moore

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January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Moosehead Togue Derby Jan. 24-26

This is already the 12th year for the Moosehead Lake Togue Derby. It runs Jan. 24-26 and is a super way for the entire family to get outdoors for a winter adventure. Because of our remote location and because Moosehead is the largest lake in one state east of the Mississippi, it is absolutely exhilarating to be out there.

It is wild, fresh, and free, when you are standing in this great, open outdoor place. Instead of rows and rows of houses, roads, and shops, you will see rows and rows of trees and witness snowy wind devils whirling into high funnels, moving in massive sheets across the horizon of the sky. Here, you feel aired out, alive and spirited again, where all the worries of the daily grind drop away. It’s just the way it is.

There’s no other place like it in Maine. Whether you’re fishing close in to shore, near Rockwood Village or some

Hunting (Cont. from pg 47) interstate and not the soft footfalls of a deer. Some mornings the sound of the morning commute drowns out the sounds of the creatures, while on other mornings I cannot hear the traffic at all. Why is this?

Wind affects temperature and humidity, which greatly affect the propagation of traffic sound. For instance, moisture in the air deadens distant sounds.

Sound carries with the wind.

Wind closer to the ground moves slower than winds aloft because of all the obstacles, such as trees and hills. This difference in wind speeds above causes sound aloft from the interstate

other “civilized” place, or fishing where nobody else is, you are guaranteed a great adventure. The derby is one way of experiencing that.

The cherry on top is, though I’ve mentioned it before in recent columns but will again, the fishing has

Page 53

Kineo Currents

by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME

Indian Hill Trading Post, Lucky Bait, or the Stress Free Moose pub/cafe; in Rockwood at Moosehead Bait and Tackle; in Dover-Foxcroft at Mountain’s Market or in Old Town at Old Town Trading Post.

The derby is hosted by the

been absolutely phenomenal on Moosehead Lake, with the grandest looking brook trout, lake trout, and landlocked salmon being caught, ever, in recorded history. I’ll explain why that may be, but first here’s the skinny on the derby.

Tickets are $25 a person or $40 a family. Check the details at www.nrecmoosehead.org Tickets are available in Greenville at

Natural Resource Education Center (NREC), a local non-profit, and NASCAR’s Ricky Craven. All proceeds from ticket and raffles go to NREC’s kids program Maine Woods Explorers, fisheries internships, and local community support.

There’s a big community supper, where everyone turns out. I can tell you that the food is hearty and satisfying after a day out on the

ice. There are many, many excellent raffle prizes, from a Lifetime Youth fishing license to a vacation trip, firearms, or fishing items.

The final weigh-in is on Sunday afternoon. First prize for the largest togue is $1,500; second is $500; third, $250.

The derby began in 2008 when Regional Fisheries Biologist Tim Obrey tried it as a fun way to thin out an overabundance of young togue. Togue and brook trout are native to Moosehead Lake, but for some years the togue, brook trout, and landlocked salmon, all competing for the same food, were by and large skinny. The idea was to increase the winter fishing, which had dropped off over the years, and at the same time, liberalize the size and bag limit on the up and coming togue. After four years, the size and growth

and traveling downwind to bend downwards toward the ground, while sound traveling upwind will bend upwards. Therefore, on mornings I am hunting downwind of the highway, the sound of school buses and the morning rush will be greater. If I am lucky and a light breeze is blowing the opposite direction, then I will have a perfect morning hunt free from noise from civilization.

So how do you distinguish the footfalls of a deer?

For an animal hundreds of times larger than a chipmunk or red squirrel, they are amazingly quiet, and the sound they make when traveling is subtle. A walking deer is difficult to discern and makes an even cadence of scuffle-scuffle-scuffle. A slow-moving deer feeding

under the oaks is even more difficult to distinguish; just the occasional rustling of leaves. Sometimes, I hear two or three pawings in succession when the deer are seeking acorns under the litter. Don’t confuse that with turkeys that do almost

the same thing. Deer sometimes make a mistake and snap a twig. There are few animals in the forest large enough to do that. In contrast, a heavy buck running on frozen leaves can sound like a freight train.

Shuffle-patter-crunch-

The fishing has been absolutely phenomenal on Moosehead Lake, with the grandest looking brook trout, lake trout, and landlocked salmon being caught, ever, in recorded history.

of the game fish saw a dramatic gain. Over the past few years, the brook trout and landlocks are beautiful.

The lake trout seem to be at a good level. While they are slow growing, so it may take a while to see some recordbreaking sizes again, they, too, look great. Check the rule book for size and bag limits. Right now, it is the perfect storm for excellent fishing.

snap. Use your ears the next time you deer hunt!

Suzanne AuClair lives in Rockwood. She has been writing about the outdoors of the Moosehead Lake Region for nearly 25 years and produced “The Origins, Formation & History of Maine’s Inland Fisheries Division.” She is an awardwinning member of the New England Outdoor Writers Assn.

Mark McCollough is a wildlife biologist and listens to animals in Hampden, Maine. He can be reached at ellmcc25@yahoo.com

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January 2020

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

New Hampshire Ice Derby Days

With a new set of calendars, comes a new set of outdoor goals and plans for the coming year. There’s always new gear to get, new places to fish and possible new hunting areas to scope out. So basically, it’s just

a fishing tournament, you must still hold a valid fishing license, even on free fishing day. Season dates, bag limits and all other fishing regulations must be followed on those two free days. But it’s a great chance for residents

To start off the year on the right insulated boot, Saturday, January 18th is free fishing day in the state. another year for most of us.

Some folks don’t get it, but to us it’s as natural as breathing or staring at topo maps in the dead of winter. It’s just what we do!

To start off the year on the right insulated boot, Saturday, January 18th is free fishing day in the state. New Hampshire offers two free fishing days each year, one is on the third Saturday in January and the other is on the first Saturday in June.

The only exception is that if you’re participating in

and nonresidents alike to fish any inland water - or saltwater – that day without a fishing license.

While you’re thinking about ice fishing, it’s time to get your Derby tickets for the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby which is scheduled to be held February 8th and 9th. The Derby headquarters is at Hesky Park in Meredith on Lake Winnipesaukee. But fish caught that weekend on any public water in the State of New Hampshire that week-

end are eligible. Top prize is $15,000 with second and third place cash prizes, the five heaviest fish in seven categories on both days also get cash prizes and there are drawings every fifteen minutes on Saturday and Sunday for $100…and for those you don’t even have to wet a line. Check it all out at : meredithrotary.com As the rifle season for deer ended on December 8th and archery season came to a close on December 15th, it’ll be a while before the final numbers are in. But, the last numbers I saw showed that the 2019 total estimated kill to date was 9,217, similar to the 9,262 taken last year at the same point. The 2019 total at that point in the season was the second highest in the past 9 years. Hillsborough, Rockingham, and Grafton Counties had the highest registrations.

If you’ve followed

Page 55

New Hampshire Outdoors

by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H. New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement on the Discovery Channel show North Woods Law, you’ve probably seen Lt. Bill Boudreau and his canine partner - Ruby. I’m sad to say that after months of being sick and undergoing numerous tests and medical treatments in an effort to cure ongoing issues with losing proteins, weight and muscle mass, Ruby’s condition continued to worsen and the decision was made in November to have her put to sleep. Colonel Kevin Jordan, the Chief of Law Enforcement at Fish and Game said, “Ruby made several recoveries for us during challenging search and rescue missions and I am not sure those victims would have been located

in time without her assistance. While we will dearly miss this team’s skills and abilities, it is little Ruby’s personality and energy level we will miss the most here at Fish and Game, she was loved by all who met her.”

Having made similar decisions with a couple of my yellow labs over the years, it never gets easier and it hurts like hell for a long time. So sorry Bill.

Now it’s time to start playing my least-favorite winter activity…state politics. The Legislature’s back in session and there some bills potentially effecting the outdoor community in the state. Need to keep an eye on them. Happy New Year to all of us!

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 56

On Point

by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. I hunted over my first German shorthaired pointer (GSP) in the early 1960s.

That experience shaped my bird dog choice for the future.

Due to our TV show, I’ve had the good fortune to hunt over some of the finest bird dogs in North America. Most of the dogs have been either an English setter, pointer, Brittany or the GSP. They are all remarkable bird dogs with outstanding pointing skills.

However, the most versatile breed amongst those four is, in my opinion, the shorthair. “…the German shorthaired pointer sits in triumph as the most successful Continental pointing breed in the world”

Pointing Dogs, Craig Koshyk, 2011, Page 232.

Most enthusiastic bird dog people know the history of the GSP. It was developed in Germany in the mid1800s; however, the foundation for the GSP began much earlier as dogs from France, Spain and Italy migrated to Germany. Decades of breeding amongst these dogs eventually produced the GSP. Although there were GSPs in the States before WW II, their popularity grew quickly after the war.

What traits make the GSP so popular? The GSP is similar to a Swiss Army Knife…it can do just about everything we ask of a pointing dog…and just a bit more.

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Recognizing that no rule is ever perfect, let’s examine the traits of the GSP. Bidability: There is a strong desire to learn. My wife (Susan) has a female (Dena) GSP that ranked in the top ten nationally in obedience. The GSP craves obedience training.

Nose: Your author truly believes that the nose of the GSP is equal to any of the popular pointing dog breeds. I’ve seen our GSPs point and pin ruffed grouse at 50’ to 60’. In the prairies, they’ve pointed birds at 100’.

Tracking: Recovery of wounded game is very important to all sportsmen. The ability to track a wounded bird is exceptional.

Retrieving: Either naturally or with just a small amount of training, the GSP is an outstanding retriever… both on land and from water.

Range: The range on our GSPs has always been excellent for the cover at that time. In the dense ruffed grouse woods, they’re always within bell range. In the prairies, they always adjust and reach-out farther.

Intelligence: Often cited as being one of the most intelligent of all dog breeds.

Nature: The GSP is good natured and has a strong desire to please.

Appearance: You’ll never grow tired of hearing “oh, what a beautiful dog”.

Okay, you say no dog can be that perfect. What are the drawbacks? Yes, there are a few. The GSP has a slightly stronger desire to catch a bird. That means breaking the GSP to wing and shot might take just a little more training. Another issue is that due to their tracking skills, they may run a little too much with their nose on the ground.

All pointing scent is in the air. As a puppy, run them in

grass that is a little above their head. They’ll learn to run with their head up. And thirdly, the GSP is a high energy dog. That means it is not a dog that you can leave all day in the house while you’re at work. The GSP must receive daily exercise or it can be very destructive.

It’s not an all-day house dog so don’t buy one for that purpose.

A final quote from Pointing Dogs, Craig Koshyk, 2011, Page 231, GSPs are renowned for an intense, but friendly, cooperative temperament.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Ride Free Weekends!

The popularity of “ride free” weekends is growing as a way for states and Canadian provinces to showcase their snowmobiling trail systems and lure riders to come and visit.

Weekend dates: Maine January 31 February 2: During the annual Free Snowmobile Weekend a nonresident (from another state or province) may operate a snowmobile

During these designated weekends anyone with a current registration from another state or province can ride for free. Here are the upcoming Ride Free

in Maine (no reciprocity necessary) so long as he/she has a valid registration from another state or province.

New York January 31 - February 2: As of this

writing, the State of New York has not announced the dates but the New York State Snowmobile Association recommended the first weekend in February. Check the website before making your plans.

Vermont February 7, 8 and 9: On this weekend, you do not need to buy a trail pass, but you still need to follow all other Vermont laws, have a snowmobile registered in VT or another state or province, carry liability insurance on your snowmobile and if you were born after July 1, 1983 have taken a safety course.

New Hampshire March 6, 7 & 8: snowmobiles that are legally registered in another state or Canadian province do not need to obtain a New Hampshire registration while operating in New Hampshire. All other operation and license

Page 57

The Trail Rider

by Rod Fraser, Hyde Park, MA

requirements apply and must be followed. Just because registration is free does not mean there is no cost to the local snowmobile clubs.

Please consider joining a club in the area you plan to ride or just make a donation to their trail fund. As you know, the people in the clubs work hard so that we can enjoy riding during the season.

Why limit yourself to 3 days? With the purchase of a 3 day pass, you can extend your visit to be a 6 day visit and take advantage of work week riding. Take a few vacation days and plan for a longer stay. Read up on the state laws! They can be found online and you are required to follow the laws

of the state you are riding in.

New Hampshire - NH has a 45 MPH speed limit with lower speed restrictions in certain circumstances.

Check their latest requirements online at https://www. wildlife.state.nh.us/ohrv Vermont- In Vermont, helmets and eye protection are mandatory for all riders.

The maximum speed limit on state lands is 35 m.p.h. and a frozen lake is considered a public highway and the maximum speed limit is 50 m.p.h. All individuals shall have a liability insurance policy or bond in the amounts of at least $25,000 for one person and $50,000 for two or more persons killed or injured and $10,000

(Ride cont. pg 59)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

all, there’s something pleasurable in the swing of the maul, the feel of the blade slicing through the wood, the occasional clean strike, with the billet sliced in half or quarters depending upon its size. Then there’s the feeling of accomplishment in a world that has passed me

shape of the letter S before it settles in front of the out buildings scattered around our home like the deepest pool in my favorite stream.

By January, I’m looking for something to break up this routine. More than once Trish has caught me gazing wistfully out the win-

by without a second look.

The Kubota sits in our barn. Gassed, greased, and oiled, the tractor remains ready to plow the snow from our dirt drive that falls down from the paved road in the

dow. The icicles that have formed on the branches of our dogwood tree remind me of silver trout. Nearly every page of the L.L. Bean catalogue has been dog-eared, and by now I’m tired of

watching the fishing shows on cable television.

I suppose that is why so many sporting shows have sprung up across New England. The Fly Fishing Show held in Marlborough, Massachusetts, is like a night at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. In between, are the downhome affairs sponsored by various Trout Unlimited Chapters and fishing clubs such as the Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo held in Bethel and the longest running show of them all, the Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show.

T h e larger shows are spread out over a number of days while the smaller ones take up an afternoon. The bigger shows draw well-known experts that provide programs and classes, some for free, others for a fee. Vendors provide gear from expensive bamboo rods to nippers for half price.

When I was younger, I found that the men working at my local sporting goods store (back then there were very few women behind the counter) kept their secrets close to their vest, unwilling to impart any useful information to a newcomer. I’m happy to report that the folks working these shows are eager to assist a new brother or sister of the angle and for this reason alone, its worth attending one of the many sporting shows scheduled this time of year.

If you’re planning a trip to a distant locale, you’ll

Against The Current

by Bob Romano, Columbia, NJ Come December, I’ve developed a routine. There are ashes to be brought outside and cordwood to be carried in. After stoking the woodstove’s simmering fire, I’ll sit down with a mug of strong tea and a couple of

remove the oil and grease stains. After tying the laces on my Sorels, I lumber out into the cold. The frayed edges of the jeans trail behind me like two trolling lines from either side of my canoe.

Cure for Brook Trout Blues

In between, are the down-home affairs sponsored by various Trout Unlimited Chapters and fishing clubs such as the Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo held in Bethel and the longest running show of them all, the Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show. slices of toast shared with our two black labs.

Afterward, I’ll spend the morning staring at the screen of my laptop, occasionally pounding at the keys while working on this or that story. By eleven, it’s time to change into my jeans, the pair with the flannel lining that is so old, Trish has given up on trying to

When I was younger, I’d work from morning to dusk, splitting logs for the following winter with a heavy maul, but these days, I’ve cut my hours to no more than three while swinging a maul that weighs only six pounds. When someone once asked why I don’t use a gas splitter I explained that it would be cheating. After

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(Blues cont. pg 59)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Blues (Cont. from pg 58) find the larger shows useful.

Outfitters and lodge owners from the four corners of the world can be found there.

The smaller, regional shows are not as well attended as the three-day affairs, but this can work to your advantage because the vendors at the smaller shows have time to chat.

Local guides are available to discuss the best times to fish and what flies to cast. Now and again, they may even let slip a secret hidey-hole.

More importantly, these are the guys and gals with the inside scoop on those lakes, rivers, and streams where you live. This is a chance to update or discover for the first time where, when, and what techniques to use on those waters that you’ll be fishing on a regular basis.

These shows, both big and small, give me a chance to catch up with old friends while making new ones.

We swap tall tales and commiserate about the ones that got away. It’s a time to make plans for the following season and to dream of that trip we know we’ll never take. In short, it’s the best cure for the brook trout blues!

Come by and say hello if you decide to attend The Fly Fishing Show held in Marlborough Massachusetts. This year, I’ll be spending all three days signing books at the Bookstore Booth when not providing a brandy new program on Fly Fishing the Rangeley Lakes Region.

A number of shows are set forth below. Many of them have not posted schedules as of the writing of this article, but a Google search should provide dates as the year draws to a close.

Apologies if I’ve missed any.

THE FLY FISHING S H O W — M ar lborough, Mass.

SPRINGFIELD SPORTSMEN’S SHOW— Springfield, Mass.

EASTERN MAINE SPORTSMEN’S SHOW­— Orono, Me. WESTERN MAINE FLY FISHING EXPO— Bethel, Me. F LY F I S H N E W HAMPSHIRE SHOW— Manchester, N.H. EASTERN FISHING & OUTDOOR EXPOSITION SHOW—Worcester, Mass.

STATE OF MAINE SPORTSMAN’S SHOW— Augusta, Me.

Ride (Cont. from pg 57) for damages to property in any one accident. You must carry proof of insurance and show it upon demand. If you were born after July 1, 1983, you will need to take a safety course. The Vermont safety course can also be taken online, visit https://vtvast. org/what-you-need-to-ridein-vermont.html for more information.

Maine - Although Maine does not have a statewide speed limit, you can still be cited for speeding

Page 59

in certain circumstances, so make sure you check out the laws regarding this and use common sense. Helmets are mandatory for anyone under the age of 18. For more information, check out http:// www.maine.gov/ifw/atvsnowmobile/snowmobile/ laws-rules.html New York - All snowmobiles must be insured and must carry liability coverage in the minimum amount of $10,000 for an accident involving one person, $20,000 for an accident involving two or more persons, and $5,000 for property damage from one accident. Proof of insurance must be carried by

the snowmobiler and must be displayed on request.

Please email me at rjfraserjrusn@yahoo.com with any good riding stories.

I would love to hear them.

Have a great riding destination? Let me know, I might like to check it out! Ride safe, ride right!

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 60

Outdoors In Maine

by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME John Holyoke, outdoors columnist for the Bangor Daily News for the past 17 years, follows a long succession of the newspaper’s well-known outdoor writers – Bill Geagan, Bud Leavitt, and Tom Hennessey.

Like some of those before him, Holyoke started out as a sports reporter for the BDN. The Brewer native, a recent guest on my Sunday night radio program Maine Outdoors, said that the OutDoor Post - to his surprisewas offered to him one day by the executive editor when Holyoke returned from a fishing trip. He snapped it up and has been writing regular newspaper columns about the Maine outdoors ever since.

John has just released his first book. Published

by Islandport Press in Yarmouth, it is titled “Evergreens – A collection of Maine outdoor stories.”

The book is a collection of

the author’s favorite stories touching on family, people, and animals.

As Holyoke assures you in the book’s prelude, whether you describe his work as that of a reporter, columnist, feature writer, or

Evergreens

January 2020

Hunt, and Family Matters.

While I found the entire book to be an entertaining and worthy read, the section about Memorable Mainers was the high point for me.

In it, Holyoke draws skillful and poignant word portraits of truly unforgettable Maine outdoorsmen that I have either known or have known of over the years: men like Wiggie Robinson and his

As a story teller, Holyoke is at his reportorial best when he writes about the engaging and at times crusty characters that make up the human component of the Maine outdoors community.

sports reporter, or what have you, he is in essence simply a “storyteller.”

Asked about the best part of his job, Holyoke said.

“Every day is a new day.

You never know where the assignments will take you and what new people you will be writing about.”

“Evergreens” is comprised of six sub-sections: Camp and Camping, Memorable Mainers, Laugh a Little, Gone Fishing, On the

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son Jay, and the man from Munsungan, the late Jim Carter.

As a story teller, Holyoke is at his reportorial best when he writes about the engaging and at times crusty characters that make up the human component of the Maine outdoors community.

Holyoke quotes Jim Carter reflecting on his sporting camp at Munsungan, "It’s the location. It isn’t me,” Carter says,” I cook late, bitch at my guests. It’s the location and the aesthetics of the camp that draws them, and they have to put up with me to get it.”

What is clear in “Evergreens” is that, like most

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Page 61

Maine Legend: Al Martin

Naturalist Al Martin hand-taming wild birds.

A number of years ago I used to write an outdoor column for the Ellsworth American newspaper, titled “Outdoors Downeast”. One day I received a letter from a fellow named Al Martin who lived in Aurora, Maine, saying “I read your outdoor column every week and would like to meet you.

Among other things, I feed my birds daily, and have written a book titled “Hand Taming Wild Birds at the Feeder.”

He went on to give his address, so one day while driving through the area, I stopped by to meet Mr. Martin. It turned out to be quite an interesting visit. Mr. Martin, near eighty years of age, told me that he was not

only a book author, but was also a taxidermist, artist, and an all-around outdoorsman.

While showing me about in his farmhouse dwelling, there was a showplace of mounted animals and birds, exquisite paintings of gamefish and scenery, mountain butterflies and other insects, and even a large collection of canning jars with a variety of cocoons that he had assembled and was displaying neatly on a showcase. I marveled over everything and was overwhelmed by all there was to see and admire.

This gentleman, who was originally from England, was small in stature and white bearded, was an amazing transplant, to say

the least. But the best part was yet to come.

“Come outside,” he offered, “I want to show you something”. With that, we trotted out into the courtyard, where there were all manner of bird feeders and platforms to attract a mélange of wild birds all fluttering about.

I had noticed some of this feathered activity when I drove into the yard and knocked on the door. But little did I fathom what was to come.

While strolling through the kitchen to go outside, I made note of Al Martin’s living space in this good-sized, quite old, once farmhouse.

There was, of course, an old-fashioned iron wood cookstove, a hand water pump in the sink, and among other things in the kitchen was a single bed against one wall. Apparently, this was Al’s living area. Why heat that giant of an old estate house, I wondered?

When we trotted into the yard, the birds suddenly exploded into excitement. Some of them circled around, then landed on his hat and shoulders, and ap-

“Just Fishing”

by Bob Leeman, Bangor, ME peared to be enthralled by his entrance. “Watch this!” he instructed. He then held out a single sunflower seed between two fingers, and promptly, a small sparrow of sort, gently landed on his thumb and plucked the seed from his fingers. After repeating this for several of his “friends”, he placed a single sunflower seed between his teeth, and without hesitation, a chickadee gently plucked it from his mouth.

I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing at the time, and it wasn’t too long before my camera was hastened into action. I listened admirably as Mr. Martin began reeling off the common names of all these wild birds. All I could remember was that there were several varieties of chickadees and sparrows for the most part.

I never realized there were so many kinds. But he knew

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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. His three books are all available at several bookstores and flyshops, or directly from him. For information on his books, please call 207989-7696.

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Welcome Home

them all, along with a few others but chickadees and sparrows mostly.

I did a photo story of Al Martin back around the 1980’s or so in the Ellsworth American newspaper that was well-received and made the front page. He was quite a man. His book titled “Hand-Taming Wild Birds at the Feeder” was a simple, small hardcover.

2

Page 62

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

taken right from the book of a “Coyotes Life”.

The types of calls you’ll need to be a good role player are coyote calls that mimic howling, barking, pup distress, pack howls, challenge calls, lone howls, greeting howls etc… You’ll need calls that produce sounds of prey animals dying or caught by the leg.

Learn what the coyote prefer to eat in your hunting areas and find mouth or electronic calls that very closely resemble those animals’ voices.

Make a wise decision on what calls to use and let the calling begin.

Role playing doesn’t have to be brain surgery, since keeping it simple is better and will produce more coyote sightings. To choose the best calling scenario for where you hunt you first need to answer some questions. Where do coyote in your area like to hunt? What are they hunting for? During

I had been able to observe from a distance, on two different occasions. The first time, I watched this coyote try to catch a song bird and it was hilarious to say the least. The second time I was on my way to my blind when I heard the coyote howl and then appear out in the field I was walking across. It was hunting mice but didn’t see it catch any. The coyote gave out a single short quick howl – like a locator type of a howl – and then went out of sight. After these sightings I was determined to call it in for a killing shot. I got all settled in on a side hill behind some pine saplings – to break up my outline – and I began with rodent/ mouse distress sounds with an e-caller to see if this coyote was near and to have it sound like another coyote was mousing around its territory. I let the e-caller run for a minute and waited for about ten before playing a hare distress call. Again, after a minute the call was shut off and then I sat quietly for twenty minutes when I thought to myself – this is the coyotes mating season and I’ve seen this coyote alone twice now, so let’s try the lone howl that a coyote looking for companionship might sound off. I did just this and wouldn’t you know it but my role playing, of pretending to be another lonely coyote, got the attention of the real deal. A few minutes after sounding off three lone howls that coyote was standing on the edge of the field scanning its surroundings. Since it had been a couple minute wait, since I had howled, I was bored and playing around with one of my video cameras when the coyote showed up. To make a long story short – I was BUSTED! Got safety off, main camera focused, and was aiming when the coyote ran off.

On The Prowl Justin Merrill, Cherryfield, ME

It’s in our nature to have fun. We thrive on the adrenaline rush surging through our veins each and every time we laugh hysterically. Goofing off every once in a while doesn’t make us lackadaisical people. In light of all this, there happens to be a logical explanation for trying to justify our playful nature and it’s the topic of “Role Playing”, when hunting call- shy coyotes. You don’t need experience in role playing to know how to do it. If you love hunting the coyote, as I do, then you must know how challenging it can be to call one in, especially in March, when all those survivalists may know the difference between a real snowshoe hare in distress

from the fake.

Most of those rabbit distress calls on the market today are just that, “RABBIT CALLS”, not hare, like that of the snowshoe hare, which is most prevalent in Maine and most other New England states. Note that the cottontail rabbit does take up residency in parts of southern Maine and all southern states. Knowing that most of the calls that predator hunters are using are non-realistic is only one reason to role play when out there calling. You will be a more successful caller if you purchase the best sounding calls that can mimic the animals exactly and make up some sort of a scenario that simulates a real life scene

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Role Playing for Coyotes the winter, do the coyotes in your area just travel in mating pairs or do they group up with others? I’ve seen two mating pairs, (four coyote), traveling together this winter in my area. Outside of mating season, do the coyotes mostly travel and hunt alone? What do the prey animals sound like when in distress? The questions could continue, but the answers to these few will give us a good starting point for creating a scenario, of either a coyote hunting, a coyote looking for companionship, a group of coyotes hunting together, a dying animal and a proud coyote. Make up any scenario you would like, just make it sound more real than the real deal, if you know what I mean.

The easiest way to describe a role play for calling coyote is to share my own experiences. This past winter, in February, I was hunting a particular coyote that

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(Coyote cont. pg 63)

January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 63

Spoons Aren’t Just for Ice Cream

There was once a time when a spoon would rot in my tackle box until there was nothing left except a rust stain. I found them in the bushes alongside rivers and ponds, bought them because of the packaging, or received them as gifts.

The truth is, I never caught anything using spoons because I didn’t know when to fish them.

When most anglers think of spoons, they think of thin piece of stamped metal with an independent hook attached. I was once one of

I never caught anything on spoons, or so I thought, except maybe a resentment. I had zero confidence in them.

I viewed them as a cheaply made, inexpensive option for kids, who were likely to lose them in the trees anyway. I believed they were a marketing scheme to make money and that no one ever really caught fish with them.

those anglers. A spoon is any flat-ish lure with an independent hook attached to one end, designed to flutter when it swims or falls. The Blade Spoon from Clam Pro Tackle is one such lure. I began using it the year it was introduced with great results on Lake Winnipesaukee.

The irony is that, despite its name, I never considered the

Coyote

den (April pups are possible if the female got pregnant in January or first week of February), by using some rodent calls, light barking, yipping, young immature howls, and mix in some pup distress near the end if no coyote shows up within twenty.

(Cont. from pg 62) Role playing works and can in March as it does in February. Before those warm fishing days arrive try the scenario of an early litter being taught near the

Justin has his Wildlife

Blade Spoon a spoon. Probably because they catch fish, and I didn’t believe spoons caught many fish. I had been using it for years, all the while thinking spoons were useless. Today it is one of my favorite spoons for white perch, because its profile resembles that of the rainbow smelt the perch feed on, and it sinks fast, allowing me to get it back down to schools of fish before they move on.

I became (consciously) sold on spoons the year Clam Pro Tackle came out with the Leech Flutter Spoon. This spoon was designed to mimic a live leech, which most fish gobble up like candy. When the Leech Flutter Spoon was introduced to me, my first thought was, “Hmm, if Clam is making spoons there must be more to them than I realized.” So, I decided to give them a shot. To make a long story short, the Leech Flutter Spoon so impressed me that it has earned a permanent place in my [new] ice fishing spoon box.

If you know the primary forage base in the water you’re fishing, try a spoon that closely resembles the forage. In stained water, a larger spoon creates vibration that mimics a wounded baitfish and will often call in fish from a distance greater than they can see. Spoons that slowly flutter as they sink will appeal to predatory fish in lakes with high fishing pressure, such as lake Biology degree from Unity College and is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association. He is the author of “Wild Maine Outdoors – Hunting Tactics, Tricks, and Secrets” and “The Sit Spot – Discovering the forest near you” and can be contacted at www.wildmaineoutdoors.com.

New Hampshire Guide’s Journal

by Tim Moore, NH

trout which can become lure shy. Color comes into play the same way it does with any other lure. On sunny days, spoons that flash will often attract fish as they reflect the sun’s rays, getting the attention of your target species. Spoons painted with UV-paint will (literally) shine on cloudy days. Even though it doesn’t look like the sun is out on a cloudy day, UV rays penetrate cloud cover and cause UV-painted (fluorescent) spoons to glow, making them more visible to fish.

Spoons are versatile.

They’re made to fit a variety of fishing scenarios for almost any species that swims.

If you doubt the efficacy of spoons, it’s most likely the result of low confidence from not spending enough

time fishing them. Give them a fair shot. Fish with a friend who does well with them to see how they fish them, and copy what they do until you develop your own confidence with them.

Spend more time fishing spoons and you will improve your skill set, expanding the amount and type of fish you catch, and broadening your fishing experience.

Tim Moore is a fulltime professional fishing guide in New Hampshire.

He owns and operates Tim Moore Outdoors, LLC. He is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association and the producer of Tim Moore Outdoors TV. Visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information.

Ice Fishing

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Malarkey Cabin Chronicles

January 2020

Changing Deer Habits

by Ray Dillon, Keswick Ridge, N.B. Hunters in New Brunswick are still scratching their heads after the knock down drag out deer season we just experienced this past fall.

We operate a deer registration station in WMZ 16 here in the province and among other things, this enables me to monitor our deer herd's overall health and numbers as well as to know general areas where the deer are being found and taken. As I have previously mentioned, forestry practices have been hurting herd numbers and widespread herbicide spraying to kill the hardwoods that grow back destroy the food sources that deer need to survive…but the white tailed deer is a remarkable creature that survives by adapting.

When I was a much younger man and long before I had a 4x4 truck to use for hunting, I spent my hunting seasons in the woods close to the community and in back of our farm looking for birds and deer and rabbits. Despite the fact that those woods offered everything that the distant big woods offered for game, I often longed to be cruising out into the high country areas with my wealthier hunting buddies in their pickup trucks and 4x4s looking for new swamps and ridges and mixed ground to hunt. Today I look back and ask myself why? What motivated me to seek out the big woods? Were the deer more plentiful out there? No. Were the bucks bigger? No. Was there more of a challenge to bagging a buck out in the big woods? Yes. As I think back to what I would consider the “good old days,” I realize that when I left the familiar woodlands surrounding our community,

I was leaving some prime hunting territory behind.

Now I have taken some fine bucks in our local woods and in the big woods and, although the challenge was greater in the big woods simply because the big woods was a much larger area, the deer were no pushovers in the smaller local areas either. Today, deer hunting is once again evolving and local woodlands are fast becoming the hot spots to hunt big bucks. There are few areas anymore that one could consider as big woods or deer friendly areas in the high country. To survive, deer need food and shelter and they have found what they need in small private woodlots and woods surrounding local communities.

Deer have discovered that migrating to the woods surrounding local rural and even suburban communities offers less predation by coyotes, less hunting pressure by conventional means and additional winter food sources as rural people, hunters and non-hunters feed them for the harsh winter months. The deer are doing well in the areas they have been forced into to survive and this has become an oasis for dedicated deer hunters.

One of these dedicated deer hunters is Rob Gaudet, who has hunted both in the vast big country areas and in the smaller areas of mature woods near communities in our province. Rob learned to hunt with his dad, Alcyd Gaudet, when he was just a youngster, but the lessons he learned from his dad, an accomplished hunter himself, Rob has carried with him over the years. He has another supporter in his hunting efforts with his girlfriend

Kim Jones encouraging him as well. Rob has taken some nice bucks in the past in these “community fringe areas” from stands and blinds, but this past fall, he was hunting from a ground blind and over some apples.

Rob had arrived at his stand on Nov. 11 th an hour or more before dawn.

And although it was a cold morning, he was quite comfortable in the blind. He patiently waited for day to come and some thirty minutes after daylight a solitary doe visited the bait site. Rob looked it over but he knew there were bigger deer and bigger bucks in the area and he wanted one big buck. At

8 a.m. he caught movement and a flash of brown as a big animal stepped out of the under brush. Suddenly it was there at forty two yards, a massive buck with a big heavy rack. Rob fought the surge of adrenaline coursing through his body and silently raised his Browning 30.06 rifle. The gun roared and the buck went down in a heap.

Rob was appreciative of everything that had let up to this moment and as he walked up to this trophy animal that weighed in at 252 pounds field dressed and sported a wide ten point rack. He texted his girlfriend and called his dad to break

the good news. Rob was just another example of a hunter recognizing the new trend in hunting white tails and knowing that sometimes, the best hunting for deer is right in front of your nose.

Crayfish

5. Tie in the black goose quill wingcase and extend over rear of body until thorax and legs are completed.

6. Tie on black hackle and extend back over rear of hook until thorax is completed.

7. Attach thorax material, wind forward to just behind the hook eye and tie off.

8. Wind hackle legs forward to the hook eye and tie off.

9. Pull wingcase forward over legs and thorax and tie off with a neat finishing knot.

10. Apply two coats of head cement to wingcase and finishing knot.

A pattern that I’ve had success with for brook trout in lakes and ponds is the crayfish. Most people, including myself always thought of crayfish as being primarily bass bait. Howev-

(Cont. from pg 37) biots forward of the thread so that the biots are splayed.

2. Tie in black ostrich herl ribbing and temporarily sweep back over the tail until the body is completed.

3. Tie on black floss body and wrap forward about 2/3 of the hook length and tie off.

4. Wrap ribbing to the end of the body and tie off.

Ray Dillon is an Outdoor writer, bestselling book author, Professional Guide and owns/operates Malarkey Cabin Guiding Service in New Brunswick, Canada.

To book a trophy Big Game or Uplands Bird hunt with him, go to www.malarkeycabin.com phone 506-3632839 or e-mail rdillon@ rogers.com

(Crayfish cont. pg 65)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Crayfish (Cont. from pg 64) er, on a trip north I found out differently when my fishing partner caught a 15 ½ inch brookie that had 14 crayfish in its stomach, each about an inch long, and still looking for more. Trout seem to prefer the smaller females that have just molted and are soft shelled. They have smaller pincers, are less aggressive than males and don’t become active until the water temperature reaches at least 60 degrees, often molting up to ten times in their first year.

A sinking line should be used because it’s important to keep the fly as close to the bottom as possible.

Many tyers weight the fly toward the front of the hook and others tie it so that the hook point rides up making it virtually snag free.

Crayfish patterns should be retrieved very slowly with short quick pulls to simulate the natural as it backs away trying to escape from a predator.

The dressing: Hook - Size 8, 4x long.

Thread – Brown.

Pincers – A bunch of

fox or red squirrel tail tied on each side of the hook just forward of the bend.

Eyes – Piece of 50# test mono tied along each side of the hook with the ends heated to form small ball eyes. May be colored with a permanent marker.

Legs – Several turns of brown hackle in front of the eyes.

Body – Brown or olive chenille, mohair or wool yarn wrapped forward to just behind the eye of the hook.

Back - Brown Swiss straw or quill pulled forward over the legs and body.

Tail – Extension of the

Page 65

back tied down and pulled over the eye of the hook.

Recommended sequence of tying steps: Wrap a small bump of thread above the hook barb to help splay the pincers before tying them on.

Bind down eye stems along the sides of the hook after first heating the ends with a flame to form the ball eyes.

Tie in the back along the hook shank so that it temporarily extends over the pincers until legs and body are completed.

Tie in and wrap the hackle legs.

Tie in the body material in front of the legs, wrap forward and tie down.

Pull the back forward over the legs and body and tie it down behind the hook eye leaving about ¼ inch extended over the eye to form the tail.

Apply at least two coats of head cement to the back and tail to keep them from splitting or fraying.

Joe has enjoyed fly fishing for over 65 years. His first book, Fundamentals of Fly Fishing, is now available. He can be reached at: brewerberts@aol.com

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Page 66

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Anticosti

Bucks Galore at Anticosti

by Mark Cote, Rumford, ME What a difference a year makes! Last year we were left scratching our heads wondering why the hunt was so tough. This year, there were a lot of smiles on departing hunters at the airport. In fact, over 82% of the guests re-booked their spots for next year before they left the island. If that isn’t an indication of a good season, I don’t know what is. The number and quality of bucks were up for most of the season.

Our trip was certainly a memorable one. Although the deer weren’t “migrating” to their wintering yards, there was no shortage of deer sightings.

We had no shortage of highlights. The first day, my daughter Katie struck

first and took a beautiful eight point. It was missing its brow tines, otherwise it would have been a tenpointer. She has been on a hot streak. For the last three years she has taken the big buck pool. It looked like she was a shoe-in for the fourth year straight.

My youngest son, Andy, also scored with a nice, wide, six point. Once again, it was missing brow tines. He made a nice double lung shot after still hunting at a beach hot spot where the deer gather to eat kelp.

He has to be one of the most patient people I know. He sat there in the wind on a five-degree day for hours and was rewarded with a nice deer.

On the third day, it was

January 2020

my turn. I was driving the ATV on the beach heading to the Pavilion River. The stretch of beach is about four miles long and is a series of coves. Along the way, whenever I would get to a point, I would stop and peek around the point to see if deer were feeding on the

edges. In this case, I saw six deer in the cove. A quick scan with my binoculars showed all antlerless deer.

I took a couple steps ahead and noticed another deer in the right corner of the cove about three hundred yards from me with its head down.

This time, my binoculars

revealed antlers.

The stalk was on. I knew it was going to be tough to get close enough for a shot due to the other deer around him. I carefully but quickly slipped into the woods. I have been here several times. I knew there was a trail just off the beach, so my plan was to use it to get closer; hopefully undetected. The snow was squeaky and crunchy, but the crashing of the waves covered my sound.

As I got closer, the worst happened. A doe busted me and bolted. I couldn’t see if the rest followed her or not. I had no choice but to get to the edge quickly.

Luckily, the only deer left was the buck. I fumbled around to find a solid rest and made a good shot. He was a twenty inch wide eight pointer. I actually hoped he was smaller than Katie’s

(Bucks cont. pg 68)

January 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 67

Changing Times

While ringing in the new year, I can’t help but think not only of the year past, but of a lot of years past, and just how different everything is than it was when I was young. While technology changes and new gadgets still only help us put a tag on a game animal (if we develop the ancient smarts required to get in close), the core of what it means to hunt and fish hasn’t changed— well, not much.

The rest of the world has changed so fast it’s hard to calculate. In the digital age, more information has been created since 2008 than was created in all of human history before that.

In 1970, Great Northern Paper in Millinocket was the largest paper mill in the world, producing newsprint for morning, evening, and extra editions of the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Boston Globe, and scores of other major daily newspapers around North America. Television news, and then cable news, and now the internet have all reduced Great Northern to a vacant lot.

My daughter looks at me in wonder when I tell her fabulous tales about having to wait to see the epic films of the 1970s for a whole year before the re-release in theaters. No Netflix, no movie rentals, no DVR recordings.

To her, those stories speak of a dark, primitive time.

We even eat differently than our forebears. Our grandparents farmed. Even in towns, people had gardens—during World War II, they were called Victory gardens, and people grew salad greens, fresh vegetables, and root vegetables to put up for the winter. Supermarkets carried only that produce that was in season. As a boy, it was a tremendous winter treat when my grandfather in Florida would send a box of tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit that he grew in

his orchard. We couldn’t get those things easily, or cheaply, in midcoast Maine.

Over the last two hundred years, with the development first of wood stoves, gas ranges, canning, and refrigeration, we’ve drifted farther and farther away from where our food comes from. There are plenty of arguments about why that’s both a good and bad thing; but for sportsmen, when we hang a deer in the garage, we know we can’t get much closer to our food than that.

As wildlife management has grown as a science, we sportsmen have come to rely on the scientists who advise policymakers about season lengths and bag limits. It’s something we watch anxiously for every year—the number of moose permits and any-deer permits allocated for our favorite hunting zones, waterfowl seasons, and upland bird limits help us plan our hunting trips.

New developments in technology now put important information into the hands of biologists with stunning speed. The online electronic big-game registry is a development that many looked on skeptically when it was first proposed a few years ago, but the platform and its refinement by the folks at the Information Resource of Maine is a remarkable and positive addition to the wildlife management landscape.

“On opening day, over 3,550 deer were registered,” InforME general manager Dan Andrews, himself an avid sportsman, reported to the InforME Board of Directors in December. “I always have known that opening day was a big deal for Maine hunters, but when you watch something like 30 deer per minute being registered, it really brings it home.”

I ran into Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife commissioner

Judy Camuso and deputy commissioner Tim Peabody at the Governor’s employee of the year event at the Blaine House just after the close of the muzzle-loading and expanded archery seasons, and we talked about the numbers. They confirmed that it was a good year, with over 28,000 deer registered (and for the record, despite my best efforts, I was not one of the skilled hunters to put a tag on a deer last year).

Together, we marveled at the compilation of so much good information so quickly.

It wasn’t that long ago that

Marsh Island Chronicles

by Matthew Dunlap, Old Town, ME

wildlife managers had to wait for the tagging books to come straggling in from game inspection stations over a period of months, and then hand-sorting the data.

The day the season ended, scientists at Inland Fisheries and Wildlife knew how many deer were taken, and where they were taken from.

This information will let them set up an early framework to consider per-

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Page 68 SELLERS LANE

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Bucks

tive year after year. Today, he was determined to make it happen. He planned to find one of the bucks he had passed up.

That day Andy filled his remaining tag as well as my last tag. He took an eight point and a nice six. It was quite a sight to see bucks on the front and back of the ATV. As of that moment, the only tags left in our group was Aaron’s two and Katie’s last one.

That evening when we all returned to camp, unsur-

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(Cont. from pg 66) deer. It would be cool to have her win the pool four years straight, but this beautiful buck de-throned her. I was now in the lead.

The morning of day

four, my oldest son, Aaron, still didn’t have a deer. He had let about ten bucks go in the prior days. He has always held out for the big guy. Often he gets them, but waiting until the last couple days can be risky too. He was hunting the Pavilion River. It had proven produc-

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LAND FOR SALE

(Bucks cont. pg 69) Overhead Door Company of Caribou “The original since 1921”

HIGH MEADOW REALTY TRUST P.O. BOX 130 CARIBOU, MAINE 04736

TEL. (207) 455-8340 FAX (207) 455-4995

www.highmeadowrealtytrust.com

realty@mfx.net

• 45 acres Woodland Center Road, Perham, ME. $45,000 • 57 acres Fowler Road, Woodland , ME. $35,000 • 42 acres on High Meadow Road, Perham, ME $29,900.

• 68 acres Borden Road, Washburn, ME. $47,600 • 55 acres Mouse Island Road, Perham, ME $35,000

All these parcels would make great hunting camps Financing Available

Residential Sales, Service Parts for Residential, Commercial, Industrial 24-Hour Emergency Repair Reliability and so much more

Commercial

554-9044 320 Bowles Rd, Caribou www.overheaddoorofbangor.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

January 2020

Bucks

(Cont. from pg 68) prisingly, Aaron showed up with the deer he was after.

It was a mature buck and he couldn’t have been happier.

It certainly makes a festive evening meal.

The last day of the hunt Aaron and Katie both took nice bucks with time to spare. Everyone in camp got beautiful, mature, bucks.

Needless to say, we were part of the high re-booking statistic. I’m already looking forward to next year.

For more information about a trip to Anticosti, call my friends at the reservation desk at 1-800-463-0863. Tell them Mark sent you.

As always, I welcome your comments at AnticostiMark@gmail.com Mark Cote is a Registered Maine Guide from Rumford, Maine. He has been hunting on Anticosti for over twenty years.

5 Lake Street, P.O. Box 66, Lincoln, ME 207-794-2460

SELLERS LANE

BUYERS ROAD

REAL ESTATE

Page 69 SELLERS LANE

BUYERS ROAD

P.O. Box 616 Long Lake, NY 12847 www.adirondackmtland.com

518-265-9198

290 acres Mitchell Mt. This parcel has incredible views of the Adirondack High Peaks and the Green Mts of Vt. The terrain is rolling to mountainous with very good Adirondack deer hunting. $225,000.

80 acres with beautiful mountain stream and waterfall.

Commanding views of Lake Champlain and the Green Mts. A very unique parcel with great deer hunting. $139,000.

50 acres for Adirondack Homestead - property features a stand of mature pine and a beautiful 5 acre meadow.

Close to thousands of acres of state land for wilderness hunting. $69,000.

30 acres bordering 80,000 acre Debar Mt. Wild Forest and is close to Debar Pond.

Property has a small bunkhouse and is very private. $47,000.

Email: cwa@cwalakestreet.com

Lakeville- Gorgeous views. Big acreage.

Privacy & cheap taxes. Nice cabin has fire pits front & back, insulated & offers the potential for a full loft for sleeping. Owners have had great luck with bear hunting on the land right on Upper Dobsis Rd. $165,000

L e e - A h u nt i n g camp located in a rural area.

Ideal for ATVing, snowmobiling & hunting on Hale Farm Rd. Inside it needs some finishing but the outside is “sweet”. OWNER FINANCING may be available as well. $44,900

Lee- Privately plowed, seaonal road. Electricity & nice frontage on a beautiful, clean Silver Lake. Two lots being sold, could potentially sell one lot & keep the other.

The well is on lot 14 while the buildings & septic are on lot 15. $139,000

Lincoln-Wonderful private 1.16 to 5.36 acre lots, driveways installed, ability to boat to Caribou & Long Ponds, access to snowmobile & ATV trails, owner financing, frontage on Egg Pond, starting at $59,000

Winn-Amazing recreational a re a , 5 + / - a c re lot, building site nestled amongst pine trees, more land & frontage available, 370’+/- along the clear, clean Mattawamkeag River. $32,000

Winn-2.1 acres on a pretty stretch of the Penobscot R i ve r. O n l y te n minutes from Lincoln. Wonderful spot for a home or cabin with electricity available at the road.

Route 2 $24,500

Lincoln- Looking for a nice in-town lot? This one is on a quiet, dead end street and near the schools right on Lakeview St. Inexpensive and ready for you. $7,200 Lee- This improved lot is ready for you to build or move your new home onto. A private country setting only a few miles from Lincoln’s amenities on Winn Rd. Come take a look today. $25,000 Springfield- Looking to purchase a small piece of northern Maine? This 2+/- acre parcel would be perfect. Priced to move. Ready for your camper or getaway cabin right on Route 6. Call today to come see your little slice of the north woods. $8,900 Seboeis- 53 acre lot already has gate & interior road. Pick a spot looking over thousands of feet of bog teeming with wildlife on North Rd. Great for ATVing, snowmobiling, hunting & all outdoor activities. Come take a look. $25,000

GATEWAY RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES Office 207-746-3398 gatwainn@midmaine.com www.medwaygateway.com P.O. Box 637 Medway, ME 04460 SNOWMOBILERS - CAMP LOTS AVAILABLE Along ITS-83 From Houlton to Presque Isle MATTANAWCOOK LAKE FRONT LOTS FOR SALE

ASHLAND: 10 Acres on Aroostook River. $14,000.

ASHLAND: 20 Acre, river frontage. $25,000.

GREENBUSH: 10 Acre camp lots, waterfrontage, large meadow, good views, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. $25,000 - $42,000.

CARMEL: 25 Acres. $42,700.

TROY: Hunting camp with 30 acres $45,000.

CRYSTAL: 100 Acres large deer population and other wildlife. Will divide off a piece, perfect for your needs. Large brook on property. $49,900.

CAMPS LOTS AVAILABLE ON MATTASEUNK LAKE & MATTAWAMKEAG AREA WE OWN WHAT WE SELL! OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 70 SELLERS LANE

January 2020 SELLERS LANE

REAL ESTATE

BUYERS ROAD

BUYERS ROAD

Houlton Office 207-532-4500 Hermon Office 207-605-0556 Scot Walker, Broker

For all your recreational needs!

First Choice Real Estate Land, Cabins, Acreage, Waterfront and more.

Stephanie Fields Beaulieu Designated Broker-Owner

www.mainelandbroker.com

CALL TODAY TO PLACE YOUR REAL ESTATE 207-732-4880

(207) 696-4247

www.HearthAndHomeRealty.com 274 Main Street Madison, ME 04950

#3396-Madison; #4354-Madison; Classic 3 BR, Move in ready 1 bath antique 2BR, 1 bath cape with large mobile home. detached barn Kitchen with and high tunnel custom pantry for greenhouse. and new heat 83.5 acres with 19 pump. insulated well for efficiency. Workshop with acres in fields. Hard to find nice old farms with electricity and another shed for storage. $49,900 acreage. $207,000 #3390-Madison; Beautiful location overlooking Mill Pond. 1868 New England Farmhouse needs some renovation. 4BR, 1 bath home with new furnace.

Situated on 2 acres. $39,000

#6079-Moscow; This camp is ready to make it your own.

Driveway, electric and 3BR septic system on site. Easy access to ATV/snowmobile trails. 0.95 acres. $28,500

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL Our Past. Your Future

P.O. Box 72 Houlton, Maine 1-800-341-1566 www.wardcedarloghomes.com

Cell: 207-551-5835

Fax: 207-472-3084

email: fieldsrealty@maine.rr.com 72 Fort Hill Street Fort Fairfield, ME 04742

$85,000 LaPomkeag Lake Authentic log craftsmanship at its best. This open concept camp includes a separate bedroom with two large beds plus sleeping loft. Commercial Garland range has four burner plus grill. Located on very private LaPomkeag lake. Camp is furnished and equipped-ready to move in. Gray water system for shower and sinks. Snowsled trail a mile away with easy access.

$59,900 999 Fournier Road T9 R7 Wels, ME

Rare offering on the shore of Aroostook River located between the Salmon Pool and the Mooseluk Stream. Prime fishing for native trout and salmon on the river and many other opportunities nearby. You can hunt, snow sled and vacation in the North Maine Woods. Well maintained 20x24 camp.

$75,000 84 Mountain Road, Presque Isle, ME 29 acres of woods abutting 800 acres of State of Maine park land can be yours. This wooded parcel includes gated road access a good portion of the year. Recent improvements include new chimney top, roof and leveling. $82,000 999 Pingree L141 Loc F T8 R10 Wels, ME 00000 Would you like to be near the Allagash region and some of the best fishing/hunting in the North Maine Woods? This camp is very well built and maintained and has a very nice lawn and yard to allow outdoor enjoyment.

Overhead Door Company of Bangor

“The original since 1921”

Residential Sales, Service Parts for Residential, Commercial, Industrial 24-Hour Emergency Repair Reliability and so much more

Commercial

$199,000 72 Puckerbush Trail, T1 R8 Wels, ME This camp is located on the end of a peninsula on Millinocket Lake with a spectacular view of Mount Katahdin. Property inlcudes a fully-furnished main camp with 2 bedrooms and a sleeping loft, open floor plan for the kitchen and living area.

www.bigbearrealestatecompany.com

515 Main Street • Presque Isle, ME 04769 Office: (207) 764-4600 Cell: 227-2305 Fax: 517-6860

1-800-696-2235 56 Liberty Drive, Hermon www.overheaddoorofbangor.com

Judd Goodwin Well Co

"We Do It Right The First Time"

Complete Well & Pump

Installation, Service and Repair Residential • Commercial Camps • Cottages

P.O. Box 17 Greenville, ME 04441 Office: 207-695-695-3645 Cell: 207-280-0923 goodwinjudd@yahoo.com www.juddgoodwinwell.com Member Maine Groundwater Association

BATTERIES ENJOY PEACE OF MIND WITH A NEW INTERSTATE BATTERY THIS WINTER

ATV, SNOWMOBILE, SIDE BY SIDE, UTV BATTERIES

HUGE SELECTION LOW PRICE Exchanged $38 - $162