Northwoods Sporting Journal, June 2021

Grasp Knocks Jim Placer Unconscious June 2021 Only

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June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 3

Against the Grain

ers, we took the road less traveled.

We never saw another h u n t e r. B u t we did see elk, and before that Western sun dipped beneath Pagoda P e a k shutting The author with a nice turkey. down the (Photo by Diane Reynolds) First Rifle Season, we filled – not Maine turkey hunting, the one- but two cow tags. We legal hunting day ended at could not believe our 11th 12 noon. This particular day hour good fortune! noon was fast approaching.

Another time, as a I had neither heard nor novice Maine turkey hunt- seen a bird, after walking er, I discovered, by sheer and calling all morning. At happenstance, the tactical 11:45 a. m. while sitting in value of the unconven- a mixed hardwood growth If you are in the turkey woods walking and polishing off the coffee and calling, the Turkey Hunter’s Gospel in my thermos, I decided to really let go with the call teaches the following without box. I really yukked it up exception: never, never, never overdue with clucks and yelps and it with the clucks and yelps. purrs, to the point I was wisdom insisted that, be- tional approach. If you laughing to myself.

Gobble ….gobble... cause the weather was un- are in the turkey woods gobble… seasonably warm, the elk walking and calling, the There it was, not 50 were still up high, where Turkey Hunter’s Gospel yards away, a big Tom the air was cooler and few teaches the following withhunters had the stamina or out exception: never, never, in full strut, his brightthe will to make the lung- never overdue it with the colored antediluvian head busting ascents to 11,000 clucks and yelps. Every bobbing as he picked his feet and higher. We had turkey tactic book that I way through the tangle hunted high, again with no have ever read, or turkey angling in my direction. I hunting seminar that I have was almost as surprised as elk sightings.

With nothing to lose attended teaches that you he was when he got within we shifted gears, drasti- MUST be sparing with the range of my 20 gauge turcally. We found an old for- vocalizations. A bearded key loads.

That was my first estry road that meandered bird, however lovesick, is along the edge of a bottom still wary and if he hears Maine turkey.

There have been some land that formed a bound- more than a modicum of deer hunts as well when my ary for the public land tract female clucks or purrs, he we were hunting. Defying will hold back or wander unpredictably in the deer woods paid dividends. the odds and the best advice away.

If you spend any time of experienced elk huntIn the early days of Some sagacious sage once observed that “it is insanity to keep right on doing what you are doing and expect a different outcome.”

Years in the woods and on the waters have taught me that this adage applies as well to outdoor pursuits. Wild things, whether they be turkeys, deer or elk, are as unpredictable as April in Maine.

You get the point, right? If the hunt isn’t going well for you, try something new. Be as unpredictable as the game you are trying to outwit or out maneuver.

Here are some real life examples.

A number of years ago in the Colorado Rockies, my son and I were on the last day of what was looking to be a futile elk hunt during Colorado’s First Rifle Season. We had hunted hard. Conventional

Outdoors In Maine

by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME

in the woods or on the waters, you may have had similar experiences - having unexpectedly good luck when you went against the grain.

The next time your quarry seems elusive or impossible to find and you become exasperated, get out of the box. Go rogue.

Hunt against the grain.

The author is editor

of the “Northwoods Sporting Journal.” He is also a Maine guide and host of a weekly radio program — “Maine Outdoors” — heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on “The Voice of Maine News - Talk Network.” He has authored three books; online purchase information is available at www. maineoutdoorpublications. com. or www.sportingjournal.com. Contact email — vpaulr@tds.net

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Page 4

On The Cover

Grasp Knocks Jim Placer Unconscious - Pg 6 Game Camera Buck - Pg 17 Penobscot Sleigh Ride - Pg 31 Flyline: The Right Choices - Pg 22 Saving Deer Yards - Pg 24 Camps, Cottages and Land for Sale - Pg 67

Contents

3. Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds 5. Maine Tails - Jonah Paris 6. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram 9. Fly Fishing - Joe Bertolaccini 10. “A Hiker’s Life” - Carey Kish 12. Anticosti - Mark Cote 13. Northwoods Sketchbook - Mark McCollough 15. Native Fish Talk - Bob Mallard 16. The Gun Cabinet - John Floyd 17. What’s in Your Woods - Bud Utecht 18. Outdoor Sporting Library - Jeremiah Wood 19. Aroostook Woods & Water - Mike Maynard 22. “Just Fishing” - Bob Leeman 24. Question Of The Month - David Trahan 25. Ramblings From T8-R9 - Ben Rouix 28. Basic’s Of Survival - Joe Frazier 31. The Back Shelf - V. Paul Reynolds 32. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood 33. Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective - Tom Kelly 34. The Maine Woods - Matt LaRoche 36. View From The River - Laurie Chandler 37. The Northwoods Bowhunter - Brian Smith 38. Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill 39. Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham 40. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes 42. On The Prowl - Justin Merrill 43. Northwoods Voyager - Gil Gilpatrick 44. Warden’s Words - Game Warden Kale O’Leary 45. Mass Wanderings - David Willette 46. Marsh Island Chronicles - Matthew Dunlap 47. Against The Current - Bob Romano 48. New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James 49. South Of The Kennebec - Stu Bristol 50. Vermont Ramblings - Dennis Jensen 51. Outdoors In Vermont - Gary Moore 52. Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton 55. On Point - Paul Fuller 56. Best Bassin’ - Bill Decoteau 57. The Fur Shed - Blake Dougherty 58. The Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer 60. Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard 62. The Tyer’s Corner - Hugh Kelly 65. Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair 66. The Trail Rider - Rod Fraser

Other Great Stories & Information

8. Editorial/Letters 14. Outdoor News 41. Trading Post 45. Carroll’s Corner - Carroll Ware 67. Real Estate

Northwoods Sporting Journal The Sportin’ Journal

June 2021

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 28 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 28 Issue 6 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 - V. Paul Reynolds 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, 2021. 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 Tyer’s Corner - Pg 62

By Hugh Kelly

The Fur Shed - Pg 57

By Blake Dougherty

Northwoods Voyager - Pg 43

by Gil Gilpatrick

On The Prowl - Pg 42

By Justin Merrill

Cover Photo: Nice bass by Josh Platt, Hallowell ME.

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Long Way Home

I had developed the tendency of sneaking a glimpse at the Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer whenever a free moment arose. My mind was focused on a certain stream, a thin blue line

basket just tastes better.

You certainly will agree.

After a few hours, we arrived. I parked my truck and we hiked in with our fishing gear and lunch basket. Despite no sightings, I

(Photo courtesy of Jonah Paris.) running through the mountains and snaking discreetly down the map like a vein.

Flowing in the shadow of several hallowed Western Maine waters, I assumed this little stream had often been overlooked. In my mind, I pictured a high gradient freestone stream filled with deep pools, cascades, shallow riffles, and slick runs. I had also imagined the hungry denizens native brook trout, likely of modest size, but certainly of great quantity, color, and form. Eager to test my hypothesis, I asked my girlfriend, Ashley, to join me in exploring the stream one day last spring.

We left Southern Maine early in the morning.

I had packed our lunches in a small pack basket, rivets rusting and green nylon straps beginning to fray.

Perhaps I did this out of nostalgia, or perhaps because any stream side lunch that emerges from a woven

am confident that we were surrounded by wildlife throughout the day. Fresh moose tracks littered the gravel. Deer prints - heartshaped indents of a doe and her early fawn - meandered down the bank, eventually crossed the stream, and disappeared into the birches.

In those same birches, I flushed a partridge. Even the strange three-toed claws of a lone turkey were pressed into the mud.

And, as we fished our way upstream, I couldn’t help but admire the craggy granite mountainside looming ahead and wonder which crevice was home to a patient sow bear and her hungry cubs.

I nymphed the pocket water, stripped streamers, dredged heavy beadheads through the pools, and drifted dry flies. After several hours, to my astonishment, there was still no sign of fish. We stopped for lunch and ate atop adjacent

boulders, chatting, musing, and basking in the midday heat. Afterwards, I continued fishing upstream.

Just once, in the last pool I examined, did I finally see fish. Peering down from a great rock, I watched several small creek chubs darting in and out of the shadows. No trout to be found - but no sign of other people all day either, so the trade-off appeared fair.

I decided to take the

Page 5

Maine Tails

By Jonah Paris, Scarborough, ME I stopped my truck, there was no store. I would later learn that it had burnt to the ground several years prior.

I thought back to when a young boy used to rush to the beer cooler in the back left corner of the store and reach down to the last shelf for the worms. Choosing the liveliest container of

I decided to take the long way home because warm spring days were meant for such pleasures.

- intact, vivid, and comforting. And, having just explored a gorgeous new piece of water, I had added to that priceless memory bank. A native brook trout is a beautiful thing, but not at the expense of overlooking the real reasons we find ourselves streamside: for the adventure, for time spent together - or perhaps alone, and for taking the long way home on a warm June evening.

long way home because warm spring days were meant for such pleasures.

I pointed out a few notable places - the yard where I once saw a bull moose munching away in the flower garden, the house of the woman who used to sell cider donuts, the mountains I’ve hiked. Eventually, I headed to a favorite general store. But when

Jonah Paris teaches English at a small high school in Southwestern Maine. A four-season outdoorsman, Jonah lives in Gorham, ME with his girlfriend, Ashley, and beagle, Aurora. Jonah can be reached at jonaheparis@ gmail.com

nightcrawlers, I’d carefully confirm, to the dismay of the clerk, that there was indeed exactly a dozen.

Then I’d grab a Hershey’s bar, pay for my treats, and wage battle on the local white perch population.

As the fact that I was staring at a concrete slab resonated, something else did too. The store was gone but the memories remained

Page 6

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Adventures of Me and Joe

Thief Creek

June 2021

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

Jim Placer took a last sip of water and handed the glass back to Joe. He gingerly rubbed the back of his head and grimaced.

“I think the aspirin is starting to work, Joe. Thanks.”

Joe set the glass on the plank sideboard and looked at Placer with concern.

“I still think you’d oughta go in to the clinic in town and get checked out.”

Jim grinned painfully.

“I’ll be all right. I come from a long line of hardheaded men, according to my mom. Besides, I don’t have the money to go to any clinic.” He glanced around at the mess scattered across the floor of the little, one-room log cabin.

“I just can’t figure out what anyone wanted in this cabin so bad they’d clunk me on the head to get it.”

Deputy Sheriff Luther Cuffs stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the shambles of the room.

That’s what I aim to find out,” he said grimly. “You sure they’s nothing missin’, Placer?”

“Nothing as far as I know.” The younger man looked slowly around. “I

didn’t bring that much stuff with me and old Uncle Holt didn’t have a lot to begin with.”

“Tell me again what happened,” Cuffs said.

“Like I said, I’d just come back from town. I opened the door and saw all the mess. I thought I heard a step and then that’s the last thing I remember.”

“You must have disturbed whoever it was in the act. I figure he was standing behind the door.

Well, I’m gonna go file my report,” The Deputy said.

“Then I’m gonna go and ask some questions around town. I heard you had some trouble with young Cody Dinge and his chum, Hank Grasp.”

“Heck, that’s just left over from when we were kids. Never did get along.”

Jim shook his head and then winced in pain. “I can picture those two trying to beat me up, but I can’t see them breaking in and trying to steal something.”

“Well, I’ll get started.

Anything else happens, you call me. You got my card.”

Deputy Cuffs hitched his belt up and stalked out the door.

Suddenly, a shadow detached itself from the trees and flitted through the willows and small birches to a back corner of the cabin.

Jim Placer had been born and raised in Mooseleuk. When in his early teens, his family had moved down to Lewiston, where his father took a job in a paper mill. Jim had finished high school there and then gone on to the University of Maine in Orono. He’d graduated from the engineering school that spring and decided to visit his hometown before taking a job with an engineering firm in Pennsylvania. The family home was long sold,

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.

but Jim’s bachelor uncle, old Holt Placer, had died a few years back and his log cabin on Thief Creek stood empty.

Me and Joe were friends with Jim’s parents and had visited the young man a couple of times in the month since he’d come to stay in his uncle’s cabin.

On this morning, we’d brought a couple of freshcaught trout to drop off and had found Jim unconscious on the camp floor.

“I still can’t figure why anyone would conk you on the head and tear this place apart,” I said.

“There has to be some reason for it.”

Jim looked at me, then dropped his eyes and glanced out the open door.

“Can’t figure what it would be.” He looked at Joe. “You guys know my dad had that heart attack last year and hasn’t been able to work ever since. My folks are

getting by, but just barely.

And all I’ve got is a brand new college degree and a mountain of loans to try and pay off. And you knew my Uncle Holt. He trapped a little and cut wood sometimes to get what little he needed. He never had much in the way of material possessions either, except for this cabin and this piece of land on Thief Creek. He never had anything else to leave behind. It’s funny, though…”

“What’s funny?”

“It’s just that…whenever somebody in the family needed something, Uncle Holt always seemed to come up with some cash to help out. I think if he was alive today, he’d be helping my folks out. But I never found anything in the cabin that he left behind, other than his personal things.

And he never had a bank account or anything.”

(Me & Joe cont. pg 7)

June 2021

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 6)

He grinned suddenly and pulled at a small chain suspended around his neck.

A little locket came out from the neck of his shirt.

“He did give me this, when I was a teenager. I’ve always kept it because I think it’s so cute.”

It was a tiny carving of a raccoon. Joe held it in his hand to look closer. The detail was amazing and the little figure actually seemed to be smiling at some private joke.

“That’s really nice,” J o e s a i d a d m i r i n g l y.

“Where you suppose he got it?”

“I think he had a jeweler craft it out of a solid piece of bronze. He told me to always keep it; that it would bring me luck.”

He smiled ruefully. “Hasn’t brought me much luck so far.”

Joe walked over and glanced out a window at the rocky expanse of Thief Mountain, rising behind the cabin. He turned thoughtfully back to Jim. “You own this cabin and the land, right?”

“Yeah, Uncle Holt left it to me. It isn’t worth much, but it’s a tie to home and I used to catch trout in Thief Creek all the time when I was a kid.”

“The Ore Corporation owns Thief Mountain.

Anyone from the company ever contact you about selling your land?”

“Nope. I wouldn’t sell it anyway.”

“Okay, well, whoever did this might have found what he was lookin’ for and maybe he didn’t. In any case, you watch yerself, Jim, and give a holler if you need help.”

On the ride back to

Northwoods Sporting Journal Mooseleuk, Joe was unusually silent. “What are you thinking?” I asked as we reached the outskirts of town.

He was quiet for a moment. “The Ore Corporation owns all of Thief Mountain ‘cept that small plot of land on the lower end of Thief Creek. Seems funny they wouldn’t of at least approached Jim or his father about buying the land.”

“But you don’t think someone from the corporation clunked Jim on the head and ransacked the cabin? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“None of it makes any sense…except when you consider…”

“What?”

“Never mind. I got to think about this.”

Two days later we pulled into the angle parking spot in front of the Emporium on Main Street in Joe’s Jeep. Down the boardwalk to the left I saw Jim Placer walking along toward us. Suddenly, two men stepped out of the alley alongside the little Mooseleuk Jewelry Shop and confronted him.. I recognized Cody Dinge and Hank Grasp, the two young local hoodlums who had been giving Jim a hard time. As the two toughs got right in Placer’s face, I started to open my door.

Joe laid a hand on my arm.

“Wait jist a minute.”

The door to the jewelry store opened suddenly and the owner, Otto Grasp, stalked out onto the boardwalk. Otto was Hank Grasp’s father and we could easily hear the conversation through the open windows of the Jeep.

“What do you boys think you’re doing?”

“Oh, Pop, we were just fooling around,”

Hank whined. “We didn’t mean…”

“There’s wood to be split back of the house,” the older man said. “I’d suggest you boys get over there and tend to it.”

Cody and Hank hung their heads and moved off grumbling down the boardwalk.

“I’m sorry about that, Placer,” Otto said. “Sometimes they get a little rambunctious. I don’t know quite what to do about it.”

“Oh, that’s okay Mr. Grasp,” Jim replied. “No harm done.”

Otto Grasp seemed about to say something else, then just nodded his head curtly and strode back inside his store. Jim walked over to the Jeep.

He grinned in the window. “Always something going on around here.”

Joe pulled his gaze away from the jewelry store and looked at him

thoughtfully. “Jim,” he said. “What would you think of disappearing for a few days?”

“Disappearing?”

The young man frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Joe tilted his head.

“Climb in the back and let’s talk.”

The following morning me and Joe stopped in to the Five N’ Diner for breakfast. The lunchroom was moderately crowded.

As Pricilla Broadbeam filled our coffee cups, she glanced out the window, looking down the street.

“Lookin’ for somebody, Prissy?” Joe asked as he blew on his coffee.

“Oh, it’s nothing.

Only, that young Placer boy usually comes in for coffee in the morning. Say’s I make the best coffee in The County.” She flushed. “He usually comes in by now.”

“Oh, Jim, he’s gone downstate to visit his

Page 7 folks,” Joe said loudly, taking a tentative sip of the hot coffee. “Won’t be back ‘til tomorrow.”

“Oh, well,” Prissy said, disappointed. “Guess we’ll just look for him the next day.” She headed off for the kitchen and Joe glanced slowly around.

“Well, we got Hooter Chalkline an’ Willard Speakeasy in the room,” he muttered under his breath.

“Between them two an’ Prissy herself, word oughta be all over town by this afternoon.”

“I still don’t see what you hope to accomplish by telling everyone that Jim’s out of town,” I said quietly.

“Bear with me a while,” Joe said. “I may be wrong ‘bout his, but I don’t think so.”

With Jim gone, the little cabin in the woods stood dark and lonely in the moonlight. Thief Brook (Me & Joe cont. pg 11)

Page 8

Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

Maine Gun Control

Maine hunters of every stripe - who pay little or no attention to the Biden-era efforts to erode Second Amendment gun rights - do so at the peril of their hunting heritage.

In a recent address to the nation, President Biden threw down the gauntlet with bold, no doubt well-intended, affirmations about his determination to stem the tide of gun violence with more gun control regulations. Factually, however, many of his claims were false and misleading.

Parroting a number of popular gun-control myths made for good optics, but did little to further truth or lasting problem-solving amid the national conversation about gun violence.

1. The “gun show loophole,” at least in Maine, does not exist. In every state, licensed gun dealers at gun shows are required to conduct Federal background checks before any gun purchase can take place. As for private individual gun sales, the Bangor Gun Show has long required that individual gun show purchasers first pass a background check through any of

Doe Permit Problems To the Editor: Excuse my literature, I’m just a farmer. I have an opinion on doe permits.

I’m a bow hunter and a tracker, lived in this area my whole life and I know the local woods better than I do the city of Portland.

There are three main reasons the state can’t reach doe harvest goals.

1. Posted Land. Mature deer spend daylight on land where they don’t get pressured. After the first day of firearm season these mature (often breeding does) micro-migrate to safe havens handed down

the Federally licensed dealers at the show.

Charlie Rumsey, the show director says, “We have done this for years, not only for insurance liability reasons, but purely out of good citizenship.” Many other gun shows have adopted similarly voluntary practices.

2. Online gun purchases also require Federal background checks prior to the transfer of a firearm from a seller to a purchaser.

3. The President said that, during the 10 years of this country’s existing assault weapons ban, the number of mass shootings declined. Actual statistics reveal that that rate has remained unchanged, with or without the ban.

4. Despite the spike of high profile gun violence, especially in cities like Chicago, that the President called an “epidemic,” there has been a national decline in gunrelated homicides! This number ironically coincides with an unprecedented spike in private gun ownership by law-abiding citizens.

As for the President’s Big Government push for Federally imposed “Red

through generations of matriarchs. It can be as small as a 10 acre parcel.

2. Seasonal Mast. In Maine on big hard masts years the state could give every hunter a permit and bonus permit and still never reach their goals. On soft mast years the deer are vulnerable to hunters and the doe harvest must be watched closely. When the deer can eat oaks only 25% of hunters have the drive to go find which group of oaks their in, while 75% of hunters can make a field target shot.

It’s simple math; more opportunity.

3. WMD choice. This was mentioned in your

Flag” laws that intend to prevent gun ownership by anyone deemed to be mentally unstable, this needs to be left to the states. Many governors agree. Pushback from more than a half dozen governors underscores this. The Alaska governor’s response to the Biden gun-control pitch was typical: ‘His proposals won’t save lives or stop criminals. It would simply disarm law-abiding citizens.”

Maine has a “Yellow Flag Law” that works, and strikes a balance between due process Second Amendment rights and public safety.

Unsaid by the President was the critical relationship between the failure of law enforcement and higher crime rates.

A number of the recent mass shooting tragedies by deranged individuals, we now know, could have been averted if the FBI had properly managed its data base of national background checks and engaged in timely intervention. After the fact, it was shown that a number of these deranged shooters had been on a Federal watch list!

-VPR

reciprocal guide’s law in Maine and in my opinion, it seems to me that the main goal behind this law, like many others is for money.

Either guides want an increase business or legislators are looking for some sort of other income flow.

Maybe there are some good ideas in the law, but to say that if a non resident comes from a state that does not reciprocate has to have a guide while othWalter Rines ers do not raises questions Sabaatus for me.

Raychard’s Article Just like the law that does not allow non resiInteresting dents to hunt on opening day (which I agree with) To the Editor: I read Al Raychard’s brings a lot of controversy.

Anyway nice article. interesting article about a article. A man or woman should only apply for a permit in which he or she knows the woods and plans to hunt. This is common sense. The deer permit lottery is not the moose lottery. One good hunter on familiar ground with 5 doe permits would harvest more does than 5 good hunters with one permit each on unfamiliar ground.

Brought a number of points up.

Wayne Dengler

Eddy Eagle Gun Program To the Editor: As we are in a period of political divide on many areas, I believe that we could all agree on keeping our children safe from accidental exposure to guns.

It does not matter if you are for or against possessing guns, it is all about saving the life of a child.

Many people are not aware that the NRA (Letters cont. pg 26)

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Fishing June Smallies

For those of you who enjoy fly fishing for smallmouth bass in lakes and ponds, especially when they are on their spawning beds in or about the middle of June, Maine waters now offer some of the finest fishing anywhere.

To b e f o r t h r i g h t , smallmouth bass are an exotic species, ie. not native to Maine waters and have been stocked in many places, both legally and illegally. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife had legally stocked bass to provide additional angling opportunities, but unfortunately other ignorant “do-gooders” have illegally stocked them as well. Since it is difficult or nearly impossible to eliminate the population of prolific spawners such as these especially in large lakes whether legally or illegally stocked, if you like fly fishing for smallmouths, just go out and do it.

The only word of caution is to be sure and check the regulations for the water you fish since they will vary depending upon whether bass are a protected species or are deemed to be a nuisance with no size or bag limits. Favorite waters to fish include Big Lake, Dobsis Lake, Pocumcus Lake, Crawford Lake, St Croix River, the Machias Lakes, Wabassus Lake, Crescent Lake, Panther Pond, Crooked River, Penobscot River, and hundreds of others where they have been introduced.

If the depth of water over bass nests is greater than three feet or so, it may be better to use a lightly weighted fly for this type of fishing such as the Clouser

Minnow that has weighted barbell eyes attached to the top of the hook which allows the fly to sink with the hook point ride up making it virtually weedless. It can be tied in many colors, but it has been most productive with combinations that include orange, yellow, red, chartreuse, white and all black.

be added to the sides of the wing if desired.

Mickey Muddler Hook: - Size 6, 6x long’ Thread: - Tan 3/0.

Body: - Silver braided tinsel.

Wing: - Small bunch of yellow calftail over which is a small bunch of red calftail over which is a larger bunch of yellow

Page 9

Fly Fishing

by Joe Bertolaccini, Orrington, ME Wing: - Natural mallard flank feather tied flat over body.

Collar: - Natural grizzly soft hackle.

Head: - Black thread.

Another version of this fly calls for a yellow chenille body, bronze mal-

ite shoreline one day with friends who were trolling flies about five feet from the edge of the nests and going fishless while my partner and I were casting directly to the nests and consistently hooking bass, so it pays to put in that extra

Favorite waters to fish include Big Lake, Dobsis Lake, Pocumcus Lake, Crawford Lake, St Croix River, the Machias Lakes, Wabassus Lake, Crescent Lake, Panther Pond, Crooked River, Penobscot River, and hundreds of others where they have been introduced. calftail.

Collar: - Tips of first bunch of deer hair.

Head: - Clipped deer hair tied Muddler style.

Three great bass flies.

(Photo by Joe Bertolaccini) Clouser Minnow Hook: - Size 6, 4x long.

Thread: - White or black, 6/0.

Eyes: - Weighted barbell eyes painted white with black pupils. They should be tied in with figure eight windings sufficiently behind the eye of the hook to allow room for a finished head.

Body: - Silver braided tinsel.

Throat: - White calftail tied on top of the hook both in front of and behind the eyes and extending to the barb of the hook.

Wing: - Orange calftail tied under the hook in front of the eyes and extending to just beyond the bend of the hook. Crystal flash can

Bass Fly Hook: - Size 6, 6x long.

Thread, Black 6/0.

Body: - Bright orange chenille

lard flank feather for the wing and a brown soft hackle collar.

When casting to nesting bass, it is essential to be accurate and try to hit them right on the head with the fly to give the illusion that an intruder is aiming to drive them off. I can remember fishing a favor-

effort.

Wishing you the very best casting for June smallmouths.

Joe has enjoyed fly fishing for over 65 years.

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

Page 10

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Georgia to Katahdin: Journey Over

“A Hiker’s Life”

by Carey Kish, Mt. Desert Island, ME For northbound thru-hikers, the 100-Mile Wilderness is the next-tolast section of the Appalachian Trail on its long route from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin. While not formally

light daypack, and after 15 miles of washboard ridges, thick spruce forests and gnarly stream crossings, I met my wife near Long Pond Stream. We drove to our camp on a pond in nearby Willimantic, and

Aches and pains were finally getting the best of me, with both knees, left hip and right heel giving me problems.

Thank goodness for Ibuprofen. wilderness by any legal definition, this vast expanse of forestland from Monson to Abol Bridge is nonetheless very primitive and wild.

Stephen Clark, longtime editor of the Appalachian Trail Guide to Maine, coined the colorful label in the 1980s to alert AT thru-hikers to the dearth of resupply points along this remote stretch of trail, still largely the case today.

On my first day in the Wilderness, I carried a

June 2021

I enjoyed a final night of semi-civilized comfort.

The next morning, I shouldered my backpack loaded with a week’s supplies and struck off across the Barren-Chairback Range. I saw no one all day as I grunted over Barren, Fourth, Third and Columbus mountains, then camped alone at Chairback Gap Lean-to.

A day north, I stayed at Sidney Tappan Campsite, a cold and windy spot high in the Whitecap Range.

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After dinner, rather than retreat to my tent I built a fire, my first since spring in the southern Appalachians.

Alone once again, I sat for a long while in the gathering night, staring into the flames and reflecting on the hike.

March 18 seemed a very long time ago, and it was hard to grasp that I’d actually been walking for more than six months.

As I faced the end of the trail, the trek had become something of a blur in my mind, of states and scenery, campsites and one-pot meals, blue skies and rainy days, trail towns and trail angels, and thru-hiking friends come and gone.

Aches and pains were finally getting the best of me, with both knees, left hip and right heel giving me problems. Thank goodness for Ibuprofen. As for my boots, I hoped the gobs of epoxy would hold them together for a few more days. Reality had caught up with me at last; it was time to be done with the hike and I knew it.

From the apex of 3,600-foot Whitecap, glorious Katahdin stands tall just 60 trail miles away across a magical stretch of wooded country dotted with pristine lakes and ponds. I watched the lunar eclipse from the sand beach at Crawford Pond, and a still big pumpkin of a moonrise from my tent site amid the red pines on Lower Jo-Mary Lake.

I holed up for two nights at Debsconeag Lake Wilderness Camps to escape a 24-hour storm that dropped more than 5 inches of rain, then pitched my tent for the last time at Rainbow Lake, retiring into my sleeping bag well before dark, emotionally and physically exhausted.

At Abol Bridge, my wife and three friends were waiting with smiles and cold beers. The following day, we enjoyed a merry hike together into Baxter State Park to Katahdin Stream, where I registered with the ranger and got my official 2,000-miler application. For the record, I

was northbound thru-hiker No. 831 to sign in this year.

At first light on Sunday, October 4, we headed up the Hunt Trail, the final five miles of the AT. Beyond Katahdin Stream Falls, it took almost four hours of boulder scrambling and nearly 4,000 feet of elevation gain to reach the Tableland. Traces of snow on the rocks glinted in the bright sun of this perfect autumn day as we happily strode the last mile.

Just before noon I turned and kissed my wife, then sprinted the remaining 100 feet to the summit and hugged the famous Katahdin sign. After 2,189.2 miles and 189 days through 14 states, my 38-year dream to hike the Appalachian Trail a second time was realized.

“AMC Maine Mountain Guide.” Follow more of his outdoor adventures on Facebook @Carey Kish.

Carey Kish is the author of “AMC’s Best Day Hikes Along the Maine Coast”.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

Me & Joe

(Cont. from pg 7) wound its turbulent way downhill a few yards from the front door and a light breeze stirred the hemlocks behind the cabin.

Suddenly, a shadow detached itself from the trees and flitted through the willows and small birches to a back corner of the cabin. Slowly, the dark figure edged furtively along the wall to a window, but nothing was visible of the dark interior.

Seemingly reassured, the prowler crept around the front corner to the plank door. Slowly, he eased the unlocked door open, wary of any squeak from the hinges, and slid inside.

With the door closed, he snapped on a small pocket flash and aimed it at the floor.

At the same time there came a click. Light from

a portable electric Coleman lantern flooded the room. In the sudden glare, Otto Grasp stood gaping in stunned surprise. Me and Joe sat at the little oak table across from Jim Placer and Deputy Luther Cuffs. For a moment, nobody said anything. Then Joe eased around in his chair.

“Howdy, Otto. Took you long enough. We been sittin’ in the dark for almost two hours now.”

Otto wiped his mouth nervously. “Look…I can explain..”

“That would be good,” Deputy Cuffs stood and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt. “Probably go easier if you was to come clean about now.”

“You got to understand,” Otto said desperately. “I never meant to hurt young Jim…” He clasped a hand over his mouth when he realized what he’d said.

Then the hand dropped and a look of resignation came over his drawn face.

“I guess you seem to know everything, he said.”

“I think so,” Joe said complacently. “But why don’t you fill in the gaps.

Jim almost ketch yer in the act, did he?”

Otto nodded slowly.

“I thought he’d gone to town and wouldn’t be back for hours. I’d searched the place high and low and was about to put everything back in its place when I heard him coming along the path. I dodged behind the door and, when he came in…well…I had the flashlight in my hand…I’m sorry, Placer. I couldn’t think what else to do.”

Jim scowled. “I just don’t understand, Mr. Grasp. What in the world were you looking for?”

Grasp smirked suddenly. “You really don’t know, do you?”

Page 11

“I ‘spect we do, really,” Joe said. “You was lookin’ for the gold, wasn’t you?”

I know my jaw dropped. At exactly the same time, both Jim and Deputy Cuffs said “GOLD?” “You…you know?”

Grasp stuttered.

“Figured it had to be that,” Joe said. “A lot of these high country streams in northern Maine have produced a little bit of gold over the years. Then you put that together with the fact that the Ore Corporation bought Thief Mountain, with its mineral rights, an’ the fact that Jim’s Uncle Holt was always comin’ up with some money to help the family when times was hard. It weren’t hard to figure, what with Thief Creek feedin’ right down off the mountain and windin’ right by the cabin. So, why don’t you tell us about

it, Otto. Holt start bringin’ a little gold to you for sale, did he?”

“That’s right!” Grasp said, eager, now, to tell his story. “It was never a lot, but Holt didn’t need a lot.

It would be a half-ounce here, a small nugget there.

Only once in a great while and never very much. He brought in a whole two ounces one time a few years back.”

“That would have been about the time of my mom’s cancer operation,” Jim said solemnly. “I know he brought some money then.”

“Holt lived simple.

Over time, he might have gathered a good stash.

And nobody else seemed to know about the gold,” Grasp continued. “After he died, I spent some time at the cabin, looking around, but I never found any sign of the gold.”

(Me & Joe cont. pg 20)

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Anticosti

Sporting Journal Northwoods

by Mark Cote, Rumford, ME Despite the effects of Covid 19, the 2020 deer season on Anticosti was pretty good. Philippe

June 2021

Anticosti: Herd Healthy

that point, although there were plenty of sightings, the bigger, more mature deer were less plentiful

“We continue to keep our fingers crossed on the border re-opening. It is a day by day decision, but

pass up decent bucks early in the week waiting for the big guy and the last two days are raining side-

kind of thought the heavy snowfall and brutal subzero temperatures during winter of 2016-2017 was hard on

Early indications from the scouts on the island point to better survival. We are all expecting a great season for the upcoming 2021 hunt.

Lachapelle, Operations Director, indicated the size of the deer harvested seemed to be bigger than the last few years prior. We all

the herd, causing that generation of fawns, yearlings, and run-down bucks to suffer an abnormally high winter mortality rate. From

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Jeff Trudeau and his son Chase. They were taken in 2016, right before the heavy winter kill. than normal.

Thankfully, the herd seems to have corrected itself. As with the recent mild New England winter this year, Anticosti’s winter was also very mild and the spring green up came much sooner than normal, when wildlife needs nutrition the most. Early indications from the scouts on the island point to better survival. We are all expecting a great season for the upcoming 2021 hunt.

“We have not seen any carcasses in the wintering yards on the edge of the ocean where the deer gather.” Reported Robin Plante, Director of Sepaq Anticosti. “The herd went into the winter healthy and we didn’t get much snow.

We had fewer cold days than we normally do. I expect to have a good quality herd this year.”

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for now, the border is still closed. We all hope it will open in time to see our American friends beginning the September stays.”

Robin continued, showing me his crossed fingers on both hands.

“Believe it or not though, for the first time in Sepaq history, the occupancy rate for not just hunting, but summer vacationing as well, is at an astounding 100%. We have zero available spots anywhere on the island if the border opens.” Robin gleamed.

“That proves that people want to get outside, not be locked away. Our staff is included. They want to be out there with you.”

As I mentioned, the 2020 season was good, but the late season weeks had tough hunting weather. Rain, wind, snow, etc. caused many guests to come home with empty tags. That is one element that nobody can fix. I have been in the same situation several times. If you

ways, foggy, or heavy snow moves in, it often upsets even the best of plans.

As much as I love hunting Anticosti, I think it was a welcome break for the deer herd. Americans account for twenty percent of the guests, the other eighty percent are Quebec residents. Although some Quebec residents did fill some of the spots Americans weren’t allowed to occupy, there was a measurable cancellation rate of the resident’s reservations due to the pandemic. All this leads to a reduction of hunter harvested deer.

Couple that with a mild winter and we should see increased numbers. I have high hopes for great success once normal operations resume.

For more information about a hunt on Anticosti, call my friends at the reservation desk at 1-800-4630863. Tell them Mark sent you! I welcome your comments at AnticostiMark@ gmail.com

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Remembering The Happy Wanderer

I was about nervous enough to wet my pants.

For starters, I was about to meet the legendary Bud Leavitt for the first time.

He was the fabled out-

the darkness and spread his wings ready to fly away from a looming presence.

His talons tightened like a vice on my hand through the heavy leather welder’s

about the interview. Bud’s calming Down East accent cured our jitters faster than you could fry up a batch of smelts. He took us under his wing like a seasoned Maine guide and led us through the wilderness of his home-grown

Page 13

Northwoods Sketchbook

by Mark McCollough, Hampden, ME youth. Bud was fascinated by our long hours of training a young eagle to take into school classrooms.

We talked about our efforts at the University to bring eagles back from the edge of the precipice of extinc-

gether.” The closing music came up, Val-de-ri--Val-dera-, Val-de-ri--Val-de ha ha ha ha ha ha Val-de-ri--Valde-ra. My knapsack on my back. Bud winked. Bart and I blinked, and we instantly became one of Bud

On Saturday nights at 6:00 p.m., eating “snappers,” beans, and biscuits and watching Bud Leavitt’s Woods and Waters was a Maine tradition. For those of you who don’t know, Bud was a newspaperman and executive sports editor of the Bangor Daily News. He was the persona of Maine outdoors.

Perhaps with a mince of envy, some thought of Bud as an egotistic, gruff, old curmudgeon.

But for those who really knew him when Bud’s claws were relaxed, he was as soft as a lynx paw. door writer for the Bangor Daily News and national celebrity sportsman. It was 1982, and I was lowly, wetbehind-the-ears wildlife graduate student at the University of Maine. Under the hot, glaring lights of a television studio I had a live and very energetic bald eagle “Bart” on my heavily gloved fist. Bart was as far out of his element as I. We both desperately wanted to be anywhere than the plaid couch in Bud’s “office” at the Maine Public Television studio. Ted Williams, Curt Gowdy, Ed Muskie, and scores of Maine’s legendary sporting camp owners and outdoors people had sweat in the same “hot seat” that I was in.

There was a clash and bang of closing doors.

I was vaguely aware of a scuffle of cameramen jumping to their stations in the darkened studio.

Bart’s eagle eyes pierced

glove. A booming shouted, “Let’s get ‘er started.” The lights came up, and then the familiar music played: I love to go a-wandering, along the mountain track, And as I go, I love to sing, my knapsack on my back.

Clad in an LLBean shooting jacket, Bud burst into the pine-paneled television set made up to look like a Maine sporting camp. Bart the eagle was as startled as I, and we both stiffened ramrod-straight. Bud took his throne, a plush matching plaid chair in the corner of the set. He leaned in so close that I thought Bart would pierce his bulbous nose and roared, “Folks, today we have Univeh’sity of Maine graduate student Mah’k McCollough and his side-kick Bah’t to tell us about Maine eagles!”

Afterwards, neither Bart or I could recall much

TV show production. Bart the eagle sat like a granite statue, transfixed on the whispy tufts of unruly hair of Bud’s balding head. The old guide took me on a half-hour journey of casual conversation. We discussed Bart’s misadventures as a young eagle – his flight to from Maine to Pennsylvania and being shot by a

tion.

Time flew like an eagle after a black duck, and before I knew it Bud thanked us, looked into one of the TV cameras and closed out the show with his signature homily, “Folks until this time next week, remember the family that plays together and prays together stays to-

Leavitt’s new best friends.

Over the years, Bart’s feathered hackles whitened as did Bud’s unruly locks.

But Bud continued to be an ardent supporter of the Eagle Project. Footage of Bart became part of the permanent video lead for the Woods and Waters show. Bud invited Bart (Wanderer cont. pg 63)

Page 14

Edited by V. Paul Reynolds June is bustin’ out all over, and like they say, June is “troutin’and bassin’ time.” With more than 5,000 lakes and ponds, thousands of miles of rivers and streams and 400 remote trout ponds scattered throughout the Pine Tree State’s sprawling wilderness, there is room enough for all of us to find solitude and sustenance for the soul - and maybe even some fish.

So get the garden in early, and get after those wonderful brookies and feisty bass. Be sure to read this issue of the Journal thoroughly. It’s chocker block full of fishing’ tips and places to go. Don’t forget to buy a fishing license -you can do that online now - register your boat, grease the hubs on your boat trailer, bring a kid along and wear a life jacket.

New Hampshire Trouting Time

You can fish in many of New Hampshire’s managed trout ponds starting on the fourth Saturday in April, and this year’s opening day is April 24.

These waters include designated trout ponds, flyfishing-only ponds, and ponds managed under the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Wild Trout Program. The ponds managed under wild trout regulations are open only through Labor Day, while the waterbodies managed for other trout species close on October 15. These waters are managed specifically for trout and offer anglers the chance to experience exciting fishing in

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Outdoor News - June 2021 some of the Granite State’s most scenic surroundings.

Ponds managed for trout may be stocked with one or more species, including brook, rainbow, and brown trout at various age classes.

“These trout ponds are often the best waters in a given area for a variety of reasons,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Fisheries Biologist Dianne Timmins.

“Excellent habitat, limited species predation, low angling competition, and the fact that these ponds are closed to ice fishing allow larger fish to grow that challenge the trout fishing enthusiast. Low water conditions last year did not affect pond conditions, so we are expecting some great fish to be had out there!”

Clough Pond in Loudon, French Pond in Henniker, Lucas Pond in Northwood, Mount William Pond in Weare, Dublin Lake in Dublin, Barbadoes Pond in Madbury, Mountain Pond in Brookfield and Airport Pond in Whitefield are a few of the generously stocked early-season hotspots where opening day trout are often taken. Changes in stocking, made in 2021, have only increased opportunities in these locations, as well as others throughout the state.

Many popular ponds are found from the Lakes Region north to Pittsburg. They include Little

Diamond Pond in Stewartstown, Echo Lake in Franconia, Mirror Lake in Whitefield, Russell Pond in Woodstock, Conner Pond and Duncan Lake in Ossipee, White Lake in Tamworth, Perch Pond in Campton, Saltmarsh Pond in Gilford, and Spectacle Pond in Groton.

Anglers looking for a true wilderness experience will enjoy visiting one of the nearly 50 remote trout ponds that Fish and Game annually stocks with fingerling brook trout via helicopter and backpack hike ins. These are listed at http://www.fishnh.com/ fishing/trout-aerial.html.

Flat Mountain Pond in Sandwich, Cole Pond in Enfield (fly fishing only), Butterfield Pond in Wilmot, Sawyer Pond in Livermore, and Black Pond and Lonesome Lake in Lincoln are just a sampling of these delightful ponds, where fingerling brook trout can often measure over eight inches by their second growing season.

Archery Pond in Allenstown, which has a ADA-accessible casting platform, and Stonehouse Pond in Barrington are two popular fly-fishingonly ponds that will be well stocked for opening day.

Further north, some excellent fly-fishing-only ponds

now also has an ADA-accessible casting platform.

Check the New Hampshire Freshwater Fishing Digest for special regulations on these waters at http:// www.fishnh.com. In addition, White Pond in Ossipee and Coon Brook Bog in Pittsburg offer excellent opportunities to “match the hatch” throughout spring and early summer.

“Trout are prized by anglers because fishing for them is one of the traditional rites of spring, and they are beautiful,” Timmins said. “Whether your passion is the bluehaloed brook trout, a leaping, pink-striped rainbow, or the determined fight of a brown, there’s a trout pond within a reasonable driving distance to challenge your skills.”

For a list of trout ponds and fly-fishing-only ponds in New Hampshire, as well as a description of special rules that apply to certain ponds, consult the New Hampshire Freshwater Fishing Digest, available online at www.fishnh. com/fishing/publications. html or from any Fish and Game agent where you buy your license.

First Annual Bug Bumper 2 Fly Tournament

June 2021

ages and from near and far.

Guides and professionals are also welcome. If you want to hire a guide for the tournament that is permitted as well.

The tournament will be held on August 27 & 28 at the Penobscot River Cabins, 737 Mattamiscontis Rd, Howland, Maine.

The 27th will be the pre-fish day as well as check in day. Check in time will be 6 p.m. We will go over the tournament rules, pass out tournament issued rulers as well as turn in your 2 flies. The 28th is tournament day! We will have a quick check in at 7 a.m. and we will send you off from there. You will be allowed to fish from 8am to 4 p.m. All anglers must be back for check in by 5 p.m. or will be disqualified. Anglers will submit their 5 BIGGEST fish. Oh and make sure they are all smallmouth, this is a bass tournament after all!

However, we will be handing out a Chub trophy to the largest chub of the day!

After all the tallying is done, we will award prizes to our winners. We will end the day with a BBQ for all!

This tournament is something we’ve wanted to do for years but never took time out of my busy guide schedule to do so.

We all know how stressful and crazy this past year has been. We thought this Tournament Rules: tournament would be the 1. Fly fishing only. include Upper Hall Pond perfect opportunity to get in Sandwich, Sky Pond in anglers together for a fun Any and all fish caught New Hampton, and Profile fill weekend of fishing. any other way will not be (News cont. pg 64) Lake in Franconia, which We welcome fishers of all

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Endangered Species Act(s)

The federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) is not limited to non-game species. It’s as likely to be used to protect and restore game species as non-game species. And when applied to non-game species, it often indirectly protects game-species.

The ESA was enacted

by Congress in 1973, and signed into law by President Nixon. It was passed by the Senate unanimously,

strategy, and population levels, referred to as Distinct Population Segments (DPS).

State ESA programs allow for state-specific listings, and up-listing federally listed species (threatened to endangered) when the situation is worse than it is at the national level.

State-level ESAs are not intended to challenge the federal ESA, as by the time a species is listed, it

under MESA or MMESA is at the discretion of the DIFW and DMR Commissioners. The Maine legislature has the sole authority to act, placing control of state ESA in the hands of politicians not scientists.

Only 10 out of 16 species listed at the federal level found in Maine are listed at the state level.

The most egregious omission is Atlantic salmon.

Endangered at the national

Page 15

Native Fish Talk

by Bob Mallard, Skowhegan, ME personnel to list Atlantic salmon as Endangered at the state level.

Their refusal said a state-level listing “does not offer any conservation benefits,” and it “cause(es) a workload issue that does not justify the ends.” It was referred to as “symbolic”

the decision without being constrained by political pressures; limits on agency funding, staffing, or management capabilities; the ease or difficulty of managing a species; or by a species’ potential responsiveness or lack of responsiveness to manage-

Only 10 out of 16 species listed at the federal level found in Maine are listed at the state level. The most egregious omission is Atlantic salmon. Endangered at the national level, they are found nowhere else in the country except Maine, and propped up almost solely through stocking.

Under the ESA, Federally listed endangered species don’t have to be listed at the state level. and approval in the House was 390 to 12, showing broad and bi-partisan support.

The purpose of the ESA is to restore at-risk species. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, or NOAA Fisheries. The former is responsible for inland species, the latter marine species as well as anadromous fish such as salmon.

Under the ESA, Endangered means a species is at risk of extinction throughout all most of its range. Threatened means it’s likely to become Endangered within the foreseeable future. It is imposed at the species, subspecies, life history

is in trouble throughout its range.

Maine has two state ESAs: Maine Endangered Species Act (MESA) and Maine Marine Endangered Species Act (MMESA.) MESA is administered by Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW), MMESA by Department of Marine Resources (DMR).

MESA was enacted in 1975, MMESA in 2003.

From 1975 through 1994, federally-listed species were automatically listed at the state level. In 1995, the mandatory listing clause was removed.

In 1996, the designation of Endangered was changed from Secretary of the Interior to Commissioner of DIFW. Requests for listing

level, they are found nowhere else in the country except Maine, and propped up almost solely through stocking.

Atlantic salmon are a federal Species in the Spotlight, a designation given to species most at risk of extinction: “extinction is almost certain in the immediate future because of rapid population decline or habitat destruction” Per NOAA, “The Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic salmon was selected because of its critically low abundance and its continuing decline.”

Maine has two species of fish listed at the state level: Redfin pickerel and swamp darter. The former is Endangered, the latter Threatened. Are these fish more at-risk and/or worthy of protection than Atlantic salmon? Has their listing impacted us?

DIFW and DMR refused recent requests by advocates, scientists, and former DIFW, DMR, and Maine Department of Environmental Protection

and of no “meaningful benefit,” in direct conflict with what DIFW says on their website: “[MESA] allows [DIFW] to recommend species for listing based solely on biological facts, thus purely reflecting the species’ likelihood of extinction within Maine.

The Department makes

ment.”

In an unrelated release, DMR said “Restoration of Atlantic salmon, American shad, blueback herring, alewife, and sea lamprey has lagged on the mainstem Kennebec River,” and refers to Atlantic salmon as “one of the most (Act(s) cont. pg 29)

Page 16

The Gun Cabinet

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Smallmouths, Big Action

by John Floyd, Webster Plantation, ME This month will see some of the hottest smallmouth bass fishing we can usually expect for the open water fishing season. While smallmouth do not typically enjoy the status of being one of Maine’s premiere, sought-after game fish, such as landlocked Atlantic salmon and brook trout, these black bass provide

June 2021

common was the pursuit of June smallies on one of Maine’s many pure and rocky lakes. Here are some of the best techniques I’ve seen employed throughout the best of the smallmouth season.

ters transition to deeper depths. Large females will be hanging back, waiting for the males to construct and prepare the spawning beds along the shoreline.

Casting lures or wet flies that sink slowly works well. Alternatively, slowly trolling a bright silver or gold spoon along the shelf can be equally as effective.

well also. They can be rigged weedless style to prevent snagging rocks or brushy debris and can be a killer for females still hanging around looking to replenish after spawning. You can move the bait along the bottom and around rock piles without hanging up.

For the hottest top-

the water and tail-walking towards the boat is as good as it gets for me.

Post Spawn The bite starts to really slow down now. The trick here is to make your presentation easy for the fish to take. The males are tired and worn out from their duties on the beds and

Bass on Beds Pre-Spawn When the water temMost years, the prespawn occurs in my region peratures reach 55 to 62

Most years, the pre-spawn occurs in my region from mid-May into the first week of June. During this time, female bass will be feeding aggressively to maintain energy levels.

Their bellies start to swell with eggs and they are hungry. fantastic fishing opportunities in late spring into early summer. I have had the opportunity to guide numerous anglers hailing from all parts of the country, some unzipping highend Orvis fly rods on the boat while others broke out traditional spinning gear.

One thing they all had in

from mid-May into the first week of June. During this time, female bass will be feeding aggressively to maintain energy levels.

Their bellies start to swell with eggs and they are hungry. The most successful anglers will be casting their lure at shelves where the shallow shoreline wa-

degrees, the action really picks up. The males have finished the beds and the females start depositing their eggs. During this period, you’ll start seeing more aggression strikes. Males are only interested in one thing right now - defending the beds from intruders.

This the time for a lure that imitates an intruder seeking to eat recently spawned eggs. Hard stick baits such as a floating Rapala can be retrieved over a bed and made to dive towards it, leaving the guarding male no other choice than to protect his domain. Soft, Senko-style worms work

Dropping a lure into the strike zone after a slow retrieve from the shoreline gets big results. water action, poppers are a the females have become favorite. Toss a popper near just plain lazy. The water the edge of a spawning bed has warmed up considerand if an aggressive smal- ably by late June and early lie doesn’t hit it right off, July and the smallies will wait for the casting rings be seeking sunken boulto dissipate on the water. A ders, rock piles, and grasses twitch or two should be all to hang out around. A slow it takes to force him into retrieve around structure action. The sight of a small- that provides relief from mouth exploding out of (Action cont. pg 29) Huge Selection Of Ammo

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June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 17

My Game Camera Buck

I have read a few articles recently, even some in this fine paper, that tell me game cameras are not going to get you your deer.

While I do agree that it is

bucks started shedding their velvet the young ones started showing up on these cameras. Small yearling bucks would be trailing the doe a couple hours behind

and waited for the start of the season.

The Monday after the start of the season I was in the stand and was treated to a doe and her young coming to hang out for a bit. She did not go to the scrape and just meandered around then left. The next chance I had to hunt was the next Friday. First thing I did was check the camera, nothing. I sat in the stand

What's In Your Woods

by Bud Utecht, T4 Indian Purchase Township I sat there, I hadn’t pulled the camera card to see who had visited. There it was right in front of me and I couldn’t go back down there.

I waited forever and just couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to see what had freshened the scrape.

on the camera, picked up my rifle and looked up.

Here here he comes! I saw him at 60 yards and pulled the trigger at 30, he made it another 30 and went down.

Without seeing him go down caution was paramount, taking time to watch the trail and look out

With the camera set to video, I was able to watch him thrashing the branch above him and paw at the scrape. Now I was pretty thrilled that he had been there and it was boosting my long- gone confidence in this spot.

The author with his canine buddy and his trail cam buck. unlikely you will pattern a buck during Maine’s deer season, there are ways to increase your odds using cameras.

My buck story starts this time of year, believe it or not. I stumbled onto a spot that had been dug up and wanted to know what had done it. I was betting it was bear, but I love surprises. So back I came several weeks later only to see it was a doe, yep a doe.

Not only did she stop by but urinated in it. That got me thinking about another spot that was similar and needed a camera, presto it had a camera. Both sites had does visiting and occasionally urinating in the scrape. They would come to the spot even with their spotted offspring tagging along.

As the summer was winding down and the

her. At one of the locations two young bucks sparred for a while. One of the spots was not really conducive for a hunt, but the other was perfect. I packed up a tree stand and placed it overlooking the camera

wondering if I had made a big mistake with this spot.

I do that anyways but with no pictures I didn’t really know what to do. I put a scent dripper on the scrape and left the stand. The next morning I was back before daylight. I added some scent to the scrape and even in the dark I could see that something had been working that scrape. I went back to the stand and waited.

Now I did one thing that was driving me crazy while

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I made it to 8:30 a.m.You understand what I was going through. I pulled the card, just as expected there was a great big buck just putting on a show. With the camera set to video, I was able to watch him thrashing the branch above him and paw at the scrape. Now I was pretty thrilled that he had been there and it was boosting my long- gone confidence in this spot. I put the card back in, turned

in front to ensure he wasn’t sneaking away. He wasn’t far, just far enough to get into a pretty nasty thicket so I couldn’t see his rack until I was on top of him.

Eleven points and a long drag ahead. I decided to get the ATV. On the way out I remembered the video so I stopped to watch my buck in action, only to realize that this was two different bucks and either one was a keeper.

HELP US FIND The elusive Northwoods Sporting Journal’s moose Marty.

He has wandered into the northwoods.

Find Marty somewhere in the Northwoods Sporting 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.

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

Name

Jim Cyr

State

Phone

Bud Utecht Registered Maine Guide

Trail Camera Consultant (207) 404-1442

bud@whatsinyourwoods.com

Shown actual size

Marty was found on pg 45

Address City

Marty

I found Marty on page

Zip

Entries must be postmarked by 6/14/21 to be eligible for this issue.

Page 18 Northwoods Sporting Journal

Outdoor Sporting Library

by Jeremiah Wood, Ashland, ME

Tragedy and hard times shape a lot of lives.

Emotional struggles and devastating losses can seem unbearable, but they can also serve as a test. Those who pass become stronger.

I think part of the appeal of

River village of Hughes, Alaska in 1916, Jimmy and his brother Sidney were barely out of diapers when their mother, a Koyukon Athabascan woman with her own history of tragedy, suddenly died of food poi-

The Huntington Tale: True Grit

managed to stay alive for fourteen days until a passing steamboat noticed something out of place and came to their rescue.

Life had changed. Their father couldn’t take care of them and earn a living at the same time, and the Huntington children went under the care of the

But as seemed to be typical Huntington luck, that spring a massive ice jam destroyed their cabin and cache, and washed away the entire winter’s catch of fur.

living a wilderness lifestyle is the difficulty associated with it. The constant tests of harsh weather and dangerous predicaments keeps one on edge, always focused, aware and prepared.

But for James Huntington, surviving the elements was just a small piece of a life defined by tragedy.

Born in the Koyokuk

soning. The boys were left to fend for themselves and their baby sister, alone at their father’s remote trading post at the mouth of the Hogatza River. Their father, a white trader who had come into the country in the Gold Rush days, was downriver and wouldn’t return for weeks.

The three children

Episcopal church’s mission school at Anvik.

Growing up was hard for young Jimmy Huntington. He struggled to adjust to town life and all of the people, spent a year in bed with tuberculosis, whooping cough and other health problems, and lost one of his sisters. But he and Sidney caught their

big break when, one year, their dad figured they were ready to join him and his partner trapping up the Koyukuk River for the winter.

The two boys came alive. It was the end of their formal education, but the beginning of a quest to live off the land and truly grow up.

As Jimmy recounted later, The Edge of Nowhere is a that year may captivating story of survival. have been the best of his life. He was truly ments. They put up a good free, 150 miles from the store of meat and caught a nearest town, learning to nice pile of fur that winter. hunt, trap, run dogs, build But as seemed to be typishelters and brave the ele- cal Huntington luck, that

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spring a massive ice jam destroyed their cabin and cache, and washed away the entire winter’s catch of fur. It was back to the drawing board, working to earn a stake so they could go out trapping again.

Though the boys kept trapping, the Depression came, fur prices crashed and their father got sick with tuberculosis. Sidney got married, and Jimmy was all on his own, living off the land at age sixteen.

The years went by. He got married and started a family. His wife died. He remarried and had a pile of kids, but his second wife left him. He built up a freighting business on the river, which folded. He entered a dogsled race to earn a stake, placed, and the race organizers failed (Grit cont. pg 21)

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Soulful Days

Page 19

Aroostook Woods & Water

by Mike Maynard, Perham, ME big things; you’d think I’d have fun, and it’s enough. feel the same wanderlust Not so much when I’m and reel up and head for fishing a new stream. The bluer waters whenever the wanderlust wells up from fish finder goes blank. But deep within, and off I go, I I don’t. I’m all about the head out for the wild blue discipline when I’m in a yonder, always in search of boat. I hit all my marks the next great pool or that June is a fleeting month. If only we could slow it down.

T h e t r o u b l e w i t h ably not, but you know out there for a single pur- and follow established pat- perfect run. “Hey, maybe June is that there just isn’t what I mean. pose: to hunt. What usually terns and practices that there’s a hatch around the enough of it. I don’t know, Pick a point on a topo happens is, I ignore my have served me well for next corner!” It’s probably (Days cont. pg 21) maybe it’s an age thing. you’ve been dying to check own counsel and I go out decades. I catch fish, I Time is quickly slipping out, grab a compass, maybe on tour to see what’s over away faster than I can make a couple of peanut but- that next ridge. One piece US RT 1 BEGINS AT use of it; you young guys ter and jelly sandwiches, of good sign leads to an“LA PORTE DU NORD” wouldn’t understand. May- an apple… You’re walk- other, and all of a sudden, be I simply need to readjust ing through the woods, I’m 5 miles from the truck my priorities. slapping black flies and and I’m wondering how

June can be a harsh mistress.

There is my need to fish: a physical manifestation that has its genesis deep in my DNA and I am powerless to fight the iron-clad grip it has upon my soul.

June can be a harsh mistress. There is my need to fish: a physical manifestation that has its genesis deep in my DNA and I am powerless to fight the iron-clad grip it has upon my soul. But by June, I’m also wrestling with another of my perpetual demons -scouting! I swear, I may like to scout more than the act of hunting itself. Prob-

mosquitos, all sweaty and bleeding, mud up to your knees. You write notes down in your little scouting notebook -which leads you to read the notes from last year that you never got to check out. I’m telling you, it’s a vicious cycle, vicious.

And so much fun.

Come November, I really, really, try to be cognizant of the fact that I’m

the hell I got here. Better hunters than me say I lack the necessary discipline.

But boy, I’ve seen some great country on my walkabouts. Trouble is, I don’t shoot many deer that way.

Priorities. They change, and I never see it coming.

Funny, I never seem to suffer from priorityangst when I’m fishing from a boat. Lakes are

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Page 20

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 11)

He scowled. “Then Jim came here to stay. I figured he knew something about the gold. If old Holt was panning or digging for most of his life, there could well be a whole bunch of gold hidden around here.

I figured that, if the boy found it I…that is…”

“You jist figured you could help yerself to it,” Joe added. “After all, gold is gold and finders is keepers.” “ T h a t ’s i t ! ” O t t o grasped at the concept.

“That’s it exactly.”

“Except that breakin’ an’ enterin’ an’ assault an’ battery kind of complicates things, don’t it?” Deputy Cuffs broke in. As Grasp’s face fell, Cuffs read him his rights and handcuffed his hands behind him. As he started toward the door,

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Grasp stopped suddenly and turned toward Jim Placer with a desperate look.

“I’ve got to know!

Did you find the gold? How much was there?”

“I didn’t find any gold, Mr. Grasp. I doubt there was any more. I think there was just a little gold and my uncle used it for family over the years.”

Grasp’s shoulders slumped and he submitted meekly to being led off to jail.

Jim Placer watched him go, then glanced across the table at us.

“Thanks, Joe. I don’t know how you ever figured it out.”

“You had the answer, yourself,” Joe replied. He reached over and pulled the locket out of Jim’s shirt collar. “You said this was carved from bronze.

A little heavy fer bronze, I figured, an’ you kin see

Aroostook County

it don’t tarnish at all. Your uncle gave you a little gold of your own.”

Jim stared openmouthed at the tiny carved raccoon. Then he smiled sadly. “You know, it’s too bad Uncle Holt wasn’t here now and that he hadn’t saved a little more gold. It would sure help my folks and it would help me with these college loans.”

“Oh, I think he might have taken care of some of that, as well,” Joe said slowly. “You ain’t really big on followin’ clues, are yer?”

Jim and I both stared at him. “What do you mean?” I asked.

Joe sighed and stood up. “Come on with me.”

He walked outside and led us along the shore of Thief Creek for a hundred yards upstream. At that point, a tiny brook flowed in from the left.

“This brook flows from that big bog over to the west,” Joe said, his eyes searching the shal` Sidewalk Cafe

low, slow-moving water.

“Don’t get much spring runoff, so the bottom don’t get scoured by ice cakes an’ gravel, like Thief Creek does. You remember the name o’ this little brook, Jim?” Placer nodded slowly.

“It’s Coon Brook.”

“Now, if I was gonna hide somethin’ in plain sight…” Joe continued as he walked along the little trickle. Suddenly, he said, “Aha!” Reaching down and immersing his arm to the elbow, he pulled a small rock from the scattered stones on the bottom.

He handed it to Jim, who nearly dropped it.

“Heavy,” he said.

“But it’s just a rock.”

“A mighty square lookin’ one,” Joe commented, pulling out his sheath knife. He pared away what turned out to be gray paint along one edge, exposing a gleam of yellow.

“Gold,” Jim breathed.

“Near to five pound, I’d say,” Joe smiled. “Yer

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June 2021 uncle melted it down and cast it into a brick. Then he painted it like a rock and laid it in the bottom of the brook fer safe keepin’.”

I swallowed. “At today’s prices…” I calculated quickly in my head. “Jim, you’re holding close to $130,000 dollars.”

He nearly dropped the brick. “Why that will pay…I’ll be able to…Say! Joe, you got to have a part of this.”

“No I don’t,” Joe said he led the way back toward the cabin. “Yer uncle panned that fair an’ square an’ it belongs to yer family.

If I was you, I’d git that gold to an assayers and git it turned into dollars right off.”

Jim nodded slowly.

“I’ll get my things and head south right away. I can’t wait to see the look on my dad’s face.” He hurried off down the trail.

As we sauntered along, I looked at Joe. “Well, it’s good to see that everything turned out all right after all. It sure had me puzzled…the whole thing. That much money will go a long way, but when doctor bills are involved, it’ll probably be gone quickly.”

Joe nodded and tilted his head toward me. “That’s true. An’, like I said, that boy don’t follow clues all that well. But I think it’ll come to ‘im eventually.”

“What will come to him?”

Joe looked at me, then turned and started down the trail again. Over his shoulder he said, “they’s a lot more rocks on the bottom o’ that brook.”

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June 2021

Grit

(Cont. from pg 18) to pay the winners. He bounty hunted for wolves by airplane, and almost died more than once.

Huntington was instrumental in establishing mail service and a school in his village, and spent years working toward a goal of building his own store, but was always a few dollars and a bad break away from coming up with the funds.

At age forty, on the edge of giving it all up, he decided to train and enter the dog sled races in Fairbanks and Anchorage. Despite being a huge underdog, Jimmy defied all odds and became the oldest man ever to win the All-Alaska Championship, and went on to win the North American Championship in Fairbanks just days later, becoming only the third person ever to win both races.

Jimmy used the race winnings to build that trading post he’d been dreaming of, and life was good.

And then the store burned to the ground, along with the house, and he was back to square one.

If tough times make tough people, James Huntington was one of the toughest men on earth.

Most people would have given up on their dreams long before, but there was no quit in him. He went back out on the trap line to get his head straight, got a job, rebuilt the store, remarried, raised a big family, improved his community, served on fish and game boards and represented rural Alaskans in the state legislature until he passed away at 72.

James Huntington’s memoir, “On the Edge of Nowhere” was published in 1966, with subsequent

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 21

editions in 1991 and 2002.

It’s a captivating story, and proof that hard work and determination can eventually pay off, no matter how bad the setback.

I need therapy. I tell her I amused than caught, and think I like it this way…

I quickly switch back to a A h h h , J u n e . . . S o March Brown flymph out many hatches I want to tie of sheer embarrassment. for - and then I end up fish- Again, I am utterly powering the same old soft hackle less to stop this behavior. I and emerger patterns that I can no more stop tying new J e re m i a h c a n b e always do -why not, those patterns than I could stop reached at jrodwood@ work. Maybe a caddis walking through the woods gmail.com variation or three. June is when I should be stalking the month that I tie for all through them. And I don’t winter. It’s the month when care! Does this make me all those winter-addlepated a fundamentally unsound (Cont. from pg 19) patterns I tied up should sportsman? I think not. I a good thing I’m not a fish be put into play. Mostly, I think it makes me perfectly counter. look into the box in June normal. It’s the rest of you I fish with a couple of and wonder what the hell guys who aren’t normal… good friends who under- I was thinking; -30 below and I’m jealous. stand my peculiar quirks; zero will do that to me, they don’t mind, it leaves makes me tie piscatorial Mike Maynard is a them a lot of good, unfished nightmares. part-time farmer, grandfawater when they fish with Sometimes a pattern ther of several, and incorrime. They just smile and tied up in a February bliz- gible water-logged stream wave as I walk upstream. zard pays off; - I say that rat. He lives in the woods of “Have fun!” they shout. like I can actually remem- Perham, Maine and can be “Go on, scoot! Go see ber the last time it hap- reached at: perhamtrout@ what’s way up ahead!” It pened. The trout are more gmail.com took years before I figured out why they were laughing at me. You think I can change? Nope.

My fall wanderlust has been tamed, a little, by hunting from ground blinds. It beats sitting up in a tree, exposed to Engineered Roof and Floor Trusses Aroostook County weather, which is seldom comfortable or benign. I find the 504 Station Road, Easton, ME 04740 older I get, the more I like (207) 488-7740 info@CountyTruss.com the creature comforts of a shelter, no matter how rudimentary. At this age, if I fall out of a tree, there Star City Mars Hill will just be more pieces Hillside 247 Main Street 7 Market Street 207 Main St., Fort Fairfield, ME 04742 Mars Hill, ME 04758 Presque Isle, ME 04769 for them to pick up and Tel: 207-473-7942 Tel: 207-425-2411 Tel: 207-762-5151 Fax: 207-473-7702 put back together - if I’m Fax: 207-429-8871 Fax: 207-764-7034 Email: heather@tweedieiga.com Email: penny@tweedieiga.com Email: tamma@tweedieiga.com that lucky. Blinds block the wind; a cold wind will All Hunters in Zones 1,2,3,4,5,6 take the starch right out We can supply you with all your grocery and of me. And, if I’m sitting beverage needs. We have the finest meats, in a blind, I’m less likely produce and deli anywhere. 3 licensed agency to get up and wander off, liquor stores. We have many years of experience right? The thing is, I’ve handling North Maine Woods Sporting set blinds out in June that Camps and loggers. Call, fax or email come hunting season, I orders we will have them ready for your never sat in because I was trip. We’ll do the shopping for you. still having too much fun HAVE A GREAT SEASON! running around looking Josh Tweedie ~ Tweedie, Inc. President/Owner SEARCH: for that next great hunting Cell#207-768-0930 Email: josh@tweedieiga.com Hillside IGA, Mars Hill IGA, www.tweedieiga.com blind spot! My wife says Star City IGA

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

“Just Fishing”

June 2021

What Flyline and When

Now, Scientific Angler’s ference in slipping thru sorts of testing over many years. They’re hardly just flylines have differing col- flyrod guides speedily.

But there is no ques- “strings” anymore. Would ors of flylines from top to

by Bob Leeman, bottom of their product.

Bangor, ME So too, for Rio Company, Do you really know flylines. Now there’s a and a few flyshops that how many kinds of flylines whole other category, in- offer their generic flylinesare available to anglers cluding sinking tip. Which maybe a bit less expensive today? As I write this, we one is for you? That is the with differing colors and

Are some of these lines better than other flylines? Actually, despite differing in color and price, a (WF) weight forward floating flyline will do what they say they do-that is, float better and perhaps longer, if coated. have (L) level, (QT) quad tader, (QT) quad tip, (I) intermediate, (IT) intermediate tip, (S) sinking, (ST) sinking tip, (DT) double taper, and of course (WF) weight forward. Among others there are also nymph

question, isn’t it?

As you know, most, if not all, have a different color for each flyline product. Cortland Line Company, for instance, has a peach colored floating flyline exclusively for 444.

Aroostook County

capabilities as well.

Are some of these lines better than other flylines? Actually, despite differing in color and price, a (WF) weight forward floating flyline will do what they say they do-that is, float better and perhaps longer, if coated. Coated?

Now there’s one question for you. And YES! These lines may make a real dif-

Flylines used to come in a couple of types.

Not so today. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds) tion, the top-of-the-line, you believe, the averno pun intended, have age price for the top-ofbeen produced with hi- the-line is $125.00 each? density, hi-tech, and all True. Whereas, the average top-drawer is hardly inexpensive either, that being $90.00 average. Have you noticed? Almost all of the “top-of-the-line” flylines have exclusive names.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

When (Cont. from pg 22) pose, of maybe the “average” fly caster who only finds time to go on the water a few opportunities per year. In that case, I would suggest you check out a least expensive outfit, with flyrod, flyreel, with backing, flyline and leader---ready to go! These are generally priced for the above, but let me say, don’t laugh—I got a couple of these myself, and use ‘em often. If you’re pinched for price, and only need a “cheap” flyline, you can find these in most fly fishing catalogs, or maybe even on line, for $50.00 to $60.00 bucks, or sometimes less.

Now, the graduates, or even the masters, might well fall in line, again, no pun intended, for one of those “top-drawer” exclusive, master flylines on the market. These would include: Scientific Angler’s Amplitude Infinity, priced at -hang onto your hat!-$180.00, plus tax. Too, they supply “Bass Bug” flylines at about $90.00 bucks, or so, and a full line of moderately priced flyline products.

Rio Creek Flylines is another top competitor in the field, selling a full array

of high-grade lines for all, also, covering the saltwater flycasters and those supersports seeking pike, musky, and stripers.

Also, let us not forget Lee Wulff famous flylines guaranteed best for roll casting.

As mentioned above, Cortland Flylines, Cortland, New York, has been in the business since “Rex was a pup”, and still produces one of the finest lines for fly casting, highly recommended by this writer, including the famous 444, peach-colored (WF), and double taper at around $60.00.

If all of this has been a bit confusing, all the average fly caster needs to use most often on his reel, would be a floating line, matched-up to size of your flyrod, a five-weight flyline

Page 23

for mid-weight, 9ft. .to 9ft. flyrod, and/etc. check on the side of the rod near the handle.

Oh, and most flylines today have a loop end for knot to backing. If not looped, then use leader to line with a nail knot, use surgeon’s knot for tippet to leader.

Class dismissed!

Bob Leeman is a Master Maine Guide, outdoor writer, naturalist, book author, and a co-host of the MAINE OUTDOORS radio program on Sunday evenings from 7-8 p.m. His three books are all available, in soft cover only, at several bookstores and fly shops, or directly from him.

For information, see ad in this publication or call 207-573-1468.

Across 1 --- swift, which cannot perch 5 Nuisance or problem 6 ---puppy, an invasive amphibian 7 King ---, marsh bird 9 Lakeside settlement and site of 1919 train wreck 10 Boastful bird?

11 --- Americana, the Mountain Ash 12 Witch --- Pond, Acadia National Park 14 River draining Sebago Lake

Down 2 Washington County watercourse 3 Gulf of Maine bay 4 River called Agamenticus by the Abenaki 5 Fish attraction 8 Eastern Wood ---, a flycatcher 10 If blue, it's also called Papoose Root 11 Long-billed shorebird 13 "Crazy" bird (Crossword Answers pg 65)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Question Of The Month June 2021

June 2021

Do Maine Sportsmen Care Enough to Save Our Declining Deer Yards?

By David Trahan It is hard to believe, but at one time northern Maine was a world-renowned destination for adventure seeking whitetail deer hunters on a quest to harvest 200+ pound bucks.

Any Sunday during the November deer season, trucks and cars would pour out of northern Maine with big bucks tied to the top of cars

lynx habitat, but not so much for wintering deer. As a result of the loss of deer habitat and consequently, lower deer populations, we have lost the corresponding jobs, economy and outdoor culture that goes along with white tailed deer. What

remaining deer yards in northern Maine?” My answer was: “good question!” After some thought, I introduced what is called “concept draft” legislation.

A concept draft means you want to bring an idea before the committee in hopes it

it would be him, working with his fellow biologists at DIFW. The leadership piece will be mine - I will have to convince Maine deer hunters that this effort can work.

Working with Our Partners at Inland Fisheries

remains are some old timers like me who remember the “good ole days”. If the white-tailed deer is to be restored up north, we need a fresh approach regarding deer wintering area management over substantial acreages. This new direction will take leadership, courage and a willingness to sacrifice now so future generations can have it better.

What Can We Do? Last fall, I met with Rep. Johansen of Monticello to discuss his concerns that deer yards in some parts of Maine were disappearing. He asked me straight up: “What can we do to protect our last

will spur a solution through stakeholder discussions.

If you find a solution, the concept draft allows a bill to be introduced. Sort of like a Hail Mary.

For three decades, I have worked with some of the best minds in the biologist community in an attempt to protect deer yards.

Gerry Lavigne, is the most notable among them. He ran the state’s white-tailed deer management program at Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for 30 years and currently serves as SAM’s consulting biologist. Few people in Maine are more knowledgeable about deer than Gerry. If anyone could come up with an answer,

and Wildlife After weeks of meetings with the Department, key Legislators and Gerry, we are ready to move forward with what we believe is the most significant shift in white-tail deer management and deer yard preservation policy ever proposed in Maine.

Currently, deer yards are managed using voluntary cooperative agreements or using protective zoning by the Land Use Protection Commission (LUPC). Cooperative agreements seek to manage timber harvests to benefit deer in wintering areas owned by private timberland owners,

SAM Bill Would Direct DIFW to Purchase and Manage Deer Yards

and whose state license plates covered all the colors of the rainbow.

When I was a kid growing up 50 years ago, our state looked dramatically different. We had no coyotes, bears were scarce and big mature forests covered a big chunk of Maine.

The vast majority of land in northern Maine was owned by paper mills and a typical wood cutting operation was most likely a cable skidder, farm tractor, horses or what was called a Jitterbug.

In 2021, most landowning paper companies are gone, land management companies now rule, coyotes are common and bears are way too abundant. A typical commercial logging operation is conducted with machines costing millions that are air conditioned and operate like a video game in an arcade. The result of these changes is that commercial timber harvests occur on a shorter rotation providing ample bear and

and on land owned by the state and managed by the Dept. of Agric. Cons. and Forestry’s Bureau of Public Lands. Approximately 200,000 acres of deer wintering areas in the northern half of the state have been managed using these two methods, beginning in the late 1970s.

Unfortunately, the track record for this approach to deer yard protection has not been good.

First, this represents only 20% of the acreage that deer wintered in during the 1960s. It is not possible to have a thriving deer population on only a remnant of the deer wintering area base.

Second, the acreage placed in LUPC protection was only a fraction of the area deer were using at the time they were zoned. Over time, the timber around these zoned deer yards was cut heavily, which diminished the value of these islanded deer yards. Many of these under-sized deer yards became vulnerable to excessive predation by coyotes. Some no longer hold deer.

Third, the cooperative agreement approach has had its own problems.

Timberland owners have been reluctant to commit to more than a token amount of their holdings (about 1 to 3% in most cases) to protect deer. Worse, when the land is sold, the cooperative deer yard agreement with DIFW usually is not part of the deed and the (Question cont. pg 30)

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 25

Summer: Back On Track

Spring came early and almost suddenly in T8-R9, and just like that fishing season has arrived at Libby Camps. In addition to all the pandemic headaches 2020 brought us, drought conditions in the previous

their cross-country trips and turned north to visit us for the first time. Many of those new guests we met last year are returning in 2021, and with vaccines, the loosening of travel restrictions, and bookings

Scott and Toby, and conditions should be primed to give them spectacular fishing and hopefully some great content! Follow our Facebook page or visit our website for updates on how their trip went, and when you might expect to see the episode air in 2022!

Not long after we say goodbye to the film crew, we welcome new friends as

Ramblings From T8-R9

by Benjamin Rioux, Millinocket Lake

Camps is the perfect place for families young and old to disconnect from the outside world, unwind, and recharge away from the stresses of daily life.

Families can enjoy scenic fly-outs with spectacular

bring families fishing – we bring families together!

For more information on fishing conditions, or for more details on planning your 2021 vacation, please visit www.libbycamps.com or call 207-435-8274. It is

Many of those new guests we met last year are returning in 2021, and with vaccines, the loosening of travel restrictions, and bookings steadily increasing over the last several months, it is finally starting to feel like we’ve turned a corner.

With Covid claustrophobia on the wane, people are eager to embrace again the Maine outdoors. season made fall fishing steadily increasing over challenging and left us the last several months, it is searching for cooler water finally starting to feel like on ponds, while a majority we’ve turned a corner. of our rivers and streams Our guides are excited remained unfishable into to get back on the water, September. and early season scouting The rain that never trips are resulting in a fair came in the summer or fall number of ear-to-ear smiles of 2020 also failed to show and enthusiastic stories in up as snow for the majority the guides’ camp. If you of our winter season. While are visiting us in June, plan a few good storms went a for easy wading and fast, long way towards replen- productive fishing with ishing the water table, the streamers and dry flies. snowpack that we desper- After not being able to get ately needed never really out and explore a majority materialized. Still, rains of our favorite stretches through April and May lent of water last fall, we can’t a hand to keep our moving wait to get reacquainted water at adequate levels, and share those fisheries while cooler than normal with all of you this spring! temperatures have kept Libby Camps is kickwater temps perfect for ing off the 2021 season productive spring fishing. (the 131st in our history) If there was a silver with a few highlights and lining to be found in the special guests. Rob and struggles of last season, Brett will be here filming it was the new friends we a TV show for “The New made as people put aside Fly Fisher” with our guides

part of the first-annual Orvis Week at Libby Camps!

As part of our Orvis Endorsement, Libby Camps partnered with Orvis in 2021 to offer guests a special opportunity to visit us and enjoy good company, great fishing, and plenty of rest and relaxation. Guests will enjoy 6 nights and 5 days of guided fishing, including two remote fishing fly-outs and a free Helios 3 rod! Hosted trips like this one are exciting for us because we get to welcome new faces and show them all what we have to offer.

New faces have a way of turning into old friends around here, and we can’t wait to welcome this Orvis group and get started on helping them create memories they will cherish forever.

Speaking of creating memories, another unintended (but fortunate) consequence of the travel restrictions in 2020 was a healthy increase in the amount of family vacations we hosted in July and August of last year. That trend looks to be carrying over in 2021, and spots are filling up fast! Libby

views of Mt. Katahdin and the north Maine Woods during their stay, as well as a wide variety of activities from canoe trips to moose tours, swimming, hiking and guided fishing trips on remote ponds. Family vacations can be custom tailored to your specific wants and needs, so give us a call and let us take care of everything. We don’t just

shaping up to be a great season, and we can’t wait to see you all soon!

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 26

Letters

(Cont. from pg 8) sponsors a program called the EDDY EAGLE GUN SAFETY PROGRAM, which is funded by a grant geared on gun education for children Pre-school through 4th grade. The program is free to schools, daycare centers, police and safety organizations.

It comes with an animated DVD with a diverse group of characters, which will hold the interest of children in this age group, and also a reminder coin with take

home handouts for the child and parents.

I have given this 15-minute program to my eligible grandchildren and it held their interest and easily filed to memory the simple theme of “If you see a gun, STOP, DON’T TOUCH, Run and tell a grownup”. This phrase is as easily remembered as the standby “STOP, DROP AND ROLL” for fire safety.

If you have children in this age group, are a teacher, work as a daycare provider, or are in the police

or fire occupation, you can find this program and may order its teaching items by going to NRA, Eddy Eagle Program. Any interested parent can preview the program and teach it at home on that WEB site.

Before this life stopping virus, I had given this program material to a local Superintendent’s office and I was told that it would have to be reviewed by the Curriculum Committee.

Please make this happen!

Bruce Eldridge Palermo

Caught in the Act

June 2021 the end of the column EVERY month. Don’t get me wrong, I use and love cameras but always worry about somebody getting pictures of me answering nature’s call in the woods and then posting on the internet.

To the Editor: I just finished reading Bud Utecht’s April column where he mentions having one hundred cameras (trail) scattered across the state, and the whole purpose of his columns is to encourJohn Meister age others to do the same.

Old Town I swear to myself and wait every month, but not once has he ever mentioned that Watch Your state law requires writWaypoint! ten landowner permission (which I assume he has).

To the Editor: That statement should be You don’t take a part of the biography at waypoint with a compass!

Please correct Erin Merrill’s article before someone gets really lost!

North Maine Woods

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To the Editor: After reading Al Raychard’s article on Sunday Hunting in Maine reminded Me of one I had written several years on the same subject, to the Bangor Daily News I expressed the same legitimate reasons he did His article appeared in the Northwoods Sporting Journal December 2015 edition. He is a Maine Master guide as am I. As a youth I came the East Orland area for the fine hunting and fishing. Leaving Westbrook after work on Friday night (Letters cont. pg 27)

North Maine Woods, Inc., a Non-Profit Corporation, is currently seeking a motivated, reliable, and highly qualified individual to serve as our Executive Director at our Ashland, Maine headquarters. NMW oversees & manages the recreational use of approximately 4 million acres in northern and northwestern Maine on behalf of various private and public landowners. The primary goal of NMW is to provide safe, well-managed public access (both day-use and overnight camping) in the remote region.

POSITION OVERVIEW The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing the administration, programs, and strategic direction of North Maine Woods. The ideal candidate for this role has a hands-on background managing a large staff and has a passion for outdoor recreation. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and ensures that the Board’s goals are met efficiently and effectively.

The Executive Director’s Primary responsibilities include: COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: North Maine Woods offers competitive pay and • Business and Financial Management of the Organization comprehensive benefits package. North Maine Woods, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity • Budgeting and Financial Reporting Employer. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to Ben • Leadership of Day-to-Day Operations Carlisle, President of North Maine Woods. Applications and inquires can be submitted • Oversight of Management Staff via e-mail to:nmw@prentissandcarlisle.com, or by mail to: P.O. Box 637, Bangor, ME • Recreational Management within Private Woodland Areas: 04402-0637. Applications will be accepted until June 15, 2021.

June 2021

Letters

(Cont. from pg 8) to go hunting for one day on Saturday, going home Sunday noon. One hundred thirty miles one way.

Sometimes I had to work on Saturday. That only gave me two days a year to hunt. That situation is current today for many.

Our current opponents today are special interests such as: Maine Professional Guides, Snowmobile Groups, SWOAM and Farming Organizations.

Another issue is safety. As a former Coordinator for IF&W safety programs and a Certified Instructor in all seven disciplines I can attest to the fact that hunting is the safest outdoor sport in Maine.

Economically we are losing thousand of dollars in revenue due to many people hunting in states that allow Sunday hunting to give them 2 two days on week-ends to hunt.

Many in our state don’t get vacations during hunting season. Hunting should be available to all our residents every day of the week.

Currently many of the opponents are enjoying tax breaks under the Tree Growth and other programs at the expense of the taxpayers who hunt and fish. Everything else is allowed on Sundays; why not hunting?

This law has been on the books for many years to support the churches in Maine, whose arguments were the bible said that this was the day of rest and attendance to church, that argument is not prevalent today.

Edward Davis Master Maine Guide Brunswick, ME

Northwoods Sporting Journal Another Cougar Sighting To the Editor: We wanted to add our experience to the list of cougar sightings in Maine.

On April 13, 2021 at 11:15 a.m. we were driving on the Tim Pond Road in Lower Cupsuptic heading to Little Kennebago Lake from the Morton Cut-Off Road. Af-

ter mile marker 25, heading towards mile marker 24, we saw a very large cat cross the road. The cat had large front shoulders, a straight back, and a long tail. There was no mistaking the cat for a bobcat or lynx as we have seen those many times. We are positive it was a cougar. Tuesday was bright and sunny.

We were greeted with brief

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Page 27

turn of its head while it walked into the woods.

The cat was dark gray with some light color. We were 50 to 60 yards from the cat as it came down a knoll and crossed the gravel road.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 28

Basics of Signaling

Basics Of Survival

over a mile away. Children as well as adults should be taught the universal emerby Joe Frazier, gency signal is 3. Three Bangor, ME whistle blasts then wait than under trees. Also con- 10 minutes or so and three sider your clothes. Wearing again. Anyone searching bright colors like orange, should blow one time in yellow, red, or blue will response so other searchers will not be chasing each help you to be seen.

When you need help, you want to make yourself as visible as possible. That is where signaling comes in. You should have a plan

The cheapest and easiest device to use is a whistle.

There are dozens of different kinds; from party favor types at the dollar store to “Storm” brand whistles that can be heard over a mile away. in place so searchers know where to start looking if you are in trouble.

You want to find a clear area if you can do so safely. You are more easily seen in the middle of a field

The cheapest and easiest device to use is a whistle. There are dozens of different kinds; from party favor types at the dollar store to “Storm” brand whistles that can be heard

other around.

A signal mirror is handy if there is bright sunlight. Some mirrors have a hole in the center to help with aiming, but any mirror or shiny item will work.

Picture is assorted whistles, signal mirrors, a chemlight stick and a lightstick set up as a buzzsaw. (Photo by Joe Frazier) Hold your arm out full length and form a “V” with your first two fingers. Place what you want to shine the mirror on in the middle of the “V” (helicopter or airplane). Look through the

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hole in the mirror or hold the mirror against your cheek. Shine the reflected sunlight on your fingers, that way you know you are shining the light on the airplane. The reflection is strong enough to be seen for several miles, but it will not damage people’s eyes by flashing them.

A good nighttime signal is called a “Buzzsaw”. All you need is 5-6 feet of string or cord and a chem light stick. Tie the string to the chem light and tie a loop in the other end of the string to go around your wrist. Crack the chem light and shake it to make it glow. Swing it around your head and it creates a 10 foot circle of light which will get attention in a dark field. This is safe for kids and is fun to do at night in the summer.

Survey ribbon is another great item. You can mark your path if you decide to leave the area you are in, or make a big SOS in a field or open area. You could also tie several ribbons to a long stick to make a signal flag.

If you are in a field where the grass is dead or light colored, or a snow field; you can use branches (Signaling cont. pg 29)

June 2021

Signaling (Cont. from pg 28) laid out to make a large SOS sign. Use evergreen branches or anything that has a high color contrast from the background. This is to be seen from the air so make it as big as possible.

A signal fire is another possibility if you can do it safely. Find a large open area and clear away anything flammable. Next, take 3 1 foot sticks and push the bottom end in the ground and lean the tops together like a tripod or teepee. Put a few hands full of tinder underneath, shredded birch bark or dry grass is best. Then put a huge pile of the smallest, finest sticks you can get on top. The dry branches at the bottom of spruce trees are best, but anything small and dry will work. Once you see or hear a helicopter or airplane, you may only have a few seconds to get their attention so you want the fire to burn fast and bright. In the daytime, keep green leafy branches next to the fire.

As soon as it starts to burn, put the branches on the fire to create a dense white smoke. Be careful the fire does not get out of control.

At night a flashlight can also be very effective.

Use it the same way as a signal mirror, just be sure

Northwoods Sporting Journal

not to shine it in your eyes.

Tactical flashlights are inexpensive and extremely bright. Check the package when you buy it; the higher the lumens, the brighter the light.

Kool aid or Jello also works great for marking snow. Simply color some water with it and splash it on the snow. If the snow is deep, you can stomp out an SOS and the sun shadow will help make it more visible as well.

Signaling is all about being visible and standing out from the background.

You are trying to get attention so you can get rescued.

Joe is a husband, dad, Marine, and author.

Joefrazier193@gmail.com

Act(s) (Cont. from pg 15) iconic and imperiled species in the United States.”

The refusal of DIFW and DMR to act in regard to state-level listings forced organizations and individuals to take their case to the Maine legislature in the form of LD 883: An Act to Protect Endangered Species Whose Life Cycles

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Include Maine Land or Waters. The goal is to reinstate the mandatory state-level listing of federally-listed species.

No one can challenge that federally-listed species are in trouble at the state level. This is especially true in regard to Atlantic salmon which are only found in Maine. If MESA and MMESA don’t offer any conservation benefits for federally listed species, why have we listed any of them?

Thirty-six states mandate state-level listing of federally listed species, and at the same level or higher.

Four “recommended” or “highly recommended” it.

Only 10, including Maine, do not require, or even recommend, listing federallylisted species. And three of them list most federallylisted species.

It’s time for Maine to step up and fully embrace the ESA, MESA, and MMESA. The current administration of state ESAs

by DIFW and DMR is arbitrary and indefensible.

This is bad for sportsmen as it is a check-and-balance we need to ensure that game species are fully

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Page 29

Action

protected.

BOB MALLARD has fly fished for forty years.

He is the former owner of Kennebec River Outfitters, a Registered Maine Fishing Guide, and a commercial fly designer. Bob is a blogger, writer, and author. He is also a native fish advocate and founding member, Executive Director, and Maine Board Member for Native Fish Coalition. Look for his books 50 Best Places Fly Fishing the Northeast and 25 Best Towns Fly Fishing for Trout (Stonefly Press,) and Squaretail: The Definitive Guide to Brook Trout and Where to Find Them and Favorite Flies for Maine: 50 Essential Patterns from Local Experts (Stackpole) due out December 2021.

Bob can be reached at www.BobMallard.com or info@bobmallard.com

(Cont. from pg 16) warmer waters is the trick here. Look for these spots in 12-20 feet of water. Buck tail type lures with orange, black and green combinations work well. If it is very rocky, a paddle-tail swim bait rigged weedless works very well at keeping the snagging to a minimum and looks very natural to wary bass that have had all manner of lures thrown at them for a month.

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 30

Question (Cont. from pg 24) agreement lapses.

Deer wintering areas are dynamic over time.

Deer may move up and down the watersheds they winter within. Forest conditions are in a constant state of change, and it is costly to manage timberlands specifically to protect deer wintering habitat.

Landowners, even state agencies, are understandably reluctant to spend the extra money to ensure deer survival for the benefit of the people of Maine. It just doesn’t make economic sense for them.

Despite their inherent faults, LUPC protection zones and cooperative agreements are here to stay.

But what we also need is a third approach, one that focuses on wintering habitat management on a landscape level, not just a core area of shelter. And that management should include managing predation

in addition to habitat over the long term. The agency most capable of providing this level of commitment is the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

It is time for DIFW to be empowered to acquire and manage key wintering habitat in the northern half of the state. And to do this, we need a substantial and stable funding source.

land for state conservation purposes the two programs impacted are: the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) Program and outright fee purchases (cash purchases).

In both cases, these are state dollars matched by federal funds like PitmanRobertson money (taxes collected on the sale of firearms, ammo, and related outdoor gear). We will propose changing the Proposed SAM/IFW/ LMF program to prioritize Johansen Concept Draft the purchase of deer yards.

Legislation-Going Forward Here are the actual excerpts Currently, Inland from our proposed legislaFisheries and Wildlife tion: owns 100,000 acres of land all over Maine and Proposed Title 5, much of it is designated as Changes to LMF Statutes Wildlife Management ArD. When interest in deer eas (WMAs), which serve wintering areas determined to protect key habitats, like to be important under secsmall game or waterfowl tion 6207(1)(E) is acquired habitat. Unfortunately, they with proceeds from the Land don’t own many deer yards, for Maine’s Future Fund, especially up north. The fund the development of a Johansen concept draft bill management plan to provide seeks to provide the author- for the land’s continuing ity for DIFW to purchase function as a deer wintering key deer wintering areas area, as long as this plan does to be managed as WMAs. not exceed 5% of the apWhen purchasing praised value of the acquired

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property. Development of a management plan under this paragraph may also be made on adjoining deer wintering areas in the same ownership or under the same management.

Note: Proposed statutory language changes referenced in this article may be changed during the legislative lawmaking process and do not reflect the final committee product.

2. Determination of state significance. In determining whether a proposed acquisition must be funded, in full or in part, by the Land for Maine’s Future Fund or the Public Access to Maine Waters Fund, the board shall consider whether the site is of state significance and: E. Provides wintering habitat for deer in areas determined by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to be important for conserving deer in northern, eastern and western Maine.

3A. Deer Wintering Areas. The board shall give preferential consideration during scoring to projects that

June 2021 conserve lands that have been determined by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to be important for conserving deer in northern, eastern and western Maine. If acquired with proceeds from the Land for Maine’s Future fund, these lands must be owned by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and managed as Wildlife Management Areas, with deer conservation as the highest management priority.

Unintended Consequences of Feeding Deer One of the problems biologists are having with managing deer yards in northern Maine is that people are aggressively feeding deer in the winter. The unintended consequence is that deer are now traveling great distances to reach feeding areas. Many are hit by cars at these feeding sites. In some cases, deer are abandoning traditional deer wintering areas in favor of wintering at feeding areas. It seems many Mainers have given up on the state protecting the deer herd and have decided to save the deer by feeding them on their own.

We believe that feeding deer is not sustainable over the long term. And that it is more prudent to manage deer wintering habitat and predation pressure instead.

If the State and the Department commit to buying deer yards, they must have the power to transition deer away from over-browsed feeding sites back to more natural wintering conditions in wellmanaged habitat.

We propose adding the underlined language below to the existing deer feeding statute. How this section would apply is, biologists would work with communities to move deer feeding (Question cont. pg 35)

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Penobscot Sleigh Ride

By V. Paul Reynolds This is a true story.

Only one name has been changed to avoid a civil action of libel against this publication and the teller of this story.

We’ll call him Ahab, borrowing a handle from Mr. Melville’s classic novel about the brave men who went to sea in the whaling ships.

Our contemporary Ahab is a kind, thoughtful man who loves to fish and handle boats. He makes friends easily and did so

passenger on a raft on the West Branch long ago, I knew it could be a hoot.

(Diane likes it when it’s a little scary.)

“Why we’d love to, Ahab. You’ve run those rips before, right?”

“Oh yeah,” he said.

“Not to worry this is a tough boat and I know the water,” he said.

Mid morning found the three of us in Capt.

Ahab’s well-constructed drift boat being carried down river on a stiff current. It was pleasant. We

A drift boat is an exceptional whitewater craft, unless it gets snubbed up on a rock in the rapids. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds) with Diane and me while we were camping and fishing on the West Branch of the Penobscot River back in June. He graciously helped me change a flat tire. He gave us some hand-tied fishing flies of his making.

He stopped by our camp for chats and exchanges of fishing information.

“How would you and Diane like to take a short trip down the river tomorrow morning in my new drift boat,” asked Ahab.

There was a pause.

Diane and I exchanged glances. Her expression, which I was familiar with, said, “You decide.”

I didn’t hesitate long.

Having been in drift boats on the Kennebec and a

stopped to fish and chat along the way.

“You and Diane ever done whitewater before,” the skipper queried. I told him about our one river trip in early April on the mighty Souadabscook River in Hampden. We made it around the first turn in the swollen river. Diane reached out, grabbed an alder branch turning the canoe sideways in the stream.

We flipped over like a seal in heat. It was cold.

Ahab seemed amused.

“This boat floats like a leaf,” he said with an air of confidence. “The trick is never let the boat get sideways in the current,” he offered, all the while rowing vigorously as we made

our debut into the foaming, frothing water of the West Branch Rips.

The boat got sideways.

THUNK! It was like being stepped on by a bison. Fate had placed a large rock just under the frothing water at the very place where the boat had gone astray.

The boat snubbed up. We were aground on the rock amid the watery turmoil.

“This boat floats like a leaf,” he said with an air of confidence. “The trick is never let the boat get sideways in the current,” he offered, all the while rowing vigorously as we made our debut into the foaming, frothing water of the West Branch Rips.

It seemed for a second that the big craft might go over on us as it tipped up and water poured over the bow gunwale and down my back. Diane, viewing the snub up from a higher, dryer seat in the stern, said that my face turned white.

(Fear does that to me).

All is well that ends well. The rock released us and we made it to the take out a short time later. Capt Ahab apologized, which he needn’t have done. We at least knew that, when you challenge whitewater, always expect the unexpected.

On the ride back in the truck on the Golden Road which is almost as choppy as the Rips on the West

Page 31

THE BACK SHELF

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

By their very nature backshelf articles, resurrected from our archives, may contain information or facts that have been altered or changed by the passage of time.

mouth piece.”

Ahab smiled. That was a good sign.

Branch - Diane caught the smirk on my face during a lull in the conversation.

This makes her nervous.

She knows when my brain is up to no good. (“Hmmm, I’m wondering. I don’t know this new friend that well. I wonder if he can laugh at himself?”)

“We’ll have to try that again real soon,” Ahab offers, looking with raised eyebrows at Diane and me for some sign of affirmation.

“Sure thing,” I said, “just as soon as I can get a football helmet and a

The author is editor of the “Northwoods Sporting Journal.” He is also a Maine guide and host of a weekly radio program — “Maine Outdoors” — heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on “The Voice of Maine News - Talk Network.” He has authored three books; online purchase information is available at www.maineoutdoorpublications.com. or www.sportingjournal. com. Contact email — vpaulr@tds.net

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Page 32

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Spring Green Up

The Buck Hunter

by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME This is the time of year for the annual renewal. A new crop of fawns, moose calves and all the other newborn animals of the forest come into the world.

The green-up in the north country came the earliest that I have ever seen it. The grass was growing in the ditches along the logging roads and the Coltsfoot flowers were popping up in the middle of April. By the first week of May the leaves were popping out on the trees and the skunk cabbage was a foot tall.

Last year the first week of May, there was still kneedeep snow in the shady spots in the woods. All the wildlife benefits from this early spring, especially the deer and moose. Getting green feed early gives the pregnant females a nutrition boost in the important last month before dropping their babies. It will ensure that all the females have healthy babies, especially the ones carrying twins and triplets.

Both deer and moose herds are growing nicely, and this falls season

should be good ones. The moose lottery is coming right up and there will be an increase in permits, giving more hunters the opportunity to partake in the hunt. I have been roaming the woods quite a bit this spring and have only

found one dead moose, which I presume was from the winter tick and it was the smallest spring calf that I have ever seen. It was not any bigger than a good-sized buck. I can only assume that it was born a month late giving it a slim chance of making the winter. Mother nature is cruel, but this ensures that the strong survive to pass along their genes.

May was a busy month for me, doing my annual spring deer clinics. I

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enjoy taking people into the woods and teaching them the ways of the Big Woods Buck and how to hunt them. I keep the groups limited to 10, so I can make sure they all get the knowledge they wanted out of the class. We stay at my remote camp in wall tents, giving them an experience

Getting green feed early gives the pregnant females a nutrition boost in the important last month before dropping their babies.

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as if they were hunting in the fall. Hunters from all levels of experience come from the beginner to the older seasoned hunter, who just want to maybe pick up a tidbit to up their game.

This year I had students from 13 years old to some in their seventies and one woman who has hunted her whole life. It is great to see that there is still a great mix of hunters and that a lot of new ones are coming into the sport. That is the future

of hunting. I enjoy seeing people’s eyes light up when they see a signpost rub for the very first time. I have been blessed to have been able to make a life in the woods and guiding. It has enabled me to gain more knowledge than I would have ever thought possible. Now my mission is

it was rarely seen. I would ask them so many questions that I thought maybe I was bothering them, but I never was. They enjoyed sharing their lives as much as I enjoyed hearing about them. One of them was Harry Hughey and he was the oldest practicing guide in town. I think he guided fishermen until he was 90 years old. Harry told me that he had guided at almost every sporting camp in the state of Maine and even owned one at one time. He cruised for timber for Great Northern Paper back in the 30’s. They would drop him off on a pond with a float plane and then drop food at various other ponds, so he could restock his pack and keep walking the woods, counting trees and logging down what kind and size to pass it along to anyone they were. What a job that must have been! Those interested in learning.

I remember when I old timers have long since first moved to Jackman passed, but I have never 30 years ago. I befriended forgotten the things they several of the old timers told me. Sometimes I hate who hunted and trapped. to admit it, but I am getting I would go have a coffee to be one of the old timers! with them and listen to them tell stories of the old Hal is a Master Maine days in the woods and the way the hunting was back guide and author. He lives then. I would think to my- in Moose River Maine with self, that if only I had lived his wife Deb and can be back then when the woods contacted by email at hal@ were so remote that most of bigwoodsbucks.com

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal Guns & Ammo:

A Hunting Handgun

I have been very fortunate in my hunting career in that I have had many diverse opportunities. I have hunted all over the world, mostly with handguns. I have hunted game with .41 magnums, .44 magnums, .454 Casul, .460 S&W and .500 S&W. Most of these trips were in the course of marketing these products

Super Redhawk is a fairly large handgun. It has a 13- inch overall length and weighs 53 ounces. This is with the 7 ½ inch barrel.

This model is also available with a 9 1/2” barrel as well as some special runs in other barrel lengths.

The .454 Casul is a

ballistics. This is a great choice for deer. In addition to whitetails, I have taken a 5X5 mule deer at 74 yds with this load.

The recoil in the 53 ounce gun is very manageable and at 1900 fps, there is enough velocity to allow the bullets to perform as

One of my favorite hunting handguns is a Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casul caliber. as part of my job.

I am very grateful for these opportunities and also for the experiences that they provided. I am now semi-retired and spend my time as a Registered Maine Guide and a hunter. I still love handgun hunting.

One of my favorite hunting handguns is a Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casul caliber. I have at various times topped this gun with a sighting system. I have used both red dot scopes and long eye relief handgun scopes. Each of these options have their place.

The red dot has an easily acquired sight picture, but has no magnification. The scope has magnification but requires a steady rest to get an adequate sight picture.

However, this article is not about optics, so let’s talk about the gun. The

very capable hunting caliber. For many years it was the king of the hill of handgun cartridges. That was of course, before the S&W .460 and .500 magnums. It is a very powerful yet manageable caliber. It can also shoot the tried and true .45 Colt cartridge. Known by many as the .45 Long Colt.

My particular favorite load for the .454 is a 240 gr. jacketed soft point. This load generates 1900 feet per second and a respectable 1923 ft lbs of energy.

I have successfully used this load on multiple black bears and whitetails with great success. I have on some occasions alternated with a 240 gr. jacketed hollow point with the same

designed. I hunt from a ladder stand much of the time. This combination is an ideal tree stand firearm.

The wrap around rail on the stand makes an ideal rest. A double lung pass thru with a .454 is quickly and humanely fatal. In any case, if you hunt with a handgun, a solid rest should always be employed.

I like a shooter’s walking stick, like a Stony Creek or Bog Pod with the rubber coated V on top. I also wear a light shooter’s

Page 33

A Guide’s Perspective

by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME

glove. If the weather is cold, I wear the glove inside my mittens. The glove is to give you a secure grip and also to protect your hand should you use a tree for a rest. When shooting from a rest, never rest the barrel, rest the chin of the frame. Resting the barrel will cause it to bounce and the shot will go high. This type of hunting gives you the option for shots out to 100 yards. The level of difficulty is somewhere between a rifle and a bow.

It also gives you a compact handy firearm for tree stand or ground blind use. So, if you want to try a new challenge, but would prefer to avoid the hand held howitzer’s, this may be an option for you. I will warn you, it can be addictive.

Please take a youngster or new shooter with you. We must all grow our sport if we are to survive.

Come 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.

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT!

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

Where do you read your copy of the Sporting Journal? At camp, in the boat, at the ice shack? We’d love to see a photo of you with your copy of the Journal at an unusual place. If we like it, we will publish it in the Journal. If we select your best shot for publication, we’ll send you an exclusive Sporting Journal hat created just for the occasion. Send your Jpeg photo and a short blurb to vpaulr@tds.net. Please include your contact information, too. www.sportingjournal.com

Page 34

Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

The Maine The Abol Bears evening when a bear up, I explained that during The bear was a big Woods one started dragging off an the night she would prob- hit with my kids who were Matt LaRoche, Shirley, ME

When I was manager of the Penobscot River Corridor (PRC) and Great Northern Paper (GNP) was the big player in the West Branch region, open dumps were scattered here and there throughout the Maine

evening? One time when I was videotaping the bears, I am on tape saying, “Tell me if one comes up behind me,” There were a bunch of bears that night and they were brazen!

At some point during

unsuspecting camper in his tent. The person escaped from the tent without harm and climbed a tree. He called for help and some other campers came over and scared the bear off by banging on pots and pans.

Once I got word of what happened, I went to Greenville to get the cul-

ably hear the door of the trap slam shut and that I would be by first thing in the morning to take care of the bear. I sounded pretty confident even though I had never used a culvert

small at the time. They got a good up-close look at a healthy specimen of a bear.

That bear would grab the axel of the trailer which ran through the culvert and shake the whole trailer. He

trap before.

The next morning, I came to check the campsite and to my surprise there was a nice big bear in the trap! The woman came over and said, “It was just like you said, at about ten o’clock, I heard the door slam and came over and saw the bear inside”.

I hooked onto the trap and hauled it to our camp at Horserace Brook, parked it in the shade, gave the bear a good long drink of water and called the biologist on the radio. I can remember being impressed with how much water that bear drank.

put on quite a show for the kids!

The culvert had wholes drilled all the way around it to help keep the bear cool. My wife Ruth, happened to be looking out the window of the camp and to her horror saw our son sticking his finger in one of the holes. That finger must have looked a lot like a hot dog to the bear, but my son still has all of his fingers. After a good scolding, the kids were told to stay away from the bear.

The Wildlife Biologist eventually came to pickup the bear and to my delight, the bear never came back to terrorize the campsites on the West Branch.

One time when I was videotaping the bears, I am on tape saying, “Tell me if one comes up behind me,” There were a bunch of bears that night and they were brazen!

Woods. These dumps were open for anyone to use and they were an attraction to bears.

We stayed at a camp near Horserace Brook on the West Branch during the summers and relatives would come for visits once in a while. We would hike Mount Katahdin, rump bump over the rock slide on Nesowdahunk Stream and go watch the bears at the Abol dump – or should I say, go watch the people interact with the bears.

Going to the dump and watching the bears in the evening was kind of backwoods entertainment but it was fun and where else could you go see several bears in one

the 1990s, the Department of Environmental Protection tightened the rules for dumps and GNP was required to bury and close the woods dumps.

This created a bit of a problem at some of our nearby campsites. The hungry bears were now visiting the campsites in hopes of getting a free meal. As I made my rounds checking campsites, I would advise people to put their food in their vehicles at night and make sure they didn’t leave any food scraps near the campsites to draw bears, but the bears continued to get enough to eat at the campsites to keep coming back.

It all came to a head

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vert trap at Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. I had never used the trap before, but it didn’t take long to figure out how it worked. I took an onion bag, put some leftovers in it, dumped a generous amount of bacon fat over the bait and wired it to the trigger. I took the trap to Abol Falls Campsite where the incident had taken place the night before.

When I got to the campsite, there was a woman from New York City with two young children that had setup on the campsite. I thought to myself, this is great - what if that bear comes back tonight and ransacks their campsite? I explained the whole situation to the woman, but she decided to stay anyway. As I set the trap

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

June 2021

Question

(Cont. from pg 30) operations into or around a newly purchased deer yard to draw deer back into suitable winter cover. This may pull deer away from populated, high traffic areas and enable Department personnel to manage winter habitat and deer predation by coyotes in a more effective manner.

Proposed Title 12 Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Statutes Changes §10105. Other powers 14. Regulating the feeding of deer, bear, moose and wild turkey. The commissioner may by rule:

Northwoods Sporting Journal the State or within 50 miles of the border of the State or if the commissioner has reason to believe that the type or location of feed may create a public safety hazard or may have a detrimental effect on deer, bear, moose and wild turkey; and [PL 2019, c. 355, §2 (AMD).]

B. [PL 2019, c. 355, §3 (RP).]

C. Prohibit or otherwise limit the placement of garbage or other known attractants for deer, bear, moose and wild turkey if the department has reason to believe the placement creates a public safety hazard. [PL 2013, c.

A. Prohibit or limit the 280, §2 (NEW).] feeding of deer, bear, moose D. Prohibit or otherwise and wild turkey at any localimit the feeding of deer, tion if there is documented evidence of chronic wasting bear, moose and turkey at disease, as defined in Title 7, any location as part of a plan section 1821, subsection 1, in to promote the use of deer

wintering areas by deer.

Inland Fisheries and Wildlife-Acquiring and Managing Deer Yards Finally, the Johansen legislation would give DIFW the statutory authority and direction to acquire deer yards that they determine to be “high priority” in Northern, Eastern and Western Maine and furthermore, establish these newly acquired deer yards as Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). This change establishes the deer yard as the highest value and centerpiece of the site’s wildlife management focus.

It ensures the site is managed year-round for deer and that it is eligible for PitmanRobertson federal funding.

If this bill is passed by the legislature, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will have all the tools they need in law to acquire (by purchase or easement)

and manage deer yards for the purpose of restoring deer.

We Are Not Done-We Need Money to Buy and Manage Deer Yards We know it will take massive resources to buy and manage deer yards. Over a decade ago, SAM helped create a Maine Deer Management Fund to assist in the management of deer habitat.

We are amending that fund to authorize acquisition of priority deer yards. Below is the text of this statute and the underlined changes we propose: Maine Deer Management Fund The Maine Deer Management Fund, referred to in this section as “the fund,” is established within the Department as a non-lapsing fund to be used by the commissioner to fund or assist in funding predator control

Page 35 and to acquire or enhance deer habitat. The commissioner shall establish on the Department’s online licensing system checkoff options that allow a person to donate money for predator control or deer habitat acquisition or enhancement. The checkoff options must be prominently displayed and contain web links to information about how the checkoff revenues have been and will be used.

The commissioner shall also print in a prominent place on every paper application for a hunting license checkoff options that allow a person to donate money to the fund for predator control or deer habitat acquisition or enhancement. Revenues from the checkoffs must be deposited in the fund and used for purposes indicated by the checkoffs. [PL 2011, c. 668, §3 (AMD).]

(Question cont. pg 41)

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Page 36

Northwoods Sporting Journal

View From The River

by Laurie Chandler Bremen, ME For the several-thousandth time, I carefully lifted my foot. Stepping forward, the vigorous flow of the Androscoggin River pushed back. The rounded rocks of the river bottom were treacherously slick, some trailing strands of green algae. Concentrating, I placed my foot on a bit of gravel among the rocks and

One trail unites these landscapes. It winds like a blue ribbon from New York’s Adirondacks to Maine’s northern border with Canada. Along the timeless routes of the Iroquois and the Wabenaki, one can travel 740 miles by canoe on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Completing the entire trail in

June 2021

Going the Wrong Way

ficult will one day become the most memorable.

The NFCT includes nineteen miles of the Androscoggin, all in New Hampshire. Above Pontook Reservoir, thru-paddlers must navigate a 1.5-mile stretch of continuous Class I rapids. Having nearly conquered them, I paused to rest. Sweltering, perched atop a hefty midstream rock, I dangled my feet in the cool water. My canoe rested below in a tiny eddy.

Brilliant sunshine

stroll up Route 16 would bypass a parade of serious rapids and deliver me to a comfortable evening campsite at Mollidgewock State Park. The trail, however, had its own plans.

The highway had recently been repaved. The

shoulder. As the canoe left the pavement, it teetered dangerously, then thankfully righted itself. The edge of the road, not yet graded, was essentially a cliff. Ahead, the shoulder was narrow and rough. In places, guardrails blocked

I was strong, and perhaps as fit as I had ever been, four weeks into a long journey. By now, struggling upstream was all in a day’s work, but be assured. It was work. tugged my canoe along.

Another step accomplished.

I was strong, and perhaps as fit as I had ever been, four weeks into a long journey. By now, struggling upstream was all in a day’s work, but be assured. It was work.

The Northern Forest spans more than 30 million acres in northern and central New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Here, deep forests meet rolling farmlands.

The terrain is sprinkled with lakes and ponds, and the rivers, streams, and carries that connect them.

one direction, without help, in one continuous expedition, is deemed a “selfpropelled thru-paddle.” To date, around fifty people have been recognized for that achievement. Midway down the list, you will find my name.

One arduous challenge is the 150 miles of upstream travel. The four major rivers that must be ascended — the Mississquoi, Clyde, and parts of the Upper Ammonoosuc and Androscoggin — are intimate acquaintances long before the canoe is launched. Of those hardearned miles, the most dif-

sparkled and danced innocently on bouncing rapids as far as the eye could see, upriver and down. If only I were going the other way, life would have been a joy.

The Androscoggin is a charming river, and a symbol of the success of legislation aimed at river restoration. Once one of the ten most polluted rivers in the country, it found salvation with the help of a native son. U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie grew up along the Androscoggin in the mill town of Rumford, Maine. Often called the “father of the environmental movement,” Muskie introduced the influential Clean Water Act of 1972.

After that hurdle, the river quieted for four miles to the Seven Islands Bridge. Grateful to be back in the canoe, I soaked in the ambiance of towering fir and the piercing call of an osprey. Around me was the Thirteen Mile Woods, a working forest protected from development by conservation easements.

At the bridge, I would leave the river. A five-mile

Photos - the Androscoggin River on a 2019 trip (sensibly going downstream) and painted trillium along its shores.

(Photos by Laurie Chandler)

shiny black asphalt was a thing of beauty. Reeking of creosote, it rolled out before me like a carpet. I turned north, my loaded canoe perfectly balanced on its wheels, breezing merrily along.

Until the first oncoming vehicle approached. Hurriedly, I steered off onto the

the way. A constant stream of traffic flowed by as I pondered what to do.

Ironically, a highway paving project had done what high water, low water, wind, and even escaped convicts had failed to do.

Stopped me in my tracks!

Ultimately, I returned (Way cont. pg 41)

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 37

Safety, Ethics & Organization

hunting in Maine for over 50 years. They partnered with Maine IF&W in the creation of the Expanded Archery zones with increased archery bag limits, saving our traditional bear hunt in two referendum fights and supporting the landowners who allow us

The Northwoods Bowhunter

by Brian Smith, Machiasport, ME and ethical hunters. This means getting permission to erect tree stands, place bear baits, set up a turkey blind or shooting near residences. Keep your written

preserve our time honored hunting traditions in Maine.

All three organizations run ongoing raffles year round for outdoor sporting items to raise money to work for

If you aren’t yet a member of the MBA, NRA or SAM, please join and help them in the ongoing fights to preserve our time honored hunting traditions in Maine.

The author with a handsome bow buck.

“If you join the Maine Bowhunters Association, I will give you 10% off your new Mathews Bow and accessories”! That statement came from Mike Rovella in the late 90’s at his bow shop in Winthrop. He was business minded, but as President of the MBA at the time, realized how important it was to belong to organizations that fight for your hunting rights and promote the hunting and shooting sports.

I quickly joined the MBA and later became a life member. This led to lifelong friendships, discounts at sporting goods

stores and great MBA banquets over the years. The MBA has been dedicated to the preservation of bow

to hunt on their lands.

The MBA has also partnered with the National Rifle Association to fund a youth archery range at the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine headquarters. If you aren’t yet a member of the MBA, NRA or SAM, please join and help them in the ongoing fights to

permission slips with you in case you are met by a landowner or checked by a game warden. If applicable have permission to use game cameras, ATVs, screw in devices and the cutting of branches for shooting lanes. Clearly label bear bait sites and tree (Ethics cont. pg 59)

hunters.

If you are a bowhunter, you probably have taken a required Bowhunter Safety Course. I taught the courses for many years in Maine with a large portion of each course dedicated to ethics and safety. We are ambassadors of our sport and always need to be legal

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 38

Women In The Woods

by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME One of my favorite questions to ask people that I interview is what book they are reading and what book would they recommend. I have had a lot of interesting titles mentioned, some I have read and others I have not.

Here are a few from my collection that should also be in yours: Maine Authors 1. My Life in the Maine Woods by Annette Jackson. As a game warden’s life, she writes about her new life in the North Woods in the 1930s from raising children to hunting deer to maintaining a cabin knowing winter can mean being isolated more than normal. It is a great view into the quiet and wild woods.

2. Nine Mile Bridge

by Helen Hamlin. I brought this book with me when I traveled to Alaska and finished it before we landed.

The Maine woods buzzed

with logging activity and sportsmen interested in living off the land, hunting and trapping when Helen Hamlin lived there and her stories highlight the best (and most challenging) experiences she endured.

3. Tales from Misery Ridge by Paul Fournier.

Paul was a Maine Guide and public information officer for Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and spent hours in the woods dealing with wildlife, people and conservation efforts.

4. Backtrack by V. Paul Reynolds. Full of tips, tricks and advice that any outdoorsperson can use, Paul’s book is full of great stories about hunting and fishing. You will learn something new every time you read this book!

5. A Life Lived Outdoors by George Smith.

When you think of Maine outdoor writers, you still think of George. While his passing saddened so many of us, we all enjoyed hear-

June 2021

Ten Great Outdoor Books

ing George tell his stories of fishing, hunting turkeys and spending time with his dad. His books are a must read.

National Authors 1. A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold.

There is a reason Leopold is viewed as the father of wildlife ecology and conservation. This book sets the tone for every outdoor adventure 2. Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway. The first book of Hemingway’s that I ever read is filled with hunting adventures from the wilds of Africa. It will make you want to start planning your trip there.

3. Wild Men, Wild Alaska by Rocky McElveen. The life of a bush pilot is never boring.

In this book, McElveen writes about taking President George H.W. Bush fishing in Alaska, fending off bears while you are fishing and what to do if your plan needs to crash land. Each chapter is a new adventure!

4. How to Bag the

GUNS • HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING

These outdoor books belong on your shelf, too.

Biggest Buck of Your Life

by Larry Benoit. The Benoits are well known for their day-long treks through the woods in Vermont as they tracked monster whitetail bucks. This book highlights some of those hunts with humor and challenges that New Englanders know too well.

5. A Hunt for Justice

by Lucinda Delaney Schroeder. A true story about a poaching ring in the Brooks Range in Alaska and the woman who helped to take them down. It is a fantastic story that highlights the work of an undercover wildlife agent and what she does (and the animals she kills) in order to infiltrate the poacher’s group and shut them down.

Bonus: The Lost Classics by Jack O’Connor. Any

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What books are must haves on your shelf that I should be reading or add to my list? Email me and let me know !

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 non-profit group Women of the Maine Outdoors.

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June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 39

Old Tales from the Maine Woods

Trout Fishing in Maine

by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA

This story was written

by Nedlam, pseudonym of a Boston sportsman who visited Maine annually and wrote about his experiences. He published this one in Forest and Stream and Rod and Gun on May 24, 1877, after a three-week visit to Monson.

in a boat on the lower part of Hebron Pond, just opposite the hotel, say ten rods away. My friend insisted upon taking the paddle, and my string of flies were soon in the water, without much thought of striking a fish in the lower end used as a mill pond, as we were told

find where the trout were, made good use of them the and were not disappointed, balance of the time. as when the horn tooted The people of the twelve for dinner, we had town were rather astontwelve trout, running from ished, the postmaster with 1 ¾ to 2 pounds 9 ½ ounc- the rest, and he went out in es, almost filling my land- the afternoon, as did our ing net. And we settled one ladies, to see how it was thing very satisfactorily, done, and had a chance to viz., that they would only be satisfied, as we added take a very large and bright nine to our catch, all of red fly, as B. insisted upon good size.” using such as we had used at the Richardson Lakes, Steve is an avid hiker, During the handling of and for a large portion of paddler and historian, havthis fish, we shot in the the forenoon would not ing collected over 26,000 pond proper, and the wind accept any from my book, Maine Woods articles to being off shore, we put but he soon came to it, and date. our boat broadside to, and both commenced work in earnest. In another moment Steve Pinkham another greedy fellow had Maine Woods Historian, Author and Storyteller my fly, and after a contest of about ten minutes my

Old Tales of the Maine Woods 617-407-0743

Again starting for the pond proper, I struck a fish, and after a few minutes’ sharp play landed a beauty, “tipping the beam” at 1 ¼ pounds. During the handling of this fish, we shot in the pond proper, and the wind being off shore, we put our boat broadside to, and both commenced work in earnest.

“We found Mr. Hayes a very pleasant gentleman, and kindly disposed to render us any assistance we might require, but checked our enthusiasm by informing us that trout could not be taken with a fly in the waters of that vicinity, as it had been tried over and over again without success, except in the case of one little fellow about four inches long, and he was thought to be too small to know any better. We, however, decided to give them a chance to refuse us at once, and proceeding to the hotel, strung our rods, and at just five P. M. were

there were none there, and my companion was using his paddle freely, forcing the boat rapidly through the water, when a fine fish rose at my fly, which I failed to strike, and before I could cast again the boat was upon him, and I was unable to raise him again.

“This gave promise of -----, something to the little fellow before mentioned, and our spirits were raised several degrees in a few moments after. Again starting for the pond proper, I struck a fish, and after a few minutes’ sharp play landed a beauty, “tipping the beam” at 1 ¼ pounds.

second fish was in the boat, weighing 1 ¾ pounds, and we were obliged to “pull for the shore,” as it had commenced raining, and at just six P. M., we landed with enough for supper, having demonstrated that the trout would rise to a fly, and about seven o’clock we sat down to our frugal meal of fried trout, baked potatoes, etc., giving us a foretaste of what was to come.

“So the next morning we did not get on to the pond until about nine o’clock, and having made a few inquiries of the postmaster, thought we could

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Page 40

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Green Heron

The Bird Perch

along secluded waterways.

Other species of herons nest in large and noisy

by Karen Holmes, treetop colonies. But Green Cooper, ME Heron pairs nest in secluI am transferring maintenance worker there. sion, keeping a low profile. slides to a DVD so I can The Green Heron gave “Johnny” was rather use them for PowerPoint me opportunities for les- scrawny and was very hunpresentations. I no longer sons using a wild bird not gry. It was unknown how will worry about the bulb commonly known or seen. long he had been wanderin a slide projector blow- The campers, boys and ing up in the middle of girls from pre-K to 12th a program I am doing. grade, also learned about Some slides brought back the responsibilities of re-

perch over a spot and patiently stay still as a statue, head drawn back slightly poised to strike. And they are always accurate, striking downward with a very long and sharp bill.

We never realized that herons can be dangerous to handle and could do some

We never realized that herons can be dangerous to handle and could do some damage to a well-meaning human with those bills. some fond memories for me. They were of a Green Heron, his rehabilitator Rob named “Johnny”.

Rob grew very fond of this bird.and one slide shows “Johnny” perched on Rob’s arm. Both of us were working at a camp in Massachusetts during the summer of 1992. I was the director of all nature programs and Rob was a

June 2021

habilitation.

The animal is to be released back into the wild as long as it can survive on its own. “Johnny” was found on the ground at the camp one morning in late May. He was just starting to grow adult feathers and probably fell out of a nest.

We never did find the nest site. Green Herons nest in shrubs or low scrubby trees

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ing around, vulnerable to predators on the ground.

He was a lucky bird too because the owners of the camp agreed to finance a daily diet of live minnows bought from a local dealer at not cheap prices. Green Herons eat tiny fish, frogs and crustaceans. They

damage to a well-meaning human with those bills.

But “Johnny” never made a hostile move to anyone and Rob was the only one to handle him all the time.

He knew his caretaker position was temporary and he would release him when the bird was ready. It was

better not to let many people handle him.

By the way, no one knew if “Johnny” was a male or a female. No one cared either and “Johnny” provided me with interesting camper programs.

I taught the campers and others about how most heron species have stately bodies, long legs and brightly hued feathers.

Green Herons in comparison are rather pudgy looking with dark plumage and not so long legs. They fly with heads drawn back, flapping wings rather laboriously, stumpy looking legs dangling.

Calling them green herons can be a misnomer as they often look black.

But seen close up, their necks and breasts areas are colored a deep chestnut and bellies are smoky brown. Their backs are bluish and the rest of their bodies are a dark green.

Like all herons they have patches of “powder down” which are continuously grown feathers with tips that crumble into powder.

This powder is rubbed into the feathers with beaks and feet to clean and provide water resistance. Their legs are greenish yellow and (Heron cont. pg 41)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Way

plete the portage before the traffic picked up. The puzzle of one more day would (Cont. from pg 36) to the river. Adrenaline be accomplished. kept me paddling strong Laurie Apgar Chanpast a group of curious college kids unloading their dler (www.laurieachancanoes at a group site. And dler.com) is the author of it wouldn’t have done to Through Woods & Waters: pause as I passed a pair of A Solo Journey to Maine’s gnarled fly fishermen drift- New National Monument ing sensibly downstream and Upwards, the story in a rowboat. Resolutely, I of her 2015 solo self-procomposed my face into an pelled thru-paddle of the expression of confidence, Northern Forest Canoe to help explain why I was Trail. The NFCT publishes battling valiantly upstream a series of thirteen waterinto the froth at the edge proof maps covering the length of the trail. This New of dark.

At last, about a mile Hampshire section can be above the bridge, I slipped found on Map 7. into a thin sliver of woods.

So narrow that my tent would have been visible to (Cont. from pg 35) passing cars, I waited on the riverbank for dark to New Money Needed to cloak my movements. In the morning, I would rise Get the Job Done The Deer Management before first light, to com-

Question

Fund receives money from a voluntary hunting license check-off and from a portion of deer registration fees.

These sources generate about $40,000 per year and the fund currently has several hundred thousand in it. This is a good start, but it’s hardly enough money to get the job done. In preliminary discussions with the Department on potential additional funding sources, three have been discussed and nothing is off the table.

The Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) Fund, which requires a bond to be passed and given the gridlock in Augusta, seems unlikely in the near future. A second source could be a hunting license increase in the $2 to $5 range. This increase would generate about $500,000 per year. A third choice would be to overhaul the Antlerless Deer Permit System and charge a small fee to apply for a permit, as

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well as for the permit itself.

One approach we are exploring would be to allow a two deer limit for permit holders, i.e. one on your big game license and one on the Deer Management Permit.

Go Big or Go Home!

Restoring deer to an area one and a half times larger than the state of New Hampshire is going to require intense investment and long-term management.

Looking at deer restoration on a regional scale is the only logical approach. For example, picking a portion of the Moosehead Lake Region and working to restore deer populations using DWA purchases, habitat management and predator control by DIFW would be a good start to demonstrate the effectiveness of this new endeavor. Of course, local buy-in and the support of all who would enjoy a thriving deer population up north are critical. What we are proposing is reversing the decline of a big game species and it will take time.

While at his DIFW position, Gerry Lavigne conducted a projection of the economic value of a deer population restored to 10 per square mile in northern Maine. He estimated that managing deer at a sustainable level would require a statewide harvest of nearly 45,000 deer and would accommodate an additional 50,000 hunters in the northern half of Maine. These hunters, and their spinoff economic opportunities, would bring jobs to a seriously struggling area of the state. DIFW has a thriving deer population in the southern half, now let’s get to work on the northern half of Maine!

In the coming months, we will take this plan on the road to seek feedback and determine the appropriate funding sources. One thing is for sure, doing nothing is

Page 41 unacceptable. Sportsmen and women are the real conservationists who fund, preserve and protect our natural resources. It will take a monumental effort, and again, it will be the old-timers who understand, this is a resource worth saving.

David Trahan is executive director of SAM.

Heron (Cont. from pg 40) change to a bright orange during breeding season.

Sometimes during that same time frame they have temporary “scapular plumes” which are feathers standing upright on the backs. When alarmed, they elevate their shaggy crests, stretch out long necks, and repeatedly jerk tails.

We never observed such behavior from “Johnny” as he seemed quite content and used to human activity around him at the camp.

The camp closed its season in August and a few weeks later Rob released him in an area near a marsh nearby. Hopefully, like other Green Heron species, he migrated and wintered in the southern United States, or Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, or Suriname.

It always seems to me to be such a wonderful thing that birds know where to migrate back and forth in the spring and fall months.

I will always remember and cherish the weeks learning about Green Herons because of “Johnny”.

Karen Holmes is a retired educator living in Cooper, Maine. She volunteers for various surveys and programs and writes for various publications.

Page 42

Northwoods Sporting Journal

On The Prowl

by Justin Merrill, Cherryfield, ME A lot of coyote hunters overlook the fact that predatory game species, such as coyotes, live around or venture into small properties within city limits. If a whitetail deer can live in urban environments then why not a coyote? Coyotes are an extremely intelligent

ion. These incredibly smart canines can learn quickly whether or not danger is around the next corner.

These adept abilities are the reason coyote problems exist within and around cities. Plus if deer are nearby then the coyote will not be far behind.

June 2021

Urban Coyote Hunting

every hunter must follow before doing anything else is to establish that the game animal actually lives in the woods or fields that they intend to hunt. The term used for going out to find the game and their sign is scouting. I can write fifty columns on the topic of scouting techniques. In keeping it brief I recommend treading lightly so not to push the coyote out of the small woodlot

already living among humans and are used to all disturbances outside of that woodlot you will not scare away the coyote. They will be holed up in the deepest part and most likely sleeping. Once you have answered the above questions by way of scouting you then can make a game plan.

If you intend to use some

into position a couple hours before dark. You most likely will be using a shotgun loaded with number four shot or buckshot. So pick your hiding spot forty yards downwind of where you expect the coyote to appear.

You can try an early morning hunt by finding a hide away ambush spot inside the woods. Set up where

Since the coyotes are already living among humans and are used to all disturbances outside of that woodlot you will not scare away the coyote. They will be holed up in the deepest part and most likely sleeping. and adaptable animal that can coexist among humans.

This can make for some interesting coyote hunts.

Most hunters know that a whitetail deer can become tolerant of human disturbance by way of repetitious behaviors executed by the humans. The deer eventually learn that the human behaviors are of no threat to them. Likewise, the coyote too can go about their lives in similar fash-

Think back to the amount of times you have heard of a coyote sighting or problems caused by coyotes around your hometown. I dare to bet that the stories about coyotes in your area are many. Plenty of other hunters can relate.

I sure can.

Here I intend to shed some light on how to hunt coyotes on small tracts of land in an urban area. The most important rule that

into another that you may not have permission to hunt. You will get away with walking the perimeter searching for tell tale signs to piece it all together.

When on your scouting trip try to answer these questions: How many tracks? How old are the tracks? Are tracks going in both directions? Is there a lot of coyote scat? How are the coyotes traveling from this woodlot into the town at night? What types of travel funnels exist (drainage ditches, low grassland, or long narrow strips of trees or shrubs? What are the coyotes eating? What is the prevailing wind direction? What are the hunting laws where you intend to hunt? Can you use a small caliber rifle or shotgun?

Since the coyotes are

Urban coyotes, like other wild animals, can get acclimated to human activity.

sort of predator call try to match the call to whatever animal the coyote is currently hunting. You can download any type of animal distress sounds from reputable websites onto an electronic caller (e-Call).

One call that works everywhere is mouse or rodent distress sounds. However, being in close proximity to town and the properties being very small you can ambush the coyote without ever making a sound.

If the state that you hunt coyotes allows night hunting then you’re in business. If you can’t night hunt coyotes then simply just get

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you have a vantage point being able to get a shot off in all directions. I’ve found that heading into the hunting area in early morning hours spooks more coyotes than that of the evening hours. Choose your hunting times and locations carefully to give you an upper hand. Trail cameras will help tremendously with this. Best of luck out there I hope you get that pesky coyote.

Justin lives in close proximity to many coyotes.

He spent many winters hunting coyotes almost every day (except Sundays).

He is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA). He authored two books, “Wild Maine Outdoors – Hunting Tactics, Tricks & Secrets”, and “The Sit Spot – Discovering The Forest Near You”. You can learn more at his website, www.wildmaineoutdoors.com

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Some Wildlife Memories

Page 43

Northwoods Voyager

by Gil Gilpatrick, Brunswick, ME

Anyway, watching it I was reminded of wildlife I have watched that made me smile. Each one is a precious memory.

I was inspired to write this month by a short clip I saw on a TV news program. It was about 10 or 15 seconds long, but I smiled every time I saw it.

Three lambs were frolicking around together just enjoying being young and alive. They jumped, butted each other and just ran around having a good time.

I’ll bet some of you saw it too. Anyway, watching it I was reminded of wildlife I have watched that made me smile. Each one is a precious memory.

I was sitting in my tree stand in early November when a doe showed up at the far end of the field with triplets, three young ones. As the doe slowly made her way down the field, feeding on clover, the fawns frolicked and played much like the lambs I saw on TV. They butted each other and their mother, but the doe continued down the field feeding and looking around. They went the entire length of the field and finally entered the woods.

The following day I was treated to the same performance. The following week the triplets showed

up, but no doe. She, no doubt was harvested by some hunter. I was kind of sad, but as a hunter myself I understood. The last time

strange creature?” The doe still seemed uninterested, but she finally relented and the both moved off into the nearby woods.

another coyote, a female it turned out, came out of the woods then followed along where the male went in. I reasoned they were working together in a coordinated hunt. I had heard of this behavior, but had never witnessed it before.

There have been quite a few unusual animals that I have seen over the years that are memorable. Like the albino buck I shot one fall. It was all pure white right up to the neck. So, one could have made a head mount and never have

The buck seemed a little more bothered by us. He kept looking from us to the doe and back again. Finally, with the doe seemingly uninterested, he reached out with his hoof and poked the doe in the ribs. He did this twice as if to say, “Can’t you see that strange creature?”

I saw the fawns there were only two of them. Hopefully those two made it to maturity.

Another memorable deer sighting occurred as Dot and I were paddling down the Allagash. We were in a shallow, slowmoving stretch of water.

On the shore was a doe and a buck feeding. We allowed the canoe to drift in the current and continued to watch the deer. The doe glanced at us and went back to feeding, seemingly unconcerned. The buck seemed a little more bothered by us. He kept looking from us to the doe and back again. Finally, with the doe seemingly uninterested, he reached out with his hoof and poked the doe in the ribs. He did this twice as if to say, “Can’t you see that

Walking through one of my fields one day in the early summer I spotted a coyote about 50 yards from the wood line staring at me. Then I noticed four coyote pups between her and me. Suddenly apparently with some signal from the mama, unheard by me if it were vocal, the four pups beat it to their mother and all five went into the woods. Another nice memory.

Another coyote memory was the one where a male (I know because he lifted his leg several times) moved along the wood line. He stopped often and looked toward the woods and then continued along. Finally, he entered the woods at the end of the field. I continued to watch and in a few minutes

shown it was from a white deer. There was the pure black red squirrel that I saw in a campsite on the Allagash. It acted just like any other red squirrel, but of course I have no idea how it got along with its

neighboring red squirrels.

Then there was the albino porcupine that I spotted one day. I’ll bet its quills were just as sharp as all the normal hedge hogs.

Of course all the wildlife I have seen are special to me and make me happy that I spent a life in outdoor Maine. What are your favorite memories?

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

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 44

Learning from the Riverman

Warden’s Words

know as the friendly and knowledgeable Ranger at the Michaud Farm, Trevor O’Leary. Trevor is a first rate “riverman” who is as skilled at taking a Tripper through the bends, bars and channels of the Allagash as anyone I have ever met. I consider myself fortunate to have learned these skills from him.

I’m not sure “riverman” is a word that can be found in any dictionary, but it refers to not just running a side mount motor in a river, but the immense skills needed to traverse this Waterway for many miles in shallow water.

The key to being a “riverman” is an eye for reading the water. A good one is smooth and often will have a passenger remark at how they can’t believe this canoe got through that low water without hitting a rock!

As many paddlers of the Allagash know, water levels are of the utmost importance and low water can often mean dragging your canoe more than you paddle it. A good operator in a canoe can get his or her canoe “upriver” by using the motor or by poling. A tricky but necessary talent

by Game Warden Kale O’Leary, Ashland, ME “Prior to starting my career as a Maine Warden, I worked three summers as a Park Ranger on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway patrolling the northern river sections of the park in a trusty 20 foot Old Town Tripper and side mount motor. There is something almost magical about the

the Moir Farm.

I can still picture when I close my eyes the river channel from Twin Brook rapids, up to McGargle Rock and into Big Brook Deadwater, eventually hearing the thunderous noise of water and hydraulics of nature as the Allagash Falls come into

Fortunately for me, I had the privilege of having a tremendous teacher, friend, cousin and mentor during my time on the Waterway that anyone who has done the Allagash trip will know as the friendly and knowledgeable Ranger at the Michaud Farm, Trevor O’Leary.

Allagash River, a piece of nature untouched, wild and pristine. It was a sort of spiritual homecoming for me as a young man to learn a river with so much natural history that my ancestors had settled on many years before. In fact, I am the 7th generation of O’Leary blood to work and play on the Allagash River as my earliest ancestors settled about a mile upstream of the Allagash Falls at the site known as

view as the Tripper rounds the final bend of the Allagash River. There are few people who still motor the Allagash River upstream, which is a unique skill to read a river in both directions and to navigate it with a large canoe and motor.

Fortunately for me, I had the privilege of having a tremendous teacher, friend, cousin and mentor during my time on the Waterway that anyone who has done the Allagash trip will

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needed for much of the season as an Allagash Ranger.

I remember one beautiful mid-summer day after motoring Trevor and I downstream to clean the

McKinnon Brook and we started upstream again.

Trevor turned around slowly in the bow and said “Ok young feller, a good riverman never gets his

The author’s German Shepard “Hank” shares a canoe with him on the Allagash River near Round Pond. campsites at the Allagash feet wet so today we are Falls. I had done well get- going to learn how to pole ting us downstream but a canoe”. Patience is a key knew that the real test virtue of any great teacher was going to be getting and Trevor has this. For us back to the Michaud the next several hours I Farm Ranger Station as practiced poling us up the many shallow sandbars had next pitch of low water emerged with the low wa- upstream of Finley Bogan ter. On the trip back, after until I had figured out (but passing the Moir Farm and never mastered!) the art of Henry Taylor’s camps, I poling a canoe. found myself looking for a During my three years channel to motor upstream on the Waterway, Trevor over low water and was not taught me lessons on everyfinding said water. Trevor thing ranging from canoe remained quiet in the bow, and motor operation, melike a wise karate sensei chanics, hunting, fishing, watching his disciple as- trapping, running a chaincertain his next move in saw, carpentry and life. a fight. I was persistent in For a “green” 20-year-old trying to motor, as I was not college student, these were keen or capable at that time the best classes I ever took! of poling and after multiple We shared many laughs, failed attempts to motor us picked some fiddleheads over this bar, frustration got and played a few hands of the best of me and I got out cribbage in the evenings at of the boat and dragged us the Michaud Farm Ranger upstream until I got into the Station where our Aunt good water coming from (Riverman cont. pg 65)

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

All Is Not Lost

In the Fall of 2003, Mitt Romney, the inept Governor of Massachusetts at the time, filed a bill to restore nearly $6 million dollars back to the Inland Fish and Game Fund to MassWildlife. A few months earlier, Romney and his cohorts took this money from MassWildlife and put in the General Tax Fund. What Romney and all his ineptness didn’t realize is that by stealing this money he was also eliminating the Federal contribution of $4.7 million dollars to MassWildlife.

This money comes from the Pittman-Robertson Actan 11% tax on firearms, archery and ammunition sales that gets returned to the state. Once Romney realized his mistake(s), he gave the money back, trying to make himself look like a hero while doing it.

Of course, sportsmen across the state were up in arms, but there was a silver lining to Romney’s shenanigans. It spawned the Massachusetts Conservation Alliance, (MCA), which is a group comprised from major conservation groups from across the state, representing the best interests of over 100,000 sportsmen and women.

Former senator and Sec-

retary of Environmental Affairs, Bob Durand, was hired as the MCA’s legislative agent and in short time it became a strong organization, helping to shape fish and game policy. The MCA is a unique organization as it has no dues, and really no formal structure.

At this point there are two chairpersons, Paul Johnson and Joe Afonso.

For a few years after the MCA was relatively dormant, (except in 2019 when they fought and are still fighting to get the crossbow and setback bill enacted), as there wasn’t much to work on but now that MassWildlife wants to implement a huge license fee increase, the MCA is front and center fighting against this, while offering viable solutions. The MCA realizes that a fee increase is necessary and they acknowledge that MassWildlife does a tremendous job with their various programs and that it needs to be fully funded, but MassWildlife wants to put the burden of these increases on the backs of younger sportsmen who haven’t reached the golden age of a free or partially free license. And these younger folks are the people who are the future of sporting activities in the

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Currently there are over $1 million worth of reduced or free licenses given out every year. These licenses are mandated by the state-it is the law. As this pool of licensee continues to grow, this milliondollar loss will grow too.

MassWildlife is well aware of this. MCA is proposing that the state reimburse MassWildlife for all of these licenses instead of just reimbursing the reduced-price license. This is a more realistic solution to solving the budget problem instead of the short-term solution offered by Mass-

Page 45

Mass Wanderings

by David Willette, N. Adams, MA

Wildlife. History is on the side of the MCAs’ solution.

The last license increase was in 1996 and there was a huge reduction in license sales then. MCA fears the same will happen if MassWildlife implements their archaic solution.

Another solution offered by the MCA is to charge a fee to anyone who uses the state’s WMA. Bill HD 3878 does just that and the MCA applauds this effort to have all users

of WMA to buy a Land Stamp. This could open a can of worms as it gives non-hunters a seat at the table for future policy at all WMAs. It’s going to be an uphill battle for the MCA. They are going to hire a lobbyist to help in their fight, probably in August.

Because there are no dues to join, the MCA is relying on donations from sportsmen and women.

(Lost cont. pg 67)

Carroll’s Corner Worms & Night Crawlers (Honest) One of the great pleasures in our lives comes from our annual late-May, early-June

forays to a couple of remote trout ponds. These ponds are in the area of our camp, located in the West Forks and provide fishing for brook trout. Despite the fact that Lila and I are dyed-in-the-wool fly fishermen, these are general law ponds where we can go and put the worms to em’! Our trips to these ponds usually result in another chance for fresh, hot biscuits and trout fried in salt pork and corn meal.

For us, part of this activity is first getting our hands on worms and night crawlers. Worst case scenario, we can go to a local store and buy our worms. But, we think that part of the fun is going out at night with flashlights to pick up crawlers or digging the worms ourselves.

The very first time that I took Lila to pick crawlers, I had to laugh. She’d walk along holding the flashlight, until she spotted a crawler. Then she’d drop the light and grab the crawler, all in one motion! Not so effective, but more sporting!

Instead of digging our worms, we’d go to one of our local cornfields, where the stubs of the cornstalks still stood. If you grab the stub of the stalk and pull the entire root ball up, there are usually tons of worms amongst the roots. By the time that we were done, we looked like we’d been to a mud rally, but we always had plenty of worms.

Armed with plenty of worms and or crawlers, we head for the ponds. Spinning rods, size 8 Eagle Claw snelled hooks and a bobber rounds out the equipment list. Not so much finesse or skill involved in this method. But when the fishing is slow, the sight of a bobber being pulled along the surface and finally disappearing always gets us excited. I used to laugh at myself for getting juiced up over this, but finally it dawned on me that it is about the experience and just being there. Would I have preferred to be on a beautiful river casting dry flies to rising fish? Absolutely, but dunking worms on a beautiful remote pond takes me back to an endless supply of memories of friends lost and memories that I carry to this day.

After all, consider this: we are on the water here in our beautiful State with Mother Nature surrounding us. Every once in a while, we make a mistake and actually catch a trout (every one that I have ever lost was about two pounds!). Sometimes, I’ll put my rod down and just sit there, look around, and cherish the moment. Then some trout comes along and interrupts my day! In any event, how can we top a day on the water, just an occasional moose, the trout and us? Let’s get back to the pond and make some more memories.

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

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 46

Remington: A Revival

Marsh Island Chronicles

by Matthew Dunlap, Old Town, ME The first gun I ever fired was a Remington.

Like most of the guns manufactured in the post-World War I era, it was not only a functional firearm—and it was meant for general farm-and-knockabout use—it was elegant in its

June 2021

forgotten .22 Short and Long rounds. Nowadays, all anyone wants are the .22 Long Rifle loads, but I used them all back in the day on the farm.

Remington is making a comeback. The company was owned for a long time

They’ll focus on their heritage line, of course— the storied 870 pump and 1100 autoloading shotgun and 700 big-game rifle that together have carried the Remington brand from its historic roots to today.

Remington has an incredible story, and many Remington arms were built around famous cartridges like the .30, .32, and .35 Remington that were the cornerstone of the old John

a piece of paper and taped to the side. He carefully explained all the workings of the little bolt-action rifle to me, and then took the clip out, and showed me how to load it. He gave me three cartridges.

When it was done, I had hit the target all three times. I fairly walked on

apple trees. While heading out, I spied the offending marauder, and backed up, and asked her if that she still had Poppy’s old .22 around. She did.

I made short work of the porcupine, but the rifle needed some care, so I took it home and cleaned it up.

For fun, I took my daughter

They’ll focus on their heritage line, of course—the storied 870 pump and 1100 autoloading shotgun and 700 big-game rifle that together have carried the Remington brand from its historic roots to today. lines, balanced in its heft; it was something you could get pleasure out of just looking at.

This particular piece was the Remington 511 Scoremaster, with a sixshot detachable magazine; there were variants, including a version with a smoothbore barrel and versions with different types of sights. The 511 was built between 1939 and 1963, and over 381,000 were made in that time.

The versatility of the rifle was enhanced by the feature that it could shoot practically any type of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition, including the practically

by a capital management company. The word on the street was that the management was less interested in the trouble and expense in making good firearms than they were in making good money. Sportsmen will tell you intuitively that if you do the first thing well, the second thing certainly follows. The result of the shift in priorities was a reported drop in quality— and the slow, tortured path to bankruptcy and sale. The good news is that the new owners are veterans of the firearms industry and are committed to bringing the Remington name back up to premium status.

Browning-designed Remington Model 8 autoloading rifles, which had an attractively ugly profile, but were wildly popular in their day. Even the FBI equipped its agents with Model 8’s.

I doubt we’ll see the Model 8 come back in Remington’s resurgence, but one never knows. I do know I’d love to see the 511 back in the ‘new-gun’ racks.

That first day I shot a gun, which I had been feverish about forever, my father told me to make a target—which I did, out of an old mixed-nuts can, and even drew a target on

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And we still salute our military men and women, who have served and continue to serve their country, here at home and in faraway lands. To them we owe our gratitude and appreciation for what they do, and for safeguarding our American way of life, which we value deeply.

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Old Town sportsman Emily Dunlap demonstrating solid off-hand form while shooting the Remington 511 of her grandfather. air for weeks and couldn’t wait for my next shooting lesson.

My father bought the little .22 out of a Sears, Roebuck and Company mail-order catalog right after World War II. After his discharge from the service, he moved to Arizona for a time, and thought having a rifle wasn’t a half-bad idea. Somewhere we have a picture of a bobcat he killed with it in 1947.

As I got a bit older and was trusted with the responsibility of using and caring for a firearm, the Remington was my constant companion. I carried it every day in the fall as I walked my trapline, and it never failed me.

Visiting my mother one fall day, she complained about the damage a porcupine was doing to her carefully-cultivated

Emily to the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association range and had her try it out.

She was dumbstruck when I took the gun back to my mother. “Do we have to give it back?” she meekly inquired.

The new owners of Remington, if they’re as committed as I hope they are, will be building more than just quality guns— they’ll be building stories like the story of my father’s 511, and ending with the answer—no, we don’t have to give it back.

Matt Dunlap is a sportsman from Old Town and is a periodic co-host on Maine Outdoors, heard statewide every Sunday night at 7:00 pm on WVOM 103.9 FM, WVQM 101.3 FM, and 1450 AM in Rockland.

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Small Stream Fishing

There are a number of rivers within the Rangeley Lakes Region where an angler may find the fish of his or her dreams. The Rapid, Magalloway, Kennebago, and lower Cupsuptic, as well as the rush of water flowing out of Upper Dam, contain brook trout and landlocked salmon as large as you’ll find anywhere in

a member of the sixteeninch-and-over club is an admirable achievement, and one which I certainly endorse, there is another type of fishing that is also worthy of consideration.

Not far from home or camp there will be a brook or creek where the hatchery truck does not visit. It may be that little rill you pass

free to fish, hunt, and farm while no longer having to pay a tax to King George.

These forgotten trout live secret lives under the shadows cast by spruce and pine, oak and birch. They may be browns or rainbows, but often times it is the brook trout that can be found within the current that purrs around hunchedshouldered boulders and

Against The Current

by Bob Romano, Rangeley, ME brooks winding through the State’s northern forest cannot match the size found in those rivers well known to anglers, but they are rewarding in their own way.

There is the sheer joy of a finger-sized brook

Putting time in on the water is the missing element that will eventually bring success. As the man says – you gotta be in it to win it! between moss-covered banks that will never feel the footfall of an angler seeking fish measured in pounds rather than inches.

Those few who take delight in casting their flies to these wild, sometimes native trout in surroundings where it is rare to find another brother or sister of the Angle call their brand of fishing “blue lining,” a term, I must admit, that I only recently learned. The idea is that those intriguing blue lines that appear on a topographical map without benefit of a name may contain such fish as well as surroundings conducive to their survival.

A map of Western Maine contains many such blue lines. On the losing side of middle age, I’ve spent the last many years exploring many of them. To be sure, the trout found in these

There is satisfaction in finding the small brookies on unnamed brooks that are merely a blue line on a topo map.

(Photo by Trish Romano) the lower forty-eight states. on your way to some wellTypically, such fish known put-and-take river haunt the darker, deeper or perhaps it’s the tanninholes along these rough- stained current bouncing and-tumble rivers. Knowl- under the wooden bridge edge of the water and you cross on the way to the its insect life as well as lake or pond. Most states techniques, such as keep- no longer stock these tiny, ing your nymph bumping often over-looked waters against the river’s bottom, that they’ve designate as are necessary to bring these wild. More often than not bad boys out to play. Put- some contain descendants ting time in on the water is of those hatchery-bred the missing element that trout that over the years will eventually bring suc- have gone “native” while cess. As the man says – you other streams have been populated by a wild strain gotta be in it to win it!

However, there is this of fish since before our theory that when we’re forefathers dreamed of a young fishing is all about land where they could be the numbers while later, as we hone our skills, the fo- THE RIVER KING - A FLY FISHING NOVEL by Robert J. Romano, Jr. Follow the characters of Bob's latest novel cus turns to size. But if our as they fish the rivers, lakes, and streams of health holds, and our legs western Maine while struggling to find don’t give out, some will meaning in an increasingly troubling world. find that there comes a time "A lyricist casts a jeweler's eye across the Rangeleys and when what draws them to speaks the truth..." - Graydon Hilyard, Historian and Writer. water is something more Send a check for $23.00 to Bob Romano, 62 Mt. Vernon Rd., Columbia N.J. than the size or number 07832 Be sure to provide name and return address for an autographed of fish that they may find copy with bookmark. Email Bob at magalloway@mac.com for more there. Although becoming information.

Page 47

trout flinging itself above a plunge pool to attack a fly with reckless abandon.

Others that fit nicely in the moist palm of your hand will fight with the heart of fish twice their size. Then there is the twelve-inch surprise that gets your heart pumping as it puts unanticipated bend in your rod.

Rainbow trout will erupt through the surface, sometimes throwing the hook, other times zigging

and zagging, wrapping your line around a submerged log or if you’re not careful, fouling the hook in a rat’s nest of debris. Culinary snobs of the fish world, brown trout, may reluctantly surface to inhale your fly, but only if it matches what they’re in the mood for at that particular moment. It’s not an easy life. The fish of these little streams must contend with mink and otter, heron and kingfisher, as well as flood and drought, extreme weather now the rule rather than the exception. Yet they abide.

But it is more than fish that may draw you back to these ribbons and rills.

Treading along their banks, there is time to harvest fiddleheads and admire Jack-in-the pulpits. Time (Fishing cont. pg 54)

Page 48

New Hampshire Outdoors

Northwoods Sporting Journal

by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H.

Black Flies, Pike and Cohos in N. H.?

non-residents. All the usual will on June 18th at 9AM fishing regulations still ap- when Fish and Game anJune. The salmon are are healthy. Couldn’t we ply on that day and if you nounces the winners of a still in the upper levels of find a less aggravating way happen to be participating fall moose permit. This the water, the trout are get- of measuring the health of in a fishing tournament on year, there will be forty Free Fishing Day, you must (40) either sex permits isting more active and the the water? sued. In keeping with the Oh well, bring your have a license. black flies for some are still a nuisance for pursuing both of those activities. Ac- The furthest north the chinooks ever got in New Hampshire cording to the UNH Coop- was Lake Sunapee where they were stocked from 1904 into erative Extension, “Black the mid-1930s, according to Jack Noon in his book flies breed exclusively in “Fishing in New Hampshire - A History”. running water. Some speI ran into a friend re- biennial recommendations, cies live in large, fast- repellent, cigars or Therflowing streams, others in macell and be on or in cently who told me that there will be no permits small, sluggish rivulets. the water for the second he was getting into pike issued for WMUs G, H1, Large black fly populations of New Hampshire’s two, fishing and asked where H2-North, H2-South, I1, indicate clean, healthy annual Free Fishing Days he should go? My first an- I2, J1, J2 or K. The majorstreams since most species on June 5th. You can fish swer was the Connecticut ity of the permits will be for will not tolerate organic any fresh or salt water River from Moore Dam in North/Central areas with pollution”. So, there’s the body in the state without Littleton all the way down just five being issued in the irony. If the black flies are a license on that day. And to Hinsdale. When the southern units of L and M. abundant then the streams this applies to residents and river water is cool, hit the Unfortunately, I live in one setbacks. When they start of the units where permits to warm up, move to main will not be issued. That’ll part of the river. Ideally, just make scouting a tad you’re looking for 50-de- more problematic if I’m gree water. There are a few chosen. But still, a good ponds where pike are found problem to have.

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or fishing that is inaccurate or just plain wrong. Case in point, I was looking online for something and typed “Lake Francis NH Fishing” into the search engine. The first entry that appeared said, “Lake Francis is a reservoir located just 11.8 miles from Colebrook, in Coos County, in the state of New Hampshire, United States, near Pittsburg, NH. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including lake trout, rainbow trout, coho salmon, brown trout, chinook salmon, pickerel and brook trout.

First of all, Lake Francis isn’t “near Pittsburg”, it’s in Pittsburg. And no, there are no coho or chinook salmon in Lake Francis, period. Never were. The furthest north the chinooks ever got in New Hampshire was Lake Sunapee where they were stocked from 1904 into the mid-1930s, according to Jack Noon in his book “Fishing in New Hampshire - A History”.

There’s some good fishing to be had on Lake Francis as well as above it and below it. Just no cohos or sockeyes. Huh? Something on the internet that’s not true. Who knew? My work here is done.

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June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 49

Growing Up Wild

On the wall of my Being poor never reoffice is an old Bristol ally bothered me or my Company flyrod. (I’m an siblings because we never old Bristol but not related thought we were poor. to the company) One very Our friends and classmates similar to that was the first never looked down on us manufactured fishing rod I and quite the opposite, they ever owned, and that was looked to us for fish, game a hand-me-down from an and street smarts. If only older brother. Growing up the modern world could the youngest of a family of 17 brothers and sisters, none of us had proper fishing gear.

It was that element of growing up poor and wild, I believe, that made me the outdoorsman My outdoor lifestyle and the and conservationist I am opportunities I found by meeting other like minded individuals today.

An old- allowed me to make a mark on the outdoor world. er brother would purchase a reel of take notice of these types fishing line and a tin of of relationships.

As one might imaghooks and we would cut down maple or willow ine, the family food supply saplings and create our was supplemented with own fishing rods. Once a fish, deer, partridge, rabfish was hooked we hauled bits, squirrel and plenty of it in hand over hand first wild edibles such as danby pulling in the line and delion greens, fiddleheads swinging the catch over dry and more. As the baby of land. Simple but effective. the family, I seldom got to

handle guns until my teenage years, but I did walk at the heels of my older brothers as they chased deer and other game and I played the role of a retriever, so to speak.

The family owned one J.C. Higgins (Sears) 12 gauge shotgun, an old military 45-70, a .22 single shot and a model 94 Winchester 30-30. In those days customers could walk into a sport shop and pur-

South Of the Kennebec

by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME

for food and they are always on the alert for danger from above. Staying low and approaching from downstream I could see fish moving about in the pools.

By flipping over wet rocks along the stream, finding tiny earthworms I would be offering fish

tracks, deer trails, food sources and bedding areas.

I graduated through the ranks of firearms, first taking squirrel and partridge then moved up to the 12 gauge with which I shot my first deer, a small 4-pointer.

The rest of my outdoor experiences funneled me

Being poor never really bothered me or my siblings because we never thought we were poor. Our friends and classmates never looked down on us and quite the opposite, they looked to us for fish, game and street smarts.

chase single rounds of ammunition. Needless to say very few rounds were squandered without bringing home the game.

Another important lesson my family and I learned, growing up dependent upon all things wild, was patience. My wife says that I have no patience around the house, but put me in a deer blind, turkey stand or alongside a fishing stream and I could pass for a store window mannequin.

I learned early in my fishing days to walk up a stream and not down.

Fish are always looking upstream into the current

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what they naturally find in the stream. It was always worth tossing a couple worms into the plunge pool and keeping on eye on the bait as it swirled down into the current and was eagerly snapped up by a hungry trout. It was back then I learned to present baits naturally with no weight on the line and to follow the bait with my rod tip waiting for the bite to happen.

Fly rodders who dead drift a nymph know exactly why this is important.

When the fall hunting season came around my older brothers would point out different animal

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Renewal

toward mentoring others and becoming a conservation activist.

At 17 I was the President of the second largest rod and gun club in Vermont and a delegate to the Vermont Federation of Sportsmans clubs. At age 19 I met a man from Michigan while fishing the famed Battenkill River. He talked me out of five dollars to join his newly founded Trout Unlimited.

Ten years later, after a stint as a Vermont Game Warden, I joined another fledgling group, the National Wild Turkey Federation (Wild cont. pg 69)

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Page 50

Vermont Ramblings

by Dennis Jensen, Vermont It is nothing short of amazing, really, when you think about how often people, even those who live in the country, can have so many misconceptions about wildlife.

It speaks volumes about how some people will repeat stuff about animals that, well, simply isn’t

traffic. And I know that if you observe a flock of turkeys and can drive up, fairly close, sometimes it seems that they have little or no fear of humans.

But the fact is, just try to approach any wild turkey in the woods. It is a totally different story.

These birds have great vi-

It always leaves me shaking my head when I hear someone tell me, “Turkeys are really dumb animals.”

true. Take, for example, the wild turkey. It always leaves me shaking my head when I hear someone tell me, “Turkeys are really dumb animals.”

I’ve heard this far too many times and I suspect it is because of how turkeys can behave among humans. I have seen, for instance, a flock of turkeys feeding right off the side of an interstate, with vehicles speeding by at 70 mph.

They seem unfazed by the

sion but it is movement, more than anything else, that is the dead giveaway for the turkey hunter.

Let me take you back one day, many years ago, early in the Vermont spring turkey season. I was seated against a thick oak tree, calling to a bird, just above me, on a rocky ridge. He flew down, just after daylight, to a series of soft, sweet yelps and landed about 80 yards away. He took a few steps closer. I

June 2021

Crazy Myths of the Wild

froze. I thought I didn’t make a move. But that bird saw something, some movement, and was gone in a heartbeat. What the heck? I didn’t move, did I? Of course I did.

So please, please. Do not-ever-try to tell me how dumb a wild turkey can be.

That is simply a myth.

So, now that things are slowly getting back to normal, I thought it might be time to have a few friends over for a barbecue. But then I learn that the missus doesn’t “like” venison.

Well, that is understandable if she does not like good beef. But if she is a steak lady, something happened in her past. Someone served her venison that was either overcooked or was not prepared correctly.

After butchering my deer, I generally package a dozen or so venison London broils, place them over the grill and slowly cook the meat. This is the prime cut. Despite my efforts, the outside turns to near darkness, but I am careful

to check the insides and, just as the meat is about half-cooked, I really pay attention. Served with potatoes and vegetables, almost everyone I have prepared this dish for has savored the meat. So, if you don’t like venison, it just might be that, whoever prepared and cooked the meat had no idea what he or she was doing.

Moving on, I always get a kick out of people who take their deer hunting to a new, unbelievable level.

There was one young man, who sent a text to one of my sons, and he told of his adventures one morning in the November deer woods. He was ambling along, with a ground covered in snow, when he noticed a group of deer feeding on acorns. The deer were collecting the acorns, so he said, on top of the snow. He stopped and spoke to the deer. They were unafraid. The deer simply stood, very close, and seemed to enjoy his

company. First of all, there are no acorns on top of snow in late November.

And second, the day I stop to talk to deer is the day I decide to seek serious help.

The young man is a nice young man but we should all be aware of the real nature of things before we try to send along a story that is so far out there as to be unbelievable.

There is enough magic and true learning, in the world of wild turkeys, good venison and deer hunting.

My experiences have been nothing short of enlightening. The world of nature is full of suspense and surprises. We should all be careful when we report what we see and hear out there. Our friends who do not hunt must hear the truth about what we do when we go afield. We owe that to them and to ourselves.

Dennis Jensen is the outdoor editor of the Rutland Herald and the Barre Times Argus and a freelance writer.

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June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Lake Trout Spawning in Lake Champlain

There is good news regarding Lake Champlain lake trout. Natural reproduction of lake trout in Lake Champlain has increased to the point that a reduction in stocking can occur. The Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Cooperative made up of fisheries personnel from Vermont Fish and Wildlife, New York Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the recommendation.

The plan is to reduce stocking of lake trout by 33 percent or some 27,060 fish to prevent overstocking.

Stocking levels for landlocked Atlantic salmon, brown trout and steelhead will remain the same.

Covid Vaccinations: Return of Near Normal?

Everyone over age 16 who wanted Covid shots should have had them by the time you read this. That means we will be able to do more than we have over the past 14 months, but will still need to be vigilant and prudent.

No more will we have to travel to our fishing spots in separate vehicles as my friends and I have had our shots, the two-week wait is long past. We can even stop for a meal or adult beverage on the way home.

The pandemic and the resulting restrictions have had a major impact on so much of what we enjoyed and took for granted. Now I hope we can get back to some semblance of normal although it will likely be a new normal.

I am in hopes that most of the lodges and out-

fitters will be operating as June is a good time to book a fishing vacation.

If you have not received your vaccination, don’t wait any longer. If you don’t get it to protect yourself, get it to protect your friends and loved ones and to help make it safe for our businesses to get back to full operation.

Conte NFWR Seeks Public Comment on Draft Plan for VT And NH Lands Hunting and fishing are traditional uses of the National Wildlife Refuge System that many of us have enjoyed long before

the lands in Vermont and New Hampshire became part of the Silvio O. Conte NFWR. The Nulhegan Basin Division located in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom totals 26,602 acres. The other parcel is the 285 acre

Page 51

Outdoors In Vermont

by Gary W. Moore, Bradford, VT

the 9,917 acres located in the Granite State The refuge is now seeking public review and comment on its proposed hunting and fishing plan. The public is invited to review the draft New

at https://www.fws.gov/ refuge/SilvioOConte.

Across the country, National Wildlife Refuges work closely with state agencies, tribes, and private partners to expand recreational hunting and

The plan is to reduce stocking of lake trout by 33 percent or some 27,060 fish to prevent overstocking.

Putney Mountain Unit located in Windham County.

New Hampshire has five units of which the 6,471 acre Pondicherry Division located in Jefferson, Whitefield and Carroll, is by far the largest part of

Hampshire and Vermont Hunting and Fishing Plan, Compatibility Determinations and Environmental Assessment.

The draft document is available online at the refuge’s official website

fishing access. Hunting and fishing provide opportunities for individuals, families and communities, to enjoy the outdoors, support conservation efforts, and participate in a popular (Trout cont. pg 68)

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Page 52

Green Mountain Report

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Guide and Fly Caster

cy test with several other guides and experts. At one point the company sent us both to their headquarters

was solidified as one of the most talented fishermen I have ever heard of or met.

We were among about 100 other flyfishing experts – guides, industry reps and corporate R&D. We were set up in a large indoor

in Maine for a weekend of testing all manner of flyfishing gear. This was where my opinion of Mark

arena at Bowdoin College, with a running track (it was mid-winter mind you) and we were testing some

by Bradley Carleton, Charlotte, VT It’s June. Trout Time!

We’re fishing the Upper Connecticut River right at the Canadian border with a great friend who just happens to be one of the top flyfishing guides in the Green Mountain State, Mark Wilde, of Uncle Jammers Guide Service. When I was working for LL Bean as their Director of the Outdoor Discovery School in Burlington, I hired Mark after a significant proficien-

June 2021

straight-off-the-designingtable rods. They had placed dinner-plate-size saucers at various distances to see how well the rods cast at that distance. I was struggling with an ultra-fast

compared to the single fly, due to the added weight of the nymph. The rod action is funky at best. Mark is standing on my left, downstream, and I swear, almost every cast he is hooking up.

bonefish 10 weight and standing beside Mark as I saw him do what I thought was impossible. Time after time he would lay that tiny piece of yarn on that plate about 80-100 yards out.

Later I would learn that he was not only proficient in local New England waters for trout but spent a good deal of his time mid-winter fishing the flats off of Andros Island in the Bahamas.

So, here we are, fishing this deep pool with the perfect triple riffle set that makes it nearly impossible to cast across, and I am trying to double mend my line to accommodate the variable current speeds.

To top it off we are both throwing caddis flies with droppers, which requires a slightly modified cast

I am using the same flies; similar rod and I cannot catch a darn thing. I am not really into competition when I am flyfishing, but this guy is catching a combination of rainbows, browns and brookies – ten at a time, back-to-back, when he finally says, “step down here, below the riffle, Bradley, and cast just below the second current.” I do, and wham! First fish of the day and a nice rainbow to boot! I’m telling you; I have been flyfishing since I was eight years old and I have never met anyone that was as humble and talented as my friend, Mark Wilde.

I know this sounds like an infomercial for Uncle Jammers Guide Service, but sometimes you just gotta’ (Caster cont. pg 53)

I was struggling with an ultra-fast bonefish 10 weight and standing beside Mark as I saw him do what I thought was impossible. Time after time he would lay that tiny piece of yarn on that plate about 80-100 yards out.

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June 2021

Caster

(Cont. from pg 52) call out the best because they’re too doggone humble to do it themselves. The next time you plan a trip to Vermont, or if you’re lucky enough to already live here, you have got to check this guy out! His website is www.unclejammers.com This year I have been invited to Captain the Point Bay Marina, 24-hour weigh station for the Lake Champlain International Fishing Derby here in my hometown of Charlotte. I will be camping there from midnight Saturday, June 19 through Monday June 21 with lots of port prizes, t-shirts and hats and a festive atmosphere. Once again this year, the major fishing event of the year is sponsored by Yamaha with loads of prizes – both money and equipment. You can fish from boat or shore for the following eligible species: Bowfin, Brown Trout, Carp, Catfish, Lake Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Sheepshead, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, and Yellow Perch. Here are just a few of the prizes available: $10,000 Lake Record Reward - Set a new Lake Champlain record for one of the eligible species and win $10,000. Tournament Record Double Downs: Break an LCI Father ’s Day Derby presented by Yamaha record and double your first-place cash. Species Include: WIZN Big Bad Bass, WOKO Big Station Salmon, Lakeshore Ace Lake Trout, VT Field Sports Northern Pike, Shelburne Camping Bowfin, Ray’s Seafood Market & Restaurant Sheepshead, RK Miles Catfish, Shaw’s Supermarkets Walleye.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 53

Even if you don’t haul in a “Derby Dog”, please come visit me and tell me your best story. After all its Father’s Day Weekend and it’s all about the lake and family fun! And, yes, I will “leave the light on” for you if you are a walleye or bowfin fisherman and need to check something in the middle of the night.

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

Ed Bouchard and his wife Carole from Eastbrook enjoy reading the Journal poolside in Florida.

Page 54

Fishing

(Cont. from pg 47) to watch British soldiers crossing over the tops of lichen-covered boulders or marvel at horsetail reeds whose ancestors date back to an age when dinosaurs dominated the landscape.

Time for the silence that can be found only in the deep forest to wash over your senses.

Nobody Stacks Up Like...

GAUDETTE’S

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Along the banks of these forgotten waters can be found a progression of flowers as delicate as a mayfly’s wings. Between moist cobble, coltsfoot will be the first to appear while farther back, along the forest floor, trout lilies and wood anemones may be the next to bloom. In shade cast by conifers, trilliums will flower. As the season progresses, barberry and honeysuckle, wild rose and autumn clematis add their perfume to the air. Bluets, violets, and dandelions bloom along the sides of the trail, with columbine springing from rock crevices and colonies of Mayapples spreading under the hardwood trees. During the summer months, Indian

paintbrush, daises, fleabane, and black-eyed Susans add a bit of gaiety to the fields, followed in fall by goldenrod and purple asters. Blueberries, red caps, and raspberries are available for a free snack.

Then there are the animals found along the edges of little streams—the river otter, grooming its fur on a flat boulder, a mink slinking along the bank, a newly born fawn holding still for fear of discovery, a mouse seated on a stone, tiny paws grooming its coat after a summer shower, or perhaps an enormous sow, her eyes as deep as the stream’s deepest pool, watching as her three cubs tumble over the trunk of a fallen tree.

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Or the birds, some seen, most heard. Phoebes making their nest under a little stone bridge or chickadees raising a brood in the decaying trunk of a dead tree. The redstart, or perhaps a pair of cedar waxwings catching insects on the wing. The wood thrush whose trills are the last sounds heard as darkness falls upon the surrounding forest.

Fish found in smaller water live a Spartan existence. Most freestone streams in this region of the country do not contain the rich aquatic life found in more fertile rivers and it is rarely necessary to “match the hatch.” In western Maine, the roughand-tumble current is not conducive to thoughtful examination, and so a fish that fails to grab a passing meal is a fish that will not last long. For these reasons, you can leave those heavy waders and bulky vest back at the cabin. A pair of hippers and a waist pack with a single box of flies will be sufficient.

More often than not, I’ll knot a gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear to the 5x tippet of a seven-and-a-halffoot leader. This traditional

June 2021

fixed-wing, wet-fly pattern imitates anything from a drowned insect, caddis pupa or emerging mayfly.

Cast upstream, it will float long enough to capture the interest of those fish looking toward the surface while downstream it may be taken on a dead drift or if given a slight twitch, trigger a trout’s predatory instinct. I’ve spent many summer evenings casting the same little wet fly until all that remained was a single strand of thread.

While fishing upstream, I might choose a pheasant-tail dry fly that uses a parachute wing to remain flush with the surface.

This pattern imitates most any dark-colored mayfly.

It floats well and its white post is easy to spot.

Over the years, my small-stream kit has been reduced to these two patterns in various sizes, with a few elk-hair caddis and black ants included during the summer months.

Henry David Thoreau wrote that many of us fish all of our lives without knowing it is not fish we are after. Who knows? You may just find what you’re looking for on a small stream.

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June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 55

Buy or Breed

You’ve decided you want, or need, a puppy.

Perhaps your current string isn’t really a string…it’s one dog. And, you know you need at least one more dog. Especially, if you’re

or a NAVHDÅ training day. Ask different people for advice. Then watch the potential sire perform in the field if possible.

Does the dog have a good search pattern? Run close

Whether you breed or buy, love your puppy and treat it with kindness. It will return the love many times over. a long-distance hunter. If you’ve traveled hundreds of miles and then your dog becomes injured, you’re in trouble. A second dog is really important. If you have an intact female in your kennel, you may be debating whether to breed or buy to get that second dog. In the past five years, my wife and I have twice been faced with this decision. Here are the pros and cons of both.

Breeding: If you have a female and you’re very happy with her performance in the field and training biddability, why not find her a high quality mate? The question of whether the male or female has the most influence in a breeding has been debated for decades. Why gamble…find the best sire possible to breed with your female. You may already know of such a dog so your search will not be that difficult.

If you need to find one, go to a AKC Hunt Test

or runs big? Looks good on point? Steady at least to the flush? Obedient to recall? If you’ve found the right boyfriend for your girl, then plan the breeding.

If the female’s heat cycle permits a January or February breeding, that is the ideal time. With a two month gestation period, you’ll have an early spring litter. Keeping the litter together for a minimum of eight weeks means your puppy buyers will have all summer to get their puppy prepared for hunting season.

Let’s back up a bit. If you haven’t ever had a litter of puppies, there is a great deal of preparation. Both the sire and bitch need prebreeding testing according to their breed; heart, eyes, elbows and hips are usually a minimum. You’ll need a whelping box. That can be bought on-line. We used a Dura Welp. Either my wife or I sleep next to the whelping box the first week after the litter has been born.

Plus, you need to have

On Point

by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. potential puppy buyers had to complete.

Is the whole family on-board with getting a new puppy? Are the buyers financially capable of the puppy’s medical care, will the puppy get daily exercise? Will the puppy be left alone all day? And many more…however, you

ners in the field? Is their range what you are looking for? Do they have good manners? A good looking point? Steady to the flush?

Good recall?

Does the breeder have a good reputation? Ask for references. Is the breeder’s kennel clean and in good order? Are they keeping

If the female’s heat cycle permits a January or February breeding, that is the ideal time. With a two month gestation period, you’ll have an early spring litter. the time to handle the puppies at least once a day but more is better. If you decide to breed, I highly recommend you buy a DVD set titled Puppy Culture. It covers the first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life.

At about the six week mark, you’ve probably identified the puppy you want to keep. Then comes the long procedure of selling the puppies you won’t be keeping. The sporting breeds are in great demand these days so finding buyers won’t be the problem.

Finding quality buyers is an issue. When we had litters, we had an application

get the idea. There will be many difficult decisions to make.

However, in the end, you’ll have a beautiful puppy to love and begin training. Good times ahead!

Buying: When buying a puppy, you’re buying genetics. The better the genetics, the more promising the puppy. Unless you’re familiar with very good breeders with a very good hunting bloodline, buying good genetics takes research. Much like finding a sire, as described above, you’ll want to see the parents in action. Do they demonstrate good man-

the puppies to at least eight weeks of age? Never accept a puppy under eight weeks.

In fact, in many states, it’s illegal to break up a litter under eight weeks.

Whether you breed or buy, love your puppy and treat it with kindness. It will return the love many times over.

P a u l F u l l e r, a n d Susan, his wife, are the co-hosts of Bird Dogs Afield TV. Past episodes of Bird Dogs Afield may be seen on their website. www.birddogsafield.com.

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Page 56

Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

DelVisco’s Spring-System of 3

Best Bassin’

by Bill Decoteau, Hampden, MA Professional Bass Angler Mike DelVisco’s wrapped Phoenix/Mercury bass boat and tow vehicle is not only one of the bestlooking combinations on and off the water. It is also the only wrapped rig I know of that will entice a mouthwatering appetite.

DelVisco is sponsored by Texas Roadhouse, where the sizzling aroma of steaks and ribs are always a top choice!

“Spring fishing in the northeast during May is

for all three stages of the spring; Pre-spawn, Spawn and Post Spawn! “It’s imperative to concentrate on areas of transition such as deep tapering points with hard cover bottoms where rocks, boulders and gravel all hold heat. However, the key factor is sudden water depth change from deep to shallow such as 15 to 5-foot contours. These areas allow for both vertical and horizontal staging movement, especially when water temperatures

Arashi Cover Pop (www. rapala.com/rapala/lures) “My swimbaits, Neko rig and weightless 5” Senko are all rigged on

“It’s imperative to concentrate on areas of transition such as deep tapering points with hard cover bottoms where rocks, boulders and gravel all hold heat.” dependent on the weather. If temperatures rise throughout the month, you just might find bass in all three stages of the spawn; Pre-Spawn, Spawn and Post-Spawn,” states DelVisco. The B.A.S.S. and MLF Big-5 touring Pro has devised a ‘System of 3’ that has served him well for these transitional periods.

Incorporating simplicity together with readiness the Mercury Pro Angler keeps his Phoenix bass boat deck neat and stocked

range from high the 50s to low 60s.”

DelVisco’s ‘System of 3’ during this period include Rapala’s deep or shallow Ripstop Jerkbaits, Storm Largo Shad Houdini or Albino Shad colored Swimbaits impelled on VMC Hybrid Swimbait Jigs, a Neko rigged or weightless 5” Senko with VMC Crossover Rings.

“Two additional baits I keep rigged on the deck include a topwater Rapala Skitter Walk and Storm

a Duckett Fishing ‘Black Ice’ 7’2” Medium casting rods paired with 7.5:1 gear ratio Duckett Paradigm CWx reels spooled with 12-14 lb. Suffix Advance fluorocarbon line.” Spooling his Duckett Fishing Paradigm CWx 100 gear ratio 7.5:1 casting reels with 14 lb. Suffix Elite monofilament line saddled on Duckett Fishing Micro Magic 7’ medium rods, DelVisco ties on his Rapala Ripstop Jerkbait, Arashi Popper and Skitter Walk

baits. “This now allows me to be prepared for any situation I encounter as I start my search in deeper water and work shallower towards spawning flats.”

Note: Mike DelVisco will either increase or decrease his Suffix Elite monofilament line as conditions dictate.

When it comes to color choices DelVisco is adamant to what colors he chooses! “I’m a firm believer in going with natural color-tones and I only carry five or six different colors” Mike’s 5” Senko colors are Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Purple #31, Green Pumpkin Copper #330, Junebug and always Black. “I want my hard baits to resemble the forage be it bluegills,

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crappie, shad, smelt or alewife’s,” insists DelVisco.

A few Pro-tips DelVisco shared are sure to increase your catch ratio!

“I always like to search the shoreline within areas I’m fishing for rocky and gravel areas, floating docks with black floatation, downed trees especially where the tops are completely submerged.

Including any change from scattered rocks to ledges, or where the length of docks change from longer to shorter. More often than not this can indicate a major contour change or old creek channel.”

When fishing his 5” wacky rigged Senko Pro Angler Mike DelVisco doesn’t fish Slow! “I uti(System cont. pg 59)

June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Striped Skunks

Trapping skunks can be unappealing to some trappers but if a little caution is taken this member of the weasel family can earn a trapper a few extra dollars.

Skunks are found throughout most of the United States and are very common in New England.

it spraying. There are two reasons for this, the first doesn’t need explanation as most of us have had the displeasure of smelling their very offensive odor.

The second is for monetary purposes. I’ve seen an ounce of skunk “essence” bring upwards of $30 during good years.

are cage trapping and have a euthanasia chamber set up to employ this method so the syringe becomes much more common as a dispatch method.

It may seem intimidating to dispatch a skunk with a syringe attached to the end of a painter’s pole but it is effective. As long as you move slow and don’t alarm the animal all will go well. YouTube has many videos demonstrat-

Page 57

The Fur Shed

by Blake Dougherty, Suffield, CT lure and bait makers will buy it. Prices vary based on supply and demand but I reached out to my friend Jeff Dunlap at Dunlap Lures in Alpena, MI to see what the going rate is.

At the time of this writing skunk essence is selling for about $15 an ounce. Bear

as well. Skunks aren’t a lot of work to put up and are sought after by the craft market. At the time of this writing nice big skunks long white stripes were bringing upward $8-10.

Not bad money for a critter that is fairly easy to put up.

If you were to even get a $6

It may seem intimidating to dispatch a skunk with a syringe attached to the end of a painter’s pole but it is effective. As long as you move slow and don’t alarm the animal all will go well.

For trappers, skunks can be a good money maker.

They aren’t often aggresWhile a bodygrip trap sive unless threatened and dispatches a skunk when can easily be taken in a caught, common methods variety of traps. The best of dispatch for live skunks habitat is rather open coun- include acetone administry. Farmland with a mix of tered by syringe, CO2 or field, brush and woodlands gunshot. Gunshot would be is ideal habitat but it seems the least desirable method you can find skunks almost as there is a high percentanywhere. Any fishy bait or age chance of spray. In my lure will do. experience its 60/40 odds Cage traps, bodygrip- of spraying with a lung pers or footholds are all shot, and darn near guaraneffective. What becomes teed with a head shot. Betmore important is the dis- ter options are the syringe patch method. The trick is method or CO2. CO2 is to dispatch a skunk without really only an option if you

ing how to dispatch skunks with a syringe successfully.

Once you have yourself a dead skunk you can begin the essence extraction process. Again, like with all things skunk, this may seem like a daunting task the first time. If you take your time you will be fine. YouTube videos or a mentor will be helpful the first time you draw essence from a skunk. The more you do it the more confident you will become.

You can store your essence in a 4 ounce glass bottle and continue to add to it throughout the season.

When it comes to selling essence many trapping

in mind prices change as demand increases or decreases. Jeff recommends shipping your skunk essence in well packaged glass bottles as the volatile essence can erode plastic.

So now you have an ounce or two of essence that just made you $15 to $30. Maybe you have 5 nicely put up skunk hides

average per pelt you made $30 for the pelts and let’s say $22.50 for 1½ ounces of essence. That’s $52.50 gross for 5 skunks. Not bad money in this market.

Skunks have prime fur November through January so there is plenty of opportunity to catch these little money makers!

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 58

The Singing Maine Guide

by Randy Spencer, Grand Lake Stream, ME Two houses down from my childhood home, on the same side of the street, lived Ray Horan.

He was probably in his fifties when I was five or six years old. Outside of my own family, he was the first “old” person I knew. Fiftysomething is old when you’re five.

Other than odd-jobbing around the property, Ray’s chief preoccupation was baseball. He went off to a job every weekday, like all the other dads on the street, but he never talked about that. Instead, it was Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra.

Ray knew stats. Who held batting titles, careerstolen bases, slugging averages—just about everything, or so it seemed to me. At home, watching TV and seeing some of the players he talked about, it empowered me to know

something about them. I could surprise my father or brothers by repeating a Mickey Mantle stat, such as his leading both leagues in all-time World Series home runs. They looked at me as if I’d just spoken a complete sentence in Slo-

The Gifts of Geezers

with his fist, and then hold it up as a target. “Step back,” he might say if he thought I was too close.

“You can do it.” After a while, we’d switch gloves and he’d pitch to me.

I also played catch at home with my father and brothers, but it wasn’t the same. Ray spoke to me differently than my father did. I couldn’t have said so at the time, but since this

Another manifestation of this gravitational pull toward older people has been that whenever I’ve moved from one place to another during my life, one of the first things I’ve always done is search out the local geezers. vakian. How in the world could I know something like that?

Most times when I sauntered over there, Ray would step into his garage to get two gloves hanging on hooks over his work bench. One was a regular fielding glove, the other a catcher’s mitt, the first one I ever saw. In his small back yard, he’d crouch with the mitt, give it a few smacks

June 2021

“old” person wasn’t my father, or uncle, or grandfather, and yet we still hung out together, he must’ve been my friend. It felt good to have a friend fifty years older than me saying, “You can do it.”

Another manifestation of this gravitational pull toward older people has been that whenever I’ve moved from one place to another during my life, one of the first things I’ve always done is search out the local geezers. Even

though Webster says this is a disparaging term, I use it affectionately. I can usually find them geezering at the general store, at a coffee shop or garage, or maybe at the local breakfast haunt. In no time at all, I’m geezering right along with them.

Today, I try to be Ray Horan for my younger sports. At the same time, I always want to plumb the depths of my elders.

These folks carry pearls of wisdom formed by the grit and friction of adversity.

They may not have the Grail on speed dial, but they’ve had time to distill a lot more living than I have. What’s more, there’s nothing they like better than new blood and a good listener. That’s me. I learn vital stuff from them, like “If you go down to the old Inman place (it’s just a cellar hole now) and take a left on the dirt road beside it, you’ll cross a stream on a wood bridge. If you walk around the first bend downstream of that bridge, there’s a corker of a pool.

Haven’t fished it myself in years, but it used to hold trout, and dandies, too.”

Or, “You want to be at

the foot of Mariaville Falls on the first of May. You can either canoe down to it and pull out right above the falls, or walk in about a half mile from the macadam. You’ll see an old, rusted gate. That marks the trail. Pay no attention to the ‘No Trespassing’ sign.

Whoever put it there is long dead. At the falls, you want to fish the dark water just below the six foot drop.”

That was the late Bob Ryan of Holden, Maine, one of those old-timers who’d crammed three lifetimes worth of fishing and hunting into seventy-nine years.

The season’s under way and once again, more than the fishing, the jokes, the banter and fun, it’s the season of listening. I tell all new and upcoming guides who are interested, to get this skill down, and you’ll have full guiding seasons for a long time to come.

That, and pay attention to the geezers.

Randy Spencer is a working guide and author.

Reach him at randy31@ earthlink.net or via www. randyspencer.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

Ethics

(Cont. from pg 37) stands with your name address and phone number.

The two most common injuries that occur while bow hunting are falls from tree stands and cuts from broad heads or knives. Always wear a safety harness and the use of a climbing rope is highly recommended. I have several friends who fell from tree stands or while climbing up or down. Two were paralyzed from the neck down one is still confined to a wheel chair. Avoid homemade wooden stands or the use of tree limbs for steps, they will break when unexpected.

The scars on my fingers are poignant reminders of mishaps with cutting implements. The knife cuts occurred while field dressing moose, bear and deer in the field when lighting was poor or when didn’t have help with the chore. Learning from my mistakes, I now always wear field dressing gloves and have a first aid kit in my pack or pickup. The worst cut I received was many years ago in a tree in Pennsylvania. With a buck already tagged, I was hanging in an oak tree with a turkey decoy under me hoping some of the many turkeys would walk by. I heard some coming and without using a broad head wrench tried to loosen my Muzzy with gloved hands to tie on a string tracker. I gave a twist and felt the razor blade slice to the bone of my left thumb.

Blood gushed and I tried to stymie the flow while the turkeys came closer. When a Jake stepped out by the decoy, I drew and felt the blood spew further. I’m sure my release

was affected and the turkey ducked the arrow. Now I was worried about loss of blood but with direct pressure got it to stop. I cinched up my tree harness in case I got light headed but didn’t want to leave in the last 45 minutes of shooting light. Just before dark a big doe presented a broadside shot and I zipped an arrow through her lungs, causing both the deer and myself to bleed profusely. My buddy had to gut the deer for me and then off to the Emergency Room for stitches and a tetanus shot. Now I always carry a broad head wrench and small first aid kit in the field with me.

tor at Large of the Maine Bowhunters Association.

He was awarded the Maine Bowhunter of the Year Award in 2005 and 2008.

He taught Bowhunter Safety and ethics for many years and at Youth Conservation Camps. He is also a Life Member of the NRA and member of SAM. He can be reached at bowhunter@ mgemaine.com

Page 59

If a bass doesn’t inhale my Senko on the initial fall, I just reel in fast and make another cast to cover as much water as possible.”

DelVisco recommends under windy conditions to go with a Neko rig in 1/16, 1/8 or 3/16 oz. to keep your bait on target. “Never underestimate docks! Bass will suspend under docks after the spawn, making the outer corners and supports prime targets to aim at, watch your line for the (Cont. from pg 56) slightest movement...This lize VMC #1or #1/0 Neko is when a bass just inhaled hook with VMC Crossover your bait on the fall.”

Ring which keeps the hook out of the bait. This is an excellent tool for cruising bass or when targeting Brian Smith is a Life specific cover such as isoMember and 1 st Direc- lated wood or vegetation.

System

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 60

Muzzleloading Afield

June 2021

Sunday Hunting Overdue

by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME

Well, it’s being tried again, folks. In case you haven’t read about it in the local paper or heard on the evening news, there’s another bill before the legislature to allow Sunday hunting here in Maine. It’s about the thirtieth attempt in about as many years. As hunters well know no Sunday hunting initiatives in the past have passed muster. Maine remains one of just two states in the country (Massachusetts being the other) that has a total ban on hunting on the Sabbath.

As of this writing no

cial interest groups who again spoke against the bill including your very own Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife! But I see a slim ray of possibility things could change this time around.

The reason is this bill is different than those tried in the past.

As I understand it, in layman’s terms, LD 1033 as proposed by state Senator Jeff Timberlake of Turner would specifically and only allow private property owners to hunt their own land on Sunday and to give written permission to

Legislative attempts to open Sunday hunting in Maine have been repeatedly defeated. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds) in Maine and this seems a My guess is there is Let’s have a little trust fair and equitable way to go a fear if Sunday hunting is here! By and large Maine about it. Property owners allowed in any way or form hunters obey and respect could hunt if they wanted more land will be posted, the hunting regulations. to and grant permission to as has been threatened in I have little doubt they relatives and friends and the past. But this bill ad- would abide by whatever property owners who don’t dresses that concern and Sunday hunting regs that want hunters on their land it’s time decision makers may come down if the on Sunday can say no. stop being held hostage by measure by some miracle I can understand why interest groups and give were to pass. the IF&W and some inter- property owners the right I think a bigger and As I understand it, in layman’s terms, LD 1033 as proposed to hunt and make decisions perhaps unsaid concern by state Senator Jeff Timberlake of Turner would specifically on their own land! It’s my is the bill stipulates writbelief that if a landowner ten permission would be and only allow private property owners to hunt their own denies Sunday access hunt- needed to hunt on Sunday. land on Sunday and to give written permission to others. ers would understand it, re- Maine’s implied permisfinal word has come down others. In other words, the ested groups are against spect it and look elsewhere. sion policy is a generous, concerning passage or re- entire state wouldn’t be even this idea. The majorI also found it interest- much cherished thing to jection. Something will opened to Sunday hunting. ity of hunters hunt on land ing, almost comical, that have in this day and age. likely happen before you According to Senator Tim- that is not theirs. Maine the wildlife department is The Department has been read this so what being said berlake the premise here land is about 94-percent against this bill because and is working diligently here may be old news, so is quite simple. The bill privately owned and falls wardens would be “bur- through its Outdoors Partstay tuned and don’t get recognizes that individu- under an implied permis- dened” to enforce it. Well, ners Program to maintain your hopes too high. Con- als should have the right sion structure. If land isn’t that’s their job. Sunday and enhance this great gift sidering the controversial to hunt their own property specifically posted it is hunting as written in this and perhaps certain interest nature of the issue my gut on Sunday and the right to open to access, including bill would only add a few groups and the powers that tells me the bill will again grant permission to others. hunting. That boils down days during the hunting make the ultimate decidie in committee like all I wholeheartedly agree. Al- to more than 10-million season. To be honest I think sions in Augusta don’t want the rest. That doubt is also lowing Sunday hunt in this acres of prime farmland there’s little need to give to step over that “written” supported by several spe- state is long, long overdue and forestlands are open to great worry about a hunter threshold or jeopardize it.

At any rate, we’ll have HENDERSON’S HUNTING CAMPS hunt and otherwise access. stepping over a boundary. to wait and see what hapSpring Black Bear Hunts pens, if it hasn’t already. in New Brunswick Family owned and run, home cooked meals, nice clean well kept cabins with hot showers, a main lodge for meals and sharing Hunter’s Stories, high success rate.

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

Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

Page 61

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

The Tyer’s Corner

by Hugh Kelly, Detroit, ME

The Tellico Nymph

This month’s fly originated in the southeastern US and has been changed quite a bit to the version I’m showing you here; this is the one that seems to work in Maine. I use it as a searching pattern in both moving and still water and I tie it in several colors.

Recipe for Tellico Nymph Hook – Standard wet fly hook, 10-16 Thread – Black Tail – Brown hackle fibers Body – Yellow floss Rib – One strand of peacock herl Shellback – Peacock herl or Ringneck pheasant tail fibers Hackle – Brown

I use a wet fly hook because it sinks faster and I like the shorter body on this fly. The tail can be fibers from a guinea hen or fibers from a brown hackle feather. Tie in the tail and 5 peacock herl by the tips. This will look a lot better when you pull them forward and the herl “fuzz” is now pointed back. One of these will be the rib and the others will be the shellback.

You can use floss for the body but I prefer Uni-Stretch. You can buy that at a lot of fly shops but if you can’t find it, floss has worked for years. I use yellow a lot but also like orange bodies on this fly. Build up a tapered body and wrap a rib using one of the herl. You only need 4-5 winds of peacock herl for the rib.

The shellback was originally Ring Neck Pheasant tail fibers but by the time the fly got to Maine, peacock herl was commonly used and if you tie much up here, you learn fast how effective peacock herl is. Use whichever material you prefer. Pull the shellback material over the ribbed body and tie off. I use three wraps of a brown hackle feather and call it good.

This is a pattern that has evolved and changed. Choose your favorite color for the body and try different materials for the shellback. Try orange at the covered bridge in Dover-Foxcroft.

Hugh Kelly has fly fished and tied his own flies for over 40 years. He and his family live in Detroit where he ties flies, drinks Moxie and plans fishing trips. He can be reached at hkellymaine@gmail.com and he writes a fly tying blog at puckerbrushflies.com At long last, revived from the archives of the once-authoritative books on New England streamer flies and how to use them: Trolling Flies for Trout & Salmon, by Dick Stewart and Bob Leeman.

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

“This wonderful fishing book is the gospel when it comes to streamer flies and trolling tactics. A Classic!

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- V. Paul Reynolds, Editor, Northwoods Sporting Journal

Send a check for $2 .95 SRVWDJH along with this ad, to: Bob Leeman, 22 Alan-A-Dale Rd., Brewer, ME 04412. (Price covers shipping and handling).

Maine Outdoor Publications

June 2021

Wanderer (Cont. from pg 13) and I to Woods and Waters many times and penned numerous columns on our work to restore eagles to Maine skies. Bud, sensing that we were uncomfortable in the confines of the contrived “camp” studio, filmed future sessions outdoors on the shores of the Penobscot River. As my graduate studies advanced, Bud couldn’t wait to learn about our success at restoring the eagle population.

Funding was sparse for the Eagle Project.

Towards the end of my schooling, somehow Bud got word that I could not afford to present my research at Bald Eagle Days, a national gathering of eagle biologists from all over North America. An envelope arrived on my desk with a round trip ticket to Florida where the conference would be held, compliments of Bud Leavitt.

He went on to follow my career with the Maine caribou reintroduction project and travelled to Newfoundland in 1986 to file a story and see his old friends from the national media.

Many knew Bud before that adventure, and if they didn’t, they sure knew him by the time they headed home from St. Johns! The Newfoundland trip was one of his last hurrahs rubbing elbows with national

DID YOU KNOW!

June 20th is Father's Day, the first day of summer and the longest day of the year.

Northwoods Sporting Journal media. Bud retired from the Bangor Daily shortly after in 1988, but continued a weekly column until the year he died in 1994.

On Saturday nights at 6:00 p.m., eating “snappers,” beans, and biscuits and watching Bud Leavitt’s Woods and Waters was a Maine tradition. For those of you who don’t know, Bud was a newspaperman and executive sports editor of the Bangor Daily News.

He was the persona of Maine outdoors. He filled a room with his boisterous presence and with stories from Maine. “He was to outdoor journalism what Norman Rockwell was to art,” Bangor Daily sports columnist Larry Mahoney

said. Outdoor artist, columnist, and BDN successor Tom Hennessey said in a tribute, “He was as prominent as a pine standing among poplars.”

Perhaps with a mince of envy, some thought of Bud as an egotistic, gruff, old curmudgeon. But for those who really knew him when Bud’s claws were relaxed, he was as soft as a lynx paw. He hosted one of the first national outdoor shows (1953-1973) The Bud Leavitt Show and fished shoulder-to-shoulder with baseball personalities Ted Williams and Red Smith. He penned over 13,000 columns for the Bangor Daily News to the New York Times. Maine

Page 63

Public Television resurrected Bud’s television persona in 1978 with Woods and Waters. The beloved show was a favorite in Maine homes and was broadcast nationally.

Oh, may I go a-wandering, Until the day I die!

Oh may I always laugh and sing, Beneath God’s clear blue sky!

Val-de-ri--Val-de-

ra…

Mark McCollough writes from Bud Leavitt’s home town of Hampden, Maine. Bud said, “There’s more beauty in my backyard than there is in the whole province of Labrador.” Mark welcomes your reminisces of Bud Leavitt at markmccollough25@ gmail.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 64

News

(Cont. from pg 14) counted.

2. Catch and release only. No exceptions!

3. Anglers are to fish the Penobscot River only.

From Winn dam down to the Old Town dam. You can use anything that floats (float tube, kayak, canoe, drift boat or jet boat) or go it on foot. You choose!

4. The 5 BIGGEST fish wins! All fish must be properly photographed to count. Each of your 5 fish measurements will be added up and the fisher with the largest number wins. In case of a tie, we will look at the time your last fish entry was photographed, the one that was photographed earliest wins the tie breaker.

5. Anglers must photograph their fish on the tournament issued ruler.

You must clearly show the entire fish from mouth to tail and fly must be seen in fishes mouth as well. Any fish not properly docu-

mented will not count.

6. Anglers are only allowed two flies. If you lose one then you only have one fly to fish with. If you lose both, you are done. You can still fish, but the fish won’t count. Only the fish caught and photographed prior to losing the flies count.

7. All anglers must check back in by 5 p.m. on tournament day!

Weather/ Cancellations: The tournament will go on rain or shine.

However, we do reserve the right to cancel or postpone the tournament due to hazardous weather such as extreme high winds or lightning.

Registration: There is a $50 per person registration fee. Registration fees are non refundable and must be received by July 1, 2021. Each angler will receive one of our tournament t-shirts and ruler.

Lodging: There are cabins with a total of 12 beds available and endless tenting space. The first 12 registrants who specify

staying in a cabin get a bed. **THERE WILL BE A PLOT TWIST… It will be revealed on Friday as part of the overall rule review. Be ready for ANYTHING and remember, this is all for fun!

Prizes: Scott Fly Rod: 6 weight Merdian HMH Vise Trout Net by Nate Bacon Echo Badass Glass 6 weight fly rod Small Just encase Box Gift certificates to Oxbow Brewing 12WT apparel Join us for a fun filled weekend of fishing and friendly competition! We hope to make this a memorable event you’ll want to come back for year after year. Let the tradition start now. Registration link below.

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June 2021

Warden Clukey Named Warden of the Year

According to the Maine Warden Service, veteran Game Warden Brock Clukey of Andover has been selected as the 2020 recipient of the Maine Game Warden Of The Year Award. His award reads in part: Brock is a 24-year veteran of the service who patrols the Andover District. Warden Clukey started his career with the Maine Warden Service as a summer whitewater Deputy Game Warden and then hired as a full-time game warden in 1997. After he finished his field training under former major Greg Sanborn, he transferred to the Andover district where he still resides after nearly 25 years.

Warden Clukey is a valued member of the greater Andover community where he has gained the trust of the people he has sworn to serve, which has been vital to his success as a warden. He is successful at balancing the multiple responsibilities of his career, including catching intentional violators, man-

Game Warden Brock Clukey aging his warden specialty team assignments, working with other agencies, and spending plenty of quality time with his wife Jane, and their two daughters Emma and Paisley.

Throughout his 24 years of service, Brock maintains the same level of passion and enthusiasm for protecting our valuable outdoor resources that he had when he first started.

He is self-motivated and possesses a strong work ethic. His extremely positive can-do attitude carries over into all he does. He is dedicated to the mission, vision and values that our agency promotes; and absolutely enjoys his work and the opportunity to protect our natural resources and serve Maine’s growing sporting community.

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June 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Can I Re-canvas a Canoe?

Decades ago, my husband built a 15-foot wood and canvas canoe. It saw a lot of use. It was the go-to size we often took for short trips in the Moosehead area. Today, it needs a new canvas. There’s no getting around it anymore. The question is: do I get someone else to do it or do I do it myself?

When the snow was about gone this spring, I pulled the tarp off of it and took a good look. As a stop-gap, we had duck taped the edges near the gunwale where the canvas had pulled loose, and painted over it. That was intended to be a quick fix, just to get through the season. Famous last words.

It didn’t look great, but it held for quite a number of years. Not even duck tape is forever!

The patch job had turned old and brittle and the canvas has curled away from the frame. I could set up the garage, but this would be a completely new project for me. I’d be going in blind. Because of time, it might be better to be the apprentice, and learn by the side of someone who’s done it. On the other hand,

I work full time so time is very limited. If I do it myself, I can do it here at home, in my own time.

Without yet another commitment, of travel, of being away, of money. So, I’m tempted to try it myself. It

another, and another. It became a sort of hobby.

Over time, he became proficient at it. My 15-footer is not junk. It just needs a new canvas. Roger had never built a canoe either.

And then he did. I like this

Riverman

from you as the reader regarding anything and everything from laws and rules to general questions and will compile these questions into a “Q&A” of sorts that I will answer in my next article. Feel free to send these to me at kale. oleary@maine.gov.

CROSSWORD ANSWERS FROM PG 23

(Cont. from pg 44) Faye O’Leary-Hafford and husband Lee Hafford had played cribbage many years before.

The Allagash Wilderness Waterway is an incredible gem in northern Maine and I encourage anyone who has never experienced it to make this the summer to do so.

For my next article I am hoping to get questions

won’t do any harm.

A number of men friends have done just that.

Many years ago, one kept finding old, junk wooden boats that had long been abandoned in the woods near some remote pond.

They were full of holes and useless, so on a lark, he decided to try his hand at rebuilding one. Then

The patch job had turned old and brittle and the canvas has curled away from the frame. I could set up the garage, but this would be a completely new project for me.

“Kale O’Leary has been a Maine Game Warden since 2016 and covers the Oxbow District in central Aroostook County.”

Kineo Currents

by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME

mentality. I’ll have a good sense of accomplishment having done it myself. And of having revived ours.

There are still a couple of men around here who know how to build canoes. The old-timers who used to build a limited number, based on a White or a Templeton or some other form, are gone. They also started building for their own pleasure, just to know how, then they became known for their craft, and people began asking to buy one. It was quite a going concern for a while. But then the orders and money and schedules got in the way of the pleasure. Forms were eventually sold. It

Across: 1 Chimney, 5 Bug, 6 Mud, 7 Rail, 9 Onawa, 10 Crow, 11 Sorbus, 12 Hole, 14 Presumpscot.

Down: 2 Indian River, 3 Narraguagus, 4 York, 5 Bait, 8 Pewee, 10 Cohosh, 11 Snipe,

Page 65

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! (SEE PAGE 49)

13 Loon.

Greenville

could be, too, that it’s just a young man’s lark.

Two men who are well known for their craft are Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow, both of Atkinson, Maine. Check out each of their websites. Years ago, they wrote a book “The Wood and Canvas Canoe, A Complete Guide to its History, Construction, Restoration, and Maintenance.” I may take mine down there. Or I may pull their book from our shelf and use it to help me.

Suzanne AuClair lives near Rockwood. She has been writing about the Moosehead Lake region for 26 years and produced “The Origins, Formation & History of Maine’s Inland Fisheries Division.”

She is an award-winning member of the New England Outdoor Writers Assn.

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Page 66

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Trail Rider

June 2021

ATV Festival Update!

tival has been canceled for the second year in a row. Although the festival

by Rod Fraser, is cancelled, you can still Hyde Park, MA ride in the Jericho State disappointing, I understand Park, the largest ATV park the decisions to take these in New England. Informaprecautions to keep people tion about this park can be safe and slow the spread found at www.NHstateof COVID. With vaccina- parks.org or for area infortions on the rise and infec- mation visit www.andro-

Additionally, the Ultimate ATV Event hosted by the Star City ATV Club in Presque Isle, Maine is also canceled. You can still ride in the area, so contact This year, we may the club at www.starcityall have to get together atvclub.com/ for updated with friends and family information and guidance. and design our own ATV But all is not lost my fun-filled weekends and ATV riding friends. All family ATV Festivals. The of the trail networks are But all is not lost my ATV riding friends. All of the open, so we can still get out every weekend and enjoy trail networks are open, so we can still get out every this great sport with our weekend and enjoy this great sport with our groups of groups of friends and famfriends and family riders. ily riders. Hopefully, this Annual ATV festivals that tion numbers going down scogginvalleychamber.com will be the last time I will we normally look forward I hope this will be a safe This is definitely an ATV have to report that COVID to attending in the North- summer for all. friendly community so put has caused widespread The largest ATV fes- Jericho park on your list of event cancellations in the east will be canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions tival in New England, the places to visit and ride if Northeast. again this year. Although Annual Jericho ATV Fes- you have not done so!

If you want to take

a road trip, there are a lot of events that are moving forward, mostly in the midwest and south. Of these, the closest to us would be the Rock Run Summer Blast which will be held August 12 - 15th at the Rock Run Recreation Area in Patton, Pennsylvania.

Rock run is nestled in the Allegheny Mountains with a range of different trail difficulties. Additionally, they are holding the “Rally at the Rock” 2021 – Sept.

24, 25, 26. At rock run, they have 140 miles of trails You can find out more information on the web at www.rockrunrecreation. com. I spoke to the folk at (Update cont. pg 67)

NWSJ 2021 Quick Deer Hunter Survey

As explained in a column this month by V. Paul Reynolds, Maine wildlife biologists’ chief doe management tool - the issuance of anydeer (doe) permits to control doe population numbers in southern and coastal Maine– has been less precise because of more hunters apparently holding out for a buck and not using their doe permits. Augusta wildlife officials and policymakers are hoping to develop some solutions to this problem at the legislative level. To this end, we are conducting this informal, unscientific deer hunter survey in hopes of generating some insight into deer hunter behavior and decision making.

Those hunters wishing to participate may answer this survey and mail a copy to: Hunter Survey, % Northwoods Sporting Journal, PO Box 195, W. Enfield, ME 04493. E-mail responses should be sent to the editor, V. Paul Reynolds: vpaulr@tds.net.

1. How many years have you been deer hunting in Maine? ___________ 2. Do you apply each year for an Any-Deer (doe) Permit?__________ 3. If you draw a doe permit, do you still hold out for a buck?______If so, how long__________?

4. If deer numbers are down after a tough winter, are you more likely to use your doe permit early in the season?___________ 5. Do you consider yourself a meat hunter or trophy hunter?______________ 6. Do you believe that the any-deer permit lottery is the most effective way to manage deer numbers?______ 7. If you answered “no” to the above question, what do you think would be a better system?

8. When you apply for an any-deer permit, do you fill out the other second and third choices for hunting zones?

9. Would you continue to hunt in Maine if you were required to tag a doe before legally hunting a buck?

10. Why do you hunt?

11. Optional questions: A) What is your, name, address, telephone, email address and date of birth?

B) Would you be willing to be contacted by the Northwoods Sporting Journal for additional information about your hunting practices and views?

Northwoods Sporting Journal

June 2021

Update

(Cont. from pg 66) Rock run and they said that these events will be held this year, so if this interests you, check them out.

If traveling to Virginia is an adventure option, then you may want to check out the UTV Takeover, scheduled for July 28 - Aug 1st in Grundy, Virginia. They boast that this is the largest ATV Community event on the East Coast. You can learn more about this event at www.utv takeover.com In addition to these events, there are ATV events still scheduled to proceed in Utah, South Dakota, Idaho and other states.

Enjoy your rides!

Ride safe, ride right!

Rod Fraser is an avid outdoorsman and twentyyear Navy veteran. Originally from Maine and liv-

ing in Rhode Island, Rod has written extensively about snowmobiling. visit his website at www.roderickfraser.com

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Lost

(Cont. from pg 45) And because the MCA isn’t a formal organization, with no treasury, formal board or slate of officers they are using the Worcester County League of Sportsmen’s Clubs to hold their donations in a dedicated account and any donations should be made to the Worcester County League and mailed to; Worcester County league of Sportsmen, P.O. Box 766, West Boylston, MA 01583 David Willette is the author of the book, “Coyote Wars”. He can be contacted at coyote wars@ gmail.com MAINE

Page 67

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 68

Trout

and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of (Cont. from pg 51) the American people.

American tradition.

The comment period The mission of the will stay open through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife end of the “2021–2022 Service is working with Station-Specific others to conserve, protect Hunting and Sport Fishing

Regulations” comment period, to be announced in the Federal Register. The end of the comment period will be 60 days after the rule publishes, which is anticipated to be mid-June.

I encourage all who recreate on the lands to

June 2021

read the draft plan and comment. When you comment, note Silvio O. Conte NFWR Hunt/Fish Plan in the subject line of an email addressed to HuntFishRuleComments@fws.gov Syndicated columnist

Gary W. Moore is a lifelong resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game. He may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.

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T5R7 WELS- Views of Mt. Katahdin from the shore, this new & beautiful cabin has 247’ of waterfront on Lower Shin Pond.

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M a t t a w a m ke a g On the river’s edge, Mattawamkeag River, view across is something to see.

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June 2021

Wild

(Cont. from pg 49) and spent the rest of my life traveling and mentoring other turkey hunters, visiting dozens of rod and gun clubs and raising funds for turkey management. My activism spread into state legislatures where I helped bring about acceptance of compound bows and helped write laws for state wild turkey seasons. Then, of course there came my hundreds of magazine and newspaper columns, books and television shows.

Coming back to my original point, my outdoor lifestyle and the opportunities I found by meeting other like minded individuals allowed me to make a mark on the outdoor world.

I encourage all my readers to bring youngsters out to

Northwoods Sporting Journal the woods and water often and impress upon them how fragile these resources are.

We are losing far too many potential conservation advocates to the cell phones, tablets and video games, not to mention their indoctrination by liberal teachers and professors. Every day your child spends in the wild pays the insurance policy toward having hunting fishing and other outdoor recreation opportunities in the future.

Growing up wild is something I cherish and something to be admired by all those who enjoy outdoor recreation of any sort.

Stu Bristol is Hall of Fame wild turkey hunter, Master Maine Guide (Orion Guide Service) and Outdoor writer. His books,

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Page 69

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 70 SELLERS LANE

June 2021 SELLERS LANE

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