Northwoods Sporting Journal, March 2021

Tom Fiction’s Sharp Shooting Skills Help Border Patrol March 2021

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- Stu Bristol

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March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Talking With Turkeys

After nearly five decades of chasing wild turkeys and killing more than my share, it’s a simple task to lay out the important steps to becoming a successful turkey hunter.

If turkey hunting were a three-legged stool, the first leg would be to learn as much as possible about the

whole basketful of other subtle tricks of the trade.

As a custom game call maker, I field dozens of questions each year on my website and on social media. One of the questions that keep showing up; “I’m a beginner, what type of call should I buy?” For the beginner and even what Game Calls I would deem an intermediI’m not sure if I was ate level hunter, I suggest

myself as a “turkeyholic.”

Nearly half a century later, with six turkey hunting books and hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles under my belt, I joined my mentors in the National Wild Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame.

A wise old southern turkey hunter once told me I would begin to learn about wild turkeys the first day out and it would take the rest of my life to try and learn the rest. life, especially the sex life of wild turkeys. Where do they live, how they mate, what they eat, where they travel, what their enemies are and how they interact with other members of the flock.

The second leg would be hunting tactics. A wise old southern turkey hunter once told me I would begin to learn about wild turkeys the first day out and it would take the rest of my life to try and learn the rest.

The third leg and by far the most important, I believe is to learn turkey vocalizations. That is, learn to talk turkey and to talk “with” turkeys.

On my first hunt with legend, Ben Lee of Alabama, we were sitting in the dark waiting for the first gobble of the day. He said, in his great southern accent, “Y’all will either get addicted to turkey hunting or y’all will take up golf or tennis.” It didn’t take long before I began tagging

Page 3

South Of the Kennebec

by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME For the first few years hunters need only to gain a basic understanding of the mating habits of wild turkeys and learn how to imitate simple vocalizations. Male turkeys leave the confines of a flock and travel mostly alone, roosting within earshot of several roosted hens. At dusk and again at daybreak the gobbler sounds off just before flying down for the day. He fully expects all hens ready for breeding to

come and join him. Hunters need to get between the gobbler and his harem and mimic the mating calls of the hen that is playing hard to get. This causes the gobbler to come to the hunter.

That’s oversimplification as the next few dozen yards become the most difficult. The hunter must then offer other vocalizations such as the feeding purr, simple clucks and excited cutting. Too often (Turkeys cont. pg 21)

The author with a handsome gobbler. the first person ever to equate hunting and fishing to play acting but I am certainly the most vocal in the past several decades.

The many references in my hundreds of articles columns and books attest to my assurance that play acting is critical in all forms of hunting and fishing. Think about it, folks!

When it comes to enticing a wild turkey gobbler to gun range, what do you do? The hunter will play on the gobbler’s sex drive or mating instincts. The hunter mimics the mating calls of a hen turkey, especially one that is playing “hard to get.”

It doesn’t end there.

The most successful hunters must include the many play acting roles that deal with the entire hunting theater. This will oftentimes include playing the role of an owl, cow, young hen, old hen, scratching leaves to simulate feeding, and a

a box call and a slate or slate over glass pot style turkey call. I purposely shy away from recommending mouth diaphragms due to the choking hazard and bacteria. You will have plenty of time to experiment with other calling devices.

Cost and manufacturer are not critically important at this stage. I suggest not paying more than $40 for each call, a box and a slate pot call. The expensive calls are generally marketed for calling contests and those with years of experience. I’m approaching half a century of turkey calling and I have never entered nor do I judge calling contests. I hunt with my own calls that I build either on a lathe or drilled and chiseled out of single blocks of wood. My calling is judged by real turkeys, and, of course, I keep killing the judges.

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On The Cover

Tom Fiction’s Sharp Shooting Skills Help Border Patrol - Pg 6 Turkey Time Tips! - Pg 3 Alantic Salmon Heydays - Pg 42 New Archery Column - Pg 15 The 16-Gauge Resurgence - Pg 33 Legendary Maine Bucks - Pg 49 Camps, Cottages and Land for Sale - Pg 67

Contents

3. South Of The Kennebec - Stu Bristol 6. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram 9. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes 10. “A Hiker’s Life” - Carey Kish 12. Post-Script From Pocasset - Josh Reynolds 13. Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard 15. The Northwoods Bowhunter - Brian Smith 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. Warden’s Words - Kale O’Leary 23. The Tyer’s Corner - Hugh Kelly 24. Question Of The Month - Judy Camuso 25. Maine Outdoors Adventure - Rich Yvon 26. Ramblings From T8-R9 - Benjamin Rioux 28. Marsh Island Chronicles - Matthew Dunlap 30. Basics Of Survival - Joe Frazier 31. Cookin’ With New England’s WildCheff - Denny Corriveau 32. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood 33. Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective - Tom Kelly 34. On Point - Paul Fuller 36. View From The River - Laurie Chandler 38. The Back Shelf - John Ford 39. Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham 40. The Allagash - Matt LaRoche 42. “Just Fishing” - Bob Leeman 44. Native Fish Talk - Bob Mallard 46. Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill 48. New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James 49. Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds 50. Outdoors In Vermont - Gary Moore 51. Vermont Ramblings - Dennis Jensen 52. Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton 55. Fly Fishing - Joe Bertolaccini 56. The Fur Shed - Blake Dougherty 57. Against The Current - Bob Ramano 58. The Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer 59. Maine Tails - Jonah Paris 60. On The Prowl - Justin Merrill 62. Best Bassin’ - Bill Decoteau 64. The Trail Rider - Rod Fraser 65. Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair

Northwoods Sporting Journal The Sportin’ Journal

March 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 3 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.

Women In The Woods - Pg 46

by Erin Merrill

Outdoors In Vermont - Pg 50

By Gary Moore

Warden’s Words - Pg 22

By Kale O’Leary

Other Great Stories & Information

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

The Buck Hunter - Pg 32

By Hal Blood

Native Fish Talk - Pg 44

By Bob Mallard

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 6

The Adventures of Me and Joe

Old Tom

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

In front of the Emporium, me and Joe sat on the edge of the boardwalk and listened closely to one of Old tom Fiction’s tales.

School had just started a week earlier and we both welcomed any distraction from the drudgery of classroom work.

Old Tom was fat and old and always dressed in faded overalls and patched flannel shirts, even during the summer. On small, inward turning feet he wore down-at-heel, leather-topped pacs. When he wasn’t puttering around his old farmhouse on the outskirts of Mooseleuk, he sat in a rocking chair on the boardwalk, chewed tobacco, and told stories to anyone who’d listen.

“It were a long shot,” he said, eyes bulging. Old Tom always got completely immersed in his own stories. “Better’n 300 yard.

I leant aginst one o’ them fence posts on Abner’s back field an’ Abner, he says, ‘Ain’t no way yer gonna hit thet deer, Tom. I cain’t hardly even see it!” “ We l l , I t o u c h e r ‘er off an’ that buck, he dropped so quick Abmer

says, ‘Where’d he go?’, an’ I says, ‘He’s deader’n a post’, an Abner, he says, ‘I got ta see it.’ So we headed down acrost that field, an’ it were a long way, let me tell yer.”

“And was the deer dead?” Joe asked.

Old Tom scowled.

“Course he was dead! I shot at ‘im, didn’t I? I told yers about me bein’ a sniper on the Great War, didn’t I?” I nodded, but noted in an uncertain voice, “But my uncle said the army didn’t have any snipers in the First World War.” O l d To m n o d d e d agreeably. “Weren’t many of us. Snipin’ was kinda looked down on afore the war. But then, when our officers started droppin’ like flies, we fount out that them Germings, they had a whole bunch of ‘um.

So they come arount an’ picked a few of us what could shoot real good an’ they picked out some extra ac’rut rifles for us, an’ put us to work. Made some fearsome shots, I did, afore it were all over.”

I glanced at Joe and he shook his head slightly.

“Anyways, where was

March 2021

“I don’t think you’ll be needing that rifle,” Warden Brody said as the old man climbed into the front seat.

“Likely not,” Old Tom agreed.

“But I’d hate to need it an’ not have it.”

I?” Old Tom looked puzzled for a moment and then his rheumy eyes cleared.

“Oh, yeah, thet buck! Me an’ Abner got down the field, an’ there lay that 8-pointer, deader’n free lunch.”

“Abner, he looks at thet buck an’ he says, “Thet’s a real good shot, Tom. Hit ‘im right in the left ear.’ Well, I jist shook

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.

my head, sad like. ‘Must o’ turned his head,’ I said. “’What?’ Abner says.

“Well,’ I says, ‘He musta turned…I aimed ‘tween his eyes.’”

Joe coughed. I stood up and dusted off the seat of my pants. “Well, Old Tom, uh, we’ve got to be heading on home to supper.” “ S a y ! ” O l d To m leaned ahead in the rocker. “I ever tell you boys the story about the corn shuckin’?”

“Uh…yeah…believe you have,” Joe said, backing away. “Say, we’re havin’ fried deer meat tonight and I’m getting awfully hungry. See yer, Old Tom.” We hu r r ie d a w ay down the boardwalk, leaving Old Tom staring uncertainly after us.

I shook my head. “Old Tom’s a good storyteller, and I like hearing most of his tales. But if I hear that one about the corn shucking one more time, I’ll screech.”

“I know,” Joe said.

“My uncle says most of them lies he tells ain’t even true.”

“You really having deer meat tonight?”

“Naw. We’re havin’ meatloaf, but even that sounds better than hearin’ the corn shuckin’ story again.”

The next day, all the talk around town was about the jail break in Knowles Corner. Edwin Scamper, in the clink on a night hunting charge, had taken advantage of the fact that (Me & Joe cont. pg 7)

March 2021

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 6) a negligent deputy left the keys in his cell door. Scamper had slipped through and sauntered on out the back door. Borrowing a nearby sheriff’s cruiser, he’d driven to a local store and left the blue lights flashing while he went in and bought a six pack of beer, a side of bacon, a steel frying pan, and a coil of rope. Then he drove deep into the Allagash, leaving the car near the St. John River. Since Scamper had relatives in St. Pamphile, Quebec, it was thought he was headed for the border.

With nothing to do but homework on a Saturday afternoon, me and Joe went down to the Emporium to visit Old Tom. He was in his rocking chair, holding court with a couple of loafers, Mince Dawdle and Corbin Straggler. When he saw us coming, he dug into a pocket of his overalls and fished out a half dollar.

“Here, Joe. G’wan inside an fetch me a plug ‘er Jawbreaker. I’m fresh out.” He moved his rocker into a more comfortable position and carefully sat the battered coffee can he used for a spittoon nearby on the boardwalk.

Joe came back through the screen door of the Emporium and handed Old Tom the plug of dark colored chewing tobacco.

Old Tom carefully peeled back the waxed paper and bit off a healthy chew, taking the time to work it into the right spot on his cheek.

“Now, where was I?” he asked, sending a stream of tobacco juice into the can.

“You was tellin’ us about back when you was a guide,” Mince said. “I

Northwoods Sporting Journal didn’t even know you ever had a license. Where ‘bouts did you guide, anyway, Old Tom?” “Oh, all over,” Old Tom replied, waving a negligent hand in the general direction of the entire Allagash. “Most ever set of huntin’ camps, all o’ them outfitters, they all wanted Old Tom to guide for ‘um.

It was my trackin’, mostly,” he said modestly. “I could track a bug acrost a dry rock.”

Corbin snorted. “Kind o’ hard findin’ tracks on rock, ain’t it? ‘Specially bug tracks.”

Old Tom scowled. “I done it. Many’s the time.

Why, I recollect when Harold Doughboy, the cook at the Bradford Camps over on Munsungan, couldn’t figger out where his pie crusts was goin’. Ol’ Harold useter set his pies ter cool on a big rock outside the cookhouse. He’d go to collect um an’ they’d be little nibbles gone in the crust. Tol’ me he figgered it was field mice. ‘No, Harold,’ I said to ‘im. ‘It’s bugs.’ “’How you know that?’ Harold ast me. ‘Kin tell by the tracks,’ I said.

‘Tracks? What tracks?’ He says. “’Them bug tracks on that rock.’ Harold, he jist looked at me. I could tell he was doubtful, so I got right down on hands an’ knees.

I could spot the tracks better with the light at jist the right angle. I fullered them tracks acrost thet rock, an’ a piece of ledge, an’ then a couple more rocks. Led right to the base of a little rock maple saplin’. An’ in a little hole at the base of the tree was a few o’ the pie crust pieces, all a swarmin’ with bugs. Ol’ Harold, his eyes bugged right out.

Made my reputation right

there. Folks all over wanted me trackin’ for ‘um.”

Mince grinned.

“Didn’t figger there was that much call fer bug trackin’.” “ We r e n ’t a l l b u g trackin’!” Old Tom scowled again. He shook a sausagelike finger “Now, you jist listen up, Mince Dawdle.”

Right then a battered and dusty ’59 Ford sedan pulled up in front of the Emporium. The new young game warden, Pinch Brody, climbed out and walked over to the board walk. He nodded to the rest of us and looked piercingly at Old Tom. “Mr. Fiction,” he said.

“We’ve got a problem. According to Harold Doughboy, you might be able to help us with it.”

O l d To m s a t u p straighter, glanced with satisfaction at Mince and Corbin, and nodded at

Brody. “Folks call me Old Tom. What kin I do fer yer, warden?”

“The fugitive, Edwin Scamper, left the car he took just to the west of here. We think he’s headin’ for the border, but they’s so much ledge coming out of the ground in that area, we can’t pick up any tracks. It rained yesterday and the dogs don’t seem to be doin’ much good. Harold said you were the best tracker he ever saw. Would you be willin’ to come out and take a look?”

Old Tom preened visibly. He stood up and brushed off his overalls.

“Reckon I’ll do what I kin, warden. Jist take me by my place so I kin git some things.”

As they headed for the car, Joe piped up. “Say, Warden?”

Brody stopped and looked back.

Page 7 “Kin we go along?”

He looked at me and then back at the warden. “We can help, lugging and carrying any messages and things. We won’t be in the way.”

The warden seemed about to say no. Then he relented.

“Well, I can’t imagine Edwin being a danger to anyone. I guess you can come along, but you do what I tell you and stay well back.”

“Yessir,” we said in unison, and scrambled into the back of the car.

At Tom’s farmhouse we waited in the sedan while he went inside. He came back out minutes later with a small pack sack and carrying a rifle.

The gun appeared to be a military rifle of some sort, with wood al the way to the end of the barrel and a (Me & Joe cont. pg 11)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 8

March 2021

Ballot Box Biology

In Maine and in a number of Western states, ballot box biology continues unabated.

What is ballot box biology? Put simply, it is when well- intentioned but misguided animal rights activists use the democratic process to unilaterally impose wildlife management policies that rightfully should be left to professional wildlife biologists and policymakers.

Last fall the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service removed the gray wolf from Federal protection. Since listed for protection, the gray wolf has bounced back in surprising numbers. In Montana the wolf numbers are 500 percent above conservation recovery goals, ditto Idaho with a recovery rate 700 percent above federal target levels.

Ironically, Colorado voters by a razorthin margin passed Proposition 114, which forces state wildlife managers there to introduce gray wolves on the west side of the

Moose: The Tick Dilemma To the Editor: Reading my copy of the NWJ..and V. Paul Reynolds’article on the upcoming moose hunt.

With over 35 years of time at my Fish River Camps and having found several yearling moose, down and

Continental Divide. Interestingly enough, a significant gray wolf pack is already there, apparently having dispersed from neighboring states with big wolf numbers. The gray wolf, like its canine cousin in Maine, the coyote, is a notoriously tough and tenacious critter. No doubt the Colorado wolf numbers will increase naturally without reintroduction, and all the expense that that entails.

Recently, here in the Pine Tree State, there have been a number of petition proposals by animal rights activist John Glowa to ban coyote hunting and trapping. At a fall meeting of the Maine Fish and Wildlife Advisory Council, Glowa’s proposals were rejected by a unanimous vote of the Council. State wildlife officials testified against the coyote hunting ban proposals as well, arguing that neither recreational coyote hunting nor trapping has reduced coyote numbers to a point that causes concern for

out, covered with ticks, I can certainly appreciate the dilemma facing Lee Kanter and others as they manage the moose herd. Maybe I’ll get lucky a 4th time...but as a non resident I’m not very optimistic.

I think I read that you winter in Florida. I’m in Summerfield near the north wall of The Villages. Far

their sustainability.

Glowa, who is as tenacious as the wild canids he fights to “save,” is not going away. He will continue to argue and attempt to prove that Maine’s coyote, or brush wolf, possesses sufficient gray wolf DNA to warrant its protection from harvesting by man.

It would appear that the decision

by USFWS to delist the gray wolf “in the lower 48” renders Glowa’s argument moot, regardless of the given DNA mix of any Maine coyote.

But then you can never be sure; the law works in mysterious and unpredictable ways. In the past, successful lawsuits by well-healed animals rights organizations have managed to overturn USFWS delistings in Michigan and in some other states.

olds) are the typical antiscience, predator-hating, trophy hunting, anti-conservation bobblehead that the general public is growBen Brown ing tired of. You think those Summerfield, FL state F&G biologists use Baubles, Bangles and sound science to inform wildlife policy? You can’t Bobbleheads be that naive. They are lobbyists for the consumptive To the Editor: You (V. Paul Reyn- community masquerading Down Across 1. What someone might get if 2. Rifle catch setting they don’t use 2 Across 5. Brother in Piscataquis 2. Nelson’s --- sparrow, a Maine County marsh bird 7. Northern river ---, often 3. Do this, then 15 Across does trapped its stuff 8. --- Pond, Roxbury small4. Deep fish? mouth bass source 6. Wise one on the wing 10 --- River, in Franklin 7. Little --- River, flowing and Oxford counties, where through Lake Arrowhead you can pan for gold 9. Fish through this in winter 11. Every fisherman hopes for 11. Keep your catch in one one 12. Brook or brown, maybe 13. Drentse ---, or Drent 14. Dabbling duck, often hunted 15. Gets rid of spent ammo from the woods of Maine... but there is spirit and enjoying my Journal here!

(Crossword answers on pg 39)

- VPR

as biologists.

I fully support John Glowa’s work. People like yourself will become more and more irrelevant as the public learns the truth. Go away already! The world is growing tired of the likes of old, gun-hugging, animalkilling white men like you.

Joey Editor’s note: Seriously, Joey. How do you really feel? For what it is worth, Maine wildlife biologists – as in most states- manage our wildlife for both consumptive and non-consumptive users. If you would take the time to get informed by reading Maine’s game management plans for all of our species, you might do less shooting from the hip. When it comes to managing wildlife, hunters ARE the conservationists.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Birds, By Any Other Name

Once you use field guides to identify birds you discover that the names given to birds in their scientific and common forms derive from various cri-

teria. One is the usage of peoples’ names such as Cory’s shearwater and Cooper’s hawk.

Sometimes they are from a location such as Pacific loon, Louisiana heron, Iceland gull, chimney swift, spruce grouse. Physical appearances are common such as for swallowtailed kites, red-winged blackbirds, and red-tailed hawks. You won’t usually see colloquial names used in field guides. This can be really confusing.

My Maine relatives called cormorants “shags”

and woodcocks were “timberdoodles” and herons were “cranes”. I think some colloquialisms are more creative and fun. “Butcherbirds” are shrikes; “road trotters” are horned larks; “soup lips” are Northern shovelers; common mergansers are “woozers”, Northern flickers are “yarrups”.

When I was birding in Massachusetts, every week I would look in the newspaper The Boston Globe” for the Massachusetts Audubon lists of recent “Massachusetts Bird Sightings”. This enabled birders to find out where to go to find unusual species.

Sometimes whoever typed up the names on the lists made some really hilarious mistakes.

I could only imagine how perplexed an inexperienced birder would have been trying to find these species in a field guide. I will list some of these and I challenge my readers to try to figure out what these birds really are. The answers will be down below.

Keep in mind that there are many unintentional misuse

of names and spelling errors. Use a field guide and have fun and a good laugh!

In these pandemic times it is a good way to relax.

Examples are: thick thistle, larderhead shrike, wobbling vireo, morning warbler, short-haired owl, rough grouse, rutt, city shearwaters, whopper

Page 9

The Bird Perch

by Karen Holmes, Cooper, ME the return of some species of birds back to Maine. I will be looking for redtailed hawks, turkey vultures, red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, song and white throated

ruffed grouse, ruff, sooty shearwaters, whooper swans, lesser golden plovers, short-billed dowitchers, red-throated loon, mew gull, rose-breasted grosbeak, Northern goshawk,

My Maine relatives called cormorants “shags” and woodcocks were “timberdoodles” and herons were “cranes”. I think some colloquialisms are more creative and fun. swans, lesser golden flubbers, short-billed dowager, red-assorted loons, mule gull, rose-breasted grousebeak, Northern hawk, thick-billed mer, grants, pine ciskin, black-legged kiddiwicks, barrew’s goldeneye, Thomas snipe.

March always begins

sparrows, Eastern phoebes and others at my home in Cooper, DownEast Maine.

These birds for me always herald the welcome arrival of spring.

Answers: dickcissel, loggerhead shrike, warbling vireo, mourning warbler, short-eared owl,

thick-billed murre, brants, pine siskin, black-legged kittiwakes, Barrow’s goldeneye, Wilson snipe.

Karen Holmes is a retired teacher and now uses her free time to write and pursue all sorts of naturalist projects!

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 10

“A Hiker’s Life”

by Carey Kish, Mt. Desert Island, ME The Appalachian Trail enters Vermont atop a thickly wooded ridge at 2,300 feet. For the next 105 miles it coincides with the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance trail in the U.S. Completed in 1930, seven years prior to the AT, the Long Trail extends 273 miles from Massachusetts to Canada.

I enjoyed an extended period of near perfect weather as I trekked through the verdant forests that cloak the mountains of the 400,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest, much of which is designated wilderness.

At the shelter high on Glastenbury Mountain amid the fragrant spruce and fir, I reveled in the first cool night in months, snuggling deep in my down bag for a great night’s sleep.

The next day I topped out on 3,936-foot Stratton Mountain and climbed the firetower for one of the best panoramas on the trail. Benton MacKaye conceived the idea of the Appalachian Trail in 1921 while sitting in a tree on the summit admiring the same view.

At Stratton Pond and again at Little Rock Pond,

March 2021

Peaks of Vermont and New Hampshire

I escaped the late summer heat, and washed off the hiker sweat and dirt with a leisurely swim. Several other cold streams and rivers beckoned, but only for a quick dip.

The 4,100-foot top of Killington is reached via

At the shelter high on Glastenbury Mountain amid the fragrant spruce and fir, I reveled in the first cool night in months, snuggling deep in my down bag for a great night’s sleep.

a short side trail; the last time I’d been at that elevation was on The Priest in Virginia just before the Shenandoah some 750 miles south. Besides the fabulous view, I made the detour for a burger and fries at Killington Ski Resort’s Peak Lodge, true to form for a thru-hiker.

Just north of Route 4 at Sherburne Pass is Maine Junction, where the AT diverges from the Long Trail and heads 50 miles east to New Hampshire. Before

moving on I made another side trip, to MacGrath’s Irish Pub at the Inn at Long Trail, for hearty fare and a pint of Guinness. My trail name is Beerman, after all.

By the time northbound thru-hikers cross the Connecticut River into New Hampshire, they’ve done 80 percent of the miles but just 50 percent of the effort – so goes a favorite statistic bandied about among the trail community.

With 160 miles of big ups and downs in the White Mountains just ahead, followed by 280 miles of tough Maine mountain terrain, my rough math backed up the estimate.

To ease into this stretch, I slack-packed the first 50 miles of New Hampshire, carrying a light day pack, and getting vehicle support to and from

trailheads with the help of my wife and a friend. At Kinsman Notch, I again shouldered the full pack for the push over the high peaks of the White Mountain National Forest, which encompasses 750,000 acres I knocked off South and North Kinsman in a long day, then the Alpine heights of Franconia Ridge, enjoying incredible weather over Liberty, Little Haystack, Lincoln, Lafayette and Garfield. I traversed South Twin, Guyot and Zealand the following day, and by nightfall was camped alone at the old Ethan Pond Shelter on the edge of the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

The 25-mile length of the Presidential Range, and its rocky and exposed 4,000- to 6,000-foot heights poses a significant problem for thru-hikers, given that camping is prohibited above treeline.

Many opt for a long pull

between Nauman and Osgood campsites, or hope for work-for-stay at the Appalachian Mountain Club huts en route.

To be sure, I reserved a bunk with meals at Mizpah Spring and Madison Spring huts, and hoped for good weather. Lucky me, I hiked the 12 miles between the huts over 6,288-foot Mount Washington on a sunny and windless 70-degree day.

Beyond, I negotiated the Carter-Moriah Range in two days, with an overnight at Carter Notch Hut. Immediately north lay the rugged Mahoosucs and Maine. I am almost home.

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

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 7) leather sling.

“I don’t think you’ll be needing that rifle,” Warden Brody said as the old man climbed into the front seat.

“Likely not,” Old Tom agreed. “But I’d hate to need it an’ not have it.”

Brody seemed about to argue, but closed his mouth and put the car in gear. Joe leaned over the seat back. “What kinda rifle is that, Old Tom.” “That there’s the gun I carried in the Army,” Old Tom patted the worn stock with one hand. It’s a 1917 Enfield, .30-06. Most folks prefer the Springfield but more of us actually carried these rifles in the war. The Enfield’s got peep sights, better fer fine shootin’. An’ this one was picked fer it’s

ac’rucy.”

An hour later we rounded a corner of a logging road and saw ahead a sheriff’s cruiser parked to one side. Beyond it, a Border Patrol vehicle sat at the edge of the gravel with an officer standing in the middle of the road. He walked toward us, frowning slightly as we got out of the car.

He looked Old Tom up and down and noted the rifle. “So you’re the tracker?” he asked skeptically.

“Yep,” Old Tom replied. “Track a bug ‘crost a flat rock.”

“Well, there’s plenty of rock around here, and the fugitive is a lot bigger than a bug, so this should be easy for you.”

Old Tom frowned, but he waved a hand at the rest of us. “Preciate it if you fellers would stay back whilst I take a look.”

He got down on all fours and peered carefully this way and that, all around the abandoned cruiser. Ledge rock stretched away in all directions, with clumps of moss and small hardwoods scattered here and there.

Finally, he got to his feet.

“You fellers an’ dogs been clumpin’ around all over, ain’tcher?”

The Border Patrol officer shook his head.

“About what I thought.”

He turned to Brody. “I think what we should do is…”

“He went that way,” Old Tom interrupted, pointing to the northwest.

Slinging the rifle he set off across the ledge rock.

It took about an hour to reach the distant treeline, with Old Tom stopping to crawl about the rocky surface at regular intervals.

Finally he stopped.

“Here’s where he

Page 11

went in.” He pointed at clear boot tracks in the thick moss leading into the heavy growth of firs and spruce. The Border Patrol agent looked at him with grudging respect.

“Got to hand it to you, old timer, you’re the real deal.”

“I’ll take the lead for a while, Old Tom,” Brody said. “Give you a break.

The rest of you hang back a little and don’t walk on the tracks.” He set off into the woods.

The tracks were clear enough in the moss and leaves and we moved right along. Sometime later, Brody stopped on a slight rise and waited for us to catch up.

“I don’t like this,” he said thoughtfully, staring into the distance. “He’s not trying to hide his trail now, and right ahead of us is Lowery Deadwa-

ter. It stretches for miles right across the trail and it’s so mucky and marshy you can’t swim across it.

According to his family, Scamper can’t swim a stroke anyway.”

“Then we’ve got him,” the agent said.

“I don’t know… there’s a narrow spot in the Deadwater just ahead, where vertical ledges about 30 feet high come right to the water. An old singleman cable car used to go across from the top of one cliff to the other. The foresters used to use it. The cable is all rusted now and it wouldn’t be safe to use.

But I expect the big pulleys on both sides are still solid.”

The Border Patrol agent looked worried.

“And he brought a coil of rope. All he’d have to do is tie one end of the rope to (Me & Joe cont. pg 20)

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Sporting Journal Northwoods

March 2021

Post-Script Reflections on Outdoor Issues is that choosing zone and that’s where we are signs, it’s bad. We need From Pocasset “test” 4 to do this is risky because in much of northern and to police ourselves. If you

by Josh Reynolds, Wayne, ME

A busy winter took me away from writing for a couple of months, but it has also given me an opportunity to reflect on some of the pressing issues that face Maine’s outdoor sporting community.

Moose Ticks: You can read Hal Blood’s article this month for an in-depth discussion on this topic.

Safe to say that the theory is sound and the data is

zone 4 is one of the prime moose hunting zones in Maine. If the “test” backfires, it could put a prime location at risk. Perhaps this wouldn’t work where there are fewer moose, but it’s a thought.

Deer Hunting: “There are no more trees”.

This is a quote from a

western Maine that once provided THE premier trophy whitetail habitat in the northeast US. Will it ever come back? Not in my lifetime I’m afraid, the damage is done. Fortunately, there is a lot of better habitat in central and southwestern Maine where the deer are thriving, but,

are one of those guys who has a “target buck” on a game camera on a 20-acre piece of land and lose your marbles because someone else shoots “your deer”, I’m sorry for your loss.

But that deer likely has a range 20 times the size of your piece. Your chances of getting him over someone

clear. Winter ticks are killing off too many moose in many areas of Maine.

Moose biologist Lee Kantar’s plan to split zone 4 and dramatically increase the number of cow tags is a bold move with many detractors. Doing nothing gets us nowhere, and ex- The timber industry says that it all comes back. The trouble is, it doesn’t come back the same. Clear cut conifer forests perimentation based in science seems to make sense. come back as birch trees, swamp maples and a host of other The only logical push-back flora that provide neither food nor shelter for deer.

I’ve heard for Kantar’s hunter that I respect who hunting here presents its else are slim, understand that fact. has spent more time trudg- own set of challenges.

I’m usually a cuping big woods than most Land Use/Access: Inpeople I know. Deer need spite of IF&W’s best efforts half- full guy, but as you food and cover. Large with landowner relations, can read, in reflection, tracks of big woods have I see this problem getting my cup is half empty curbeen cut and cut again. The worse. The reasons are rently. It’s been a tough timber industry says that it myriad. Changing culture year. Hopefully, as COVID P.O. Box 500 Island Falls, ME 04747 207-463-2828 all comes back. The trouble of Maine residents, supply passes, some normalcy is, it doesn’t come back and demand pressure -too will return but we as outICE FISHING SUPPLIES the same. Clear cut conifer few accessible spots for door enthusiasts need to LIVE BAIT • AUGERS • TENTS forests come back as birch too many hunters. Hunters be the change we seek. I’m TIP-UPS • BOOTS & MORE trees, swamp maples and themselves – I’ve seen the preaching to myself here a host of other flora that worst of it as hunters com- in the hopes that it may Open Mon. - Wed. 7-6, COME provide neither food nor pete for places to hunt try- inspire others as well.

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March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

If Turkeys Could Smell

It won’t be long before the spring turkey season is upon us. Except for a handful of cold spells this past winter, it was generally mild with little snow in many areas. Here in southern Maine a major

but I’m willing to bet they came through winter in good shape. With an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 wild turkeys, hunters should have little trouble locating bearded birds and filling tags this spring.

certain. Considering their keen eyesight and hearing if turkeys also possessed the same olfactory blessings possessed by whitetail deer or even those of a dog they would definitely be even more challenging to

Page 13

Muzzleloading Afield

by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME

hunt.

The reason that turkeys can’t smell for that is a turkeys olfactory lobes, that part in the brain dedicated to detecting odors, is rather small and undeveloped. By comparison,

Considering their other defensive assets all I can say is I’m thankful turkeys can’t smell. If it were otherwise the 5,000- to 6,000 spring birds Mainers have been killing of late might be reduced to just five or

The keen defensive assets possessed by wild turkeys are well known to all who hunt them. As a prey species turkeys are blessed with almost supernatural eyesight and hearing in particular.

The author is thankful turkey can’t smell. Like most turkey hunters he is still learning to cope with a turkeys keep eyesight and hearing. snowstorm in December dropped up to a foot of snow, but it quickly disappeared following several weeks of above normal temperatures and rain.

Much of January and early February brought some snow flurries but for the most part the ground lay bare of snow. Here we are in March and I can still see open ground and spring officially arrives in three weeks.

Overall, it’s been an easy winter for wildlife, in particular for deer and turkey populations. I wouldn’t be surprised if a high number of any-deer permits are issued once again this year.

As for turkeys, I have no research to substantiate it

The keen defensive assets possessed by wild turkeys are well known to all who hunt them. As a prey species turkeys are blessed with almost supernatural eyesight and hearing in particular. Those assets alone have caught me off guard and frustrated me more times than I like to admit. I am also in awe how fast turkeys can run or take to the air with just a few swoops of the winds.

There is little about these birds that isn’t amazing.

There is a saying that goes something like, “If turkeys could smell you’d never kill one.” Perhaps you have heard it. I don’t know if that is absolutely accurate but one thing is

the olfactory lobe in a deer is much larger and the elongated nose is filled with a labyrinthine of nasal passages containing millions of receptors to detect orders. Dogs have some 220 million receptors in the nose and we humans about five million. A turkey has none of these biological assets.

six.

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

Al can be reached at alraychard@sacoriver.net

Page 14

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Outdoor News - March 2021 Island. The east boundary in a straight line between 2 red posts, one located just south of Porcupine Point on Sugar Island and the other on Laker Point near the mouth of Mathews Cove on a line running south of Two-Mile Island.

The rest of the Moosehead Lake fishing regulations remain the same as in 2020 and can be viewed in the 2021 fishing law book (PDF).

Fisheries and Warden Service personnel installed the red posts this fall to delineate the closed area.

The red posts are red 2×8 boards attached to trees at the following coordinates: Porcupine Pt (just a little south): 45.591333° -69.570114° Laker Pt: 45.588012° -69.541015° Lily Bay State Park: 45.564398° -69.569763° Sugar Island near Dollar Island: 45.572967° -69.586561° As I sat there, in my New Moosehead spot, replaying this scene Fishing Regs over and over I was overMoosehead Lake regcome with excitement. My ulation changes effective as friend came back and sat of January 1, 2021: with me for the last few All brook trout bemins before we hiked out. tween 18 and 22 inches must be released alive at New Hampshire once (this applies to ice Ice Fishing Spots fishing and open water Winter anglers in New fishing) No minimum length Hampshire had some trout limit on togue (this applies stocked especially for them to ice fishing and open wa- during 2020. The New Hampshire Fish and Game ter fishing) Additional area closed Department stocks trout to ice fishing: That portion during the fall to bolster the of Lily Bay Narrows with winter ice fishery, translata west border running in a ing into some exciting fishstraight line between 2 red ing action this winter.

Winter anglers chasposts, one located on the Lily Bay State Park bound- ing trout can find lists of ary and the other on Sugar waters that remain open Island to the west of Dollar to the taking of trout year Edited by V. Paul Reynolds March...ughhh. A long month, too, with four Mondays.

Oh well, the closer we get to the first day of spring the farther we get from 2020, right? And that’s a good thing. Wish we could tell you that spring was just around the corner, but you darn well know better. If it’s any solace the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a warmer than usual April and May. We’ll be smelting, picking fiddleheads, and scouting for turkey activity before you know it.. So....hang in there. Go to church. Tie some more flies. Check the fishing gear, again. Visit your nearest sporting goods outlet, especially the ones that advertise in this publication!

Look for moose sheds.

Visit a relative in Florida, or squeeze in that last ice fishing trip, where you can find safe ice.

round on the Fish and Game website: • For lakes and ponds, visit www.fishnh.com/fishing/trout-year-round.html • For rivers and streams, see www.fishnh.com/fishing/trout-streams.html • Rules for waterbodies with special regulations are listed in the NH Freshwater Fishing Digest, available from license agents or on the Fish and Game website at www.fishnh.com/fishing/publications.html The following is a list of New Hampshire lakes and ponds that were stocked with trout during the fall of 2020: Akers Pond in Errol, Cedar Pond in Milan, Big Diamond Pond in Stewartstown (opens January 1, 2021), Highland Lake in Andover, Martin Meadow Pond in Lancaster, Mascoma Lake in Enfield, Mirror Lake in Woodstock, Pearl Lake in Lisbon, Pleasant Lake in Deerfield, Webster Lake in Franklin, White Lake in Tamworth, Tewksbury Pond in Grafton, and Streeter Pond in Sugar Hill.

Please note that there are additional New Hampshire waterbodies open for yearround fishing besides those on this list.

“The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s hatcheries stock post-spawn brook and brown trout into selected waterbodies without a closed season before winter. These fish can range from 2 to 3 pounds each.

Numbers, dates, and stocking locations vary annually. I would encourage anglers of all skill levels to take advantage of this season’s stocked opportunities throughout New

away! Let’s hope we see thousands return again through the Milford lift in 2021.

Again many thanks and recognition for recent renewing Members Tom McKechnie, Gary Newton, George Gray, Paul Hansen, Craig Robbin, and William Grady! Member renewals, new Members, and some solid donations are securing the Club’s operational “The Granite State’s budget for 2021. Hard to rivers and streams open to believe in less than 2 years fishing on January 1, and the Club will be hosting a there are some quality fish 45th Anniversary Celebrato be caught in some of tion! the tailwater fisheries such as the Newfound River,” continued Smith. “When water levels are drawn down on larger lakes for the fall, prize-sized fish often drop down below dams creating opportunities for savvy winter anglers. This winter’s free fishing day is January 16, so why not try your luck through the ice Please be sure to this year.” take a little time over the To read or download next cold days to spend a the brochure “Safety on little time on your comIce—Tips for Anglers,” puter reading articles on visit www.wildnh.com/ the Veazie Salmon Club outdoor-recreation/icewebpage. We have some safety.html great stuff in the https:// Learn more about www.veaziesalmonclub. fisheries management in org/veazie-salmon-clubNew Hampshire, which is in-the-news/ and also be funded in part by the fedsure to check out https:// eral Sport Fish Restoration www.veaziesalmonclub.

Program, at www.fishnh. org/blog/ Real effort being com/fishing/fisheries-mgt. made to centralize informahtml tion and pertinent articles surrounding The Veazie Traveling Through Salmon Club, fellow lothe Milford Lift cal organizations, member feature articles, etc. for you Spring 2020 January 2021 is quick- to enjoy! ly heading into the rearThe letter posted from view mirror! How can this Senator King is also very beautiful Atlantic caught exciting so don’t miss it on camera in Milford last along with other entries season not take your breath (News cont. pg 41)

Hampshire when weather conditions are favorable and once the ice is safe,” said NH Fish and Game Inland Fisheries Division Chief Jason Smith.

March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Bow Hunter is Born

First, I want to thank V Paul Reynolds for asking me to write a column about my passion for bow hunting. I also love hunting with rifle, muzzle-loader, shotgun and handgun. But pursuing wily game with stick and string requires a challenge with more practice and skill. Being within

be a bow hunter or have tried bow hunting.

I first began bow hunting in 1992 when my buddy Darrell convinced me to buy a bow. We both purchased Browning bows that were heavy, loud and slow. We practiced all summer with Easton Aluminum arrows and Muzzy broad-

during the early deer and turkey season that starts on Sept 15. We had permission on several farms that also held deer. That morning we spot and stalked several flocks of hens, jakes and jennies with no success.

We tried a different farm in the afternoon. We decided to split up and meet back at the truck at dark. I

I first began bow hunting in 1992 when my buddy Darrell convinced me to buy a bow.

We both purchased Browning bows that were heavy, loud and slow.

The author, a few years ago, with his first deer with a bow in New Hampshire. a few yards of a mature Whitetail, Bear, Bull or Gobbler and knowing that your one shot has to be perfect, creates intense and unique excitement. If you haven’t tried bow hunting yet, now is the time!

Bow hunting dates back to the Stone Age and though the equipment then was crude and primitive, the early archers overcame these limitations with abilities to get very close to wary game. That remains the essence of bow hunting today and about 1/3 of all hunters in the US report to

heads. We voraciously read bow hunting articles and watched videos to gain as much knowledge as possible before setting out on a hunt. We completed the required Maine IF&W sponsored NBEF Bowhunter Safety Course and later I became an instructor. I found early copies of “Hunting with Bow and Arrow” and “Ishi” by Dr. Saxton Pope and Arthur Young, the Fathers of Modern bow hunting and read them cover to cover..

Our first hunt was in Western New Hampshire

had no luck with turkeys but an hour before dark, I snuck up on a fork- horn buck with a doe. I made a 30 yd double lung shot on the 4 pointer and saw him drop and die within a few seconds. What a thrill! I can still vividly remember every detail and sound of that first bow harvest! I removed the replaceable dulled blades that buried in the ground after passing through the buck and inserted new razor sharp Muzzy blades in the broad head. I then spun the Aluminum arrow for straightness.

The next morning we were up before dawn and glassing for flocks of turkeys. Mid morning we spotted a flock in some raspberries at the back of a field. We tried to stalk them but their sharp eyes spotted our camouflaged forms and started to vacate the field. We decided to try the proven fall method of

Page 15

The Northwoods Bowhunter

by Brian Smith, Machiasport, ME running at the flock yelling so that they would scatter in different directions.

Turkeys are social birds and hate being separated.

You can call them back after breakup by using the kee-kee-run fall regrouping call. I was doing my best imitation of a lost bird while kneeling next to a big pine and heard birds coming from several directions. I was focused on a bird coming to my left when I spied movement to my right. I waited until his head went behind a tree then turned and drew my bow. When he stepped out at 40 yds, I released the arrow and heard it smack bone. The broadhead broke both wing butts and the Jake collapsed with my arrow passing almost completely through. I couldn’t believe my luck, two big game animals with the same arrow on my first ever bow hunt. I mistakenly thought bow hunting was easy but reality set in over the next few years with a few missed turkeys and deer. These days I rarely attempt to arrow a

turkey farther than 20 yds as the vitals are the size of an average fist. Next month, I will delve into the equipment and details required for the unique challenges of bow hunting turkeys.

I have been fortunate to have bow hunted in a dozen states from Maine to Alaska and have arrowed almost 60 big game animals and hope to harvest many more with archery tackle.

Brian is a Retired Maine State Police Detective and has been an avid bow hunter for almost 30 years. He is a Life Member of the Maine Bowhunters Association and serves as 1st Director at Large.

He was awarded Maine Bowhunter of the Year in 2005 & 2008. He serves on the Maine IF&W Advisory Council, and served on the Wild Turkey and Deer Working Groups. He also taught IF&W Bowhunter Safety for many years.

Brian can be reached at bowhunter@mgemaine. com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 16

March 2021

Gun Rights Under Fire

The Gun Cabinet

by John Floyd, Webster Plantation, ME What I wish to talk with you about this month will come as no big surprise to most of you. After all, I’m one of the gun guys that contribute to The Journal, and over the years I’ve written quite a bit about gun rights for several out-

bode well for us. As we all know, elections have consequences. This time though, the consequences for law-abiding gun owners and hunters may prove to be dire indeed.

In the past, as anti-gun politicians were elected

policy in regards to firearm ownership. This time it is different. The anti-gun activists have learned from their losses in the past.

They have learned that a majority of Americans support lawful gun ownership and didn’t buy the tactics employed in the past to try and push through egregious and unconstitutional gun legislation. The

gun violence’, and trying to make a constitutional issue a public health issue.

Now, I’m not asking you to take my word for it, I merely wanted to lay it out for you in general terms before we get down to brass tacks. President Joe Biden’s ‘Gun Safety’

some of these positions and policies to try explain why there are not only dangerous, but completely and thoroughly illegal.

Most importantly, I hope to show how these proposals will affect you. There simply isn’t enough space to cover the Biden anti-gun

What I see looming ahead does not bode well for us. As we all know, elections have consequences. This time though, the consequences for law-abiding gun owners and hunters may prove to be dire indeed. lets. I’ve even appeared on NRA TV with the host of Cam & Co., Cam Edwards to discuss hunting and gun rights. Please do not mistake this as hubris, my point here is that I’ve been involved in the gun rights community for some time and have seen, and written about, the many challenges and abuses of our collective gun rights as United States citizens. What I see looming ahead does not

to high office, we could usually expect some saber rattling from them on gun rights issues. Their political base demanded it. It was expected. On the other side, we had grass root activists and pro-gun elected officials lobbying on our behalf to stem the flow of anti-gun legislation.

There was always a power struggle, a tug-of-war on gun legislation, BATFE rule-making and domestic

anti-gunners have learned to change the way they speak, to cloak their true intentions with misleading titles of bills. Terms bandied about now include ‘extreme risk’, ‘weapons of war’ and ‘common-sense gun laws’ - all of meant to elicit emotion and support for the unlawful usurpation of the Second Amendment.

They have also learned to run the end-around. Having lost support for a heads on-challenge to lawful ownership of firearms, the new strategy is comprised of feints and flanking maneuvers. Now, the antigun activists and elected officials mask their true intent by voicing claims of protecting the public safety, combating an ‘epidemic of

The Biden administration’s anti-gun platform is sweeping and unprecedented. platform is one of the most sweeping, anti-gun plans to be publicly shared by a politician in recent times.

The vast majority of his positions are adopted from radical anti-gun groups such as March for Our Lives, The Giffords Law Center, The Trace and Everytown for Gun Safety – all innocuously named, but all pushing policies in direct contradiction to the rights of United States gun owners.

Over the next few months, I’ll be digging into

platform (https://joebiden. com/gunsafety) in one column, but I’ll give you a bitter taste of it and what’s to come. Here are the highlights: Reinstate the ban on ‘assault weapons’ and high capacity magazines, force existing owners of modern sporting rifles to sell their guns to the government or register them under the National Firearms Act, limit all firearm purchases to one a month, enact universal background checks for every single firearm transfer, (Rights cont. pg 17)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Page 17

Antler Cams

What's In Your Woods

by Bud Utecht, Dedham, ME

Trail cams, if placed right, can surprise you with wildlife photos other than that big 6 pointer. (Photo by Bud Utecht) The running joke among my friends and family is the game camera should have been named the antler cam. This obviously is because most people use them for hunting and are looking for the biggest racks. I post many pictures on my Game Camera Artistry site and the big rack photos get far more hits than the fisher. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see the magnificent display of antlers, but truth be told…

I just love wildlife.

Do I believe game cameras can make you a better hunter? Absolutely.

Often we doubt ourselves in the woods. I have contemplated placing a stand in certain areas, however for some reason I just don’t follow through. I know the

Rights

hunting is probably going to pan out in the spot. By placing a camera there it provides me the confidence I need to follow through and hunt it. The camera gives you the evidence needed to make that decision. Challenge yourself to find new areas where your instinct points you to the animals you are looking for. When you dive into this new strategy, the reward may payoff after a bit and soon you may not need a camera. You will have learned the territory and gained confidence.

Now that you dabbled with learning new areas, try looking or different animals beside the bucks.

You may find when out looking for other species, you uncover new spots for

those with antlers as well.

You will see how they live very closely in the same areas and, at times, cross paths. I’m confident they cross paths and someone moves further down the path to avoid an unpleasant encounter. When you put the camera out, write down what you expect to capture and see how close you are later. Some will be easy and then some will surprise you. I have a fallen log camera where I expected to capture marten, fisher, squirrels and perhaps a lynx. I have not captured a fisher at this camera but managed to grab some great shots of bear, marten, fox, hare, moose, lynx, deer, squirrels, and grouse.

The fallen log camera is always a fun spot to check.

owner of Tucker Ridge Out- can be reached at john@ doors in Webster Planta- tuckerridge.me or on Face(Cont. from pg 16) tion, Maine. He also works book @writerjohnfloyd prohibit the sale of any and as an outdoors writer and all online sales of ammunition, firearms, parts and kits, and pressure states to pass ‘Red Flag’ laws, legalizing the confiscation of firearms. And that is the short list folks.

John is a Registered Maine Guide, an NRA Certified Instructor and is the

More frequently I see a trend with non-hunters getting out in the fresh air and placing cameras to see who may be co-habitating with them in the back forty.

Many times the first pictures are blurry black and white images of a raccoon, or coyote and they’re so

Do I believe game cameras can make you a better hunter? Absolutely.

Often we doubt ourselves in the woods.

I have contemplated placing a stand in certain areas, however for some reason I just don’t follow through. excited to see wildlife that lives close by. I completely understand how they feel.

My sister lives in Alaska and decided to join the family hobby. She carefully placed her cameras in her back yard to see moose wandering by quite regularly. When the brown bear started coming by she quit checking the cameras alone. You never know What’s in Your Woods until

bud@whatsinyourwoods.com

Bud Utecht is a Register Maine Guide, sporting camp owner, Browning trail camera dealer, and consultant. His trail cameras are strategically placed throughout the Maine Woods. Feel free to email Bud for trail camera tips or to discuss what’s in your woods. bud@whatsinyourwoods.com

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

Marty

Shown actual size

Erik Warren

Name

(Marty was found on pg 54)

Address State

Phone

Bud Utecht Registered Maine Guide

anyways.

HELP US FIND

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it appears on the trail cam!

Next time you venture out take an extra camera with you. Try something a little different, you might get your first bobcat or a weasel and you will be hooked. You have to be a little tired of looking at the same old 6 pointer

I found Marty on page

Zip

Entries must be postmarked by 3/15/21 to be eligible for this issue.

Page 18

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Outdoor Sporting Library

North to Cree Lake

boys learned by making boys out of Rat Creek, mistakes, observing, trying it was civilization’s adnew things, and replicating vance. Interests in Big

by Jeremiah Wood, the methods that resulted in River had scouted the Rat Ashland, ME Creek country and found success.

The first season’s fur stands of valuable timber Dropping everything a winter’s worth of supin life and moving to a plies in town and began catch just about broke the that could be used for railremote wilderness to sub- the journey, first by boat boys. The small collection road ties. A road was built sist off the land is easiest and then over land, to an combined with low fur and a tie cutting operation done when you’re young. abandoned moonshiner’s prices forced them to con- began. Art and Ab worked That’s what Art Karras and his brother Ab did back in There the young men began their education as fur trappers.

They didn’t starve, for Ab was a skilled hunter and moose 1930s Saskatchewan. It were abundant, but their fur catch was dismal. was the era of the Great Depression, and the two boys cabin they had purchased sider going back outside. for the lumber crew that who’d grown up in farm on Rat Creek. There the But their first sight of civi- winter and made decent country didn’t see bright young men began their lization, in the midst of the wages. The road brought prospects in staying home. education as fur trappers. Depression and filled with more than just loggers, They decided to embark on They didn’t starve, for Ab poverty and misery, quickly though. Other hunters and an adventure in the north was a skilled hunter and changed their minds. They trappers took advantage country that would shape moose were abundant, but scraped together enough of the road’s easy access most of the first decade of their fur catch was dismal. money to return to the line and scoured the Rat Creek their adult lives.

The old time trappers never for a second season. They country. It was time to Big River, Saskatch- shared information in those built a new cabin and used move further north. ewan, a small fishing and days, afraid to educate their their newly acquired skills By now the Karras logging village and the competition in the skills so to make a better catch of brothers were part of the northern extent of civili- necessary to make a suc- fur. fraternity of independent zation, was their jumping cessful living. Like most It wasn’t the lure of trappers who roamed the off point. They purchased trappers before them, the civilization that drove the north country, and they’d

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heard stories about the vast wilderness around Cree Lake, true arctic country where few but the hardiest of trappers and local Indians dared to venture.

The journey was long and arduous, requiring weeks of river travel and portages.

Fellow trapper Frank Foster was operating in the country and offered to help them on their way.

Cree Lake proved to be wild, uninhabited country. On an unnamed tributary in the vast country west of the lake, the boys found their own paradise.

They built a main cabin and several small outlying cabins to accommodate long trap lines. It was hungry country, but they covered a great deal of it, and put up large catches of fur.

Caribou, moose and abundant fish supplied most of their food. They could sell fur and resupply from a remote Hudson’s Bay post on the lake, a day’s journey away. They built up a dog team and used them to run trap lines and freight supplies. Fur prices were high, and once they learned the country the boys produced enough fur to easily purchase the following years’ grub stakes and afford summer trips to the outside.

They say all good things come to an end. The decision to leave Cree Lake and return to civilization was the culmination of several things. The economy was recovering outside, and the boys were offered jobs. They’d discovered and learned much of the country they now trapped, and few things were new anymore. They both felt some desire to settle down (Cree cont. pg 21)

March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Leaders: Cabin Fever Therapy

Forrest Gump was always going on about. “You never know what you’re gonna’ get,” with either one. I tend to get sucked into the same old seasonal vortexes: the cleaning of the gear, the archaeological expeditions to the bottom of fly boxes

Page 19

Aroostook Woods & Water

by Mike Maynard, Perham, ME boots resoled with new felt. I cleaned all the guns, some twice. I took stock of all the ammo and wondered

stumped. I needed a project. And then, while down on hands and knees, searching under the tying bench

Custom built leaders can be food for your fishing soul. If a store-bought tapered leader is a bucket of KFC, then a custom-built leader is Boeuf Bourguignon; full of complexity and purpose driven. that looked so immaculate if I was a hoarder. I must be for lost hooks, I stumbled upon a dusty hand-tied back in April. I retied all because I need more.

But then I was the old favorites and tossed (Leaders cont. pg 35) out the grand experimental ties that never drew blood.

US RT 1 BEGINS AT I patched my waders, and back in December, I even “LA PORTE DU NORD” had my ancient wading

A custom-built leader can do a much better job of transferring the energy of our cast to the terminal end, effortlessly turning over whatever fly we have on.

(Photo by Sandy Maceys) Gone stir crazy yet?

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 20

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 11) the old wire and run it over the far pulley and back to this side.”

“Let’s git movin’,” Old Tom said brusquely.

We tried to move quietly, but it was nearly impossible with this number of people in the thick woods. Suddenly we broke out into a clearing with the Deadwater just a few hundred yards away.

“Heard us comin’,”

Old Tom said. A tiny fire still smothered in the clearing and a frying pan full of bacon lay on its side nearby.

“Look!” Joe cried, pointing to the north where the low cliffs jutted up from the water. A double rope stretched between the tops of the two opposing rock walls. More than halfway across, Edwin Scamper balanced with his feed on the lower rope and his hands grasping the upper.

Sliding his feet and moving his hands, he was quickly

nearing the far side.

“He gets into that thick woods on the other side we’ll never catch him this side of the border,” Brody said worriedly. For a moment, nobody moved.

Then Old Tom unslung his rifle and moved over to a tree.

“You can’t shoot him!” Warden Brody said urgently.

“That’s got to be over 200 yards,” the Border Patrol officer said. I doubt if he could ever hit him at this distance.”

O l d To m m e r e l y leaned against the tree for support, raised the old rifle to his eyes and quickly pulled the trigger.

The .30-06 roared and 200 yards downrange, about five yards ahead of Edwin Scamper, the rope parted with a loud snap. Without support, Edwin’s feet dropped. He hung for a moment from the top rope, until the end worked back through the pulleys and fell. With a loud scream, he tumbled into the dark water.

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Slowly, the warden and the Border Patrol agent pulled the struggling fugitive to shore. Together, they cuffed him and marched him through the scattered rush to the little clearing where we waited.

“That was about as good shooting as I’ve ever witnessed,” the Border Patrol agent said admiringly.

For once, Old Tom seemed slightly embarrassed. He scuffed a foot.

“Aw…it was harder with them Germings. They was farther away and always movin’ around a lot” Warden Brody gave Edwin Scamper, now covered from head to foot with black gunk from the Deadwater, a push toward the back trail.

“Old Tom, would you and the boys pick things up here and put out the fire,” he asked. “You can follow along right behind.”

“Sure thing, warden.”

It only took a few minutes to douse the fire and clean up Edwin Scampers camp. Old Tom handed Joe the now unloaded rifle.

“Here, boy, you kin be my gun bearer.”

We started off and had only gone a short distance when he spoke up again.

“Say, I ever tell you boys the one about corn shuckin’?”

Joe hung his head and plodded on grimly as Old Tom expounded on his theme.

And I found that, if I followed them at a distance of about 20 yards, I just couldn’t hear anything at all.

March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Turkeys

Cree

(Cont. from pg 3)

(Cont. from pg 18)

the hunter overcalls and the gobbler becomes aware that something is not right and moves away and usually shuts up.

I suggest new hunter visit the National Wild Turkey Federation website, www.nwtf.org, and play their offering of turkey vocalizations. Then find a place outside so as not to offend other family members and try to match the calls.

Once the new hunter is ready to join the cadre of other hunters, a few unwritten rules must be adhered to. Most local hunters already have favorite woodlots, fields and other locations. Please don’t practice in popular areas then hunt in your private spots. Remember, all turkey hunters are brothers and sister who love the sport. We are not competition, nor are we the enemy.

Talking turkey and especially talking WITH turkeys is really fun. Too much calling inside the house will get you in as much if not more trouble than overcalling to live turkeys when legal hunting hours arrive.

and get married. Finally, in 1939 fur prices crashed, and their season’s catch brought a dismal $300. It was time to move on.

In later years, Karras bemoaned the advance of civilization into much of his trapping country. By the 1960’s the Rat Creek area had become heavily roaded and widely accessible. Today, even the most remote of the places he trapped, the now-named Karras River, is home to an airstrip and a series of roads.

A.L. Karras documented he and his brother’s adventures in the book “North to Cree Lake”, published in 1970. The book is exceptionally well written.

Karras captures the spirit of the north and describes the area, the people and their adventures better than most I’ve read. If you enjoy “North to Cree Lake”, you may also be interested in two other books Karras wrote, “Northern Rover” and “Face the North Wind”.

Stu Bristol is recognized as a New England wild turkey hunting and restoration pioneer. As an outdoor writer, he has published hundreds of articles nationwide for more than 50 years, several books and in 2019 was inducted into the New England Wild turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. His game call website is www.deadlyimpostergamecalls.com Check Out Our New And Improved Website! www.sportingjournal.com

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Page 22

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Warden’s Words

by Game Warden Kale O’Leary, Ashland, ME Before becoming a Game Warden, like many of you, I was often checked in the field by a Warden and left to contemplate questions like how did he get here? How long had he

he knew exactly how much game I had in my possession, and more often than not where I had cached said game.

I remember telling my younger self that if

March 2021

Wardens Behind Every Tree

ly guardian in green and go out of way to check every man, woman and child in a highly visible and overt manner. I did not understand from a civilian’s perspective the tremendous value of surveillance and watching before making contact with sportsmen.

I remember another

make any sounds, even though I was sure we could have fired our handguns from this distance and a deer feeding on the pond would never have heard the sound. We hiked through the woods into the pond and began watching several

that we would head back to the truck as these anglers had done everything right and we would head out to the next pond.

After several years of working, many mistakes and a few times of getting “burned”, I understand

Thinking that now was our time to get over and check licenses, Warden Milligan whispered that we would head back to the truck as these anglers had done everything right and we would head out to the next pond.

been watching me before he stepped out of the bushes?

Each of these interactions were pleasant encounters, but I always knew after getting checked that the Warden had watched me as

I was ever to become a Warden, I would not hide in the bushes, snowbanks or in the darkness watching sportsmen. I professed to anyone listening, that I would be an overtly friend-

Aroostook County

instance of being a brandnew Game Warden and learning my new patrol area with Warden Dave Milligan. Warden Milligan was a veteran Warden with many years of experience and brought me in to a fly fishing only pond, deep in the North Maine Woods.

Warden Milligan hid his truck a considerable distance from the pond and was careful as he closed the door of the truck to not

An over limit of salmon seized on Long Lake in St. Agatha. (Photo by Kale O’Leary) fishermen fly fishing on the pond. We watched each of them catch and release several fish and begin to head to shore. Thinking that now was our time to get over and check licenses, Warden Milligan whispered

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the value and importance of why Wardens sit in the bushes, snowbanks and darkness and will explain to you in the next few paragraphs the impact this technique can have on protection of the resource. I am often told when checking people in the North Maine Woods that “I haven’t seen a Game Warden out here in years” and I usually reply with “I’m sure one of us has seen you.” This is not a confrontational comment or meant to illicit anger, but simply if you are doing things right in the woods, a Warden generally will not always be there to greet you after leaving for the day.

I can tell you that I have made many cases that involved hours and hours of surveillance, often in less than favorable conditions, whether it be warm summer days fighting off swarms of blackflies or freezing cold days sitting (Wardens cont. pg 27)

March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Tyer’s Corner

by Hugh Kelly, Detroit, ME

LaFontaine’s Deep Sparkle Pupa This month’s fly is LaFontaine’s Deep Sparkle Pupa, a very well designed and effective caddis imitation. The late Gary LaFontaine published a book detailing years of research on caddis flies and some patterns that became very popular. Gary discovered that a yarn called Anton was the key to these flies; the yarn reflects and refracts light in a way that really imitates the air bubble caddis flies use to move in the water. The bubble type body on this fly has also traps some air to further show some bubbles and the fish key in on this in a big way. Antron yarn is available in most fly shops.

Recipe for LaFontaine’s Deep Sparkle Pupa Hook – Standard wet fly hook, size 14-18 Thread – Tan Body – Mylar, covered with clear Antron Hackle – Partridge, sparse Head - Dark dubbing or peacock herl I like to use a heavy wet fly hook to get the fly down when it hits the water. Tie in your thread and then tie in a short piece of Antron on the shank; wrap your thread to the bend of the hook. Leave the yarn trailing back while you tie in a double layer of Mylar, start in the front, wind to

the bend and back to the front again. Leave a larger than normal gap behind the eye for a dubbed head.

After the Mylar is wrapped take the Antron and brush it with a tooth brush to separate the fibers. Then pull it forward and tie it off behind the hook eye, leaving a gap behind the hook eye for the dubbed head. If you take your time on this step, you will create a bubble of Antron yarn below and above the hook shank. This “bubble” step is important, work with the material until you get a shroud-like bubble surrounding the hook shank.

Tie in your choice of hackle feather for a sparse hackle, I use partridge.

Try to resist the urge to wrap more than one turn of hackle; a caddis fly just doesn’t have that many legs to imitate. Lastly, put some dark dubbing on the thread and wrap a rather large head and tie off. You can make several substitu-

tions on this fly, namely colored Antron (try bright green), peacock herl for the head, and a dubbed body instead of Mylar. You can also leave a few strands of Antron hanging off the hook bend that will imitate a trailing wing shuck and add some deer hair for a wing. This wing should be sparse and as long as the body. The winged version with a trailing shuck is called a LaFontaine Emergent Sparkle Pupa.

Gary LaFontaine did his homework and you should add this fly your box.

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

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Page 23

Page 24

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Question Of The Month March 2021

When Is a Miss as Good as a Mile?

By Judy Camuso

Over the past year, Covid 19 has changed almost every aspect of my life; from where and how I work, getting groceries,

struggle to stay warm even in the summer. I was prepared, with lots of layers and hand and toe warmers and a backpack full of extra

layers if needed.

I met friends at a designated spot, we chatted briefly, and headed out in the dark as quietly as we could, whispering when needed. Soon our group split, as we headed to different spots. Once there, I cleared the area around me of leaves and readied myself.

As the sun came up, I got more and more excited.

This morning, the woods

pulled the trigger.

Every ounce of me was excited. I could not believe I was going to harvest a deer on opening day.

It was a great shot. Dead on, perfect. Or so I thought it was.

I expected her to drop right there. But she didn’t.

She didn’t even flinch.

She picked her head up and I swear she looked at me in absolute shock and disbelief as if to say “how

Every ounce of me was excited. I could not believe I was going to harvest a deer on opening day. It was a great shot.

Dead on, perfect. Or so I thought it was.

The author, Commissioner Judy Camuso working out and most of all how often I get outside.

I am an outdoor person, and I have always used the outdoors to help me manage stress and anxiety.

On opening day of deer season, I made plans to head out hunting with friends. Opening day this year was cold. 19 degrees when I left my house. I am chronically anemic, so I

all around me, and watched the natural world wake up. By 10:00, I had put on every last layer but a chill still set in, and I have to admit I was relieved when my friend came by and we headed out. Although I was disappointed to not have seen any deer, I’d had such a great morning I was eager for our afternoon outing.

We took a few hours off and we all met again at 2:30, this time hunting

The author’s attempt to harvest her first deer was thwarted by this hemlock tree that got between the hunter and the hunted.

(Photo by Judy Camuso)

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were noisy. The cold had caused the oak leaves to start falling, and it was raining oak leaves. For me the best part of deer hunting is the stillness, the quiet I force onto myself.

No phones, no moving, just quiet. It is incredibly restorative. It is so peaceful yet there is an element of anticipation and excitement because at any minute a deer could come in.

I sat for several hours, watching dozens of birds

a different area. I sat at an overgrown tote road on the edge of a clearing.

It’s a nice spot with a nice wide shooting lane for me.

I settled into my spot at the base of an old oak tree. The sun was shining, warming me and the leaves had stopped falling so it was much quieter.

I sat for about an hour and a half, then I saw something moving through the woods, near the cleared lane I was sitting in. It was a doe…I couldn’t believe it! She moved without a sound and I was sure she could hear my heart beating. Squirrels and moles make more noise than she did. She was in thick woods and I knew I wouldn’t have a shot unless she came close to the clearing.

I was amazed when she walked out of the thick brush right out toward me.

I got myself ready, took the safety off, took a steadying breath, aimed the gun and

in the world did you miss that?” She twitched her ears, raised the white flag of a tail and trotted off the way she came. She didn’t even run, just trotted, like she was mocking me.

I was in shock. Trembling all over but still not sure what happened. I couldn’t believe I missed, entirely. I played it all over in my head. Then I went over to where she was and there was no sign of my shot hitting. No blood, no hair, nothing. I knew I missed her, but it was important to make sure.

I went and sat back down at my spot. Replaying the scene over and over.

How could I have missed her, totally missed? I am relatively new to hunting, but I shoot a lot and I’m accurate with my gun.

Was I so nervous that I just whiffed? Was I shaking when I took the shot? Had my adrenaline gotten the (Mile cont. pg 37)

March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Ice Fishing Tips 101

Winter months can be a very isolated for those of us that live in the North Country. Sportsmen find various ways to get themselves through till spring.

Many folks will tie fly’s, work on indoor projects, and of course... partake in winter outdoor sports such

Page 25

Maine Outdoor Adventure

be turned off because you initial goal when starting were very cold and miser- out. Having a mentor will able! Anyone can be out on shorten up the learning

by Rich Yvon, the ice, the trick however, is curve. I’ve categorized Bradford, ME to be safe and comfortable. ice fishing into three ba- others is essential) Lures blue and gold. Also March is a warmer, safe, sic parts for a better un• Hand Auger Al’s Goldfish Lure Co. 2” and a perfect time to get derstanding and approach • Ice skimmer (clean silver original spoon is out there to give it another for new comers! They are holes of ice and slush) working well. As always shot. If you are veteran in basic knowledge, personal • Traps – a device that using live bait harvested the sport, take advantage of effects, and gear. sits over the drilled hole at source where permitHere is a personal with line, hook and sinker. ted always work well on the beautiful weather effects must- have list, (dead or live bait can be traps. Spud bar your ice and intro- for anyone ice fishing in used) and watch for ice dams and duce some- March...

• Jig Rod – with spin- ice openings. Use all safety one to the protocols and the buddy sport. No Starting out in a new sport can be very system. Remember... There one wants overwhelming in deed. First off, don’t is no such thing as 100 perto be mis- be intimidated or frustrated. Ice fishing cent safe ice! erable outA great source for is definitely a sport unto itself. side. Gengear, lures and bait – Old • Maine Fishing Li- ning reel fluorocarbon (I Town Trading Post erally, peodo not recommend braid ple first get- cense • Communication due to water absorption and ting into ice fishing are (Cell or Satellite phone freezing line) Rich is a full time • Warm water and cold sometimes that works where you are “Lake Trout ” by Rich Yvon water fishing baits com- Registered Maine Guide. ill equipped fishing) monly used: Jigs with soft He owns and operates Twin • Life Preserver as snowmobiling and ice- with lack of the proper gear • Ice Picks worn baits, hard baits, worms, Maple Outdoors guide serfishing. There has been a and knowledge. As always, and live bait (bait that is vice and sporting lodge lodrastic increase of people let loved ones know where around neck found from the water your cated in Bradford, Maine.

• Layered Clothing getting into outdoor sports you will be going and when • Waterproof rubber fishing and if permitted by He is a “Certified Yamaha this year largely due to you will be expected back.

G3 Guide” that runs fly COVID. Our winter fishing Never venture out on your insulated boots with shoe regulations.) and spin fishing trips. Rich heritage in our country is own and always use the spikes/cleats (Ice condiFishing Report for also guides hunters and tions can be very slushy in important, so it’s wonderful buddy system! outdoor recreation advencentral Maine... to see all the new interest in Starting out in a new March) Ice conditions contin- tures. He serves as a board • Sunglasses ice-fishing! sport can be very overue to improve with Arctic member for the Native Fish • First Aid Kit In the north country whelming in deed. First air across the state. Salmon Coalition. He is also an • Sun Screen here in Maine, March in- off, don’t be intimidated • Water (stay hydrat- fishing is excellent using outdoor writer, tree farmer, deed is our most popular or frustrated. Ice fishing lures just below the sur- fly-fishing instructor and month for ice-fishing. The is definitely a sport unto ed) Here below is a tool, face. Hot lures have been certified NRA firearms indays are now getting longer itself. It will take time, due the coming of spring, patience, and plenty of equipment, and basic bait the Albie jig by Daddy Mac structor. therefore spending time practice. For example, like list to get you started!

• Tow Sled to carry on the ice this time of year when you went bowling can be down-right comfort- or shot that firearm for the your gear • Throw rope or bag able! Our ice thickness has first time. Keeping it fun, peaked which means it’s and of course safe, is the (being prepared to help safer now. Although, care should always be taken to check ice, springs, shoreAuthentic Maine Outdoors lines, and for openings.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Ramblings From T8-R9

March 2021

Beetle Mountain

the South, the Allagash to the West, the Aroostook to

by Benjamin Rioux, the East and North. Roads Millinocket Lake weren’t even thought of in and visited the fire warden this region.

By Matt P. Libby Beetle’s first tower If you’re a Libby stationed up there (he was was erected of logs in 1913 Camps fan than you’ve usually alone for months at sat on the porch admiring a time). He was always ex- with a ground house built the sunsets looking out cited to hear about outside in 1918. The watchman’s over the islands, mountains news and to see humans. camp was built also of logs and ridges on the western His cabin was reached by a around that time a ¼ mile down the mountain, where My brothers and I climbed a clear spring came out on that each summer growing up in the a small plateau. It wasn’t The old fire tower on Beetle Mountain.

60’s and visited the fire warden until 1965 that a 50’ steel tower was erected and a stationed up there (he was usually ground house (or lightenalone for months at a time). He was ing shack) was built. That always excited to hear about outside tower is etched into my news and to see humans. memory as one of the most shores of Millinocket Lake. 3-mile hike from the near- amazing things my young If you look hard at Beetle est pond, which in this case mind had ever contemMt., the biggest one dead was Chandler Pond where plated. What an amazing center of your view, you we owned the only cabin view with 6-mile Milliwill see the remnants of a on the lake, accessed by nocket Lake commanding 50-foot steel tower. Squint seaplane only. the view to the East and Mt if you’re over 40, get the His view from that Katahdin to the South. binocs if your over 60.

The two pictures are lookout was over the most Foresters posing for photo about the My brothers and I beautiful, untouched and of the towers one from the time of Word War II. climbed that each summer wild country left in the 60’s and the other from shows the log lookout and rying pistols. WW1 was growing up in the 60’s Northeast. Baxter Park to 1918. The older picture note that the men are car- in full swing and foresters were issued guns.

While we are anxious to open up Beetle and other towers to hiking for guests, these hikes are not for the meek or faint of heart.

Beetle hasn’t had a trail to it for 20 years. Others like Norway Mt and Clear Lake Mt do have trails but again FEDERAL “GATEWAY TO THE NORTH MAINE WOODS” are a challenge. Mountains tend to be that way. Come GET YOUR ICE FISHING join us as we blaze new Lights SUPPLIES HERE!!! trails to some forgotten towers, which include: JIGGING RODS • RAPALA JIGS Horseshoe, Clear, Norway, LINE • TRAPS & MORE!!!

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March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Wardens

can tell you that I cannot be that a Warden could be everywhere on a given day, watching them catch too as I am only one Warden many fish, violators would (Cont. from pg 22) with a tremendous amount create lasting and damagin a snowbank watching of responsibility, but if peo- ing effects on what we all ice fishermen. Often, after ple believe that a Warden cherish. Having the general documenting violations could be watching them at public believe that there such as over limits of fish, any given moment, it is a is a Warden behind every I am told by the fishermen benefit for all sportsmen. tree is an integral part of that they have only a limit Without a genuine concern the conservation model that or haven’t caught anything yet. It is then that the value of surveillance cannot be underestimated as I can tell these individuals each specific time that they did in fact catch a fish and where they put these fish.

435-2202 Without having the pa- • ATM MON. - FRI. 4-10 tience and taken the time • AGENCY LIQUOR STORE SAT. 5-11 SUN. 6-9 117 Main Steet Ashland, ME to watch these individuals, • 24 HOUR GAS I would have missed that • HOT PIZZA & SUBS they had in fact taken more • ROOMS AVAILABLE than their fair share of the resource for that particular day.

I can tell you that I have spent countless hours watching law abiding sportsmen recreating. I have watched many grandfathers teaching their grandsons or granddaughters how to fish on a picture perfect spring day, and in between thinking about how my grandfather did the same for me at that age, I have observed no violations and moved on to the next pond to ensure In the heart of the Allagash the anglers fishing there are and Fish River waterways....... following the rules.

Fly Fishing An important conand Trolling cept of conservation is that hunting and fishing WIN THE MOOSE is a “pay to play” sport, where each dollar spent by LOTTERY? the sportsmen in invested CONTACT ME FOR in education, biology and conservation of the species.

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Page 27

has kept Maine pristine and teeming with wildlife for everyone to enjoy for over a hundred years.

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Page 28

Marsh Island Chronicles

March 2021

A Month of Sundays

didn’t start transcribing floor debates until 1897,

by Matthew Dunlap, and committee files weren’t kept for another hundred Old Town, ME years. We do know from On February 16 th , the Laws of Maine from the contemporary newspaper 1883, Maine Senate Docu- 61st Legislature. coverage that this was a ment 43 was reported out of Generations of sports- beloved issue of the Lathe Committee on Fisheries men have been trying to dies Christian Temperance and Game and was ordered This year, Rep. Jeff Hanley, R-Pittston, printed for consideration and Sen. Jeff Timberlake, by the full legislature by R-Androscoggin, have submitted Senator John H. Kimball related bills on Sunday hunting. on behalf of the committee.

The bill, AN ACT making repeal Chapter 157 ever Union and other evangeli- In Maine the Sunday hunting question comes back to the legislative arena year after year.

Sunday a close time for since. cal service organizations, game and birds of all kinds, We don’t know the but that’s about it. Efforts become something of a traThis session is no difwas successfully adopted, exact reasons why the bill to bring back hunting on dition in what’s known as ferent. and became Chapter 157 of passed; the Legislature Sunday in some form has the Legislative Dead Files.

This year, Rep. Jeff Hanley, R-Pittston, and Sen. Jeff Timberlake, RAndroscoggin, have submitted related bills on Sunday hunting. While the full text of the bills haven’t been printed yet, Hanley’s bill “An Act to Allow Hunting on Sundays” and Timberlake’s more nuanced “An Act to Allow Sunday Hunting on OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-8PM Private Property with the The best quality seafood and service around served in a casual Written Permission of the family atmoshpere at family focused prices, Landowner” are both pretty come try our Famous Fried Clams self-explanatory. Does eiNewport Searsport Hampden 215 East Main ST 542 Elm ST 91 Coldbrook Rd ther bill have a chance Ph: 548-2405 Ph: 368-2405 Ph: 862-2121 this cycle? That remains www.AnglersSeafoodRestaurant.com to be seen. One thing for sure is that you can never really predict what the Legislature will do. Samuel Butler’s famous quip that “man is the only animal that both laughs and has a state legislature” speaks in no small part to the predictable unpredictability of the path of legislation.

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(Sunday cont. pg 29)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Sunday (Cont. from pg 28) ing as part of his biennial budget proposal. The line of citizens to testify on that component of the budget document went around the committee room, down the hall, around the Hall of Flags, and to the state Law and Legislative Reference Library. The proposal was voted down, almost unanimously.

The reasons for the inertia on Sunday hunting are a bit nebulous. Most of Maine’s so-called “blue laws” prohibiting many activities on Sundays, including shopping, dining out, movie theater showings and other recreational

activities have long been repealed. Why not hunting, too?

Part of the reason, I suspect, is found in our tribal memory and the metamorphosis of public policy purposes. Hunting on Sunday was banned in the post-Civil War era, as after the trauma America suffered those left behind embraced a spiritual age.

For context, 1883 was just eighteen years after the terrible blood and suffering of the war—less time elapsed than what we’ve lived after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

But since that time, hunting exploded in popularity, and concurrently became amazingly dangerous.

Hunting accidents became so routine that they

seldom were covered on the front page of the newspaper. In 1954, with fewer than half of the licensed hunters in the field that we saw in the fall of 2021, there were 19 fatalities out of over 100 serious incidents. It was not until the safety measures of mandatory hunter orange clothing in the 1970’s and hunter safety education in the 1980’s that those numbers were virtually erased.

For many, though, you still go into the woods in the fall only at your own peril. Landowners in particular often say they want to have one day on their woodlots to themselves without either spoiling someone’s hunt or risk injury to an errant bullet.

Page 29

Hunting today is safer than crossing the road to check your mailbox at twilight. But still; why not?

The real answer today isn’t about observing the Lord’s Day or danger, but rather another question—what will landowners do? Will land in Maine become posted if Sunday hunting is allowed so prolifically that it would be, in effect, banning most hunting because of the loss of access?

Would we, by allowing Sunday hunting, inadvertently extend the Sunday hunting ban to the rest of

the week—and to the entire season?

If Hanley and Timberlake can find some assurance there, they might finally exorcise the haunting spirit of the legislative success of Senator Kimball. Time will tell.

Matt Dunlap is a sportsman from Old Town and is a periodic co-host on Maine Outdoors, heard statewide every Sunday night at 7:00 pm on WVOM 103.9 FM, WVQM 101.3 FM, and 1450 AM in Rockland.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 30

Basics Of Survival

by Joe Frazier, Bangor, ME Basic survival is not about camping as a hobby.

It is not about sport. Basic survival is about keeping yourself alive. Maintaining body core temperature and stopping any bleeding.

The first forty eight hours is the most critical in any emergency situation.

If you find yourself lost in the woods, for whatever reason, you need to use whatever gear and supplies are available to your advantage.

This column will

teach you how to deal with the mental stress of being lost, and teach you basic skills to help get you back home safely. The only supplies that matter are the

Survival begins long before you get into the woods. ones you have with you at the time. The supplies in your truck, or the stuff in your garage at home will not do you any good when you are lost in the woods.

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March 2021

Basics of Survival

not mean carrying extra gear or another bundle of stuff in your pack. What you already have in your pack and in your pockets is your survival gear.

Survival begins long before you get into the woods. You should always have a plan in place so people know where you are going and when to expect to hear from you. Use a map program (Google maps, etc.) And plot out where you will park, where you plan to travel, and when you expect to be back.

Screenshot the map on your phone and send it to two dependable people along with your travel plan.

If people have to search for you it is easier to search one hundred square yards than one hundred square miles. The plan can be simple, but should be complete. “Bob, Steve and I are going to my camp at Bryant pond. We will be leaving Friday at noon and should be back by Sunday noon.

If you don’t hear from me by six sunday night, call me every ten minutes for an hour. After that, call the State Police and send me some help.” That way, if your phone or radio gets damaged or you have no signal, you have a specific time people will begin to look for you.

If you are with a group who plan to split up, be sure

One of the best places to test skills and gear is in your own backyard. Survival gear does not have to be expensive.

(Photo by Scott Reynolds) everyone knows where each person will be. Have a specific time and place for everyone to meet if you don’t have communications. If you have radios or cell phone reception have a check in time so everyone in the group is accounted for.

If you do get lost, or “turned around”, sit down. Evaluate the situation and if you are not in immediate life or death danger you should find a comfortable place and sit and relax for ten minutes or so. Drink some water and allow yourself to feel fear without panicking. Then look around, check your map, and see if you can figure out where you are.

If you are truly lost

and you are sure people are someplace close you should swallow your pride and signal for help. Cell phone, whistle, GPS locator, whatever you have to bring in help. If you have just wandered away from camp have your friends at camp blow the car horn so you can follow the sound back.

Depending on the circumstances, you may decide you need to stay overnight where you are.

With rare exceptions you should not plan to move in the woods after dark.

Sometimes it is almost as bright as daylight, but sometimes it is so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. This is the time to sort and take stock of all the gear you have with you. Shelter and fire will be your main priorities. The main thing is to not panic and make rash decisions you will regret later.

Practice is one of the best ways to avoid panic.

If you spend time in the (Basics cont. pg 39)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

The Power of Flavor

When you prepare your fish or game recipes, does flavor matter?

Have you ever compared how others prepare their wild game dishes vs. how you cook yours?

We all interpret flavor differently.

Venison Chili is a great example. Some enjoy it with extreme chile heat, while others enjoy a milder version. Many enjoy it with beans and others without.

Some even add chocolate, maple syrup or other secret ingredients to make their famed chili recipe.

Over the years I have seen sportsmen and game enthusiasts produce many different versions, and I have cooked and served game chili to countless people. One of my recipes for chili was even fortunate enough to be an awardwinning recipe.

Whether you seek accolades or just enjoy cooking it, flavor plays a vital role in the result of how you enjoy your fish and game recipes.

Whatever flavor matters to you personally is what ultimately matters most, as you are the one that must eat it.

As a national wild game educator over the past 30 years, I have found that people often seek knowledge on the best way to cook their fish and game, and quite often overlook the obvious.

Trimming fat and sinew is common practice, but understanding what drives the characteristics of the piece of flesh you are working with have a lot of importance to gaining understanding with how flavor profiles will align with what you are cooking. The type of fish or game, as well as what part of the flesh, plays into how it accepts the flavor you introduce to it.

The lighter quality that the flesh possesses, the lighter the flavor you should introduce. An example of this is any fish that is white in flesh color, or game that has a lighter colored flesh is best to season with lighter flavors.

When you work with more dense fish and game like salmon, or darker redfleshed game like deer, geese, moose or bear, the more accepting they will be of stronger flavors that you establish with them.

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easily. That is why lighter flavor profiles work so well with it such as lemon, dill and parsley.

There is a noticeable difference when you season your venison. Venison works well with deeper flavor profiles. From a Canadian steak seasoning to garlic, sesame, chiles, strong herbs like oregano or rosemary.

Page 31

Cookin’ With New England’s WildCheff

by Denny Corriveau, Kennebunkport, ME

able to enjoy its natural flavor. After all, that is why we seek this type of food for our table. Never add too much seasoning, marinade or other flavors to the extent that you can’t

Whether you seek accolades or just enjoy cooking it, flavor plays a vital role in the result of how you enjoy your fish and game recipes.

If you are making a sauce to accompany it or braise it with, there is a big difference between white wine and red wine, fruit brandy and a complex bourbon.

Gaining understanding of these concepts in flavor will help you become more proficient with your fish and game.

Learning how to pair flavor matters too. When you cook your wild food, you certainly want to be

enjoy the natural flavor of what you are eating.

When pairing flavors with your fish and game, consider flavors that play well together. Lemon & Sage or Basil, Rosemary & Garlic, Ginger and Citrus; Sesame and Ginger, Juniper with Rosemary & Garlic, or Smoky flavors teamed up with Chili.

Knowing when to apply sweet or savory, how to apply chili heat will help

you create more balanced recipes.

An example of this is a recipe that I really enjoy that applies to any type of grilled fish (picture striper or salmon). I drizzle olive oil on my fish to coat and the season it with my cinnamon chili rub. I then grill it. It produces a Jamaican jerk-like flavor to the fish.

It pairs well with a coconut coleslaw or if you want to go savory, take a cast iron flat pan and toss baby tomatoes in olive oil and seasoning, then grill them to produce charred tomatoes and then serve them over the top of the grilled fish. In both cases of the side that accompanies it – the flavor pairing works, but you can have two difference food experiences.

(Flavor cont. pg 47)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 32

Winter Tick Theory

The Buck Hunter

by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME It seems like it was only yesterday when I was sitting here in my chair writing last month’s column. Winter is once again flying by, and before we know it, spring will be upon us again. Until then,

March 2021

deer yards by the first of the year. Well, a month has passed since then and still been very few deer come the yards. The last week in January it picked up the trail cameras that I had on the migration trails. In that

The hot topic in Maines outdoor world right now is the proposed Adaptive unit for moose. We all know that the moose herd took a dive starting about ten years ago. Moose were drastically overpopulated from the 90’s on. I always felt that the number of moose permits back then were drop in the bucket of what were needed to keep

brush had taken over. It was also those areas that had the highest concentrations of moose. Perfect habitat for ticks to thrive and wait for a passing moose to attach to.

The areas that were more wooded due to select cutting did not have as nearly as many moose and also had very few moose deaths.

It was April when we took that ride and we looked at

go ahead for his adaptive use plan. I’m not taking credit for it as I just saw it as common sense as to how mother nature works.

The idea of this plan is to split Zone 4 in half north to south into two units. The western half of the zone where there is the highest moose mortality due to ticks will be managed to lower the moose popula-

It was that day that I floated my theory that by keeping the moose population lower, the ticks would have less host animals, so there would be fewer ticks.

I will continue to enjoy the winter. January brought us enough snow in the Moose River valley to kick off the coyote hunting. Early on, there were not many coyotes near the deer yards, but they filtered in throughout the month. The crew didn’t get in many days of hunting, but we managed to kill about fifteen of them.

We also broke our one-day record by stacking up seven coyotes. With any luck, we will give them a good thinning out before spring, when the fawns are being born.

Last month I wrote about the fact that very few deer had migrated to the

month, there were less than 2 dozen deer that migrated down three different trails.

I actually had several pictures of deer going back on the trails. The deer seem to be just hanging around any of the places that they are in the fall as they can move about anywhere to feed.

As of February 1st, there is about 12-15 inches of snow out in the open and 6-8 inches in the softwoods, in the jackman area. It’s not the best conditions for the snowmobilers, but it is great for the deer. there is still plenty of winter left in the north country, but the days are getting shorter all the time.

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the population in check.

Themes was created and now it needs to be fixed, which will be harder than if they were managed right in the first place. Since Lee Kantar has taken over as the head moose biologist, he has been working hard to find a solution to the winter tick problem.

Between radio collaring moose and doing arial counts, Lee has a pretty good handle on our moose herd. Now he is trying to be proactive in finding a solution. I remember taking Lee on a day trip in this area to look at some moose winter habitat. Back then, I had observed that the biggest moose die off, were in the areas that had been heavily clear cut, where raspberries and grass and

(Photo sent in by Hal Blood) many moose beds that day.

Lee was surprised to see that there was very little sign of ticks. It was that day that I floated my theory that by keeping the moose population lower, the ticks would have less host animals, so there would be fewer ticks.

I understand that science works slow, but here we are almost ten years later, and my theory may be tested. If Lee gets the

tion by giving out a high number of cow permits.

Lower moose numbers will improve the health of the moose herd as less ticks will be in the woods. So, that’s the theory and hopefully it proves out. I hear people grumbling about doing this study as they assume that the moose will be hunted out. These are usually the same people (Theory cont. pg 41)

Northwoods Sporting Journal Guns & Ammo:

March 2021

The 16 Gauge Resurgence

The 16 gauge was another victim of the magnum craze. It seemed like for a while if it didn’t have a 3” or 3 ½” chamber, it didn’t sell. Well, like many of the other magnums, when people started shooting them, they lost some of their luster. In the last 10 to 15 years, there has been a resurgence of the smaller gauge shotguns.

There are even people hunting turkeys with .410 bores. Here in the north country, we still appreciate a good upland game gun.

Many 16 gauge shotguns fill this job admirably. The 16 gauge can fulfill the role of an all around game gun in a very sleek classic style.

In places like Massachusetts, where deer can only be hunted with shotguns, a 16 gauge loaded with slugs can be an effective tool. It can also be accomplished in a lighter sleeker shotgun.

I have also had bear clients successfully harvest black bears with 16 gauge slugs.

The niche where this midsized gauge really shines, however, is for upland game. There are few places a Browning sweet 16 or an Ithica Mod 37 Featherweight swings as smoothly as when following par-

tridge weave through the trees. Countless snowshoe hare have also fallen to a 1 oz load of #6’s from these classic guns.

In the 40s and 50s, approximately 25% of the sporting shotguns sold were 16 gauge models.

Sadly, that is no longer the case. There are still

over dogs and the third has an improved cylinder for partridge and hare.

The specs of the 16 gauge are pretty respectable for these aforementioned purposes. The bore measures .662 of an inch.

Shotshells can be had in 1 oz or 1 1/8 oz payloads.

A 1 1/8 oz load of #6 shot

The resurgence in lighter, sleeker shotguns has prompted some of the major shotgun manufacturers to introduce some newer versions of the 16 gauge in the last few years. many fans of the 16 bore.

Unfortunately, most of these fans are now senior citizens. As an example, my lifelong hunting partner and friend Bob, whom you have all heard about, has 3 Browning Sweet 16 shotguns. One is set up with a low power scope for slug shooting, one has a modified choke for pheasants

leaves the muzzle at 1423 fps. That will catch a fleeing hare and put his tail over his ears quickly.

The resurgence in lighter, sleeker shotguns has prompted some of the major shotgun manufacturers to introduce some newer versions of the 16 gauge in the last few years.

Browning has reintroduced

Page 33

A Guide’s Perspective

by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME

the classic sweet 16 with some modern touches.

Browning is also offering the Citori 725 over and under in this gauge. Savage Arms and Franchi, are also making 16 gauge over and under shotguns. CZ is offering a Sharptail side by side in 16 gauge. These all feature a reduced size receiver to add to the lines.

Hopefully, a new generation of 16 gauge fans will respond to these new offerings. Some of the old classics can still be found on used gun racks.

The good news is used 16 gauge shotguns usually sell for less than comparable 12 or 20’s. Remember a lightweight Browning Sweet 16 would make a perfect

1 st shotgun for that new shooter you are bringing along.

Tom is a Registered Maine Guide. He is the owner/operator of Shamrock Outfitters in Orient Maine with his wife Ellie.

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

He is an NRA Certified Instructor as well as a Hunter Safety Instructor in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. You can reach Tom at Shamrock Outfitters (207) 694-2473. Please visit our Facebook Page: Shamrock Outfitters and Properties and come visit us on East Grand Lake.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

On Point

by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. In last month’s column, we talked about picking a puppy. A reader and first-time puppy buyer asked me if I would provide him with a training schedule. We did that in our April 2011 column, which can be found on our website (www.birddogsafield.com). That column

down the schedule. Or, if the pup is afraid of nothing, then your pup will probably fit the schedule perfectly.

Today, there are dozens of videos on YouTube offering instruction on just about everything listed in our schedule. Most are very good.

Patience, Persistence

Training That New Pup

consistent; don’t change the drill. And, with puppies, always be positive. In fact, be positive with both puppies and adults. Positivity will be more productive throughout a dog’s life.

A great beginning for a new puppy owner is to join a puppy class. Both you and your puppy will benefit. It will help create that important bond between you and your pup and help socialize the pup to other dogs and people.

Patience, Persistence and Consistency are the most important words in dog training. The first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life is very important. Their brain is like a sponge; they learn very quickly. was written in coordination with Steve Ries of Top Gun Kennel in Iowa.

However, the following is an updated version of that 2011 column.

It’s important to understand that all dogs are different. It’s important that you spend time getting to know your puppy. Is it a little timid? Then slow

and Consistency are the most important words in dog training. The first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life is very important. Their brain is like a sponge; they learn very quickly. Don’t lose your cool over mistakes… patience is critical. Be persistent with your exercises; they’ll eventually get it.

And, make sure you’re

March 2021

Choose a reputable and experienced trainer. If you really want to become an expert on puppies, then I highly recommend you buy a DVD series titled Puppy Culture. It’s a powerful and comprehensive guide to the first 12 weeks of your puppy’s life. It’s available on Amazon.

Response to Name (8-10 weeks): This is not recall. This is simply getting your pup to respond to their name. In the simplest form, it’s saying the pup’s name and rewarding with a treat.

Automobile (Early!): With many hunting trips ahead, it’s very important to get your pup to enjoy auto trips. Start with very short trips…just down the road and back. Don’t feed or water for two hours before you begin the trip.

Also, after a few short trips, introduce to a travel crate.

Whoa (9-12 weeks):This command is critical to saving your dog’s life and remaining steady on point.

Sit (8-12 weeks): This command will serve

you well throughout the pup’s life. There are professional pointing dog trainers who don’t teach this command. They feel that if you put pressure on a dog while teaching steadiness, the dog will sit…which is not good. However, we

been renamed in the past few years.

Gun (four to six months): Gun shy dogs are not born…they’re created by man. Go slow on this.

E-Collar Training (six to eight months): There is no question that

Professional trainer Patti Carter working her pup on the whoa table. have found that this only e-collars have become very happens when negative popular in the past 20 years reinforcement is used in with dog training. Unfortusteadiness training. nately, they’ve been used Crate or Kennel (8- improperly by many dog 12 weeks): This command owners. And, that has often is very important. The crate created a life-long probbecomes a safe place for lem for the dog. Don’t use your pup. an e-collar unless you’ve Recall (10 to 12 been properly trained by weeks): Use either here a professional. If you reor come. This command ally want to become procomes after you begin ficient with the e-collar, I whoa training. If you teach would recommend you buy recall first, then whoa be- the DVD series E-Collar comes more difficult.

Training with Robin MacHeel (10-12 weeks): Farlane. It’s available from Every well-mannered dog Gun Dog Supply. You’ll is heel trained. be at the top of your game Live Birds (10-12 after learning from Robin’s weeks): No actual training technique. here…only an introducThat covers many of tion. Don’t allow the bird to the obedience exercises. flap their wings in the face Training natural ability of the pup. Your pup could with birds is a whole difbecome bird shy. ferent topic. Investing time C h e c k C o r d s & with your puppy will bring Leads (10-12 weeks): many rewards for the fuThese tools will be used ture. Have fun! throughout the life of your dog.

Trained Retrieve (six months): This is imporPaul and Susan are tant if you want a reliable hosts of Bird Dogs Afield retrieve. It was always TV. Contact: paul@birdcalled force-fetch but has dogsafield.com

March 2021

Leaders

(Cont. from pg 19) leader just lying there in the corner. A light came on and suddenly the impenetrable darkness of a winter was banished; I would tie up some more leaders. It’s been a few years since I sat down at the bench and embarked on that particular evolutionary journey. I’ve always admired the hell out of people who could tie a perfect blood knot. I can’t, God knows I’ve tried. The practice of building a leader and the definition of the word ‘arcane’ are literally stapled to each other in the literature. And while custom leader construction isn’t hiding from anyone, no one seems to pay much attention to it, either.

Custom built leaders can be food for your fishing soul. If a store-bought tapered leader is a bucket of

Northwoods Sporting Journal

KFC, then a custom-built leader is Boeuf Bourguignon; full of complexity and purpose driven. We know that a custom-built leader can do a much better job of transferring the energy of our cast to the terminal end, effortlessly turning over whatever fly we have on the end of our tippet, be it a diaphanous #20 BWO or some ridiculous, Kelly Galloup inspired, wet gym sock. If you’re a dry fly guy, your leaders are going to differ significantly from a nymph leader. The components will be different, the process of marrying them won’t. There are literally dozens of sites out there dedicated to the archane madness that is leader construction; too many to list here. An easy site to get you started would be to visit Global Fly Fisher and use their LeaderCalc charts. Use this link: (glo-

balflyfisher.com/leadercalc). They do a very good job of providing more than enough information to bury you for the rest of the winter and beyond.

How far you choose to take the information found there is entirely up to you. I just tie a few basic leaders; I find I’m quite content with that level of performance these days.

Now, there are guys out there who can take their dry fly leader and perform open heart surgery on it at the drop of a hat. They’ll carve out all the 3x, extend the 4x a bit, add a touch of 5x, and then tie on a 6x flouro dropper off the bend of the hook. All the while, standing waist deep in heavy current and whistling annoying show tunes. These people have a PhD level of knowledge and skill.

By comparison, I’m just a high-school dropout with

a gold-plated library card.

Obviously, you can become as emotionally invested in leader construction as you like. Some people like to incorporate a ‘sighter’ into their leaders and that’s fine; Amnesia mono thanks you for your business.

I even tried making my own ‘slinky’ sighters one time. You know, the ones where you boil the Amnesia, wrap it around a piece of dowel and throw it in the freezer for a few hours. See where this is going? The rabbit hole for leader construction runs fast and deep: beyond here be dragons. I guess one of the harder parts of construction is becoming proficient with the requisite blood knot. I can never seem to get the consistency I want, especially when I get down to the small stuff. I watched the Chris Fave video, the one where

Page 35

he ties the perfect blood knot in 7 seconds using a toothpick. All I managed to do was poke myself with the toothpick. You can tie a leader using the triple surgeon’s knot, I do this when I’m streamside and need to add more tippet, but it isn’t the same; structurally or aesthetically.

Building your own leaders is fun. Building your own leaders can also lead you to 12-step therapy if you’re not careful. Give them a try, I think you’ll find them a great addition to your fishing.

Mike Maynard is a part time farmer, grandfather of several, and an incorrigible water-logged stream rat and briar scarred covert crawler.

He lives in the woods of Perham, Maine and can be reached at perhamtrout@ gmail.com

We service all makes and models! • 1-800-339-5668

Page 36

Northwoods Sporting Journal

View From The River

March 2021

Renewal: The Flowing Water

by Laurie Chandler Bremen, ME Louis L’Amour once said, “There will come a time when you think everything is finished; that will be the beginning.”

Life tends to deliver us all our share of new beginnings. For me, this is my very first outdoor column, but it is simply the latest waypoint in an unforeseen journey that began when it

place, where I’ve found solace, renewal, and purpose. For Chris and me, it was where we found the greatest joy. I’d met him after moving to Maine with my two children, and for our honeymoon, he’d taken me to the Allagash.

I like to say that I fell in love all over again on that canoe trip — with the misty

The outdoors has always been my comfortable place, where I’ve found solace, renewal, and purpose. For Chris and me, it was where we found the greatest joy. seemed that everything was finished.

It was a sunny March day, twelve years ago. In the Maine woods, patches of bare ground were gradually winning out over the snow. It was the season of possibilities, of flowing sap, and summer daydreams. But instead of our planned afternoon at L.L. Bean’s fishing expo, I sat in a silent hospital room saying goodbye to my husband.

The outdoors has always been my comfortable

pink dance of the morning river, the heady scent of the fir, and the spirit of wild places.

At first, I craved the comfort of home, but by 2010, I felt ready to return to the river. This time, I would go alone, choosing Jackman’s Moose River Bow Trip for my inaugural solo trip. Traditionally, this route begins on Attean Pond, follows a 1.25-mile portage to Holeb Pond, then circles back to the start via Holeb Stream and the Moose River.

Well, that long portage of a mile and a quarter seemed daunting to me, so I arranged to shuttle from my parked car at the Attean Pond boat landing to begin on Holeb Pond. No long portages for me. Perhaps it was a good thing I couldn’t look ahead a few years to the 67 portages, over 125 miles, of my solo thru-paddle of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail!

The first morning, as the gentle current of Holeb Stream embraced my boat, a thrill swept through me. It was at once powerful and a surrender of myself to the flowing water. The onward journey that continues today had begun. The river soon began to teach me.

The short but rough portage around Holeb Falls made me a disciple of packing light. A midnight crash of metal on my second night out showed just how clever a raccoon can be in reaching a hanging food bag.

Blistered heels screamed that socks under my river sandals were wise when portaging.

On the Bow Trip, Class II Attean Falls is the last whitewater challenge.

Many paddlers choose to carry their gear around this turbulent rapid — not truly a waterfall — then run it with an empty boat. That was my plan. Approach-

ing the start of the portage trail, I navigated some fun rips that delivered me to an idyllic spot. Along the shore of a large pool, sun bathed wild blue flag iris and sparkled on a creek that came curving into sight on the right. On the left stretched an enormous beaver lodge.

It was mid-June, black fly season, and I pretty much had the river to myself. No one was around as I scrambled up to check out the campsite.

As my eyes drew level with the top of the high bank, I realized I was looking straight at a moose, very close. She stood pondering me for a moment, then calmly ambled away into the woods.

After that, I just had to camp there!

Late that afternoon, something moved on the far side of the creek.

Straight across from me, a plump brown animal slid down the bank, dragging a clump of leafy branches.

I froze. This was by far the best look I’d ever had at a beaver. Through the evening hours, I sat mesmerized by the flickering campfire. The pool had come alive with beaver.

Over and over, one would appear on the mud-slick path across the creek, sliding down or climbing up,

glossy brown fur matted with water, wide tail dragging awkwardly behind.

Quietly, another would swim down the creek from places unknown, trailing ribbons of bright green.

Others patrolled the pool, back and forth, with an occasional tail slap and dive.

Near dark, my moose returned to feed on the river below, silhouetted against the sunset sky. There was nothing in my experience to compare with the feeling of acceptance that I felt that evening, an affirmation of belonging that has never left me. As the years pass, this is the spell that always brings me back to the waters of Maine’s North Woods.

Laurie Apgar Chandler (www.laurieachandler. com) is the author of the newly released Through Woods & Waters and Upwards, the story of her 2015 solo thru-paddle of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The Moose River Bow Trip overlaps the route of the NFCT (Map 10). One day, she hopes to return to explore Number Five Bog along the Moose River, home to the state’s largest stand of inland jack pine and a rare dragonfly called the Quebec Emerald.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Mile

(Cont. from pg 24) best of me?

And then I saw it, the tree… the hemlock from behind which she came.

A big glaring bullet, in the tree. I got up to take a closer look and sure enough right in the center of the tree was my slug. I don’t know why but this made me enormously happy; I wasn’t actually that far off. About an inch off, not

that bad.

I texted my friend with some language I won’t repeat but expressed my excitement and frustration.

I was feeling a lot of things in the moment, annoyance with myself, disappointment that I’d missed, but I was also excited and pleased. I’ve never shot at a deer before and I had wondered when the time came to it, would I actually pull the trigger? Today answered that question for

sure! I didn’t hesitate at all.

I believe whole heartedly in hunting; it is how we manage the deer population, and I eat meat and I am committed to eating wild game or meat from a known source. As I sat there, in my spot, replaying this scene over and over I was overcome with excitement. My friend came back and sat with me for the last few mins before we hiked out. I couldn’t stop talking, albeit in a whis-

per. He laughed and told me “shhhh…you going to scare everything”.

I reminded him I just fired my shotgun, that I’d been back and forth to that tree ten times and I already scared everything. I excitedly talked on and on, and made plans for next week, and what I would do differently, where I would go, where else I would hunt.

I realized on the walk out, that miss hooked me for life. I was already

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Page 37 counting the days until I could get back out and try again. To sit there, quietly, listening to everything around me, disconnected from my phone and laptop, connected to the natural world and peace that overcomes me.

Judy Camuso is Maine’s Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

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Page 38

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.

By John Ford

Recently someone asked, “What was the biggest life-threatening issue you had to deal with during your career?” Surprisingly, the scariest life-threatening event during my career as a Maine Game Warden

full attention.

It was only by the Grace of God that somehow I managed to survive the moment. However, the biggest life-threatening challenge to my existence started in 1988. It remains a very serious threat today. It

Life Threatening Moments

forcing me to our local emergency room later that afternoon. In no time, I was being wheeled into the operating room, diagnosed with a case of appendicitis.

Thus began a life-threatening journey that still haunts me to this very day.

What the doctor thought was appendicitis, ended up being NonHodgkin lymphoma. In other words, the dreaded disease of cancer. Here I was, a young 42 -year old

It was only by the Grace of God that somehow I managed to survive the moment. However, the biggest life-threatening challenge to my existence started in 1988. never came from the hands of an armed poacher.

Nor did it come from defying the elements of mother nature, like the time I found myself floundering around in the icy waters of a beaver pond in subzero temperatures, after falling through thin ice. Nor was it one of those occasions, when I suddenly found myself staring down the barrel of a hunter’s rifle or shotgun, whether by mistake or on purpose. Those tense issues certainly gained my

had nothing to do with my career or, with the people I pursued.

Instead, this danger came from within. It surfaced its ugly head on a remote Waldo County pond in the spring of 1988. Surrounded by other wardens, we were at the scene of a drowning in Palermo, Maine. While retrieving the lifeless body of the victim, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my right side.

Completing the task at hand, the pain worsened,

March 2021

game warden, in the prime of his career, with a young family and a bright future ahead. Suddenly, dark clouds had gathered on the horizon, and that bright future wasn’t looking all that promising after all.

The medical staff agreed, “were it not been for that man’s tragedy and my own struggles retrieving his lifeless body, and had I simply ignored the pain allowing it to go unattended. More than likely, I wouldn’t be around today

GUNS • HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING

OUTFITTING MAINE’S OUTDOORSMEN

The late John Ford.

(Photo by Diane Reynolds) telling this story as I am!”

In their words, “One man’s tragedy – saved your life!” Now that’s a scary thought. Especially for a man who is supposed to be in charge of rescuing and saving others and not himself.

On my 42nd birthday, I found myself inundated with prodding needles and bags of chemotherapy pumping into my veins.

Life as I knew it changed drastically on that day!

For the next 8 months I had weekly infusions of chemo. I lost my hair. I was bloated and tired, not to mention the many times

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I privately spent talking to the porcelain toilet bowl in the bathroom.

The thought often crossed my mind, would I be taking my last breath I was determined to keep a positive attitude, maintaining my faith in God and trusting those medical professionals who knew what was best. My faith was as strong as ever. I found the mental issues were the hardest to deal with. Constantly worrying about the family I loved, and wondering what their futures would be. The thoughts often pushed me to the lim(Moments cont. pg 43)

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March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 39

Maine Wolf Encounter

Thomas Crabtree wrote this remarkable story of his adventures in a western Maine forest and it was first published in the Lewiston Journal, then republished by Acheson Daily Champion on May 11, 1889 “As we were a long piece from the camp, we

where the oaks were quite plentiful and some of them very large.

We stopped to take a view of the surrounding country. At this moment we heard a rustling among the leaves. It was so faint we did not detect the cause or direction from whence it came. Our thumbs were

the oak for acorns, which they are very fond of.

We sat down and resolved to watch for some time, as many hunters adopt this method of hunting to any other. We had sat but a few moments, when we saw a small deer running past us, and a few rods behind a large wolf in pursuit.

We did, but too late; for again we heard leaves rustle, and on looking into one of the oaks, an old bear was just dropping from the limbs. He was about twenty feet high, and dropped like a plummet, striking upon his hind feet. turned our steps in that direction. The ground was literally plowed by the hoofs of moose and deer.

We moved cautiously along, but saw not living creature. Our course now led us over a strip of land somewhat broken by small hills, and each one crowned with large oaks.

We were carefully scanning every clump of trees and bushes for some animal to shoot, and in fact we were very eager for a shot, if at nothing more than an another poor old porcupine.

We now arrived at a point

upon the hammers of our rifles in a moment. We scanned every nook and corner; but oh, if we had only looked up! We did, but too late; for again we heard leaves rustle, and on looking into one of the oaks, an old bear was just dropping from the limbs.

He was about twenty feet high, and dropped like a plummet, striking upon his hind feet. Our rifles were brought to our faces that instant; but the roughness of the ground favored him and we did not get a shot.

He evidently had climbed

The deer was nearly run down, we know, because its mouth was open and its tongue protruding. For a moment we saw them, as they were soon hidden by rising ground. Again they came into view, and this time nearer. In a moment the deer turned and came toward us, and we saw that the race was nearly over, as the wolf was not more than thirty feet behind.

The deer turned, and would pass at a point not more than five rods from us. Our rifles were brought to our faces. We were just

Basics

gear. Knowing what you have and how to use it is more important than just buying a kit. You do not want to be in an actual life or death situation and find out your “Deluxe 25 piece survival kit” is just 10 rusty fish hooks, 10 tiny band aids, and 5 matches that have turned to dust. If you buy a survival kit, buy two.

One to carry and one for practice.

Survival skills are like a fire extinguisher. Hope you never need to use it, but it can save your life the one time you do need it.

(Cont. from pg 30) woods hiking or boating but have never stayed outside overnight, now is the time. One of the best places to test skills and gear is in your own backyard. Survival gear does not have to be expensive and most people already own basic Crossword Answers (From pg 8) Across: 2 Safe, 5 South, 7 Otter, 8 Ellis, 10 Swift, 11 Bite, 13 Patrijshond, 15 Ejector.

Down: 1 Hurt, 2 Sharp-tailed, 3 Fire, 4 Bass, 6 Owl, 7 Ossipee, 9 Ice, 11 Basket, 12 Trout, 14 Teal.

Joe is a Husband, Dad, Marine, and Writer.

JoeFrazier193@gmail. com

Old Tales from the Maine Woods

by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA

pulling upon the wolf, when he, by two masterly springs caught the deer by the thigh.

The poor creature bleated piteously and fell.

The wolf let go of his hold on the thigh, and seized him by the throat; but the loud report of two rifles broke up the scene, and the savage brute hobbled away with a broken leg and bullet through his body.

The poor little deer sprung to his feet, looked around for a moment and then ran away as if nothing was the matter. We loaded our rifles and followed after the wolf and soon saw him, and a very sick wolf

he was.

Soon we came near enough for a shot, and had the luck to break another leg, and as they were on opposite sides he still tried hard to get away, but another shot stopped him, and a vigorous use of a club stilled him forever. His hide was soon stripped off and we were on our way to the camp, well satisfied with our morning’s hunt.”

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

Old Tales of the Maine Woods Steve Pinkham Maine Woods Historian, Author and Storyteller

617-407-0743

steve@oldtalesofthemainewoods.com www.oldtalesofthemainewoods.com

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Page 40

The Allagash

AWW Superintendent, Matt LaRoche, ME The Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation (AWWF), founded in 2011, is a group of dedicated volunteers that are interested in enhancing the wilderness character of the Waterway, protecting its environment, preserving its historic and cultural values and foster-

The Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation

State of Maine’s purchase of the 40-acre Lock Dam lot.

When the Waterway was established in 1966, the East Branch Improvement Company retained ownership of the land encompassing Telos and Lock Dams. Ownership of the

One of the most recent achievements of the AWWF has been the publication of the Allagash Explorer, a historic and cultural resource companion guide for visitors to the Waterway.

ing knowledge and understanding of the Waterway.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that has funded several exciting initiatives that have benefited the Waterway and its visitors.

One of the most significant accomplishments of the AWWF was funding the

March 2021

land at Telos was transferred to the State of Maine in 2000, but Great Northern Paper remained the owner of the Lock Dam parcel.

The AWWF negotiated a fair price with the most recent owner of the Lock Dam lot- Katahdin Forest Management. In a threeway simultaneous transac-

www.maineoutdoorpublications.net Books for the Northern Outdoorsman

tion, the AWWF paid Katahdin Forest Management for the acquisition and the title of the lot was transferred directly to the State of Maine. State ownership of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) is now complete from Telos Dam to West Twin Brook. That was a great day for the AWW! One of the most recent achievements of the AWWF has been the publication of the Allagash Explorer, a historic and cultural resource compan-

ion guide for visitors to the Waterway. It is a high-quality, spiralbound pocket guide that describes the many historical sites and cultural resources along the Waterway. It truly is a musthave guide for those visiting the historic Waterway.

Introducing young people from the St. John Valley to canoeing has been a high priority for the AWWF. They have organized youth trips on the Allagash since 2016 (except last year due to CO-

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VID concerns). The group works with local school districts and Chewonki Foundation to get young people out on the river to learn basic canoeing, camping and leadership skills. The hope is that once these students are exposed to the natural wonders in their backyard, they will become lifelong paddlers and advocates for the conservation of our natural resources and the Waterway.

The Foundations short-term priorities are: • Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring Project • Youth on the Allagash, three-day-two-night middle school student trips on the Waterway • Canoeing and Water Safety Day Camp, a pilot project for fourth to sixth grade youth in the St. John River Valley • Classroom to River, supporting middle school curriculum development based on the (Waterway cont. pg 41)

March 2021

Waterway

(Cont. from pg 40) • Allagash Explorer in the St. John River Valley school districts • Allagash Explorer incorporated into a downloadable app map/guide of the Allagash in partnership with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail • First Light Learning Journey, a collaboration between the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, • Maliseet and Micmac Communities and Maine conservation organizations • Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation’s 10-year anniversary!

I have been working for the Bureau of Parks and Lands for over 44-years and have seen many friends groups start and then fall by the wayside. I can honestly say that the AWW Foundation has been supportive of the AWW mission and

News

(Cont. from pg 14) leading up to it.

Looks like recent temps have insured that ice fishermen can safely get out there now! I know it’s tricky to cast a fly into that little hole in the ice, but trust me it’s worth it! :-) Stay Safe, Stay Warm, and Fly Tying Classes to be ramping up Tuesday nights very soon! We will keep you posted!

-Your Friends at The Veazie Salmon Club!

Caribou Man Dies In Snowmobile Crash

A 25-year-old Caribou man died in a snowmobile crash l this winter.

Emmanuel Bouchard, age 25 of Caribou, was traveling south on ITS 105 towards Caribou on his 2021 Polaris with a group

Northwoods Sporting Journal

of me personally since the group formed. They have been a pleasure to deal with and have raised money for many worthwhile projects that the Waterway budget could not support. During my tenure on the Waterway they have financially supported the following projects: An assessment of environmental impacts at campsites, in cooperation with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail Purchase of the Lock Dam lot The 50th anniversary of the AWW Youth on the Allagash trips AWW visitor survey Storied Lands and Waters – Interpretive Plan and Heritage Resource Assessment The Allagash Explorer – Take Along Companion for Maine’s Wilderness Waterway If you love the Water-

of 12 other people at 9:30 p.m.. When the group got to Caribou, they realized that Bouchard was not with them.

Four of the snowmobilers headed back to try and locate him, and once they got to Stockholm on ITS 105, they met another group of snowmobilers who had found Bouchard off the side of the trail and called 911. The initial investigation of the crash by the Maine Warden Service showed the victim was traveling at a high rate of speed and veered off the right side of the trail, down a steep embankment and then struck several large trees. Bouchard was wearing a helmet, and alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash.

The Maine Warden Service was assisted by Caribou Fire and Ambulance.

way and want to support the AWW Foundation’s work, please consider a fi-

Page 41

Theory

(Cont. from pg 32) who think the moose hunt should be shut down so the herd can build back up. that is a counter productive idea as more moose die every winter from the ticks than are by hunters. The key point of the exercise is to improve the health of the herd, to where it can withMatt LaRoche is Su- stand the other parasitic perintendent of the Allagash problems the moose face.

Wilderness Waterway, a Reg- If the herd is healthier the istered Maine Guide and an cows will produce more avid outdoorsman. He can be calves and the survival of reached at 207-695-2169 or those calves will be much nancial contribution to that organization. See www.awwf. org for more information about the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation.

Waterway notes: To view the AWW annual report, read the visitor survey and for up-to-date ice conditions on the Waterway go to: www. maine.gov/allagash .

at matt.laroche@maine.gov

higher. It’s not rocket science, again just common sense. Let give Lee and his team a chance to see this proposal through, because as I see it there is no alternative other than mother nature taking it course.

Until next month, “Good luck on the trail”!

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

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Page 42

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

“Just Fishing”

by Bob Leeman, Bangor, ME

Atlantic Salmon:The Heydays

working flies while rowing two-man crafts in the swirling off-shore waters of foam. Hard to believe, but quite often the first fish caught, that early in the season, was shipped off to the President of the United States of America.

In those early times, it was not unusual to hook a salmon of huge proportions - some averaging the 15-16lb range!

This writer can recall that the “Club” awarded a “Horace P. Bond Trophy” at times to an honorable member. These were momentous times back then, and even this writer, being a late comSporting Journal editor ing member, V. Paul Reynolds and his wife, joined such reDiane, with her first Atlantic spected anglers salmon caught on one of as Bond, MeisNewfoundland’s many te r, L e a v itt, salmon rivers.

Guy Carroll, Years ago, in the gold- Bill Howell, and so many, en years of bamboo flyrods, many more. The hallowed Bogden fly reels, and HDH walls of the clubhouse still flylines, the froth-topped display, I believe, phopools of the Penobscot tos of those mementos River’s Bangor Salmon with local pool anglers, Pool was actually located lined with pals in their in Brewer. Overlooking the working clothes and felt site was a highly regarded hats, standing at riverside, club and clubhouse, name- holding their “catch of the ly regarded as the esteemed day”. It was not unusual in “Penobscot Salmon Club”. those times for total day Members, in those “catches” by anglers of up early days of the 1930s to and over 30 to 40 fish, and 40s, held breakfasts or even 50 on an average on April first -opening day day. All this, despite polof fishing - and often cast luted waters from upriver flylines while standing on discharges from a dozen shore-lined icecakes and paper mills and countless As the years passed, those salmon anglers who had witnessed the excitement and thrill of hooking the Atlantic salmon, fought for the allowing of “catch and release” of the king of fishes. But all efforts failed, even though most all the funds for the fish’s protection and preservation were supplied by fishermen over these many years.

sewers.

In later years, however, some legislators, including Governor Muskie, as I recall, began a giant clean-up effort that still lasts today.

On one eventful spring year, during the salmon migration, an oversized whale was observed in the salmon pool for several days, while it rolled

In those early times, it was not unusual to hook a salmon of huge proportions - some averaging the 15-16 lb range!

and swirled, apparently following the fish in its migration, perhaps to partake of ready meals. The whale was identified, after long deliberations, as a beluga whale species.

During the 1980s, some of the sport-shops that were opened at the time of the sudden Atlantic salmon river return, did land office business. Some of those were Dakin’s Sporting Goods, Eddie’s Flies, and Bob Leeman’s Trout Shop (at riverside).

But when the fish became an “endangered species”, all these local businesses, for the most part, faded.

The real story of the faltering movement of Atlantic salmon migrations over the decades, may well be explained in the fishes “home” feeding grounds being discovered off the Straits of Greenland. When (Salmon cont. pg 47)

March 2021

Moments (Cont. from pg 38) its, almost forcing me into a major depression.

I feared never seeing my son graduate from high school; getting married; having his own family; and sharing the same happiness that was passed onto us by our parents.John, was only 13. He was at the age of where he needed a healthy dad, not the one he currently had.

I wondered if I’d ever finish my career, enjoying the great experiences out in God’s country that I’d taken for granted up until now. Through it all, I continued to work as best I could. Then Chief Warden, Larry Cummings, a good friend and my boss, was experiencing his own bout of the same dreaded disease.

We often leaned upon each other, in a means of humble support for the many medical invasions of needles and chemicals being constantly forced into our bodies, in an effort to prolong our lives. In my case, I won the battle, when the cancer went into remission. Sadly, Larry wasn’t so fortunate. He lost his battle after a valiant fight in 1991.

The agency lost a true leader on that day and, I lost a great friend. My doctors felt if the lymphoma didn’t return in 5 years, the chances of it ever coming back were quite good.

I thoroughly destroyed that theory 7 years later when in 1995 it returned with a vengeance. By then I’d retired as a Warden, and was just starting out on my second term as Waldo County’s High Sheriff, when a resurgence of pain reoccurred in my lower back. The doctors at first

Northwoods Sporting Journal diagnosed this pain as pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic Cancer didn’t sound that promising, especially with no successful treatment available. But once again God, stepped in and spared the death threat I’d been given, when the diagnosis showed that lymphoma was once again the cause of my discomfort. The infected node right near the pancreas gave a false diagnosis.

So much for that 5year theory! Here we go again! By now, new and better treatments for this deadly disease was improving almost daily. In mid 1995, I spent several weeks completely isolated and confined to a sanitized room at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston, where I received a stem cell - bone marrow transplant, using my own treated cells as the cure.

I was placed as close to the brink of death as a person could possibly get.

My entire immune system was destroyed, before reintroducing the newly treated cells to rejuvenate the body, hopefully making it cancer free. Once again, a strong faith in God and a great medical team had spared me! Not to mention the outpouring of support and prayers from so many friends. The combination of it all was invaluable to say the least.

Fast forward to 2009 – The constant warnings to wear sunscreen and to avoid prolonged periods of sun rays without protection, to shield against skin cancer and the melanoma we hear so much about today, bares to be adhered to by those of us who think we are immune from such a disease.

Who ever heard of

such a warning back in the days of our youth, when even the mention of skin cancers itself was a rarity.

In 2009 I personally became privy to what those warnings meant, when suddenly I had a dark mole on my left arm, change its shape and color rather quickly.

It never occurred to me that perhaps I shouldn’t be dallying around and immediately get it checked with the doctor who previously had clipped off a few skin issues that he claimed could eventually lead to melanoma. My delay allowed that mole to explode, eventually forcing me back into the operating room, with a golf ball sized chunk of my arm being cut away in what was determined to be melanoma.

Now I had a new type of cancer to deal with. After that particular delicate surgery, the Good Lord blessed me with yet another 6 years of cancer free life.

For the past 21 years I have continued along life’s road, with many so-called saves behind me. God was good.

However, recently as I was showering, I realized I’d never be free from the dreaded disease. I noticed a hard lump located underneath my left arm pit that seemed to have surfaced overnight.

Within no time, I was back in the operating room.

A biopsy revealed that this lump was the return of melanoma. It needed to

be removed expeditiously.

Once again I went back under the knife. This time for 4 hours, as the skilled doctor removed 37 lymph nodes, all of them dark and appearing to be heavily infected with the disease.

The prognosis wasn’t good. But then again, none of them ever was when one of these life-threatening moments reared its ugly head. Today the battle plan calls for five straight weeks of radiation on the arm in question. Hopefully it will be enough to kill any cancerous cells looking to expand into new territories.

Once again, I’ll be keeping the medical profession solvent, while praying to the Big Guy above for yet another reprieve. For those of you who thought this only happens to others, I urge you to pay attention to my story, so that one day you hopefully won’t find yourselves in the same boat.

I don’t write this article as a means of seeking sympathy, support, or a sign of self-pity.

Instead I write to those of you who don’t heed the warnings of thoroughly examining your own body, searching for changes in moles, or searching for lumps in your skin, or looking for those sudden dark areas that suddenly appear out of no where. Don’t find yourself down the road, wishing you had been more thorough.

If my story brings

WORLDWIDE SPORTING ADVENTURES

Page 43 the seriousness of this issue to light to just one of you – then I will have accomplished my mission. My life’s journey has carried me a long ways over a rough road with several bumps in its path.

Hopefully the journey will continue for a while longer.

If not, I’m ready to accept whatever the future will be with absolutely no regrets.

For me, it has been a fantastic ride. I’ve seen and done so much more than I ever expected since that first encounter with the demon from within, way back in 1988. Today my fate remains in God’s hands, and I’m willing to take whatever plan he has in mind.

Now you know what “the biggest life-threatening issue” I had to deal with throughout my career.” It is one that I’ll still be fighting in the days, the weeks, and the months, ahead!

Hoping for the best!

The late John Ford Sr. was a retired State of Maine Game Warden and Waldo County Sheriff. John wrote for the Sporting Journal for many years. He was a published author,”Suddenly the Cider Didn’t Taste So Good,” and “ This Cider Still Tastes Funny.”

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Page 44

Northwoods Sporting Journal

A Dangerous Policy

Native Fish Talk

by Bob Mallard, Skowhegan, ME Fifteen years ago, I wrote a piece for this publication called, “Social Engineering: A Dangerous Policy.” In the article I challenged Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) posi-

team of fisheries advocates that included George Smith, Harry Vanderweide, Gary Corson, Dr. Vaughn Anthony, Ed Courtney (Moosehead Coalition), Greg Ponte (TU), etc., who were responsible for the

In general, we have been in a pattern of putting the desires of sportsmen, or at least what IFW believes those desires to be, ahead of science for nearly a decade now. tion that social desires, not science, should drive fisheries management decisions. A decade and a half later, my opinion has not changed.

Social Engineering Origin The first time I heard the term “social engineering” was at a meeting of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine Fishing Initiative Committee, an all-star

March 2021

State Heritage Fish law and other important initiatives.

A member of the group, IFW’s Director of Fisheries, threw out the term as part of a new management philosophy. Even without knowing exactly what it meant, I cringed at the idea as it implied that social concerns would influence, or even dictate, the direction in regard to fisheries management. While

we all know that is the case in practice, to hear it as part of formal policy greatly really concerned me as it was now formalized.

As most sportsmen know, while state fish and game agencies are beholden to hunters and anglers due to funding models, lobbies, and political pressure, their job is first and foremost to protect the resource, and regardless of what we sportsmen might want. When it comes to hunting, while we have admittedly made some mistakes, science usually trumps social desires. Unfortunately, when it comes to fishing, it’s often the opposite.

All one has to do is look at the sweeping statesponsored introduction of nonnative fish, costly put-and-take stocking that allows sportsmen to consume more resources than their license pays for, and hatchery hybrids such as splake to see that much of what IFW does in regard to fisheries management is done for social not scientific reasons. In fact, these things fly in the face of sound science.

Examples of Bad Decisions IFW recently entered into discussions with a homeowner’s association in regard to restarting a previously suspended splake

place these rare fish can be studied without having to sort through the impacts of angling.

If stocked splake find their way into the lake again, they could threaten

“The author with a large wild brook trout from the Rapid River, the most strictly managed water in Maine. (Kris Thompson).” stocking program. The program was suspended when it was determined that splake were finding their way into Floods Pond, the national gene bank for rare Arctic charr. A municipal water supply, Floods is closed to fishing and recreation. It is also home to a decade’s long UMaine Arctic charr population study, and the only

the rare and critically important Arctic charr population, as well as compromise the invaluable and extensive population data by changing the baseline conditions. This is a clear case where science should have trumped social desires, and the request should have been killed in its tracks.

(Policy cont. pg 45)

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Policy (Cont. from pg 44) IFW announced a proposal to resume a previously suspended nonnative brown trout stocking program within an endangered Atlantic salmon watershed.

The proposal drew protests from several conservation groups. When it was finally withdrawn, the reason given was poor performance of brown trout, not the risk they pose to a federally, and critically, endangered Atlantic salmon. What drove this proposal, and why did it get as far as it did? If there is anywhere where science should trump social desires, it’s when it involves an endangered species.

In general, we have been in a pattern of putting the desires of sportsmen, or at least what IFW believes those desires to be, ahead of science for nearly a decade now. Protective fly-fishing- only rules that have stood for decades have been reversed, bag limits have been increased, and length limits have been reduced under the guise of “increasing opportunity.”

We are backsliding, and our fishing shows it. Far too many waters have declined, and far too few have improved.

IFW is now openly encouraging the harvest of fish, stating that voluntary catch-and-release is harming Maine’s fishing.

The idea is that harvesting fish, including fish IF7W put there, will allow other fish to grow larger. While this may be the case where nonnative fish have been introduced, and are being removed to benefit native species, in cases like Moosehead Lake we are doing the op-

Northwoods Sporting Journal posite – harvesting wild native lake trout to benefit stocked nonnative landlocked salmon.

We’ve all seen it, old pictures of stringers of large brook trout. If harvest is critical to maintaining size-quality, why did so many waters have large fish before we started exploiting them? Why don’t they have large fish today? As I’ve said countless times, while you can harvest yourself into trouble, you can’t harvest your way out of trouble…

What we need is science-based decision making that puts the resource ahead of the user of that resource. When we take a fish-first position, the resource benefits, and we do as well. We would never treat our wildlife the way we treat our fish. When it comes to wildlife, the seasons are notably shorter, limits are far less, we rely far less on husbandry, and things are working out pretty well.

BOB MALLARD has fly fished for forty years.

He is a former fly shop owner, Registered Maine Fishing Guide, and 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 his most recent, Squaretail: The Definitive Guide to Brook Trout and Where to Find Them (Stackpole Books.) Bob can be reached at www.

BobMallard.com or info@ bobmallard.com

Page 45

Best Shot March

Bob Henderson of Maxfield, ME with his cat reading his monthly Northwoods Sporting Journal!

We think the cat is looking for Marty!

Carroll’s Corner Rabbit Hunting……No Dogs?

By this time of the winter, cabin fever has begun to set in and Lila and I find ourselves looking for reasons to get outside. In 2020, we lost all three of the Maine Sportsman’s shows because of the Covid-19 issues. March was a long month, arriving when everyone had begun to at least think about spring.

These days our only hunting dog is Riffle, our upland and duck dog who has made it plain that rabbit hunting is emphatically NOT in his DNA. So we use the put your feet on the ground and walk method. This is a great way to spend a sunny day in our beautiful Maine woods. We make our way into softwood cover, ideally along the edge of a spruce or cedar bog. In simple terms, we are trudging through the woods, trying to bust a bunny out of the thick tree growth and out where we can see him. Our Snowshoe rabbits (truth to tell, they are Varying hare’s) have an odd habit; when we can jump them out and get them to move, if you whistle, they often will stop and take a look back at you, which usually proves to be a fatal mistake.

We find that a twenty-gauge, using number six shot is about right for the terrific little small-game animal. Using this shot size doesn’t ruin much meat and usually stops them on the spot. Decades ago an old gent that I hunted with then showed me a quick and easy way to skin the rabbits. You simply make a horizontal slit across the backbone from right to left. Put the first two fingers of each hand in the slit and then give a strong pull with each hand. This is best done when the animal is still warm, and works surprisingly well. The hide will peel in both directions and then just remove the head and feet. To remove the entrails, I make a 3” slit in the membrane at the bottom of the body cavity, at the base of the membrane. Now just grab the rabbit by the front of his body and swing vigorously, without any followthrough. If you swing hard enough the entrails will go shooting out through the slit in the membrane that you made. I can already hear the disbelief about this method but I promise this works…..honest!

Bone the meat from the carcass; parboil it, saving the broth. From here it is like any meat stew, carrots, onions, potato as you wish. Place meat, etc, in a pie crust, take that broth that you saved, thicken with a roux and pour this over the contents of the pie. Add the top crust and bake it at 425* until crust is brown. This recipe is easy to make, tastes great and all you need is rabbits. Enjoy with a chilled Chardonnay!

Next month…..Fiddlehead Picking and Recipes 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

March 2021

Feeding Deer Needs to Stop

Women In The Woods

by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME I just hit a deer, do you want it?

My neighbor sent me this text during her morning commute to work. Had there been room in my freezer, I might have taken her up on it. I had done it before when I watched another driver hit another doe within 50 feet of where my neighbor was. It was the third deer hit that week in the same stretch of road.

Why? A landowner is feeding them.

A few years ago, I spoke with Maine IF&W’s then deer biologist about the impacts of feeding deer.

We talked about the risk of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)getting into the herd and spreading so rapidly, because of the unnaturally large popula-

tion being pulled into a small area. We talked about the biological make up of a deer’s stomach and how the food they are being fed (grain) is not a natural food for them, especially during the winter months. We talked about the increase in predators in those areas because of the increase populations and of course, we talked about more deer

Those who feed wintering deer may derive a warm and fuzzy feeling, but they really may be doing more harm than good?

(Photo by Jannifer Stanchfield)

feeding ever ends, it will be years before deer revert back to a natural feeding pattern and move to naturally created winter yards.

If the genuine purpose behind these feeding operaIf the genuine purpose behind these feeding operations tions is to “help” the deer is to “help” the deer during the winter months, then there during the winter months, then there should be a way should be a way for everyone to come to the table and create a plan to end the feeding and help deer return to their for everyone to come to the table and create a plan natural feeding and wintering patterns. to end the feeding and preventing vulnerable deer the state. All of those deer help deer return to their being hit.

Maine IF&W has a (like fawns) from getting have been conditioned to natural feeding and winfour-page document called, enough food to survive. go there in order to get tering patterns. We trust “Living on the Edge: Win- And just because you don’t fed in the winter months. the biologists to do their ter Feeding of Deer: what see these behaviors while They are now dependent on jobs and work to create a you should know.” It lists looking out your window, non-natural food and if the (Stop cont. pg 55) many more examples of adverse impacts of feeding deer including disruption of natural deer migration, malnutrition and more aggressive deer

does not mean that they are not happening.

It infuriates me every time somebody shares the live video of the ‘food pantry’ that we have in

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March 2021

Flavor

(Cont. from pg 31) Apply the right flavor principle to your fish and game and it will lead to more enjoyable meals from the wild.

WildCheff’s Honey Orange Salmon Ingredients 2 – 1/2 lb. boneless wild salmon filets, skin removed. orange juice maple sugar 1 T of local honey WildCheff Roasted Garlic Powder WildCheff Applewood Smoked Sea Salt Directions Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place salmon filets into a large stainless bowl.

Pour orange juice over salmon and let the salmon sit in the bowl for 5-10 minutes.

Place salmon into a baking dish and season the top of the salmon with desired amount of maple sugar, garlic powder, applewood sea salt and drizzled

Salmon

(Cont. from pg 42) the fishing ships or trollers found the “location,” the slaughter apparently began.

It wasn’t until laws and moratoriums were placed on the “netters” that some of the carnage was at least stalled somewhat. It shows up in the variations of migrations of the fish in Canada, New Zealand, and the eastern United States. One mention of note that might be made is fisheries biologists have noted of earlyrunning, or migrational Atlantic salmon of those early or premature times, contained different genes of those fish of today. Those ocean visitors came into

Northwoods Sporting Journal honey.

Pour some orange juice around baking pan; just enough to surround the salmon, but do not cover the fish.

Place into heated oven until salmon is cooked – approximately 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve with your favorite rice and veggie.

Spoon some of the pan juice over the top of the plated salmon.

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But, those were the days, my friend! (In memories) I hope they never end.

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 on his books, please call 207573-1468.

Page 47

Photos From Our Readers!

11 year old Avery Quebec caught smallies on East Grand Lake.

Brian Smith from East Machias snapped this photo of an unexpected visitor from his bathroom window. He calls the photo simply, “Peeping Tom.” (Photo by Brian Smith)

Drew Wells, 11 of Steuben, iced this 6.5 lb largemouth bass at a pond in Gouldsboro.

Coyote encounter by Brandon Lane Allagash Guide Service

Page 48

Northwoods Sporting Journal

New Hampshire Outdoors

March 2021

Ammo Crunch Goes On

by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H. Yo u ’ v e p r o b a b l y heard the old expression, “Beware the Ides of March.” Did you ever wonder what an “ides” was? I guess it’s one of those questions that we ask during the winter when we have too much free time on our hands. Anyway, Ides was one of the ancient astrological markers that simply referred to the first full moon of a given month, which usually fell between the 13th and 15th. But, the full moon this month is on the 28th, so I guess that’s the Ides?

But, I do know that the Vernal Equinox rolls in

at 5:37 a.m. on Saturday, March 20th. And then we start seeing more daylight than darkness. The process of more daylight begins on March 8th when we set the clocks ahead an hour. So, March is really a pretty It may be next summer before ammo is more available. important month.

On that, I’m sure the still a lot of open water on June of 1971, Sen. Thomas 6.2 million new shooters ice fishing crowd agrees. lakes Sunapee and Win- McIntyre, N.H., introduced last year and you’ve got a With all the rain and warm- nipesaukee. a Joint Resolution which classic case of demand outer temperatures of DecemI’ve missed going authorized National Hunt- pacing supply. And when According to the NRA’s Shooting Sports USA and American you can find it, get ready to pay a pretty penny. I found Rifleman magazine, the current ammunition crunch could a couple of boxes of .280 last well into 2021 and likely beyond.

AI recently and paid over ber and January, it took indoors for the outdoor ing and Fishing Day on $60 a box. At three bucks a until the third week of shows that were a winter the fourth Saturday of ev- round, it makes you a little January when the ice really staple. COVID continues ery September. Thank you more judicious with your started to set. But there was to take its toll on them. The Senator! shots. annual Fly Fish NH show In November, there Applications for the in February was cancelled was an article that appeared nine-day 2021 NH Moose as well as the NH Outdoor in the Piscataquis Observ- hunt (October 16-24) are Expo, which was sched- er, which was penned by out. Go to : huntnh.com for uled for March. Outdoor the revered editor of the your chance to apply. shows in Boxborough, “Northwoods Sporting (Birds cont. pg ??)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 49

Legendary Maine Bucks

Maine has long been famous for its “monster” whitetail bucks. Of course, the most fabled of these is the 1955 Horace Hinckley buck, a big-toed bruiser

teria for scoring antlers.

And in Maine, the Maine Antler Skull Trophy Club (MASTC) gets involved in scoring and maintaining the archives of record

that has 1 or more nontypical points but does not qualify for the non-typical category; Non-typical - a rack that includes 1 or more non-typical points.

The attached art work by artist Mark McCollough is a wonderful collage of Maine’s most impressive antlered bucks bagged over the last 110 years.

The state record for non-typical is the Hill Gould buck taken in 1910

Outdoors In Maine

by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME

by Ronnie Cox in Aroostook County. The Cox buck was foraging on old potato peelings during a snow storm. It reportedly remains the highest scoring typical buck in New England history! It scored 193 and 2 eighths.

thick-necked, big-antlered buck, with steam around his nostrils, appears like a mirage from the fir thicket.

If, like me, your dream did not become reality this fall, there is another fall to come. Rest assured that somewhere out there

The state record for non-typical is the Hill Gould buck taken in 1910 at Grand Lake Stream Maine by Mr. Gould, a Maine guide. This set of remarkable antlers scored 259 plus.

that field-dressed at a jawdropping 355 lbs! No other buck has since come close to this famous buck, when it comes to sheer weight.

But weight is not the only yardstick that determines that a buck is worthy of special attention – antlers are what it is all about in making a buck famous in the deer hunting community. Antler judging is an art form in itself. Boone and Crockett has over the years established the cri-

Maine bucks.

There are three basic categories on antler excellence: typical, nontypical and perfect. According to Kyle Wentworth at MASTC, deer-antler categories work like this: Perfect - a rack that does not have any non-typical points. It can have an odd number of points (IE - 5 points on the right and 4 points on the left) but cannot have any non-typical points; Typical - a rack

at Grand Lake Stream Maine by Mr. Gould, a Maine guide. This set of remarkable antlers scored 259 plus.

In the “perfect” category, a 17-pointer taken

by Alphonso Chase in York County in 1920 still holds the record. Because this deer sported 8 points on one side and 9 points on the other, the scorers at Boone and Crockett, held a special meeting to deliberate about the “admissibility” of Chase’s buck. It passed muster and scored 193 plus.

The largest typical was the so-called “potato pile” buck bagged in 1965

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Ironically, one of the state’s most well-known bucks and potential record breakers in the typical category did not meet B&C eligibility criteria because of a split skull. It was shot at Silver Ridge in 1949 by Fred Goodwin. It could not be scored for the record books, but professional scorers estimate that the Goodwin buck would have really moved the needle at 210 points.

Most deer hunters are dreamers by nature. For those who tramp the cedar bogs and sit for hours on cold stumps along the ridge lines, the fantasy repeats itself year after year: a

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in the deer woods, there is a buck with your name on it - perhaps a state record breaker.

Dream on.

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 at www.sportingjournal.com. Contact email is: vpaulr@tds.net

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 50

Outdoors In Vermont

by Gary W. Moore, Bradford, VT

A hunter safety course should be part of the school curriculum in every middle school or junior high.

Yes, as a long time teacher and school administrator I know teachers are overwhelmed with mandates, but I feel learning to

Let me make it clear, I am not advocating that children should be taught to hunt or shoot as doing so is not the responsibility of the schools. That should be left to families to decide. handle a firearm safely is of critical importance in a region where firearms are so prevalent.

I suspect more homes in northern New England house firearms than do not.

Some have large quantities.

Unfortunately, many are not secured to keep them from young children.

Let me make it clear, I am not advocating that children should be taught to hunt or shoot as doing so is not the responsibility of the schools. That should be left to families to decide.

What I am talking about is safety, specifically firearms safety. Back when I was the Vermont Commissioner of Fish and Game nearly 40 years ago I used to talk to all sorts of groups and I always tried to convey the need for firearms education and safety.

My fear is that some four- year- old will come dragging a firearm out of a bedroom and that a young babysitter will freak out rather than calmly take the gun away and make sure it is safe. Far too often in the anti- gun climate, people so fear firearms that they would rather try to pet a

March 2021

Hunter Safety for Schools

rattlesnake than touch a gun. Remember a firearm is an inanimate object. It will not bite nor sting by simply being touched.

One part of the hunter education courses taught in Vermont and New Hampshire is firearms safety.

Students learn to safely handle, load and unload various types of guns. Familiarity is important to safe handling.

That is the part I believe should be taught in the schools just as we teach driver education to keep all of us safe.

I know my position will attract some vehement opposition but I feel the discussion should be had.

Young Groton Hunter Bags Trophy Wisconsin Buck Michael Jolley is a 17-year-old Groton, Vermont resident and an avid sportsman who has had considerable success since he got his hunting license at age nine.

November 9th he shot the buck of many hunters’ dreams, a 16 point, 206

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Groton resident Michael Jolley and his Wisconsin Buck. pound trophy that had a green score of 162 3/8. He was hunting in Gillett, Wisconsin with his friend Joe Doucette of East Ryegate and outfitter, Apple Creek Whitetails.

Jolley told me, “This buck came in chasing some does. He stopped as the does had stopped to get something to eat. He was broadside at about 75 yards. I shot, and he only went another 100 yards.”

When I learned he shot the buck with a .243 I had to ask him about it as that is the caliber I have shot all my bucks with since 1968. His answer was, “The .243 is an amazing caliber. Everyone says you need a huge caliber to

knock bucks down. That is definitely not the case.

It’s 100 percent about shot placement.”

Jolley got started hunting when he was nine.

It was Doucette who taught him to hunt. He said, “My parents don’t hunt, but they support my hunting and trapping hobbies and I’m very thankful for that.”

In response to my question about his past hunting experiences he replied, “My first deer was a button buck. Little did I know after that first harvest I was hooked. My second deer was an 8 pointer, and since then I’ve shot another 8 pointer a couple does, and a spike horn on youth day.”

(Schools cont. pg 54)

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March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Wild Things At The Trough

There was to be some big news the next morning so my sweet wife made it clear to me that I should wake her when I first opened my eyes because

more than the bird feeder, situated right next to the driveway and just below a long row of stacked firewood. It is close enough to watch the chickadees, one

pears, only to be chased away.

A great surprise came from the south of the house recently, a scene that, once again, was due to the alert

Page 51

Vermont Ramblings

by Dennis Jensen, Vermont

nessed this kind of behavior a few times.

I never tire of watching the birds come to my feeder. But those damned

I got so damned tired of the jays, especially earlier this fall, that I would go out with my .22 revolver and fire off a shot of two (not, of

Truth is, I never tire of seeing deer right from the house, but over the past three months or so, this is the first sighting, although I know they have visited often during the hours of darkness. Their tracks in the snow tell the story. wife. She called me from blue jays! Unlike all the the study, upstairs, to look other birds, who seem to upon the large group of wait their turns and then birds climbing the hill fly down one by one, the that marks her wild flower blue jays land upon the garden. A flock of no less feeder and scoop up one 16 wild turkeys slowly seed after the next. Somemade its way up the hill. times, two of them will hit I looked, real hard, for the feeder. This can go on A black bear walks within feet of the author’s those telltale red heads, for a long period of time home in Castleton, Vt., several years ago. but saw none. Still, it was and, before you know it, (Photo by Dennis Jensen) a beautiful thing to see. the feeder is cleaned out. she did not want to miss right after another, flutter I know of some lucky bird Blue jays can empty a the event. down to the edge of the feeders, people who report feeder in less than a day; if I am generally up be- feeder, pick up a seed and having turkeys beneath they aren’t around, I only fore my wife but had stayed fly back into the cover of their feeders, on a regular have to re-stock the feeder up to watch a big football the thick hemlock trees. basis, but I have only wit- every three or four days. game and was sleeping a bit A nuthatch and a titmouse late. So, just a little after 7 will show up from time to a.m., I hear the voice of my time, as well as a group of beloved. “Hey, hurry. Get juncos.

And then there are the up. There are two deer out back, feeding on the hill,” gray squirrels. Three mornshe calls out. ings ago, I looked out and I stumble to the bath- counted five grays searchroom and look out. There, ing the ground beneath the less than 15 yards away, a feeder — the birds drop a mature doe and her young lot of seed as they land and NATIONAL MUZZLELOADING of last spring are gorging on take off — for a free meal.

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1156 Garfield Rd. Morrisville, Vermont often during the hours of But the squirrels aren’t alMember registration fee $10.00, Non-members $14.00 23 Target Aggregates darkness. Their tracks in ways so friendly, so eager to choose from. NMLRA Territoral the snow tell the story. to share. Often, a single Championship Medals awarded Open at noon Of course, nothing gray will be gobbling up on Wednesday for weekend camping brings the wild things in seeds and another one ap-no hookups. hfblodgett@yahoo.com

course, aiming at the birds, just trying to scare them off). Would you believe that in less than a minute or, those scavengers were right back.

(Trough cont. pg 63)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 52

Steve and Tammy Rose – The Hosts with Most

Green Mountain Report

by Bradley Carleton, Charlotte, VT Thus far, 2021 has been significantly more hopeful than the previous year. I don’t know about you, but for me, fishing of any kind requires hope.

Hope that the next hole in the ice might yield some big perch or whatever your targeted species happens to be. For me March is all

March 2021

the price. We were stopping every 100 yards, stretching out our lower backs and catching our breath. As we were nearing the shore a few hundred yards out, a man on a four-wheeler came out and offered to give us a ride back. Our pride made us decline but we let him take our shanty

need more of this kind of enthusiasm and gracious repartee than ever before.

COVID has hurt us all so much by isolating us from one another, and these two kind souls were welcoming anyone who was interested to learn the sport – even at a safe distance. May the Rose’s of Enosburg be blessed with all the bounty of the lakes!

The VT F&W will

When we got to shore, he offered us a cold beer and some charcuterie. He had a trailer at the access that was decked out with decals that read “Hooked on Pike”. about white perch. I know, you’re saying “Oh no!

Carleton is going to write about that God-forsaken misnomer of a bass again!”

Well, maybe a little. I love sitting on the ice in the sunshine catching two-pound whiteys one after another.

Of course, I do! But what I really enjoy – the most intrinsic reason I love ice fishing – is the camaraderie.

Recently, my fishing partner Steve “Ozzie” Osborne, of Williston, VT, and I were hauling a very heavy shanty full of gear including a 20-pound propane tank, by hand, for more than a mile across St Albans Bay. I had taken a lot of ribbing about forgetting to register the trailer for the four-wheeler and now we were both paying

and sled. When we got to shore, he offered us a cold beer and some charcuterie. He had a trailer at the access that was decked out with decals that read “Hooked on Pike”. Inside was a virtual living room with stereo and tv, a small kitchen bench and a counter full of earthly delights.

He introduced himself and his wife as Steve and Tammy Rose of Enosburg, VT. This couple’s mission was to introduce as many people as they could to ice fishing and especially pike fishing. They had a couple of first timers from NY with them and they were learning the most important lesson of all: recruitment.

Steve and Tammy were the most gracious ambassadors of the sport I have ever met on the ice. Dear reader, we

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be conducting habitat improvement projects with logging equipment on the East Slang portion of Little Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area in Ferrisburgh from January through March. The entrance road and parking area off Greenbush Road will be closed. Fish and Wildlife staff realize this is an inconvenience that will interfere with hunting access and other activities but point out that the projects must be conducted at this time to take advantage of winter conditions. People are asked not to enter gated roads that have been left open for logging and heavy equipment access. Gates will be locked at the end of each workday as contractors leave the site. Little Otter Creek WMA – East

Slang Parcel – Forest Road: January 25 – March 31: Heavy equipment and logging machinery will be in use along all major maintenance roads. Signage with closure dates and cautions will be posted on the road, at the gates and in the parking area. Information about these habitat projects will also be posted on VT F&W’s website www.vtfishandwildlife.com Ve r m o n t ’s s p r i n g snow goose hunt will be held from March 11 through April 23. Since 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has annually issued a “Conservation Order” to allow the reduction of the population of migrating greater

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and lesser snow geese as well as Ross’ geese. The numbers of these geese have grown so high that they are destroying habitat for themselves and other species. The Vermont 2021 Spring Snow Goose Conservation Order will occur statewide. The daily bag limit is 15 snow geese, and there is no possession limit.

Waterfowl hunting regulations in effect last fall will apply with the exception that unplugged shotguns and electronic calls may be used and shooting hours will be extended until one half hour after sunset. A 2021 Spring Snow Goose Harvest Permit is required and is available at no charge on the VT F&W Department’s website at https:// vtfishandwildlife.com/ hunt. Hunters may also call the Essex Junction Office (802-878-1564) to request a permit. Hunters will need a 2021 Vermont hunting license (residents $28, nonresident small game $50), a (Hosts cont. pg 54)

March 2021

By V. Paul Reynolds George Smith, longtime Mt. Vernon resident and well-known Maine outdoor writer and conservation advocate, passed away Feb 12th at 72. Smith was diagnosed four years ago with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

For almost 20 years, Smith served as executive director of the Sport-

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Maine Loses George Smith the Kennebec Journal, “ His decades of advocacy on behalf of conservation contributed to the preservation and protection of the forests, lakes and streams across our state.”

I first met George when he was a SAM director and I was information officer for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. We were

“George loved Maine, and Maine loved George”

- Gov. Janet Mills man’s Alliance of Maine (SAM). He was an avid Maine outdoorsman and prolific writer who wrote a monthly outdoor column for the Maine Sportsman and a number of weekly newspapers. He recently released a collection of his columns in a book published by Islandport Press.

As a spokesman for SAM, Smith was, in effect, a lobbyist in Augusta for issues important to sportsmen. Even those who might have disagreed with Smith could not help but like him. He knew how to ingratiate himself to others with his dry humor and down-home manner.

And, as an experienced outdoorsman, who loved to hunt, fish and spend time at his camp near Baxter Park, his positions on outdoor issues were always experience-based and heartfelt.

In her tribute to Smith’s contributions, Governor Janet Mills told

not always on the same side of an issue, yet he was hard guy not to like. Less than a year ago, George was a telephone guest on my Sunday radio program Maine Outdoors. He was candid and courageous about his illness, but, despite a weakened voice, still enthusiastic about Maine’s outdoor

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heritage and his wonderful childhood memories of hunting with his Dad. Regrettably I never got a chance to follow up on George’s invitation to hunt deer with him on his woodlands in Mt Vernon. The man truly left his mark, he made a difference during his active life in Maine. We are all the better for having known George Smith and shared his beloved outdoor heritage.

Our thoughts and prayers are extended to George’s wife Linda, and their extended family.

Page 53

The late George Smith in his home office in Mt. Vernon.

(Photo courtesy of the Kennebec Journal.)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 54

Schools

(Cont. from pg 50) Jolley is also a houndsman who runs bears with Newbury’s Butch Spear. This year Jolly took a bear in Peacham that was damaging a farmer’s corn.

He said, “I have harvested 3 bears, my first bear being 106 lbs my second being 154 lbs and my third being 130 lbs.”

He has also taken up trapping and says he, “absolutely enjoyed every moment of it.”

Jolley told me, “My desire is to be a Vermont

Fish & Game Warden, and I am already a certified Junior hunter education instructor. I absolutely love being able to teach other people about the great outdoors, and how they too can enjoy the outdoors safely and responsibly.”

I learned about Jolley from Wayne Dyer who describes his neighbor as, “quite a hunter.” He added, “He does it all with fishing and bow hunting and traps some.” After communicating with Michael, I agree wholeheartedly.

Jolley is homeschooled but did a half a

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semester at River Bend in Bradford studying criminal justice and a full year of emergency services. He is also a member of the Ryegate Fire Department.

An indicator of the character of this young sportsman was his parting comments. “Definitely was an honor to be able to harvest such a whitetail!”

He added, “My passion is for everything to do with wildlife, but my favorite is running my bear

March 2021

hounds. There is nothing quite like listening to the sound of hounds. A huge thanks goes out to Butch Spear, Joe Doucette, and Mom and Dad.” Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore is a life long resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game.

He may be reached by email at gwmoore1946@ icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.

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Hosts

(Cont. from pg 52) 2021 Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, a 2020 federal migratory hunting stamp ($25), and a 2021 Vermont migratory waterfowl stamp ($7.50).

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March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Matuka: Backup Fly

As we get ready for open water fishing this spring, let’s take a look at a couple of trolling patterns that have worked well for me in the past. The Red Gray Ghost streamer is not as well known or widely used as many other popular patterns, but it has proved to be a productive trolling fly over the years.

It is basically a smelt imitation tied as a spin-off from Carrie Stevens’ tried and true Gray Ghost.

Dressing: Hook – Size 4 to 8, 8x long streamer hook.

Thread – White 6/0, (dark thread will tend to show thru the floss when wet) Body – Red floss, double wrapped.

Ribbing – Medium flat silver tinsel.

Throat – Four to six strands of peacock herl, under which is a sparse bunch of white bucktail, all extending to the bend of the hook, under which are short red hackle fibers.

Wing – A sparse bunch of red bucktail over which are four medium gray saddle hackles.

Shoulders – Two silver pheasant body feathers.

Head – Black thread.

For me, the most challenging part of tying streamers is attaching the saddle hackles. I use strung hackles because they are generally uniform in length and easy to match. Four hackles are the norm for most streamer wings and are tied so that the left and right pair curve in toward each other and appear as one feather in an upright or vertical position above the hook.

Take four hackles about the same size and shape and place them together so that their tips are even. Measure them for length against the hook and strip the barbs from the bottom of the center

take several tight thread wraps around the hook and quills, trim them off behind the eye, dab a little head cement on the wing tips, tie in the shoulders, add several more tight thread wraps, and whip finish the head with black thread.

It is critical that a good tight

Page 55

Fly Fishing

by Joe Bertolaccini, Orrington, ME prone to fouling around the hook. Detailed tying instructions are included in my September 2019 fly fishing column.

half hour. I have had similar experiences on West Grand Lake, Dobsis, and lower Moose River, but I am reluctant to call the yellow and grizzly MaDressing: tuka my favorite trolling Thread – Black 6/0. pattern since it seems to Hook – Size 4 to 8, 6x long be most effective at times

The Matuka provides an excellent simulation of both the outline and swimming motion of a natural minnow, with its swept back hackle fibers and wing extension that is free to move in a side to side motion.

quills at the front end of the wing. Streamer wings should be no longer than ¼ of the hook length beyond the bend of the hook. This minimizes short strikes and tends to keep the wing from fouling around the hook.

Keeping a tight grip on the feathers with your materials hand, place them on the hook just forward of the body, take three semitight turns of thread around the hook and quills and slowly pull them forward until the wing is the proper length. I like to trap the first two or three rows of barbs under the thread because it helps to keep the feathers together in a vertical position. If they all stay together but are cocked to one side, they can be gently teased back with your fingers to an upright position.

If they are splayed out in different directions, they will have to be removed from the hook and repositioned. When the feathers are in proper alignment,

grip be maintained on the feathers during this entire process, otherwise they will not remain in the proper position. Rainbow smelt have translucent bodies and when tying imitations, I find it more realistic to use only two wing hackles instead of four because of the additional action and translucency provided.

Also they are easier to tie.

The yellow and grizzly Matuka, being an attractor pattern that I’ve written about previously, is a style of streamer with a feathered wing that instead of extending back freely over the body like traditional streamers, is secured tightly to the body by oval tinsel ribbing spiraled through the wing. The Matuka provides an excellent simulation of both the outline and swimming motion of a natural minnow, with its swept back hackle fibers and wing extension that is free to move in a side to side motion. Because the wing hackles are tied down, they are also less

for trolling.

Body – Yellow chenille.

Ribbing – Fine oval gold or silver tinsel.

Wing – Two hen grizzly saddle hackles.

Collar – Several turns of soft yellow hackle.

Head – Black thread.

when traditionals don’t work. Having said that, I do consider the Matuka my best “backup” trolling fly. As an aside, I’ve had similar experiences casting smaller versions of this fly in Sourdnahunk Lake and Grand Lake Stream as well as fishing for Atlantic Trolling for land- Salmon on the Big East locked salmon one morn- River in Newfoundland. I ing, my favorite traditional hope you can find the opstreamers drew a blank, but portunity to tie one up and fortunately I remembered give it a try. having several Matukas Joe has enjoyed fly in my fly box that I hadn’t yet tried. Realizing there fishing for over 65 years. would be nothing to lose, His book, Fundamentals of I put one on and to my Fly Fishing, is now availpleasant surprise hooked able. He can be reached at: three nice fish in about a brewerberts@aol.com

Stop

(Cont. from pg 46) healthy animal population.

We need to listen and trust them when they say not to feed deer.

Otherwise, we will end up with more deer suffering and unable to survive in their natural environment. And the last thing I want is to watch more deer suffer on the side of the road as they slowly

die from their injuries.

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.

You can read about Erin’s adventures and contact her at www.andastrongcupofcoffee.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 56

The Fur Shed

by Blake Dougherty, Suffield, CT When just getting started with trapping, whatever the species, it is very much recommended to seek out a mentor to help you in the beginning. A mentor can really help shorten the learning curve in trapping your first animal. Mentors can be found within your

sure to do your research if connecting with someone you are unfamiliar with.

It’s perfectly ok to ask for references from someone they already mentored or to reach out to your local trapping organizations board to ask some questions about the individual.

New Trappers: Start-Up Gear

There are two categories of supplies

As far as equipment to get started goes to consider: Trapping Supplies and Fur Handling Supplies. we suggest starting out small with just to help you narrow down individuals, in general the the essentials. Take a “less is more” your choice of supplies by main theme should stay approach in the beginning. own families, local trapping organizations or even Facebook groups!

I know many trappers that were just starting out who found great help from a mentor. With anything, be

While discussing this topic we are going to stay high level and avoid recommending any specific brands. Your trap supply dealer, mentor or trapping colleagues are well suited

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As far as equipment to get started goes we suggest starting out small with just the essentials. Take a “less is more” approach in the beginning. Its better to find out you need an item you don’t have then to buy everything you “think” you need and not use 50% of what you purchased.

This is where a mentor or online group can be invaluable. They can help you understand what you will absolutely need right out of the gate and while opinions may vary between

consistent.

Depending on what the intended target species is some trapping you may consider starting out are traps, sifters, trowels, hammers, a staking system, connectors, dirt hole punch, baits, lures, urine/ oil, pack basket or trapping bag, dye and wax. These are just some items you may need to get started land trapping.

If you plan on water trapping you will need some different items like waders, gauntlets, pack basket, traps, a safety, cas-

March 2021

tor lure, drowning system, trapping ax, hammer and wood stakes or trap stands. Again, everyone’s situation will require different equipment but these are some of the basics.

As far as fur handling equipment many beginner trappers start out with a fleshing beam, skinning knife, serrated pelter, scalpel style knife, knife sharpener, tail slitting tool and guide, tail puller, a two handled fleshing knife (don’t skimp on this item you will end up spending more if you purchase an inferior knife that you struggle with), gambrel, apron, push pins and solid wood fur stretchers. A good fur handling DVD will also be helpful.

Once you have some of the core items already listed you can add to your collection as your trapping style and fur handling experience grow.

March 2021

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 57

The Way of the Fly

One of the pleasures of fishing with a fly is the knowledge that those of us who spend our time wading through streams and rivers are part of a rich sporting tradition handed down through the centuries by our fellow brothers and sisters of the Angle.

Interestingly, in an endeavor dominated by males, the first book written in the tradition of Western fly fishing is purported to have been authored by a woman, Dame Julianna Berners, prioress of a twelfth-century nunnery.

No surprise to those of us who fish in Maine, where Cornelia “Flyrod” Crosby was the Pine Tree State’s first licensed guide and Carrie Stevens became famous for her method of tying streamers that we continue to cast today.

If Dame Julianna can be called the mother of our sport, then surely, Isaac Walton must be its father.

In The Compleat Angler, Father Walton shared his joy of fishing. In a later edition, he enlisted the help of his young friend, Charles Cotton, to provide advice on how best to fish for trout and grayling with a fly.

At about the time Isaac Walton was writing The Compleat Angler, seventeenth-century Japan was emerging from decades of civil war. It was a time when ronins wandered the countryside, each declaring his style of swordsmanship to be the one and only method to defeat an opponent. In the centuries that followed Walton, his disciples would espouse their beliefs as to how to cast a fly. Like the ronins of Japan, each declared his method to be superior to

the others.

In the fifth edition of The Compleat Angler, Brother Cotton taught us to “fish far and fine.” By the late 1800s, Frederic Halford had declared the dry fly to be our salvation,

ing them to the insects he found on the streams of England.

One of my favorite books of all time is a local waters. cautionary tale written by Another of my faHarry Plunket Greene. In vorites is Golden Days, Where The Bright Waters written by the watercolorist, Romilly Fedden, who describes fishing the streams of Britanny, with his French guide, Jean Pierre, just prior to the first World War. The bond between sport and guide is nowhere better told than in this enchanting account of fishing through the French countryside as the clouds of war loom on the horizon.

On our side of the Atlantic, Frank Forester wrote for the common man as did Thaddeus Norris.

It fell to Theodore Gordon to advance the No surprise to those of us who fish in Maine, works of the English writwhere Cornelia “Flyrod” Crosby was the Pine ers. In so doing, he enTree State’s first licensed guide and Carrie riched American anglers Stevens became famous for her method of in the way Cotton, Halford, tying streamers that we continue to cast today. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds)

until Skues argued for the nymph. W.C. Stewart was the first to teach that fishing upstream was the best way to cast to trout rather than down as had been the style since the time of Walton.

Breaking with tradition, he described casting a short line when fishing upstream as being preferable to Cotton’s advice. Meanwhile, Alfred Ronalds codified what flies to use, match-

Against The Current

by Bob Romano, Rangeley, ME and later, Skues had done for their British brethren.

For many years thereafter, the Catskill style of sparsely tied flies replaced the “fancy” flies that preceded Gordon’s thoughtful contribution to our sport.

George LaBranche found that rather than trying to exactly match the way an insect looked, he could catch more fish by imitating how a bug acted on the water. He believed it was how we presented the fly rather than what fly we used that was critical.

More importantly, up until then, the English rules for fly fishing required an angler to cast to a specific fish. Not so, accordingly to LaBranche, who argued that fishing the water was (Fly cont. pg 65)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 58

The Singing Maine Guide

by Randy Spencer, Grand Lake Stream, ME “I see it!” It was the voice of a four-year-old and it could be heard over the roar of the four wheeler motor as it raced toward a red flag from a tipup his father had set that morning.

This wasn’t his first rodeo.

Back then, we had to watch out that he didn’t accidentally step into one of those ice holes. It was just possible that his slight body could fit through the ten inch auger hole.

His first experience with someone shouting, “Flag up!” was the year before at the age of three. He knew what it meant. That time, it turned out to be a 16” salmon, held up only long enough to snap a picture, then released back down the ice hole.

Back then, we had to watch out that he didn’t accidentally step into one of those ice holes. It was just possible that his slight body could fit through the ten inch auger hole. That thought was too horrible to think, so we guarded him all day, watching his every step.

This year, he’s an old hand. When we reach the flag, he dismounts first and throws his mittens on the ice next to the hole. He then picks up the tipup and has to pull it sharply through the ice that has formed over the reel. Unlike his grandfather, he doesn’t have far to bend to grasp the line in his hands. “Is he there?” I ask. He bobbles his head up and down, then begins hand-over-handing the waxed ice fishing line into coils on the ice next to him. This fish has taken out a lot of line. When the fish comes up, I’m ready with

March 2021

The Circle Unbroken

the camera. To my surprise, and his, it’s a yellow perch here, in salmon and togue water. It still did the trick. At four- years- old, he’s not yet distinguishing between game fish and pan fish.

I ask, “Do you want to eat him?” He looks at the open fan of a dorsal fin, the bright orange of the pectoral fins and the dark zebra-like stripes on the sides, and says, “No.” I dislodge the hook easily and we watch him find his way back down the hole.

We tried the ice shack for a while but jigging really wasn’t his thing. It made me think of old timers I’ve known who could sit on a bucket all day jigging the same hole, playing the odds that sooner or later, something would happen there. And usually, it did.

But for children, especially four-year-olds, action is what is required. That’s an argument for pan fish.

Last year when he was only three, we took him to a small pond that produces prolific numbers

Ice fishing for pan fish is where it’s at when it comes to hooking youngsters.

(Photo by Randy Spencer) of pickerel, yellow perch, on shore. largemouth bass, and the So when the time occasional brook trout. It came this year to go for was heaven. There wasn’t some game fishing, he was a lax moment. All day long right on board, rememwe ran for flags, barely bering the fun from the having time to warm up by year before. Fortunately, a the camp fire we’d made (Circle cont. pg 63)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Page 59

Digesting Deer Season

doe estrus urine soaking through my pocket; no wet socks, sprained ankles, or missed shots. Instead, I was dragging out a beautiful doe before lunchtime. lunch, and then return to I arrived at my “stand” my boulder for the afterwell before legal light. My noon.

Maine Tails

By Jonah Paris, Scarborough, ME quite dark, and the deer’s position would require a less than ideal shot, my rifle

A few minutes after legal light, I watched a lone doe creeping along the edge of some thick cover. Since the woods were still quite dark, and the deer’s position would require a less than ideal shot, my rifle never left my lap.

The author and his 2020 deer.

(Photo courtesy of Jonah Paris) By the time this article is printed, my deer rifle will have been stowed away for nearly four months.

Lawrence Koller’s classic, Shots at Whitetails, is back on the bookshelf, a scrap of paper holding my place until next season. And while no antlers will accompany those of the 2019 season, the chest freezer downstairs was refilled this past fall sausage, stew meat, and ground on one side, steaks and loins on the other. Just like a gourmet meal, a deer season requires time afterwards to properly digest; four months appears to be ample time.

I admit with conviction that, to the dismay of several close hunting buddies, I have transitioned to the “weekend-warrior” status. I had strong reservations about skipping my classes this fall to spend a weekday in the woods.

Accepting that my deer hunting was now limited to Saturdays, and armed with an antlerless permit, I planned to harvest the first mature deer that presented a clean, safe shot.

Opening day of the 2020 firearm season, Halloween, was one of those rare

days when a sportsman’s plan unravels flawlessly.

No jammed gun, defective primer, or leaky bottle of

“stand” is actually not a stand - it’s a large boulder atop a ridge overlooking an oak grove. I sit on the ground, concealed behind the boulder, and wait for deer - occasionally by napping. I planned to sit until mid-morning, head in for

A few minutes after legal light, I watched a lone doe creeping along the edge of some thick cover.

Since the woods were still

never left my lap. Eventually, she noticed me as I shifted my body. She blew twice, kicked, and bounded (Season cont. pg 67)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

On The Prowl

March 2021

Baiting the ‘Ghost Dogs.’

by Justin Merrill, Cherryfield, ME Coyote is an opportunistic canine that likes to travel in search of an easy meal and will not stick around very long before taking a hike in search of another morsel. It has an extensive home range of over four square miles. The coyote pose a challenge to hunters eager enough to set sights on this incredibly intelligent mammal. With all the hunting methods that a hunter can use to test their luck at outsmarting, arguably the most “woods wise” mammal roaming the forests of Maine, one is critical.

Let’s focus on the how-to-tactics of baiting coyote.

All coyote hunters who’ve tried baiting for the first time can relate to one another by the hardships they’ve faced. We’ve all had the perfect location, to then only have spotted one coyote that never presented a shot opportunity. And on the next outing noticing all the bait’s gone. This is an epitome of frustration.

We’ve asked ourselves: Was it really the

perfect location? Was there enough bait? What were the reasons for the coyote not coming in when I was there? Why did the bait get eaten when I was gone?

The questions keep pouring out.

The most important one of all is what can I do to consistently kill coyotes at my bait site(s)? One simple answer to sum it all up would be to stay one step ahead at all times. It’s imperative that they never know we exist in order to

The wise coyote hunter is never predictable. The “ghost dogs”, like any predator, can pattern your behavior. (Photo by Bud Utecht) A coyote learns faster than most humans. You can bet all your marbles that using the same path, hunting at the same time every day, walking too fast, hunting only on warm days, (coyote feed heaviest on coldest days because of their fast metabolism), and never eliminating your stench

Picking a location next to concealment cover is key. Also staying scent free, heeding the wind direction, staying motionless and quiet can’t hurt. taste success time and time again.

Picking a location next to concealment cover is key. Also staying scent free, heeding the wind direction, staying motionless and quiet can’t hurt.

The most vitally important piece of advice is to never hunt repetitiously. The idea behind all of this is to make the coyote feel safe when hanging around your bait.

will kill your hunt.

The first ambush will almost always produce a coyote sighting and possibly a kill. Take note of the time of day the coyote appeared and the direction it came from and went when it left. Also pay attention to the coyote’s body language to determine if it knew you were there. Take note of what the temperature was and what the weather

forecast is. Do this to formulate a plan of attack for next time.

For instance, sometimes you’ll have to depart from your sit spot extra late and walk out in a different direction to not spook the coyote. Then next time out you arrive a couple hours earlier to not spook any nearby coyote.

The time of day you hunt and your walking paths might need to change all over again for the next hunt depending on what the coyote does in and around your bait site. If you are hunting out of a blind and you know a coyote has you figured out it would be wise to move the blind a few yards away and hide it well by brushing it in. Pay close attention to human odors by eliminating it all as much as possible. Do anything to make the coyote think all threats have disappeared. It’s going to

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With all that information I shared there is one important piece of the puzzle missing and that would be what type of bait to use.

We all know the best of the best is the old fashioned animal carcass like that of deer, moose, domestic cow or even a bear carcass. To obtain any of these one would need to either save their own or make friends with the local butcher and the state police.

Any meat scraps will do but lots of it. Coyote are notorious for taking a piece and running. Figure out a way to anchor your bait. If the temperature allows then you can freeze it with water so the coyote has to stick around licking the “meat-icicle”. They also have a hard time trying to sink their teeth into it to drag it off. You could also freeze rope into your meat-icicle and tie it down.

Carcasses you can tie down anyway to make it tougher for a coyote to drag it off.

If you shop around for baiting materials you might find commercial bait in a bag that looks and smells like a gut pile. I’ve found some in years past through Cabela’s.

It can be useful to spray attractant scents around the bait site to not (Baiting cont. pg 68)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Page 61

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 62

Bailey’s New Bass Book

Best Bassin’

by Bill Decoteau, Hampden, MA Catching up with Connecticut’s retired B.A.S.S. Bassmaster Elite and FLW Tour Professional Angler Lee Bailey Jr. was almost as promising as casting topwater baits unto the ice and hoping for a topwater explosion! But, then again I did mention Lee was retired...Or, so I thought?

When I finally landed the 3-time Bassmaster Classic Contender, he was on the water fishing in Florida. ”I’m not surprised at all to find you fishing, Lee”, I replied. With a chuckle Bailey whispered, “Oh, I’m not just fishing Pal. I’m actually taking notes.”

Thinking for a moment that Lee was preparing for an upcoming tournament and logging waypoints on his sonars mapping unit, I echoed, “Tournament practice”? Again he chuckled, “No more tournaments for me. I’ve retired from those.

This is so much larger than a bass tournament I’m accumulating on the water data and taking detailed notes for the final stages of my fourth bass fishing publication.”

How long have you been working on your new book? “Over the last two-three years I have researched all my angling data stored within my computer, my personal seasonal log books, and then compared and updated this information with my previous published books.”

Bailey’s previous publications include: See You on The River, covering over 65 miles of charted, detailed information for safely navigating the CT. River, including 15 ways to catch fish with Lee’s Best Lures.

Fishing Factors, a collection of Lee’s fishing tips, tactics coupled with Lee’s tournament tricks for enticing more bass bites, plus how to choose the best bait and technique for the prevailing conditions.

Current Tactics, understanding moving water current on the surface and below including tidal water levels, time charts and how current positions fish.

“Let me tell you about my new book. It’s titled ‘Strategies for Bass’ and

will encompass over 200 pages of bass angling information, detailed pictures and charts with in-depth explanations covering everything I have learned over all these years. God has blessed me with a great career as a full-time professional bass angler. I have acquired many wonderful friends and earned the respect of pro-anglers I had admired and respected while growing up. I reached every bass anglers dream of competing in the Bassmaster Classic...

Not once, but three times!

Including holding the title of Bassmaster Champion.

Plus, I qualified for two FLW Tour Championships.”

Bailey’s intent was to establish a complete book of bass strategies, which in turn would support and improve all anglers, whether fishing from the bank, wading in streams or casting from boats. Lee Bailey Jr. anticipates his ‘Strategies for Bass’ book will become available within the late spring of 2021, and will include his personal modifications on how to modify lures to entice more bites!

Excited to inquire more about Lee’s personal

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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techniques, I questioned Bailey, “Speaking of particular baits didn’t you design a buzzbait years ago that could be retrieved extremely slow? “Yes, I did and it was called the Cavitron. In fact I recently designed my latest new

during late spring, summer and fall. Buzzbaits can work all year, I remember catching bass on buzzbaits in November at the Lake of the Ozarks!”

Reflecting back to when he entered his fulltime Professional BASS/

Lee Bailey’s artistic ability includes everything from boat wraps to lures!

(Photo credit Lee Bailey Jr./Design Series) buzzbait after the same high quality and precision components of my original Cavitron Buzzbait... I call it the Baby Buzzbait because it’s the most compact precision buzzbait design ever!” (www.BabyBuzzbait.com) Continuing Bailey described his newest lure design, “The Baby Buzzbait measures only 1.5” by 3.75”, allowing anglers to retrieve within the thickest cover with ease. The oxbow wire design allows the bait to ride lower in the water as the blade turns just above and in front. This in turn increases hooksets, making ‘Spoon-Feeding Bass’ much easier! The 1/4 oz. size can easily be thrown with heavy bait casting equipment and line.

Don’t be deceived by the size of the Baby Buzzbaits (1/8 & 1/4 oz.) they are big bass baits, especially

FLW Angling career, I listen intently as Lee rewound his nine-year history (1999-2007). A quick trip to Lee’s web site will enlighten you to the world of retired Professional Bass Angler Lee Bailey Jr. Where Lee continues to utilize his artistic talent within his ‘Design Series’! (www. lee@leebaileyjr.com) Billy “Hawkeye” Decoteau is an outdoor journalist with a strong passion for pursuing the Black Bass. His activities include; emceeing The Bass University weekend educational seminar programs, as well as emceeing benefit tournaments such as Maine’s Annual May Special Olympics Team Tournament, Fishing For Freedom, and working with the USO.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Trough

Circle

(Cont. from pg 51)

(Cont. from pg 58)

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has been telling birders for some years that they should wait until winter to put their feeders out and to take them down in early spring. I follow this advice now but I didn’t up to about five years ago when a large visitor came to call.

I was in New York at deer camp for the October muzzleloader hunt and, upon my return, I found the steel rod supporting my bird feeder bent all the way to the ground. Of course, I put the feeder away for the season.

Then a few weeks later, I am looking out the south window, hoping to spot a deer or maybe even a flock of turkeys and I notice a very black object moving through the thicket. Maybe a minute later, a 100-pound black bear strolls across the front lawn, 10 feet from the deck and right up to the place where the bird feeder once stood.

He looked around while I took more than a dozen photos, then moved on. It was the only time, before and since, that I saw a bear on my property. It was an amazing thing to behold and, looking back, makes me feel so fortunate that I live in a rural place where the wild things are.

snowstorm was coming in that night and the barometric pressure was tanking.

At one point, we had five flags go up simultaneously and only three of us to chase them. He recognized the yellow perch from the experience the year before, but what brought the involuntary “Wow!” out of him was the size of the salmon he pulled up next.

Dennis Jensen is the outdoor editor for the Rutland Herald and Barre Times Argus and a freelance writer. Contact him at d.jensen62@yahoo.com

Don't forget March 14, Daylight savings begins

There we were: three generations, grandfather, father, and son, and I remembered that’s just what happened to me when it was my father and me taking out my son those first few times. We made a big deal of everything that happened, infusing it with excitement and joy. It was contagious, and now, he’s doing the same with me for his son, my grandson. They say, “Take a kid fishing,” but the effects of doing this are so far reaching as to

Page 63

encompass lifetimes.

The first outings may be the most important.

When people who are booking fishing trips in the summer ask which kind of fishing I would suggest, since it will be the first experience of its kind for the kids, my reply goes to the more action-packed end of the sport. Bass and white perch will hook more kids on fishing than trolling for salmon and togue ever will.

It’s asking too much of a small kid to sit quietly in a

canoe waiting for a strike that may or may not ever come.

Action! That’s the key to getting them hooked.

And there may be a surprise in store, even for the old timers. Turns out it’s fun no matter how old you are.

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 64

Sledders Go North!

The Trail Rider

by Rod Fraser, Hyde Park, MA This past year has been very trying for most of us and we looked to the great outdoors as a way to relieve stress, enjoy ourselves with the company of close friends and relatives as the world was shut

March 2021

forecast, but snow lovers should be very excited!“ I am a snow lover and I am still not excited. Oh, how the tables have turned.

For many of us, this may be the year we log the fewest miles on our snow-

summed it up when they told me “we normally ride 3000 - 3200 miles a season, and so far we have ridden 200 miles!” [Expletives deleted] That was in Mid February. But the snow is slowly accumulating and we all hope that March will be a great month. A lot of people are ice fishing more and riding less.

The far northern re-

groomed. There are still places to go to get in a good ride and still time to do it.

Call or email the snowmobile clubs where you want

thing drastic changes, this will probably not be one of those years. So let’s all try to enjoy as much riding in march as we can.

...the photos I have been getting from riders up in Aroostook County, Maine show the trails to be great. North of Greenville and North of Millinocket, where I like to ride, the trails are good also. down due to COVID and our normality was altered.

A few months ago, we were all looking forward to an excellent snowmobile season, enjoying the ultimate social distancing outdoor winter sport. Last year was a banner year for the ATV sport and many of us looked forward in earnest to the transition to riding our sleds through the snow.

The Old Farmers Almanac actually stated “It’s Snow Time! Get excited, folks in the Northeast! We can’t spill the beans on the entire

mobiles in a very long time.

Low snowfalls in much of the riding range have resulted in poor conditions, inability to groom, and a lot of frustration. In my riding group, we have had to trailer north of our normal riding range for the month of January and most of February just to find snow.

As a group. most members average 2500 - 3200 miles per year. Unless we get an extended season, we will not hit half of that mark.

My good friends Roland and Lorrie Voisine

gions seemed to be doing OK and if you are still looking to get some riding in and the conditions are poor near you, the photos I have been getting from riders up in Aroostook County, Maine show the trails to be great. North of Greenville and North of Millinocket, where I like to ride, the trails are good also.

Although I have not been in northern New Hampshire, the trail reports from the clubs say the trails are good and being

Despite a shortage of snow in some parts of New England, northern Maine reports excellent trail conditions!

(Photo by Rod Fraser) to go and get the up to date trail reports. Many of the clubs with websites update their trail reports at least once per week.

We can all hope that March will bring enough snow to allow us to ride for a few more weeks.

There have been many years when I have ridden in April, but unless some-

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Muskie Mayhem

Ever feel like the tail wagging the dog?

One time my husband and I went up to Baker Lake. It was late August and hotter than hell. The water was low, but it was a good time to get away.

Mostly we were camping.

On occasion we went out to try for some muskie.

But mostly we sat in the shade, passing the time.

This was early on and we were still getting to know one another. On the way up he had surprised me with a gift. Three important items that I’ll never forget: a compass, a knife, and a utility candle. I was impressed to no end!

We also tended to the old camp, as there were many small things to fix that had added up over time. We spent some time putting up wood for the

Fly

(Cont. from pg 57) more effective, especially on America’s rough-andtumble streams.

All of this found in books published by 1920!

By 1935, Preston Jennings did for American anglers what Ronalds had done for the British. Today’s hatch guides follow much the same format as that first created

by Ronalds and Jennings.

As the twentieth century progressed, America’s flyfishing samurai continued

fall. We held no schedule and the days stretched out however they would.

A large party of fishermen had stationed themselves across the way. They had two large tents set up and all the gear they needed, very organized and orderly, to settle in for what looked like a fair amount of time. Every day the fisher-

the lake seemed empty. In a few days, some of the fishermen did not go out in the heat of the day.

One afternoon, a Canadian drove by with a kayak on top of his car. He stopped and asked the fellows if he could launch at the campsite. It looked like he was just passing by on the way to somewhere else

Page 65

Kineo Currents

by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME

men fished. They left early and came back late. Every day they came back empty handed. After some days, it became a standing joke.

They took it all in stride, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Same with us.

It didn’t matter if it was morning, noon, or evening,

and, as a second thought, stopped, backed up, and came in. Not at all prepared to muskie fish. He got in his little kayak and paddled out of sight. He did bring a rod with him.

Not too long later, we saw the Canadian. His kayak was trailing a muskie. His

rod was bent heavy into the water. The fish was out of sight. The pull was making a small wake with the kayak. The muskie was headed toward shore, towing the kayak, the Canadian trapped in his lowriding seat. He was screaming for help. It looked like a case of the tail wagging the dog!

A bunch of the men scrambled into the water.

Some grabbed the kayak, some the line. Somebody had a net. Mayhem ensued.

There was a lot of flailing, splashing, and shouting going on. Eventually, the Canadian, the kayak, and the fish were grounded.

There was a lot of laughing and backslapping going on.

the tradition of dueling theories, although without the deadly consequences of those fought by ronins.

Men like Ray Bergman, Art Flick and Ernest Schwiebert used their pens rather than swords to prove what they experienced on the water. They were followed by Marinaro, Charlie Fox, James Leisenring, Vernon “Pete” Hidy, Sylvester Nemes, Swisher and Richards, Caucci and Nastasi, Gary LaFontaine and others up until the present time.

All of this and more

is available for anyone interested in how we came to fish with a fly. Although the tradition continues with today’s angling writers contributing their thoughtful analysis of new techniques, you’d be amazed at how the more things change the

more they remain the same.

Now that you’ve put aside your fly rod for another season, why not check out one or more of these authors—thoughtful anglers who’ve laid the foundation for the way we fish with a fly? Who

The muskie was headed toward shore, towing the kayak, the Canadian trapped in his lowriding seat. He was screaming for help. It looked like a case of the tail wagging the dog!

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It became the high point for excitement the whole trip.

We broke camp the next day, and headed back to Rockwood. We did go back to Baker Lake a number of other times. We always enjoyed the trip.

And laughed about the Canadian. We never caught a muskie.

knows, you might end up wandering the countryside carrying a pen with your fly rod rather than a sword.

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.”

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Page 66

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Northwoods Sketchbook

by Mark McCollough, Hampden, ME My first shad fishing trip of the season. The black, icy waters of the Kennebec roiled around my knees. The fly line shot through the guides for the first cast. Ah, to be fishing again! The ice was not long out of the river, but I was snug as a bug. Or was I? My reverie was cut short as a nagging trickle of the Kennebec river ran down my leg and filled my waders. An hour later I was a miserable, shaking hypothermiac.

Maybe you’ve been on your knees while playing a trout. Maybe that #4 wooly bugger got snagged in your butt on poorly executed back cast. Maybe your waders have just seen a lot of rugged use. ‘The weather out there is frightful, and the fire is so delightful…’ Since we’ve no place to go, it’s a good time to repair the leaks in your lightweight Gore-tex waders.

This is a winter task that only takes an hour or two. It takes more time to assemble the materials than to finish the job. Here is what you will need: a flashlight, spray bottle filled

with isopropyl rubbing alcohol, sharpie or marker pen, and Aquaseal + FD repair glue (order from Amazon). If you have larger rips or tears, an Aquaseal patch kit is l or you can order “Tenacious Tape” patches.

Lightweight waders are not made to last forever and are prone to small

Holy Waders

and circle them with your marker pen.

Your waders may be leaking in the bootie or the seam where they are attached to the waders.

You may want to reseal the entire seam that connects the bootie to the waders.

Another method is to take the waders to a bathtub.

Fill the bootie with water only to an inch over the seam with the waders and look for water leaks. Mark the holes. Warning. Do

and dries almost immediately. Once you’ve covered the holes with Loon UV glue, simply take the waders outdoors into the sunlight where the UV light immediately sets the glue.

Store your unused Aquaseal glue in the freezer so

March 2021

of the waders with Tenacious Tape. Peel off the backing to the patch and apply it to the waders. On a bad rip, patch the outside of the waders as well.

Don’t confuse black mildew spots on the inside of your wader with

Lightweight waders are not made to last forever and are prone to small punctures from rocks, tree branches, or rubbing against your tackle box in the back of your truck. It is easy to find the micro-holes causing the leaks.

punctures from rocks, tree branches, or rubbing against your tackle box in the back of your truck. It is easy to find the micro-holes causing the leaks. First, turn your waders inside out and lay them flat on a table.

Fill a spray bottle with isopropyl rubbing alcohol and spray the inside of the waders. The holes will quickly show as black dots. Circle the dots with your marker pen. Alternately, darken a room. Turn the waders inside out. Light a flashlight inside the waders and look for places where the light is shining through pin holes

not fill your entire waders with water or even up to the knee! The weight of the water inside your waders will blow out the seams.

Now that you have marked the holes, it is time to seal them. Put a small amount of Aquaseal + FD glue on the hole. Work it in with the tip of the glue tube and extend on to the fabric about ¼ inch around the pinhole. Work the glue into the wader fabric with a finger wetted in water, popsicle stick, or pencil eraser. Keep the waders flat on a table for 6 to 8 hours until the glue dries. Some report that ShooGoo glue works just as well (and may be a better solution to seal seams). Loon UV wader glue is another alternative

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! (SEE PAGE 49)

This is a winter task that only takes an hour or two. It takes more time to assemble the materials than to finish the job.

(Photo by Mark McCollough) that it lasts longer. Once the black spots left by the opened, the glue tends to rubbing alcohol. Mildew dry up in a few months at forms inside your waders room temperature. if they have not been dried A larger hole or rip in properly. To remove the your lightweight waders mildew, wash the waders in takes a little more effort to the bathtub in warm water repair. Follow the instruc- with a mild soap. tions above. While the These simple winter waders are inside out, put tasks will extend the life a piece of masking tape of your lightweight Goreover the hole on the out- tex waders by years. May side surface of the waders. your feet be dry and lines Work a generous quantity be tight this spring! of Aquaseal + FD or Loon UV glue into the rip or tear.

Mark McCollough The masking tape keeps the lives in Hampden, Maine glue contained in the hole. and can be contacted at Once the glue is applied, m a r k m c c o l l o u g h 2 5 @ patch the hole on the inside gmail.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

Season (Cont. from pg 59) off. The profound silence that holds the woods at first light was broken for a long while afterwards.

Around 8 o’clock, a cold breeze rustled the leaves and the squirrels awoke and began their antics. I thought I heard that faint orchestrated rustle of four-legged creatures.

From over my right shoulder, three does of assorted sizes - I suspect three generations - meandered towards my boulder as they crossed the ridge.

Now eye-level at 10 yards, the largest doe stopped, stomped her hoof, raised her head tall, and shook her tail. As a ray of sun beamed down upon her nose, we exchanged smokey exhales in the cold morning air, carefully studying each other. She saw me, no doubt, clad in green plaid, an orange vest and hat, with a gun laid across my lap.

After a long moment, I rotated my head towards her - an experiment - and she twitched her ear, continued to stare at me, and

then resumed feeding on acorns. The group fed no further than 30 yards to my left for the next 10 minutes before moving on. I was too pleased by the scene unfolding in front of me to raise my rifle and interrupt it.

By 10:30 a.m., hot coffee was on my mind. I reached for my pack and began to stand. I was somewhere between sitting and standing when I caught movement off to my right.

Returning to a seated position, I watched another lone doe step out of the pines and find her way to the acorns. I placed the scope on her and watched her eating from tree to tree.

After a few minutes, she stood 15 yards ahead of me with a mouthful of acorns.

The shot presented itself.

She dressed a hair shy of 120 pounds.

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 FOR SALE

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Page 67

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 68

Baiting

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Email: cwa@cwalakestreet.com Grand Falls- This cabin was landed on this lot two years ago and ready to finish off and use. This 41 acre lot sits high on a hill with great views on Lord Brook Rd. ATV and snowsled from this location. Take a look. $79,000 Lakeville- 52 acre lot with rustic cabin sits at the top of the hill offering breathtaking 180 degree views of area lakes & hills. ATVing & snowmobiling are at your door step on Vista View. Set it up for solar and live here year round. $99,000 Lee- A cute little hunting camp tucked nicely in the woods of Northern Maine on Hale Farm Rd. Easy access to recreational trails and good Maine hunting. $22,900

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Some of my friends have shot a deer and were willing to donate the carcass.

I’ve also collected from the butcher shops in my area.

I recommend stockpiling and having at least two bait sites. So on those days that you’re lacking calling

success you can venture off to a bait pile in hopes to catch a glimpse of the “Ghost Dog”.

Justin has his Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology from Unity College. He is a member of

March 2021 the New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA) and has authored two books. Feel free to learn more by visiting Justin’s website: www.wildmaineoutdoors.com. His email is: wildmaineoutdoors@gmail.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

March 2021

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

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