Northwoods Sporting Journal, May 2020

Angus Confesses His Dirty Secret To Me & Joe May/June 2020

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Memories of Wiggie

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May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Deer Feeding: A Slippery Slope

Page 3

Women In The Woods

by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME

If you had asked everyone in the room to vote right then and there, I would bet that supplemental feeding of deer would have been made illegal.

The room was packed with people at the Augusta Civic Center, listening to a presentation by Dr. Krysten L. Schuler, Wildlife Disease Ecologist at Cornell Wildlife Health Lab about her research on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and what is being done in the 26 states currently impacted.

CWD is caused by a mutated protein that are found in prions. Deer shed prions through bodily fluids and once in the soil, CWD can stay there for months if not years. The worst spreaders of the prions are those big, adult bucks that we all covet. CWD is fatal and in the same family as Mad Cow Disease.

The Centers for Disease Control describes Chronic Wasting Disease saying, “It may take over a year before an infected animal develops symptoms, which can include drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, listlessness and other neurologic symptoms.” It also recommends that people not consume deer that have CWD. Dr. Schuler described the potential spread of CWD like this: if a deer eats or drinks from an area that is heavily populated

by other deer, the fluids can come into contact with other deer who can also be infected. Also, if a deer with CWD lies down and dies in a corn field, those prions get absorbed into the soil. A year goes by and corn grows in that same field and gets cut.

That corn can have CWD in it because it carries the nutrients that are in the soil.

season, we sample specific towns for CWD. The towns either have a big deer feeding operation or they have a deer farm and both of those things increase the risk of Chronic Wasting Disease” said Sarah Boyden. When asked about deer who are infected, Boyden explained that deer “don’t get symptomatic until the end of the disease and that’s when we

Maine currently has no formal regulations when it comes to supplemental feeding but it does suggest that people not do it.

The corn gets bought and transported to other states or other areas of the state and then could be used to feed deer in winter months.

A deer comes along and eats the corn. Then guess what…

A recent study done

by UMaine asked people across Maine about their thoughts on deer and deer feeding. When asked to rank their thoughts on threats to the deer herd, 73% answered that Chronic Wasting Disease was not really a big threat. How scary!

IF&W currently tests a small sample of deer and moose killed every year.

In episode 5 of the Fish & Game Changers podcast, Katie Yates, Public Outreach Specialist for the Department interviews wildlife biologist Sarah Boyden. “During hunting

start to see them not acting right. They are thin, not eating, they don’t seem alarmed by anything but they can carry it for two years, spreading it around so we are upping our sampling now to pick up any adult roadkill.” Since 1999, more than 9,000 deer have been tested, which equates to about 450 per year.

Maine harvests between 20-30k deer a year.

IF&W deer biologist Nate Bieber said that the CWD response plan that the Department is working on will go into effect when a deer tests positive in Maine. This means that when there is a deer that is reported as being sick, killed and then tested, something will happen. A deer carrying CWD could be hit by a car or shot by a hunter and no one will immediately think that

it should get tested. And that is the scary part. We won’t necessarily know how many deer have gotten sick if one of the deer that regularly goes to one of those supplemental feeding stations is the one that tests positive. One deer eating out of those corn/grain bins could cause every deer who eats there to get sick. Maine’s deer herd is

already hurting due to predation and our harsh winters. Well-meaning people think that they are helping deer when they provide supplemental food sources during the winter months but they are actually doing the opposite. One of these feeding operations could be the cause of CWD coming in and spreading through(Slope cont. pg 28)

Page 4

Northwoods Sporting Journal

On The Cover

Angus Confesses His Dirty Secret To Me & Joe - Pg 6 Memories of Wiggie - Pg 48 & 49 Fishing The Allagash - Pg 40 North Maine Woods Opening - Pg 67 FREE Range Target - Pg 14 Unchain Baxter Park - Pg 8

Contents

3. Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill 5. Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds 6. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram 9. Northwoods Sketchbook - Mark McCollough 10. Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard 11. “A Hiker’s Life” - Carey Kish 12. Northwoods Voyager - Gil Gilpatrick 15. “Just Fishing” - Bob Leeman 16. The Gun Cabinet - John Floyd 17. What’s In Your Woods - Bud Utecht 18. Outdoor Sporting Library - Jeremiah Wood 20. Aroostook Woods & Water - Mike Maynard 23. Maine Tails - Jonah Paris 24. Question Of The Month - Dave Wilson 25. The Trail Rider - Rod Fraser 26. Ramblings From T8 - R9 - Benjamin Rioux 29. Cookin’ With New England’s WildCheff - Denny Corriveau 30. Youth Writing Contest Winner - Nolan Raymond 32. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood 33. Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective - Tom Kelly 34. Maine Outdoor Adventure - Rich Yvon 37. Post-Script From Pocasset - Josh Reynolds 38. On Point - Paul Fuller 39. Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham 40. The Allagash - Matt LaRoche 42. Fishin’ Lake Ontario - Capt. Ernie Lantiegne 43. Best Bassin’ - Bill Decoteau 46. South Of The Kennebec - Stu Bristol 47. Flight Of The Arrow - Jerome Richard 48. The Back Shelf - V. Paul Reynolds 49. Wiggie, My Dad - Jay Robbinson 50. Vermont Ramblings - Dennis Jensen 51. Outdoors In Vermont - Gary W. Moore 52. Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton 53. Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair 55. The Tyer’s Corner - Hugh Kelly 56. Fly Fishing - Joe Bertolaccini 57. Salt Corner - Doug Jowett 58. The Fur Shed - Blake Dougerty 59. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes 60. Marsh Island Chronicles - Matthew Dunlap 61. The Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer 62. New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James 63. On The Prowl - Justin Merrill 64. Malarkey Cabin Chronicles - Ray Dillon 66. Against The Current - Bob Ramano 66. Anticosti - Mark Cote

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

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

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

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

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

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

www.sportingjournal.com

Main Office Phone: (207) 732-4880 E-mail: info@sportingjournal.com Fax: (207)732-4970 Vol 27 Issue 5/6 is published monthly by Northwoods Publications, 57 Old County Rd. North, W. Enfield, ME 04493 Periodical Postage Paid at W. Enfield, ME. and additional mailing offices.

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

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

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

Editor’s note: For the first time in the 25-year history of the Northwoods Sporting Journal, we are combining two issues, May and June. This is a direct result of Maine Governor Janet Mills executive stay- at- home order for our employees and resultant shutdown of so-called “non-essential businesses.”

We thank our loyal readers and advertisers in advance for their patience and understanding during this unprecedented, uncertain and difficult time. Hopefully, Maine will soon get back to work and our publication will get back on track starting with the July issue.

Other Great Stories & Information

8. Editorial/Letters 13. Outdoor News 41. Trading Post 44. Carroll’s Corner - Carroll Ware 68. Real Estate

May/June 2020

Wiggie, My Dad - Pg 49

By Jay Robinson

The Allagash - Pg 40

By Matt LaRoche

Cover Photo: The late Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson standing up in his canoe.

(Photo by Jay Robinson)

Fly Fishing - Pg 56

By Joe Bertolaccini

What’s In Your Woods - Pg 17

By Bud Utecht

May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

New Fishing Regulations

Fishing regulations, like any rules or regulations, are not easy to love.

Some time ago, as fishing law books got thicker and the water-by-water rules got increasingly complex with multiple S-codes and exceptions to the General Law, a cynic made the observation that a serious

fishing regulations have not really been simplified, official assertions to the contrary.

Here is the major new fishing regulation change for 2020, excerpted from the Fish and Wildlife website: Use or possession of live fish as bait is now

es the importance of the region’s native and wild brook trout populations, and stresses the potential damage to those fisheries when bait fish are introduced.

According to Aroostook County fisheries biologist Jeremiah Wood, The North Zone, or Region G, which now has the prohibition of live bait as part of the General Law comprises

Page 5

Outdoors In Maine

by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME not result in any regulation changes for the vast majority of listed waters.”

Wood also observes that there is, indeed, a symbolic or validation aspect of the change that prohibits live bait as a matter of General Law. The aim,

our sport fishery. Anyone who doubts this need only look at what is going on at Moosehead Lake with the jaw-dropping brook trout catches.

The author is editor

Bottom line is that an angler can not use live bait on any North Zone water unless it has an S-11 designation.

There are 68 bodies of water in this zone that have the S-11 designation.

The prohibition of live bait use in northern Maine waters is now part of the General Law. There are exceptions, and those bodies of water are indicated with an S-11 designation in the fishing lawbook. (Photo by Rod Fraser) law-abiding angler needed two companions with him on the water: a sherpa to carry the law book and a lawyer to interpret the regulations and S code for each body of water.

The 2020 fishing regulations have been released.

The good news is that an angler can now download the fishing law book on an I-phone or access it online at the Fish and Wildlife Department website. The not-so-good news is that

PROHIBITED under the General Fishing Law in the North Zone. The use of all other legal forms of bait (including worms and dead baitfish/smelts), artificial lures, and artificial flies is PERMITTED under General Law. All waters in the North Zone where the use of live bait is permitted now have the special law code “S-11” in the 2020 Open Water and Ice Fishing Laws.

This change reinforc-

Aroostook County and northern sections of Piscataquis, Somerset, Oxford and Franklin counties and about 300 lakes and ponds.

Bottom line is that an angler can not use live bait on any North Zone water unless it has an S-11 designation. There are 68 bodies of water in this zone that have the S-11 designation.

Wood emphasizes that the regulation change “does

of course, is to keep nonnative bait fish out of our highly-valued wild trout waters in order to safeguard the integrity of the fishery.

As Maine’s sport fishery continues to thrive providing matchless fishing opportunities on our more than 5,000 bodies of water, the logical conclusion can only be that complicated fishing rules have played a key part in this revival of

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

Page 6

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Adventures of Me and Joe

The Free Press

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

Angus Dealman muttered angrily under his breath.

“What’s that, yer say Angus?” Joe looked up from his plate of bacon and eggs. Angus was taking breakfast with me and Joe at the Five N’ Diner in beautiful downtown Mooseleuk. Now he picked up a copy of the local paper, the Mooseleuk Mouth, and shook it angrily in one ham-like fist.

“You read this drivel about Elton Philander?

What the heck’s Yapp doing writing about a man’s private business?”

Before either Joe or I could answer, the door opened and Luze Yapp himself bounded into the room. Luze was editor and chief reporter of the small local paper. He was a wiry little man with abundant energy and flaming red hair. Everything interested him and he rarely ignored a story that claimed his interest. Now he hurried over to our table as Angus Dealman stood, his face turning a darker shade.

“Mornin’ gents, morning! Got any juicy tidbits for me today?” Yapp asked

brightly.

“Speaking of tidbits, Yapp,” Angus spoke up.

“What’s the idea of printing this backdoor stuff about Elton Philander? If he goes stepping around of an evening, it isn’t the business of every Tom, Dick and Harry on the street!” “’Course it is,” Yapp replied loftily. “The public has a right to know!”

“Bull!”

“What?!” Yapp’s red hair bristled.

Dealman leaned over until he was right in the face of the smaller man.

“You show me anywhere in the Constitution, or any other American law, where it says the people got the right to know diddlysquat! That’s just some catchy sayin’ you idiots in the press thought up to justify sticking your noses everywhere they don’t belong! ‘I kin print anything I want about anybody because “the people got a right to know”.’” Dealman looked like he wanted to spit and Yapp was right in the line of fire. The reporter hastily backed away, but his hair was standing on end by now and he ap-

May/June 2020

Then, all of a sudden, he seemed to deflate. A calculating look spread over his narrow face. “Me thinkest thou protesteth too much,” he misquoted softly. peared ready to explode.

Then, all of a sudden, he seemed to deflate.

A calculating look spread over his narrow face. “Me thinkest thou protesteth too much,” he misquoted softly.

“What?” Dealman’s scowl deepened. “What the hell are you talkin’ about now?”

“It just appears to me that you’re getting awfully worked up about a

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.

little yellow journalism that don’t even concern you.”

Yapp looked at the big man slyly. “Seems like maybe you got a little something to hide yourself.”

D e a l m a n ’s e y e s bulged. He snatched up the offending paper and crumpled it into a tiny ball before flinging it down on the table. A sausage-shaped finger suddenly appeared under Yapp’s nose.

“If I did have somethin’ to hide, it’d take more than a pint-sized nosey parker like you to find it out!” He threw a couple of bills on the table and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Luze stared after him with a pensive expression on his face.

“Siddown and have some coffee, Luze,” Joe said hooking a chair with one foot and drawing it away from the table. The

reporter sat down, turned over a cup and poured it full of the steaming brew.

He sipped at the hot coffee appreciatively.

“Y’know, Luze, Angus has a point,” Joe said.

“The public don’t got to know every little part of somebody’s private life.”

“Ah, but that’s what sells newspapers,” Yapp replied, delicately wiping his upper lip with a napkin.

“And magazines and books too, for that matter.” He looked thoughtfully at the crumpled-up newspaper lying on the table.

“Freedom of the press has always been a twoedged sword, boys. You’re looking at one side of it, the side where some stories seem like an unwarranted intrusion into private lives.

The alternative is having somebody decide for you (Me & Joe cont. pg 7)

May/June 2020

Me & Joe

(Cont. from pg 6) what should be published and what shouldn’t. And everybody has a different idea about that. So who does the deciding? The government? A committee?

Every time something like that’s been tried it’s led to censorship and unpopular restrictions on what people can read. Face it guys; in a free society it’s better to have too much information out there than have somebody else deciding what aren’t allowed to read.”

“I guess you’re probably right, Luze” I said thoughtfully. “But it’s an easy concept to push when you don’t have anything on the line. I’d probably feel better about the whole idea if more editors and publishers used a little more discretion in what they print.”

Luze finished his coffee and stood up. “I do use

Northwoods Sporting Journal discretion. I try not to print out and out lies. And I don’t make up things to fill out a story.”

“Right now I got an idea ol’ Angus Dealman’s hiding something he doesn’t want me to know about. It just might be something worth printing. I’m going to keep an eye on Angus for the near future and see where the story leads me. See you boys later.”

It was toward the end of the week before we saw Angus Dealman again. He was on the sidewalk when we came out of the Emporium, where Joe had just purchased a new 14-inch cast iron frying pan.

“That’s a big pan, Joe. Hold a mess of trout.”

“Or perch…or deer meat for that matter,” Joe agreed.

“What’s in the bottle?” He pointed at the pint bottle sticking out of a

paper bag under Joe’s arm.

“Peanut oil. Got to season ‘er up right before you can cook in it.”

“I’ve heard about seasoning cast iron, but I never knew how it was done. And peanut oil?”

“Used to use salt pork fat, but it ain’t real good for you. Peanut oil stands high heat without scorchin’. I was an’ dry the new pan real good. Then pour about an inch of peanut oil in it and rub it all over the inside. Then I stick her in the oven. Keep the oven about 200, 250 degrees an’ leave ‘er there three or four hours if you can. Take the pan out after that an’ pour off the excess oil. Wipe it dry. You’ll find the inside is still shiny with oil.

“Cast iron got little fine pores in it. The hot oil fills them pores. Every time you cook in it you wipe it clean an’ rub a little oil all over the inside with your

Page 7

finger before storin’ it. In a little while you’ll find nothin’ you cook sticks to it, just like a Teflon pan.

Only with cast iron, it lends a special flavor to everything you cook.”

“And don’t ever use soap when you wash it,” I added.

“Don’t use soap?”

Angus asked in surprise.

“Then how do you get it clean?”

“Soap will taint the oil and give what you cook a bad taste,” Joe said. “It’ll also take off the surface oil an’ make things stick afterward. To clean a cast iron pan you use salt.”

“Salt?” Angus looked confused. Joe grinned.

“Wash out the pan best you kin with scalding water. Then take a paper towel an’ scrunch up one end of it. Or a dish cloth, for that matter. Just wet the cloth or paper towel.

Then pour a little mound of table salt in the middle of the pan. Press the wet cloth into the salt and use it to scour the pan. When the salt gits wet it acts just like sandpaper under that cloth. It’ll scrub that pan squeaky clean. Then just dump out the salt and rinse the pan with hot water. Dry it and rub a little oil on the inside. She’ll be ready for the next time.”

“Well I’ll be darned,” (Me & Joe cont. pg 35)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Unchain Baxter Park!

More and more, the governments’ nationwide Covid 19 mitigation measures are resembling a fictional nightmare from the pages of “1984,” George Orwell’s dystopian novel about oppressive government run amok.

Consider this. California has banned freshwater fishing. The state of Wyoming is returning license money to non-resident hunters and advising them that they are not wanted, stay home this fall. And in Michigan, despite protests by that state’s residents, that state’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has, in effect, banned fishing on the big lake by prohibiting all motorized watercraft on the lake. The walleye season was about to begin and anglers are livid.

Washington State has closed down 6 million acres of public land!

In terms of the stringency of the stateby-state lockdown orders, it is almost as though the governors were competing with one another to see who can issue the most tyrannical and sweeping executive order.

In some quarters, Maine Governor Ja-

Essentials for Survival To the Editor: Thanks for the very welcome article by Jerome Richards titles 10 Essen-

net Mills has been commended for giving Mainers a free fishing month in April (no license required) and permitting boat owners to delay boat registration. However, when Mills and other government officials tell us that they will “permit us” to fish as long as we take only a family member and fish as close to home as possible, the tenor of it all carries the reek of the Nanny state and governmental overreach. Mills thwarted attempt to lockdown all Maine gunshops speaks volumes. Her unfettered power, or any governor’s, to decide what constitutes “essential services” for lockdown purposes is alarmingly arbitrary.

What these high-level decision makers, whether it’s California, Michigan or Maine, apparently don’t tumble to is that the outdoors is where many of us go to maintain our sanity in a topsy-turvy world.

And the more troubled the times, the greater the attraction the outdoors holds.

If ever we need access to the outdoors, it is now.

Closing down state parks, including

tials for Survival.

Over many years practicing as a landscape architect, I have been lost a number of times -- just walking away from the vehicle to check something

in the field - just over this knoll!! etc. And then, no sun, bad shadows, late in the day, can’t see anything familiar, don’t know where I am, no bearings, nothing familiar - of course - this is the first time I have been in this country, etc. and dressed in office clothes.

For a number of years I guided canoe trips in Alaska (with a partner) and we were well equipped for survival, no outside contact, no resupply, no heat, no body bags, etc. and a month (300-500 miles) to get to an outpost with air.

My point here is that circumstances seem to always catch us -with our pants

Baxter State Park until July 1, is extreme and not warranted by the facts or the level of risk to human health. We are not imbeciles. We know how to safeguard ourselves without Augusta holding our hands. Nationwide surveys indicate that, state-by-state, the social distancing compliance rates did not vary, whether the governors locked down the state or not. We got the message.

We wash our hands. We wear the mask.

And we keep our distance, whether we are in a supermarket or casting to salmon from a boat on the Big Eddy.

May and early June in Maine is the “sweet of the year.” It is when trout and salmon fishing is at its best. Anglers must have access to parks and land to pursue their passion. Closing Baxter Park, and other state-owned lands to campers and June fishermen is not only wrongheaded, it is unacceptable. At the very least, Baxter State should be accessible to at least Maine residents during late May and June.

- VPR

down-not on well- planned wilderness excursions.

Might you think about those circumstances where we just “go around the corner” in our daily work/lives and suggest what we might pick up in a very small bag that could perhaps save us from some very uncomfortable moments?

We have worked in the high country of Colorado (USFS) bringing out tourists, etc from avalanches. etc and for a number of state, federal, local. regional. Organizations.

And, have had a number of great discussions with Paul Doughtery, Conrad Wirth, Jack Boothman, The

folks in NY, VA, CO, MA, CT ME, etc where we have worked and tried to deal with people in the back country w/o any equipment.

If you are unfamiliar with the ANWR and its people, try watching the Animal Planet Channel on TV and search for The Last Alaskans. Heimo & Edna are friends and one can learn a bit about life below minus 30 from their experiences. We operate in country that sees minus 80 but not in the winter!!

Don Wirth Topsham

May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Trouting in 1820

Happy Birthday Maine! For those of you “from away,” 1820 marks Maine’s bicentennial and freedom from the tyranny of Massachusetts. While many reminisce about the various historical events that shaped the Pine Tree State, the Friends of Craig Brook National Fish Hatch-

Northwoods Sketchbook

settlers occupied disputed parts of the St. John River valley. But most lived within a day’s horseback travel to the coast or one of the major rivers.

It wasn’t difficult for a young boy to figure out

leister to spear larger fish like salmon at night. But the boy was impatient and

by Mark McCollough, sought the thrill of catching Hampden, ME a thrashing trout on a hook Instead, schoolkids that was handy. Decades and line.

Formal fishing rods in 1820 were adept at find- later when fly fishing was and reels were almost un- ing just the right straight introduced, woven lines of and limber birch, alder or horse hair (from a stallion’s arrowwood sapling to use tail) and silk were used. as a rod. Fishing line did Most likely our young not exist. Children used angler absconded with a any natural fiber or cord (Trouting Cont. Pg 28)

where to fish in 1820. Almost anywhere you lived there were teeming schools of trout and salmon. Dozens of new mill dams were being built at the mouths of the tributaries for sawand grist mills. Although these may have blocked some sea run brook trout, the mill ponds and reaches above were chock full of trout. The challenge for a moccasin-footed schoolboy was how to catch them.

There were no game laws that limited the fish that could be taken in those days. Brook trout fishing was not for sport, but for subsistence. Fish and game laws would not come for another 40 years. Any method was fair game. There were the Indian methods; building weirs of sticks or stones in streams to corral trout or whittling a three-pronged

heard of in 1820. A few wealthy merchants on the coast could afford an imported, break-down 3-piece rod of exotic bamboo, greenheart, or lancewood with soldered brass ferules and line guides. Fishing reels were almost nonexistent in 1820 America. The first crude wooden spool reels were manufactured in that year by Kentucky native George Snyder, but wouldn’t arrive in Maine until years later.

A young boy or girl from Bangor or Waterville would not have seen let alone own a rod or reel of this type. It would take a decade or two before rod building would start in earnest in Maine. Besides, navigating the puckerbrush along the mill stream with a long fishing rod was not practical.

It wasn’t difficult for a young boy to figure out where to fish in 1820.

Almost anywhere you lived there were teeming schools of trout and salmon. ery in East Orland, Maine are busy developing an exceptional exhibit documenting Maine’s fishing history that will open early this summer. Stop in for a visit. If you haven’t seen Maine’s premier Atlantic salmon museum you are in for a treat. Watching this exhibit take shape, my mind drifts centuries past, and I wonder, “What was it like to go trouting on a balmy May day in 1820?”

A young toe-headed school boy squirms in the hard church pew. The minister drones on well past an hour and now is into his “ninthly” about the sins of idle pursuits (such as fishing). This sets the boy’s mind ablaze with ideas for the Sabbath afternoon…to catch a mess of speckled trout for dinner!

In the previous 30 years, a new tide of settlers pushed up the major rivers into the dark interior of “the Mayne” country.

In 1820, American settlers had outposts as far north as Houlton, and Acadian

Page 9

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FOR HELP FINDING YOUR CLOSEST AUTHORIZED HEWITT DEALER

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Muzzleloading Afield

by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME

Fishing Small Runs

I grew up in a time when much of southern Maine seemed a lot less crowded, when you knew your neighbors and a kid could walk to his friend’s house a mile or so down the road and home again in time for supper without fear or mothers worrying about a kid’s safety. During the summer we actually retired each night with the front door and windows

and spruce provided shade keeping the brook cool even during the dog-days of summer. I spent countless hours there dunking worms but besides being full of pan-sized native brook trout it was my magical place and the sound of that moving water was like music to my ears. Today, more decades later than I like to think about, whenever I wade into a stream

shaded overhanging banks, log jams and other obstructions breaking or diverting the currents, pocket water and areas where the water is still moving but out of the stronger main current to name but a few can all produce good results. With that said, the most important thing learned way back when was to look first, to “read” the water before wetting a line. It’s a cardi-

Another thing that seems to hold true is the further I get from main roads or bushwhack past the end of a trail the better the fishing is apt to be. Exploring areas where anglers seldom tread and sections seldom fished, to have a place all to yourself is one of more enjoyable things about fishing small trout runs. wide open to take advantage of the cooling nighttime breezes. We were a rural family, country kids who spent a lot of time outdoors and though we didn’t have 40 channels on TV, the World Wide Web or video games to pacify our time we always found things to do.

Not far from our home was a small brook that drained a wetland area on a neighboring property.

Beavers had built a dam near its source creating a small pond but downstream the brook ran clear and clean forming a series of short and long riffles that emptied into deep, dark pools. Over the years the spring run-off had undercut some of the banks, and in places trees had fallen in to divert the water flow forming swirling eddies. Along the banks tall hardwoods

or river with a fly rod in search of trout or salmon the music is still there and I realize it was the hours spent on that brook as a youth that made me such a moving water fan.

I don’t fish small brooks as much as I used to but when I do it’s refreshing to note that despite the world having changed in so many ways things along small trout brooks have pretty much stayed the same. It’s also interesting to realize the lessons learned on a brook in southern Maine decades ago are good general lessons to fish by.

One of the things discovered early on is trout are cover-oriented fish. I’ve found that pretty-much true in the wilds of Labrador to the mountain runs in Pennsylvania to the trout streams in the west. Undercut and

nal rule to fish by.

Another thing that seems to hold true is the further I get from main roads or bushwhack past the end of a trail the better the fishing is apt to be. Exploring areas where anglers seldom tread and sections seldom fished, to have a place all to yourself is one of more enjoyable things about fishing small trout runs.

Looking back, and each time I hit a brook, favorite trout stream or river, even one that is unknown the things discovered as a boy prove their value. The need for a quiet, stealthful approach and maintaining a low profile, how important presentation and precision and making the first cast count are, and how much patience sometimes plays a role in enticing a trout from (Runs cont. pg 22)

May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 11

“A Hiker’s Life”

Land of the Noonday Sun

by Carey Kish, Mt. Desert Island, ME

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

A gnarled old oak tree sits atop Bly Gap at 3,800 feet on the Appalachian Trail, famously marking the boundary between Georgia and North Carolina. The Tar Heel State, the second on the northbound thruhiker’s agenda, wastes no time with fancy introductions, putting a couple of brutally steep 4,000-footers directly ahead, Courthouse Bald and the aptly named Sharp Top. I spent my first night in North Carolina a few miles beyond on a high ridge line above Muskrat Creek, where I was treated to gusty winds, a dusting of snow and nighttime temperatures in the single digits. It was by far the coldest night on the trail, and one that drove numerous hikers to the valleys and the warmth of motel rooms, but I reveled in the weather, happily prepared for it.

North of the Georgia line to the Smokies, the trail follows a meandering route through the

531,000-acre Nantahala National Forest. Nantahala is Cherokee for “Land of the Noonday Sun,” and in many of the region’s deep river gorges hemmed in by steep-walled mountains, only a few hours of direct sunlight reach the ground around midday.

The first 5,000-foot summits of the AT trek are reached on the second and third days in North Carolina, first the grassy perch atop Standing Indian, “the Grandstand of the southern Appalachians,” and then Albert Mountain, with its fire tower and far-reaching vistas.

Beyond Winding Stair Gap, the trail follows a rough-and-tumble route over the Stecoahs, a series of high, grassy “balds” in the 4,000-5,000-foot range.

Siler, Wesser, Wayah and Cheoah all provide wonderful views ranging from the Tennessee Valley Divide in Georgia all the way to the Smokies. I sweated buckets through this tough 30-mile stretch.

The balds of the southern Appalachians are quite unusual in that many of these high summits feature a thick vegetation of native grasses or shrubs rather than the wooded forest growth that might

backpacking experience and learning through trial and error.

The other notable item is the amazing amount of stuff—trash, most of it—that has been left at places along the trail. I particularly remember a heavy rain jacket, bag of assorted gear and a big bag of food at one shelter. I’ve also seen several abandoned tents, left right where they were pitched.

At every shelter and camp site, hanging from trees or bear cables, or just left on the ground, the amount of trash early on is disturbing.

It’s a fact that there are simply too many hikers on the trail in springtime on

be expected. Why some southern balds are like this while others are forested remains a mystery, but this hiker certainly appreciated the fine views from the open summits.

Several weeks into the hike, I’ve observed a number of woefully ill-prepared hikers out here, people with Army surplus, cotton and other poor-quality gear. Some are out of food and fuel already. I’ve seen hatchets, camp chairs, big candles, lanterns, huge knives and such. Sorry, but these folks aren’t going to make it very far. There are in fact few truly experienced hikers on the trail; most are on their first big

the first 100 miles between Springer Mountain, Georgia and Franklin, North Carolina, so issues like trash are inevitable. That said, despite the throngs of hikers, I’ve experienced plenty of solitude each day, hiking for many hours at a time very happily on my own and seeing relatively few people. And that, my friends, makes this hiker joyful beyond measure.

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

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Page 12

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Pandemic Life

Northwoods Voyager

by Gil Gilpatrick, Skowhegan, ME As I write this I cannot help thinking how fortunate we as outdoor people are that our interest is in outdoor activities that can be done alone or with one’s spouse or life’s partner. Of course, I am thinking about the Coronavirus, Covid-19 pandemic, and the profound effect it has had on all of us. I expect it will still be an important topic of conversation and TV news when you read this in June. As I read and hear about the Covid-19 pandemic I can’t help but think of another pandemic.

One that effected my ancestors. It was the flu pandemic of 1918-19. It infected over 500 million people, about a quarter of the world population at the time. The death toll is estimated to be between 17 million and 50 million making it one of the deadliest pandemics in human history behind the black death.

Will the Covid-19 pandemic reach or exceed

May/June 2020

that level? I hope not. My family was hit hard by the 1918-19 pandemic. Both my grandparents, my father’s parents, died within months of each other in 1919. This happened when my father was only seven

I can’t help but chuckle when I see and read about the hoarding of toilet paper. Toilet paper! As if we couldn’t live without it.

When I was very young my grandparents, my mother’s parents had a back-woods farm in central Maine. This would have been in the late 1930’s. I remember that to visit in the spring we had to walk a mile or so

time as a youth wandering in the woods. During those times when the urge came on I simply squatted and did my duty. Of course, I never had the foresight to carry any supplies on those treks, so my toilet paper was leaves that grew all around me. One time I chose some leaves that didn’t exactly agree with me. They caused a very

My family was hit hard by the 1918-19 Flu pandemic.

Both my grandparents, my father’s parents, died within months of each other in 1919. years old and essentially made him an orphan. As a result, by the time he was 13 he was working in the woods as a cooks helper.

There were no government sponsored child services in those days. I think that early outdoor living in the Maine woods gave him a love for the outdoors that he somehow passed on to me.

The news every day is about shortages and what people are doing that has changed all of a sudden.

As serious as all this is

along a muddy road. I also remember that they had an outhouse, a two-holer.

Guess what we used for toilet paper. We tore pages out of a Sears Roebuck catalog! No that wouldn’t do in today’s world with septic tanks and city sewers, but it does point out that toilet paper is not a life or death necessity.

I’ll tell another story that might elicit a chuckle, although I didn’t see any humor in it at the time. I have written before about how I spent much of my

uncomfortable, and embarrassing itchy rash that took a couple of weeks to go away. No, it wasn’t poison ivy, I knew what that looked like, but whatever it was it didn’t like me!

Dot and I, along with our dog Sukey II, get out doors as often as the weather allows and usually it is for a walk in the woods behind our home. We enjoy the time outside and it relieves the cooped up feeling that city folks must feel if they are staying in and practicing the so-

called social distancing.

So, I encourage everyone who is able to get out and enjoy the outdoors Maine, and even though you may not be able to connect with long time buddies for a trip to the lake or whatever, you can still get out and then tell each other about it by phone or other social media. I intend to not be a victim of this pandemic like my grandparents were of the last one. So, see ya’ next month!

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Page 13

Outdoor News - May/June 2020 Edited by V. Paul Reynolds holding the Green Mountain Conservation Camp May/June. The sweet sessions this summer. In of the year. the event we need to canFor the angler who cel one or more sessions, likes to get after lake land- full refunds for the camp locks early, who loves to registration will be issued. feel the bite of the wind on GMCC offers opporhis face as his Grey Ghost tunities for hiking, canoeStreamer fly trolls smartly ing, fishing, archery, .22 through a brisk “salmon rifle and shotgun shooting, chop,” the sweet of the orienteering, and other fun year may be late April or activities. Campers have early May. The trout angler, a unique opportunity to on the other hand, who meet Vermont State Game waits patiently to match the Wardens, foresters, fisherhatch with a #14 Parachute ies and wildlife biologists, Adams, may not taste the and others who work in the sweet of the year ‘til late outdoors.

May or early June. The Wildlife education challenge for all fishermen, and outdoor skills are the of course, is the timing: be- focus of GMCC and the ing there and having a line program’s goal is to culin the water when the sweet tivate a caring attitude of the year comes calling. among our youth for VerAt press time, spring mont’s fish and wildlife is looking elusive. But over resources. the years we have seen that, when it comes to spring in Vermont Tick Maine, expect anything.

Advisories The sweet of the year Tickborne illnesses may catch you by surprise, are most frequently transso get the spring chores mitted between early spring done, and be ready to get and late fall since ticks are after those fish! most active during warm Tight lines. months. Be tick smart and follow these four recommendations to decrease

•Wear light-colored pants and long sleeves

Check

•Perform daily checks on yourself, your children and pets •Shower soon after spending time outdoors

Remove

•Use tweezers to grab tick close to skin •Pull tick straight up, do not twist •Wash hands and bite area with soap and water •Put clothing in dryer for 10 minutes on high

Watch

•Watch for symptoms of tickborne diseases, such as fever, muscle aches, fatigue and joint pain •Most Vermonters with Lyme disease develop a rash, but 30% do not •If you develop any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider

See also:

•Vermont Department of Health - Tickborne Diseases •Ticks in Vermont •Lyme Disease •Preventing Ticks Among Hunters Factsheet •Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative Fact Sheet

New Striper Rules

Canoeing

Vermont Summer Camp Will Open

Tick your risk of infection.

Protect

Given the current situ•Use an EPA-approved ation with COVID-19, we tick repellent on skin want to let parents know •Apply permethrin to we are still planning on clothing

Changes governing the harvest of striped bass and bluefish went into effect on January 30, 2020.

These changes created a slot-size limit for striped bass and a lowered daily possession limit for bluefish, in addition to the required use of non-offset circle hooks when angling for both of these species.

For a comprehensive list of rules applying to striped bass and bluefish fishing

visit https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/legislative/ proposed-rules.html Specific changes to the harvest of striped bass and bluefish include the following: • Length limit for striped bass is now within the slot-size limit of at least 28 inches in total length and less than 35 inches in total length.

• Possession/angling limit of bluefish is now 3 fish per day unless angling from a licensed for-hire boat from which 5 bluefish per day is allowed.

• Requirement to only use corrodible non-offset circle hooks when using bait while fishing for either striped bass or bluefish.

The N.H. Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Learn more at www. wildnh.com/marine

Trout Unlimited Meeting Postponed

According to John Holyoke in the Bangor daily News, Trout Unlimited’s national meeting, which was to have been held in Bangor in August, will instead be staged in the Queen City in 2021.

The meeting had been scheduled for Aug. 19 to 23 and would have drawn hundreds of volunteers to Bangor for a variety of meetings and recreational events.

Mac McGinley, the chairman of the Maine Council of TU, said last week that his group had reached out to TU’s national board of directors and shared the difficulties involved with planning for

an August event during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Frying trout “The Maine Council did discuss what our options were for the national meeting in Bangor this year, and made a recommendation to TU national that we reschedule it to next year,” McGinley said.

“With all of the things going on, shelter-in-place and all nonessential businesses closed, it’s just too hard to get stuff done that we need to to have a fully functional meeting this summer.”

On Friday, McGinley said the national board had agreed with the Maine Council’s proposal and will stage the meeting in Bangor in 2021, likely in June or July.

Trout Unlimited is a conservation group that has 300,000 members nationally and six chapters here in Maine. The organization stresses the importance of coldwater fisheries and works to conserve them.

Their motto is “Take care of the fish and the fishing will take care of itself.”

When the site of this year’s meeting was revealed in December, Jeff Reardon, the Maine Brook Trout Project director for TU, said he was excited to welcome national TU members back to the Pine Tree State.

“This is a big deal for us in Maine,” Reardon said. interstate traffic is down 53 percent.

(News cont. pg 31)

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May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 15

Two of Maine’s Popular Hermits

There were two of Maine’s so-called “Hermits”, or mountain men, if you will, that I knew of a few years ago. One I met.

The first was a real woodsman and hardened

deer hunters and fishermen, they soon became close friends. That friendship blossomed into an invitation by Rube to visit his humble existence up on the mountain, which my

Susie stands up for a cookie in winter 1974.

(Photo by Walter Arnold) outdoorsman. His name was Rube Dexter. Now Rube, according to my Dad, back in the late 1930’s was advised by his medical doctor to build a cabin high on a mountain and live the remainder of his life there if he wanted to have a long and happy existence.

My Dad, James E. Leeman, was a druggist, and he worked for Mars Drugstore at the time, in Farmington, Maine. He met Mr. Dexter on several occasions when he came to town to get his prescriptions filled and do his other errands. My father soon learned of Rube’s living in isolation, and both being

Dad did on several occasions, most often in the fall hunting season and once on a spring trout fishing excursion.

On one trip to visit Rube, Dad asked my older brother and me to come along. Are you kidding!

Two young boys asked to climb a mountain where there’s a log cabin. Wow! Did we!

I remember driving to this alp in North New Portland and following the winding trail upwards, then coming to the summit and a large clearing. Arriving there, we saw this low, square dwelling, completely fashioned from recently

cut and hewed logs. Inside as I recall, was a red hot, pudgy woodstove, bunk type beds in a corner and a couple of chairs pulled up to a table which was hardly big enough for a cribbage

“Just Fishing”

by Bob Leeman, Bangor, ME years. Dad was right. Rube was a tough old bird-no question!

Rube Dexter became so popular in the area of

exchange notes and letters, if I would oblige. I did so almost immediately.

Here was a man who escaped civilization to only come out of the woods, north of Greenville, Maine, to buy a few needful items and maybe purchase a weekly newspaper for the local news, and too, he got his annual lobster and clam feed.

There have been many articles written about Mr. Arnold. They said he was a “loner” – and he was, to be sure. But, Walter apparently liked to write, and not only letters, but scribes of articles, on trapping mostly. His writings also included a very popular book titled “Professional Trapping”. Being so adept at the fur trapping game, he once got into a very successful animal scent mail order business.

But his penchant for the woods began to take its effect on the man. He sold his growing endeavor to Oscar Cronk of Wiscasset, an eminent trapper and scent-dappler himself.

(1940’s photo) Left to right-Rube Dexter with back-pac, Babe Keliher, Archie Leeman and an unidentified person.

Phillips, Strong, and North game.

That night my brother New Portland, that the Jim and I slept on those people later had an “annual makeshift mattresses of day” to honor him for many round wood with a bearskin years, even after his death.

WALTER ARNOLD laid over. I still remember how uncomfortable and I never did meet Walter Arnold personally, but bony it felt.

The next morning, we did correspond over Rube and Dad gulped down the years by mail. ApparRube’s homemade biscuits ently, he read my outdoor and black-really black cof- columns in the Piscataquis fee. Dad always said, “You Observer newspaper. Then, haven’t lived until you’ve one day, he wrote me a had Rube Dexter’s bis- letter stating he had read (Hermits cont. pg 22) cuits!” After the two men my stuff and wished to trudged off hunting for the day, my brother and I began exploring. Get this! We discovered a deer leg protruding from the woodpile and on further examination, we found a whole deer carcass Woody’s Guide Service there, frozen stiff. We told *2020 Deposits Now Being Accepted* Dad about it on the way Limited Spots Bear Over Bait. home and he got quite a Summer Vacations! kick over it. This was the Located on North Shore Kingsbury Pond only time I ever met him P.O. Box 475, Sabattus, ME 04280 Email:form34me@aol.com Phone: (207) 212-9676 Fax: (207) 375-8906 in person, but my Dad Let us guide you through the wilderness experience that told us many stories about you’ve dreamed about and will talk about for years to come.

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Page 16

The Gun Cabinet

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Best Laid Plans

ting back into the hunting to the ground, moved out it drop to the ground and rhythm usually starts for of the wood line into the roll around, scratching it’s

by John Floyd, me with spring turkey. field directly to my front. I back and no doubt enjoying Webster Plantation After filling my thermos estimated it to be about 100 the crisp spring morning, I had the gobbler best blind location, giv- with fresh coffee and grab- yards – too close to start a just as I was. After nearly pegged. After many days ing me the advantage of bing my lunch, I was out new calling sequence for an hour had passed, I deof scouting leading up to the sun in the bird’s eyes the door and headed to my my liking. I’m an average cided enough was enough. the 2019 spring wild tur- as he approached me and blind well before sun up. caller and I didn’t want to The bear had made its key season opener, I knew my decoy set. On the night When I reached my spot, I risk an errant strike on the way to about 50 yards where he was roosting. before opening day, I crept set the decoys and zipped slate with a bird that close. I from my blind. That was I had followed the long several hundred yards un- myself inside my blind, figured the gobbler saw my close enough and surely beard and his harem as they der the cover of darkness The dark shape kept coming, slowly but surely. moved around the ridge for into the field from the opweeks. They were consis- posite side. Behind a low I noticed it was getting lighter outside, so I decided to get a tently making the rounds rise, I popped my blind better look. I glassed the object through the mesh window in through the same patches and prepped and stowed the blind from about 80 yards. of woods and ending up my decoys inside. As I for the day at the same drove back to camp, I felt did a quick check and got decoys and was heading my gobbler wasn’t coming anywhere near me now. spot at the inside edge of good about what the next my calls and gear situated. right to me. I waited.

The dark shape kept I let out a sniff. The bear the big corn field’s wood day would bring. After all, Everything was in place. I line. A couple of times I I had put in the work and checked my watch; it was coming, slowly but surely. I looked my way then turned was close enough to see was well prepared. I had a 30 minutes until first light. noticed it was getting light- and loped back towards The first gray light of er outside, so I decided to the northwest corner of the fly up with binoculars. solid plan, a good spot and I had the roosting spot a known roost. But as they morning found me scan- get a better look. I glassed the field.

I never got that gobnailed down; now came used to say in my old unit, ning the far wood line just the object through the mesh the decision on how to the best laid plans rarely north of where the gob- window in the blind from bler, but that’s okay by bler was roosting. If my about 80 yards. That was me. There really is more to capitalize on that. I studied survive first contact.

When my alarm rang, plan went well, I’d draw the precise moment my hunting than the killing and the lay of the land, noting where the small knolls in I surprised myself by roll- the gobbler over the small well laid plans went up in I felt fortunate to experithe field could provide ing out of the rack within hill in the field where he smoke; and not from the ence it for the better part of concealment. I checked a reasonably quick time would make contact with end of my muzzle. First an hour on that beautiful, the sun’s arc throughout frame. It’s been awhile my decoy set and further contact materialized as a crisp spring morning. the day to determine the since deer season and get- back, the business end 200 lb. class Maine black of my shotgun. I made bear - now 60 yards to my John is a Registered some tentative calls on my front. I watched the bear Maine Guide, an NRA Cerslate, careful not to let my paw the field for leftover tified Instructor and is the excitement translate into corn and amble around owner of Tucker Ridge Outover calling. Within 15 without a care in the world. doors in Webster Plantaminutes, a dark shape, low More than once I watched tion, Maine. He also works as an outdoors writer and can be reached at john@ tuckerridge.me or on Facebook @writerjohnfloyd Huge Selection Of Ammo

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May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

My Cameras are “For the Birds”

Placing cameras out to capture wildlife photos has been a passion for years. Getting shots of all the animals while learning more about their habits is so fun I can’t seem to get

Great Blue Herons, which seem to love to pose for the camera.

Away from the water this becomes more difficult and admittedly many of my bird captures have been by

multiple birds hunkering in the snow. This tactic moved me to placing cameras on large trees that have fallen across streams. Yes there are many animals there, however the big score was

Great blue heron (photo by Bud Utech) enough of it. A hobby that accident. But sometimes a pair of goshawks using usually starts with look- these accidents allow me this spot for feeding and ing for antlers can evolve to learn about habitat and sunning. They brought all into looking for everything interchange. A few sum- their kills to the log and from otters to bear. But mers ago, I placed a camera I was able to witness the what about the birds? There on a huge fallen pine tree. interaction as they fetched is a whole world of bird ac- I used a limb on the upper small animals and other tivity out there most won’t end to place the camera birds to feed on. I never think about until they get which is looking down thought greatly about a an incredible picture. the tree to the butt end. I goshawk before and now Waterfowl was my was very interested in how they are a favorite to capfirst attempt at capturing many animals would use ture through the game cambirds. A couple years ago the tree. Well I can tell you era lens. in the spring I decided to that lots of animals use it As most of you know, set cameras in areas that re- and so do birds. This was I do not bait to capture photurning ducks would likely a partridge (grouse for the tos. On occasion though, I be seen. Rewards came of- non-Mainer) meeting spot. have placed a camera on a ten with mallards, hooded I captured males all fanned kill that I stumbled across mergansers, common mer- out, strutting their stuff to in my treks through the gansers, wood ducks and teal. I then started placing more cameras out where I might get birds and animals on the same cameras. This was fairly easy for birds that hang around water but a little more difficult for other types. Beaver ponds are an obvious location for placing cameras and you will be rewarded for your efforts. Along with waterfowl you will get

Page 17

What's In Your Woods

by Bud Utecht, Dedham, ME woods. You’re thinking coyote, fisher and other carnivores would be prevalent however raptors will be rampant. Bald eagles will impress you at these locations and we never can get bored of seeing these majestic birds. Owls are another bird I have captured pictures of and, surprising, quite a few.

Mostly they are barred owls which apparently several populate one of my camera areas. I have pictures of many more birds and different scenarios; jays, woodpeckers, crows, and chickadees to name a

few, nonetheless the point is don’t discount acquiring incredible images of our feathery friends. You might find this as exciting as getting a big buck.

Bud Utecht is a Register Maine Guide, avid wildlife enthusiast, Browning trail camera dealer, and trail camera consultant.

His trail cameras are strategically placed throughout the Maine Woods. Feel free to email Bud for trail camera tips or to discuss what’s in your woods. bud@ whatsinyourwoods.com

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Page 18 Northwoods Sporting Journal

Outdoor Sporting Library

by Jeremiah Wood, Ashland, ME

When I think ‘mountain man’ and ‘Maine’, it’s tough not to think back to Walter Arnold. Sure, we have a few folks left in northern Maine who spend a significant amount of time living in the woods, but Arnold was considered

Walter Arnold Revisited

passion. It combined the freedom of being outdoors and working for oneself, and fur prices at the time

made it possible to make a good living at it. Often teaming with a partner, Arnold would spend time

He also did a little writing, which is why I’m bringing him up to you today.

Walter Arnold was born in Willimantic, Maine in 1894. His father was a market hunter, trapper and lumberjack. Walt grew up with the outdoors in his

Walt grew up with the outdoors in his blood, and so it made perfect sense that he’d make his living guiding and trapping. by most to be the state’s last true mountain man. For two decades, until shortly before his death in 1980, Walt lived alone in a cabin on the shore of Indian Pond, accessed only by airplane. He hunted, fished and trapped, gathered firewood, cooked, cleaned, and lived almost entirely on his own terms.

blood, and so it made perfect sense that he’d make his living guiding and trapping. For years, he’d guide fishermen throughout the summer season, and when things cooled off he put the fishing gear away and got ready for trapping season.

Trapping was probably Arnold’s greatest

May/June 2020

Walter Arnold with a large beaver.

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in the fall preparing several cabins to serve as bases for his winter trapping operations. The trappers would haul in food, gear and supplies, usually on foot, to their main cabins and each of the more remote line cabins that were designed for short stays.

The men scouted large areas for the presence of furbearing animals and cut trails through the country they intended to trap. They prepared traps, cut firewood, made plans and dreamed about a big fur catch. At the start of the season they set their traps out in long lines, targeting bobcat, fox, fisher, beaver, otter, mink, raccoon and weasel. They matched wits with these critters and brought catches back to the cabin to begin the tedious process of preparing pelts for market.

In good years, trappers could make out quite well, but the fur market was never consistent, and Arnold soon learned that one couldn’t rely on income from trapping to get by year in and year out.

But he was an enterprising man, always looking for a business opportunity in his outdoor pursuits. Harvesting spruce gum was one such opportunity he took advantage of, but it was very seasonal and demand was spotty.

Arnold began contacting trap manufacturers and wholesalers and soon found himself in the trapping supply business. He began making and selling his own line of scents, or lures, for trappers to purchase. Arnold is credited by many as the first in the industry to offer hard-tofind ingredients used in (Walter cont. pg 19)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Walter (Cont. from pg 18) lure making available to the public through his supply catalog. He advertised in the major national sporting magazines, and soon found himself shipping thousands of bottles of trapping lure all over the country.

Like in any field, it’s tough mixing business and pleasure. Trying to run a wilderness trap line and a lure and supply business at the same time could wear on even the most ambitious and energetic person. He would often spend a few days on the trap line only to rush home and work all hours of the night putting products together and preparing orders for shipment.

But with help from his

family, he maintained the business for a long while, and grew it to a nationwide name, eventually selling to Oscar Cronk of Wiscasset, Maine, who makes and sells many of these same lures today.

One thing that didn’t seem to conflict with Walter Arnold’s outdoors lifestyle, supported him financially, and turned him into a household name in the trapping community was his writing. Walt wrote articles, mostly on his trapping adventures, for FurFish-Game magazine from 1929-1964. His articles told stories about adventures and misadventures on the trap line, provided insights and observations on different furbearers, and shared helpful instruction and trapping techniques.

With more than 50

articles over the span of several decades, Walter Arnold shared an incredible amount of information with readers at the time.

His observations of nature and furbearing species provide a great historical perspective for today’s reader. Thoughts on furbearer management touch on issues that are surprisingly similar today. The enthusiasm of an ambitious trapper who was truly at home in the woods and loved his surroundings and the freedom they allowed was present in most of Arnold’s writings. It’s fun to re-experience that by reading his work.

Walter Arnold’s writings were of great importance to him, and he recognized their potential historical significance.

Prior to his death, he spent

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Page 19

a great deal of time organizing a collection of his paper records and donated them to the University of Maine’s Fogler Library.

With their permission, I began combing through the records to learn as much as I could about the man. I quickly realized that many of the Walter Arnold articles should be shared with a modern audience, within a modern context. So that’s

been a project of mine over the past several months.

Shortly after you read this, I’ll be publishing a book of Walter Arnold stories. I hope you’ll join me in experiencing the adventures of a special woodsman who lived during a special time in our state’s history. For more information, email me at jrodwood@gmail.com

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Aroostook Woods & Water

by Mike Maynard, Perham, ME There’s an old Chinese proverb that says “May you live in interesting times”. Well, we do.

Trying to maintain an even keel these days is an exercise in patience that would test even the mighty Job. You might think that living up here in the northern part of the most northerly county that life wouldn’t have changed that much.

Turns out it has. Thankfully, we’re a tough bunch and we soldier on the best we can. For me it’s been a

good time to expand my knowledge of the woods and waters around me and forget about the lack of toilet paper. Along with toilet paper, my market up here ran out of Major Grey’s Chutney, …go figure.

I wanted to try something new this spring, something I haven’t done in far too long: fishing the sucker spawn. It’s no secret that many of our streams have fantastic sucker runs in the early spring. An earlier than normal snow melt

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here in the county may signal an earlier run this year if water temps cooperate, though as I write this it’s snowing again.

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Simply take some spawn colored yarn, a pale watery yellow will work, a salmon pink perhaps, and a caddis/

the trout were hooked too far down in their throat for safe hook removal. I cut the tippet and let the fish swim away.

The pattern is suggestive of a small cluster of sucker eggs. You can weight the hook prior to tying the yarn down or add a bit of weight such as Tung Foo, or a small split shot to

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bound to lose a few so tie up a bunch. It’s simply a red plastic bead, 6mm will do, followed by a bare hook trailing 2 to 2.5” behind the egg. The theory being that the fish takes the bead, you see your indicator move, and you set the hook. The hookset will invariably pull the hook into the corner of the fishes’ mouth and not

I wanted to try something new this spring, something I haven’t done in far too long: fishing the sucker spawn. It’s no secret that many of our streams have fantastic sucker runs in the early spring.

scud hook and off you go.

You all recall how an inch worm moves itself along a branch, hunching up and down, sliding forward repeatedly. Same process with tying the yarn to the hook. Tie the yarn down to the shank at the rear of the hook and hunch up a bit of yarn. Tie it down to the shank just in front of the bunch. Repeat until you have four or five hunched up segments of yarn. Whip finish and you’re done. If you’re planning on releasing the fish mash down the barb on your hook as hungry trout and salmon have a tendency to swallow egg patterns. I found this out the hard way. Two of

your leader to get the fly down lower in the water column where the fish are feeding. After trial and error, I found I prefer adding the weight to my leader. It seems to give the pattern a more life-like appearance in the water.

One more method that you can try if you don’t tie flies, and may be a better rig for releasing fish unharmed, is the simple plastic egg rig. It’s a very popular method used in places like Pulaski, on the Salmon River for steelhead and big salmon.

It’s a wonderfully simple rig to tie up and you can make several of them up ahead of time. You’re

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his gullet. I don’t catch as many fish this way but then I don’t leave any hooks in them either.

Take a length of your mono size of choice, say 24”. I like to tie on a #10 or #12 scud hook first. Then secure the hook in your vise or by another method if you don’t have one, and thread the line through the bead, leaving 2 inches of space between the egg and the hook. Now run the thread through the bead another three or four times to secure the bead and ensure the bead won’t slide down to the hook. Add whatever small split shot you need on the leader, secure the leader to a swivel or tippet ring, attach the indicator of your choice and go catch fish. Wrap several of these around a wine cork and throw them in your vest or tackle bag.

These egg rigs and the sucker spawn flies work best when fished down(Spawn cont. pg 22)

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Page 22

Hermits

(Cont. from pg 15) I have a stack of Walter Arnold’s personal letters and newsletters he mailed to me on a regular basis over the years. The following is just some of the “excerpts” that appeared in one of my outdoor columns about Mr. Arnold: “Hi, Bob; I was unable to trap as usual last year because of my bad foot, but did manage to take a few marten and beaver.

Old Chuck, my pet

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Back at camp on October 26, my leg started to swell. After a couple days, it became so large I could hardly pull my pant leg over it. On November 1, the plane came in, and that night I was in the Greenville hospital. I was told I had phlebitis. It wasn’t a bad case, however, because in three days, the doctors had it back to normal. I never did have any pain. I left the hospital on November 11, flew back to camp for my things, and on the evening of the 12th, was

Runs

woodchuck, arrived on the first crust in March and spent the summer in his comfy den under my shop.

He took so many handouts from me, he became so fat he could hardly waddle.

Then, at the end of July, he left for his winter home, miles away.

Susie, my pet deer, is now a large, handsome doe, and was around camp most of the summer. The day before the hunting season, I put a flashy red florescent ribbon around her neck so that every hunter could see that she was a tame animal.

down here with friends, Bruce and Frances Packard in Willimantic. I plan to take it easy this winter.”

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(Cont. from pg 10) its station. How the biggest trout are nearly always positioned in the best feeding lanes, at the head of a pool or riffle, near cover or along the edge where deep water meets shallow and fast currents mix with slow.

Indeed, there were a lot of lessons learned back then, one of the most important being it’s not about the size of trout these small runs hold, but the pure, simple joy they offer that really counts. And now, with May upon us and as apple blossoms bloom or about to, and as water levels recede and temperature rise it’s time to wet a line and put those lessons to good use.

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Spawn

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 at several bookstores and fly shops, or directly from him. For information on his books, please call 207-989-7696.

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(Cont. from pg 20) stream of the suckers themselves, preferably over the cobble of a shallow riffle.

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May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Camp Trout

It’s a quarter past five in the morning when I sit down at the kitchen table.

I hear Aurora, the beagle, peacefully snoring in the next room over - or perhaps it’s Ashley. A steaming

Skowhegan, and Madison gives way to the dense coniferous forests of Solon, Bingham, and beyond, I know that I am getting close. The stream - the lifeblood of camp - runs a

particular fly, a classic English pattern, was born one chilly February evening down home in Southern Maine. With each rotation of the bobbin, details of a past upland hunt had rushed back to me; I shot the grouse, whose feather now adorned the shank of my hook, out by Second Machias Lake the previous October. Here in New England, reliving days spent afield helps to keep

green clusters of emerging fiddleheads, and the process repeats itself. This time the trout is slightly larger. Now quite content, I stick the fly into the cork grip and start up the path towards the cabin. I’ll make a sandwich for lunch - turkey and cheddar perhaps. Then I’ll trade the 3-weight for a 5-weight, tie An average-sized “camp trout.” on a streamer, (Photo courtesy of Jonah Paris.) and spend the mug of coffee and a thick few hundred yards afternoon fishslice of toast, smothered in behind the cabin, ing for landAmish-made apple butter, through the pines locked salmon accompanies me. I take a and down past the on the Kensip of the coffee. Staring raspberry patch. It nebec. After down into the dark, swirl- flows southward casting for ing liquid, I’m reminded of from somewhere several hours, the stream at camp. Like up in the hills and The author’s version of the Partridge and I’ll return to it does every spring, the by the time it cuts Orange. (Photo courtesy of Jonah Paris) camp, build a stream will run fast and through the family’s land the sportsman’s spirit alive fire in the pit, and listen stained for a few weeks as on its journey to the Ken- once the snow starts to fall. to the coyotes singing in the snow melts. nebec, I suspect the stream The fly is small, a size the hills. The camp trout I hear the clicking of has widened quite a bit 16, and the barb has been those little native gems out little paws on the wood from its original trickle. pinched; perfect for these back - will not see another floor. Aurora, prematurely The blowdowns, boulders, camp trout which rarely of my flies for a year. They roused from her slumber by and determined beavers exceed five or six inches. braved another long Maine the smell of food, curiously have created ample cover I recall a glaring exception winter, and that was all I peaks her nose around the for the stream’s residents. - the beautiful 12 incher needed to know. corner. Turning to greet When the water warms in I caught just downstream my floppy-eared friend, the coming weeks, the rac- in the spring of 2014 on a my eyes fall upon the ty- coons and minks will feast yellow Hornberg. Balancing vise sitting lonely in upon the frogs and crayfish. ing on a rock, I cast across the corner - a forgotten soft Chubs and dace will rule a pool near the base of a hackle creation still locked this stretch once summer towering white pine. The in its jaws. As I reach for a arrives in Somerset County tree has stood guard over notebook and pen, the little - but for now, in the cold the pool for well over a hound dog lies down at my springtime runoff, the wild century. feet patiently awaiting a Salvelinus fontinalis still My fly tumbles about piece of crust, and the soft reigns king. clumsily in the pool. Liftsnoring continues in the By the time May fi- ing the rod tip, I allow the next room. nally arrives in the North fly to sink. I strip, pause, Camp lies a short dis- Country, the brook trout, and feel a gentle take. I wet tance off Route 201, known like the deer and bears, are my hands in the stream, unas the “Old Canada Road” lean, hungry, and ambi- hook the small brook trout, to the tourist or the nos- tious. Armed with a short and release him back to talgic old-timer, just west 3-weight rod, I creep up the rule over his coffee-colored of the mighty Kennebec bank and tie on my favor- kingdom.

River. When the rolling ite soft hackle pattern: the I continue upstream to farm country of Fairfield, Partridge and Orange. This the next pool, past bright

Page 23

Maine Tails

By Jonah Paris, Scarborough, ME I hear footsteps and Aurora, who had drifted back asleep beneath my chair an hour ago, suddenly perks up. The faint snoring has stopped and I am awakened from my own dream. I’m back in Southern Maine. Looking down, I discover my notebook full of scrawled handwriting my own. I greet the sleepy woman now standing next to me, but my mind is still up at camp, happily lingering along the bank of the coffee-colored pool by the old white pine. Soon, the time will come to head north and check on the camp trout. Chances are, by the time you’re reading this, I’ll already be on my way.

Jonah Paris is pursuing a master’s degree in Teaching from The University of Maine. A fourseason outdoorsman, Jonah lives in Scarborough, ME Jonah can be reached at j​ onaheparis@gmail.com​

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 24

May/June 2020

Question Of The Month May/June 2020

How Do You Still Your Heart When the Trout Are Rising?

By Dave Wilson Along the far bank is a ledge of New York granite that runs the length of the pool. At first and last light the darkened granite looks like the silhouette of a prehistoric bear standing up to his belly in the stream,

On hot summer days, wading in jeans and felt soled wading shoes and keeping your casts quick and short and just beneath the overhang, you can take trout after trout in the slick nipple of water that peaks behind each rounded stone in the riffle water above the

the bear’s head. Excited you tie on a tiny black ant imitation and began to cast.

On the third cast, the leader tippet, fine as a human hair does not turn over on your back cast and whistles past your ear in a terminal knotted mess.

You breathe deep

huge brown trout in this pool. They are very smart.

You find yourself in a zone of silence. You watch a mink scurry up his well worn path close to the rivers edge into the water, up

rock in the shallows, feeds, and slides back into his river stone from the opposite side of the stream from the deep hole under the bear head where the Kingfisher drops again, this time for a

You do not tie on a fly because the stream is always changing. You slow your heart to the beat of the river. You look around. You need to see a sign before you choose your fly this time. You know there are huge brown trout in this pool. They are very smart. fishing. The branches of a Douglass fur hang over the bear’s massive shoulders and reach out over the head of the pool. Upstream the leaves of dainty poplar and beach wave in the light over the riffle water on the long flat channel into the deep pool that begins under the bears snout.

big fishing bear granite.

Small grizzly hackle flies tied with a white deer hair tuft for visibility and buoyancy work best.

One sunny, breezy June day. you wade into center stream and settle yourself on a long, wide flat rock. Small trout sip gnats in the deep hole beneath

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and regather your line and yourself. Instead of using a store bought leader you decide to build a new one from scratch. You realize you’ve been sitting behind a desk too long. You focus only on tying the five blood knots one at a time to rebuild the nine foot leader: Three feet of twenty pound test to two of fifteen to a foot and a half of ten to a foot of five to a foot and a half of tippet as fine as a human hair.

You do not tie on a fly because the stream is always changing. You slow your heart to the beat of the river. You look around. You need to see a sign before you choose your fly this time. You know there are

V. Paul Reynolds in a nice fishing hole. his trail and vanish into the underbrush. A kingfisher drops from a spruce branch into the deep pool beneath the bear stone, plunges into the water neat as an Olympic diver and flaps up and back to his low branch, a black dace wriggling in his bill. You begin to hear your own heart beat it’s simple iambic pentameter into the orchestral moving waters of the Little Beaverkill.

The big fish begin to move in places you’d never expect. And there along the near shore a brown trout as long a your forearm turns out from under a long flat

small trout.

And when at dusk the big drake mayflies begin to rise and the larger fish rise for them in the big pool under the lip of the long granite stone, you’ll need to still your heart again and slow your cast again, as you’ve learned to slow your golf swing to avoid a wild ball or in this case a wind knot, that you can ill afford when the big trout are on the rise on the Little Beaverkill... *** I remember another similar stretch of posted (Question cont. pg 31)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Upcoming ATV Events

Hopefully, by the time we are all reading this in the Sporting Journal, the Coronavirus is behind us and we are freely enjoying the summer. With the summer comes ATV riding through the countryside and family-friendly ATV festivals. If there is not a family-friendly ATV festival near you, consider road tripping to one of the great events I am listing here.

is scheduled for July 31st and August 1st. This will be the 11th year of the festival and should continue to be the top ATV Festival event in New England.

The festival is two days of fun trail riding, mud runs, and socializing with other ATV enthusiasts. There are poker runs, mud runs, ATV pulls, a blessing of the ATVs concerts, exhibitions, and much more.

jericho-atv-festival. Visit their website and check out the videos. For more information on riding the Granite State visit www. nhatv.com or www.nhstateparks.org and look under the “experience” tab.

Maine’s Free ATV Weekend is back! If you want to experience riding in Maine, this is the opportunity to do so and save on a temp registration.

AUGUST 14-16, 2020

Page 25

The Trail Rider

by Rod Fraser, Hyde Park, MA

riders will have a policeescorted parade through Presque Isle Saturday morning beginning at 10 AM, then they will leave to go on a 60-mile long poker run. There will be a lunch stop serving hotdogs and hamburgers and at the end of the day, everyone is in-

1200 contiguous miles of ATV trails. Many of the trails in the county are club membership trails which means you must become a member of one of the 18 clubs that maintain these trails in order to ride on them. Check with local ATV clubs where you plan

This year, the festival is scheduled for July 31st and August 1st. This will be the 11th year of the festival and should continue to be the top ATV Festival event in New England. is free ATV weekend in Maine and on those 3 days, a nonresident may operate in Maine on an ATV that is not registered in Maine if the nonresident’s ATV has a valid registration from another state or Canadian province. Up in “The County” of Maine (Aroostook County) the 14th Annual “Ultimate ATV Event” will be held August 14, 15, and 16 at Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle, sponsored by the Star City ATV Club. If you are “from away” you can come up and ride for free! Aroostook County is a beautiful area to visit and ride and the people are very welcoming to ATV riders.

As part of this event, ATV

Regardless of the weather, summer is ATV time in Maine.

These events provide great There will also be a Monopportunities for everyone ster truck ATV showdown. who rides to get out, have The nearby town of some fun and meet other Berlin, one of the festival riders and the Star City sponsors, really puts out Riders have timed their the welcome mat allowing “Ultimate ATV Event” to ATVs to ride into town coincide with Maine’s Ride and closing Main Street Free Weekend! to other vehicles for the We are now facing ATV “Downtown Main the 11th Annual Jericho Street Block Party” Friday, ATV Festival? Each year July 31 from 4:00 P.M. to it keeps getting bigger and 10:00 P.M. You can learn better. As everyone who more at https://androscogreads this column knows, ginvalleychamber.com/ this festival is centered at the Jericho Mountain State Park located near the town of Berlin, New Hampshire, and part of the Coös County “Ride the Wilds” trail system. Designed with ATV riding in mind, the park is a “must-see” and boasts many scenic outlooks as well as camping, C.M.D. POWER SYSTEMS, INC. swimming, fishing, canoeGenerator Sales, Service and Parts ing, and boating to round Office 207-848-7702 Exit 180, I-95 out your visit.

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vited back to the clubhouse for a bar-b-que, raffle and bonfire. This event brings people from all over New England and the state of Maine and coincides with “Free ATV Weekend” so visitors from out of state and Canada can ride in the event without registering their ATVs in Maine. That is a great benefit for any ATV riders from away who want a great opportunity to ride the Presque Isle area. For more info visit them at www.starcityatvclub.com. Aroostook County is a great place to visit and ride boasting over

to ride in the county for more information.

Please email me at rjfraserjrusn@yahoo.com with any good riding stories. I would love to hear them. Have a great riding destination? Let me know, I might like to check it out! Ride safe, ride right!

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

Greenville

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 26

Ramblings From T8-R9

Libby Camps Open for Business

by Benjamin Rioux, Millinocket Lake Libby Camps has been around since 1890, and during those 130 years we’ve endured our fair share of hardships from pandemics to depressions to world wars and everything in between. Regardless, it goes without saying

that Covid-19 and recent events weigh heavy on our lodge, guides, and guests.

We look forward every spring to hosting our regulars and to introducing new faces and families to our little slice of heaven, and it saddens us that this recent

Photo sent in by Benjamin Rioux

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pandemic has thrown a wrench in those plans. Still, we will move forward with a positive attitude knowing that we can only work with what we are given, and will do so with optimism, excitement, and hope for the future.

As it stands, our camps are open for Maine residents in June, and should be able to accept our out of state guests starting in July; pending loosening of restrictions from the

As it stands, our camps are open for Maine residents in June, and should be able to accept our out of state guests starting in July; pending loosening of restrictions from the governor’s office regarding visitors from other states.

governor’s office regarding visitors from other states.

WELCOME SNOWMOBIL ERS Restaurant If you fit the criteria as a Maine resident for June, we urge you to consider booking a trip to visit us. With all the travel restrictions in P.O. Box 254 Portage, ME 04768 Tel: (207) 435-3701 deansmotorlodge.com place, there is simply no better time to get out and explore what your beautiful state has to offer. Our historic lodge boasts walking, driving and fly out access to over 3.5 million acres of wilderness playground.

Fly fishing for brook trout and landlocked salmon are at their very best during this time, and our guides are eager to take you and your families out on the Open 7 Days A Week

(Camps cont. pg 27)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Camps (Cont. from pg 26) water. They love working with all skill levels, and will show you a much more enjoyable version of social distancing.

If you do NOT fit the criteria for June, we are currently offering to reschedule in July (pending loosening of guidelines) August, or September. Fun fact – some of the largest brook trout caught at our lodge last year came in July and August, and the only thing more gorgeous than the fall foliage of September are the colored-up brook trout! Guests who prefer to move their reservations to 2021 or beyond will have that option as well. Please contact the lodge for more details.

To sweeten the pot, and as a way of giving back to our loyal guests, every reservation made for the 2020 season for stays from June through September will be entered to win one of two FREE guided trips at Libby Camps to be used in 2021 or 2022. These are 2-night, 2-day fully guided stays for two people that include lodging, meals, and two days of guided fishing. All residents and nonresidents who currently have trips booked, as well as those who work with us to move their reservations to another available date in 2020 will be eligible to win one of these free trips as well. The drawings will be held in October 2020,

and more contest details and eligibility requirements will be available on our Facebook page and at www.libbycamps.com At the end of the day, our goal is to provide our guests and their families with unforgettable experiences and memories that last a lifetime. While hardships will surely continue to linger in the coming months and maybe even years, we promise that the Libby Camps experience at its very core will remain largely authentic and unchanged from what our very first guests enjoyed

130 years ago. We look forward to seeing you all soon, and wish you and yours good health in the days ahead.

Stay safe & God Bless!

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

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Page 27

North Maine Woods

Page 28

Slope

(Cont. from pg 3) out not only the deer herd, but also the moose herd.

Maine currently has no formal regulations when it comes to supplemental feeding but it does suggest that people not do it. At Dr. Schuler’s presentation, someone in the audience asked Nate Bieber about Maine’s plans to push for more restrictions on feeding. His response was disappointing; “the state plans to continue to maintain the current practices and monitor deer that are killed” he said.

Luckily, there are researchers like Dr. Schuler

Northwoods Sporting Journal

and organizations like the National Deer Alliance and Quality Deer Management Association that ARE closely monitoring the spread of CWD and have suggestions on what every hunter can do to help stop the spread of this and keep our deer herd healthy.

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

Trouting (Cont. from pg 9)

length of linen twine from mother’s spinning wheel.

Fishing hooks with eyes were hard to find in 1820. Daniel O’Shaughnessy’s “limerick” hooks from Ireland fetched a high price and were said to be worth their weight in gold. England cornered the world market in fish hooks because they held the secret of hardening and tempering the finest steel. Imported hooks were a rarity in the haberdashery shops in seaports like Bath and Portland, and few made their way into the rural outposts of the new state. More likely, our

lindsey-woolsey angler split and stacked cordwood for the local blacksmith in barter for a few cut, bent, and sharpened iron hooks hammered on an anvil.

The Norman Rockwell image of a boy trout fishing with a tin can of worms could not be in 1820. There were no tin cans and no earthworms.

Tin canisters were invented in England in 1810, and by 1820 they were being used sparingly for gunpowder, seeds, and turpentine.

They were a novelty in Maine at statehood, and empty cans were far too valuable a commodity to be entrusted to a young angler. Also, Maine had no earthworms. The state was wiped clean of them during

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the last Ice Age. They were inadvertently introduced

by European colonists in the rootballs of trees and ballasts of ships. By 1820, earthworms would have colonized farms in the coastal communities, but were rare or absent inland.

(Today there are about sixteen earthworm species in Maine, 14 are European and 2 are Asian.) The trick to brook trout fishing was catching the first trout, perhaps on a fluttering piece of pork rind. Thereafter the colorful red, black, and white fins or pieces of bright orange trout flesh were an effective bait.

Early outdoor writer, Joshua Gross Rich (18201897) was born with Maine in 1820. He penned this from his home at Rangeley Lake: In those days all of us, natives and hunters, used a fish pole cut from the shores nearest the pools we were to fish, without landing net or fly hook. The latter devises came around these parts about 1855 and a great wonder they were to us, and we looked down upon the “flies” and the men who used them in utter disgust.

Good fishing to you all!

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May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Gift of Game

For me personally, wild game has always been a gift.

When I open a package of game that I will prepare to cook, it’s a sharp reminder of all that is good.

Recently, we have all experienced an unexpected

as I generally have a dozen different types of game onhand. It’s like being the Dr. Doolittle of cooking.

Honestly, there-in lies the gift, and there are many of us who possess it, regardless of whether it is one type of fish or game in

and idea was born in our personal discussion. We talked about ways that we could encourage and support others. Afterwards, we decided that we wanted to put into action love towards others, whether they in emergency services, family, friends, or senior citizens.

A kind word uplifts others, but as the old say-

Cookin’ With New England’s WildCheff

by Denny Corriveau, Kennebunkport, ME

and homemade mac and cheese – we have chosen to utilize our harvested natural resources to bless others.

It has provided us valuable activity as a fam-

This situation can be a time in history where those of us who love the outdoors can do our part, and we can have a lasting positive impact of the lives of others.

Photo sent in by Denny Corriveau shift in our life; this CO- our freezer.

VID issue has unleashed With the current situa world of uncertainty to ation involving COVID, many of us. Our world as we have a tremendous opwe know it has changed, portunity as sportsmen and and for those of us who outdoorswomen. understand the role that More of us are eating wild fish and game play at home and starting to pull in our lives, one constant those packages out of the remains – we understand freezer. how to access a pure source We know people who for sustainable eating. are on the front lines of As a child, I grew up this; working in healthcare, fishing and enjoyed many emergency services and water-to-plate meals with the like. my family that originated We have normal confrom utilizing natural re- cerns such as our families, sources. friends and colleagues, When I was intro- parents, grandparents and duced to hunting as a young the elderly. teenager, I had no idea that My family and I, years later I would also much like you have talked treasure this activity as a about the current situation, gift.

Today, a large part of my eating regimen stems from fresh caught fish, game that I hunt and purchase from wild game suppliers in various parts of the country that I have worked with for over 25 years.

I often joke with people when they ask me what types of game that I have in my freezer. I tell them that variety is the spice of life,

ing goes – a picture paints a thousand words. The follow on to that is that people don’t care how much you know, they will always recognize how much you truly care.

We started to pull out our free range protein out of the freezers, shop for additional ingredients to include the typical plastic storage containers and disposable aluminum pans you would find at the grocery store, and we have jumped in the kitchen.

Cooking together as a family we have chosen to prepare meals and deliver them to those I described.

From soups, chowders and game chili to pot pies, Salisbury steak, lasagna and meatballs, meatloaf,

Page 29

ily, and has reminded us of what is important in life.

This situation can be a time in history where those of us who love the outdoors can do our part, and we can have a lasting positive impact of the lives of others.

Let’s choose at this time to show some love and exhibit what we are truly all about; not just people who are passionate

about the outdoors, but people who can think outside themselves, and make a difference in the lives of others.

I guarantee that the gift of game will have a lasting impact on your life, and the lives of others!

WildCheff - Denny Corriveau is Award-Winning Celebrity Game Chef, Iron Chef Winner, and the Founder of the Free Range Culinary Institute, the only national wild game cooking school in the country.

As a Wild Game Evangelist and trendsetter for wild game culinary arts - Denny is a nationally recognized authority regarding his “best practice” methodology regarding the culinary (Game cont. pg 39)

Central Maine Region

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 30

May/June 2020

Youth Writing Contest Winner

Editor’s note: The essay was the first place winner, for all of New England, in the senior division of the annual Youth Writing Contest sponsored by the New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA).

Other winning entries will be published in the coming months.

Lessons from the Hunt

dad’s.

We are in an area with an established whitetail population, and the sign shows it. All through the winter, there is a well-worn

I was overwhelmed with emotions.

I’d made that deer my life for the past three months. I’d frozen myself many days in the cutting waiting for him. It took the other hunter 20 minutes into daylight to take him.

By Nolan Raymond

An unknown hunter once said, “Hunting is about the journey; not just the outcome.”

This saying reminds me of my deer season.

My family owns a fairly large plot of property, but there is a 110-acre plot neighboring ours. Luckily for my outdoors career, the owner is a friend of my

deer trail following an old logging road, I set a game camera up to see the traffic.

On my hike back to the house, I spotted a fourpoint buck standing a mere

“game trail” right through our front lawn. I have a game cam picture of four deer lined up and eating just feet from our porch.

Last August, I took a hike to the neighboring property to scout and plan the finer details of a hunt. Upon finding a solid

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50 yards from me, on the opposite bank of the stream that cuts the property. It stood broadside to me, and watched me for at least 20 seconds. It was something of a surreal experience to see that deer participating in its daily life.

By November, I had a pretty good idea of the game on the property: an 8-pointer, multiple 4-point-

ers, and countless antlerless deer, as well as a mature eagle and a healthy coyote population.

I’d sat on an old staging yard a couple times with my rifle. I had a close encounter with what I still believe was the 8-pointer I’d seen on the game cam.

I’d been observing his pattern for multiple months, and followed his trail a couple miles. He showed up on the game cam almost every morning, quite early.

However, I couldn’t find myself in my spot at the same time as him, despite multiple attempts.

On one particular Tuesday during vacation, the 26th of November, I took my usual downwind route to the spot, to find a surprising scene: someone

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else’s chair, a rifle leaning against the tree, and an orange figure about 50 yards up the clearing, with a deer.

When I walked up, I found it to be the 8-pointer.

The excited hunter’s account of the event told that he had heard the deer approaching through the sawgrass, and the moment he saw the head and neck through the grass, he pulled the trigger.

I was overwhelmed with emotions. I’d made that deer my life for the past three months. I’d frozen myself many days in the cutting waiting for him.

It took the other hunter 20 minutes into daylight to take him.

It was a flood of adrenaline, disappointment and frustration for me. Writing this now, I can still clearly experience those emotions.

I suppose it proves to us that nothing can ever be guaranteed, and luck plays a huge part in our hunts, whether it is a positive or negative impact.

Nolan Raymond is a ninth-grader from Hermon, ME.

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Question (Cont. from pg 24) “PRIVATE WATER” of Upper Beaverkill (or one like it with a deep run along a man made wall of rocks along a road) from many years ago when my father would take us three sons to the lodge at Lew Beach for the weekend with our mother.

Mom remembers going antique shopping while we were fishing and learning that, for tax benefits, everyone had their homes declared places of worship - churches. She also remembers them ringing the grog bell for cocktail time and all the fishermen showing up in waders.

As to the fishing, at the upper end of the Lew Beach water was a long chain across the river with a big sign denoting “NO TRESPASSING! TRESPA S S E R S W I L L B E PROSECUTED!”.

My father claimed to know and have done legal work for the people who owned the private water (we were all three sons proud that Dad was a high power Wall Street Banking Attorney known by his friends and business associates as the legal eagle) and he would advise us, knowing he couldn’t stop us, as we strayed upstream into those more promising waters to mention his name should we ever encounter the river keeper.

We never did and caught and released many quality browns in those waters. And my brother Tim, who was an instigator and still is, would stand at dusk so that his fly drifted just under the “NO TRESSPASSING” sign and strip a big fat muddler minnow down stream and return to

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 31

the first time he’d bent the phone and notify family law for his own benefit. members.

And it would not be the Jake Cyr, age 22 of last.

Guilford, and Tyson Bell, age 31 of Dixfield, began Dave Wilson lives in their canoe trip on the KenKey Largo in fishes Maine nebec River in Bingham. every chance he gets.

Cyr and Bell camped two nights on the river, portaging both the Solon Dam and the first of two Madi(Cont. from pg 13) son dams.

Overdue Family became conCanoeists Located cerned after not hearing Alive At Family from the pair for a few days, Dollar In Madison and notified the Maine Two overdue canoe- State Police.. Shortly after ists paddling the Kennebec the Maine Warden Service River were located alive and Maine State Police and well in April at the began investigating, the Family Dollar Store in pair purchased a phone Madison when they were charger at the Family Dolable to recharge their cell lar Store, recharged and

restarted their phone and were flooded with messages from family concerned about their whereabouts.

Once notified by Cyr and Bell, their family quickly contacted State Police and the search was halted. Cyr and Bell told game wardens that their mobile phone had lost power and therefore had lost communication with family. Both men were operating their own canoe and did have proper lifejackets with them.

“Whenever you head outdoors, let someone know where you are going, and when you plan to return,” said Corporal John MacDonald of the (News cont. pg 45)

the porch of the Inn at Lew Beach and walk right up to all the other fishermen in their waders drinking grog with two 15 inch browns hanging in the net from his back.

When Dad would ask where he caught them he would play dumb and ask; “caught what?”

“Those two beautiful trout in your net,” mom said.

“Why I did not know they were there,” he exclaimed. “They must have jumped in of their own volition cause they realized they had no chance with a son of yours on the Little Beaverkill, Dad,” he said.

He was fifteen the year he did that. It wasn’t

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Mellow in the Moose River Valley

The Buck Hunter

by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME By the time you read this column, I hope the country has recovered from the Covid-19 virus that has ravaged so many people.

Many people have contracted the virus and it has affected their life physically, but for the people that escaped catching the virus their lives have been affected emotionally as well as financially. As of early April, Maine has escaped the brunt of it, and I hope that continues. It has made me realize how thankful I am to live in rural northern Maine. Sure, we endure long cold winters, the black fly scourge in the spring, and must travel long distance to the services that most people live close to, but that trade-off is well

worth it to me. Here social distancing is a way of life, so our lifestyle hasn’t changed all that much. I wash my hands more if I go to town and touch things that other people touch, but that’s really not an inconvenience.

As I watched on the news the panic of people making a run on the stores to stock up (horde) on essentials, I couldn’t help but wonder how so many people can be so unprepared to weather a storm, so to speak. What ever happened to American self-reliance?

Have people become so complacent by having access to all the essentials of life that they can’t keep a few weeks-worth of food in the house? During the

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worth of the run on the stores, I went down to Jackman to get the mail and pick up a few items at the only grocery store in town. As I walked the isles with my basket in hand, I noticed that there was not one shelf empty or even close to it. Not even the toilet paper isle! It just confirmed what I already knew; people in this area are always prepared to deal

food on hand. We have two meat freezers, a vegetable and bread freezer, two refrigerators, and a pantry shelf that is six feet long, six feet high and two feet deep that is full of canned and dry goods.

Keep in mind that there are only two of us living in the house! As soon as I saw what was happening, I called the town office and told them to let me know if

What ever happened to American self-reliance? Have people become so complacent by having access to all the essentials of life that they can’t keep a few weeks-worth of food in the house? with tough times and have not lost any sense of selfreliance.

I would venture to say that most every household in rural Maine, has some sort of game meat or fish in their freezer. It might be deer, moose, bear or a few partridge. I would also say that these same people are willing to share their bounty with the elderly or less fortunate. Sometimes, I give my wife a hard time about having too much

anyone in the area needed food. That’s been a couple weeks now and so far, no one has called, which means everyone is being taken care of. This is a testament to the community spirit of small towns who take care of each other.

As it looks right now, winter is going out like a lamb. The snow has settled, and bare ground is showing around the sunny slopes and edges. It would be nice to see the deer get-

ting out of the yards by mid-April this year, after having been locked in until May the past two winters.

They are in great shape as they have been able to wander about and feed all winter. Although the Moose river valley saw considerably less snow this winter, the northern tip of Maine received their fair share again. The last I heard, there was still four feet on the ground around Allagash village. Brandon Lane keeps me posted on the far north. He is doing his part up there to help the deer herd. He has a good pack of coyote hounds and has killed somewhere around 60 coyotes so far this winter. On top of that he feeds the deer in the yards up there. He told me that they are feeding the deer alfalfa which they purchase right there from the farms in Aroostook county.

This is a good high-quality deer feed and they love it.

Good job up there Brandon and everyone else up there helping the deer!

Hopefully this virus will pass quickly, and we can all get back to out normal way of life. I also hope that it is a wake-up call to the people who were not prepared to have their lives interrupted and that they learn from this experience.

Until then I’ll keep praying for all of those hardest hit and the ones that have lost loved ones.

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. Hal can be contacted at: hal@bigwoodsbucks.com

May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal Guns & Ammo:

If Push Comes to Shove

As I write this article in March 2020, the Corona Virus panic is in full swing.

I have just come from three good days set up at the New Hampshire Outdoor Expo.

It is a nice show held at the NH Dome in Milford, NH. Shortly after returning home, my schedule became much more open. All of the outdoor shows scheduled for March were canceled, as well as the hunter education classes I had scheduled. Places like Walmart have become hotbeds of activity and it seems toilet tissue has become some sort of new monetary system. When you read this, I trust much of the hysteria will have subsided. It is however, obvious that we have seen a glimpse of how today’s society will react in crisis. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a “Doomsday Prepper”, but rather a staunch, self sufficient outdoor family man.

I am comfortable knowing that my two chest freezers full of venison, bear and fish will sustain my family through the shortages at the supermarket. I love

the outdoor lifestyle and highly recommend it. Conversations with a number of people at the outdoor expo have convinced me that other folks have similar things on their minds.

As an academic exercise and because this is a guns and ammo column, let us explore what firearms would best support a forced hunter, gatherer lifestyle. Assumptions we

other fine example is the Ruger American Rimfire.

This rifle has an adjustable trigger, fiber optic sight and adjustable stock. These two rifles are also very reasonably priced and can help with the small game harvest. Squirrels and rabbits are on the menu. The second must have gun, is a 12 gauge pump shotgun.

The two most reliable examples I have found are a

A Guide’s Perspective

by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME

American game animal can be efficiently collected.

Last, but not least, a handgun should be part of your kit. I am not here to debate the revolver of pistol choice. It is more important to have a gun, than what gun to carry.

...we have seen a glimpse of how today’s society will react in crisis. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a “Doomsday Prepper”, but rather a staunch, self sufficient outdoor family man. must make are that you are just starting out on this journey or can only take a few of your toys. What firearms are must haves?

The first in this list of “if I could only have one”: Everyone who needs to hunt for meat needs a reliable .22 cal. bolt action rifle that is simple and easy to use and will digest all types of ammo. Two examples that meet this criteria are the Mossberg Mod 802. It features a 10 round mag and fiber optic sites. An-

basic model 870 Remington and the second being a Mossberg 500 basic model.

These two guns are made for a lifetime of hard use.

A 12 gauge shotgun is a perfect tool for any game from ducks to bucks or bears. For larger game and predators any hunter would be well served with a .30/06 bolt rifle from Ruger, Winchester, or Remington. Ammo in this caliber is readily available. In this caliber as well as some others, any North

Page 33

My choice would be either a good .357 mag revolver like a Ruger GP100 or a S&W 686, or a .45 cal. mod 1911 from Ruger or S&W. A third choice based on ammo availability would be a 9mm Ruger American or a Glock B17. Thankfully, it is not likely we will have to make these choices for survival, but there is no reason not to hunt whatever game is in season to keep the freezer full and increase our outdoorsman skills.

The sobering thought is,

we are only one presidential and legislative election away from a socialist government. If that happens, we will need all of our skills and knowledge to maintain our lifestyle.

Please take a kid hunting and fishing. It is for all of our futures. Stay healthy, vote and, oh!, come to see us at the lake.

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

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

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

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GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT!

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

Where do you read your copy of the Sporting Journal? At camp, in the boat, at the ice shack? We’d love to see a photo of you with your copy of the Journal at an unusual place.

If we like it, we will publish it in the Journal. If we select your best shot for publication, we’ll send you an exclusive Sporting Journal hat created just for the occasion. Send your Jpeg photo and a short blurb to vpaulr@tds.net. www.sportingjournal.com Please include your contact information, too.

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Page 34

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Maine Outdoor Adventure

After a cold, long, dark winter, anglers in the northeast are itching to get outside. The awakening of new life on land and water gets people excited to get out. The renewal and rebirth of all creatures is what everyone eagerly awaits.

Spring Fishing Opportunities

chase these fish living near the Connecticut river, pike were always plentiful and

by Rich Yvon, fairly easy to catch. Pike Bradford, ME spring fishing is certainly do not require any special good for the spirit and re- or exotic lures in order to covery of being closed in catch these beautiful predafrom cold winter months.

Spring fishing is also about timing which is critical in the fishing world. Knowing the where and when will prove to be important in

My favorite lure growing up was the Mepps #5, with a steel leader. Inexpensive, effective, and it would also work on multi species such as large and smallmouth bass.

Another right of spring is fishing small streams and creeks. As soon as rivers clear, the brook trout is another visual, ambush feeder that is found abundantly in Maine.

Open water spring fishing is on the minds of many anglers and for good reason.

Many excellent opportunities present themselves when thawing begins from winters hold. In these most challenging times, getting outside can prove to be a life saver. Relishing and cherishing our natural resources, has never been so important to people who enjoy the outdoors. Going

May/June 2020

order to be successful. That being said, anytime spent outdoors can be considered time well spent, even in your own back yard.

May is go time for chasing Pike! In fact, Pike start spawning as early as April, even when there is still ice! These fish move into the shallows creating and protecting nesting Photo sent in by Rich Yvon. areas to begin their annual tors. As a young angler and The Pike, is a cold waspawn. I first learned to very ill prepared, fishing ter species that is known as the banks on the Connecti- an ambush predator. They cut river was always an feed on almost anything adventure especially with found in their environment light, inexpensive tackle. including themselves! Pike Often times throwing any can be very destructive eskind of lure I was able pecially when introduced come up with from friends into non-native waters. or our local tackle shop. The smaller size pike will

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feed on smaller fish, insects, amphibians and the bigger pike can eat even waterfowl! Fisherman in Maine are discovering how much fun it is to target and catch pike. Historically, most people like to ice fish for them. In the past few years, open water spring fishing is growing much in popularity, especially in the Belgrade region of Maine. Waters such as the Androscoggin River, Great Pond, and Cobbosseecontee lake are very popular fishing areas for the fish.

During summer months, Pike will retreat to colder water depths and then return back to the shallow spring-time waters in the fall.

Chasing spring salmon and lake trout means to actually chase rainbow smelt. One of Maine’s first fish to spawn is the rainbow smelt. As ice and snow cover melts, and rivers swell, smelt gather near the mouths of rivers where they find suitable river edges to spawn. In from the lake also gathers the predator fish...

Lake trout, Landlock salmon, white fish and brook trout follow upstream to take advantage of the tremendous population and feeding opportunity of the river running smelt.

Fishing the popular sport fish requires the fisherman to fish smelt imitations.

Imitations can be in form of tied flies and shiny hardware that is trolled, drifted or thrown. Smelt are so appetizing that fisherman also prey on these fish as well. Dip netting these fish is typically done in the late evening hours when the fish feel safe and protected (Fishing cont. pg 41)

May/June 2020

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 7)

Dealman grinned and shook his head. “Learn something every day.” He turned suddenly serious Looking carefully around, he stepped closer.

“Look, boys…you got to help me with that Luze Yapp.”

“What’s the matter, Angus?” Joe asked.

“He’s followin’ me everywhere I go. I can’t get nothing done, can’t…meet with people. Everywhere I go I spot him skulkin’ around with a camera hangin’ from his neck.” Suddenly, he stiffened like a bird dog on point. “See! There he is now.”

We looked around to where Angus was pointing and spotted the grinning face of Luze Yapp peering around the corner of the barber shop across the street. He did, indeed, have

Northwoods Sporting Journal

a camera suspended on a strap around his neck.

“Angus,” Joe said slowly. “Luze thinks you got something to hide… something he can write about.”

Angus flushed. “If I got somethin’ to hide… well…it ain’t none of his business. An,’ anyway, it ain’t got nothin’ to do with…well…meetin’ with people, like he thinks it does.

“Look, guys,” he said desperately, “how about tellin’ Yapp I’ve gone over to Ashland on business?

He’s sure to ask after I leave an’ he’ll believe you.”

“Ain’t gonna lie for you, Angus,” Joe said slowly. “But we’ll do the best we can.”

“Knew I could count on you,” Angus said gratefully. He turned and strode off down the street.

Seconds later Luze Yapp was beside us.

“Did he confide in

you? Maybe tell you what he’s hiding?” Luze asked.

“Nope. Don’t even know if he is hidin’ somethin’.” Joe replied.

“Well, where’s he going now? Did he say?”

“Might be going to Ashland,” I said carefully.

“Or it might be Masardis,” Joe added.

“Did he actually say that?” Luze looked back and forth between us.

“Well,” Joe drawled, “He didn’t actually say it. But you know…” He winked slyly.

“Thanks guys!” Luze hurried off along the sidewalk.

It was late the next afternoon when Angus Dealman showed up at Joe’s cabin. We had both doors and all the windows open, with the screens keeping out the occasional black fly.

The newly seasoned cast iron frying pan was on the stove, laden with a big mess of white perch fillets.

The aroma was heavenly.

“Yore just in time, Angus,” Joe said, wielding a spatula. “Grab a plate an’ sit. These perch is almost done.”

“Don’t feel much like eatin’,” Angus said as he sank down at the table.

Joe glanced at me.

“What’s the matter, Angus?

You sick or somethin’?”

“I t’s that d ang ed Yapp. Snuck up on me yesterday afternoon. While I was talkin’ to some… friends. He took some pictures an’…”

At that moment the screen door opened and Luze Yapp stepped in, a look of triumph on his thin face.

“Mind if I join the party boys? Got a little somethin’ I’d like to show Angus, here.” He pulled out a chair and sat down without further invitation.

From a pocket inside his coat he drew a sheaf of pictures.

Page 35

“Thought you’d fooled me with that talk about Ashland and Masardis, didn’t you?” He looked at me and Joe. “Good thing I met that car on the Pinkham Road and recognized one of the men in it. All I had to do is turn around and follow them to where they met you, Angus. The rest was easy. I just followed you to that land you own on the top of Bald Knob. That’s the man I recognized.”

He plunked a finger down on one of the photos. Me and Joe leaned over to examine the print. It clearly showed three men standing with Angus Dealman as he pointed to something in the distance.

“I recognize that guy too,” I said, looking closer.

“That’s Ralph Stymie. He’s on the board of the Land Use Regulation Commission.”

“That’s right,” Yapp (Me & Joe cont. pg 36)

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Page 36

Me & Joe

(Cont. from pg 35) agreed. “Once I recognized him, I got in contact with a guy I know in Augusta. He did some checking Guess what I found out?”

Dealman just glared at him.

“I found out you’re planning on building some kind of resort up there on your land.”

“It’s a set of camps spread over the Knob,” Angus said softly. “It’s called Bald Knob after that old burn years ago. You guys know they’s a lot of trees there now. We want to build log cabins in amongst the

Northwoods Sporting Journal

trees. Low impact on the woods. The cabins will have all the amenities, but still be rustic. Poultice Lake is just below for fishing and swimming. And that stand of old growth pine is just to the north.

A lot of people like to see those things. It can work.”

“Of course it can work, Angus,” Luze agreed. “You should have told me about it. I could have helped you advertise. Instead, I had to go all around Robin Hood’s barn to find out your little secret.”

“The other two men are investors. They and one other man agreed to invest but the guy who isn’t in the picture didn’t want any publicity until the deal went through.”

“Who’s the other guy?” Luze leaned forward eagerly. “You might as well tell me now. This story will be front page news in the Mouth tomorrow anyway.”

Angus looked up slowly and the trace of a smile spread across his face.

“All right, Luze, if you have to know. The other man, the one who didn’t

want any publicity? That man is Ralston Journal.”

“Yapp’s jaw dropped.

A look of dismay came over his face. Joe started to grin.

“Well, now… correct me if I’m wrong here, Luze, but among all the other publications that Ralston Journal owns, isn’t one of them the Mooseleuk Mouth?”

“Well, there you have it, Luze,” Angus’s grin widened. “You’ve got the whole story you wanted so desperately. We’re all just waitin’ to see if you’ve got guts enough to print it.”

Yapp flushed a deep red. But suddenly he sat up straight and a look of firm resolve spread across his narrow features. Quickly he began to gather up the prints.

“I believe I have a current photo of Mr. Journal in my files to go with these ones. You may be assured that the story will be in tomorrow’s paper, just like I said. The people have a right to know!” His face now ashen, Yapp strode out of the cabin, leaving the screen door to slam

behind him.

Angus Dealman looked after his retreating figure. “Suppose he’ll actually print the story.”

“I expect he will,” I answered. “Say what you want about Luze…he believes in what he says.

He’ll print the story and take his chances with his job.”

“Oh, I doubt if Rals Journal will fire him. The deal’s about done anyway.

I was just tryin’ to keep it a secret because that’s the way Ralston wanted it.”

“Well,” Joe said, “I guess it’s kind of too bad that Luze did finally find out the secret you didn’t want to let out.”

Angus looked puzzled, then he shook his head. “No, no…that wasn’t the secret I didn’t want him to know about. No, my secret was a lot worse.” He looked back and forth between us. You fellers keep this just between the three of us, okay? I wouldn’t want nobody to find out about it.”

We both nodded in the affirmative “ We l l … ” A n g u s

May/June 2020

looked down at his hands.

“In 1973 I poached a deer.

It’s the most shameful thing I have ever done. I’ve had to live with it all these years.” He looked up. “You boy’s won’t look down on me will you?”

Joe looked stunned.

“No, no…course we won’t Angus. Yer secret’s safe with us.”

Angus looked grateful. He thanked us for our support, then rose and walked slowly out of the cabin. We listened until the sound of his pickup died slowly away.

“Well,” I said, a slow grin spreading across my face. “So that was Angus’s dirty secret. That’s shameful. Imagine poaching a deer. And having it bother you for over 30 years.”

Joe, who had practically lived on poached deer meat for the first 20 years of his life, before he gave up his evil ways, scowled at me.

“Why don’t you shut yer pie hole and go tend them perch? They’s about to scorch.”

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

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Page 37

Mainers Step Up!

Governor Mills has spoken, the turtle like, multi-phase plan to reopen Maine’s economy has begun, but for the many Maine businesses that rely on tourists from away for their livelihoods, it doesn’t look good. What tourist is going to want to come to Maine on vacation this summer and go into a 14day quarantine? Nobody.

Barring any immediate loosening of the restrictions now in place, I offer some hope and a challenge.

Fellow Mainers, its up to us. We may not have the power to change the Governors mandates, but we do have power in our actions, decisions and with our purse. Look at the advertisers in this magazine, they need your help. If you need auto parts, don’t go to the national chain or order

online, go to B&L auto parts in Bangor. Sporting goods, guns, fishing supplies, ammo – head over to the Old Town Trading Post or Willey’s in Ellsworth.

If you’ve never hired a Registered Maine guide to fish or hunt, do it now.

Grand Lake Stream? GLS salmon action is world class. Again, pick a place in Maine you’ve never been, check out that section in the journal, call every camp advertised, talk with them, see what they can offer and plan the staycation of

Fellow Mainers, it’s up to us. We may not have the power to change the Governors mandates, but we do have power in our actions, decisions and with our purse.

Even if you don’t need a guide to catch fish, give them the business, learn something new, we all can and should. The Journal is full of traditional Maine sporting camps. You are missing out if you’ve never spent time at a place like Libby’s Camps, Grant’s Kennebego Camps. How about Canal Side Cabins in

a lifetime for you and your family. You’ll see why so many from away do it.

This challenge goes too for all our readers and advertisers across new England. You may not be able to come to Maine, but you can enjoy adventures in your own backyard and patronize those businesses Mainers have always

Post-Script From Pocasset

by Josh Reynolds, Wayne, ME been a resilient bunch, but we are notoriously stingy.

To survive, many of these tourist-based businesses need our help. Let’s not be stingy this summer. It’s just Mainers helping Mainers.

Let’s go out of our way to spend our dollars here, with our local businesses and friends. We may not be able to force the government to open things up, but we can support one another.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 38

Timberdoodle’s Spring Return

On Point

by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. For bird dog owners living in the North, late winter and early spring brings the much loved American woodcock home for the summer. In the fall, the woodcock migrated south to warmer climates.

The woodcock has a prehensile bill which it uses to probe the soil for earthworms. Once the ground freezes, it can no longer feed; therefore the need to migrate south for the winter.

Until recently, it was unknown how far a woodcock would fly in one night during migration. However, in recent years, small satellite tracking devices have been attached to captured woodcock to record their journey. It’s been discovered that woodcock often travel up to 400 miles

in one night. That’s a lot of work for a little bird.

Woodcock fly solo or in small loose flocks.

After studying the arrival of the spring woodcock, I can say that I’ve identified no pattern to their arrival in New Hampshire.

I’ve seen them arrive the third week in February and the second week in March.

This year, with a fairly mild winter, most woodcock aficionados thought they would be here in February.

However, the little rascals threw us a curve ball…they arrived March 10th.

Typically, we see the larger female arrive first.

The smaller male arrives shortly thereafter. The male has what is referred to as a singing ground. It’s where het performs his mating dance and flights to attract

females. He starts his mating ritual with a peent. After the peent, he flies in a spiral motion almost straight up for about 50 yards. This produces a twittering sound that attracts the females.

The females will fly into the male’s singing ground for mating. Mother nature has instilled into the male to keep up the mating rituals for a couple of months.

That’s to ensure that late

bation taking 20 to 22 days.

Young birds can fly within two weeks.

So let’s take a look at how the bird dog owner benefits from the spring arrival of the American woodcock. The arrival of the woodcock gives you the opportunity to train your dogs on wild birds.

From the first arrival of the spring woodcock, there is about a two week window

bird in that wooded area.

There are a few rules that I feel we should follow when working our dogs on spring woodcock.

Woodcock have traveled a great distance to get to their breeding grounds. They have to be tired. We never follow up on a flush… one flush is enough. As mentioned earlier, give yourself about a two week window from the first ar-

What’s neat about transient woodcock is you can find them almost anywhere. If there is a lightly wooded area in an industrial park you may find transient woodcock.

You’ll find them along a rural road.

arriving females have the opportunity to breed. It also provides the female with the opportunity for a second clutch if something happens to her first clutch.

The hen makes a small nest consisting of twig and leaf matter. The nest is usually within 150 yards of the male’s singing grounds. There are usually two to four eggs with incu-

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for training. We don’t want to stress the birds once the female is nesting. For your author’s location in Southeast New Hampshire, it’s not of great concern because 90% of our birds are transient. Their destination is Downeast Maine or New Brunswick, Canada.

Occasionally we’ll find a nesting female, however, it’s rare.

What’s neat about transient woodcock is you can find them almost anywhere. If there is a lightly wooded area in an industrial park you may find transient woodcock. You’ll find them along a rural road. There is a tiny little wooded area between my house and the neighbor.

There is always at least one

rival for working dogs.

It’s then time to let the hen have peace and tend to her clutch. After that, we begin around August 1st working dogs on young birds.

Before working summer birds, however, check with your state fish and game department regarding regulations on training dogs on wild game.

I’ve received emails asking where my column has been for the past three months. Unfortunately, I was in the hospital all of January and February fighting pneumonia. I want to thank our editor, Paul Reynolds for being patient and allowing me to continue writing for the Northwoods Sporting Journal.

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May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

A Night in the Woods

This exciting story was first published in the Youth’s Companion, then republished in the Piscataquis Observer on Oct. 26, 1871. The anonymous writer spent a few months, “some years ago,” on the hay farm at Chamberlain Lake, at the headwaters of the Allagash River. In

was the best fighter. Gray fur and black fur seemed to be getting torn out in about equal snatches. Suddenly the ‘coon got away from his antagonist, and running to the foot of the tree, standing near, went like a dart up the trunk to the lower limbs. There he faced about.

Not so with the big weasel. He instantly followed his antagonist, clumsily but surely clawing his way up the trunk. It took him some time to reach the top, but he got there at last. his spare time he set out some traps, which kept getting torn apart and broken.

Settling down to watch, eventually a raccoon approached one of his traps, when a fisher also arrived…

“The growls rose to shrieks; the fisher for such I judged, is to be wiggling his black tail, and the ‘coon getting his back still higher. Then came a sudden grab, quick as a flash, and a prodigious scuffle.

It was hard to tell which

The fisher followed to the tree and looked up. He saw his late foe, growled, and then began to climb after him. He was not so good a climber as the ‘coon, but scratched his way up the tree with true weasel determination. The moment he came in reach, the ‘coon jumped at him, regardless of the height from the ground, and fastened upon his back. The shock caused the fisher to lose his hold, and down both ani-

Game

dle. Remove tendon from meat with sharp knife.

Slice turkey into kabob-sized pieces and place them into a large mixing bowl.

Add seasoning and brown sugar, followed by olive oil.

You want the seasoning to fully coat the turkey tips, and enough olive oil to allow this to happen, as well as to keep the meat moist for cooking.

Pre-heat outdoor grill on medium high heat.

Once grill is heated, place tips on the grill and brown on all sides until cooked.

Serve with grilled veggies such as asparagus, or you can even make ka-

(Cont. from pg 29) side of wild game. You can learn more @ www.wildcheff.com or visit him on Instagram @ thewildcheff WildCheff’s Teriyaki Wild Turkey Tips Ingredients 2 – wild turkey tenderloins 2 T of WildCheff Teriyaki Blend seasoning 2 T of brown sugar 1 T of WildCheff Roasted Garlic Powder Olive Oil WildCheff products are from Maine and available @ WildCheff.com Directions Slice tenderloins lengthwise down the mid-

mals dropped with tremendous force, sufficient to knock breath out of them, I thought. But they clung to each other, and dug and bit the fury of maniacs. ‘Coons are not fighters; and as for the fishers, they never give up while the breath of life is in them.

Presently the ‘coon broke away again, and once more to the tree, this time going up to its trunk, out of sight at the branches at the top. It looked as if he was getting about all the fight he cared to have.

Not so with the big weasel. He instantly followed his antagonist, clumsily but surely clawing his way up the trunk. It took him some time to reach the top, but he got there at last.

Another grapple ensued among the topmost boughs, and they both came tumbling down to the ground, catching at the limbs as they fell; but grappling afresh, they rolled down to the edge of the water.

Meanwhile it had

Page 39

Old Tales from the Maine Woods

by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA

grown so dark that I could just see their writhing forms. The growling, grappling sound continued, however, and I could hear them splash in the water.

Then there came a lull. One or the other had ‘given in,’ I felt sure. Which was the victor?

Cocking my gun, I crept to the bank. As nearly as I could make out the situation, the fisher was holding the coon by the throat.

I took a step forward.

A twig snapped under my foot. Instantly a pair of fiery eyes glared up at me in the gloom; and with a harsh snarl the fisher raised him-

self. But the ‘coon didn’t stir; he was dead.

It seemed almost too bad to shoot the victor of so desperate a fight; but thinking of my traps, I hardened my heart and fired. The fisher reared up, fell over, and then recovering its legs, leaped at me with all the ferocity of its blood thirsty race. But the heavy buck shot had surely done its work, and with another attempt to spring at me, the animal fell back dead.

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

bobs by placing the meat on skewers couple with veggies such as colored bell peppers, onion, and zucchini.

Serve with your favorite rice, couscous or potato.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 40

The Allagash AWW Superintendent, Matt LaRoche, ME A spring canoe trip on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) is an exciting way to start the open water fishing season.

Combining fishing and canoeing goes together like cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast.

The smelt runs start soon after ice out on the waterway headwater lakes.

Brook trout and togue follow these forage fish to their spawning areas and gorge themselves on the easy food source. If you are lucky enough to be in these spawning areas at the right time, the fishing can be unbelievable. Almost all of the major tributaries of the waterway support smelt runs. These are the “hot spots” for early season fishing.

Before the surface waters start to warm - usu-

ally in late May or early June - togue can be caught on the surface of the lakes.

What could more exciting than to be paddling along the shore of Eagle Lake and hooking into a lunker togue?!

Some suggested tactics: Troll a copper Weep-

Paddle and Cast

in the early morning or evening from the canoe at the inlet of the brook.

The native wild trout of the Allagash make for some fine table fare to supplement your menu on a canoe expedition. I like to cook brook trout in a little bacon fat after being rolled in a corn meal and flour mix.

Some advantages of a spring canoe trip – there are usually no bugs; black

The native wild trout of the Allagash make for some fine table fare to supplement your menu on a canoe expedition. I like to cook brook trout in a little bacon fat after being rolled in a corn meal and flour mix. ing Willow or Rapala lure behind the canoe as you paddle along the headwater lakes. Put a small split shot sinker ahead of the lure about 16 inches to get it just under the surface.

Camp near a thoroughfare or tributary and spin cast

flies don’t typically come out until the end of May. The water in the river is normally high and you will find an abundance of fiddleheads if you look on the islands and where brooks enter the river section of the waterway.

An ideal four or five day paddle and cast canoe trip would be to start at Indian Stream on Eagle Lake and takeout at the Umsaskis Thoroughfare. This will take you over some of the best spring fishing waters on the AWW. An

The author with a lunker togue caught in Eagle Lake, taken by Mark Deroche. alternative four day excursion would be to start at Churchill Depot and takeout at Michaud Farm, the river section will go pretty fast with the spring high-water.

Allow yourself some extra time on your trip if you plan on fishing. Even if you’re not a diehard angler, you won’t want to stop if the fishing is good. It can be easy to get caught-up in the frenzy when the fish are biting - please only keep what you can use.

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The fishing rules change as you go down the waterway. Please familiarize yourself with the rules before your trip at: www. maine.gov/ifw There is some valuable information and outstanding trip planning tools on the AWW conditions and alerts page at: www. maine.gov/allagash For safety’s sake, please stay near shore as you paddle the large headwater lakes and wear your lifejacket.

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

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

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

May/June 2020

Fishing (Cont. from pg 34) from predators by the cover of night.

Another right of spring is fishing small streams and creeks. As soon as rivers clear, the Brook Trout is another visual, ambush feeder that is found abundantly in Maine.

These fish are very sightoriented feeders and often

Northwoods Sporting Journal times will chase down their food. Brook trout can be caught on something as simple as a worm or as delicate as midge fly.

The setting for stream brook trout fishing is always very picturesque and soothing as walking up a mountain stream to visit pools and riffs where hungry trout eagerly await their next meal. As stream waters warm, another form of fish e-merge from lakes

to spawn, the Long-nose Sucker. These fish spawn almost immediately following the smelt spawn.

They grow about 6-12” and inhabit the stream simultaneously with trout. The Common Sucker is another native fish of Maine that is a lot of fun and provides a very important food source for many other fish and amphibians as well... These fish can grow up to 20” in length and spawn in creaks

Page 41

shortly after the long-nose sucker.

No matter the species, spring fishing lends itself to the renewal of the fisherman. A chance for all who finds peace and wonder in the rebirth of our waters.

The simple walk through a boreal forest along a stream or canoe ride across a lake is a treasure to be protected and treasured for all future generations.

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Mail To: The Northwoods Sporting Journal * P.O. Box 195, West Enfield, Me. 04493 or Phone 207-732-4880 or Fax 207-732-4970 or E-Mail info@sportingjournal.com

PO Box 195

Page 42

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Fishin’ Lake Ontario

by Capt. Ernie Lantiegne, N.Y.

It was one of those midsummer afternoons.

Two hours of trolling on Lake Ontario and not a nibble! The July sun was high and the water flat and glassy with no birds in the air…, dead!

It wasn’t that we hadn’t found fish. As we trolled in 350 feet of water, we had seen fish after fish suspended 70 to 90 feet below us. All 13 of the rods we were fishing were silent, locked in place. Copper lines off the megaboards, Dipsys, and 5 downrigers were all doing nothing.

I was whining, when one of the four guys onboard said, “Ernie, if they don’t want to bite, they won’t bite!” “Maybe so”, I replied, “but we aren’t go-

ing down without a scrap.

There’s more than one way to skin a fish!”

“How about pulling all of the downrigger rods?

We were going to change

May/June 2020

Make Them Bite!

gers, the starboard corner with the same chartreuse/ double glow ProChip and Pretty Jane Howie Fly we had been fishing, setting it back 15 feet behind the rigger weight. On the port corner rigger I put the same Demerlee spoon in the water that we had been trolling, this time back 25 feet.

and our first king of the trip headed north for the Canadian border with a Demerlee spoon hooked in its jaw.

We took 2 more kings in the next hour on that Demerlee spoon in the flat, glassy water on a lazy afternoon while kings were very negative using that “rev-‘em-up” program, while every other rod never

changing a thing, I pulled the line out of the planer board release and set the rod in a rod holder off the stern. “Would you mind jigging this rod like so?”, I asked, demonstrating with a sharp pull forward and then letting the spoon slowly settle back. It didn’t happen immediately, but 20 minutes later I heard, “Captain! Fish on!”

The bottom line is, even when fish aren’t cooperating, there is usually a way to push their button.

A hammered copper spoon with a red/orange stripe pushed this salmon’s button. our spread.” We would fish only two corner rig-

Garth “Dude” Townsend, Jr, of Island Falls snagged this lunker togue in late March through the ice at a northern Maine lake. The fish weighed 17.8 lbs and sported a 19” girth.

What was the name of the lake?

Dude ain’t sayin.’

Both were lowered down to 80 feet.

My crew was all questions, “If 5 riggers won’t catch them, do you really think two riggers will?” “I don’t get it, captain.” “Was there something stronger than coffee in that thermos?”, and on and on. I was taking a beating.

It took a few minutes before we trolled out of a dead zone, but as I returned back to one of my waypoints, we saw a school of bait on the fish finder, then several suspended king salmon. It was then that I put the ring leader of the crew to work. “Start working that starboard corner rigger up and down from 70 to 90 feet, 10 feet deeper than the Demerlee spoon and 10 feet shallower, back and forth, back and forth.”

Almost immediately the port corner rod fired

budged. The attraction of the flasher moving up and down ahead of the spoon was all it took to wake up the kings.

The next step was to get another rod working.

We had been trolling 300’, 350’, and 400’ sections of copper line from each megabord for three hours and not a nibble. In the flat water the spoons on those lines were just wobbling lazily along, with no erratic action, and no bites. That was going to change.

“Would one of you fellows reel in that 400’ copper rod, please?” “We’re going to catch a fish on the hammered brass/silver Sutton #38 on it.” Without

The erratic action of the jigged #38 Sutton on 400’ of copper line fishing down about 90 feet had done the trick. A second #38 Sutton still in the water on 400’ of copper off the board was still wobbling along lazily…, notta.

The bottom line…, even when fish aren’t cooperating, there is usually a way to push their button!

Capt. Ernie Lantiegne has operated Fish Doctor Charters on Lake Ontario for 37 years, and worked as a fishery biologist/manager for the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation for 22 years.

www.fishdoctorcharters.com Lake Ontario Trout & Salmon EXPERIENCE Says It All! -30 years USCG Captain/Guide -22 years NYS Fishery Biologist/Manager QUALITY Sportfishing

Captains Ernie and Carol Lantiegne

239 Fravor Rd. Mexico, NY 13114 Email: elantiegne@twcny.rr.com 315-963-8403

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

2020 Classic FIR-SKIN Gloves

Yooneek FIR-SKIN Half Glove.

Photo Courtesy of ‘yooneek Products/Ray Lynch

While scanning the aisles during the 2020 Bassmaster Classic Expo in search of some new and exciting products, my telephone rings. “Hey Bill, it’s Ray Lynch are you at the Classic? Answering with a mellow tone, “Why yes Ray I am.” Ray responded, “Excellent, I have some new products I want to show you.” As fate would have it we were actually in the same building.

Ray is an outstanding outdoorsman, whether tracking deer, running pheasant, battling bull redfish or teasing bass with one of his homemade topwater lures. Staring me in the eyes Ray asked, “Have you ever heard of FIRSKIN?” To which I replied, “No I have not. Is it a material for fly tying?”

Handing me a pair of black half-finger gloves Ray insisted, “Put these on and tell me how they feel, this material is FIR-SKIN T+.” My response was simple, “They are very comfortable, I like the fact the half-finger section extends pass my finger knuckle and they have some stretch in the material.” Ray ex-

body’s own Far Infrared Rays (FIR) emissions, unlike other thermal insulation. This, in turn, provides extra warmth without extra weight your muscles in turn work harder for longer periods of time. While muscle regeneration aids better recovery improving body metabolism, enhancing blood circulation. Remember Titanium is a nontoxic element increasingly known for the benefits of (FIR) Far Infrared Rays which are emitted and reflected back when touched to a temperature body!”

Yooneek Reel-Case.

Photo Courtesy of ‘yooneek Products/Ray Lynch

plained to me the comfort and stretch factors were due to the 320 peach fabric designed with a 4-way stretch construction.

Continuing Ray explained, “FIR-SKIN T+ fabric has Titanium particles which enhances the

Cougars in Maine?

During colder periods Ray suggested wearing the FIR-SKIN T+ Full Finger Gloves when enjoying the outdoors. All FIR-SKIN T+ gloves are Unisex size ranging from XS to 3XL. “All right if I’m working harder and longer what If you think you’ve seen a mountain lion (cougar) anywhere in Maine in the last five years, we’d like to hear from you.

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

Page 43

Best Bassin’

by Bill Decoteau, Hampden, MA about the sweat factor from my hands including the stench smell that stays within my other fishing gloves,” I replied. With a chuckle in his voice, Ray said, “The antibiotic within the fabric kills germs and the deodorization extinguishes smells. Plus, one very important factor built into the FIR-SKIN

T+ Gloves is SPF50 Sun Protection against 98% of UVA and UVB rays!”

When it comes to keeping your FIR-SKIN Gloves clean and fresh for your next adventure the process is easy. Simply cool wash at 30-degrees C/ 86-degrees F: Do not use fabric conditioner, wash (Glove cont. pg 44)

Page 44

Gloves

(Cont. from pg 43) with like colors, do not use bleach, do not iron and do not tumble dry or dry clean...”Now what can be easier than that,” echoed Mr. Ray Lynch CEO/Founder of ‘yooneek’ products as he handed me a soft-sided fishing reel travel case.

The case measures 12” long x 3 3/8” wide x 5” high features a padded center divider with a large storage pocket on each side. Made with 3mm Neoprene the latex-free six

Northwoods Sporting Journal elastic pocket storage organizer can hold six bait casting reels safe and securely!

Weather-resistant neoprene withstands extreme heat, as it cushions your expensive reels. The travel cases exterior 4” web-handle allows for quick attachment to backpacks or belts.

“It’s surprising how much an angler can actually place within our Soft-Sided Fishing Reel Case,” says Lynch. Anyone traveling to a distant fishing destination be it for chasing Peacock, Largemouth Bass or Tarpon and Bone Fish on a fly our ‘yooneek’ Soft-

Best Shot

Sided Fishing Travel Case will protect and organize your gear perfectly!”

To learn more about the unique ‘yooneek’ products visit www.yooneekproducts.com God Bless and Best Bassin’ Billy “Hawkeye” Decoteau is an outdoor journalist with a strong passion for pursuing the Black Bass. His activities include; emceeing The Bass University weekend educational seminar programs, as well as emceeing benefit tournaments such as Maine’s Annual May Special Olympics Team Tournament, Fishing For Freedom, and working with the USO.

May/June 2020

The son of Duncan Hutchison, Duncan (standing), and his Air Force Firefighter crew check out the Northwoods Sporting Journal looking for Marty the moose. The Journal break took place somewhere in Qatar.

Carroll’s Corner Get The Dogs Out!

May is here and our thoughts turn to fishing, chasing mayflies, trout, and anxiously looking for the first stripers of the year, etc. However, those of us who have hunting dogs of any type or species need to remember that those dogs that worked so hard for us all fall or through the winter need a little TLC also.

Keeping our dogs well-conditioned and their hunting skills maintained is important and will make the serious preparation as hunting season gets closer easier.

If we have flushing or pointing dogs, we need to be aware of the fact that grouse and woodcock will be on the nests and soon will have chicks on the ground. At this time of the year, I am more concerned with slowly but steadily moving Riffle’s level of conditioning to 80% of his fall level. Throwing training dummies, either on land or water, is very good for him. I will hide dummies with grouse or duck scent on them ahead of our workout and then handle him to the area, forcing him to use his nose to locate them. Water work is an excellent way to keep those duck dogs in condition. They love it, and swimming for any of us is great exercise!

Something as simple as an evening walk with your dog is helpful and good for both of you. It gets him and you out of the house and is consistent with ensuring that he walks at heel without you having to repeatedly correct him. Maintaining the dog’s discipline is as important as his level of conditioning. Dogs that don’t respond properly to commands can suffer dire accidents, especially when there are roads in close proximity. Remember that it is you who is taking the dog for a walk, not vice-versa!

This entire process is pretty simple and yet, very important. You and your dog need this time together and building that trust that you can depend on each other is part of that. Lastly, it never hurts to have a dog biscuit or two along, not that we’re spoiling our dog!!

Next month: Dry fly tactics 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.

May/June 2020

News

(Cont. from pg 31) Maine Warden Service.

“More than ever, it’s important to enjoy Maine’s outdoors safely and responsibly.”

Some Parks Closed

According to the Maine State Department of Conservation, the current “Stay Healthy at Home” mandate identifies engaging in outdoor exercise activities, such as walking, hiking, running, or biking as essential personal activities, provided they are conducted in accordance with all public health restrictions and guidance.

Maine’s conservation community, natural resource agencies, and outdoor brands want everyone to have the opportunity to get outside during this challenging time.

Most of Maine’s publicly accessible conservation lands are available for healthy outdoor recreation.

While some popular conservation lands have closed recently due to overuse and crowding, the vast majority remains open to the public. As spring weather arrives in Maine, it is critical that all individuals and families who head outdoors follow three simple steps: • Find the Right Time and Place • Be Prepared Before Heading Out • Heed All COVID-19

Northwoods Sporting Journal Health Warnings

Kayaker Drowns on Bearce Lake

Maine Game Wardens are investigating the death of a 62-year-old Calais man on Bearce Lake on May 3rd.

At a little before 6:00 p.m. two kayakers on Bearce Lake in Meddybemps heard a man yelling for help who was in the water next to his capsized kayak. They paddled over to assist him, and when they got there in about five minutes, they found Francis R. Beaulieu floating unresponsive in his life jacket.

They brought Beaulieu to shore where Downeast EMS was waiting. Emergency medical personnel attempted to revive Beaulieu but were unsuccessful and he was declared deceased on

Spring Turkey Season: Big Changes!

In mid-April, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife issued this press release: Season Dates

in the 2020 spring wild turkey huntYouth days will ing season will be Saturday, April NOT be required 25 and Monday, to tag their harApril 27. On these vested turkey(s). days, Junior Hunters Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n who hold a valid jutags will also not nior hunting license be required. This may hunt wild turis specific to the keys. Participants Spring 2020 seamay take up to two son only. Hunters bearded wild turkeys will receive a postwith a shotgun, bow season survey and and arrow, or crossare asked to particbow, but cannot exipate to help proceed an individual vide data used to WMD bag limit. monitor Maine’s The start of the wild turkey popuregular spring turlation. All other key hunting season current bag limits, will be moved up limits, license, and permit license, and perto Saturday, May requirements apply. mit requirements apply.

2 instead of May 4. This Please review Maine’s Tagging will give hunters an addicurrent hunting laws tional Saturday to be in the Requirements field. All other current bag Hunters participating

Samuel Luebbert, Jessica Haskell, and Chad Mason, all 23-years-old and from Portland, were reported as overdue by family after they had failed to return home and family were unable to reach them by cell phone. The group the scene. Beaulieu was had traveled to the area for brought to Mays Funeral a day of fishing, but their Home in Calais. The boat- four-wheel drive vehicle ing fatality remains under got stuck on an unplowed investigation by the Maine Warden Service.

Game Warden Pilot Locates Missing Anglers

Maine Game Warden Chief Pilot Jeff Beach located three missing anglers April 16 after the trio had spent the night in their vehicle after it became stuck in the deep snow on the Lincoln Pond Road near Azischos Lake northwest of Rangeley.

Page 45

portion of the Lincoln Pond Road.

Game wardens and members of Rangeley Police, Franklin Sheriff’s Office, Rangeley Fire and US Border Patrol began searching the area the next day. Warden Chief Pilot Jeff Beach searched from the air and located the vehicle at 11:00 a.m. Game Warden Mike Pierre and

four US Border Patrol agents rode snowmobiles and drove one truck into their location and used a winch to free the stuck vehicle. All three were in good health after spending the night in the vehicle, and once unstuck, they were able to drive back to Portland.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 46

South Of the Kennebec

by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME It’s not a matter of “if” a turkey hunting accident will happen, it’s a matter of “when.” Manufacturers that cater to turkey hunters have quickly created a volatile situation by promoting long distance shooting and life-like decoys. To say the modern technology associated with turkey hunting is getting out of hand is an understatement.

When will all of this craziness stop? Manufacturers of hunting gear are encouraging extreme laziness these days by offering products that nearly guarantee success without breaking a sweat.

If you have a fat wallet and don’t mind yielding to the dumbing down of

turkey hunting, have at it.

As for me, I am without a doubt considered an old school, turkey hunting “dinosaur.”

I preach and have preached for years that wild turkey hunting is an individual sport wherein the hunter becomes a play actor. He or she portrays a variety of characters or roles ranging from a barred owl to a lovesick hen and every other character surrounding wild turkeys in the wild.

I build and use calling devices (box and friction calls) instead of recorded e-calling devices. Learning to imitate the various turkey vocalizations and crows, owls etc. is part of my game.

(Birds cont.LLC pg ??)

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May/June 2020

Less Technology, Please

I have no need for life-like decoys, motorized decoys, realistic gobbler decoys behind which a hunter low crawls up to a gobbler looking for a fight, and I don’t need a 3-1/2” turkey shell loaded with tungston (TSS) shot pellets capable of downing a turkey at up to 70 yards.

Using life-like decoys and crawling in high grass behind them can easily

become safer. Manufacturers depend on hunters who don’t mind the expense, touting only success as motivation for hunting.

So with all those points in mind, I am preaching only my personal guidelines for turkey hunting. This is how I see and participate in the challenge. Those who disagree are welcome to continue as targets of corporations

My goal is to lure a mature gobbler to within 25-30 yards before I shoot.

I want to marvel at the iridescent feathers glistening in the sunlight and hear the booming sound of a puffed up gobbler and, of course the hair raising gobble that mimics what I think a dinosaur would sound like.

For me turkey hunting is a sport to be enjoyed to its fullest with the taking

I have lessened my chances of hunter interference by chasing turkeys in the big woods rather than fields where more than two-thirds of modern hunters stay. become mistaken game accidents when the shooter uses long distance shot pellets. Advertisements for these products never show realistic hunting scenarios, warning of the dangers of their products.

Manufacturers of “fanning” decoys and TSS shot are gambling that hunters injured or families of those killed while using their products will not file wrongful death or injury suits.

Adding to my displeasure, these decoys and modern turkey loads are very expensive; hence the need for the fat wallet. Will they make you a better or more successful turkey hunter? They promise to make you a more successful hunter but not so much a “better”turkey hunter.

Good hunting ethics and habits can only be legislated to a point and all the cautionary articles and warnings, even shaming, will not cause hunters to

profiting on the sport of turkey hunting.

I have lessened my chances of hunter interference by chasing turkeys in the big woods rather than fields where more than two-thirds of modern hunters stay.

I do owl hoots at dusk to locate roosted gobblers and again before daybreak to finalize my initial set-up.

I use friction calls to vocalize all the daily vocabulary of turkey interacting with one another. In short, I become a member of the flock.

I don’t dress in scentfree outerwear nor do I select the latest camouflage patterns. My goal is to simply break up the human lines of my body, to blend in the turkey woods instead of standing out.

I can sit still, moving only my eyes and occasionally my head when necessary. I rustle leaves to portray feeding turkeys and I call very infrequently.

of a gobbler anti-climatic, secondary to the hunt. I can’t or won’t try to talk you out of spending hard earned cash on gear that really isn’t necessary. That’s your choice to make. I’m just asking you to consider the sage words from this aging turkey chaser. Hunt for yourself and not to please others. If you need to show off a kill as a measure of your hunting ability you are in it for the wrong reasons.

Stu Bristol is a Master Maine Hunting, Fishing and Tidewater Guide, outdoor writer and custom game call maker. He operates Orion Guide Service out of southern Maine. His outdoor features have been published nationwide for more than 50 years. Stu was recently inducted into the National Wild Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Visit his website at www.deadlyimpostergamecalls.com

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! See page 35

May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Map & Compass Made Easy

I have been teaching the MDIF&W Outdoor Education classes for just over 20 years here in Maine, graduated college in 1980 in Civil/Structural Engineering with training in surveying, competed in Orienteering for many years when I was younger, and experienced

time in my opinion. With experience, I’m sure you will agree too.

Now let’s take the first situation using a map and compass to navigate your way through the woods.

Let’s say you are standing by your truck (Point “A”) at a known location that you can find on you map and

are just measuring an angle that gives you a True North Bearing. You cannot navigate with a compass using a True North Bearing, so you must get it to a Magnetic North Bearing.

To set your compass to the correct Magnetic Bearing, look at the bottom left-hand corner of

personal hands-on training from a “loving, caring” Maine Corp Drill Sergent in the proper use of map and compass. I have seen plenty of methods to teach how to navigate with a map and compass. Some people try to make it more complicated than it should be, but I will break it down to a couple of simple steps and if you can add or subtract, you are golden!

One of the things that I don’t do is orient the map to magnetic north. Some people would strongly disagree with this, but in a classroom situation it is impossible on tables with metal frames or being close to a wall that has electrical lines or metal stud that affect the magnetic needle.

In the field, are you going to be able to find a flat, dry surface? What about at night, or it’s raining or snowing? It’s a waste of

you want to cut through the woods to secluded fishing pond (Point “B”) that you can also find on your map.

Lay your map on top of the vehicle hood and draw a straight line from Point “A” to Point “B”. This line will be your “Travel Route”.

Hopefully you purchased a good quality base plate compass with a long straight edge and it can be read easily in 2° increments.

Place the long straight edge of the compass against the “Travel Route” carefully to be accurate as possible and making sure that the “Direction of Travel” arrow points from Point “A” to Point “B”. Then turn the “Azimuth Ring” so that one of the parallel lines of the “Orienting Arrow” lines up with the Grid Line (True North Grid Line) making sure that the “Orienting Arrow” is pointing up with the grid line. Basically, you

your map if you are using a USGS map and it will give you the Magnetic Declination of the map you are using. In Maine you are fortunate that we always “add” that angle to the True North Bearing you obtained on your compass.

For this example, assume you True North Bearing came out as 330° and the Declination Angle of your map is 18° West, we would turn our “Azimuth Ring” 18° (adding) and set it to 348°. If you were west of the Mississippi River, be careful reading the Declination Angle on your map as it more than likely will be read as X° East which means you subtract X° from the True North Bearing. However, since we are in Maine and overrun with deer which means we will never leave Maine, then just worry about adding – yeah right!

Flight Of The Arrow

by Jerome Richard, Clinton, ME Now that you have your compass set to the right bearing (330° + 18° = 348°), you can still get lost. Most people don’t know how to point the compass and step off in the right direction. Hold the compass flat with the Direction of Travel arrow pointing away from you.

Rotate your body, do not rotate the compass separate from your body! As you rotate, you will slowly “box” the magnetic needle over the top of the “Orienting Arrow”. Once the needle is boxed over the arrow, then walk in the direction of the “Direction of Travel” arrow – do not follow any other arrow! Some of you have probably heard the term “put the red dog in the house” which is the same as boxing the magnetic needle over the “Orienting Arrow”.

The above method works when you can’t see Point “B” ever during your travels in the woods. Let’s look at a second situation of using a compass. What about if I can see Point “B” before I enter the woods, but as I enter the woods I can’t see it again? An example is the old plane crash near South Arm located near the Appalachian Trail.

From South Arm Road where the A.T. crosses, I can see the old plane crash

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high up on the ledges.

I aim my “Direction of Travel” arrow at the plane and rotate my “Orienting Arrow” until I carefully box the magnetic needle with the Orienting Arrow while maintaining the Direction of Travel arrow on the plane. This gives me the magnetic bearing.

I maintain that bearing the whole time I am in the woods and continue along that path. Guaranteed to hit the site of that plane crash without depending on the map or trying to triangle the location.

If you are taking the Guide’s test for map and compass, try this method.

You are only allowed 3° error. Orient the map allows one potential error and then working your compass to the oriented map allows a second point of potential error. My method above only has one point of potential error.

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 48

THE BACK SHELF

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

Editor ’s note: He loved his trout fishing.

This June, just as the hex hatch is about to show, legendary Millinocket guide Wiggie Robinson will have been missing from our trout ponds for 13 years.

This column was written soon after his passing June 29,2007.

He didn’t. My friend, the Baron of the West Branch, died unexpectedly while working in his flower garden at his camp on the West Branch of the Penobscot River. Joyce, his wife of 60 years, found him. It was her birthday and Wiggie had picked some flowers for her that day.

I first met Wiggie

By V. Paul Reynolds when I worked for the Maine Fish and Wildlfe Even though we know Department. I had long better, we still harbor this heard of the legendary expectation that people Maine guide, but we never

But my fondness for Wiggie Robinson goes far beyond a professional relationship. He was the dearest and best kind of a friend that you could ever hope for. As a man, he was and will always be an inspiration for me, a role model for how to live a life.

who reach a near-legendary status will live forever.

Wiggie Robinson celebrated his 85th birthday last month. The well-known and always ingratiating Maine Guide told me on his birthday that he was “shooting for 100.” A vital man of boundless energy, I thought he just might make it.

had shaken hands. When we did, on the porch of his camp, I knew right then that I was in the company of somebody very special.

We hunted and fished and picked wild mushrooms together. I finally convinced him to write a monthly column for the Northwoods Sporting Journal. At the urging of

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The Baron Is Gone

Wiggie Robinson (left) and the author, circa 1990s. my boss, Fish and Wild- turkey blind. Boston Globe the gas. It’s little wonder life Commissioner Bucky writer Tony Chamberlain that he spent so many hours Owen, Wiggie and I be- wrote that Wiggie looked, of his life there. The view gan to co-host a Sunday moved and thought like a of Katahdin and the river night outdoor talk pro- man 20 years younger. His is spectacular. And you gram, Maine Outdoors. life motto, once disclosed should see his vegetable Wiggie, like me, loved to another writer, was “Stay gardens!

Most of us don’t have radio, and never stopped active, live healthy, and being impressed by some- never stop doing what you a say on how or when we depart this life, but for body recognizing his voice love.”

Wiggie’s contribu- all the loss we feel, it is wherever he went. Every Sunday night I introduced tion to the Maine outdoor comforting to know that him as the Baron of the community is a legacy. Wiggie went out the way West Branch. He loved it! He did much more than he probably would have But my fondness for guide hunters and anglers. wanted - with his boots Wiggie Robinson goes Everybody he met became on working in his gardens far beyond a professional his friend. He got involved. on a spectacular June day relationship. He was the He served for years on the in the shadow of that big dearest and best kind of a guide’s examining board, mountain.

We’ll miss the Baron friend that you could ever was chairman of the Fish hope for. As a man, he and Wildlife Advisory of the West Branch. But was and will always be an Council, and was an insti- we can always be grateful inspiration for me, a role gator of various sportsmen for his friendship and his model for how to live a organizations including uncommon capacity to let life. He was a gentle man, SAM, Millinocket Fin & his love shine through. and a gatherer, a gatherer Feather Club, Maine TrapThe author is editor of friends and a gatherer of pers Assn, Maine Bird Dog Club and many others. of the Northwoods Sportwild things to eat: grouse, His favorite trout fly, ing Journal. He is also woodcock, venision, trout, the Maple Syrup, is nearly a Maine Guide, co-host mushrooms, wild cranberries, you name it. Despite as famous as he is in Ka- of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” his gentle manner, Wig was tahdin Country.

The day after Wiggie heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on a person with strong opinions and a will to be heard, passed away at camp, I The Voice of Maine Newsespecially about fishing spent some quiet moments Talk Network (WVOM-FM slot limits and the abbre- at his woods place, walk- 103.9, WCME-FM 96.7) viated woodcock season. ing around and feeling and former information Always warm and witty, Wiggie’s presence. Joyce officer for the Maine Dept. full of energy and opti- knew that I wanted to do of Fish and Wildlife. His mism, he was a wonderful something to help, so she e-mail address is paul@ companion in a canoe or a let me go up and shut off sportingjournal.com

May/June 2020

By Jay Robinson A few weeks back, my good friend and the editor of this paper asked me if I could perhaps put down in words what my Dad, Wiggie Robinson, meant to me. Initially, I was reluctant to do such a monumental task as a son who held him in such high regard. How could I do justice, in words, of such a hero and one who I had looked up to my whole life? Wiggie was many things to many people. He had a ton of friends, either through those he’d met in the outdoor world or just every day people he’d came in contact with. There are many words to describe such a person. Personable, kind and easy going are just a few that come to my mind. He had such an outgoing personality that he was easy to become friends with. And you know what?

He loved them all, dearly.

The old saying goes some-

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Wiggie, My Dad

with things. If only life could be so easy.

Whatever the season may have been, we’d find something to do for fun in the great outdoors he fondly referred to as Katahdin C o u n t r y. I think back to times in early spring if there was still snow on the ground, we’d be moving our canoes to different remote ponds Jay Robinson (right) and his Dad Wiggie Robinson by snowsled. at the top of Mt Katahdin, one of many such hikes by More than a father and son. few times, I can still see him tugging MS-18’s. Those were re- it had rained quite hard a on canoes to get through ally going sleds back in couple days prior to our a tight spot in the woods those days. Anyway, for trip across the ice. When or sawing a blow down those who aren’t familiar we’d set out in the morning, temps were still below freezing and travel down He looked out across and could see wet spots about the lakes was perfect gohalfway across where we’d have to go. Before we had our plan of attack down, Dad said he would go first out across, ing. I don’t remember if we caught any fish but I do then I was to follow and go as fast as I could and remember that temps had not let up on the throttle. risen into the 40’s before he packed up and headed for thing like, “If you met him out of the way. Snowshoes with Third Deb country, it home. Suffice to say, but once, he was your friend were always a must to pack involved unloading your by then ice conditions had forever”. down a route we’d choose. sled and gear at The Dike changed for the worse. We But to me, he was just I was always amazed at and starting the journey were breaking through the my Dad. He and I shared in how he was still so full of across Ambejejus Lake, surface into slush below. a ton of memories! Yeah, life and able to do those then down the length of Some areas the slush was he was my father and let things right up into his 80s! Pemadumcook Lake and a couple feet deep. We’d me know when I did someA favorite story I like taking the Carry Trail managed to avoid most thing he didn’t agree with, to tell is of the time he through to Third, a distance wet areas by hugging the which was many times I’m and I had gone on an ice of about 8 miles. Third shoreline on our sleds but not afraid to admit. But if fishing trip over to 3rd Deb was my Dad’s favorite the last couple miles inhe did, he said his peace Debsconeag.The year was place to ice fish and we’d volved crossing Ambejejus and moved on. I remem- 1967, late March, and I made the trip many times. Point, which was always ber more than once he’d was a mere lad of just 12 Always a pleasant ride for a tricky place due to the cry more than I if he had years old. Still very much this kid and so proud to do current coming in from the river. Just before we to bring home the point. wet behind the ears. We it with his Dad. But, you know, before long each were travelling on The weather had been started out across, my Dad we’d be hugging and go on separate sleds. Moto-Skis, unseasonably warm and and I stopped near shore

Page 49

and surveyed the situation.

He looked out across and could see wet spots about halfway across where we’d have to go. Before we had our plan of attack down, Dad said he would go first out across, then I was to follow and go as fast as I could and not let up on the throttle.

I watched my Dad’s progress across the open stretch and saw that he’d made it across, albeit with a few rooster tails of water flying up behind the track of his sled. He waved me on. Now it was my turn. I put the hammer down and raced across as fast as I could. About halfway, my sled broke through the top layer of ice. I was stuck! I was now flailing around in two feet of water, my sled stuck with nowhere to go.

12 years old and scared to my wits I was gonna drown! I got myself up on the seat and started frantically yelling and waving my arms for him to come to my rescue. Soon, out he came and after much tugging and flailing in the water, my sled was on solid ice. It must have taken us an hour and we were both soaked. I was about in panic mode by then but Dad remained cool and calm. I’ll always remember that feeling of reassurance he gave me. Reassurance in every outdoor endeavor we ever enjoyed.

I miss that most of all.

Jay Robinson is the sone of the late Wiggie Robinson. He lives in Woodville, ME. Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award winners pg 63

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 50

Vermont Ramblings

by Dennis Jensen, Vermont

These are strange days indeed. Things will be different now for a while. No one can say how long this bizarre virus will last, how it will mess up our lives, how we must change our daily habits.

It would be great if that does not happen but, with an extended family and six grandchildren, the odds that I will be infected are up there.

Still, it would be foolish if I didn’t take the pre-

I whispered to my young hunter to take the shot. He brought the shotgun up quickly, then hesitated. What the heck?

With turkey season opening on May 1, it is highly doubtful that we will gather at that sweet turkey camp over in Pawlet, as we do every spring. Even if we only have three or four friends and family together, the risks of one hunter passing the sickness on to another hunter are too great. Not only that. Two of us are in our early 70s, that group of people who are in a higherrisk category.

Personally, I am prepared to catch the coronavirus and would not be at all surprised if I contracted it. The odds are that I will.

cautions that have been handed out. Hey, if I am still healthy come May 1, great. I will almost certainly hunt alone or with my two sons, if they too are healthy. So let’s move on to what can be done to make turkey season a successful one.

One tactic that has really worked for me and my sons is by erecting a popup blind, just inside a field where I know hens and toms frequent. There are no guarantees, of course, but I have personally taken six toms — including a 22-pound long beard —

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May/June 2020

Pop-up Blinds Work!

and is coming in, you have no way of knowing when he will appear. So you have to freeze like a statue. But here’s the thing about the pop-up blind — because of the dark background, you can get away with A successful spring turkey hunter movement.

I took a crosses a green field in Vermont with a gobbler over his shoulder. young hunter out two Photo by Dennis Jensen seasons ago.

After setting up the ground while seated inside the blind and have had two blind, we sat inside with sons kill gobblers on their two chairs, next to one another. While I still had own.

This is a heck of a lot one tag left, my shotgun easier than sitting against a was unloaded, behind the big pine tree, trying to coax blind. After good two hours in a vocal tom, out there, of calling, two jakes came unseen, maybe 200 yards rambling out of the tree line out. You cannot move. If to our right and made a beehe suddenly goes silent line for the two hen decoys.

The birds never gobbled (my guess is that they were concerned about the boss, had encountered the big boy, maybe got their butts kicked and were on a silent, hit-and-run maneuver) and, at about 20 yards, they just stood there like, now what?

I whispered to my young hunter to take the shot. He brought the shotgun up quickly, then hesitated. What the heck? Finally, he took the shot, missed, and the birds ran up the way they had come in.

It turned out that my young apprentice was acting like he was holding a rifle during the buck season and was trying to get a precise shot off. No, I told him. You have to look down the barrel of the shotgun, center it at the middle of the neck and squeeze.

A glance at my watch showed the time at about 10:15 a.m. This was late in May and this was the last day the kid could get out.

(Blinds cont. pg 51)

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May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Trout, Fiddleheads and Gobblers

Vermont Will Be Checking Turkeys for Ticks: Vermont Fish and Wildlife and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture are teaming up in a cooperative effort with Vermont hunters to look for the Lone Star tick, a tick believed to be in Vermont but one that has eluded capture through standard surveillance methods. This tick species has been found on turkeys in other northern states. This will be Vermont’s first turkey tick survey.

Volunteers will staff several reporting stations around the state on Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend and opening weekend of Spring Turkey Season to inspect turkeys for Lone Star ticks, if hunters give their permission to do so.

After inspection and collection of any ticks, which

should take no more than 5 minutes per bird, information will be collected on the harvested turkey and the location in which it was harvested.

The Agency of Agriculture’s Environmental Surveillance Program tracks mosquito and tick populations around the state and works in partnership with the Department of Health to help prevent vector-borne diseases in humans and livestock.

This new cooperative effort with Fish and Wildlife is important to determine if Vermont has a persistent population of Lone Star ticks, because these ticks are capable of transmitting certain diseases if they attach to humans. There is no known risk associated with eating turkeys that may be carrying Lone Star ticks and no additional concern or actions are warranted.

Trout Fishing Improves: Vermont’s trout fishing season opened April 11 but as usual the water was cold and running fast.

I gave it a try as do many dedicated anglers but the conditions get much better come May. I prefer to fish small streams often far from roads where I seldom encounter another angler.

There my quarry is native brook trout where an eightinch fish is a trophy.

Watching for Fiddleheads and Sheds: Early May often finds me turkey hunting in the morning and fishing small brooks in the afternoon.

Both endeavors allow me to look for two things, fiddleheads and antler sheds.

The locations where each can be found on a regular basis are closely guarded secrets.

Blinds

him as he held the first bird of his life up for a photograph. The point I am making here is the amount of movement that the young man got away with, inside the pop-up

blind. Obviously, the popup blind has its limitations.

You are locked in place.

I will generally hunt from the blind for the first two hours or so and then, if the birds are not responding, I

(Cont. from pg 50) Want to stay here, I asked.

He did. Maybe 10 minutes later, while I did my best to try to call those two birds back in (this is something I have done at least two times) and we focused our attention on that place where those birds scattered, something caught my eye. Two jakes (these had to be different birds because they came from our extreme left) stepped into view, only 10 yards away.

Look left, I whispered. He did, came up with the shotgun, quickly fired and one bird dropped in its place.

“You are one lucky turkey hunter,” I told

Page 51

Outdoors In Vermont

by Gary W. Moore, Bradford, VT Fiddlehead ferns are the young, tightly coiled fronds of the ostrich fern.

They can be eaten alone or in a variety of dishes. Fiddleheads are considered by many to be a highly sought delicacy. No matter how you eat them, they should first be boiled or steamed for about 15 minutes to remove a natural toxin. They can be frozen or canned for eating later in the year.

Each spring commercial buyers arrive and set up shop with their trucks to buy fiddleheads from pickers with whom they deal year after year. The buyers then take them to a processing plant where they are canned and later sold in specialty shops.

May is also prime time for shed hunters to search for dropped moose and deer antlers. Most simhead out to run-and-gun.

But, for this turkey hunter, I am sold on the pop-up blind.

ply add them to their collections or make decorative items out of them. For those who want a little extra money, there are buyers for sheds who advertise locally.

Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore is a life long resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game.

His latest book, Four Seasons in Vermont, can be purchased at local stores or ordered online at www. bondcliffbooks.com, on Amazon at www.amazon. com. A signed copy can be ordered by sending $17.95 to cover postage and handling to the author at the address below. He may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@myfairpoint. net or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.

land Herald and Barre Times Argus, a freelance writer and a longtime member of the New England Outdoor Writers AssociaDennis Jensen is the tion. outdoor editor for the Rut-

Page 52

Green Mountain Report

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

The Meaning of It All

Their collective consciousness will echo for generations trying to discern “why

by Bradley Carleton, did this have to happen?”

Charlotte, VT What remains is the truth.

I know a place. A it suffers through one of A French philosopher once place where I can sit on its most impactful human stated that “nature does top of a lonesome moun- events. Nature is teaching nothing to preserve the intaintop, shadowed by pines It has lead me to this mountaintop to and embraced by the early spring breezes. Nurtured contemplate the meaning of it all. It has by the fragrance of balsam slowed us down to a level where all we and diatomaceous earth. have is a consciousness of being lucky My eyes rest easily on the to be among the living. distant mountains. Overhead, a raven calls to the humanity a lesson. A very dividual, only the species.” spirits. I am miles from difficult one. Many people This brutal cleansing will another human being. And will get sick and many will leave our souls with scars even further away from the die. And those who remain and hopefully a bit of wiscacophony of daily life as will be forever altered. dom. What good could pos-

sibly come of this? A global event that literally stopped the economies of most nations. Caused humanity to seek shelter in their homes, isolated from each other, isolated from a frenetic

truly grateful for what really matters. I am snapped back into the present by a loud gobble from the nearest ridge. I have found the true meaning of life. It is the sounds, the smells,

Bradley Carleton with a nice spring Tom. lifestyle of work, hurrying to events – sporting events, job-related conferences, to the cities where millions of people struggle to prove their worth in the form of salaries, powerful positions, and political titles.

We used to brush shoulders with hundreds of people, shaking hands, hugging, and still we know them none the better. Where has this all lead us? For me, it’s lead me to this mountaintop to contemplate the meaning of it all. It has slowed us down to a level where all we have is a consciousness of being lucky to be among the living. To be

the touch of a loved one’s hand, the warm breeze blowing through my hair and the gobble of a nearby tom. Life is best lived with gratitude and wonderment.

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus has temporarily changed our lives in many unexpected ways. Schools have closed, kids are doing distancelearning, school sports and other activities have been canceled, and many parents are now working from home or are off work completely. As a result, many Vermonters have found themselves with (Meaning cont. pg 68)

May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Trashing the North Woods It’s late March and the snow is receding from the sides of the roads in the North Woods. There’s still plenty of snow between the trees, though spring is definitely here. Unfortunately, what is sprouting up isn’t just new leaves. The amount of trash that was left behind is staggering.

As the snow melts, people’s trash is everywhere.

The short of it is: If you care, leave them there, is about the animals, not the garbage.

Please, if you’re coming to visit the most beautiful place in Maine, make sure when you leave your garbage is sealed and stored inside your vehicle, to bring to the dump — not flapping in the back of a pick-up, where it easily flies out. Some cans or bags are just tossed along the side of a trail, scattered all around in singles, laying on top of the snow. The plastic bags on the road are ripped open by animals and the contents scattered everywhere.

Every year there is some trash left behind.

Locals grumble about it, put ugly signs up at the post office to “clean up after yourself,” but then, try and clean it up some by the roadside.

This year is different.

Pretty much everywhere you look, there’s empty beer cans, plastic bags,

and broken glass. It’s like somebody had one helluva party across Moosehead Lake. And, it’s the morning after. The ‘living room’ is a mess. Please, if you’re coming to visit the most beautiful place in Maine, make sure your garbage is in your vehicle, to bring to

Page 53

Kineo Currents

by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME carcasses of all species of birds found in Maine.

Birds are attracted to it, thinking it’s some kind of food, then starve because the plastic is indigestible and takes up space in their stomach. Everyone has seen pictures of the odd

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This tradition still holds true in places, which is why you find locals grumbling, as they pick up trash left by travelers.

As tourism increases, and more people, from all over the world, enter the Maine Woods, it’s impor-

Unfortunately, what is sprouting up isn’t just new leaves.

The amount of trash that was left behind is staggering. As the snow melts, people’s trash is everywhere. the dump (or as they say today, transfer station). Did I mention that before? Oh, well, it bears repeating.

I hate to be a hound about it. But I’m going to be a hound about it. Why? Because we living here deserve better than that.

Visitors who come here, deserve better. Our economy deserves better. And, most importantly, the North Woods that we depend on deserves better. The wildlife and fish definitely deserve better than that.

A lot has been written about the ocean and how polluted it’s getting. Most of the studies done have focused on seabirds, but keep this up, and inland wildlife are going to be in the same trouble. Apparently, 90 percent of seabirds eat floating plastic, which they pick off the ocean and feed to their chicks. Recent studies reported by Maine Audubon have found plastics in the

Happy Father's Day!

duck, in a chokehold by an old six-pack ring.

We’re at the top of the food chain. What if we had to forage for our food?

As kids, Gramp taught us, “Don’t s**t where you eat.” We grew up in a traditional Maine way. We were taught to use the woods, but leave it as you found it, or even better. If you needed the shelter of someone else’s camp, it was considered fine to use it, but the unspoken rule was you left it clean, with a note and a thanks that you had been there. It wasn’t unusual to fix a door or a screen either.

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tant we introduce them to our ways. It’s not being rude. Leaving trash strewn all over creation is. Our outdoor economy banks on it. A simple way to do it is to add a line, friendly but to the point, like “Keep Maine Beautiful” into every tourism ad and at every visitor center. Just include it as part of our calling card, right beside those great pictures of moose, eagles, mountains, and lakes.

It’s not hard. If we like the North Woods, it’s the very least we can do.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

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May/June 2020

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

The Tyer’s Corner

by Hugh Kelly, Detroit, ME

Montreal

The Montreal (Photo by Hugh Kelly) This month’s fly is a 175-year-old Canadian wet fly that is popular among fly fishermen who appreciate its workhorse ability to drag trout out of dark waters. I used to tie this fly by the dozen in the 1960’s at my folk’s camps in Oquossoc and the guests loved it. The original recipe called for claret floss and a gold tag. You can use floss or wool, both are listed on old recipes and both work well. The original also has a gold tag as well as a gold rib. There’s nothing wrong with the gold tag, I just never bothered with it when I was young and the fly worked fine.

By all means add the tag if you prefer authenticity. Claret colored materials aren’t as common as the other colors so you may have to look for them.

Recipe for the Montreal Thread – Black Hook – Standard wet hook,

6-12 Tail – Red duck quill, rather long Body – Claret floss or wool Hackle- Claret hackle fibers beard style Rib- Gold Mylar Wing – Mottled turkey Start with a standard wet fly hook, this is a heavier hook and it will sink faster than a dry fly hook. Tie in a couple of slips of red duck quill for a tail, and then tie in the Mylar. Tie in the Mylar with the gold side to the hook shank so when you wind the rib, it will flop over to gold side out. Tie in and wrap a tight claret body, and wind the rib over that. Tie off the excess and add the beard hackle. I use claret dyed saddle hackle, hen, if you can get it. The beard should extend past the point of the hook. The tail and beard of the fly are traditionally long.

The wing is two slips of

mottled turkey quill. A popular substitute is hen pheasant tail. If you are not a stickler for authenticity, you can use any mottled feather or even hackle fibers. I seem to do better with light colored turkey but grey partridge tail wings show up in my fly box quite a bit.

This is a wonderful little trout fly that sea run brookies and landlocks will take as well. Try a large size 6 or 8 cast into a deep pool; let it sink and then strip it in.

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

Check out our website: www.sportingjournal.com

Page 55

Page 56

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Wool Head Muddlers

Fly Fishing

by Joe Bertolaccini, Orrington One of the most popular flies ever, was created

by Don Gapen from Anoka, Minnesota to imitate a minnow that inhabited the Nipigon River in northern Ontario. The world famous Muddler Minnow, originated in 1937, has been used over the years to catch just about anything that swims.

I have used it for almost all cold and warmwater species of fish throughout the state. Most of my success however

May/June 2020

was from fishing it deep, in both lakes and streams, although when fishing for bass in the shallows, the high floating Muddler tied with deer body hair worked very well. I experimented with various ways to make the deer hair Muddler sink, including weighting the hook, adding split shot 18 inches up the leader, use of a sinking fly line and substituting hen hackle for the collar and head. I have not found any of the above to

St John Valley

be completely satisfactory for a number of different reasons. As a result I began tying various Muddler patterns with a wool head which is more absorbent than hollow deer hair and will sink faster and deeper without additional weight.

Following are the dressings for two of my favorites.

Wool Head Muddler Minnow Thread – Flymaster Plus or equivalent, tan or color of head.

Hook – Size 4 to 10, 4x long.

Tail – Turkey quill.

Body – Flat gold mylar tinsel.

Wing – Bunch of gray squirrel tail flanked by two turkey quills.

Collar – Several turns of light colored hen hackle.

Head – Lambs wool cut

from the hide or synthetic yarn that has been spun into a loose thick rope and brushed back and trimmed to form a Muddler style head.

Approximately 1/3 of the hook shank behind the eye should be reserved for the head.

Wool Head Marabou Muddler Thread – Tan 3/0.

Hook – Size 4 to 10, 4x long.

Tail – Red dyed goose quill.

Body – Flat silver mylar or tinsel braid.

Wing – Bunch of white marabou fibers, topped

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Collar – Several turns of light colored hen hackle.

Head – Lambs wool or synthetic yarn applied as above.

Tying Wool Heads – The first step is to prepare the wool or yarn. All patches of wool from the hide or in spun ropes need to be straightened and untangled prior to tying. This can be readily accomplished by combing out the fibers with just a few strokes of a regular pocket comb. For a size 6 hook, cut a clump of fibers about 3/4 inch thick and about one inch long. Stack on top of the hook shank, take one light turn of thread around the midpoint of the clump and hook and then another on top of the first.

As tension is applied to the second wrap, the fibers will tend to spin around to the bottom of the hook. Wool will not spin as easily as deer hair so you may have to tease it with your fingers to position it around the hook. Take several more wraps around the fibers, brush them to the rear and take tight wraps at the base of the clump. Cut another clump about the same size and place forward of the first, tying down in the same manner. If needed, a third clump may be added to complete the head. At this point all of the fibers should be brushed back with your fingers toward the rear and the thread wrapped through the hairs toward the hook eye with (Muddlers cont. pg 67)

May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Live Bait for Stripers

Early striped bass fishing in Maine begins slow and improves into early summer. The fish are hungry, having spawned and migrated to the rich waters of the Maine coast.

Small and large bait is available throughout the summer from way up inside rivers and estuaries to heavy water outside along the beaches and ledges.

I enjoy catch and release fishing with a fly for striped bass. For those who enjoy plug, lures and bait, this month’s column is for you. Before beginning, be aware that bait fish by law is restricted to one, inline circle in Maine waters. Lures are restricted to lures and plugs with just one hook attached. That one hook can be a treble hook. You can do a lot of

in-depth research on the internet for rigging and I will note a few references here for you.

Available baits are, river herring, sea herring, sea smelt, mumjugs, mackerel, pogies (menhaden), baby and small lobster and shrimp, blood worms, sea worms, clams, mussels,

crabs are unlimited. Menhaden recreational limits are 25 per day by hook and line only. No recreational netting is allowed in Maine. Alewife and blueback herring combined recreational limit is 25 per day caught by hook and line only. American eel recreational limit is 25 per

Salt Corner

by Doug Jowett, Brunswick, ME and while shore fishing a 12 to 16-foot surf rod loaded with 20-pound mono or flouro line. Rigging bait varies by technique. There are numerous suggestions

Some of the easiest baits to harvest for personal use are sea worms, blood worms, clams and mussels. krill, green crabs, American eels, harbor pollock, sea smelt and blueback herring.

Some of the easiest baits to harvest for personal use are sea worms, blood worms, clams and mussels. They all have personal use limit regulations. Sea worms and blood worms are combined with a keep count of 50 per day. Green

day over nine inches long.

Sea smelt recreational limit varies by region and limited to hook and line fishing only. No, you can’t use lobsters for bait like they used to in times gone by.

Striped bass do love them however.

I prefer using a sevenfoot spin rod loaded with 16 to 18-pound mono or flouro line for boat fishing

Page 57

online, just do a computer search fishing bait rigs.

Don’t forget, Maine law require the use of inline, circle hooks while fishing tidal waters. Hook sizes vary. I like a 5/0 to 6/0 for fin baits by hooking through the back in front of the dorsal fin. Make certain not to rupture the backbone. Some people like to place the hook behind the

dorsal fin and up through the upper and lower like.

My favorite method is to free swim a mackerel or harbor pollock without any weight. There is nothing more exciting than watching a nervous bait becoming extra active as a striper begins to follow and then take the bait on top or just under the surface in an explosive spray of water. This is what we call a Moses moment, a parting of the sea. At this point, let the fish run, don’t set the hook, after a little run, just start reeling without setting the hook. The circle hook will slide up to the lip and (Stripers cont. pg 67)

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Page 58

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

to access and harvested animals can be big and heavy to pack out. Trappers are pretty tough folks in general, but beaver trappers are real tough, that’s for sure.

With beaver prices where they are these days there are less trappers taking big numbers of beaver. Because less beaver are being harvested it has created a greater demand for castor. There is good money in castor, upwards of $80 a pound but pelts are still low. As far as fur prices go, the last report I saw had most goods seeing an $8-$10 range with the very best in the $25-30 range, this being more the exception than the rule.

Mike Wilhite’s Fur Market Report in the March/April Issue of Trapper’s Post indicated The Central Maine fur sale cleared 59 beavers with an average of $9.20.

From what I understand most pelts sold at auction head to the hatter market to make felt for hats like Stetsons. There are however, other options to market your fur. If you still have a local country fur buyer in your area you can sell to them and avoid auction house commissions in the neighborhood

of the act. As a result Massachusetts trappers are limited to cage trapping for the most part (body gripping traps are allowed under special permit by each towns health department if they deem warranted). In 1996 the estimated beaver population was hovering around 24,000. The last estimate I saw had the population at around 70,000.

While there are still trappers trapping beaver in Massachusetts the numbers have dropped significantly.

Beavers (a member of the rodent family) are prolific breeders with female beavers reproducing at 2 years old and birthing between 2-4 kits each year. Their numbers multiply quickly as rodents tend to do. Trappers play an important role in reducing their numbers.

Trapping, when allowed to be used effectively also helps reduce property damage. A flooded crop field does a farmer little good. Conversely, municipalities spend a lot of money unplugging culverts that are flooding roads.

Trappers do a great service when called in to help these fine folks. I’ve seen homeowners fruit trees massacred and driveways washed out from beaver damage.

At the end of the day it’s a good thing that trappers are still taking some beavers through trapping.

While it’s unlikely you will end up purchasing a vacation home with your fur check from trapping beaver this season but keep at it anyway.

Beaver Trapping in a Low Market

The Fur Shed

by Blake Dougerty, Suffield, CT Hello from the new guy at Northwoods Sporting Journal! My name is Blake Dougherty. I’m happy to have joined the magazine as a contributor.

I’m a lifelong outdoorsman but my passion is fur trapping. I own a small trapping supply business,

not adaptable. I want this column to be something you enjoy reading each month.

The spring beaver season is in full swing in some states and winding down in others like my home state of Connecticut which ended the last day of

Even with prices low beavers need to be trapped for management purposes.

Dougherty & Sons Fur Stretchers and Trapping Supply out of Suffield, CT. My goal is to offer some interesting trapping content worth reading. As a trapping supply company I would also like to include quality trapping product suggestions. We will call this “Blake’s Take”. It will be my personal take on a specific product. If you like “Blake’s Take” let us know.

If you hate it let us know that too! We are nothing if

March. I do a little beaver trapping in Massachusetts as well and get to trap until April 15th. Maine trappers get to trap hard until April 30 th. With any luck my trapping friends far and wide will have had a great season thus far. Beaver trapping is hard work and made harder by harsh winter and spring conditions like mud, ice, snow and rain. The equipment is hard to carry in any volume, the locations are often difficult

of 11%. There are also fur buyers that have travelling routes. Groenewold Fur & Wool Company in Illinois and Seneca Fur Supply out of Frewsburg, New York. You can also send your fur to a tannery like Moyles Mink and Tannery or Tubari Ltd. and turn your raw fur into garment quality items. Once tanned you can send it to a fur garment manufacturer like Glacier Wear in Greenville, ME to have hats, guantlets, vests, blankets, ear muffs, etc. made. I have personally used Glacier Wear several times and the quality has always been top notch.

There are other markets for tanned fur but you’ll need to do some homework to tap into it. Craft fairs, sportsman’s show and Etsy are some possible sales channels.

Even with prices low beavers need to be trapped for management purposes.

If left unchecked beaver populations will explode.

Just look at Massachusetts for confirmation of that. The state banned the use of foothold traps in 1996 through a voter initiative known as the Wildlife Protection Act. This vote passed with 64% in favor

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(Trapping cont. pg 65)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Yellow-rumped Warblers

During the month of May, I always develop a self-inflicted ailment called “warbler neck”. This is a sore neck, shoulders and upper back. It is caused by constantly tilting the head upward, shoulders back and spine arrow straight in order to view warblers and other songbirds flitting high up in the trees.

Being able to see a mixed flock of colorful warblers such as American Redstarts, Black-throated Blues and Greens, Magnolias, Black and Whites, Blackburnians and others is worth the discomfort.

One species of warbler that I especially enjoy watching are the feisty and flighty Yellow-rumps. They are adept at fly catching by snapping their prey from midair after leaping off tree branches. In the spring their brownish and streaky plumage begins to show more sunny and glowing yellow on the crowns, sides and rumps. The yellow rump is an easy field mark identification and is why some birders nicknamed them “butterbutts”.

Males are more colorful, being more blue-gray above and sporting a glossy black breast patch like an inverted U. I also find them easily by their loud “chek” and trilling calls. Chilly weather conditions and unfavorable winds often

delay “warbler waves”, but the Yellow-rumps do not let this deter them. They may have stayed all winter anyway. Most warblers winter to the south. But this species’ flexible feeding

habits allow it to inhabit a huge area and wide range all year. Also it helps sustain their large population.

Yellow-rumps will glean insects, but they also drink sap from tapped maple trees. They often hover under the eaves of houses and feed on spider eggs left over in webs from the last fall. They eat berries from junipers, red cedars, viburnums, and mountain ash trees. They are one of the few bird species that can thrive on the berries of winterberry bayberry and wax myrtle shrubs. The berries

Welcome to Rangeley & Oquossoc Region

Page 59

The Bird Perch

by Karen Holmes, Cooper, ME are rich in energy, but highly resistant to digestion due to their tough and waxy fat.

Yellow-rumped Warblers have the ability to slow down their digestion and actually may mix and grind the tough berries more than once in their gizzards.

After breeding season begins, Yellow-rump pairs build their nests using twigs and lining the bottom

of the nest with hair and feathers. I find their nests usually about 15 feet above the ground in the conifer trees. At one time Yellowrumps were divided into the Myrtle and Audubon Warblers. But ornithologists now lump them together as the Yellow-rumps species. There are some variations in plumage be(Warblers cont. pg 61)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Marsh Island Chronicles

May/June 2020

A Time of Plague

lockdown of the medium- the country is in lockdown, raffle item or to finally bite sized city of Wuhan, the nearly a thousand a day are the bullet and book one of

by Matthew Dunlap, administrative capitol of dying in Italy and Spain, those fancy fishing charters Hubei Province in the east- and New York is getting on Lake Ontario.

Old Town, ME ern half of the People’s hammered by the virus.

Here in Old Town on What a strange year. at the University of Maine. Republic of China; the The list of diagnosed cases Marsh Island, we’ve had My last appearance as host The State of Maine Sports- outbreak had gotten that in Maine and the rest of to re-arrange a few things, of Maine Outdoors on the man’s Show in Augusta serious. When I say “me- New England grows with including my home office, Blueberry Broadcasting and the Presque Isle Fish dium-sized city”, I’m being every passing day. to make room for my wife Network here in Maine on and Game Club show were serious in terms unique to The cancellation of a to work at home and my st March 1 was the usual late-winter smorgasbord of The cancellation of a bunch of events like all of Maine’s remaining announcements for upcomsportsman’s shows, the state’s Bicentennial kickoff, and shuttering all of our ing events. The Penobscot schools was unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

Fly Fishers had just completed their annual Cabin scheduled to round out the China. For comparison, the bunch of events like all of daughter to pursue her UniFever Reliever at the venue season. I had already put city of Portland, Maine, Maine’s remaining sports- versity studies in ways that formerly known as the aside my allotments for raf- our largest ‘metropolitan’ man’s shows, the state’s don’t tangle them up. It may World-Famous Brewer Au- fle tickets, and had a little area, is home to just under Bicentennial kickoff, and not stun regular readers of ditorium. For one unmemo- pot of money in reserve for 67,000 people. Shanghai, shuttering all of our schools this space to learn that in rable reason or another I some new turkey gear and one of the largest cities in was unthinkable just a few terms of organization, I’d was carried away by a work fly-tying equipment. the world, has over 24 mil- weeks ago. drive a drill instructor to obligation that sucked the Then, turning on a lion; New York, about eight For sportsmen, the distraction—but I found a marrow out of the little free dime, the world changed. and a half million. Wuhan mandate of social distanc- whole sportsman’s show time I have most weekends, I was in Washington, has a population of eleven ing—keeping at least six tucked away in bags and and I missed it. No worries, DC in early February for a million people. Before the feet away from others—is boxes in my office, as I dear readers, because close work conference when the outbreak of SARS-2 Co- second nature. As long as sorted through all kinds on its heels was the oldest news channels began ex- VID-19, or coronavirus, we take care of ourselves of brand-new gear I had show in Maine, the Pe- panding their coverage of a none of us had ever heard and our families, with most lost track of and had even nobscot County Conserva- new flu outbreak in China. of Wuhan. businesses being shuttered forgot I ever purchased or tion Association’s Eastern What got everyone’s attenIt spread fast; faster in response to the need to won in the first place.

Maine Sportsman’s Show tion was the government now in retrospect, when slow the spread of the panThanks to the neceswe actually think about demic, we should actually sity of such sorting, and the timeline. The United find ourselves with a bit the memories of many States documented its first more time to fish, to call in fine shows, I find myself case of the virus in a patient a turkey, and to complete approaching the spring in Seattle on March 5 th. a lot of projects that are fishing and turkey seasons Later that week, Bowdoin perpetually pushed off to incredibly well-equipped, College announced that the next ‘off-season’. after all. Let’s stay away students would not be reFor my own part, from each other. If I see you turning from March break. I miss the shows. It’s a on the other side of a trout The University of Maine chance to reconnect with stream with the new reel shut down, too. The Maine other sportsmen, to sup- I picked up ten years ago, Legislature adjourned on port some tremendous or- I’ll tighten my mask and tip March 17th, six weeks early, ganizations, and to dream my hat to you in this very just three days after the first a bit about what’s next, strange year. case arrived in Maine. At even if it’s about the long this writing, more than half odds of winning a superb Matt Dunlap is a If you think you’ve Cougars seen a mountain lion sportsman from Old Town (cougar) anywhere in in Maine? and is a periodic co-host Maine in the on Maine Outdoors, heard last five years, we’d like to hear statewide every Sunday from you. night at 7:00 pm on WVOM Please phone or 103.9 FM, WVQM 101.3 email our editor, V. Paul Reynolds, FM, and 1450 AM in Rockat 207-745-3133 or land. vpaulr@tds.net

May/June 2020

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Outdoors After the Virus

Some called. Some emailed. Some texted. All they wanted to do was “check in.” They were sports– fishermen from all points of the compass and they were cooped up, locked down. They just wanted to know if there was still a fishing adventure out there on the other side of the pandemic. I told them there was, because

like normalcy, after a long stretch of everything else feeling abnormal. I commend Governor Mills for opening the fishing season back in March when the water was too high and too cold and half the lakes in the state were still socked in with ice. I commend her, because it did more for morale than almost anything else she could’ve done.

watched for any sign of a fish; all of it put me in a frame of mind that I call happy.

Funny, this exercise made me think of the people I’ve run across who equate fishing with catching. I always feel a little sorry for those who haven’t figured out yet that fishing has nothing to do with catching. What a wild state-

It sent people outdoors. It put lines in the water.

I went out myself, bundled up to the hilt, stepping into a raging river knowing there was about a snowball’s chance in hell of hooking up. I did it because in anticipation of it, I got out gear.

I needed to believe it just as much as they did. I told them that fishing complied with every one of the CDC’s recommendations.

That it just so happens that Grand Laker canoes were designed putting sports and guide six feet apart.

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Warblers (Cont. from pg 59)

cause they do interbreed and share ranges from Alaska, Canada and coast to coast United States.

Here in Maine in older field guides you should use the description for Yellowrumped Warblers.

Karen Holmes lives in Cooper, Maine. She is a retired educator and now enjoys having more time to write for various publications and volunteering for various wildlife research projects. She is planning this spring to establish wildflower gardens among her 74 acres of woods.

It sent people outdoors. It put lines in the water. I went out myself, bundled up to the hilt, stepping into a raging river knowing there was about a snowball’s chance in hell of hooking up. I did it because in anticipation of it, I got out gear. I went through tackle, cleaning fly lines, tying new flies, replacing old leaders. All of it felt normal. Just like the simple motion of casting, the best therapy I know of in the best of times, and in the worst.

Vehicles slowed down as they passed and looked down at me in the river, approvingly. Some gave a thumbs up. Some just starred, as if seeing this spectacle made them forget for a moment that there was a world turned upside down out there. That for a moment, they weren’t watching the numbers come up on a screen showing the new cases, the deaths, the curve. As for me, all of that went away as long as I was standing in moving water. The pressure against my calves, the sound, the unfurling of my line as I

ment for a fishing guide to make, right? On my own time, I sometimes go to other states or to Canada and fish for two weeks without catching anything, and then go back the next year. “Are you nuts?” goes the refrain I hear from friends and family members still on the opposite side of this riddle. “Don’t you see that when that happens, the return on your investment (ROI) is zero?

Oh yes, the ROI.

Page 61

The Singing Maine Guide

by Randy Spencer, Grand Lake Stream, ME Meaning fishing is an investment and you should expect a return on it. Like the stock market. Or real estate. You’ve invested money after all, in tackle, travel, licensing, and so how is it ok to come up with goose egg? It reminds me of the two guys leaving the boat launch after having caught only two fish all day. On the way home, one of them muses, “You know, if we added up the cost of the boat, motor, trailer, tackle, license, mileage, wear and tear and everything else, those two fish probably cost us about $4500 a pound.” His pal thinks this over and replies, “Then it’s a damn good thing we didn’t get any more!”

Applying the ROI principal to fishing is a mistake not only because fish don’t behave like like banks, or markets, but because it misses the essential

point of fishing: hope. Is there a more universal symbol of hope than a line in the water? At the other end of that line is a snapshot of anticipation, excitement, suspense.

That’s why I was proud of the governor’s directive. She saw that in a pandemic, which is new territory for practically everybody, anything that instills hope is a lifeline.

There’ll be a new normal after this, probably not resembling the old one very much. But one thing that will look exactly the same as it did before the world turned upside down, is that snapshot of someone outdoors with a rod in their hand and a line in the water.

A picture of hope.

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

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 62

Beat the COVID – Get Outside

New Hampshire Outdoors

by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H. I t d o e s n ’t m a t t e r whether you live in Andover, New Hampshire or Andover, Massachusetts (except that we think our Andover is better than their Andover!), COVID-19 is impacting everyone in one form or another. And, it looks like it will be part of our everyday life for a while. So, we might as well get used to it.

Unfortunately, many outdoor related events like fund-raising banquets have

May/June 2020

been cancelled as well as Discover Wild NH Day. And some outdoor stores have temporarily closed.

But, the good news is that the outdoors is still there waiting for us. As I’ve written before, time spent outdoors has been shown to significantly reduce stress and anxiety; lower blood pressure; improve mood, energy, and sleep; and boost the immune system…which is something we can all use right about

now!

Salmon fishing opened on April 1st, Trout fishing on April 25th and the Spring Turkey season on May 1st. My point is : self-distancing doesn’t mean you have to wall yourself up in your house and not come out. And believe me, I know whereof I speak on that subject. In mid-March, I reported a possible encounter with someone who may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 to my employer. They immediately told me that I was off the air and out of the studio for fourteen days. It’s not what I wanted but I understood

their need to deal with potential issues. So, I made the best of a bad situation.

I got a jump on firewood and raking chores as well as getting the garden ready and started seeds in the greenhouse. On opening day for salmon, I was on Sunapee cruising for salmon. And, I never got sick.

This year, I added two new streamers to my options. The Tomahawk and the Sebago Gamefisher.

The Tomahawk was originally tied by the legendary Carrie Stevens, from Madison and Upper Dam, Maine, who created many Rangeley trout and salmon fly patterns including the

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Time spent outdoors has been shown to significantly reduce stress and anxiety; lower blood pressure; improve mood, energy, and sleep; and boost the immune system… which is something we can all use right about now!

Maine streamers do with persnickety New Hampshire salmon and trout?

Back in January, a lake trout was caught in Big Diamond Pond in West Stewartstown, NH that narrowly missed the state record of 28 and a half pounds. Then, a few weeks later, Thomas Knight of Meredith, New Hampshire, caught a lake trout in the same pond which was certified as a new state record which shattered the record established in 1958 by more than nine pounds weighing in at 37.65 pounds. His bait? An 11-inch sucker. I guess big bait does attract big fish. Big Diamond’s always taken a back seat to the Connecticut Lakes when it comes to fishing for lake trout. Bet that’ll change this year!

The last day to reg(Covid cont. pg 67)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020

Remove a Coyote

Springtime in Maine arrives at the same time coyote hunters start to put away their hunting gear to replace it for the fishing rod. While the hard core, wintertime, coyote hunters are casting lures hungry coyotes are wreaking havoc on the whitetail deer fawn supply. The month of May should be Maine’s month long “Remove a Coyote Holiday”.

Towards the end of May on through June whitetail deer fawns are being born.

An increase in coyote hunters in May would give the fawns a fighting chance.

They might survive to grow into mature deer. Dedicated turkey hunters might become annoyed upon an increase of coyote hunting in May. Not only will the whitetail deer fawn survival rate benefit but also the Eastern Wild Turkey population. It would be a win-win situation.

A turkey hunter using calls and decoys stands a good chance at attracting a coyote. Not far from my home a Registered Maine Guide had been bit by a coyote that stalked him while he was calling to turkey one May morning.

Although the reason for removal of coyote in May would be intended for fawn survival, in addition many other game species also would benefit greatly.

Quite a few years have gone by since my

college days. It was then that I first learned about the extensive mortality rate of whitetail deer fawns caused by coyote during spring and summer. It’s safe to assume most hunters know that a coyotes diet consists mostly of fawns during spring and summer. Would you believe me if I said a coyotes fawn consumption is upwards of 70% and even more some years?

Of course the statistics are based on whether or not the deer population in your hunting area is reproducing a large quantity of fawns.

Likewise the coyote population must be exceeding capacity for this all to be true.

Coyote pups are being born by the end of May. This means not only will there be the two adult coyotes feeding on fawns but possibly eight pups.

This translates to approximately ten whitetail deer fawn deaths at the paws of one coyote family group.

A few miles away another alpha male and female could be feeding fawns to five or more pups of their own. The coyote reproduction rate varies based on the amount of food and the coyote population density. For instance, the alpha male and female might only have five pups born due to the females malnutrition and the stress of other coyote groups nearby.

Seven fawns being taken

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out of your deer herd would still have the same effect as if it were ten fawns. A mature whitetail doe almost always gives birth to two fawns. A significantly lower number than that of the potential eight coyote pups. It’s clear that May should be, “Remove a Coyote Holiday”.

All the traditional hunting methods will work.

Occasionally try thinking outside the box by imagining a scenario where a pair of coyote are hunting together. Play it out like one got a hold of a fawn. The successful hunter would let out a contact howl letting the other know. Next the fawn would start crying out as the kidnapper starts biting down. Perhaps you want to try the scenario where a pair of coyote encroached onto the den site of another coyote pack.

The intruders might harass one of the pups where that adolescent starts screaming out in distress. Puppy or canine distress calls will bring adult coyotes in running during the spring and summer months. Even

Page 63

On The Prowl Justin Merrill, Cherryfield, ME

a simple coyote serenade playing on a remote control electric caller (e-caller) ending with a greeting howl will bring in an old wise coyote. Always watch the downwind side of your set-up. Scan the edges and dark areas to look for any sudden movement. Most of the time an older coyote will approach very slowly also scanning and listening.

If the coyote smells you the gigs up. You know what to do for scent control. No need to expound here.

It’s been said by all deer hunters, “shoot a coyote to save a fawn”. Contrary to what some believe the amount of fawns saved by shooting a single coyote is significantly more than one. In my deer hunting grounds I’ve lost two fawns to coyote. I have a trail camera picture of one coyote with a fawn leg in it’s mouth. So this is all very personal. Especially when I name most of the deer. Tak-

ing an adult female coyote in May will most likely save upwards of ten fawns in the upcoming months.

Imagine what you’ll do for your deer herd by shooting several coyote.

I’d love to hear from you. You can e-mail me at wildmaineoutdoors@ gmail.com to share with me your thoughts about coyote control. How do you control the coyote population?

What are some of your favorite hunting and trapping methods? I’m constantly learning new tricks. I want to learn more.

Justin is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA) and authored two books. He is the owner of the Digital TV show, “SPIKES and GILLS” produced by Wild Maine Outdoors Media (WMO MEDIA). You may learn more by visiting www.WildMaineOutdoors.com

The Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award

Editor’s note: The Legendary Maine Guide Award was created in memory of the late Wiggie Robinson and awarded to the Millinocket guide posthumously, to his family. Recipients receive the awards annually at the annual meeting of the Maine Professional Guide’s Association (MPGA). Information on the nominating process for this award is available at the Fish and Wildlife Department website: www.mefishwildlife.com.

Award Recipients: Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson (posthumously) 2009 Gil Gilpatrick 2010 Gary Corson 2011 Gardner Defoe 2012 Matthew P. Libby 2013 Don Dudley 2014 Danny Legere 2015 Richard Scribner 2016 Donald E. Helstrom, Jr 2017 Lance Wheaton, 2018 Bonnie Holding, 2019

Page 64

Malarkey Cabin Chronicles

Northwoods Sporting Journal

by Ray Dillon, Keswick Ridge, N.B. This past winter has been excellent in our part of the province for the white tailed deer and that is evidenced by the animals we can see roaming around on lawns, in back yards and where ever rusty brown fields are starting to turn green. Of course, many of us have had active winter

There is still a dark cloud hanging over all of us this year and it will affect every aspect of our society in drastic ways. feeding programs, regardless of the severity of the winter, but we can see the signs of deer that made it through the winter in good shape.

Even in wilderness areas where no subsidized

feeding programs existed, the animals are reasonably active and energetic and aren’t displaying rough loose coats of hair on gaunt bodies as they start to shed…and they will bounce back quickly on the rich green grasses and plant life of May. Moose numbers have been increasing and so far, the dreaded deer ticks aren’t “bleeding them dry.”

Our moose have enjoyed good management practices and lots of available food…and are doing well…at least presently.

The herd is looking good.

Our winter was quite mild with no long periods of cold weather and so the animals have maintained a good supply of calories and body fat. Ruffed Grouse didn’t have much of the soft fluffy snow cover to hide and sleep in but I suspect that they benefited as well from the mild winter.

May/June 2020

The Virus: Impact on Outfitters

Bear photo by Ray Dillon If they have an early warm spring, that vital hatching period in May and June should produce a good crop of young adult birds come autumn. As for our woodcock, they are always doing well and numbers are always good because our province is in the center of their annual migration flyway.

New Brunswick’s black bears had a good fall with lots of natural foods and they didn’t den up until late and so they are emerging this spring in great shape, although a bit hungry once they have purged. Our black bear population is growing in number as well as in body size. That should translate into a great year for bear

hunting in the province… but whoops! That may not be the case.

There is still a dark cloud hanging over all of us this year and it will affect every aspect of our society in drastic ways.

It is the COVID 19 virus that has swept the entire globe in less than three months. I don’t have to tell anyone about the devastation this virus has left in its wake and it is hurting or destroying big businesses and small businesses alike.

Professional Outfitters and Guides across Canada and the USA and around the entire world are feeling the crunch as well.

Spring black bear season in New Brunswick is or was poised to open

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in late April. It is highly unlikely that a spring hunt will take place this year and although some government leaders are optimistic about the virus peaking and eventually going away within the next couple of months, which is certainly not what many of us are anticipating.

It would be a blessing for everyone if this COVID 19 virus was gone from our planet within the next few months but in my own humble and unscientific opinion, there may be no quick solution. This pandemic such as it is has the greatest minds in the world struggling to understand it and scientists are attempting to develop a vaccine for it. Even then it will take some time to reach a sense of normalcy and safety. I fear that even fall hunting this year may be in jeopardy. We shall see.

Now I am sure that hunters, at least some hunters, are concerned about the hunts they booked for this year and I am certainly not in a position to speak for other outfitters and guides. In our case, we have contacted clients to inform them that should they not be able to come (Virus cont. pg 65))

May/June 2020

Virus

(Cont. from pg 64) on their hunt because the borders are closed and concerns about COVID-19 are rampant everywhere, we have offered to carry their deposits to next year for them.

If something happens that will allow hunting here in the province this fall, we will attempt to offer our hunters a fall hunt if they so choose and it can be for birds, bear or deer, their choice. This terrible event that has swept the world is the fault of no one.

It is upsetting, disruptive and tragic in many, many cases so we believe that we should all be helping

Northwoods Sporting Journal each other when we can. As for my wife and I, we are more concerned with your well being right now. The hunting will still be there when things improve and although we might miss seeing you this spring, we look forward to when we can see you again.

-This too, shall pass!

Ray Dillon is an Outdoor writer, bestselling book author, Professional Guide and owns/operates Malarkey Cabin Guiding Service in New Brunswick, Canada. To book a trophy Big Game or Uplands Bird hunt with him, go to www.malarkeycabin.com phone 506-363-2839 or e-mail rdillon@rogers.com

Trapping (Cont. from pg 58) Blake’s Take RTS Body Grip Trap Setter This setter, while pricey is nothing short of awesome. Because it works with one hand it becomes very useful for trappers with reduced strength, arthritis or injury. Young trappers will find it easy to use and a great help to set bodygrip traps safely.

I think any trapper would find this setter helpful in the field!

Product Description: Don’t get caught without one! A very effective tool for setting

Page 65

springs on all body grip traps with only one hand.

Keeps hands free of getting in the firing zone of

body grip traps. Unlike the imitators, the RTS setter hooks on the spring arm of the trap not the spring holes. This eliminates extra strokes, spring damage and

also allows easy removal of stiff awkward catches wedged tight in the trap frame.

Specifications Requires one hand to operate Small light weight fits in pack or on belt Works on ALL body grip traps Easy to put on and off the springs of traps Heavy Duty Construction As we wrap up the first article I’d like wish everyone the best as they wind down their seasons and get ready for the next one. We welcome any feedback you have, good or bad, so drop us a line at info@sportingjournal.com

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Page 66

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Against The Current

Social Distancing

Anticosti

Special for Young Hunters!

of American literature, I came to admire Hemingway and Fitzgerald. But

by Bob Romano, between McGuane and Rangeley, ME Harrison, Kerouac and write, for writing demands Ginsberg, I read the stories time alone. of Judge John Voelker aka That also may be why Robert Traver, and soon fishing with flies came so discovered his: Testament naturally to me. It is an to a Fisherman. Although

The world-renown poet and naturalist wrote: “The wild requires that we learn the terrain, nod to all the plants and I’m a loner. Always animals and birds, ford have been. I’ve never been the streams and cross the a joiner. As a kid, I suffered ridges, and tell a good through Little League, story when we get back plagued by anxiety over home.”

For most of my life, That also may be why fishing with flies came so I’ve tried to nod to the plants, animals, birds, and naturally to me. It is an endeavor I can engage in with only red squirrels, chipmunks, and the occasional kingfisher or fish, mostly brook trout, perhaps because brook blue heron as onlooker. trout prefer those streams what my teammates might endeavor I can engage in every line is a treasure, one the farthest from town and think if I struck out (which with only red squirrels, stood out to me: city.

“Because, in a world I did routinely) or dropped chipmunks, and the ocI was able to find a the ball (which I did more casional kingfisher or blue where most men seem to wife, who shares my prospend their lives doing pensity to spend time away often than not.) As an adult, heron as onlooker.

I spent one evening at a I’m at ease with both things they hate, my fish- from others. Although ing is at once an endless Trish does not share my meeting of a well-known activities.

While in college, I source of delight and an piscatorial passion, she national association never to return. I pay dues to my naturally gravitated toward act of small rebellion.” often accompanies me into In the 1990s, a line the forest. While her huslocal chapter of Trout Un- Thoreau and good old, Billimited, but must admit I ly Blake, the godfather of from an essay in Gary Sny- band wades upstream and the British Romanic move- der’s book, The Practice of down, she collects bones, rarely attend meetings.

I suppose that is why I ment. Like most students the Wild, also struck me. skulls, and other detritus

by Mark Cote, Rumford, ME As we all know, there is a decline in young hunters. For whatever reason, their interest is not what it used to be. It certainly doesn’t help that Maine’s deer numbers are low. Often times, just seeing the flash of white as a deer bounds off is considered a successful day, or at least it was for me as a kid. Is that enough to keep the average youth interested in hunting? Sepaq Anticosti has the solution.

Sepaq has a family hunting package with discounted rates for young hunters and a deep discount for the fifth hunter in the group. It is the perfect way

May/June 2020

to introduce kids to hunting and share the hunting camp experience with the whole family.

Deer density on Anticosti Island is significantly better than just about anywhere in New England, making the likelihood of a deer sighting much better.

Sepaq has developed a program specifically tailored to introduce youth hunters to the sport. With an average of 5.8 deer sightings per day, and an overall harvest rate of 1.63 deer per hunter, your youngster’s success rate will increase multifold. That, my friend, is what keeps them interested.

Don’t get me wrong, it is not like the hunting is effortless, there are simply more deer. Think of it this way, when you go fishing, you want to fish in a place that has a lot of fish, not just a few. If a kid fishes for multiple days and never gets a bite, how excited will he or she be to get up before daylight to try it again? It’s human nature.

In my household, hunting is a family tradition. I have been taking my two boys and youngest daughter since they were barely old enough to carry their rifles. Now, they are all safe, formidable, and successful hunters. Their passion for hunting began here in Maine, but Anticosti got them hooked for life.

I will never forget

found along the shoreline or woodland floor.

Many of my non-angling friends have never experienced the quietude found along a forest path, the anticipation upon hearing the sound of a mountain brook’s current at the end of the trail, or the smell of balsam drifting from the shoreline as early-morning fog rolls across its surface.

All this brings me to Social Distancing, a technique the world is using to reduce the effects of the Coronavirus. While others complain about the disruption that this is causing to their day-to-day lives, Trish and I are simply going about our usual routine—packing a lunch, herding our dogs into the back of the truck and heading for the nearest forest stream.

my oldest son Aaron’s first Maine deer. We had just completed a morning hunt and decided to make a move to another area across town. We were climbing into the truck and Katie, my youngest daughter who had just turned ten, asked if she could go. We dressed

tracks. I thought Katie was going to come unglued!

As we drove home, Katie had already decided she was next.

The following Monday, Katie insisted on going hunting before school. I told her to get up early and we would go to the area

her up in some over sized orange and we were on our way.

While we were driving up a logging road going to our spot, I noticed a nice tall tined spike horn eating clover on the edge of the road. Aaron got out of the truck and made a nice shot. It dropped in its

where Aaron got his spike.

Just as we entered the logging road, I saw a deer in the woods to our left. I raised my binoculars only to find it was a doe. Katie didn’t have a doe permit. I handed her my binoculars so she could look at it and she was shaking so bad (Hunter's cont. pg 67)

After a minute or two of silence, Katie, with the brim of her hat crooked, put her hands on her stomach and asked, “Daddy, why is my belly so hot?”

May/June 2020

Covid

(Cont. from pg 62) ister for the 37 th annual Winni Derby for salmon and lakers on Lake Winnipesaukee is May 14th at 11PM . Tickets are $55 per person at : https:// nhscouting.doubleknot. com/event/2020-winniderby/2607623 With an abundance of acorns last fall and a mild winter, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a banner spring turkey harvest with WMU’s J2 and K again leading the way. The heaviest turkey tagged last year weighed in at 28 pounds.

We’ll get through this historic COVID-19 situation together. But now is a good time for many to discover, or perhaps rediscover, the outdoors!

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

Stripers

(Cont. from pg 57) hook itself.

Hooking bait is tricky at times. Green crabs a delicate, requiring smaller wire hooks in size 3/0 to

Muddlers (Cont. from pg 56) several tight turns taken against the base of the clump to tightly secure it. If the head area is completely covered with fibers, all that needs to be done is to tie off the thread with a whip finish and trim the head to the desired shape, being careful not to cut off any

Northwoods Sporting Journal

4/0 sizes and sometimes smaller. I only use green crabs while fishing mud or sand bottoms as rocking bottoms will tear the crabs off the hook easily.

Chunk bait, pieces of cut up fin fish like mackerel and pogies are effective fished off the bottom and used a chum as an attractant. Don’t overdue chumming as it might turn the targeted fish off. Eels are one of the best baits in mid-summer. A nine to 10 incher is perfect size.

Handle them with an old towel and bang their head on something solid to calm them down and then hook them through the lip. They can be problematic, curling your line into a wraparound knot. You do need to check them quite often.

Sea worms work well.

Thread them on to a hook just as you would for trout.

Blood worm are my favorite. Some folks don’t like them because their front pinchers really can hurt if you aren’t careful. They don’t bite as some believe.

It’s the pinchers that get you.

No matter what bait you use, you can drift or anchor. Holding your bait on bottom can be difficult while drifting but you cover more productive in search of the fish.

For a good study of various bait fishing techniques, go online and

search bait fishing tech- she shot a Maine deer, niques to find all you want black bear, and moose, all to know. in the same season. She was one turkey shy of a Captain Doug Jowett Grand Slam, but that’s a is a Master Maine Guide story for another edition. holding a USCG Captain’s I can’t tell you how License who charters on much I enjoy hunting with Cape Cod and Maine. He my kids. Bringing them to has been writing outdoors Anticosti is what we look columns and articles since forward to every year. I 1965 in regional and na- couldn’t count the number tional publications and in of times they made sucseven books. Reach him at: cessful shots off my shoulhttp://www.mainestriped- der. It may be a great front basfishing.com row seat, but it’s hard on the ears!

of the hackle collar barbs.

My preference for the color of head material would be beige, cream, white or any other light shade. A product marketed as “Egg Yarn” which is a synthetic woven material, comes in a variety of fluorescent colors that can be used for tying attractor patterns. Lamb’s wool can be obtained from a sheepskin patch that is sold as a drying pad for

a fly-fishing vest. In addition to being absorbent and having good sinking qualities, wool heads are very durable, easy to trim and make less of a mess than deer hair.

Hunters

(Cont. from pg 66) I thought she was going to give herself two black eyes! It makes me smile every time I tell the story.

It was a doe and her fawn. We had no choice but to let them go. As they bounded off, the buck we didn’t know was there took off with them! After a little excited conversation, we continued on our way to the spot we were going to.

After a minute or two of silence, Katie, with the brim of her hat crooked, put her hands on her stomach and asked, “Daddy, why is my belly so hot?”

I chuckled and proudly answered, “That’s adrenaline Sweetie! It’s what keeps you hunting!”

She didn’t get a deer that year but we certainly had a memorable season.

When she was twelve,

Joe has enjoyed fly fishing for over 65 years.

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

Page 67

For more information about a family hunt on Anticosti, call my friends at the reservation desk at 1-800-463-0863. Tell them Mark (and my family) sent you! I welcome your comments at AnticostiMark@ gmail.com Mark Cote is a Registered Maine Guide from Rumford, Maine. He has been hunting with his family on Anticosti for over twenty years.

North Maine Woods Opening, With Conditions

Press release issued April 30th by North Maine Woods As many of our visitors know, Maine’s Governor Mills issued a revised statement on April 28th extending the State’s “Stay at Home Order”, but allowing some businesses to start opening for business.

From May 1st to May 17th, with permission from the Governor’s office, North Maine Woods (NMW) and the KI Jo-Mary Forest (KIJM) will open for day use, and with the approval of the private landowners, private roads will be open to public use to allow day use access for fishing, hiking and riding. We still ask that visitors refrain from driving on soft side roads. During this time, checkpoints will not be staffed so registration and visitor fees will not be required.

On May 18th we plan to start opening checkpoints, but it will not be business as usual. In an effort to protect our employees from exposure, during weekdays visitors will be asked to self-register using the forms available and with assistance from our staff using telephones installed at each location. During weekends and at other random times, checkpoints will be staffed. Instructions on registration procedures will be available soon on our website at northmainewoods.org and on our Facebook page.

We are required to follow the new statewide guidelines relative to overnight camping. Compliance requires that campsites and campgrounds remain closed until June 1st, and then only allowing Maine residents to camp (and non-residents who have self-quarantined for 14 days).

Until June arrives, Maine’s Game Wardens, Forest Rangers and landowner representatives have been asked to report illegal camping activity. Should anyone be found camping illegally, they risk being banned from using North Maine Woods managed properties in the future.

We will continue to post information on our website and Facebook page as this situation changes.

We hope that this pandemic ends soon so we can welcome our friends from other parts of the country and get back to normal operations.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these challenging times.”

Page 68 SELLERS LANE

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

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Hancock County - Over 800 acres with 5,400 sq. ft log cabin completely surrounding Fox Pond. Miles of maintained trails. Adjacent to 20k acres of conservation lands. FOXPONDESTATE. COM $4.3mm

May/June 2020

Meaning

(Cont. from pg 52) time on their hands and a case of cabin fever. It’s extremely important to follow the Vermont Department of Health’s guidelines on social distancing to slow the spread of this virus. It is also important for our physical and mental wellbeing to take some time to get outdoors and appreciate the natural resources we have in Vermont. As more parts of Vermont see closures and recommendations for social distancing, time safely spent outdoors can help us find ways to manage the stress and uncertainty. According to VT F&W fisheries biologist Shawn Good, there’s no better remedy than fishing.

Good says fishing is the original social distancing tool, because it is often a solitary activity or something you do with just a few people – often your own immediate family members.

And then there is the season of the Give-Away Bird, the turkey. Youth spring turkey hunting weekend is April 25 and

26 this year, and the regular spring turkey season is May 1-31. Vermont hunters took 5,496 turkeys during last year’s spring youth weekend and May seasons.

The April 25 and 26 youth turkey hunting weekend provides an excellent opportunity for experienced hunters to teach young hunters how to safely and successfully hunt wild turkeys. Landowner permission is required to hunt on private land during youth turkey hunting weekend.

To participate, a youth must be age 15 or under and must have completed a hunter education course and possess a hunting license, a turkey hunting license and a free youth turkey hunting tag. All of these are available on Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife. com) or from any license agent.

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

www.edssheds-cabins.com Email: edwardl@edssheds-cabins.com

Bangor/Lincoln 207-738-5315/Dexter 207-270-2312

Ed’s Sheds

SUPERIOR Construction!!

Lincoln *** Bangor *** Dexter

AFRAMES ~ CABINS ~ GAMBRELS ~ GARAGES HORSEBARNS ~ SALTBOXES

Northwoods Sporting Journal

May/June 2020 SELLERS LANE

REAL ESTATE

BUYERS ROAD

207-265-4000

259 Main Street, Kingfield, ME

www.csmrealestate.com

Enjoy Maine's Vacation-land!

Coplin Plantation $39,000.

Eustis area. Wooded, level with over 200ft on Stratton Brk. 20 mins to Sugarloaf and Flagstaff Lake is about a mile away. Dead end road but close enough to walk into Stratton Village.

Nice views!

janet@csmrealestate.com SUNRISE REALTY

P.O. Box 628 Main Street Machias, ME 04654 Office Tel. & Fax: (207) 255-3039 Email: anitaj@midmaine.com Website: www.sunlist.com Anita Johnson

WHITING: What a great place to send your summer. Indian Lake is known for it's good fishing. Lot is number 2 in Indian Heights sub-division and the driveway is in. That a great place to spend your summer or even full time. There are covenants on the property to help protect your investment. Great price of $70,000.00 EAST MACHIAS: Land is on the East Machias River and there is a driveway permit but would have to be updated as it was done a few years ago. Direct water access for GOOD FISHING, KAYAKING and CANOEING from this water front parcel. Also this lot is close to several other lakes and streams for fishing. A super great price at only $29,000.00

5 Lake Street, P.O. Box 66, Lincoln, ME 207-794-2460

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

Email: cwa@cwalakestreet.com

Danforth- Only 25’ from the water ’s edge, family camp is log sided w/ a beautiful knotty pine interior. Large, detached 2 car garage offers parking or storage. Lakeside of cottage is all glass providing great views on Upper Hot Brook Lake. $135,000 Pukakon- Lakefront Lee- Privately paradise cabin on plowed, seaonal o n e o f M a i n e ’s road. Electricity & most desirable nice frontage on lakes, Junior Lake. a beautiful, clean Fabulous fishing.

Silver Lake. Two lots Hunting, Snowmobiling & ATVing are just being sold, could some activities out your door. Lake views potentially sell one lot & keep the other. The through many windows. $345,000 well is on lot 14 while the buildings & septic are on lot 15. $139,000 Grand Falls- End of M a t t a w a m ke a g road privacy with Private cottage with power & great shower house, shed, fishing pond on p ri v y & covered Saponac Pond. porch overlooking Cabin needs some the water. Gas lights luvin’ but its cute, & some wiring done and taxes are cheap. Wonderful location for generator use. Enjoy all the outdoors has that could be yours, on prime outdoor to offer on Back Settlement Pond. Not many recreational area in Maine. $79,000 like this one! $78,500 Lakeville- Nice 11+ acre lot on Lombard Lake, with 380 feet of waterfront on Lombard Lake which has land locked salmon & white perch. Well maintained road & with 1 acre out of tree growth. Enjoy the peace & quiet on this lot. $45,000 Lakeville- Nice 12+ acre lot on Lombard Lake, with 380 feet of waterfront on Lombard Lake which has land locked salmon & white perch. Well maintained road & with 1 acre out of tree growth. Enjoy the peace & quiet on this lot. $45,000 Carroll Plt- Private. Secluded. Beautiful. Pretty waterfront lot ready for camper or to build your getaway cabin. Large fire ring & path to a section of sandy swimming on Lowell Lake.

Come to relax, kayak and listen to the loons. $45,000 Winn- Driveway in place, offering gentle slope to a beautiful section of the Penobscot River.

Build your dream home, a getaway cabin or park the camper. Only 5 minutes from downtown Lincoln. $24,500

Page 69 SELLERS LANE

BUYERS ROAD

GATEWAY RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES Office 207-746-3398 gatwainn@midmaine.com www.medwaygateway.com P.O. Box 637 Medway, ME 04460 SNOWMOBILERS - CAMP LOTS AVAILABLE Along ITS-83 From Houlton to Presque Isle MATTANAWCOOK LAKE FRONT LOTS FOR SALE

ASHLAND: 10 Acres on Aroostook River. $14,000.

ASHLAND: 20 Acre, river frontage. $25,000.

GREENBUSH: 10 Acre camp lots, waterfrontage, large meadow, good views, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. $25,000 - $42,000.

CARMEL: 25 Acres. $42,700.

TROY: Hunting camp with 30 acres $45,000.

CRYSTAL: 100 Acres large deer population and other wildlife. Will divide off a piece, perfect for your needs. Large brook on property. $49,900.

CAMPS LOTS AVAILABLE ON MATTASEUNK LAKE & MATTAWAMKEAG AREA WE OWN WHAT WE SELL! OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 70 SELLERS LANE

May/June 2020 SELLERS LANE

REAL ESTATE

BUYERS ROAD

BUYERS ROAD

Houlton Office 207-532-4500 Hermon Office 207-605-0556 Scot Walker, Broker

For all your recreational needs!

First Choice Real Estate Land, Cabins, Acreage, Waterfront and more.

Stephanie Fields Beaulieu Designated Broker-Owner

www.mainelandbroker.com $95,000 T14 R8 Wels, ME Very tidy, solid camp with outbuildings including a two bunk sleeping cabin. Propane stove, refrigerator, generator, beautiful hand made beds and cabinets. Heated with traditional wood cook stove or Vermont Castings wood stove when it gets really cold. Situated on beautiful and great fishing Fish River Lake in the North Maine Woods. Well constructed access road and driveway are gated a long distance(mile plus) from the camp-effectively creating your very own hunting sanctuary.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

$59,900 999 Fournier Road T9 R7 Wels, ME Rare offering on the shore of Aroostook River located between the Salmon Pool and the Mooseluk Stream. Prime fishing for native trout and salmon on the river and many other opportunities nearby.

You can hunt, snow sled and vacation in the North Maine Woods. Well maintained 20x24 camp.

(207) 696-4247 274 Main Street Madison, ME 04950

$82,000 999 Pingree L141 Loc F T8 R10 Wels, ME Would you like to be near the Allagash region and some of the best fishing/hunting in the North Maine Woods? This camp is very well built and maintained and has a very nice lawn and yard to allow outdoor enjoyment. $119,900 T11 R8 Wels, ME If you’re looking for a quiet, private camp in the woods to rest and recharge your inner batteries, this camp could be for you. Log camp located in the North Maine Woods, on leased land, sits next to McGowan Pond. You will have all the comforts of home: drilled well, indoor plumbing (hot water, shower, and toilet), propane appliances & lights, TV capable of satellite hookup and a generator for electricity when needed. Fish for partridge, deer and moose. Hunt and fish in your neighborhood.

www.bigbearrealestatecompany.com

515 Main Street • Presque Isle, ME 04769 Office: (207) 764-4600 Cell: 227-2305 Fax: 517-6860

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL Our Past. Your Future

P.O. Box 72 Houlton, Maine 1-800-341-1566 www.wardcedarloghomes.com

#4360-Starks; This building is efficient with radiant heat and could be either a home or a business. Great location, well built, great value! Small stream near rear of property. 1 acre. $75,000

#6081-Madison; Close to the historic Lakewood T h e a t e r, g o l f course, as well as swimming, boating and fishing. Frontage on Hayden Brook and close to Lake Wesserunsett.

Camp needs to be jacked and leveled but makes a nice getaway! $30,000

Fax: 207-472-3084

email: fieldsrealty@maine.rr.com 72 Fort Hill Street Fort Fairfield, ME 04742

www.HearthAndHomeRealty.com

$85,000 LaPomkeag Lake Authentic log craftsmanship at its best. This open concept camp includes a separate bedroom with two large beds plus sleeping loft. Commercial Garland range has four burner plus grill. Located on very private LaPomkeag lake. Camp is furnished and equipped-ready to move in. Gray water system for shower and sinks. Snowsled trail a mile away with easy access. $75,000 84 Mountain Road, Presque Isle, ME 29 acres of woods abutting 800 acres of State of Maine park land can be yours. This wooded parcel includes gated road access a good portion of the year. Recent improvements include new chimney top, roof and leveling.

Cell: 207-551-5835

Overhead Door Company of Bangor

“The original since 1921”

#8409-Anson; 3.29 acres that has old mobile on property in poor condition. Septic tank partially installed but system will need to be completed. Front yard is overgrown but lot is nice with only a slight slope or roll. Well worth the price. $15,000

Sales, Service Parts for Residential, Commercial, Industrial 24-Hour Emergency Repair Reliability and so much more

#3327-The Forks; Life is too short to put off any longer!

Love a beautiful water view, fishing, swimming, boating or just want to dangle your feet in the water? Then you need to see this lovely 2 bedroom home on the west shore of Moxie Pond. $246,960

1-800-696-2235 56 Liberty Drive, Hermon www.overheaddoorofbangor.com

Residential

Commercial

Judd Goodwin Well Co

"We Do It Right The First Time"

Complete Well & Pump

Installation, Service and Repair Residential • Commercial Camps • Cottages

P.O. Box 17 Greenville, ME 04441 Office: 207-695-695-3645 Cell: 207-280-0923 goodwinjudd@yahoo.com www.juddgoodwinwell.com Member Maine Groundwater Association

6

99

When you just need a good battery made by EXIDE without the big name & warranty cost.

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BATTERIES ENJOY PEACE OF MIND WITH A NEW INTERSTATE BATTERY THIS WINTER