Northwoods Sporting Journal, Nov. 2022

Nace Gets Charged By 10 Point Buck After Being Rattled In November 2022

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November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 3

What Deer See

It is said that the wolf ’s fang shaped the evolution of the whitetailed deer. The whitetail’s highly specialized senses, smell, hearing, and sight, were honed by millennia to escape predators, including humans. Try as we may, hunters attempt to escape

low light conditions.

Although the University of George Deer Lab and others have researched deer vision, we cannot fully describe what it is like to experience the woods through a deer’s eyes. The best we can do is compare the whitetail’s vision with

the amount of usable light.

This allows the deer’s eye to function in dim light conditions and to see a hunter at ground level at dusk. Researchers believe a whitetail can see about 18 times better than humans in dim light.

Whitetails have limited ability to move their eyes. In contrast, our human eyeballs dart constant-

What does all this optometry mean to the hunter? A whitetail sees best in dim light. You don’t. Deer detect movements nearly 300 degrees around them. Stay still or move very slowly.

detection with expensive camouflages, cover scents, and tree stands, but the buck usually smells, hears, or sees us first. That is what makes hunting such a challenge and a joy.

By genetic mutation, natural selection, or just happy accident, about 30 million years ago our primitive mammalian ancestor developed color vision and flourished in the daylight environment. Color vision, especially on the red end of the spectrum allowed us to find ripe fruits and possibly use blushing as a visualbehavioral cue. We enjoy a trichromatic technicolor world, and we dream and recall our memories with dashes of color. All other orders of mammals, except for a few species of marsupials, retained dichromatic (two-color) vision better suited for nocturnal and

our own. Like all mammals, light enters a deer’s cornea and lens, and an image is projected on lightsensing rod and cone cells covering the retina. But that is where many of the similarities between deer and human vision ends.

Like most nocturnal mammals, deer eyes are large with a large light-absorbing retina better suited to detect objects and movement in low light. We are familiar with the “deer in the headlights” phenomenon – the reflection of light off the back of eye.

This mirror-like substance, the tapetum lucidum, lies mostly in the upper half of the eye and intensifies light reflected from the ground.

Light entering a deer’s eye illuminates the retina, reflects off the tapetum, and illuminates the retina a second time doubling

ly and focus on small objects, just like your eyes are scanning across the lines of this page and focusing rapidly on these words.

We detect movement in our peripheral vision then rapidly move our eyes to focus on the moving object.

Deer eyes are positioned on the side of the skull. They have some forward binocular (depth-sensing) vision like humans and can run quickly through the woods, judging the distance to objects. Deer can see about 300 degrees around them, whereas our field of vision is only about 130 degrees.

Thus, deer can monitor much of their surroundings and detect movement quickly, but cannot focus on a single object as well as humans can.

A deer’s oval-shaped, horizontal pupils are about three times larger than ours, greatly increasing their light gathering ability. Our small, round iris and lens

Northwoods Sketchbook

by Mark McCollough, Hampden, ME

focuses the image on a concentrated area of cells in retina called the fovea.

We have more acuity for detail than a deer. In contrast, deer have a wide, oval iris and lens but no fovea.

This sends a wide streak of light across the deer’s retina that is densely packed with a horizontal band of cone cells, an adaptation for detecting movement across a wide field of view.

Deer can process and respond to movement about

twice as fast as we can, however, they struggle to discern stationary objects.

Dr. Bradley Cohen, a deer vision researcher says at the University of Georgia says, “Squint your eyes until they are blurry and hold it there. That’s what a deer sees. Everything is blurry and in the same focus.”

The horizontal iris minimizes incoming light from the sky and maximizes light from the horizon or (Deer cont. pg 9)

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On The Cover

Nace Gets Charged By 10 Point Buck After Being Rattled In - Pg 16 Bucks: Big Woods Mystique - Pg 42 November Grouse - Pg 6 Butchering Your Deer - Pg 34 Legendary Maine Bucks - Pg 48 Camps, Cottages and Land for Sale - Pg 67

Northwoods Sporting Journal 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 3. Northwoods Sketchbook - Mark McCollough an independent voice for the region’s 6. On Point - Paul Fuller outdoor community for more than 28 7. Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard years. Some of our writers are seasoned 10. “A Hiker’s Life” - Carey Kish and specialized outdoors people who 11. The Gun Cabinet - John Floyd will share their know-how and insights; 12. South Of The Kennebec - Stu Bristol some of our contributors are simply 13. Basics Of Survival - Joe Frazier lifelong outdoor people with interest16. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram ing stories to tell.

18. Outdoor Sporting Library - Jeremiah Wood Our aim every month is to capture 20. Aroostook Woods & Water - Mike Maynard 21. Cookin’ With New England’s WildCheff - Denny Corriveau the essence of Northern New England’s 22. The Northwoods Bowhunter - Brian Smith remarkable outdoor heritage by stirring 25. Native Fish Talk - Bob Mallard memories, portraying outdoor humor, 26. Cracker Barrel - Homer Spit and sharing experiences and outdoor 28. “The Trail Rider” - Dan Wilson knowledge. We also keep our readers 30. Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill up to date with late-breaking outdoor 32. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes news and hard-hitting editorials about 33. Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective - Tom Kelly fish and wildlife issues.

34. The Maine Woods - Matt LaRoche Anyone who loves to hunt and 35. Cross Country Bear - Kenneth Williams fish, or simply finds the Great Outdoors 36. View From The River - Laurie Chandler 37. On The Prowl - Justin Merrill a treasured place, is more than likely 38. Maine Tails - Jonah Paris to find some special connections amid 39. Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham the pages of the Northwoods Sporting 40. “Just Fishing” - Bob Leeman Journal.

Contents

42. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood 43. Northwoods Voyager - Gil Gilpatrick 44. Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair 45. The Tyer’s Corner - Hugh Kelly 46. Warden’s Words - Kale O’Leary 48. Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds 49. Marsh Island Chronicles - Matthew Dunlap 50. Book Review: Grouse and Woodcock - V. Paul Reynolds 51. Maple Country Outdoors - Ben Wilcox 52. Outdoors In Vermont - Gary Moore 53. Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton 55. Fly Fishing - Joe Bertolaccini 56. Best Bassin’ - Bill Decoteau 57. New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James 58. The Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer 60. Question Of The Month - V. Paul Reynolds 62. An Adirondack Shower - Brian Lang 64. Against The Current - Bob Ramano 65. The Back Shelf - V. Paul Reynold

November 2022

Outdoors In Vermont - Pg 52 Gary W. Moore

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Vol 29 Issue 11 is published monthly by Northwoods Publications, 57 Old County Rd. North, W. Enfield, ME 04493 Periodical Postage Paid at W. Enfield, ME. and additional mailing offices.

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

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All rights reserved, 2022. Written permission must be obtained from the Northwoods Sporting Journal to reprint any part of this publication. Any errors or omissions in ads or editorial matter will be corrected in the next issue of NWSJ. The views and opinions expressed by our monthly columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

The Singing Maine Guide - Pg 58 Randy Spencer

Other Great Stories & Information 8. Editorial/Letters 14. Outdoor News 41. Trading Post 66. Photo Page 67. Real Estate

Cover Photo: Cover photo by Tim Flanigan

Cross Country Bear - Pg 35 Kenneth Williams

“Just Fishing” - Pg 40 Bob Leeman

Page 6

Northwoods Sporting Journal

On Point

November 2022

November Grouse

by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. Is November the new October? With climate change, everything changes. Let me explain.

As I’ve written many times in this column, there are two ingredients that control a grouse life: food and shelter. Conifers are the main source of shelter for the ruffed grouse. And, that source of shelter remains fairly constant. Food is a different story.

My opinion on grouse food is that it is segmented into three categories. The first segment is green plant material. This segment goes from spring to early fall. It consists of hundreds of different plant life which grouse enjoy. Examples would be ferns, clover, wild strawberry leaves, wild raspberry leaves and much more. This segment is so plentiful that there is very little concentration of birds. Which means they are harder to find.

For years, I’ve considered this segment of the grouse food chain to go through to mid-October. By mid October, heavy frost would kill off much of the green.

The birds would then go to my segment two feeding

concept which means more concentration of birds and easier to find.

But wait, with warmer weather, in the past few years, segment two hasn’t arrived by mid-October.

Segment three is later and consists primarily of budding. Last year (2021), in Northern Maine, we found raspberry fruit still available on canes. Clover and wild strawberry leaves still green and plentiful. The segment one plentiful food table was still feeding the grouse. Which means the concentration of grouse gets delayed. Birds remain

November hunting could be snow and ice. ter which we won’t discuss in this column.

This all leads to the question: Is November the new October for grouse hunting? I believe there are many answers to this question. If you enjoy being in the woods on a beautiful

ing tops the grouse hunting experience than approaching your pointing dog, with a solid point, flushing the grouse and connecting with an on-the-wing shot.

It’s the true thrill of grouse hunting.

With warmer tem-

This all leads to the question: Is November the new October for grouse hunting? I believe there are many answers to this question. harder to locate.

Segment two, for me, has always been mid to late October. Segment two consists of mountain ash, high bush cranberries, rose hips, apples and nuts (acorn, hickory and beech). Rather than mid-October, segment two is now closer to and into November. That means birds are still concentrated and hard for the pointing dog to locate. Segment three, budding, is mid-win-

St John Valley

fall day with leaves ablaze in color, I don’t believe climate changed has shifted that experience, yet, to November. If you want your pointing dog to enjoy more contact with birds, then the shift to early November may be productive. I have a good friend who hunted grouse with pointing dogs right up to Christmas in 2021.

Also, keep in mind the woods will be much more open in November which means seeing the bird in flight will make for better shooting conditions. Noth-

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peratures in October, here’s another change I’ve seen with grouse activity. We used to think that broods would disperse in late September. Old-time woodsman always said it happened with the first frost.

Susan, my wife, and I were encountering broods right through October last year.

I would rather have birds dispersed than in broods.

There are more birds out and about for your dog to locate and point. Also, young dogs will often become overly excited with a brood flush and break

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point and chase. We enjoy watching our pointing dog remain steady.

There is a downside to November grouse hunting.

Some of the sporting camps close the end of October.

They don’t have the heating systems necessary for either the cabins or the main lodge. It may be hard to locate a sporting camp that is able to remain open into November. I think with warming temperatures, this will change in the near future.

And, even though November may be the new October for grouse hunting, it’s still November and a heavy snow storm in the North Country can be difficult to work with.

Be prepared with shovels.

And, it’s very possible you’ll encounter a large limb across a remote road.

Always carry an axe or electric chain saw.

No matter how late you hunt this year, stay safe and enjoy your time afield.

Paul Fuller and Susan, his wife, are co-hosts of Bird Dogs Afield TV. All their past episodes are available on their website: www.birddogsafield. com Contact: pau@birddogafield.com

November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Future of Crossbows

If you’ve been hunting the regular October archery deer season or fall turkeys with a crossbow the last few years you may recall the rules were changed starting in 2020 that al-

bows can be used during archery deer and fall turkey seasons.

The most important four words in that eloquent title are “for a Limited Duration.” To jog any memo-

the next session to make any changes, or set the current regulations in stone and make them permanent.

The big question is which way will they go?

There’s a few important points I hope lawmakers consider carefully when making a decision. The first is, as was often predicted by certain special interest groups that opposed the

Page 7

Muzzleloading Afield

by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME

permits over the years in the old system, hunters just weren’t killing enough does despite have a permit in the pack. The point here is, allowing crossbows during the archery season the past three years has had no adverse effect on the deer

bow if they so choose. In 2019, before the regulation change, 927 resident and 216 non-resident crossbow permits were purchased. In 2020, the first year of the change numbers increased to 2,746 and 380, respectively and to 3,891 and

It comes to an end in December of this year, which means the legislature will have to revisit the issue in the next session to make any changes, or set the current regulations in stone and make them permanent. The big question is which way will they go?

In Maine, deer hunting with crossbows is growing more popular. (Photo by Al Raychard) lowed those privileges.

Earlier that year, Governor Mills signed LD 27, An Act to Allow the Use of a Crossbow for a Limited Duration during the October Archery Season on Deer and Fall Season in Wild Turkey. It’s a lot of words to say cross-

ries that might have forgotten, the legislation carried a three-year sunset provision that covered the 2020, 2021 and 2022 hunting seasons.

It comes to an end in December of this year, which means the legislature will have to revisit the issue in

legislation, the sky hasn’t fallen and no wildlife populations, notably deer, have been decimated since 2020.

If that were the case I highly doubt the current any-deer permit system would have been implemented with the goal of increasing the harvest of antlerless deer in certain management units. Despite increasing the number of

population, and should not be used as a reason to go backwards on the issue.

Unless a crossbow hunter has an antlerless deer permit, the limit is one deer.

What difference does it make how they to choose kill it?

Another thing is, judging by permits sales, hunters seem to like the freedom to hunt with a cross-

446, respectively in 2021.

What’s just as notable, and perhaps more important, is the number of resident and non-resident apprentice crossbow permits have also been increasing, not by such large leaps but increasing nonetheless.

In my layman’s mind that suggests more young hunt(Crossbows cont. pg 11)

Page 8

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Deer-Yard Purchases On Track

An October 3rd announcement that the Land For Maine’s Future (LMF) board had just approved a big part of the funding package for the acquisition of an historic 3,000 acre deer-wintering area in Southern Aroostook County is big news!

The growing decline in deer yards, especially in the North Woods, has contributed to the lower deer survival numbers, especially in Aroostook County. New historic legislation this year earmarked $40 million in the state biennial budget for the express purpose of protecting historic deer wintering areas by outright purchase and subsequent management by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The funding for these deer- yard purchases comes from a number of sources, along with LMF funding. Some of the money comes from Federal matching funds (Pittman-Robertson) and from new state revenues generated by hunters when they purchase any-deer permits in Maine.

MDIF&W has identified 7,500 acres of deer wintering areas in Aroostook County for proposed purchase. A half dozen other deer yards in other parts of the state are being “negotiated.” Insofar as we can de-

Dams Not All Bad To the Editor: Suzanne Au Clair’s article ‘Maine Dams: Not All Bad’ (NWSJ Sept. 2022) should be a must read for all Maine folks. She is right on target: stop destroying our dams and the wildlife habitat and wildlife that are part of those complexes.

Many dams are important and necessary. The aquatic ecosystem and habitat are different (often a lot) than 200 years ago.

Taking out dams destroys the wildlife habitat

termine, there has yet to be a solid “closing” on any of these deer yard purchases.

Some media accounts of the LMF funding vote suggested that the land deal was a fait accompli. This is not the case. Despite the public victory laps by Commissioner Camuso and Governor Mills following the LMF vote, the 3,000 acres Reed Deadwater tract won’t actually be owned by the state until appraisals are completed and title searches are complete, and signatures are on the dotted line.

When the deal is really sealed, The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, which played a pivotal role in this deer-yard protection legislation, deserves to be standing alongside Gov. Mills and Commissioner Camuso when they take their bows.

If past is prologue, real estate transactions can be tricky. The act of buying deer wintering areas from a willing seller are no different. As historic and hope-augering as all of this for Maine and its deer populations, taxpayers, which includes hunters, still need to be paying attention and asking questions once the yard purchases are final. Are we paying a fair price per acre for these deer-wintering areas? And do

and Wildlife behind them.

The Atlantic Salmon fanatics don’t care about that.

Yes, 75 years, or longer, for Atlantic Salmon to maybe return as a sport fisheries and at a cost of $7 billion. Plus, all the trash fish that enter our waterways.

There are better uses for that money. A great need is to restore our wetlands, many of which are in poor biological condition, to benefit wildlife and people.

This is a better value. What are these ‘so-called conservation organizations’ doing about wetlands restoration?

Unfortunately, Downeast Salmon Federation and like groups receive our tax monies via Federal grants to shove their pet projects down our throats.

Noted with interest on pg. 63 of same issue of the NWSJ the Mad Stone photo by Tim Flanigan.

Tim was a Game Protector (=Game Warden) when I was working with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. I’ve seen Mad Stones in cows’ stomachs.

Fred Hartman Whiting

these state land purchases remove taxable property from the tax base? Who makes up the difference?

Interestingly, Maine gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage got in a dust up with the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) over this very issue, the loss of statepurchased wildlands from the property tax rolls. LePage’s concern is justified. SAM’s executive director, David Trahan, concedes that the tax concern is not frivolous. He told LePage that SAM is prepared to support legislation that might address these concerns over lost tax revenues. According to SAM, many of Maine’s conserved lands (4 out of every 5 acres pay PILOTS ( Payments in Lieu of Taxes).

On balance, these initiatives to protect deer wintering areas were inevitable if Maine is to be serious about being pro-active stewards of its whitetail deer populations. The tools of state-enforced code ordinances and voluntary cooperative agreements with landowners just weren’t getting the job done.

- VPR

Too Much To the Editor: I was just reading Tom Kelly’s article in the Northwoods Sporting Journal about prepping for fall.

He stated screws on scope mounts should be set @18 -26 ft.lbs. It should read 18-26 in. lbs. At 18 ft.lbs. you will snap your screws!

Ray Laberge

The Abol Bridge Cougar To the Editor: My wife and I are

from PA(where the game commission refuses to confirm actual cougar sightings) We were camping at the Abol Bridge Campground the last week of September 2021 with my Llewellyn Setter. I had a three day permit to hunt grouse.

My wife needed a “nature call” about 1 a.m.

I heard her whisper “don’t let the dog out” She saw the cougar quietly lope through our site from a distance of 40 feet. I asked her if she was sure and she (Letters cont. pg 9)

November 2022

Deer (Cont. from pg 3) field edges where danger lies. Deer can detect movement from above but have to tilt their head upward to identify the source.

All mammals have rod and cone light-detecting cells. Deer have about 20 times more rod light receptor cells than we do.

Letter (Cont. from pg 8) said I’ll never forget those yellow eyes and, of course, the long tail.

She is a straight shooter and not a story teller.

The next day, camp staff downplayed it as probably a bobcat. I just happened to see your article 9 about mountain lions) in the North Woods Sporting Journal.

Jim Scacchitti

Funny Beaver To the Editor: I believe the picture you used in the article, “Strange Conduct of a Beaver”, is that of Marmota monax, or, Groundhog. Not a Beaver.

Kevin Cassidy Editor’s note: Good catch, Kevin. Our face is red.

Kudos for Paris To the Editor: Just read Jonah Paris’s article in the October issue.

What a wonderful piece!

Works like this invite us to remember the best of what hunting can be. Well done!

Aaron Townsley

Northwoods Sporting Journal This enhances their ability to see at night. Cone cells are better at detecting detail and color. Humans have more cone cells than deer, so we see more detail (when there is good light), but deer have better acuity at night.

Deer do not experience color vision the same way that we do. Light sensitive pigments in the cone cells distinguish colors.

Whitetails have dichromatic vision (two photosensitive pigments) and detect the cool end of the color spectrum (blue, green) with great sensitivity. They can even see partially into the ultraviolet wavelengths,

something that humans cannot do. The warmers colors of the spectrum, yellows, oranges and reds, are more subdued to a deer.

Humans are trichromatic (three light sensitive pigments) and see blue, yellow, and red parts of the spectrum. Scientists are reluctant to say exactly how a deer perceives our blaze orange or red-checked hunting coat, but they probably look yellow, brown, gray, or black to a deer.

What does all this optometry mean to the hunter? A whitetail sees best in dim light. You don’t.

Deer detect movements nearly 300 degrees around

them. Stay still or move very slowly. A tree stand elevates you out of the sensitive horizontal field of view of the deer (and gets your scent above the deer). Whitetails see into the ultraviolet end of the spectrum. Examine your hunting clothes under a black light. If the colors glow in the infrared, they will jump out to a deer.

Detergents that “brighten” the colors of your clothing will increase their visibility. A UV killer will dull the effect of detergent brighteners. Deer cannot discern all the details in the fancy camouflage outfit that you just purchased.

Page 9 Darker green, brown, or black camouflage patterns that break up your outline are better than intricate designs with whites or light colors that may reflect in the UV spectrum.

Soft fabrics (wool, fleece) reflect less UV light than “hard,” smooth fabrics.

Worry more about your blue jeans (that will jump out to a deer) than your blaze orange vest.

Mark McCollough hunts in Hampden, Maine in a tried-and-true wool red-checked hunting jacket.

He can be reached at markmccollough25@gmail.com

Page 10

“A Hiker’s Life”

Northwoods Sporting Journal

by Carey Kish, Mt. Desert Island, ME From Lakeview Ridge at 7,100 feet in Washington’s North Cascades, I can see much of the final northbound segment of the PCT. The Devil’s Staircase winds down to silver dollar-shaped Hopkins Lake, and from there it’s down through Hopkins Pass, Castle Pass and Castle Creek Valley to the Cana-

the markers at the PCT’s northern terminus.

For this hiker, the unfinished business of the last 188 miles from Stevens Pass to here was finally complete, and with that, so were the 2,654 miles of the entire PCT. We highfived each other, signed the register book with our profundities, and took a

I want to get there and be done, but then again, I don’t – it’s the perennial conflict at the end of every long journey. dian border.

The last 8 miles pass in a blur. There’s a brief stop for a tuna packet, cheese, crackers and whatever else my grubby hands latch onto in my disorganized, depleted food bag.

I eat as if I hadn’t in days before carrying on. I want to get there and be done, but then again, I don’t – it’s the perennial conflict at the end of every long journey.

At 3:20 p.m. on Sept.

8, 2021, in the company of my trail friend of so many miles, High Five, I walked into the cleared swath that delineates the international boundary between the US and Canada.

I stopped and stared for a few moments until, urged on by my buddy, I touched

slew of obligatory photos around Monument 78.

Standing there next to the US and Canadian flags many miles from pretty much anywhere, a scene I’d pictured in my head for more than four decades, I couldn’t help but think about one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs: “Truckin’ like the do-dah man… lately it occurs to me, what a long, strange trip it’s been.”

The PCT journey began – incredibly – way back on April 3, 2019, at the dusty outpost of Campo on the Mexican border in southern California. From there, I hiked north for 705 miles through the high desert to Kennedy Meadows on the southern fringe of

If you never get enough of the outdoor tips, tales and tactics in the Sporting Journal each month, or if you missed the best of our past articles, visit our online library. You don’t need a card, a password, or even a driver’s license. Just go to the Northwoods Sporting Journal website and click on Past feature Stories....our collection of oldies but goodies is just a mouse click away!

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November 2022

Journey’s End: Canadian Border!

the Sierra Nevada, where I was forced to make a difficult choice.

Because of the unusually enormous snowpack in the High Sierra — as much as 212% of normal that year — I opted to flip up to Fish Lake in southern Oregon, then hiked south for over 1,000 miles back to Kennedy Meadows to connect the dots. At that point, I returned to Oregon and hiked

further dangerous and foolhardy. It was too late in the season, and I knew it, and the big snows were underscoring just that in no uncertain terms.

ling the last two weeks of the PCT trek, which were simply amazing through classic Washington Cascades terrain – high, wild, remote, sharp, steep, spectacular and strenuous.

From the PCT terminus, we slipped a quarter-mile into British Columbia to a beauty of a campsite to relax and celebrate with a nip of Fireball. Because the border was still

Carey enjoys a nip of Fireball Carey Beerman Kish and after completing the 2,654-mile High Five at the PCT’s northern PCT on Sept 8. terminus at the Canadian border, Sept 8, 2021. northbound once again.

Last year, COVID-19 technically closed, we had Crossing the Colum- put the kibosh on any plans to backtrack 31 miles to bia River, I hustled on to finish my PCT hike, so Harts Pass, where High through Washington as it was this year or perhaps Five’s wife Mandy greeted fast as my weary feet and never. In mid-July, how- us with real food and cold legs would allow, but it ever, wildfires erupted just beer. Winding down the wasn’t enough. On Oct. east of the trail and closed mountain road toward civi8, 2019, 12 miles past the last highway before lization, the Dead played Stevens Pass at mile point the border. Thankfully, by on in my head: “Truckin’ 2,466, I turned back in the mid-August the Cub Creek I’m going home. Whoa face of early winter storms fire was contained and the baby, back where I bethat made carrying on any green light was on for tack- long.” Go figure.

Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island, ME is editor of the AMC Maine Mountain Guide and author of AMC’s Best Day Hikes Along the Maine Coast.

His new book, Beer Hiking New England, will be available next spring.

November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Fair Chase Bears

When most folks think of November in Maine the season that comes to mind is firearms season for deer.

These four weeks are what many of us wait for all year long. Sure, spring gobbler is fun and open water fishing is a fine way to spend late spring and early summer, all the while waiting for autumn and hunting season to begin.

in October for archers, I don’t see that much activity in my neck of the north woods.

The habitat and terrain just isn’t as suitable for bow hunting as it is down state. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy all seasons throughout the year but for me, November is the star of the show. Big game hunting is my passion and

hunters are missing out on a great opportunity. Some hunters do not even realize that black bear are still open through firearm season for deer. Maine residents can hunt bear without a bear permit under their regular firearm hunting license throughout deer firearm season; Nonresidents only need their hunting license and the $40 late season November bear permit.

During this season, no bait is allowed and hounding

Page 11

The Gun Cabinet

by John Floyd, Webster Plantation, ME doesn’t mean it cannot be done, however. If you treat the fair chase bear season as you do deer season, you’ll see that it isn’t very different. Locating good habitat and known areas that hold bear is where to start, just as you would while hunting deer. Natural food sources are key, as bait stations

and feasting in preparation for winter, they are likely to be at their heaviest weight of the year. Many times over the years while tracking whitetail after a fresh snowfall, I have cut bear tracks in the powder - big tracks. It is a misnomer that bears scare away deer, just like the myth that where

Bear hunting in November is highly under rated and I believe a lot of hunters are missing out on a great opportunity. Some hunters do not even realize that black bear are still open through firearm season for deer. season is also closed – it is strictly a fair chase hunt.

And that is what makes it Scout harvested crop fields that transition to such an exciting and chaltimber for late season, fair chase bears. lenging endeavor.

It is important to note Bear over bait leads the what more can you ask for that very few bears are way into hunting season than to pursue big Maine and after a fast and furious whitetails and black bear taken during the fair chase season; bait hunting and four weeks, we transition at the same time? into the moose seasons Bear hunting in No- hounding make up the seamlessly. And while deer vember is highly under lion’s share of harvestseason really gets going rated and I believe a lot of ed bears in Maine. That why the permit was crossbow should be all that Crossbows stand probably needed, most is required.

(Cont. from pg 7) ers are getting into hunting, which is a good thing.

Based on these two points my hope is that the crossbow regulations we’ve enjoyed since 2020 are made permanent. Any way you look at it there’s no reason not to. If that happens it is also my hope there is no delay and crossbows will be allowed in the 2023 archery deer season.

I also have one more hope. Do away with the crossbow permit. Currently, to hunt with a crossbow a hunting license or archery license and crossbow permit is required. I under-

likely to ascertain the level of interest, but we know there’s plenty of interest and it seems to be increasing. It is also not fair to charge an additional fee simply because a hunter wants to hunt with a crossbow. The purchase of an archery license that allows the use of a vertical or

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

Al can be reached at alraychard@sacoriver.net

have dried up and bear are still out and roaming for winter fat stores will be seeking anything with nutritional value to gorge on.

Grown over apple orchards that provide cover and a plethora of fallen apples are a gold mine for both deer and bear in November. Harvested crop fields, especially corn, that transition to wooded edges near water are also hot spots for late season bears.

Another reason I love late season bear hunting is the quality of the bears.

By now, most sows and their cubs have sought their dens thereby removing them from the off chance of taking a nursing sow by accident. Most bears you’ll encounter this time of year are big boars and after a season of consuming bait

you see moose you will not see deer. I have bear, deer, moose, bobcat, coyote and foxes on camera in the same habitat and even at the same stand sites.

When you get ready to set your tree stand this month, take a little extra time to consider the habitat and the possibility of a dual species hunt. When you show up at the game tagging station with a fair chase bear, you’ll be the talk of the town.

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

tuckerridgeoutdoors

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Page 12

Sporting Journal Northwoods

South Of the Kennebec

by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME

If you live near a city or even a large town in Maine, chances are good that the buck of your dreams lives right nearby.

I chuckle at the number of times I register a big buck to the amazement of my neighbors who travel hundreds of miles each deer

of massive bucks they had seen just a mile or so up the road, right behind a shopping mall.

Despite what many believe, southern Maine and areas around the hub of larger cities and towns in Maine hold huntable populations of whitetails, many

In the rolling hills, seek out vernal pools and other features that cause moving animals to funnel down to a narrow path. Again, set up several locations dealing with wind direction and visibility. season in search of one of equal value.

Serious urban deer hunters (those who prefer populated areas rather than the big woods) are few and far between and most of them are much more deer savvy than I am. Many times I am just blessed with dumb luck.

In the bars, coffee shops and in the workplace breakroom hunters have, for years, told each other

of which top the magic 200 – pound threshold.

I’ve either taken or guided over half a dozen 200-pound plus bucks within half an hour of my home in Lyman. In addition, I have seen other hunters who hunt in the same areas take similar deer either over 200 pounds or very close to it, and the antler growth is worth noting due to the genetics found in this area.

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November 2022

Hunting Urban Deer

What’s the secret? No secret and most longtime deer hunters will agree there are less than five methods for finding and taking a heavyweight buck.

Most of us outdoor writers simply remind folks how to utilize the skills they already have.

Consider, for a moment, my belief that each of the dominant bucks in southern Maine spend its entire life within 500-600 acres. To some that would be like fishing in a bathtub.

However, being one of the wariest creatures on earth, finding and getting a crack at these mossbacks is not so simple.

First, understand the layout of the land upon which these deer spend their whole lives. Southern Maine for example, is mostly rolling hills and farmland, mottled with peat bogs and wooded marshes. There is always plenty of road noise to contend with as well as ATV traffic in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter.

To n a r r o w y o u r search, begin with topographic maps, either in

paper form, digital or the popular On X cellphone app. Learn how to interpret the contour lines and other features such as marsh islands, game funnels and steep ravines. Keep the word, “edges” in mind, knowing that dominant bucks will favor vegeta-

Bill Gervais with urban trophy. tion changes, either side of a ravine, around edges of vernal pools, etc.

The prime of the prime locations, in my book are the elevated humps within a wooded marsh, or “marsh islands. These areas provide safe bedding and less fear of approaching predators (including hunters.)

On the topo maps they

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are marked by hash marks depicting marshland, with a green background, indicating the marsh is not flooded (which would be shown by blue background, if flooded).

Because the hunter would spook bedded bucks, if he tries to approach through knee-deep water, it is wise to set up multiple escape routes with wind direction in mind and wait him out. During the peak of the rut, that buck will come and go from that island at any time of the day.

In the rolling hills, seek out vernal pools and other features that cause moving animals to funnel down to a narrow path.

Again, set up several locations dealing with wind direction and visibility.

Big bucks in southern Maine keep to the heavy cover when travelling, unless on a hot doe, and then come into the open woods only when absolutely necessary. Most big bucks, in my experience, are taken at less than 30 yards.

Guiding a man from Vermont, who is used to open hardwood hunting, I placed him in a spot where he could only see 50 yards in semi-open hardwoods and heavy hemlock cover behind him. My instructions were to watch the hemlock cover and not the open hardwoods. He was (Hunting cont. pg 19) Patriot Homes & Design Center Building Maine One Home At A Time

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Page 13

Basics of Survival: Layering Clothes

The most important piece of Survival gear you have is something most people don’t think about much, your clothes. If you are dressed properly for the weather and for your level of activity; you should be warm, dry and comfortable. If not, you will be miserable at best and dead at worst.

In the summer, you don’t need to worry much about layers. You have your regular clothes and a shell layer in case it rains, that is pretty much it.

Winter in New England is an entirely different story. The weather can change in minutes, and there are dozens of different activities outdoors to dress properly for. In this 5 article series; I will explain how to layer clothes, why you need to, and what materials are recommended for each layer.

Most of us have a heavy winter jacket we grab and throw on on our way out the door. That is fine for running to the store because you are going from a warm car to a warm building. The problem is there is no way to adjust your body heat, it is all or nothing.

Layering is wearing multiple thin insulating layers of clothes so you can take off or put on what you need to regulate your body temperature. You do not want to sweat no matter how much physical exertion you do.

The first layer, closest to your skin, is called the base layer. It should be wool, Polyester, polypropylene (polypro), or silk.

These materials “breathe”

and let moisture through.

You NEVER want to wear cotton because cotton will absorb moisture and stay wet for a long time. This will just make you colder faster. The base layer should fit snug against your skin without cutting off circulation. The job of

outer shell. If you are expecting rain or even freezing rain and you have to be out in it, a fully waterproof rain coat and pants are your best option. Your shell layer is there to keep your insulation layer from getting wet. If you expect just cold, a water resistant wind-

Basics Of Survival

by Joe Frazier, Bangor, ME

pants on bottom. You might be shivering cold to start, but in a short time you will generate body heat and be warm and comfortable. As soon as you stop, you put on an insulating layer and you will be warm because you didn’t sweat. If you Layering is wearing multiple thin insulating layers of clothes start with a heavy jacket so you can take off or put on what you need to regulate your on, you will start to sweat body temperature. You do not want to sweat no matter how in a few minutes. When you stop, you will begin to much physical exertion you do. shiver and get cold because the base layer is to wick breaker layer is preferable enough to keep your hands your clothes are wet with moisture (sweat) away because it can breathe. Ma- warm. Your hat should sweat. from your skin. You need terial like Goretex combine keep out the rain and the The right clothes, to keep your skin dry and the best of both, waterproof cold. worn properly, can keep no matter how cold it is and breathable. Some ski Let’s take snowshoeyou comfortable no matter outside, you will sweat if jackets are a good example. ing for example. If it is cold what the weather. you are not careful. De- They have a zip-in insula- out but not very windy, you pending on how hard you tion layer and a protective might start with your base are working, you may strip outer layer. layer only on top and your Joe is a husband, faall the way down to your Your socks, boots, base layer and polyester ski ther, marine and author. base layer while working and put on insulating layers 22 Peck Farm Road, Winthrop, ME as soon as you stop. You should start out slightly Open 8-5:30 Monday-Saturday, 9-2 Sunday cold if you are going to be doing hard work such as hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, etc. You will generate body heat as soon as you start moving and you don’t want to stop to take off layers right after you start.

The insulating layer is next. Wool or Polyester is usually your best option here. Down is very light and very warm, but if it gets wet at all it loses all its insulation value and is hard to dry and fluff to make it warm again. Polyester retains some insulation value even when wet, and Wool retains about 80% We Buy, Sell & Trade insulation value wet. Tops with zippers are best so you can vent if you get warm or take them off altogether.

The last layer is your gloves and hat are also important to the layering system. Your boots need to be comfortable and warm without making your feet sweat. Your gloves need to be thin enough for you to do your activity, but thick

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 14

November 2022

Outdoor News - November 2022

Edited by V. Paul Reynolds

November. Dwindling daylight, frosty mornings, acorns bouncing on the camp’s tin roof, clear vistas across the hard wood ridges. For the deer hunter, this is the best time of the year, period! Rifle season for deer is upon us.

Thousands of hunters from all over New England and beyond will take to the woods in search of their prize - a whitetail deer.

Our senses, overloaded as November approaches, tell us that this is the time to fill the freezer and prepare for winter. Though the law book dictates when we can hunt, without it we would still know. Following the path laid before us, we will continue the tradition, providing food for our families and solace for our souls.

New Vermont Hunting Laws

Act No. 165 (S.281).

An act relating to hunting coyotes with dogs This act creates a moratorium on hunting coyotes

MADE IN MAINE

with dogs, effective July 1, 2022, with some exceptions. The moratorium is in effect until the Fish and Wildlife Board establishes permitting rules for this practice. This act also authorizes the use of gun suppressors for hunting, effective June 1, 2022, until July 1, 2024. Read the legislative summary, or view the full act, below. Topics include: fish and wildlife; hunting; hunting coyote with dogs; use of gun suppressors to take game.

Act No. 110 (H.411).

An act relating to the retrieval and use of covered wild animals.

This act requires that hunters retrieve and use any legally harvested specimens of game or furbearer species, effective June 1, 2022. The species covered by this act are moose, deer, bear, wild turkey, gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare, game birds, crows, and furbearers. Legal uses for these species are food, fur, hide, feathers, or taxidermy. This act also requires that legally harvested coyotes must be retrieved. Read the legislative summary, or the full act, below. Topics include: fish and wildlife;

hunting; retrieval and disposal of wildlife.

Act No. 159 (S.201).

An act relating to best management practices for trapping This act requires the Fish and Wildlife Department to work with the Legislature and the Fish and Wildlife Board to establish best management practices that modernize trapping and improve the welfare of wildlife taken with the use of traps. The process to establish these best management practices was initiated June 1, 2022.

It is expected that new regulations from this process would come into effect during the 2023 trapping season at the earliest; no changes to trapping regulations will be made during the 2022 season. Read the legislative summary, or the full act, below. Topics include: fish and wildlife; trapping; best management practices.

Vermont Hunters May Tag Online Ve r m o n t h u n t e r s will be able to report turkeys and some deer they harvest this fall online through the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website www.vtfishand-

wildlife.comTurkeys may be reported online or inperson at a regional big game reporting station.

Deer may be reported online or in-person during the archery and muzzleloader seasons, but deer must be reported in-person during the youth and novice deer hunting weekend on October 22-23 and during the regular deer season on November 12-27.

This in-person reporting requirement allows biologists to collect important information from deer during these seasons.

Bears must be reported in-person at a regional big game reporting station. The hunter must also submit a premolar tooth from the bear at the time the bear is reported or within 30 days. The tooth provides important data on the age structure and size of the bear population.

Envelopes for submitting teeth are available at all big game reporting stations.

Hunters are required to report deer, bear and wild turkeys they harvest during the hunting seasons within 48 hours. Deer and bear must be field-dressed prior to reporting, and a

At long last, revived from the archives of the once-authoritative books on New England streamer flies and how to use them: Trolling Flies for Trout & Salmon, by Dick Stewart and Bob Leeman.

Trolling Flies for Trout and Salmon was first published in 1982 and again in 1992. There were 350 signed Limited Edition hardcover copies and several thousand hard and soft cover copies sold out with the two printings. Many fly tyers view this book as an up-to-date version of new and available streamer fly patterns and crave to have it in their library. Used copies have been selling on AmazonBooks.com for the last few years with a price tag up to $300.00 for each copy! There are 125 pages with 32 color plates of more than 90 classic streamer flies and tying recipes from a Winnipesaukee Smelt to a Barney Google and a Rangeley Centennial. Leeman and Stewart also share with readers many tips and tactics for trolling streamer flies for trout and salmon throughout New England.

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Maine Outdoor Publications

hunter must take a warden to the kill site of a deer or bear if requested by a warden.

The online reporting link for deer and turkey as well as a map and list of big game reporting stations is available under “Hunt” on the left side of Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.

Fish and Wildlife urges hunters to review the 2022 Deer Season Guide also available their website home page

New Hampshire Upland Seasons

The hunting season for ruffed grouse—New Hampshire’s most soughtafter upland game bird— starts October 1 and runs through December 31.

Woodcock season also opens October 1 and concludes November 14. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Small Game Project Leader Karen Bordeau notes that 68% of small game hunting effort in New Hampshire targeted ruffed grouse and 18% on woodcock in 2021, and that over half of that effort takes place in the North Region.

New Hampshire offers some of the best upland game bird hunting in New England, especially in the northern third of the state.

Hunter effort and observations are derived from our Small Game Hunter Survey. “Observation rates (News cont. pg 19)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 16

The Adventures of Me and Joe

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

“I know they’s some out in this back shed,” Uncle Arnold said over his shoulder as he hobbled across the back yard behind his old farmhouse. “But I still don’t see what you want ‘um for.”

He opened the sagging door of a tiny ramshackle structure and stood aside so that me and Joe could peer into the interior.

Deer antlers of different sizes and shapes littered the floor. Some were large and multi-pointed while others were tiny spike horn racks.

“Some are from deer I shot over the years. Others I picked up wanderin’ the woods in the early winter.

Thought I might make some knife handles out of a few. Never got arount to it. Pick out what yer want.”

Joe pawed over the pile of racks and finally chose a matched pair of four point antlers. He clashed them together a few times, the rattling sound echoing across the yard.

“These will do the

trick jist fine, Uncle Arnold,” he said. “I been readin’ the Field & Stream where rattlin’ old antlers together durin’ the rut can make a buck think other bucks are fightin’. He jist naturally comes around to see what’s goin’ on an’ that’s when you blast ‘im.”

“Hmmm…” Uncle Arnold scratched his chin.

“Well, sounds like it orta work. You boys let me know how it turns out. An’ don’t fergit, I’m chargin’ a good feed o’ fresh deer meat for the use o’ them antlers.”

As we walked down the main street of Mooseleuk Joe examined the antlers closely. “I’ll tie a length of cord between them so’s not to lose one an’ to make ‘um easier to carry,” he said. “We’ll set up in Hanscom’s ol’ orchard and start to rattlin’.

They’s a lot of deer workin’ along the edges of those back fields.”

“Hey, boys, what you got there?” I turned sharp-

HELP US FIND

The elusive Northwoods Sporting Journal’s moose Marty.

He has wandered into the northwoods.

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

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

Name

The Deer Rattlers

I started to say something, but Joe held my arm.

He leaned over and murmured in my ear. “That sounds like a dominant buck an’ he’s comin’ on strong.

Less jist see what happens.” ly to see Wayward Nace standing behind us.

“Oh, hi Way. Joe’s gonna use these old antlers to rattle like two bucks fighting. He thinks it might draw in a buck.” Joe scowled at me but Wayward just looked thoughtful.

“Ya know,” he said solely, “that sounds like a good idea. Where you

gonna do this rattlin’?”

“We thought we’d…”

But Joe quickly interrupted.

“We ain’t really made our minds up yet, Way,” he said casually. “Lot’s o’ places that this orta work.

Well, see ya later.”

As we walked out of ear shot Joe hissed at me angrily. “Don’t be tellin’ Way about what we plan to do.”

“Oh, Way’s all right.

He’s just a little lazy but he doesn’t mean any harm.”

“I know that, but we shouldn’t be tellin’ anybody where we’re gonna hunt or how we’re gonna do it.”

Wayward Nace was a lethargic young man of about 30, skinny as a beanpole with big ears and sad (Me & Joe cont. pg 17)

Shown actual size

Stanley Stokarski Jr. (Marty was found on pg 5 & 41)

Address City

Marty

November 2022

State

Phone I found Marty on page

Zip

Entries must be postmarked by 11/14/22 to be eligible for this issue.

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.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 16)

brown eyes. He worked at the town dump and spent the rest of his time hanging around Fender’s Garage jawing with the customers and tinkering with his ancient Ford pickup.

I thought little more about the encounter with Nace and that afternoon me and Joe hiked the mile and a half to Hanscom’s orchard. Setting ourselves down in a patch of saplings near the base of an apple tree, we surveyed the treeline 50 yards away. Joe pulled the antlers from the rucksack he’d been carrying them in.

Since Joe had killed a nice crotch-horn buck on opening day, it was my turn to shoot and I eased my father’s Mauser into position across my knees. The Mauser was a war trophy brought home by my Uncle Titus. Dad had removed the military stock and sights and had a bead from sight and aperture rear added. A sporting stock from Bishop Stocks and an adjustable trigger from Timney had turned the gun into a fine deer rifle.

Joe brought the antlers together with a clash.

For about five minutes he rattled the horns together

with a vengeance. When he stopped, the silence seemed deep and almost palpable.

Over the next half hour he rattled the antlers diligently several times.

It seemed for a while like there’d be no reaction.

Then, suddenly, we heard a slight crackling in the brush just inside the tree line. I readied the Mauser as the soft rustle continued. Then, Wayward Nace’s tousled head appeared from behind a tree.

Joe snorted in disgust.

Wayward ambled across the clearing towards us.

“Oh, I thought that might be two bucks fighting,” he said innocently.

“Yeah, right,” Joe replied.

“Well, you jist go on with what you’re doin’,” Wayward continued. “I’ll jist hunt off this way.” He continued across the clearing and disappeared into the woods on the other side.

Immediately, the sounds of his passage ceased.

“He’s just sitting right inside the bushes, waiting for you to call in a deer,” I whispered.

“No kidding, Sherlock,” Joe replied. “C’mon, let’s get outa here.”

I quickly learned to regret opening my mouth about what we were going to do when Wayward Nace was around. It being

November, the only time me and Joe had to hunt was after school or on Saturday.

Each time we tried to rattle in deer, we’d find Wayward skulking around in the vicinity trying to head off any buck we called in.

The situation got old very quickly.

On Friday as we left school Joe grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me around the corner of the building.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” he whispered. “Tobey Crotchorn says they’s a nice buck workin’ those bottomlands just above the mouth of Endless Brook.

If ’n we sneak out long before daylight, maybe we kin get in there before Wayward knows we’re gone.”

As the first hint of light tinged the eastern horizon, we were happily ensconced in a clump of scrub willow in the bottomlands. From where we sat we could see in several directions while our outlines were still broken up by branches and twigs.

Joe began to rattle as the light started to grow.

Almost immediately, we heard a snort from the east.

Joe just touched the ends of the tines together to make a slight click and there came a shuffling in the awakening forest, heading

our way.

We sat in tense silence, I eased my thumb onto the safety of the Mauser. Suddenly, Joe touched my arm.

I was shocked at the look of smoldering wrath on his face. He nodded past me. Turning slightly, I saw Wayward Nace a dozen yards away standing by a thin Hornbeam, Winchester carbine clutched in both hands, his attention riveted to the patch of woods across the way.

I started to say something, but Joe held my arm. He leaned over and murmured in my ear. “That sounds like a dominant buck an’ he’s comin’ on strong. Less jist see what happens.” With that, he gave the antlers another rattle. The sounds of a heavy animal approaching intensified and I saw a satisfied smirk spread over Nace’s face as he glanced our way.

The big buck appeared by magic. One moment the edge of the woods was vacant of life. The next the wide-bodied deer with the huge rack was standing there, moisture blowing from his nostrils.

Nace raised the carbine to his shoulder. The buck, spotting the movement, didn’t hesitate. In three bounds he was nearly across the clearing. Nace’s

eyes grew huge and the gun shook in his hands.

He fired, but the shot went wild. The buck didn’t even slow down, just lowered its head and charged.

Nace gave a wild yell, dropped the gun and turned to run. The buck’s antlers took him in the rump, lifted him and sent him tumbling head over heels. As the deer slid to a halt and turned for another charge, Nace leaped to his feet, gave a strangled scream and ran back to the Hornbeam. It was a close race but Nace won it by a hair. His wild climb stopped at the very top of the little tree, where he clutched at the trunk and held on for dear life.

At the base of the tree, the buck stood snorting and blowing, his front hooves pawing the ground. I stared with my mouth hanging open. Once again, I felt Joe’s hand on my sleeve.

“You gonna watch, or you gonna shoot?”

I glanced down at the rifle in my lap. Shaking my head to clear it of the shock from what I’d just witness, I clicked off the safety and lifted the gun to my shoulder. As the gold bead settled in the rear aperture ring, I felt a momentary compassion for the animal that had just done me such a good deed. Then I thought of the (Me & Joe cont. pg 23)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Outdoor Sporting Library

November 2022

Alaska Wilderness Dream

was family to think of – his beloved wife Doylanne

by Jeremiah Wood, and their four young sons.

Ashland, ME There was school, sports, They staked the land friends, activities, and of Eric Wade dreamed of a wilderness cabin. It was in 1987 and built the cabin all he could think about for two years later, after haulyears. Despite living in a ing all supplies in by boat. cabin on the outskirts of a Once built, the trips began, south central Alaska town, The initial plan was he couldn’t resist the draw to live year-round of something more remote – a place in the bush. In in this wilderness cabin, fulfilling the late 1980’s, he found his chance.

Eric’s dream. But As part of a remote there was cabin staking program family to think of sponsored by the state of – his beloved wife Alaska, residents are allowed to stake claim to Doylanne and their a parcel of state-owned four young sons. land in pre-designated ar- sometimes with friends, eas. With the help of his sometimes family, huntbrother, Eric staked his ing, fishing, working and claim on a remote section resting. of one of Alaska’s largest The initial plan was rivers, in an area virtually to live year-round in this inaccessible except via an wilderness cabin, fulfill- course, a job. Eric worked arduous 200 mile boat ride. ing Eric’s dream. But there as a teacher and later a

principal to provide for the family and support these trips into the wilderness.

The family spent a good part of several summers at the cabin, six or seven weeks at a time until they had to return for the beginning of the school year, but they never made the decision to live there full time, and the dream slowly died.

A s Wade put it while returning from the cabin one year, “I was ready, finally, to accept that it’s okay to adapt a vision.

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(See pg 49)

November 2022

News

(Cont. from pg 14) in 2021 indicate that grouse continue to be most abundant in the northern part of the state,” said Bordeau.

“In 2021, we received 151 surveys, and small game hunters with the aid of a dog saw 1.35 grouse per hour of hunting in the North Region.” Spring roadside drumming counts are used to assess regional trends in grouse breeding populations. Highest grouse densities are in the North Region. In the spring of 2022, the number of drumming events heard per stop increased slightly in the North White Mountain, and Southeast Regions, and decreased in the Central and remained the same in the Southwest region of the state. “These numbers routinely rise and fall and cold temperatures during the morning of the surveys may have delayed grouse drumming during the survey period,” said Bordeau.

“Long-term trends can be viewed in the 2021/2022 Small Game Summary Report.”

The 2022 grouse season is expected to be similar to last year with a dry spring in 2022 leading to strong reproduction. Brood size appears to be average this year as reported by sportsman and biologists alike. Fall mast crops will determine where grouse will be in the field, and finding pockets of available food that grouse are focusing on will be helpful to hunter success.

Woodcock season is expected to be similar to last year. Woodcock singing ground survey routes provide an index to the overall abundance of resident singing males and

Northwoods Sporting Journal

population trends. In 2022, woodcock density patterns varied throughout the state.

The number of woodcock heard per stop increased in the North, Southwest and Southeast Regions, remained the same in the White Mountain region, decrease in the Central region. this spring. Longterm trends are depicted in the 2021/2022 Small Game Hunter Summary Report.

Woodcock hunters are reminded that they need a free National Migratory Bird Harvest Information (News cont. pg 27)

Hunting (Cont. from pg 12) flustered when a 9-pointer stepped out less than 50 feet behind him. Not quite a 200-pounder but 180 is not a bad trophy.

Finally, I mention the availability of good hunting land. Without breaking a sweat researching I find over 200,000 acres of open (not posted) land almost within sight of major towns or cities, just in southern Maine alone. Add to that, local farmers are more than

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Page 19

friendly when you stop by other than during the season and not dressed like something out of a redneck movie.

Buy some veggies or syrup from them and chat them up. You will be surprised how many will give you permission to hunt and fish their properties. Unfortunately, many of the prime landowners are from away and simply want no one on the property. Not much you can do about that unless you become close friends.

Before you head upstate into the deep woods in

search of a lifetime trophy, consider spending some scouting time right near home. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Stu Bristol is a Master Maine Guide and Outdoor Writer. His columns and features have been published nationwide for nearly 60 years. Inducted into NE Wild Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame in 2019.

He operates Orion Guide Service in Southern Maine and makes custom game calls at www.deadlyimpostergamecalls.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 20

Aroostook Woods & Water

by Mike Maynard, Perham, ME Well, I managed to get through another season without bagging a doe tag. What else is new?

Probably just as well, all I would have done with it is cook wonderful meals for family and friends; stuff like braised Tuscan venison shank. Hey, this

using a liquified peat bog in your supper, when you pour it into the sauce pan it immediately bursts into flames, thereby impressing your significant other to no end. Don’t lean in though, or you can say goodbye to your eyebrows. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

And venison sausage…, I have dreams about venison sausage. Or a sous vide venison loin with a really good single malt sauce; made with something ridiculously peaty, like Laphroaig. ain’t your parents’ Osso Buco, it’s wayyyy better.

And venison sausage…, I have dreams about venison sausage. Or a sous vide venison loin with a really good single malt sauce; made with something ridiculously peaty, like Laphroaig. If you think good Scotch should taste like you’ve been sucking on a dried out, 20-year old rubber band, with hints of malted turf, then Laphroaig is just the bottle for you.

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Great fun.

And maybe, just maybe, if the doe had been a big one, I could have gotten a hanger steak out of it. Like cattle, you only get one per animal and if the doe was a small one, it probably wouldn’t be worth the trouble; But I can dream, right?

How about some smoked venison brisket. Now, just imagine date night with your wife or girlfriend, and serving up a couple of gorgeous tomahawk venison steaks with a cranberry

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I had wanted to discuss ballistics and such this month, it being that time of the year, but now all I can think about is food. Alright, I’m going to go make myself a PB&J sandwich try and get my mind off venison tartare. I’ll give it a try anyway.

So it took me a good long while, in my younger days, to wean myself off the whole ‘high speed-low drag’ thing when it came to bullet choices. Same thing with arrows, I have a 31 inch draw and I wanted to exact every ounce of speed that my albatrossian wingspan could conjure up.

Speed is addictive, profoundly so. But speed is not always the belle of the ball; there’s a reason that ASA archery shoots have speed limits. Bullet construction, much like building the perfect venison sushi roll, is a science, and the science needs to be obeyed if we’re going to get the best performance bang for our buck (no pun

intended). Depending on the caliber of your choice, building a better bullet for whitetails requires an interrogative approach; you can’t be all laissez faire about it any longer.

Same with arrow components. Spine choices, nock weights, feathers or vanes,

est bullet I could buy and gave little to no thought to penetration and expansion, kinetic energy, and stopping ability. I should have. The deer gave me a broadside target at a mere 35 yards, the shot was taken and perfectly placed, …and then chaos. Looking

carbon or aluminum, balance point, …don’t even get me started on the broadhead wars. Tune your arrow for your set-up. Bullets won’t get you into the weeds quite the way arrow building for hunting season will, but you can give it the ol’ college try. Sooo many choices.

I remember shooting a Ruger 25-06 way back in the mists of time, a time when I wanted the fast-

back at the shot, I believe the bullet disintegrated immediately upon impact, and whatever penetration I got came in the form of what would have resembled bird shot. I recovered the deer, but it went 150 yards before finally laying down. But, if we’re lucky enough, we learn from our mistakes. Some of us may be slower learners… but we get there, eventually. I wish I could remember the exact round I was carrying that day, but it’s been so many years gone by that all I remember is the lesson that was imparted.

Living on the razor’s edge of ballistic effectiveness is no way to hunt. It certainly isn’t fair to the animals.

I did the same thing with arrows. I once shot a doe from 22 yards, slightly quartering-to, and when I touched off my release, the bow sounded like a rifle shot. Again, I was pushing the envelope of bow

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(Venison cont. pg 23)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Kay’s First Moose

I recently wrote a column about building a positive expectancy with your children regarding their outdoor experiences.

That advise paid dividends on my daughter’s recent moose hunt!

One of hardest things for us as parents, is finding time to get the necessary things done prior to a hunt, particularly with kids who have busy schedules from

was just north of the center bullseye, but certainly would be a mortal shot to game. Her additional shots hit the target in the bull. I looked at her and said, “You’re ready to kill a Bull”.

We d e p a r t e d t h e day prior to the hunt and reached our destination in God’s Country (Northern Maine). The Lodge greeted

filled the living room area.

The sense of comaraderie was evident, and the fellow hunters were thrilled to see my daughter, a 15-year-old girl was going to embark on this one-of-a-kind experience.

Our hosts, Dean’s Den put on a delicious baked ham dinner followed by homemade apple pie.

The guides started

The bull surfaced onto the tote road, and we got a good look at him. We determined he was around a 40” bull and I asked Kayleigh what she wanted to do. Kay immediately responded, “What do I do Dad?” school activities and Varsity sports.

I had to find a window of opportunity between a Varsity soccer game and football game – lol.

With limited time, the first order of business was to get my daughter to the sand pit where I could see how she would handle her new .308 rifle. After educating her on gun safety and providing shooting instruction, Kay was flawless.

I set up a tripod to simulate what she would experience on her moose hunt. Kay got comfortable very quickly resting the gun on the pod, gained understanding on having a clear picture through her scope, and practicing going through the motions, to include proper breathing in prepping to take a shot on the target. Her first shot

The author’s daughter, Kay, with her first moose. us with open arms, and we funneling in and started got settled in. getting connected with Joyful conversations, those clients they were excitement and anticipation assigned to. Kayleigh’s filled the air as permit hold- guide Andrew spoke with ers and their sub-permitees us about his plan for Day

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1. I asked what time pickup was to head to our first location and he shared he would pick us up at 4:15 a.m. I immediately looked at Kay’s reaction, laughing – and I said, “Welcome to moose hunting Kay!” The underlining story here is that Kayleigh was under the pressure of knowing she was going to miss school and Varsity soccer. With honors classes and the pressure of her coach expressing she really needed her back for an important Game on Thursday, Kay was carrying this load in her mind.

I told her to try to relax, and to shelf that so she was totally focused on her hunt. Kay and I then said a prayer asking for a quick and successful hunt.

The next morning, we departed for our hunt. After a 90-minute drive in the dark through the wilderness we arrived at our first spot. Our guide had sent us

pictures of a 60” bull that lived in this location and we were hoping to get a crack at him.

It had rained overnight and there was still a slight drizzle in the air with lingering fog.

We parked the truck and walked to a high spot that overlooked cut meadows and valleys – where we expected to call a bull out. Andrew commenced with calling and put in a valiant effort as Kayleigh waited patiently for a bull to surface. After 90 minutes we determined that no bulls wanted to play the game at this location. We suspected that between the wet weather and the possibility of the bulls having cows near them, it was difficult to compel them to come to our sexy call.

We moved on to our next spot. Stopping at a tee where two dirt roads met.

Our guide got out of the (Moose cont. pg 24)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 22

The Northwoods Bowhunter

by Brian Smith, Machiasport, ME The 2022 bear season began rather slowly as there was so much natural food in the woods. During the first week my wife and I sat together. The second night about an hour before dark, a gaunt sow with three different sized and spunky cubs came in. We estimated their weights at 25, 35 and 45lbs. The

remained back to us while feeding and by the time it positioned for a better shot the light had faded so she couldn’t make an ethical shot. The bear was still feeding when we left.

One more bear came in on another evening while hunting together so we decided to split up. I saw two smaller bears one night but

Successful 2022 Bear Season of legal shooting light left, a small bear suddenly raced out of the woods and right back in directly in front of her. She felt it must have smelled her and she would have another disappointing

the bear approached the bait area. The bear had heard her and took her time, pacing back and forth in the woods behind the bait and stopping several times to look up at her. As

She felt that bait was due for a visit and went there alone on the ninth. With forty minutes of legal shooting light left, a small bear suddenly raced out of the woods and right back in directly in front of her. largest cub was hogging the food while mom paced the perimeter. They’re a lot of fun to watch and video but Joyce knew her hunt was doomed when the big cub ripped the bucket off the tree and left it at an angle that wouldn’t present a good shot if another bear came in. Sure enough, fifteen minutes after mom and cubs left, a shooter bear came in. Unfortunately, he

Joyce wasn’t seeing any.

We watched a porcupine nursing her baby, saw a bobcat and moose along with a myriad of rodents and curious birds.

Finally a big bear appeared on camera in the daylight at Joyce’s favorite bait but didn’t hit again for several days. She felt that bait was due for a visit and went there alone on the ninth. With forty minutes

The author’s wife, Joyce, with her bear. night. Then suddenly a big Joyce’s arm was about to bear farther down the trail fall off from holding the appeared and headed to- rifle in position for fifteen ward the bait. She grabbed minutes, the bear finally her Kimber 6.5 Creedmoor stepped out into the open but made a little noise tak- toward the bait. After looking it off the holder. This ing up at her, she turned time she was ready when away slightly and Joyce fired a 129 grain Hornady SST that destroyed her

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heart. The bear bolted but collapsed only 50 yds away and expired quickly with a soft sigh.

However, Joyce texted me that she wasn’t sure it was dead and was shaking too much to climb down so would wait for me to get there. I was over a mile away and hadn’t heard the shot. I headed to her stand and called Uncle Craig for help with the recovery.

When I arrived Joyce had stopped shaking but was relating the excitement of her first bear harvest. She pointed to where she had heard the sigh and I walked right to a deceased large dry sow. After a short drag and trip to Craig’s for field dressing, the bear tipped the scales at 208 lbs.

During week three most baits remained nocturnal but I did see a couple of smaller bears. On the last Monday, I went to Joyce’s stand and while there, a big bear visited a different bait in the daylight, we discovered, when checking the baits on Wednesday. After seeing the video with only four days left in the season, I decided to sit there every day until the end. Wednesday was warm with a light (Bear cont. pg 29)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Venison

(Cont. from pg 20) performance and safety (go look up pictures of what an under-spined arrow does to your bow hand when it explodes on the rest).

The archer’s paradox is fascinating, until you push it too far and it decides to maim you.

The arrow did its job, but it wasn’t pretty. It hit the doe, but in the process of penetrating, it managed to break into several pieces; effectively becoming carbon shrapnel. That might have been the ‘light dawns on Marblehead’ moment for me. When both your arrows and your bullets are self-destructing upon im-

pact, it’s time to seriously rethink your choices. This was back in a day when we didn’t have the internet; all the necessary information was still there, it just took a little longer to access it.

Deer season is upon us, finally. Do yourself a favor and spend a little time deciding how you’d like your bullets to perform when the rubber meets the road out there in the woods. I did, and it made all the difference in the world. Don’t be a slow learner like me.

Mike Maynard lives in the woods of Perham, Maine, and still has 12 cord of wood to split before winter. He can be reached at perhamtrout@gmail.com

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Me & Joe

(Cont. from pg 17) empty freezer at home and I squeezed the trigger.

An hour later me and Joe dragged the 10-point buck up to the edge of the Main Rd. Wayward had limped along beside us all the way, never offering to lend a helping hand.

“I still think you guys should share that deer with me,” he whined. “After all, it was me distracted him long enough so you could git a clear shot.”

Joe snorted. “You

ain’t gittin’ so much as a smell, Wayward. You been followin’ us around all season. I figger it’s about time you went out an’ found a deer all on yore own.”

Hayward sniffed, lifted his nose, and stumbled off down the road. I noted the tears in the seat of his trousers. It would be some time before he sat down without a great deal of discomfort. I said as much to Joe. “Well,” Joe said with a dry grin, “that’s what he gits for hornin’ in!”

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Moose

(Cont. from pg 21) truck and motioned for us to follow.

We proceeded to gently walk up the road, calling as we walked. As we passed some 3–4-year-old cuts that had small trees, I whispered to Kay that I thought I heard something moving 150-200 yards out, but nothing was sighted.

We observed that the tote road, like many in these woods, continued for quite a distance. Our guide asked if we wanted to keep going or travel to a new spot. We opted to stay and continued to walk the road as we could see an interesting opening in the road ahead that made Kay and I curious. Andrew continued to call as

Northwoods Sporting Journal

we cautiously approached the opening, which ended up being a tee where two tote roads came together.

Andrew continued to call with the hopes of creating a magic moment for Kay. I didn’t know it, but Kay said a silent prayer, asking God to help bring her a moose. Just as she finished her prayer, she started tapping my shoulder intently, saying “Dad, Dad – is that a moose?” I turned to where we walked prior and pulled my rifle up. Looking into the brush through my scope I determined that it was definitely a bull, and let Kay know; the bull had obviously come to the call.

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this type of moment would evolve, and how we would handle it. We were both to get on the tripods and once she had her shot lined up, we would count to 3 and shoot at the same time.

The bull surfaced onto the tote road, and we got a good look at him. We determined he was around a 40” bull and I asked Kayleigh what she wanted to do. Kay immediately responded, “What do I do Dad?” Her plan going into this hunt was to get a trophy 50-60” bull. I answered, “It’s your decision, your permit. Do you like this bull? Do you want this bull? He’s a good bull to take”. All the meanwhile, the bull continued to close the gap towards us, grunting as he bobbed and weaved across the tote road, coming to the call.

Kayleigh, with no hesitation stated, “I want that bull Dad”, and before I could tell her to line up her shot, her instinct kicked in and she said “Dad, you on him? I’m on him”. I didn’t even get to start the countdown and Kay was already starting 1, 2, 3. With the bull back in the road broadside, we both fired on three and the bull fell right over a small banking and went right down.

I, along with my guide and brother-in-law (her uncle) all congratulated her. Kayleigh looked at me

and said “Dad, I just got a moose!”

We walked up the road towards the banking, where we last saw him going down. After confirming he was down, I looked over at Kay and the joy I saw in her face was priceless. She could not stop smiling.

We went down to the moose and after thanking God for providing such a great bull, we took some pictures to capture this exciting moment. This was Kayleigh’s first ever big game hunt!

I later interviewed Kay about her thoughts regarding the hunt and what she just experienced; her answers were amazing.

Kay shared that the whole experience was eyeopening for her. She told me that she felt a total sense of freedom in all that she experienced. She further shared that being so far in the wilderness, her focus changed. She mentioned the evergreens, stating that it smelled like Christmas, and even though she has watched me hunt and cook game for years as WildCheff, this experience for her made her feel her own sense of freedom and connection to the wild.

I cannot express enough the joy in my heart, not just sharing this experience with my daughter, but to see how mature she was

BEAR HUNTS

November 2022

throughout the hunt. She handled the entire hunt with poise, and I am so proud of her accomplishment as a young woman hunter.

There is also additional meaning to her and I that connects us to our Native Mi’kmaq heritage.

Kayleigh made it home to her Varsity soccer Game on Thursday and scored a goal, but her departing remarks from her hunt were “Now I really understand sustainability. I can’t wait for some moose sausage with peppers and onions!”

Dad replied – “Kay, would you want to do this again?” Her answer, “Absolutely!!!”

About the author: WildCheff - Denny Corriveau is award-winning National Game Chef, Mi’kmaq Native American Chef, 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 concerning the culinary side of wild game. You can learn more @ www. wildcheff.com or visit him on Instagram @ thewildcheff or Facebook at @ WildCheff

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November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Trout Regs Loosened

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife recently published their proposed fishing regulation changes for 2023. Part of a large package, the overall trend is to lessen protections for fish, including wild native brook trout, State Heritage Fish waters, and rare Arctic charr.

The package increases bag limits and/or decreased minimum length limits on the majority of waters impacted. In fact, 88% of the wild native salmonid waters in the proposal (75 out of 85) will have their regulations liberalized.

More specifically, 80% will have the minimum length limit reduced ,and 8% will see both a minimum length reduction and a bag limit increase.

In 35 cases, the minimum length limit will be reduced from 12-, 14-, or 18-inches to the General Law default of 6-inches.

This will reduce the minimum length limit by 50% or more and make it notably easier for anglers to harvest their limit.

There is a lack of consistency across regions as well, showing once again why the region centric fisheries management model is flawed. As was the case with the proposed North Zone live fish as bait prohibition exemptions, Region G is responsible for a disproportionate number of negative changes. Out of 43 wild native waters in Region G, 95% will see their regulations liberalized, with 81% having their minimum length limit reduced, and 14% seeing both a minimum length reduction and bag limit increase.

The impetus of the

changes is to improve “Salmonid Growth and Performance.” How will replacing what IFW refers to as “Trophy” regulations with what they call “Quality” regulations? Specifically, six waters are being changed from 1-fish, 18-inches, to 2-fish, minimum length 6 inches with 1 only fish greater than 14 inches. All six of these waters are in Region G, and represents a loss of 20% of the S-18 Trophy waters in the state.

Thirty of thirty-two State Heritage Fish waters, or 94%, will see their regulations liberalized.

Fourteen of these waters have never been stocked, and contain genetically pure fish. Twelve have not been stocked in twentyfive years or more. And six waters have not been directly stocked. I believe we should be increasing protections for our State Heritage Fish waters, not decreasing them.

Black Pond, a State Heritage Fish water, is one of only 12 wild native Arctic charr waters in Maine.

The daily limit on brook

trout and charr would double from 1- to 2-fish.

The minimum length limit would be reduced by 12”, from 18- to 6-inches. Only 1 fish over 14” may be taken. With the goal to improve size quality, how will allowing 1-fish over 14” versus 1-fish over 18” accomplish this?

Green Lake is one of only four native landlocked salmon waters in

Page 25

Native Fish Talk

by Bob Mallard, Skowhegan, ME replacing S-16 (2 fish; minimum length limit: 12 inches, only 1 may exceed 14 inches) and S-17 (2 fish; minimum length limit: 10 inches, only 1 may exceed 12 inches) with 2- or 5-fish; minimum length limit: 6 Inches, only 1 brook trout

There is a lack of consistency across regions as well, showing once again why the region centric fisheries management model is flawed. the state, a native Arctic charr water, and the only water where these two rare native species coevolved.

While IFW has proposed a slot limit to improve landlocked salmon size, they are continuing to stock the lake with nonnative lake trout which compete with both the salmon and charr for food and space.

During the public hearings, IFW noted experimental regulations imposed in several Allagash Waterway last year as part of why they are

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When I asked IFW if I could see the data that shows the impact of these regulations on the waters they were previously applied to, they responded accordingly: “The [Allagash Waterway] changes included reverting back to general law bag limit of 5 trout, which is not comparable to changes being proposed now. Reference to the [Al-

lagash Waterway] was provided for background to illustrate the changes we have made to liberalize rules in the past 10 years.

The rule changes to the [Allagash Waterway] have not yet been fully evaluated, but we expected that to be completed within the next couple of years.”

It is important to note that some waters are reverting back to the general law 5-fish. And IFW in their own words admits to “liberalizing” rules, and doing so for the past decade.

Most notably, if the results of these experimental regulations are not yet known, why are we imposing them on more waters? As a rule, you should not expand an experiment until you get through a test phase and analyze the results.

There were 61 public comments received in re(Regs cont. pg 41)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 26 Some of the public’s business stays under the radar, even when it is important or has implications for many. For example, Baxter State Park, probably Maine’s most precious and protected natural treasure, has been without a permanent director since the sudden departure of its former leader, Eben Sypitkowski back in February of this year. He served about three years.

The outgoing Park director had taken over from Jensen Bissell in 2019, who served about 15 years.

Sypitkowski’s was an abbreviated tenure given the history of Baxter State Park directors. Early park leaders, the legendary Helon Taylor and Buzz Caverly, both dedicated most of their working lives to the Park, either as Rangers or directors. Sypitkowski never said why he was leaving, but reading between the lines of an exit interview he gave the press it sounded like the job simply overwhelmed him. One Park devotee and critic said that Sypitkowski was more

Cracker Barrel

by Homer Spit

Baxter Director: The Right Fit

or less a non-visionary, “a caretaker director” who rarely had a public or media presence.

So where do we go from here, leadership wise, at Baxter State Park? The acting or interim director is former Chief Ranger Dan Renard. The Baxter Park Authority, which calls the shots, will decide who replaces the outgoing director. In keeping with Governor Baxter’s Deeds of Trust, the Authority is comprised of the Fish and Wildlife Commissioner, the State Attorney General and the Forestry Commissioner. The current Authority chairman is Patty Cormier, the Forestry Commissioner.

Although a national search was conducted this spring to attract a replacement director, Cormier said that they received some

qualified applicants, but none of them were “the right fit.” Citing a state confidentiality statute, Maine human resources director Amanda Beckwith would not divulge how many applicants were received, nor would she say how many were residents and non-residents.

Cormier said, “We are not, at this point posting the position because we are working hard to improve some systems, such as reservations and accounting, as well as looking to fill the SFMA position before we hire a new director.

This raises a question: why weren’t some of these critical upgrades accomplished during Sypitkowski’s watch? Perhaps this explains his exit after only three years at the post.

In Maine reporter Phyllis Austin’s wonderful book,

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Park director, Caverly butted a lot of heads, and his forced departure was bittersweet. But the man and his contribution to the Park was profound and legend-worthy. His advice on contemporary leadership selection for the Park just might warrant some serious consideration by the Authority. Former park trustee Bill Vail said of Caverly, “that he had never met anyone like Buzz, especially in public service, who focused so narrowly on an ideal – a mission. He was skilled at moving that great ship. We probably won’t see that again.”

The Authority has a big challenge in finding “the right fit.” And it obviously is keenly aware of this. All bets are off, but if past is prologue in Park history, Chief Ranger Dan Renard, the acting Park director, will as time goes by be more and more likely to get the top job.

“Wilderness Partners, Buzz Caverly and Baxter State Park,” the sheer magnitude of the director’s responsibilities comes through loud and clear. Austin writes, “Buzz faced strong special interests, legal mandates, financial limits, conflicting user demands, politically driven Authorities, independent employees, scrutiny by the media, power plays by lawmakers, and his own unrelenting imperative to live up to Baxter’s trust.”

No doubt changing times make the Baxter leadership post even tougher than it was in Caverly’s era. Buzz concedes this today and believes strongly that the next Park director should be an individual with Maine roots, and a Homer Spit lives on a lot of previous experience lake in Maine. He likes to with Baxter Park specifically. In his last days as keep a low profile.

North Maine Woods

GATEWAY TRADING POST

November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

News

(Cont. from pg 19) (HIP) certification number in order to legally hunt for woodcock.

All small game hunters are encouraged to take part in Fish and Game’s annual small game survey, and successful grouse hunters are encouraged to take part in New Hampshire’s Wing and Tail Survey. Those interested in participating can get small game survey packets by calling Fish and Game at (603) 271-2461, and grouse wing and tail packets can be picked up from participating locations listed at https://wildlife. state.nh.us/surveys/ruffedgrouse.html These surveys provide valuable insight into the status of grouse and other small game species in New Hampshire. As an incentive to participate in New Hampshire surveys, Ruger Arms and The Ruffed Grouse Society have again generously agreed to provide a firearm to a randomly selected participant in each of these surveys.

Long-term and regional trends for grouse and woodcock can be view in the 2021/2022 Small Game Summary Report which depicts detailed graphs by region and statewide.

The report can be viewed at www.huntnh.com/hunting/publications.html. A

new brochure depicts the long-term trends for our two popular game birds in a condensed format with statewide index and a focus on the North Region, and highlights from last year’s grouse wing and tail survey.

Blaze Orange in NH

Hunters and all other outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to put on bright orange clothing when they head afield this fall. Wearing a fluorescent orange hat, vest, or jacket makes you highly visible, one of several key safety precautions for hunters, hikers, and others enjoying the autumn woods. Several hunting seasons are already underway in New Hampshire (see http://www.huntnh. com/hunting/hunt-dates. html).

“Wearing blaze orange has statistically been shown to decrease hunting incidents across the country,” said Josh Mackay, who coordinates the Hunter Education Program at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

It’s recommended that all outdoor enthusiasts and their pets heading into the

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woods this fall think safety by wearing blaze orange, sticking to established trails when hiking, and reviewing the safe hiking guidelines at hikesafe.com For more information on dates and details of New Hampshire’s hunting seasons, visit www.huntnh. com/hunting To watch a video that demonstrates the immediate effectiveness of blaze orange, visit https:// player.vimeo.com/video/47113670

North Maine Woods

Outdoor Achievement: Ruhlin Named

NOW BOOKING FOR 2023 BEAR HUNTS

It is our great pleasure to announce that the recipient of the 2022 Lifetime Outdoor Achievement Award is Galen Ruhlin of Gouldsboro, who at age 80 has truly lived a lifetime in the Maine outdoors. It’s not only the number of years that he has spent outside, but also the quality of those years that have truly made an impact.

Galen began hunting and fishing at an early age.

His daughter Meghan recently saw some old films from the 1940s showing Galen hunting deer with his family at the age of 6 in Township 16, as well as lobstering and fishing off Gouldsboro Point as a kid Galen passed that love of the outdoors to his daughter, who has fond (News cont. pg 61) NEW HOLLAND MASSEY FERGUSON TRACTORS

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 28

November 2022

Getting Winter Ready

“The Trail Rider”

on the tracks, all of the batteries need to be slowcharged and put back in the

by Dan Wilson, sleds. Belts, track tension, Bowdoinham, ME plugs, and wires should There’s really start- and get your sled ready for all be inspected, looking ing to be some frost on the the snow filled days ahead. for things that are loose or pumpkins. Colder nights You might do it all on your torn or chewed… and make and days are starting to own or with the help of sure there are no mouse creep in as we head to- a buddy, referencing the nests. It’s also a good idea wards winter. Now is a owner’s manual on occa- to change out the gasoline, good time to finish any of sion. Whichever path you it’s old gas now, so fresh the fall chores you have choose will prepare you for gas will give your sled the mance and sputtering of the engine, so this is a path You might do it all on your own or with the help of a buddy, we might need to take to referencing the owner’s manual on occasion. Whichever ensure a nice riding season and for the overall health of path you choose will prepare you for your first ride. the sled. As snowmobiles spark it needs for smooth designs have narrowed left to do, and one priority your first ride. is to ready your sleds for We are fortunate to operation. their hoods, there are ofhave several snowmoNow, for many late ten one or more panels winter.

There are many forms biles, with our oldest be- model snowmobiles, they that need to be removed of getting your snowmo- ing a 1989, to our newest, a sometimes get a little bit from the front of the sled bile ready for winter. How 2021. There are similarities more complicated and of- to access the battery commuch there is to get ready to how we get them ready, ten require the assistance partment and so on. These depends on how well you along with a few differ- of a professional. Our 2015 panels are fairly easy to put it up in the spring/sum- ences. I’ll start off with the sled’s carburetors needs remove, requiring loosento be synchronized. This ing and sliding to dislodge mer. Depending on your similarities.

Each snowmobile is doesn’t need to be done it from the casing, then be preference, you might have a dealer or small engine chained up/raised a few every year, but we’ve no- prepared for tight quarters mechanic tune-up, go over, inches to relieve pressure ticed a change in perfor- inside. In the 2021 sled,

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several hoses need to be detached and the air filter tray moved to the side to get to the battery holster. This bit always takes us a minute to remember how we did it last time (even with the instructions in the manual), but it’s getting easier.

I have an appointment for my 2021 Yamaha RS Venture TF, and first 4-stroke sled, at a local dealer coming up. Just to keep in mind, call to schedule as early as you can, as they were already scheduling two-months out when I called late summer. This will be the first time I’ve had it back to the dealer, for its recommended check-up.

I’m also having trouble with the sled overheating.

I suspect the system needs to be bled and in reading about it in the manual, the seat needs to come off and the sled needs to be lifted several feet at an angle, so I’ll leave that to the professionals this go round.

Trailering the sled outside of winter is easier than it sounds (surprisingly so).

I have it on an “On the Road” utility trailer, from Warren, ME. When I arrive at the dealership they simply use a forklift to take it off the trailer.

Daniel Wilson works in healthcare and enjoys time outside in nature with his family.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Bear

(Cont. from pg 22) breeze and the young porcupine entertained me wandering around and moaning for mom. At 6:40 a large bear appeared and as it moved slowly to the bait I knew it was a shooter. I took my Mathews Heli-M bow off the bow holder and clipped my release onto the string loop. When the bear knocked the bait cover off, I drew, placed the 15 yd pin on the vitals and released. I watched my Muzzy tipped arrow with flashing nock disappear behind the shoulder then stick in the ground

beyond the bear. The bear woofed and ran 10 yards then stopped and began to wobble, staggered another 7 yards and collapsed making a long death moan. I was thrilled to have it drop and die within sight in just a few seconds. I texted Joyce and Craig to come help and were able to get the ATV right to the heavy bear. She was another big dry sow that tipped the scales at 240 lbs. This was my 22nd bear, 18th with a

bow and was just as exciting as my first. We can’t wait for the 2023 bear baiting and hunting season! .

Brian Smith is a Retired Maine State Detective and NRA Field Representative. He serves on the Boards of the MBA and SAM-ILA. He received the MBA Bowhunter of the Year Award in 2005 & 2008. He can be reached at bowhunter@mgemaine. com

BEST SHOT! Even Patty the partridge enjoys the Journal. Both when read to her by her favorite human Jaret Judd from Derby, VT or when she is reading it herself.

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Women In The Woods

Northwoods Sporting Journal

by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME A few years ago, I took my son out to sit in a tree stand. It was just for a couple of hours and I had no expectations of us seeing anything. It was a chance for him to be in the woods and rattle antlers.

We didn’t see anything and after 90 minutes, he was

was not enough to have him looking forward to the season opener. It is the age old question; how do we recruit the next generation of hunters?

Get Creative I didn’t start hunting until I was 20. I played field

November 2022

Bringing Them Along

season of a sport, mixing things up and looking at other hunts may help to peak their interest. Play a fall sport? Look at hunting turkeys in the spring.

When in doubt, go fishing!

Be willing to get creative to find a time of year that may work to get them into the woods and waters.

Low Expectations My daughter says she

I hope to get my kids interested in hunting before the school sports schedule kicks in and takes priority. As a hunting community, we need to get creative and realize that it’s a long game to build the next generation of hunters. antsy and we headed on to our next appointment.

He has gone out a couple more times since and got to be in the woods when we did harvest a doe. It

hockey all through middle and high school so my priority were the games and practices that took place on Saturdays. While it is rare for kids to only play one

wants to go hunting. She is 5. All I can think of is the Robert Munsch’s book, “Thomas’ Snowsuit.” The parents ask again and again if he needs to use the bathroom and he insists that he doesn’t as they add more layers to his outdoor attire.

When Thomas is completely dressed and ready to head out… he needs to use the bathroom. The odds of me getting more than 60 minutes of hunting in with her are incredibly slim. But any time in the stand is better than none and could get her excited to be outside.

It is a slow and steady ap-

Some kids take to hunting; others do not.

Parents won’t know until they bring the youngsters along for a hunt.

(Photo by Diane Reynolds)

proach with chunks of time outside here and there.

I have to have everything that I may need right there with me. When bringing Be Prepared the kids, the top things to I carry a pack with ensure I have are snacks, me when I hunt. I spend water, binoculars and a 12 hours in the woods book for them. I also pack every chance that I get so (Bringing cont. pg 31)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Bringing

(Cont. from pg 30) some wipes and tissues.

Other must haves include hand and toe warmers and a blanket. Keeping them warm and fed helps to keep them out longer. A camera is also a plus to keep them engaged and with little movement while in the stand.

I hope to get my kids interested in hunting before the school sports schedule kicks in and takes priority.

As a hunting community, we need to get creative and realize that it’s a long game to build the next generation of hunters. While I was not a kid when I started hunting, if I can plant the seed for my own kids, maybe they will slowly become more engaged and understand the importance of hunting and conservation.

What tips and tricks have worked for you and your children and/or grandchildren? Let me know.

Erin is a member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association and the New England Outdoor Writers Association. She is a senior writer for Drury Outdoors’ DeerCast. You can read about Erin’s adventures and contact her at www.andastrongcupofcoffee.com

Page 31

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

The Bird Perch

by Karen Holmes, Cooper, ME I just finished reading a novel about homing/ carrier pigeons and two British people, a man and

She had many carrier pigeons as a hobby and let her birds be deployed to deliver messages to the Brit-

Carrier Pigeons

I enjoyed the story and learned how the pigeons helped the Allies behind enemy lines by delivering secret messages. Sometimes they were even outfitted with small cameras to collect military

I enjoyed the story and learned how the pigeons helped the Allies behind enemy lines by delivering secret messages. Sometimes they were even outfitted with small cameras to collect military intelligence. a woman, in World War II. He was a soldier and was eventually trapped with British forces at Dunkirk.

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intelligence. Since ancient times, homing pigeons have played a part in historical events. During the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, they carried announcements about winners of events. When Julius Caesar marched against Gaul, news of his victories were carried back to Rome by carrier pigeons. Alexander the Great and Hannibal also used them for communication. They might be called the first air mail service and even twelfth century traders, merchants and government officials relied on them.

In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, homing pigeons provided a communication link between besieged Paris and

the provisional government in Tours. For a short time in the late 19th century, pigeons delivered mail from Santa Catalina Island across the channel to Los Angeles. Cher Ami, a pigeon, was credited with saving the survivors of the “Lost Battalion” in France during World War I. Humans learned long ago that pigeons released many miles from their home loft, almost al-

ways returned.

Because of their powers of flight and their remarkable homing ability, messages were tied to birds’ legs as a sort of air mail.

Nowadays I look upon wild pigeons, called Rock Doves, with much more respect. Domesticated in the Old World and introduced into the New World years ago, they are commonly seen everywhere.

They normally nested in

November 2022

caves, holes, under overhanging rocks on rocky cliffs. But our buildings provide shelters they use to often raise many broods each year.

I enjoy seeing all their

plumage variations as well. But I will not go sit on a bench and feed them like so many people do in cities and villages throughout much of the world.

Karen Holmes is a free-lance writer for various publications. She was a teacher and still enjoys providing programs and sharing her love of the natural world. She roams and enjoys over 70 acres of woodlands in Cooper, Maine.

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT!

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

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

Northwoods Sporting Journal Guns & Ammo:

November 2022

Unique Bear Guns

Most of you know I like unique or different firearms. Make no mistake, I still love the old standards like .30/.30 and .308 bolts and levers, but when a client contacts me and asks something like, “Can I bring my dad’s .375

.303 Savage. Most folks are familiar with the .300 Savage caliber, but not the .303 Savage. This cartridge was developed in 1894 as a smokeless powder round when black powder was still popular. The original loading featured a 190 gr.

a no drill scope base that fits the sight dovetails for stability. It is an ingenious set up. I love this rifle.

The next firearm is a S&W Performance Center model 629 .44 magnum.

The barrel is a heavy 6” version with mag-na-ports on either side of the barrel.

Further, there are integral scope slots milled into the top of the barrel. One of the most unique features

Page 33

A Guide’s Perspective

by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME

.460 S&W Magnum. Even though this is a regular production model, we do not see many folks hunting with them. Most folks who hunt with big revolvers opt for the S&W .500. In my humble opinion, the .460 is a better choice. From this

the conversations about ammo, performance, shot placement and techniques surrounding these guns and all of the others. I can also say that at least in the case of handguns, practice and controlled breathing are critical. Practice, practice,

It was popular into the 1930’s and then disappeared.

This rifle featured a no drill scope base that fits the sight dovetails for stability. It is an ingenious set up.

I love this rifle.

Winchester lever or my mom’s 16 gauge Belgian Browning slug gun?”, it peaks my interest. Well, this season did not disappoint. The three unique guns this bear season that I am pleased to write about are two handguns and a gorgeous Savage model 99 lever gun.

This year there was a lovely old model 99 in

projectile that offered a slight ballistic advantage over the popular .30/.30 round. The diameter of the .303 round is .308 so reloads have a wide variety of projectiles to choose from.

Unfortunately, reloading is pretty much the only way to find ammo for this caliber. It was popular into the 1930’s and then disappeared. This rifle featured

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207-732-4880 OR EMAIL:

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of this gun is the ball and detent lock up in front of the cylinder in the crane or yoke. The ball is spring loaded and slightly off set from the V shaped slot.

This feature allows the ball to seat deeper in the slot as the gun wears, thus keeping the lock up tight. Finally, the finish is a matte black finish on a stainless-steel gun. A very accurate, very rugged, .44 magnum that tames recoil and will last generations. Unfortunately, this model is no longer made, but like the Savage 99, it can be found on used gun shelves.

The last gun on this list is a current production handgun in the S&W catalog. It is the S&W X Frame

platform, you can shoot .45 Colt (commonly called Long Colt), the potent .454 Casul or the magnum .460 S&W. Our hunter in this case chose a hard cast 350 grain flat nose projectile.

This round produced a .45 caliber entry wound with a cavernous wound channel that liquified the lungs and took a chunk out of the heart. The exit wound was about 3 inches in diameter with a firehose spray for a blood trail. I am sorry for my graphic description, but this is exactly the type of performance we should look for in a round intended for bear hunting. It was a pleasure to have these guns in camp. It was also very enjoyable participating in

practice and take a kid or new shooter with you.

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

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

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

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Page 34

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

The Maine Butchering Your Deer quarters when doing this. Just re- body of the deer are the Woods comeTheoff theforward carcass fairly move the membrane cov- inside tenderloins. These Matt LaRoche, Shirley, ME

Butchering your own deer after a successful hunt is one of the true satisfactions of being a hunter.

Hunting is not all about the kill, but after we have harvested a deer, I believe we owe it to our prey to use

your deer is how long to let it hang before butchering day. I like to let my deer hang for about a week if the weather cooperates. If the temperatures stay in the 30’s and 40’s, I let it hang for about a week. If it is a

easy, they are only attached by tendons. You just push the leg up and away from the body while cutting the membrane in the arm pit area. The hind quarters come off with a little more difficultly, you have to find the ball and socket joint and cut the attaching

ering the backstraps and then run your knife along the back bone, feeling the bone as you go. Next cut under the backstraps by

are the most tender cuts of meat on the entire animal.

They are removed from the inside of the carcass where the entrails were. They are

I like to let my deer hang for about a week if the weather cooperates. If the temperatures stay in the 30’s and 40’s, I let it hang for about a week. it all and to use it wisely.

I did not grow up in a hunting family so I never had the privilege of having a dad that showed me all the nuances of huntingmuch less how to take care of the animal that we had harvested. Luckily, I married a girl who did grow up eating deer meat every fall and who had a dad that cutup his own deer.

When Ruth and I were first married, we spent quite a bit of time at her parent’s house. I had asked her dad, Myrle if I could help butcher his deer when the time came. He said sure – that was my first lesson on cutting up your own deer.

One of the first things to consider when cutting up

young deer, you can cut it up sooner because it will probably be fairly tender anyway. The longer you let it hang the more tender the meat will be. Unless of course it is not cold enough, if the temperatures are too warm, it will rot in a few days.

I like to cut my deer up over a couple days. I normally skin the deer and cut up the forward quarters one day and finish the deer on the following day. I also recruit my wife to help, it goes much faster with two people doing the job. Ruth usually cleans-up the meat, cuts steaks and packages the meat while I detach the legs from the body and separate the muscle groups from the bone.

ligaments. Don’t hurry when you detach the hind quarters and things will go much easier.

There is a white membrane covering the body of the deer that needs to be removed so you can see the various muscle groups. Once you can see the muscle groups you just use your hand to feel and your knife to cut the meat from the bone. It sounds complicated but it is not and once you get started it will become obvious where to cut.

After the four legs have been removed, it is time to take out the backstraps. These make prime venison steaks so make sure you don’t leave too much meat on the bone

The whole LaRoche crew sharing in the long drag. (Photo taken by Russell Scot) running your knife along the ribs, it might be helpful if you have someone apply a little tension to the backstrap while you cut the meat away from the bone.

The next thing to do is remove the neck meat and any other meat you left on the carcass. The neck meat comes off a little difficult because it all needs to be cut from the bone.

The last pieces of meat I remove from the

MAINE WOODS GUIDE SERVICE

two small muscles attached to the underside of the lower backbone. I usually cut these into small steaks and have them for the first venison meal.

It took me a while to figure out that the best meat to mix with the venison so that the deer burger is not too dry is pork. We add 33% pork butt meat to our venison for some really good deer burger. If you prefer sausage, try adding Legg’s sausage seasoning to the meat for sausage that is better than what you can buy in the grocery store.

(Deer cont. pg 43)

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

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November 2022

By Kenneth Williams I was thrilled to receive an invitation from my niece, Marilyn Epp, who, with her partner Rob Estes, are registered hunting guides in Aroostook County, to come East and hunt Maine black bear.

It is said that when hunting bear over bait, you don’t hear the bear approach. One moment it isn’t there, and then it is.

So, I felt myself fortunate to actually see the boar step out of the trees and into my line of sight. He didn’t linger however, snagging a sweet morsel and stepping back into the trees. “That’s OK”, I told myself, “he’ll come back. Get the rifle up, cock the hammer, and be ready.” He did and I was.

Hunting bear over bait was a new game for me. In my home state of Washing-

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Cross Country Bear

ton it isn’t legal to bait for bear. Bear hunting is usually a spot-and-stalk effort except for the occasional chance encounter when hunting deer or elk. Being a seventy-something-yearold hunter with more seasons behind me than ahead, I was thrilled to receive an invitation from my niece, Marilyn Epp, who, with her partner Rob Estes, are registered hunting guides in Aroostoock County, to come East and hunt Maine black bear.

The thirty-hour trip from my place on the Olympic Peninsula to Seattle to catch a late-night redeye to Boston followed by driving a rental car to Sinclair, Maine left me pretty rummy. Arriving on a Sunday non-hunting day was a blessing, giving my body a chance to catch up

with my location. The next morning Marilyn and Rob let me try out several rifles they graciously offered for

Page 35

scope sports a tritium/fiberoptic reticle which would prove vital to my success.

I grew up reading books and magazine articles on the outdoors, about hunting and fishing all over the world. I had book knowledge of how tough the life of a hunting guide is. Or so I thought. In fact, I had no idea. The long hours and sheer physical effort I saw Marilyn and Rob spend, day in and day out, left me in awe. Only after several days of following them around could I begin to appreciate the knowledge of the quarry, the environment and the field craft required to create a bait site and stand that will produce a successful hunt. me to use. I settled on the The first two evenings T/C Encore chambered in a ground blind proved for .375 H&H and topped unproductive, for all the with a Trijicon scope. This (Bear cont. pg 63)

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Page 36

Northwoods Sporting Journal

View From The River

November 2022

Hunting The Karoo

by Laurie Chandler Bremen, ME The sound of the ranch’s Land Cruiser— fondly dubbed the Kalahari Ferrari—faded away down the dusty road, leaving Dad alone. Around him stretched the semi-arid desert of South Africa’s Karoo.

The flat, gold-brown expanse of grass and scrubby acacia was interrupted here and there by tall, humped mounds that were the homes of leaf-cutting ants. Behind him rose a tall, cone-shaped mountain known as Spitzkop.

Dad sat in a shallow depression, within a low

the muzzleloader with the confidence of experience.

In a roundabout way, it was the gun—a 54-caliber flintlock he’d built from a kit—that had brought him to Africa. That gun and another one, too.

Both my father and brother were members of “White Smoke,” an online forum of South African muzzleloading enthusiasts.

They’d gotten to know some of the characters on the forum rather well. One, a Pretoria lawyer named Marnus, wanted to buy an 8-gauge muzzleload-

Dad with his springbok in the South African Karoo.

An aardwolf approaches the kraal. out to be rather difficult. So, that Johann’s wife Anna- the one he wanted looked instead, Dad made Marnus rita had given him. South away. As the sound of a an offer. If he would come African fare is generally single shot rang out, the up with a couple of weeks heavy on meat. He found herd evaporated. From the of activities, Dad would beef jerky called biltong blind, Dad could see that buy the gun and a ticket to and dried sausage called one shot was all that was South Africa and deliver it droewors, both seasoned needed. Johann said, to the best of his knowledge, that was the first animal to be From the blind, Dad could see that one shot was all that was needed. Johann taken on the property with said, to the best of his knowledge, that was the first animal to be taken on the a flintlock in the last 150 property with a flintlock in the last 150 years. years. circular enclosure of rock ing rifle from someone in in person. And so, he did. with coriander, and plenty In time, Dad would called a kraal. The dry laid Texas. The rare gun had The land where Dad of fruit. have his chance at all the stone reminded him of the been made in the 1870s was hunting was part of an It was Dad’s third day antelope species on the old stone walls of home. by a Cape Town gunsmith 11,000-acre sheep farm. in Africa. As he ate, he ranch, and a blue wildeAs a blind, in this raw land, named Bothe. The two The farm belonged to an- thought back over the last beest as well, but those are it seemed unsubstantial. It could agree on a deal, but other of the White Smoke couple of days. There was other stories. He would rewas winter there, and the the fellow in Texas did not crowd named Johann. The one lesson he’d already turn, too, with my son and air was cool and dry. want to ship internation- immense property was learned. The muzzleloader brother for more advenIn the hunch of his ally. home to a variety of ante- was slow, and the puff of tures. There is no question shoulders was the newAfter a couple weeks lope. They ranged in size smoke from even an ac- that Dad has not regretted ness and unfamiliarity of of lively discussion on the from the smaller mountain curate shot could cause an the day he offered to ship this place, this continent. forum, no resolution had reedbok and springbok, antelope to bolt away too an old historic South AfriHis eyes, though, under been reached. So, Dad to the larger impala and soon. can 8-gauge. the brim of his bush hat, rashly promised to ship it. blesbok.

Not long after lunch, were alert, and he held Unfortunately, that turned After a couple of a herd of springbok aphours of patient waiting, peared. This medium sized Dad spotted movement in antelope looks elegant Laurie Apgar Chanthe distance. It was an aard- and fleet. Its body is light dler is the author of wolf, a species of insec- brown, with a white face, Through Woods & Waters, tivorous hyena that feeds twisted black horns that which provides an advenprimarily on leafcutter ants. curve inward, and a distinc- turous look at Maine’s KaShuffling along, the aard- tive reddish-brown stripe tahdin Woods and Waters wolf came from the west, above its white belly.

National Monument, and straight toward the blind.

This was a mixed Upwards, the story of her Focused on the ground, group of around twenty 2015 solo self-propelled he approached quite close males and females, the for- thru-paddle of the Northbefore spotting Dad and mer differentiated by their ern Forest Canoe Trail. veering away. more substantial horns. For more information or It was time for lunch. This time, Dad remind- to purchase the books, visit Dad dug into the paper bag ed himself to wait until www.laurieachandler.com

November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 37

Beat the Coyotes

It all got started the second week in October the year 2021 in a food plot. The four panel Ghost Blind Predator with two extra panels along with height extenders was all in place a month prior to Maine’s Regular Archery Season on deer. The buck I wanted came to this clover

Blind watching and waiting.

The eight point buck appeared out in front of me on one of the heavily traveled deer trails. He stopped to work his scrape and rub his forehead on the licking branch. He wasn’t too long before walking up to the clover where he

I found my arrow driven into the ground, broadhead bent and clean of any blood. White hairs lay on the ground.

You know what that means!

I couldn’t believe it until I re-played the video footage over and over again in slow motion. The

On The Prowl

by Justin Merrill, Cherryfield, ME where I had shot at this buck had increased coyote activity. I even watched a large bobcat cross the food plot one morning. This buck with open wound obviously had been chased by coyotes. The race was on now! I had to formulate a plan to kill the buck before some pesky coyote did.

The coyotes living in my hunting area must

and a half the eight point buck did very well dodging me and those pesky coyotes. The buck could run fast on three legs. He did put pressure on the broken leg when walking along slowly. He has jumped up and run away from me a couple times since the time I wounded him. He actually got around just fine.

However, that exposed leg

I couldn’t believe it until I re-played the video footage over and over again in slow motion. The arrow went too low and hit the bucks front right elbow and scraped the brisket.

The author with his better-late-than-never buck. food plot most days between eleven o’clock in the morning and one o’clock in the afternoon to eat shortly before either bedding or going on to seek out does.

Earlier in October, I missed an opportunity at harvesting the nice eight point buck at high noon while I was leaving my blind. Fast forward to the twelfth of October. I was in place and ready with my bow behind the Ghost

stopped thirty yards away from me to eat. The buck took a couple steps closer.

I was certain the buck was only 25 yards away when I aimed with the twenty yard pin mid way up and just behind front leg. When the arrow hit the buck I knew I had gotten a perfect heart shot.

The buck was mine! It seemed that way for about thirty minutes.

At closer examination

arrow went too low and hit the bucks front right elbow and scraped the brisket.

Day’s later I watched the buck feeding in a field close to houses and a paved road sporting one heck of a broken front right leg. He had an open wound with exposed muscle. I had been imagining where he had disappeared to. He relocated all together merely to avoid coyotes – and me!

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have caught the scent of the buck’s wound. Coyote sightings increased and I was getting lots of coyote pictures from my trail cameras. In addition all the resident deer were not hanging around anymore. The nuisance coyotes changed the deer’s daily routines. It made for some tough deer hunting.

Fast forward to the last week in November when I were able to redeem myself. For about a month

muscle still wasn’t scabbed over nor was it closed up in any way shape or form.

The buck could reach the wound with his mouth to lick it trying to keep it clean so he didn’t get an infection. It was my thought the whole time that the buck might succumb to an infection and the coyotes would eat him. I did not want that to happen. I refused to give up hope about shooting this buck.

(Coyotes cont. pg 39)

NOEL MARINE SUPPLIES &

FIREARMS 183 Main Street • Milbridge, ME 04658 207-546-4400 noelinc1@myfairpoint.net www.noelmarine.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 38

Maine Tails

November 2022

Laughter from the Blind

trucks slicing through the heavy, and the ducks never lard flew by us at twenty darkness. Company. Other flew - except for a single yards - a handsome drake, duck hunters gunning a merganser dropped by Sul- green head glistening in

By Jonah Paris, safe distance off is not ly. Lessons learned: you the sun. We both swung up Scarborough, ME necessarily a bad thing; can’t launch a duck boat our guns. I pulled the trigHunting ducks in No- in the month and had decid- they keep the ducks fly- when the lake is drained, or ger. Click. I tried to cycle vember is a light-hearted ed to hunt a lake in central ing. As we pulled into the when the river freezes, and another round. “Shoot it, relief from the intensity of Maine. In the darkness, we launch, the headlights of marinated merganser breast Kyle!” I hollered. “I can’t,” he replied. “Why not?” I deer season. Aside from a arrived at the boat launch Sully’s Toyota illuminated still tastes awful.

Federal Duck Stamp and and Sully began backing The rising water forced ducks into the air, and they flew proper state licensing, the his boat down the ramp. steadily - just not near us. Every duck we saw, countless late season New England He backed further, and waterfowler must acquire further, and further, but the flocks of mallards, blacks, and even a group of late teal, set three additional essentials: boat wouldn’t float off the down across the marsh from us. plenty of coffee, piles of trailer. Imagine our surprise One late fall morn- demanded. “I’m jammed. donuts, and an unwavering when we stepped out of the the river - along with two sense of humor. On the way truck and saw red taillights dozen tip ups and several ing several years ago, my You shoot it,” he yelled. “I to the blind, the duck hunter reflecting off dark mud. figures. The edge of the friend Kyle and I were can’t - I’m jammed too!” will find coffee and donuts Who would have guessed river by the launch had hunting our old stomping And so, the bird flew over at nearly every country that somebody drained skimmed over during the grounds, the Scarborough us unscathed. We looked at store and gas station open half of the lake come late night, and clearly an inch Marsh. We paddled a canoe each other and laughed. I, in the predawn hours. That fall? Fortunately, we had and a half of river ice was to a bend in a tidal creek however, did not go home last one though - the ability a backup plan; Plan B was enough to convince several and quickly constructed empty handed. As I sat to laugh heartily at oneself to hunt the Androscoggin truckloads of ambitious - or a grass blind. As the tide watching a seal that had and the adventure - only River. With its numer- foolish - pike fishermen to rose, water flooded over suddenly popped its head the bank and soaked us up amongst our spread of ous coves and backwaters, test their luck. comes with experience.

We were now left with thoroughly - our clothes, decoys, I spotted a Canada A few years back, my the “Andro” always holds Plan C, Merrymeeting Bay. our packs, and our shells. goose floating around the friend Sully and I had made birds.

A short while later, It was light by the time we The tide continued to rise, bend. The goose was complans to go duck hunting on the last day of firearms sea- we approached the boat reached the boat launch in higher and higher. A quick ing directly towards me. I son. We had both filled our launch in Turner and saw Richmond. The wind blew search on the phone in- put my bead on the bird, tags with nice bucks earlier the headlights of several cold all day, the sleet fell dicated that we were sit- but something didn’t seem ting in the middle of an quite right. Good thing astronomically high tide, I didn’t shoot, or else I predicted to exceed 11 feet. would have put holes in my T h e r i s i n g w a t e r newly found decoy. forced ducks into the air, and they flew steadily - just Jonah Paris teaches not near us. Every duck English at a small high we saw, countless flocks school in Southwestern of mallards, blacks, and Maine. A four-season outeven a group of late teal, doorsman, Jonah lives GUNS • HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING set down across the marsh in Gorham, ME with his from us. We could hear fiancée, Ashley, and beaother sportsmen enjoying gle, Aurora. Jonah can be LINCOLN, MAINE OUTFITTER an action-packed morn- reached at jonaheparis@ Ruger • Savage • Browning ing. Finally, a lone mal- gmail.com

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November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Sam Kills a Deer

This story, which was first published in Rumford Falls Times, was later republished in the Maine Sportsman in November 1896.

“An incident happened in the northern country years ago, wrote a correspondent of the Rumford Falls Times, when deer were not so plentiful as now…

A party of hunters were out looking for a yard, had just separated when one whose name we will call Sam came into a yard with several of those proud animals had suddenly taken their exit, being disturbed in their forest home miles away from the sound of the human voice, by the rattle of snowshoes and breaking of crust.

Now Sam was a proud hunter and a good shot, and was pretty sure to secure the trophy if any in the crew were lucky, and seeing such luck aroused his energy to a high pitch. A

cud of tobacco was quickly thought of, but no time to was found to be lose in side issues. So, on plunged Sam like an Aborigine of the primitive forest. Taking the track of the largest one which proved to be a buck, on, on he rushed like a war steed and the writer can now see the sparkle and flash of his eyes as he turns sharp corners around the

axe and a jack-knife, as the unlucky Sam happened, this time in his life, to have the lot fall upon him to carry the implements to cut the pine fagots for the night’s camp fire. While this was running through his mind, and his velocity was equally up to a railroad train, the perspiration from his nose reminded one of a good sap day the first of

Coyotes

different stumps to wait several minutes in hopes I would spot the buck. While sitting on the second stump I checked the time and it began to rain lightly.

It was now high noon.

I continued on not giving up. With a light rain falling I had a hunch as to where this buck may have bedded.

I crept ever so slowly up to the edge of the blueberry field to peer out to look for

bedded deer up on the side of the hill. Deer bed down in this spot often during rain storms. Sure enough there he lay in his bed.

Looking right at me, neck stretched up high and all alert.

He was about to spring up to run. My 100 grain bullet from my .243 rifle found it’s mark at a distance of 138 yards (I paced it off). The buck

(Cont. from pg 37) The time came on the day before Thanksgiving.

First thing in the morning I spotted this buck feeding in a small field across the street from the woods where I hunted. I had to bump the buck to make him run back across the street into the woods.

It worked! Now it was game on!

I immediately drove to my normal parking area to throw on my hunting jacket, hat, gloves, back pack and load my rifle before heading out after this buck. I still hunted along really slowly stopping every few steps. I sat on two

Page 39

Old Tales from the Maine Woods

by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA

his arms were also bound.

Yet, after great exertion he succeeded in getting his knife from his pocket, opened it with his teeth and quickly disturbed the quiet wilderness by the roaring and bleating of his assailant. After gaining his Now was a critical time for courageous Sam, for as he came breath, crawling out from close upon him, Mr. Buck turned upon his pursuer with a under the deer, arranging his toilet, taking a quid tremendous rush and as Sam was not expecting any retrograde movement at that moment, he was not prepared of the bitter weed, and thinking of his miraculous on his snowshoes to make sure his escape. escape and successful entrees hoping and expecting April, he caught a glimpse run. counter, Sam began to flay every moment to see Mr. of the grey beauty but a Imagine, if you please, his booty. After hanging Buck, and thinking of get- short distance ahead. the condition of affairs up and dressing the deer ting such a prize in so short Here again he drew at this critical moment. he stared to find the rest of a time from his separation up his energies, and as the Snowshoes protruding the crew and relate his bold from the rest of the crew. snow was deep and hard, much ahead of the hunter and miraculous adventure.”

Now came a thought hindering the progress of while he (Sam) was on which had not entered his his leader, he suddenly his back, being butted and Steve is an avid hiker, mind until this moment. closed upon him. Now was trampled into the hard crust What should be done to a critical time for coura- by a sprightly fighting-for- paddler and historian, havstop the beautiful animal’s geous Sam, for as he came life buck. Like lightning ing collected over 26,000 speed, when he caught close upon him, Mr. Buck Sam thought of and tried to Maine Woods articles to sight of him, with only an turned upon his pursuer get at his pocket knife, but date.

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

617-407-0743

steve@oldtalesofthemainewoods.com www.oldtalesofthemainewoods.com

with a tremendous rush and as Sam was not expecting any retrograde movement at that moment, he was not prepared on his snowshoes to make sure his escape.

This was the first time in his life where he could not

did jump up and run about forty yards before toppling over.

I beat the coyotes!

The eight point buck was mine. It was time to celebrate.

Justin is a member of The New England Outdoor

Writers Association (NEOWA) and has authored two books. He is the owner of the YouTube channel, “SPIKES and GILLS”. You can go to Justin’s website to learn more at www.wildmaineoutdoors.com

Page 40

“Just Fishing”

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Rowboats and Ribbed Canoes

by Bob Leeman, Bangor, ME Whatever happened to those old rowboats? I recall the long-forgotten days when these sturdy crafts were seen everywhere around Maine’s lakes and ponds. Apparently, time has taken its toll.

Made of wood— mostly pine—with flat bottoms, pointed bows, and squared-off transoms for a makeshift outboard of the day— (for the grateful who owned one). These dependable boats had their

of these “rowboats” lines up on their docks—ready to charter for a buck or so for a day of rowing. You got two stout oars to go with each rental, and you were off fishing, lunching at some lake shore beach, or just plain enjoying the sights.

One problem, however, when the wind came up—to heave up waves— the flat bottom barge would make a loud “WHAP” with every pull on the oars. Not

So, using it to fish with, seemed okay at the time.

Over the years, however, the boat disappeared, and the camp eventually fell flat---with no upkeep.

By this time, we finally could afford a canoe, of sort. It was assembled of cedar ribs and rails, with a heavy coat of canvas, and covered with at least six coats of paint! But it was seaworthy, to be sure, and didn’t have to be baled of leaks.

In time, with the advent of fiberglass, and alu-

November 2022

Author fly fishing at Young’s Pond, Otis, ME. in the 1940’s.

Many boat landings in the “days of old” had rows of these “rowboats” lines up on their docks—ready to charter for a buck or so for a day of rowing. problems, however. Lifting one took two men and a boy, at least, to get ‘em to shoreside. Leaking was a real conundrum, and a coffee can came with every rental, as needed.

This leaking problem was partially solved by swelling every spring season before use. Imagine, owners had to do this each year by sinking, or filling these stout crafts with water for a few days to procure the “swelling” process. No easy task.

Many boat landings in the “days of old” had rows

to worry—these were seaworthy skows! On smaller trout ponds, the use of these was handy and quite safe to stand up in, and flycast.

This writer recalls many days of “borrowing” a flatbottom skiff from the shore of Young’s Pond in Otis, Maine---pulled up in front of a squatty log camp on shore, it was (most) always dependable. Of course, it had to be baled out---before, during, and after use--to the tenth degree. I can’t recall ever seeing anyone at the camp or pond---ever!

minum, boats and canoes became somewhat lighter and much more lasting.

But just owning one of those cedar canoe models of shiny ribs and polished gunwales was a gratifying feeling. As this tale unfolds, this remnant from the past was purchased from a lawn display in Old Town, ME for ---would you believe---$19 dollars!

Of course, it needed some repair work on loose canvas ends, a patch or two, and a good cleaning and polishing. A new coat of

Trolling from a canoe.

(Art by Larry Largay sent in by Bob Leeman)

paint made it look great, but added another “ton” to the twenty footer’s already hefty substance. When upside-down on my little Studebaker, it had the appearance of the topside of a huge turtle shell!

We launched her a

couple of times! Once at Beech Hill Pond in Otis for salmon, and another excursion up and back on the Pleasant River in Columbia Falls in quest of trout. Both were memorable, but long stories---to mention only (Rowboats cont. pg 41)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Regs

stocking over wild fish, etc.

“I have fished this lake as recently as June of 2020 and found no evidence of stunting in the brook trout population…”

“In the proposal it stated the rule change was based on a 2 hour survey.

This seems a little drastic for such a rule change.”

Rowboats

magazines and our “friend” eventually an engineer, and later of the local AFLCIO. Small world!

(Cont. from pg 25) gard to the proposed changes. Many challenged the proposed changes, and/or the reason behind a given change. Others challenged IFW for failing to address warm water periods, fishing over spawning fish,

(Cont. from pg 40) a few, shall we say. We--my pal, Larry Largay, who was probably eighteen at the time, and I was maybe twenty-five---may have owned the craft together for only a few years, until it was loaned to one of Larry’s friends to cruise the St. John Rover one summer. They ran into a low-water drought area, abandoned it on a gravelbar, and walked out---the canoe never to be heard of again. Great, eh?

Larry went on to become an artist and illustrator for several national

Bob Leeman is a Master Maine Guide, outdoor writer, naturalist, book author, and a co-host of MAINE OUTDOORS radio program on Sunday evenings from 7-8 p.m. His three books, “Fly Fishing Maine Rivers, Brooks, and Streams”, “Trolling Flies for Trout and Salmon”, and “Salesman Angler”---are all available, in soft cover only, at several bookstores and fly shops, or directly from him. For information, see ad in this publication or call 207-217-2550.

“We totally and emphatically disagree with the comment by IF&W that ‘We see limited angler use of this resource during the ice fishing season’.”

“The number of waters with native fish that would experience a loosening of regulations following this proposal is appalling.”

“We have never seen a biologist or a warden at or on the pond, so where is the Department obtaining their information?”

“My concern is that a change to General Law will greatly increase the amount of fishing pressure and harvest, and damage what is a quality trout fishery.”

I see the current proposal as a step backwards.

Rather than seeing “opportunity” as their primary responsibility, it’s time

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IFW managed Maine’s rare wild native lake- and pond-dwelling brook trout and Arctic charr for natural abundance and age/ size distribution. To have the wild native salmonid resources Maine has been blessed with, and not maximize their potential is short-sighted.

Most of the changes originated from IFW, not from the public. The current trend of liberalizing regulations is not good for the resource, not good for anglers, and not good for Maine. Further degradation of our fisheries will cost the state in many ways.

We should be looking at providing more protection, not less.

of Kennebec River Outfitters, a Registered Maine Fishing Guide, and a commercial fly designer. Bob is a blogger, writer, and author. He is also a native fish advocate and founding member, Executive Director, and Maine Advisory Council member for Native Fish Coalition. Look for his books 50 Best Places Fly Fishing the Northeast, 25 Best Towns Fly Fishing for Trout Squaretail: The Definitive Guide to Brook Trout and Where to Find Them and Favorite Flies for Maine: 50 Essential Patterns from Local Experts. His next book, Fly Fishing Maine: Local Experts on the State’s Best Waters, is due out Fall 2022. Bob can be reached BOB MALLARD has at BobMallard.com or fly fished for forty years. Info@BobMallard.com He is the former owner

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 42

The Big Woods Mystique

The Buck Hunter

by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME September signals that fall has arrived to the north country. By the beginning of September, they have the red tinge that will soon be the spectacular foliage that adds to the beauty of the woods. Frost is eminent and I have seen it in late August as well. September

their full glory and within two weeks they will have fallen to the ground. I used to take all of it for granted, but not anymore. Now I take it all in, as my anticipation grows for upcoming deer season.

I just got back from attending a new outdoor

that a buck’s territory is so big, and food is available to them no matter where there are. That means they could be anywhere at any particular time. They might spend most of the summer around some cuts and then move five miles to some other ones. Then then the leaves fall from the trees they will head for an area with cover more to their liking.

This seem to be a for-

That is why a Big Woods whitetail buck is the hardest animal to hunt. I tell people that you don’t hunt in the Big Woods because you need to fill your freezer, you hunt there for the challenge.

the transition month from summer to winter. Bears will be eating as much as they can whether it’s nut, berries, etc. or at a hunter’s bait site. Deer and moose will shed the velvet covering from their antlers in preparation for the battles for breeding rights. All the animals are transitioning toward their winter coats of hair. The cool mornings create fog on the water that is still warm from the summer. I’m grateful to be able to live in an area where I can watch this transition on a daily basis. The transition happens so quickly that you can actually see it every day. By the end of the month the leaves will be in

show in Massachusetts called “Huntstock”. The show was geared around everything whitetail deer hunting. My Big Woods Bucks team were there to talk deer hunting with anyone that came to the show.

The guys that hunt in more suburban or farm country were talking about scouting for deer already and getting their trail cameras out. Many of them asked me if I had been scouting for deer yet. My answer of course was no I wait until the week before deer season. Then it become a long conversation about how much different Big Woods deer are than any other.

They main difference is

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eign concept and contrary to what most deer hunters are used to. That is why a Big Woods whitetail buck is the hardest animal to hunt. I tell people that you don’t hunt in the Big Woods because you need to fill your freezer, you hunt there for the challenge.

When I tell people the success rate on bucks, some of them can’t believe it could be that low and wonder why anyone would want to hunt there. I just tell them that most hunters won’t hunt there because you either love it or hate it and most hate it for one reason or the other. When we do these shows, it’s all about educating hunters and passing along knowledge

We hunt the Big Woods bucks more for the challenge than the meat. to new hunters as well as and there has been a lot of hunters willing to take up water over both our dams the challenge. I think that since then, and it shows there is a certain mystique in number of gray hairs! about the Big Woods. It’s I told him that I had just like a fear or uncertainty of written a little tribute to the unknown. I just try to his father Larry and had encourage anyone to give the last film footage of him it a try or you will never before he passed. That will know what it is like. be coming soon on our Big I got to spend a little Woods Bucks website and time with Lanny Benoit. YouTube channel.

We have always enjoyed Enjoy September and swapping stories when we all the changes that it brings see each other at shows. I to the woods. hadn’t seen Lanny for 3 or Until next month, four years, since the Co- Good luck on the trail! vid had put the sportsman shows on hold. We had him Hal is a master Maine on a live podcast that we guide and author and lives recorded at the show. We in Moose River Maine with reminisced a little about his wife Deb. Hal can be the first time we met back contacted at: hal@bigin the woods. It was 1989 woodsbucks.com

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Expect the Unexpected!

woods near our camp in northern Maine. It was early morning and while the sun was up, it was not lighting up the woods very well. I saw motion up ahead and stopped to watch. Then the deer moved through a small opening. The light was such that, although I could see the clearly that it was a deer, but I couldn’t

Northwoods Voyager

Earlier this fall my sister was visiting us from Alabama. She enjoys a daily walk as we do and she told us she wanted to see a deer while she was here.

Since she was to be with us for two weeks I felt sure it would happen. However, as we neared her scheduled departure time on Friday I was growing less and less confident that we would spot a whitetail.

Thursday morning early we rounded a corner in the trail and I stopped and said that I could see something in the trail ahead, a little over 100 yards away. It was a straight section of trail and I couldn’t be sure what it was until it moved. I told her it was a deer and she got her phone out to take a picture. But, it was too far, I think, and, although it was moving slowly in our di-

rection I didn’t have much confidence that she could get a good photo. Finally, the deer moved off into the woods and we could see it again as we moved along.

She did get a photo, but not a very good one.

Thinking about it later I said, “this is pretty typical of deer hunting”. It is, and you should always ex-

pect the unexpected. This thought brought to mind a deer hunt where something very unexpected happened to me. At the time of this hunt they were trying to reintroduce caribou to Maine.

From all reports it seemed that all was not going well.

The animals seemed to wander off and some were never seen again, as I remember it.

I was hunting in the

make our any detail like color. I shot and the deer went down and then I couldn’t see it. I waited a while and then slowly approached where I saw it go down. As I got closer the deer suddenly jumped up and started to run. That is when I saw that the animal was mostly all white.

I remember thinking, my God, have I shot a caribou? However I knew

mount was made it would look like a normal deer.

From this point on it was like any other deep woods deer hunt. I now faced a long drag back to camp and then, the next day, a long drag to our truck parked a mile or so from the camp. This is how a deer hunt went in the days before ATV’s and snowmobiles. A lot of hard work after a thrilling hunt.

Deer

ally hang the deer carcass out in a tree that we can see from the house for the birds and other critters to eat. It makes interesting wildlife watching! Last year we had at least one pine martin come for a meal on a regular basis.

A few more suggestions: keep your knives sharp, have plenty of paper towels on hand, you can cleanup blood on the meat

with a little vinegar on a paper towel, if the meat is almost frozen it cuts into steaks much easier, don’t let the deer freeze solid because this makes separating the muscle from the bone very difficult.

Check out the Meateaters’ YouTube link at: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=_y4eFWfOvDI for some helpful instruction in cutting up

your own deer.

(Cont. from pg 34) My wife doesn’t like deer hair on her meat so I take great care when skinning my deer to not get hair on the meat. I also remove as much tallow and membrane from the meat as possible as this gives the meat a waxy off taste.

We bought an inexpensive meat grinder at Cabela’s that has done an excellent job at grinding deer burger and a seal a meal food saver that is great for packaging deer meat. This venison processing equipment has been well worth the investment.

I don’t bother cutting off the meat between the ribs because there is a lot of tallow (deer fat) mixed in with the rib meat. We usu-

by Gil Gilpatrick, Brunswick, ME it was badly wounded and so I shot immediately and it went down for a final time.

That’s when I could see clearly That it was a deer, but it was almost all white.

The only brown on it was the neck and head. If a head

As I got closer the deer suddenly jumped up and started to run. That is when I saw that the animal was mostly all white.

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Page 43

It was all worth it though!

Enjoy the deer season folks!

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

an avid outdoorsman. He can be reached at 207Matt LaRoche is a 695-2877 or at matt.laretired Superintendent of roche2877@gmail.com the Allagash Wilderness . See www.mainewoodsWaterway, owner of Maine guide.com Woods Guide Service and

Page 44

Kineo Currents

by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME

The repair of the 15foot canoe is well on its way to completion now.

It has been a long slog through the summer, working on it in my “spare” time, which usually means devoting a day on a weekend to it.

The hard part is done.

To quote Yankee great Yogi Berra: Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical! That might add up a little funny, but you get the drift. I had to adjust my thinking about the canoe and when I was going to be done. The preparation can’t be hurried. Getting the wood ready for final fix takes patience. Once I decided to slow down mentally and enjoy each step of the preparation along the way, I began enjoying the job, instead of being frustrated that I wasn’t finishing by a certain time.

Stripping off the old varnish and sanding the planks and ribs took a lot more time and detail than I expected. Truth is, it’s a pain! All the varnish remover had to be cleaned away, the canoe washed down, with what I thought would be a final wipe down.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Canoe Repair - Seeing The Finish Line

canvas. Once it’s dry, I’ll bring it home and store it until the spring, when I can comfortably paint the canvas.

This might be ready for a May trip.

Maybe the St. John again, or the Allagash, or Lobster Lake, a little closer in. In June, I’ll invite brother Vernon up to try it out trout fishing.

Speaking of trout, they continue to be phenomenal here at Moosehead, whether in Moosehead Lake itself, or take longer for the varnish beyond, in many of the to set. I still have a light ponds and streams throughsanding and rub down with out our area. tack cloth to do before apSuzanne AuClair lives plying one more coat of the varnish before bringing near Rockwood. She has it down to Jerry Stelmok, been writing about the where I will assist in re- Moosehead Lake Region canvassing it. There are for 28 years and produced also a couple of planks that Maine’s anthology, “The rotted near the gunwale, Origin, Formation & Hisand one outer gunwale, tory of Maine’s Inland to replace before a new Fisheries Division.” She canvas is stretched over it. is an award-winning memI’ll watch and assist Jerry, ber of the New England and do the filling in of the Outdoor Writers Assn.

arms, back, and legs, from standing and bending over, painstakingly going over the inside of the canoe, in preparation for sanding, then varnishing. I could have spent a lot more time sanding, especially the short bits of plank between each of the ribs. In the end, I decided that the sanding I did was good enough, though likely I could have

warm caramel I was used to, rather than the sterile looking bright yellow color of some new canoes.

Now that the weather has turned cold, it will

To quote Yankee great Yogi Berra: “Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical!”

But once it dried, you could see where some remover was stuck in crevices where the planks and ribs meet.

This is where I decided to slow it down and do it right. So I began taking my time, inspecting the ribs and removing as much of the residue as possible.

This is a mental game. It is also physical, but not as much. Even so, by the end of a day, I could feel every muscle in my shoulders,

November 2022

spent a whole lot more time on it. My husband built the canoe in 1974, 48 years ago! It has seen good use and I do not expect for it look absolutely perfect. It’s in very good shape and I plan to keep using it.

I’ve applied one coat of Captain’s varnish and am extremely happy with the result. In the beginning, I regretted stripping off the original because the patina of the old was gone. The bare wood looked blond, and too light for my taste.

I thought I had ruined the canoe! But, there is no turning back. The first coat of varnish brought back its depth; the beauty of the wood comes through again, and the color is back to the

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

The RSP

This month’s fly is a variation of the Picket Pin and was originated by the late Don Bastian. The Picket Pin is a great fly that I’ve written about in the past and this fly takes it to a new level.

for Maine streamers but that hook is too long for this fly. Mustad R74-9672 is a great hook for this fly, it’s the right length and a bit heavier than normal which puts the fly deeper.

There are other 3x or 4x long hooks around and they all work.

Recipe for the RSP Hook – Size 8, 3x or 4x long Thread – Brown or red Tail – Brown hen hackle fibers Rib- Silver oval Mylar Body – Silver Mylar Hackle -- Brown hen hackle fibers tied beard style Tie in a tail of brown Wing – Red squirrel tail Head – Two peacock herls hen feather fibers. Hen feathers are softer and The hook is a short move better when the fly streamer hook. Tradition- is twitched. After a tail, ally we use 8x long hooks tie in the rib at the bend

of the hook. You’ll come back and wind this forward after you wrap a body. The body is silver Mylar, tie it in at the head and wind back to the tail and then forward again over the first layer. This will make a neater body. Wrap the rib forward and tie it off

Page 45

The Tyer’s Corner

purely optional.

The hackle is the same material you used for the tail and it is tied in on the underside of the hook, beard style. I tie this rather full and long but you can tie is sparser. The wing is tied on top and the recipe calls for red squirrel tail or fox squirrel tail.

Ahead of the wing is a peacock herl far enough behind the eye “head” that makes this a to leave room for the wing version of the Picket Pin. and peacock herl head. I Tie in two peacock herls, prefer to wind the rib in the twist them a bit and take a opposite direction of the couple of winds to a point Mylar underneath it-that’s behind the hook eye. Leave

by Hugh Kelly, Detroit, ME

room for a thread head.

This is a proven pattern that takes fish nicely.

It’s also proof that you can modify a pattern and catch fish with it. Try this fly with a short, bright red tail, just saying.

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

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Page 46

Warden’s Words

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Finding the Missing

was going to be helping on the search the next mornby Game Warden ing, his only question was Kale O’Leary, what time are you going to Ashland, ME pick me up?

We arrived early the This past September, I old and living alone “off was taking of advantage of the grid”. Garrett described next morning at the coma day off with a close friend further where Flagg lived, mand post and began getand fellow law enforcement and having grown up in ting briefed on the inforofficer, Sergeant Garrett Al- Fort Kent, I was familiar mation from the search thus far. The rugged terbert of the Fort Kent Police with the area.

We finished our round rain, large area and lack Department. We were in the midst of a closely contested of golf, both thinking about of a definitive point last golf match, enjoying the the search efforts being seen, made this search a cool fall temperatures and conducted, when my phone very daunting task. The Maine Warden Service The woods was being systematically incident command vehicle combed by Wardens, volunteers and arrived on scene along with K-9 teams, determined to several members of the incident management team find the missing man. and many Game Wardens talking about things not as- rang. Warden Sergeant from around the State. A sociated with our everyday Adrian Marquis was on group of volunteers had jobs, when Garrett heard the other end of the line also assembled to assist his phone vibrate. After and asked if I would be on the search, as word had reading something for a interested in working on spread in the small town few moments, he stated my day off the next day of the missing man and “Oh man, there is a missing to help the search efforts many people had arrived to elderly man in Fort Kent.” currently underway to find help in anyway they could.

Garrett had previous as- the missing man. I stated After nearly 7 years worksisted in searching for the that I would be there the ing as a Warden, and being gentlemen named Stanley following morning. After on many search efforts, I Flagg, who was 81 years explaining to Garrett that I knew that this one would require a high number of skilled volunteers in order to cover as much ground as we could, in as short amount of time as possible, GRIGNON'S TAXIDERMY STUDIO as time was of the essence.

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UMFK search and rescue team, and before long, a dozen students had arrived, ready and rearing to go.

Warden Ryan Fitzpatrick and I, along with Sergeant Albert and 6 students from the University of Maine at Fort Kent made up one of several search teams, sent out with GPS technology to cover and sweep a designated section of ground. Our first assign-

they had just located the man alive and well! Our team was needed to head to the coordinates of the missing man to help get him out of the woods and to a nearby ambulance.

It was an overwhelming sense of pride for me as I approached through the thick alders and trees and saw the Wardens who had located Stanley. It was more special to have sev-

ment that morning had us walking and covering over 2 miles of a drainage along Spaulding Brook. We came up empty handed on our first assignment.

By mid-morning, the air was filled with the sound of aircraft as Maine Forest Service helicopters and Warden Service Cessna 185’s flew tight grid patterns across the skies, just above tree level. The woods was being systematically combed by Wardens, volunteers and K-9 teams, determined to find the missing man.

After lunch, we began a second search assignment near the man’s home. As we neared the end of this grid search, radio traffic broke the solemn silence and Wardens James Gushee, Brandon Sperrey and Preston Pomerleau radioed in to the command post that

eral of the UMFK students, who were such an integral part of the search efforts to be there and witness firsthand the joy and emotion of a successful search and rescue. I use a line all the time when I speak to classes or groups interested in the career of a Warden that I truly have “the coolest job in the world”. I spoke afterwards with the UMFK students about how they undoubtedly helped save the life of Stanley Flagg.

Those words often take time to sink in, but is a part of what I am privileged to do as Maine Game Warden.

Kale O’Leary is a Maine Game Warden who covers the Oxbow/Masardis district in central Aroostook County. He has been a Game Warden since 2016 and lives in Ashland, ME.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Legendary Maine Bucks

Outdoors In Maine

by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME

Maine has long been famous for its “monster” whitetail bucks. Of course, the most fabled of these is the 1955 Horace Hinckley buck, a big-toed bruiser that field-dressed at a jawdropping 355 lbs! No other buck has since come close to this famous buck,when it comes to sheer weight.

November 2022

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

Gould buck taken in 1910 at Grand lake Stream Maine by Mr. Gould, a Maine guide. This set of remarkable antlers scored 259 plus.

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

by Alphonso Chase in York County in 1920 still holds the record. Because this deer sported 8 points on one side and 9 points on the other, the scorers at Boone and Crockett, held a special meeting to deliber-

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

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

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

points on the right and 4 points on the left) but cannot have any non-typical points; Typical - a rack that has 1 or more nontypical points but does not qualify for the non-typical category; Non-typical - a rack that includes 1 or more non-typical points.

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

The state record for non-typical is the Hill

ate about the “admissibility” of Chase’s buck. It passed muster and scored 193 plus.

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

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

Ironically, one of the state’s most well-known

Maine’s record bucks antler-wise.

(Illustration by Mark McCollough)

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

Most deer hunters are dreamers by nature. For

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those who tramp the cedar bogs and sit for hours on cold stumps along the ridge lines, the fantasy repeats itself year after year: a thick-necked, big-antlered buck, with steam around his nostrils, appears like a mirage from the fir thicket.

If, like me, your dream did not become reality this fall, there is another fall to come. Rest assured that somewhere out there in the deer woods, there is a buck with your name on it - perhaps a state record breaker.

Dream on.

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

November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 49

Make No Mistake

A sad headline came across the wires in September: Vermont hunter shot, critically wounded after being mistaken for bear. Later coverage revealed that the shooter, also a hunter, faced felony charges of aggravated assault and negligent use of a gun, along with other,

Onlookers to the Vermont incident noted that neither the shooter nor the victim wore blaze orange.

In Vermont, hunter orange clothing is not required, only “highly recommended”. lesser charges. The first impression that leaps into the mind of any sportsman is “What was he thinking?”

Indeed. Most people look nothing like a bear— or a deer, or a turkey, but mistaken-for-game incidents happen, nonetheless.

A hunter thinks they see something they don’t; or maybe they see part of something—a patch of

brown, or a murky bit of movement through the brush, or a shape that, in the adrenaline of the moment, touches the hunter’s mind and tragically says shoot!

Shoot NOW! The news coverage of the Vermont incident is remarkable for a reason

Marsh Island Chronicles

the national press. The media focus on the shooting is precisely because such incidents are so incredibly uncommon. If you think about how many sportsmen take to the field during the several hunting seasons in the fall—the number is in the millions across the

by Matthew Dunlap, Old Town, ME

clothing is not required, only “highly recommended”. In Maine, it’s required for hunters during the rifle season on deer and during the moose hunts, but pretty much not required for anything else. In fact, h u n t e r o range requirements vary a lot around the country. Perhaps that’s because a piece of orange clothing isn’t quite the same as a mechanical In Maine, the hunter orange requirement has been a safety on a game changer in the realm of hunting fatalities. rifle or shotthat’s been a bit lost to country—on the face of it, gun, or the prudent action history; at one time, the it’s a bit amazing that such of the person behind the gun. incident might have made shootings are so rare.

In the late 1990’s, the the local paper, but that’s Onlookers to the Verabout it. In September, the mont incident noted that Maine Legislature conshooting was covered by neither the shooter nor the templated a suite of bills every press outlet in New victim wore blaze orange. that would lower Maine’s England, and even made In Vermont, hunter orange strict hunter-orange re-

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quirements, along with extending the hunting day to a half-hour after sunset for deer hunting and legalizing small deer driving parties. There was a ton of concern expressed about how such methods would impact the safety of hunting. The hunter orange requirement, for example, was phased in during the early 1970’s precisely because so many shooting incidents involved hunters shooting other hunters.

And, dear reader, that was the key: so many incidents. Maine’s highwater mark for mistakenfor-game incidents was in 1954. That year, Maine issued just over 100,000 hunting licenses—far less than half issued today. Out of that number, game wardens investigated over 100 mistaken-for-game shootings, including nineteen fatalities. It’s hard to even conceive of today.

The changes in the (Mistake cont. pg 54)

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Page 50

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Book Review: Grouse & Woodcock

By V. Paul Reynolds There are books and then there are books. Occasionally, one comes along that ascends above and beyond the mere publishing realm into an actual work of art. Grouse & Woodcock: The Birds of My Life by Timothy Flanigan is such a book.

A resident of Pennsylvania, Flanigan is a

that you will ever behold.

Woven between the artful photography are 40 information- rich chapters that leave no stone unturned in telling the story of these iconic upland game birds.

One of Flanigan’s most enthusiastic reviewers writes this of his book: “Much of Flanigan’s text is devoted to showing how knowledge of the biology of grouse

woven tightly into the fabric of my outdoor-oriented life. Mine is a life richly blessed by the mentorship and friendship of true sportsman, an understanding wife, and some dearly loved dogs.”

Packed into 413 pages are dozens of the most elegant photographs of grouse and woodcock that you will ever behold.

naturalist, conservationist, writer photographer, hunter and woodsman.

I have known him as an exceedingly skilled nature photographer whose stunning wildlife photos have graced the cover of my publication, Northwoods Sporting Journal.

Packed into 413 pages are dozens of the most elegant photographs of grouse and woodcock

and woodcock lead to better hunting. He shares his knowledge in essays that bring grouse and woodcock hunting to life…”

Flanigan sets the stage for his book with these words: “This book is a celebration of America’s classic combo of upland game birds, the ruffed grouse and the American woodcock.

The admiration of these wonderfully wild birds is

What I find interesting as an outdoor writer is that Flanigan’s work as a wildlife photographer alone could have supplied the makings of a stunning and lush coffee table book.

Vermont

In Grouse and Woodcock: The Birds of My Life you will learn, as I did, that Flanigan is also a deeply reflective and talented outdoor writer whose lifetime study and pursuit of the “classic combo” prepared

25,000 years in the Appalachian Mountains during the Pleistocene Epoch! The fact that few other species survived that epoch is a testimony to the grouse’s intrepid nature.

Published by Wild River Press, this is a book of a lifetime for any serious upland hunter, with more than 400 glossy pages and fullpage color photographs of grouse and woodcock, is priced at $100.00. Yes, a Christmas stocking stuffer, it is not.

Flanigan and his publisher have produced a topshelf, memorable keepsake publication that will him well to offer us a book always find a special of this stature. place in the library of any In his opening chap- diehard upland hunter. ter, “Forever King,” you will learn that the ruffed The author is editor grouse has an ancestry of the Northwoods Sportthat can be traced back ing Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored three books.Online purchase information is available at www.sportingjournal.com, Outdoor Books.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 51

Advanced Still Hunting

Still hunting, like tracking, is a method that demands a lot from a hunter, and offers a huge sense of accomplishment when you’re able to get it right.

It requires intense mental focus, woodsmanship, stamina, and perseverance to succeed. In my mind, killing a mature buck in its bed while still hunting is one of the pinnacles of deer

a deer before it can see you then you probably will not have success. Therefore, when starting out there are certain conditions that will give you a better chance. I prefer drizzle or rain, wind or snow. If there is no snow on the ground I prefer it not to be really sunny, as glare makes spotting a deer more difficult. I also like to still hunt when it’s warm as I

Otherwise, still hunting can be your most effective method.

How to effectively still hunt requires years of practice and perseverance.

The art of seeing a deer before it sees you is no easy feat. You have no idea where a buck might be, or what its doing. On top of this going slow enough to spot a deer requires both physical and mental stamina. It’s harder to move extremely slowly and quietly than it is to walk along at a faster pace and cover more ground.

Maple Country Outdoors

by Ben Wilcox, Essex, VT

go faster so that you cover more ground and almost impossible mentally, to go extremely slow the whole day so you need to pick your spots. I generally will work uphill at a faster pace, and creep anytime I am moving downhill or in fresh deer sign. In wide open hardwoods I’ll usually take more steps between stopping if I don’t have reason to believe a

see. In the right scenario, it can be effective to run after the deer when it takes off.

I have killed several bucks by running 50-100 yards and spotting the buck walking or looking back at me.

Still hunting is by no means an easy way to kill a deer. It will surely test every bit of your hunting skill, but will create opportunities you probably would not have had by

On top of this going slow enough to spot a deer requires both physical and mental stamina. It’s harder to move extremely slowly and quietly than it is to walk along at a faster pace and cover more ground.

The key to still hunting is your pace. Extremely slow is most effective, you have the best chance of seeing a deer first. A medium pace is the worst, you’re going too slow to stumble upon a deer and catch it off guard, but too fast to effectively see a deer first. They hear you or see you coming and have time to run away.

A fast pace can be effective occasionally because you can come up upon a deer before it has a chance to run, or will let you walk right by and you may see it as it watches you. When going fast you often spot a deer immediately to your left or right, but its impossible to see everything.

It’s natural to want to

The author with a public land VT mountain buck killed in its bed, with a muzzleloader, while still hunting. hunting accomplishments. don’t believe deer move In last month’s col- much during the day in umn I wrote about several warm weather. I like to instances when still hunt- go find them. Remember ing has proven the key to that these conditions give success in tagging a buck. the hunter more of an adIn fact, roughly half of vantage thanks to muffling the deer I have killed over noise and movement, but the years have been while are not necessary.

Still hunting is effecstill hunting. Let’s look at why, when, where and how tive most anywhere, but in you can be successful still very low deer density areas especially with no snow on hunting.

Why you should still the ground, still hunting hunt is simple, it’s effective can be a real challenge. and more interesting than You may slowly work a sitting. It’s also a tactic that good looking area but deer can be used in any loca- may not be within a mile of tion from small woodlots, you. This is especially true farm lands, big woods, if you don’t know the area. and mountains. It does not Used Auto Sales require snow so can be VT State Inspection practiced everyday of the Towing season.

When to still hunt Purchasing Unwanted Vehicles comes down to confidence.

The truth is you can kill a deer still hunting in any condition, but if you’re 228 River Road, Fairfax, Vt 05454 not confident you can see

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deer is close. In thicker woods or where I expect a deer to be I might take up to an hour to go 100 yards.

I also will often use my grunt tube as well to mask sounds I make. When you are still hunting all of your senses need to be on alert. I actually killed one buck in its bed because I smelled him first and really began to creep. Inevitably, you will jump deer you did not

sitting or waiting for the snow to fly.

Ben Wilcox is owner of Maple Country Anglers, located in Northwest Vermont. He is a current member of the USA Fly Fishing Team. He is a registered Maine Guide. He also owns a large Maple Sugaring Business, Amber Ridge Maple.

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Page 52

Outdoors In Vermont

Northwoods Sporting Journal

by Gary W. Moore, Bradford, VT Bennington Battle Day may be the official Vermont holiday, but ask any employer what the “real” holiday is and the answer will likely be the second Saturday in November. For those unfamiliar with the state I should point out that the second Saturday is the opening of

a buck during the 16 day season that extends from November 12-27.

Those who want to see a lot of deer should concentrate their hunting around the lower elevation agricultural lands such as are found along the Connecticut River in the east and Lake Champlain in the

November 2022

November Means Deer Hunting

in each town in each of the seasons. You can make plans accordingly based on how you wish to hunt, how many hunters you want to encounter and how many deer you want to see.

The F&W site also lists public lands such as state and federal forests and wildlife management areas on which hunting is al-

least one antler with two or more antler points one inch in length or longer.

A point is defined as an antler projection of at least one inch measured from base to tip. A broken main beam shall count as a

gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct.

Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than by a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact.

point, regardless of length.

All successful hunters during Vermont’s deer hunting seasons must, by law, report their deer within 48 hours to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

The bear season closes Sunday, November 20, the second Sunday of the deer season.

I like to remind all hunters that the future of our sport may be determined by our actions. The following quote by Aldo Leopold is worth remembering.

“A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no

“Voluntary adherence to an ethical code elevates the self-respect of sportsmen, but it should not be forgotten that voluntary disregard of the code degenerates and depraves him.”

Those who want to see a lot of deer should concentrate their hunting around the lower elevation agricultural lands such as are found along the Connecticut River in the east and Lake Champlain in the west or in most river valleys. deer season.

The brilliant fall colors attract thousands to Vermont in October, but most locals take the natural splendor for granted. It is in November, when the foliage is gone, that the woods come to life. There is a second influx of visitors to the state and they join the locals in adding color to the woods. This time the colors are blaze orange or red and black or green and black, and the colors are worn not marveled at.

Those who spend the early part of the month scouting have a good chance of connecting with

west or in most river valleys. Larger bucks tend to be found in the mountains along the spine of the state or in the big woods of the Northeast Kingdom. However, you can hunt hard all day without seeing a deer in those areas.

If this is your first year hunting in Vermont, you may want to go to the Fish & Wildlife website, vtfishandwildlife.com, and click on Hunting & Trapping then Big Game.

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lowed. Maps of the WMAs can be printed from the site to help in planning hunts.

Concern about the possibility of Chronic Wasting Disease making it to Vermont and devastating the deer herd has caused the Department to ask hunters to forgo the use of urine based scents. No hunter wants to be responsible for the destruction of the deer herd.

Hunters may take four deer per year but only one may be a legal buck. In WMUs C, D1, D2, E1, E2, G, I, L, M, P, and Q a legal buck is any deer with at least one antler three inches or more in length.

In WMUs A, B, F1, F2, H, J1, J2, K, N, and O a legal buck is any deer with at

Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore is a life long resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game. He has been a magazine freelancer and syndicated newspaper columnist for 45 years. He may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud. com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Planning for The Rut

It’s a short, 40-minute drive to camp when the roads are clear and dry, but tonight reminds me of my childhood when my father would drive four hours through blinding blizzards to return to his childhood home in Central PA. It’s an

the small slippery incline to the deck. By God! It’s all shoveled off already!

The warmth of the propane lantern hanging outside the door lights up the deck with the ash firewood stacked neatly under the wood pile with the green tin roof. It is

here. But you’re welcome to pour yourself a glass of Glendfiddich and set down over there in the corner.”

Ah, but it is good to be home!

The regular rifle season for bucks will commence, as always, 12 days before Thanksgiving,

Page 53

Green Mountain Report

by Bradley Carleton, Charlotte, VT rut and a trickle rut,” “A synchronized rut is when that doe’s estrogen level peaks, the buck’s testosterone level peaks and the

borhood of November 6 or November 13 — or in that time frame — you’re likely to have a mid-November rut. It’s going to be great.”

Whenever you have that full moon hit somewhere in the neighborhood of November 6 or November 13 — or in that time frame — you’re likely to have a mid-November rut.

“Tuck” Cantrell of Essex, VT and Henry Hagar, of Charlotte,VT - two of the old “Camp B” crew. early winter storm – a stunning Nor’easter – blowing in off the coast and circling back from the west of our Green Mountain State. The flakes are coming down thick and heavy and by the time I reach the small mountain town and begin to head up the old logging road, the front bumper of the truck is plowing the crown of the road. We blast through drifts and bounce off of water bars, hurling the front tires into the unbroken snow ahead.

Headlights are barely lighting the way, showing only the embankments to the sides of the trail. It’s the last push up through the landing and the final stretch into the parking area. I can barely make out the paleyellow propane lights in the window. As the front of the truck clears another water bar, the headlights jump upward to reveal the woodsmoke from the chimney. Pulling off to one side of the parking area, I begin the perilous job of unloading and walking up

bowing under the weight of the snow. I turn the doorknob and open the door.

The boys are all sitting in the lazy boy chairs and sipping whiskey. “Good evening, gents! Would any of you gentlemen be so kind as to assist an old man with his belongings?” The guys all look at each other and my smart aleck friend Chris, turns to me and says “Ain’t no gentlemen

which, this year will fall on Saturday, November 12.

The season is promising with a fairly healthy mast crop of apples and red and white acorns. The beechnuts up in the mountains don’t seem quite so abundant this year, so if you find a stand that is yielding a good crop, mark it as a good sit spot. The rut, based on Charles Alsheimer’s theories in conjunction with one of Vermont’s finest biologists, Wayne LaRoche, emphasizes among other variables, barometric pressure, and lunar cycles.

Mr. Alsheimer was quoted saying “…we feel that we basically have three ruts: a synchronized rut, a classic

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full moon all happens at the same time on November 1.

“Whenever we have seen a full moon around the same time as a peak in those two hormones is the best rut.

It’s the most spectacular,” he said. “When everything happens around November 1, everything seems to explode. “Now what about the classic rut? Whenever you have that full moon hit somewhere in the neigh-

Vermont hunters will be able to report turkeys and some deer they harvest this fall online through the VT F&W website www. vtfishandwildlife.com.

Turkeys may be reported online or in-person at a re(Rut cont. pg 54)

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 54

Rut (Cont. from pg 53) gional big game reporting station. Deer may be reported online or in-person during the archery and muzzleloader seasons, but deer must be reported inperson during the youth and novice deer hunting weekend on October 22-

23 and during the regular deer season on November 12-27. This in-person reporting requirement allows biologists to collect important information from deer during these seasons.

Bears must be reported in-person at a regional big game reporting station. The hunter must also submit a premolar tooth from the bear at the time the bear

is reported or within 30 days. The tooth provides important data on the age structure and size of the bear population. Envelopes for submitting teeth are available at all big game reporting stations. Hunters are required to report deer, bear, and wild turkeys they harvest during the hunting seasons within 48 hours.

Deer and bear must be field

dressed prior to reporting, and a hunter must take a warden to the kill site of a deer or bear if requested by a warden. The online reporting link for deer and turkey as well as a map and list of big game reporting stations is available under “Hunt” on the left side of Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website. Fish and Wildlife urges hunters to

November 2022 review the 2022 Deer Season Guide also available their website home page.

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

Mistake

(Cont. from pg 49) laws from the 1990’s never had the negative effect that was feared. Research and analysis showed that the investment in mandatory hunter safety education, first required in Maine in 1986, had made all the difference. In the postwar period, new hunters were afraid to miss an opportunity, and if they heard a branch snap, they weren’t discouraged from shooting in the direction of the sound. Tragically, that branch was occasionally snapped by a booted foot, not a hooved one. Hunter orange requirements had reduced the number but hadn’t eliminated it; hunters still shot at targets they were unsure of.

Know your target. It’s the cornerstone of hunter safety today. The incident in Vermont serves as a grim reminder—there’s always another bear, or another deer, or another moose, or another turkey. But once you pull that trigger, there’s no taking it back. Take a deep breath, and be sure.

Don’t make that mistake.

Matt Dunlap is a sportsman from Old Town and is a periodic co-host on Maine Outdoors, heard statewide every Sunday night at 7:00 pm on WVOM 103.9 FM, WVQM 101.3 FM, and WRKD 95.1 FM in Rockland.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Grand Lake Stream Special

Editor’s note: We are sad to learn that this will be Joe Bertolaccini’s final column for the Northwoods Sporting Journal. As our friend and colleague, we have known “Papa Joe” for many years. We have shared a canoe with him on trout waters and been beaten by him may times in cribbage games at fish camp. His monthly columns and his learned approach to both fishing and fly tying will be missed. Tight lines, Papa Joe! As lakes in the northeast cool, landlocked salmon, togue (lake trout) and brook trout become active in their spawning routines, making them more aggressive and providing an opportunity to enjoy some fast action on streamers and bucktails. Typically, trolling along rocky shorelines with a sinking fly line and six or eight pound test leader can be productive.

Realizing that fishing is far from being an exact science, it can also pay to troll flies over deeper areas in depths of 30 feet or

more where salmon and togue have been known to swim up to take a moving fly. Another successful tactic is to fly cast while drifting through a productive area, allowing the fly to sink to various depths before starting the retrieve. It obviously helps to have an acceptable wind in the right direction, but usually at this time of year, a lack of windy days is a rare occurrence, especially on large deep water lakes. Once again, it helps to be flexible, trying different methods, fishing new locations, varying retrieves and trolling speeds as well as changing flies.

The Grand Lake Stream Special was developed by a friend and accomplished fly tyer, the late Ron Newcomb from Hampden, Maine who had great success with his fly in the stream by the same name. I have also enjoyed considerable action on Ron’s fly in West Grand Lake and surrounding waters as well as Moose River and Moosehead Lake in the Rockwood area.

Following is his dress-

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Page 55

Fly Fishing

by Joe Bertolaccini, Orrington, ME

ing for the Grand Lake Stream Special, tying details of which are explained in the July ‘22 issue of this Journal for marabou flies such as this.

Hook - size two and four, 8x long for trolling, size six and eight, 6x long for casting.

Thread - size 6/0 white Uni Thread.

Ribbing - narrow flat silver tinsel.

Body - light green floss.

Throat - bunch of bright orange hackle fibers.

Wing - sparse white marabou, flanked on each side with several strands of silver Crystal flash, and topped with four peacock herl fibers equal to the wing length.

Head - white thread with black painted eyes.

Trolling patterns for

salmon and togue are fashioned for the most part on long shanked streamer hooks in sizes two to four as well as tandem flies.

Streamers and bucktails for brook trout are usually tied in smaller sizes from six to ten.

Before heading out this month, be sure to consult MeDIF&W’s 2022 open water regulations for the lakes and streams you (Special cont. pg 59)

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 56

Going Micro Finesse

Best Bassin’

by Bill Decoteau, Hampden, MA It seems the angling pendulum for the best size bait swings from one end to the other more often than not, with few stops in-between. Those preferring magnum sizes in baits say, “Big Baits catch Big Fish”... While, others fol-

ies of water call for such techniques. With that stated, I have to side with the often quoted “Match the Hatch” theory. If it’s large go larger, if it’s small go smaller. However, how can anyone disagree with the enjoyment of utilizing

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If it’s large go larger, if it’s small go smaller. However, how can anyone disagree with the enjoyment of utilizing ultra-light balanced tackle to finesse Panfish, Crappie, Perch, Bass and Trout of any size?

lowing the ‘Don Iovino Doctrine’ claim, “Rig an Eagle on a dropshot then head to Castaic Lake for Big Fish! Plus, smaller baits catch more fish!”

The truth is both techniques are correct, especially when the conditions during specific seasonal transitions on various bod-

November 2022

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ElaZtech 10X Strong construction enables lifelike action allowing for extremely slow to rapid fast retrieves. A Special hookslot allows for easily rigging on a ZMan Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead.

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MICRO FINESSE STINGERZ: Measuring 2.0 inches the shad shape STINGERZ is Micro Finesse Style Swimbait with an ultra thin-segmented (Finesse cont. pg 59)

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November 2022

Northwoods Sporting Journal

Granite State Deer Abound Well, it’s that time again. For anyone who spends more time in the woods this month than at home or work, you know what I’m talking about. It’s our Super Bowl, World Series and Olympics all rolled into one.

And, according to Becky Fuda, Deer Project Leader with the Fish and Game Department “The

acres of State and Federal lands opening to hunting.

Rockingham, Grafton and Hillsboro counties led the deer harvest numbers. The largest deer taken last year by muzzleloader weighed in at 255 pounds. And, the largest deer taken by regular firearm last year weighed in at 239 pounds.

Both of those brutes were tagged in Grafton County.

for hunters to pursue. As is always the case, hunters will get out of it what they put in. The more scouting, the better chances for success. That will be particularly true with spotty natural food sources.” So there you have your secret to success. Scouting, scouting and more scouting. Not really much of a secret though is it? What

Last fall’s total harvest was the sixth-highest in New Hampshire history going back to 1922, and the adult buck harvest was the highest on record. outlook for New Hampshire’s deer population is very promising.” No small part of that optimism is rooted in the fact that last fall’s total harvest was the sixth-highest in New Hampshire history going back to 1922, and the adult buck harvest was the highest on record. As a matter of fact, 14 of the top 20 harvests have all taken place since 2000.

If you’re playing hunting season by the numbers here are some numbers to ruminate over. The estimated whitetail population is around 100,000. In 2021 there were 56,001 paid hunting licenses issued.

There are over a million

Two thousand special antlerless deer permits were issued in WMU-L and 4,000 special antlerless deer permits were issued in WMU-M. So, in a nut shell…we have the deer, we have the places to hunt and there were extra ways to fill your freezer.

Dan Bergeron, the Wildlife Division Chief at Fish and Game noted that “Winters continue to be relatively mild and deer survival and productivity continue to be high.” But, as Dan further pointed out, “Mast crops seem a bit spottier this year than last year, but certainly not a failure. There should be plenty of deer in the woods

about luck and being in the right place at the right time you ask? Well, to my mind Louis Pasteur had it right when he said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”

I’d rather be good than lucky.

Muzzleloader season opened on Saturday, October 29th and runs through Tuesday, November 8 th.

And the following day, Wednesday, November 9th marks the start of regular rifle season. That will run through Sunday, December 4th in all areas of the state with the exception of WMU-A where the regular firearms season will close one week earlier than that.

A word of caution to

Page 57

New Hampshire Outdoors

by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H. tree stand users. We had an incident last month where a man was setting up his tree stand in the southern part of the state. After securing the lower straps around the tree, he started climbing up at which point the stand shifted and began to fall over causing the man to fall from the tree stand and sustain serious but non-lifethreatening injuries. I really enjoy my tree stands but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that I’m also mortal. I take extra care to check the bolts, screws, straps, seats and any other component that could cause me to taken a rapid, unplanned drop some twenty feet to the ground. It’s just common sense but should be

part of everyone’s preseason, mid-season and post-season routine.

Alright, we’ve thought about this month for the better part of a year.

Now we just have to get it done. Good luck to all of us. Be safe and bring home lots of stories to help hold us over until the next hunting season!

Peter St. James is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, Outdoor Writers Association of America, a licensed NH Fishing Guide, Director of the NH Wildlife Federation and has a radio show on WNTK-99.7FM. Reach him at: stjames. peter@gmail.com

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

by Randy Spencer, Grand Lake Stream, ME And the winner for this year’s “Sorry, We’re Open” award is none other than the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Today is October 5, 2022, the day scheduled, and promoted for weeks by the Department in its newsletters and other venues for an opportunity to purchase antlerless deer permits.

It was touted as a “first come, first served” online campaign, the proceeds from which would go to benefit wintering habitat areas for whitetail deer in Maine. The opportunity to purchase would begin at 9:00 am, October 5th.

You were instructed, in these promotional emails, to have your name, date of birth, and Moses number ready, as well as three preferred WMD (wildlife management districts) to select for your purchase. The permit would cost $12 plus a $2

agent fee. Hunters were instructed to be patient, as site traffic was predicted to be high. But, not to worry, you would be entered into the “queue” and served in order of your entry.

The bell rang (figuratively), the clock struck 9, and we were off.

Or so we thought.

A stark message, “504 Gateway Time-out” appeared on our screens. So we tried again. And there it was–again.

This permit would be available to both hunters who’d won an antlerless deer permit from the lottery, as well as those who did not, through the “overthe-counter” option on the site. The buzz leading up to the starting gate on October

November 2022

504 Gateway Time-out The bell rang (figuratively), the clock struck 9, and we were off. Or so we thought. A stark message, “504 Gateway Time-out” appeared on our screens.

So we tried again. And there it was–again. Well, sure, maybe the 9:00 a.m.

kept showing up on an otherwise blank page. Phone calls were made to friends and family. All were experiencing the same thing. Ah well, if we Mainers know anything at all, we know to persist. Keep trying. And so, we did.

Look!

The message has changed!

Now, it says, “502 Bad G a t e w a y. ” Sounds ominous. Is my whole computer going to go guts up?

But then, a breakthrough!

Or so we thought. Alas, it was only the Department’s alternate site full of info Pastel “Spring Doe” by Lorraine Scott of Medford, Maine. about the perPrints are available from the artist at (207) 732-6127. The mits. But, at State is selling the left over any-deer permits online in the bottom, it what is called an “over-the-counter” sale. said that permits for “lotNot knowing how long online glut crashed the tery winners and over-theit would take to “be pa- system. But that would’ve counter” purchases were tient and wait your turn in been planned for, right? So, not available at this time. the queue,” some surely back at it. Attempt after atWhat? It’s only 9:45! I’ve blocked off a serious chunk tempt, the lonesome lookof time that day. ing numbers and letters (Gateway cont. pg 59) 5th was audible around the state. One could picture hunters on their phones or at their computers chomping at the bit to log on and get into the queue. Some certainly took days, or half days off to avail themselves of this rare opportunity.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Gateway (Cont. from pg 58) been at this for 45 minutes and it’s already over? That can’t be. So…refresh the page and reload. Result: 504 Gateway Time-out.

Back to square one.

Next came the last ditch effort to reach the Department at their 207-2878000 Augusta office. Here, you were greeted by the expected answering machine with a young lady’s voice telling you that high call volumes were predicted, and, to once again, “be patient.” She was no doubt a perfectly lovely person, but when she made references several times to the antlerless deer permits, she was unable to pronounce the word, “antlerless.” Instead, she said, “anter-less” each time. Note to Department: a quick proof listen or edit is a quick fix for such embarrassments. After 20 minutes on hold, it was no use, so back to refresh and reload for another 45 minutes. The thought that there were better ways to spend a morning began to rear its head more powerfully.

Finally, at around 10:30, a 3-sentence email from the Department came through (with apologies), stating that the site had gone down, and that no one had been able to purchase a permit. The event was rescheduled for October 11th, at 11:00 am.

Seriously? That’s it?

The inconvenience and lost work caused for potentially thousands of Mainers is simply rescheduled, with no explanation, for the following week when the Department was clearly not technologically up to pulling this campaign off today? That will win you the “Sorry, We’re Open” award

every time! And–food for thought–what if you scheduled this highly promoted event on the weekend when people aren’t at work?

Maybe then, sitting in front of a screen hitting Refresh and Reload might not be quite so inconvenient or quite so costly.

In the end, for my own part, I was so frustrated I would even have accepted an “anter-less” deer permit if one had been available.

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By V. Paul Reynolds Day dreaming about what has been my favorite week of the year for more than 50 years – a week at deer camp- I got to thinking again about the somewhat cerebral aspect of the deer hunt. Why do we hunt?

Why, specifically, do I hunt?

If you have ever spent a week at deer camp you know that at day’s end, when the sweaty long johns are drying over the stoked wood stove and your camp mates are running an oiled patch through the barrel of their deer guns, the camp chatter covers a diverse range of topics from deer tracking and deer habits to hunting regulations and weather changes.

Oddly enough, in all of these years, I have no recollection of deer camp conversation that raised the bedrock question, why do we hunt? Perhaps this is because, among serious deer hunters, the question need not be asked: it is understood by all. Of course, as individuals each of us

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November Question Of The Month

November 2022

Why Do We Hunt?

deer camp regulars may differ in the way we view the hunt or in what it means to us, but there are common threads that tie us all together as kindred souls.

A hunter has never asked me why I hunt? But others in my life, some anti-hunters and some non hunters who are merely curious, have put the ques-

“The two factors to which I attribute my enjoyment of hunting are: 1) An innate interest, fascination really, with nature and wildlife 2) Through the interactions of the two I learned to read the pulse of this planet and to better understand the equation of life and death.”

- Tom Hennessey

A hunter has never asked me why I hunt? But others in my life, some anti-hunters and some non hunters who are merely curious, have put the question to me, at times in a “loaded” fashion.

tion to me, at times in a “loaded” fashion.

If you care deeply as I do about your hunting heritage, which is a “socially granted privilege,” not a Constitutional right, it doesn’t hurt to give the question some thought. It can help you better explain yourself to those in your life who don’t share your view, or approve of your sport.

Here is what some digging turned up in regard to the eternal question.

“Essentially, hunting is a spiritual experience precisely because it submerges us in nature, and that experience teaches us that we are participants in something far greater than ourselves.”

- Randall L. Eaton “I hunt for a variety of reasons. Essentially, I love the entire process: scouting, target shooting, game cameras, food plots, looking for signpost rubs up north. I especially love

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When hunters gather for the week at deer camp, the small talk ranges far and wide, but it is rare to hear a discussion about why they hunt. (Illustration by V. Paul Reynolds) being out there with family and great friends. It is the adventures and memories we create that are priceless. My son and I love tracking on snow (when we have it) around Moosehead. We love the challenge and thrill of just being in those mountains and bogs, following tracks, trying to catch up to the deer that made them. How can you beat that? Then, we get fresh, wholesome, organic meat if we are fortunate enough to get a deer. We love it all.”

-Michael Maines

ture, I derive great satisfaction from growing edible plants or taking my own fish and meat far from the supermarkets. I, too, relish the solitude and personal challenge that deer hunting allows.”

- V. Paul Reynolds

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored “I only know that three books.Online purhunting is in my bones, an chase information is availinherent part of the fabric able at www.sportingjourof my life. A gatherer by na- nal.com, Outdoor Books.

November 2022

News

(Cont. from pg 27) memories of waking at 3:00 a.m. to go salmon fishing on the Narraguagus. It’s clear Galen knew how to get young people hooked on the outdoors, as part of his daughter’s memories included stopping for a glazed donut at the local bakery. With incentives like that, it’s no wonder his daughter Meghan was cleaning fish and skinning deer by the age of six!

In the many nomination letters submitted for Galen, folks talked about his expertise and passion for the outdoors, gleaned over decades, and how he gladly passed that along to

Northwoods Sporting Journal those that he guided.

He shared in all their successes, whether it was just viewing a bear while on a hunt or taking one himself.

There is also a compassionate side to Galen that shines w h e n dealing others through conversawith others who love the tion or actions. He was a teacher to all, whether it outdoors. Several Game was friends, children, or Wardens have shared that

Galen has always had coffee or tea with biscuits or pie for anyone who may stop by. Galen has been an excellent source of information regarding fish and wildlife resources in the area, and many game wardens and biologists have leaned on him and his woods expertise.

Warden Dave Simmons shared that over the years Galen has always been willing to assist anytime there is a sick or injured moose, or a moose/ vehicle accident, no matter the time of day or weather conditions. While that is commendable, Simmons also noted that Galen would never keep the meat to himself, but instead would always provide it

Page 61 to those who needed it the most, spreading the meat throughout the community.

Galen’s efforts over the years have also had significant impact on Maine’s black bears. Galen was a driving force that helped influence one of the state’s largest blueberry companies to adapt to non-lethal methods to keep bears away from beehives in the blueberry barrens, including getting the company to spend money on exclusionary fencing, and relocating bears.

Galen’s efforts over the years certainly exemplify stewardship and wise use of our natural resources.

Page 62

By Brian Lang Our shower used to be simply a large cooking pot we always brought to camp. This was the preferred method for years, until my dad built one out of an orange Home Depot bucket, with the familiar “Let’s Do This” slogan on the side. At first, the low flow shower head he used did not let enough water

A small battery lantern was hung in a nearby tree, throwing a gentle dome of light, and as I draped my towel over a nearby branch, coyotes howled and yipped excitedly not far away. The wide cascade of hot water felt great.

Northwoods Sporting Journal

An Adirondack Shower

There is nothing like a good tracking snow – and a hot shower at deer camp. Can you find the makeshift shower? (Photo by the author).

fected.

Dad insisted I take the first shower.

“Just let the water run, “ he repeatedly insisted.

“Take your time, there should be plenty of water”.

A small battery lantern was hung in a nearby tree, throwing a gentle dome of light, and as I draped my towel over a nearby branch, through. Then, the next coyotes howled and yipped summer, he noticed the per- excitedly not far away. The fect flow of water running wide cascade of hot water out of my mother’s water- felt great. I hurried, but ing can. With the promise did rinse off a bit generthat he would replace it, ously, remembering dad’s he sawed off the head, and admonition to “just let it the camp shower was per- run”. When I was done

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and turned off the valve, there seemed to be plenty of water left. Hustling into the tent, I got in front of the welcome warmth of the stove. Dad was excited, he’d been waiting for 2 years to use this shower he had been tinkering with, and with great enthusiasm he stripped down and went outside.

To my great surprise, after only a few moments he hurried back inside, wide eyed and completely soaped up!

“What’s the matter?”

I asked.

“Ran out of water” he said dejectedly, not quite saying it was my fault, but we both knew where the

water went. He wouldn’t let me take the time to heat up more water, so he had me add cold water to the bucket and finished rinsing off.

It became windy and cold overnight, and the snow fell in earnest. By morning, everything outside was draped with a fluffy white blanket. Not only were the softwood branches loaded with snow and hanging low, but every tiny branch of the hardwood saplings had a layer of snow built up on them.

Even in “open” hardwoods, you could not see farther than twenty feet. All around was an impenetrable wall of white, even the overcast

November 2022 sky above was white. Undaunted, I powered through the woods, determined to find a big deer track.

I hiked steadily all morning, but I seemed to be the only creature on the move. The visibility was so bad and disorienting that I had to keep checking my compass every 50 yards.

Each time I did, I discovered I had started making a circle and needed to make a course correction. By the end of the day, all I had seen was one filled in doe track. Overnight, we listened as the trees outside swayed in the wind, dumping snow onto the tent with a loud Whump.

It continued to snow, and the next morning was still windy and cold. The air didn’t have that feel like the deer would be up and feeding yet. But we knew they had to eventually, so we struck out again into the thick, white woods hoping to stumble upon some deer.

There is a spot where a low, narrow ridge cuts through a large swamp. I made my way along the top, peering into the protected woods on either side. The branches were bent down, creating a tunnel, and snow fell on onto my head with (Shower cont. pg 67)

November 2022

Bear

(Cont. from pg 35) obvious effort that went into building the site.

Sometimes the guest of honor simply doesn’t show.

The third night I was placed into a different site, this one in a tree stand, a new experience for me. Things improved right away. I had sat as quietly as I could manage for about three hours, until what was a heavily shaded location to begin with, began to fade to darkness altogether. And that’s when the first bear appeared. The site was so carefully brushed in, the shooting lane seemed like a keyhole. But there he was, a flat-black, ill-defined shape moving against a nearly black backstop of tree trunks and brush in the last few minutes of legal shooting hours. As hard as I tried, peering through the Trijicon and trying to settle the dim green dot on the bear, I just couldn’t take the shot. Over and above the fact that I didn’t have an ethical shot, the last thing I wanted to do to repay the kindness and generosity of my hosts was to present them with a wounded bear to track at night. Tomorrow would be a new, and perhaps better, day.

And it was. The second night in the tree stand was more comfortable.

Though still new to hunting with my feet well above terra firma, I was more relaxed and able to enjoy a new perspective. This site overlooked a small brook crossed with downed trees which the squirrels and chipmunks used as highways for their continual comings and goings. As much amusement as they provided, and as relaxing as the sounds of flowing

Northwoods Sporting Journal water, I was still diligent, keeping my eyes on the bait site as much as I could.

And so it was that I saw the bear step into my line of sight, and this time with plenty of daylight, a good half hour of legal light to spare. As soon as he stepped away from the bait and out of sight, I raised and cocked the rifle, settled into the scope with that green dot glowing, and the bear stepped back into view. I can’t honestly recall squeezing the trigger, muscle memory must have taken over. I do recall the prodigious recoil of the .375 H&H in a fairly light rifle. Stout, but manageable, it knocked the headlamp right off my head. At the shot, the bear rolled and tumbled for no more than a few seconds. The death moan was brief and softly spoken.

As much as I wanted to leave the stand and see the bear, I stayed put, as instructed. I hurriedly texted the happy news to Marilyn and Rob who were staged some distance

away. I found out later to my amusement, that they already knew. The trail camera monitoring this site had transmitted an image of the bear just at the moment the bullet struck. My wonderful guides arrived quickly enough and were gracious enough they let me be the first to touch the boar. The first human hand upon it was mine, a humbling experience indeed.

Another humbling moment was seeing the trunk of the tree immediately behind the bear when the 300 grain bullet passed through its chest. The tree trunk had a prodigious hole where the bullet entered and was fairly festooned with bear clockworks.

The quiet moment afforded to me to thank the bear in my own way, and reflect on the seriousness of the act soon gave way to thanks and congratulations all round. Photos were taken, and the work of dragging and the after-care of the carcass was made light by the help of many hands. The head and hide

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are headed to a taxidermist for a full body mount, the meat has gone to my Maine relatives and the rendered lard and cracklings made it safely home in my checked baggage It was a night of many firsts. Traveling from one far corner of the country to another far corner to hunt was a first for me, my first guided hunt of any kind.

And for all the years of try-

ing, this was my first bear.

It was the first bear taken at this bait site, and the first game taken with the rifle so kindly loaned to me. For all these firsts, and still basking in the afterglow of such a good time, I very much hope it is not my last trip to Maine.

Kenneth B. Williams lives near Seattle, Washington.

Send your letters to the Editor to: NWSJ P.O. Box 195 W. Enfield ME 04493 or

info@sportingjournal.com

Page 64

Against The Current

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Golden Morning

by Bob Romano, Rangeley, ME Early morning fog is slow to fade as I pull the fly rod from its cotton sleeve. When the sun breaks through the shroud, leaves of poplar, black birch, oak, and shagbark hickory appear to glow.

Awash in color, the surrounding hills complement the two sections of golden cane.

It won’t be long before sugar maples cease the production of chlorophyll, their crimson leaves, adding to the early autumn palette. Although the season is winding down, I hope to hold one last brook trout in my dampened palm before releasing it back to spend the winter contemplating the error of its ways.

A doe, her twin fawns, their spots nearly gone, lope into the tree line as I tramp through a field of tall grass that glitters with dew.

At the edge of the field is a narrow trail. Beads of moisture glisten on webs weaved by spiders among barberry and wild rose.

Thorny branches reach out to grab the sleeves of

my flannel shirt as I tramp down the path that leads to the little stream that remains open for a few more days and where wild trout can be found. The air is breathless, filled with the earthy smell of forest duff. I hear the tick of leaves as they fall through hardwood branches. They

verdancy.

Pulling a metal pill box from my shirt pocket,

I choose a #14 pheasant-tail to knot to my tippet. The parachute wing of this dry fly will keep the pattern afloat over the most turbulent of riffles. flutter to the ground like flaxen snowflakes.

Along the trail, I’m greeted by a pair of chickadees that flit from tree to tree. A white-throated sparrow calls out for Mr. Peabody.

As I approach the stream, wisps of vapor slip over its surface. A blue jay cries out from beyond the far bank. Another answers.

Then, another and another, the cries dissipating as the flock flies farther into the wood. A sweet perfume rises from the delicate blossoms of autumn clematis entwined in the streamside

I stare down at the few patterns inside. Unlike brown trout, that require imitations closely resembling the insect du jour to appeal to their neophobic nature, the brook trout of this little stream are rarely selective, willing to play tag with any fly, provided it is cast with a bit of stealth.

I choose a #14 pheasant-tail to knot to my tippet. The parachute wing of this dry fly will keep the pattern afloat over the most turbulent of riffles.

The calf-tail post makes the pattern easy to follow while the pheasant-tail bar-

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bules wrapped around the hook shank are sufficiently “buggy” to interest any fish still looking toward the surface this late in the season.

The bamboo rod that has accompanied me over the last few years was built

by Ron Barch. The former publisher of the Planning Form, an international newsletter dedicated to construction of split bamboo fly rods, has been crafting cane rods for more than thirty years. Mine was built based upon Paul Young’s Midge design. Measuring six feet, three inches, it is the perfect tool to cast flies on this stream that is no more than ten feet wide.

For the next two hours, I cast the pheas-

ant-tail into little plunge pools, along the edge of tree trunks fallen into the stream, in front and behind boulders, and over any water that looks “fishy,” all with no success. My legs aren’t what they once were, and after stumbling over an exposed root, I decide it’s time to call it a day.

I can’t complain. The sun has bathed the tanninstained stream in a golden hue. Although its warmth has waned over the last few weeks, it remained sufficient on this second week of October, for me to roll up my sleeves, perhaps for the last time until next spring.

About to turn back (Morning cont. pg 67)

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November 2022

THE BACK SHELF

Northwoods Sporting Journal

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

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

New Englanders have come to expect cold weather in January, but the recent period of sub-zero temperatures and relentless high winds have given new meaning to the words “cold spell.” A rash of school cancellations in both Maine and Massachusetts, accompanied by alarmist weather forecasters who seem to take perverse delight in scaring older folks, makes some of us question whether New Englanders still deserve their national reputation for being stalwart, rugged individualists.

The New England Temperature Conversion Chart reminds us of our responsibility to live up to our legacy. Here’s what the Chart says about 10 degrees below zero: “Califor-

nians fly away to Mexico.

All the people in Miami die. Even Toyotas won’t start. Girl Scouts in Rhode Island are selling cookies door to door. Men in Massachusetts put the earflaps down on their hats. Mainers let the dog sleep indoors and put down their house windows before heading out to ice fish.”

We never used to close schools during a cold snap. And youngsters of all ages used to walk to school, not ride a bus. Weather forecasters never told us it was “dangerous” to go outside on a bright, sunny winter’s day.

It seems to me that Maine outdoorsman aren’t being as bold with the cold as they once were either.

I have noticed that dur-

Time On the Ice

ing November cold snaps, fewer and fewer deer hunters are standing vigils in the cedar swamps. Heater hunters are increasing in numbers. Sea duck hunters are a dying breed. And more and more ice fishermen are hunkering down at home in January and promising themselves a day on the ice in early March.

Maine weather can be fickle with an endless capacity to delight and disappoint. It has taught me this: if I wait for the perfect weather window to hunt, fish or camp, my outdoor experiences will be few and far between. So most of the time I plan a trip and follow through come Hell or High Water. As a result, I have a pocketful of memories - some bad - but most of them good.

This past weekend as the deep freeze began to loosen its viselike grip on Maine, my son, my grandson and his school buddy, my dog and I snowsledded

into our northern Maine camp for a few days of ice fishing. First day on the ice a fierce wind wailed down the lake out of the North.

As we drilled ice holes and set our tipups, a wall of wind-driven snow moved down the frozen lake surface like a cloud of sea fog.

Above the white layer, a bright sun and a cloudless, colbalt- blue sky served as a breathtaking backdrop

fit.

Page 65

to Maine’s tallest mountain. Katahdin, bathed in pinks and purples, draws my attention almost as much as a sprung tipup- flag fluttering in the stiff wind.

For me there is a seductive grandeur to it all despite numb fingers and stinging cheeks. It is, well, invigorating and it stirs your sense of adventure and heightens your awareness of His power to move the universe as He sees

We ice fishermen are merely visitors here, outdoor voyeurs along for the ride.

The fish seem impervious to the wild weather scene topside. Our shiners are a major attraction wiggling beneath the ice. The pickerel, splake and salmon bite like there is no tomor(Back Shelf cont. pg 67)

Northwoods Sporting Journal Offers A FREE DIGITAL COPY to All Active Duty Military Personnel Worldwide!

E CTIV A O Y ET FRE ILITAR M

In these troubled and divisive times for our country, we at the Northwoods Sporting Journal remain proud to be Americans. We still stand for the National Anthem and thank our lucky stars that we live in the land of the free.

And we still salute our military men and women, who have served and continue to serve their country, here at home and in faraway lands. To them we owe our gratitude and appreciation for what they do, and for safeguarding our American way of life, which we value deeply.

As a way of saying thank you, we make the digital versions of the Northwoods Sporting Journal past and current - available online to service people around the world. If you have a loved one or friend now serving on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, or anywhere else, please let them know that they have free access to our digital magazines at: www.sportingjournal.com

Page 66

Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Photos From Our Readers!

Left: Dewayne Mullis, Right: Art Collier This large bull was shot on Oct 17, 2019 in Smyrna, ME on Emerson Ridge.

(Zone #6) 17 points, 47 inch spread.

Art Collier got the permit and Dewayne Mullis was the sub-permittee. Dewayne scored the killing shot by putting the big guy down. Too big to drag from where he went down so had to cut him up into several peices.

Phil McTigue sent in this photo of his grandson 15 year old Bryce Burns who shot this buck on 11/9/2018. The deer had 8 points, which was Bryce's goal. The deer was field dressed and taken to a tagging station where it officially weighed 218 pounds.

Congratulations to Bryce on his entry to the Maine Big Buck Club.

Goose hunter Aiden Gomm is 16 years old and from Amherst, Maine.

TIME TO SELL SOME OF THAT SPORTING EQUIPMENT OR ANYTHING THAT YOU’VE GOT COLLECTING DUST! ONE MAN'S GARBAGE IS ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE! SEND US YOUR CLASSIFIEDS! LET US HELP YOU SELL YOUR STUFF!

November 2022

Shower

I could open my eyes again, I removed a glove and used my bare fingers to scrape the snow off my face. As I tried to peel the ice carefully out of my eyelashes I thought, “now that is an Adirondack shower!”

The warm water of the shower suddenly seemed very long ago, and after this ice bath I just endured, I thought perhaps the Gods had just paid me back for using up all the hot water.

I vowed then to heat plenty of water the next time, and to be sure dad got the first shower, but I don’t think he has yet replaced my mother’s watering can.

(Cont. from pg 62) each step. As I reached an open gap on the ridge, a stronger than normal gust of wind approached with an increasingly menacing roar. I tucked my chin and turned my back to the wind, but the maneuver did little to protect me. The large amount of snow from the treetops didn’t just fall, it came down forcefully in a swirling tornado that blew in every direction at once.

Icy cold sleet blew in my ears, up my nose and down my neck. My chest, arms, gun, pack, and the bare skin of my face instantly had a thin layer of ice and Brian Lang lives in grime stuck to it. After the gust finally died down and Hartland, VT.

Morning (Cont. from pg 64) downstream, I feel, rather than see movement in a patch of water tight along the far bank. Was it a fin holding the fish in place or maybe the white of a maw opening to take in a nymph? When the sun slips out from behind a cloud, I spy the current moving against a shadow. In the run, no more than a foot wide, the fish, (if that is what I’ve seen) is protected by the limb of a white oak tree that extends within inches of the stream’s surface.

After a single backcast, ten feet of line unfurls over the surface. The #14 fly flutters down a few inches from the bank where the current carries the combination of feather and fluff along a set of shallow riffles. As the pattern slips under the limb of the

oak and onto the patch of water that is darker than the rest, I hold my breath, the line between thumb and forefinger of my left hand, right hand tightening around the cork above the reel. It is this moment of uncertainty, perhaps more than any other, that draws me back to these little rills, with their brambles and bushes, suspicious deer, curious birds, and wild trout.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

Page 67

fishing is one way to say to Nick. Protective of Back Shelf Ice bring young people along. his catch, Nick says “may-

(Cont. from pg 65) row. That is ice fishing, I have learned. Some days it is like watching paint dry; other days, like this one, it is non-stop action as tipup after tipup pops into view above the snowy windrows. The kids and the dog love it. It becomes a contest to be the first to see the flag, and the first to put a legal fish on the ice.

M y G r a n d s o n ’s friend, Nick, who is new to ice fishing, learns fast for a 13-year-old. He is attentive to the flags and aggressive about his quarry in a quiet way. He bagged his first deer in November.

A natural outdoorsman. He is hooked. The Heritage will be safe with Nick.

Dressed right and fed well, they don’t seem to sweat the cold.

As the wind builds at midday, the heated ice shack and its amenities become increasingly attractive. Among these are vension burgers, hot chili and a game or two of cribbage.

By day’s end, we are tired. The wind and the cold wears you down, even when there is lots of action.

We pull our traps, collect our day’s catch, warm our hands in the ice shack, and then head down the lake for camp. Young Nick has outfished us all bringing home first fish, most fish and biggest fish.

“If you don’t want the pickerel, I’ll take them,” I

be.” He says that he needs to check with his Dad by cell phone to get his okay to part with the pickerel.

Back at camp, the fires are stoked with dry beech.

Outside it is 20 below zero with a too-familiar north wind that is supposed to subside during the night.

Inside there is a warming wood fire and scallop stew and biscuits on the table.

There will be more time on the ice tomorrow, and a forecast of light wind and moderating temperatures is music to our ears.

Nick talks to his Dad on the cell phone.We vote to turn in early.

“You can have my pickerel,” Nick says, climbing into his sleeping bag.

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

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November 2022

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

November 2022

Remote Waterfront, West Carry Pond Camp, very private end of the road, pristine deep water lake.

Excellent fishing, hunting, snowmobile to camp in winter, ATV trails. Beautiful area next to Bigelow Mountain range and Flagstaff Lake. Gated roads with access to other ponds. Dug well, out building. $345,000 MLS#1542115

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Page 69

REAL ESTATE

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We sto n - S a n d y frontage. Crystal clear water & beautiful cold water fishery of Deering Lake. Year round access & electricity available at the road this level lot would be a great place for your full time home or vacation getaway. $129,000

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Northwoods Sporting Journal

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P.O. Box 628 Main Street Machias, ME 04654

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BERRY TWP: This two-room log cabin is on the Balsam Knoll Road in Berry TWP which is off the 19 road. The camp is on lease land and the owners put in new windows and doors. The camp has frontage on Round Lake so if you enjoy fishing or just going for a boat ride this is the place. There are bunk beds in the bedroom and a wood stove in the kitchen/ living area. There is a screened in porch that you can sit in and just enjoy the view. The price has just been reduced to a super low price at only $50,000.00.

November 2022

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