Joe’s Buddy, Luther, Recalls A Bigfoot Encounter October 2019
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Special Places
Page 3
Smoke From The Woods by Ray Hamilton, Livermore, ME
My wife and I flew out to Kodiak, Alaska in early July. We visited with my son and his family. It was quite foggy at times but we did have some success fishing and beautiful views of Kodiak when the sun was out. Heading home we got on the ferry with one of Zack’s vehicles, a 1999 Lexus SUV. I had thrown a futon mattress in the back and that became our sleeping quarters for our trip home. After an overnight crossing we arrived in Homer, Alaska and began our trip south on the Alcan highway. The trip highlights back
home were many. First there was Palmer, Alaska, where they have grown eight pound carrots and 100 pound cabbage. We stopped and walked on a glacier and we drove through a forest fire. The Yukon and British Columbia were sparsely populated and beautiful. We stopped at a park that had a hot spring. We cruised down through Alberta and the many huge fields of canola and we got to see the natural gas boom happening there. We finally crossed into Montana near Glacier National Park. A beautiful and disappointing
place at the same time. The parking at the visitor center lot needs to be expanded and they need to create more camping areas. The areas to stay have not kept pace with the number of visitors. We followed part of the Lewis and Clark trail in Montana and had a short visit with an old Coast Guard friend who is working in Darby. Then it was off to Yellowstone National Park after a great steak at the Montana Chop and Steak House in Livingston. We made our way into Yellowstone. It suffers the same lack of camping as Glacier does. We
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had experience with getting campsites so we were fine. We had fly fished in Glacier with no success. We fished the Yellowstone River without success due to high water. We fished the Gardiner River and we caught some small cut throats and a brookie. We saw grizzly bears
Grow Vaunt, is french for big belly. It’s shallow but the view of the Grant Tetons is fabulous. The pools are sparse and only a couple of feet deep when you find them. I used a sinking line with a grasshopper and I caught a few cutthroat. We headed for Chadron, Nebraska to the
We saw grizzly bears and mountain goats in both parks and we saw a wolverine and wolves along with many bison and elk up close. The next stop was Jackson Hole, Wyoming. and mountain goats in both parks and we saw a wolverine and wolves along with many bison and elk up close. The next stop was Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We camped at Slide Lake near Kelly, Wyoming and fished my favorite place to fish. The Gros Ventre, pronounced
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Museum of the Fur Trade. This isn’t very big but it’s the best I’ve ever seen. Give it a google. The rest of the trip was just going home, except for the Yuengling brewery tour in Pottsville Pennsylvania. We totaled twenty seven days and
(Places cont. pg 14)
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On The Cover
Joe’s Buddy, Luther, Recalls A Bigfoot Encounter - Pg 6 How To Hunt Grouse - Pg 43 Cast & Blast - Pg 47 Lug Nut Blues - Pg 30 Maine’s Mountain Man - Pg 17 All Things Woodcock - Pg 41 October Trout - Pg 14
Contents
3. Smoke From The Woods - Ray Hamilton 6. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram 8. Blaine’s Outdoor Journal - Blaine Cardilli 9. Flight Of The Arrow - Jerome Richard 11. “A Hiker’s Life” - Carey Kish 13. Northwoods Voyager - Gil Gilpatrick 14. Fly Fishing - Joe Bertolaccini 15. Anticosti - Mark Cote 16. What’s In Your Woods - Bud Utecht 17. Northwoods Sketchbook - Mark McCollough 18. Outdoor Sporting Library - Jeremiah Wood 19. On The Prowl - Justin Merrill 20. Open Season - Steve Carpenteri 23. Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill 24. Question Of The Month - Josh Reynolds 25. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes 28. New Hampshire Guide’s Journal - Tim Moore 29. “Just Fishing” - Bob Leeman 30. Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds 32. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood 33. Guns & Ammo: A Guides Perspective - Tom Kelly 34. Maine Outdoor Adventure - Rich Yvon 35. Post-Script From Pocasset - Josh Reynolds 36. The Tyer’s Corner - Hugh Kelly 37. Ramblings From T8-R9 - Benjamin Rioux 38. The Gun Cabinet - John Floyd 39. Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham 40. Best Bassin’ - Bill Decoteau 41. Flight Feathers - Brad Allen 42. Fishin’ Lake Ontario - Capt. Ernie Lantiegne 43. On Point - Paul Fuller 44. Marsh Island Chronicles - Matthew Dunlap 45. The Trail Rider - Rod Fraser 46. Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair 47. The Allagash - Matt LaRoche 48. Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard 49. Mass Wanderings - David Willette 50. Vermont Ramblings - Dennis Jensen 51. VT Federation Of Sportsmen Clubs, Inc. - Roy Marble 52. Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton 53. Outdoors In Vermont - Gary Moore 55. Against The Current - Bob Romano 56. South Of The Kennebec - Stu Bristol 57. New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James 58. Salt Corner - Doug Jowett 59. SAM News - David Trahan 61. The Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer 62, Malarkey Cabin Chronicles - Ray Dillon 65. 2020 NEOWA Youth Outdoor Writing Contest Rules
Other Great Stories & Information
8. Editorial 12. Outdoor News 40. Trading Post 48. Carroll’s Corner - Carroll Ware 65. Real Estate
Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
The Sportin’ Journal The Outdoor Paper For “Maine Folks”
The Northwoods Sporting Journal is the Northeast’s most comprehensive and readable monthly outdoor publication. Published at the trailhead of Maine’s sprawling North Woods, the Sporting Journal prides itself on being an independent voice for the region’s outdoor community for more than 20 years. Some of our writers are seasoned and specialized outdoors people who will share their know-how and insights; some of our contributors are simply lifelong outdoor people with interesting stories to tell. Our aim every month is to capture the essence of Northern New England’s remarkable outdoor heritage by stirring memories, portraying outdoor humor, and sharing experiences and outdoor knowledge. We also keep our readers up to date with late-breaking outdoor news and hard-hitting editorials about fish and wildlife issues. Anyone who loves to hunt and fish, or simply finds the Great Outdoors a treasured place, is more than likely to find some special connections amid the pages of the Northwoods Sporting Journal.
www.sportingjournal.com
Main Office Phone: (207) 732-4880 E-mail: info@sportingjournal.com Fax: (207)732-4970 Vol 26 Issue 10 is published monthly by Northwoods Publications, 57 Old County Rd. North, W. Enfield, ME 04493 Periodical Postage Paid at W. Enfield, ME. and additional mailing offices. The Northwoods Sporting Journal (ISSN#1548-193X) Postmaster: Send address changes to: Northwoods Sporting Journal, PO Box 195, W. Enfield, ME 04493 Northwoods Publishing Group Victor Morin - Susan Morin - Diane Reynolds - V. Paul Reynolds Publishers - Victor Morin Jr. - V. Paul Reynolds Editor - V. Paul Reynolds Director of Marketing - Victor Morin Assistant Editor - Josh Reynolds Associate Editor - Donna Veino Graphic Arts Manager - Gayleen Cummings Subscription/Distribution Manager - Alicia Cram Operations Manager - Annette Boobar Webmaster - Mike Morin General Sales Manager - Victor Morin Jr. Sales Department; Thomas Schmidt, Paul Hatin & Michael Georgia Regional Advertising Manager - Jim Thorne The Northwoods Sporting Journal invites submissions of photographs and articles about the Maine outdoors. Manuscripts should be sent with a self-addressed envelope to: NORTHWOODS SPORTING JOURNAL P.O. BOX 195, W. ENFIELD, MAINE 04493 The Northwoods Sporting Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited photos or manuscripts. Photos submitted without a stamped, self-addressed envelope will not be returned. All rights reserved, 2019. 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.
Ramblings From T8-R9 - Pg 37 By Benjamin Rioux What’s In Your Woods - Pg 16 By Bud Utecht
Cover Photo: Nice Grouse! Photo by Timothy Flanigan of Nature Exposure
South Of Kennebec - Pg 56 By Stu Bristol
The Trail Rider - Pg 45 By Rod Fraser
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
The Adventures of Me and Joe
The Bigfoot
October 2019
by Bob Cram, (Alias T.J. Coongate) Medway, ME
Luther Vaguely talked to the stove. “Don’t know as I dast tell yer about it, Joe,” he said softly, staring resolutely at the oven door handle. “Anyone but you, he’d likely think I was strange, maybe a little daffy, with what I got ter tell yer an’ all. Joe, seated across the table ninety degrees to Luther’s left, nodded encouragingly. “Don’t you be worryin’ about that, Lute. You jist go right on an’ git it out. We won’t be thinkin’ any the less of yer.” He looked at me and I raised an eyebrow, but Joe just shook his head slightly. Luther lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment over Eben Ramdown’s Emporium. A short, thin, nondescript man of indeterminate age, Lute invariably wore gray clothing that emphasized his nearly colorless character. He earned the little he needed to exist by sweeping and cleaning at the Emporium and doing odd jobs around town. Luther never looked at anyone directly. When talking, he always fixed his attention anywhere but on the person he was addressing. It made for some disconcerting conversations, but most of the folks in Mooseleuk were used to Lute and his ways. “It was yestiddy,” he told the gun rack. “I was out fixin’ the hinges on Alfina Pale’s garden gate. Didn’t really have anything wrong with ‘um I could see, but I don’t hold with them butt hinges fer
a gate. Screws is always pullin’ loose. Give me a good, broad strap hinge ever time, or even a T-hinge if it’s…” “Lute?” Joe said mildly. Luther twitched and then nodded sheepishly at the coffee pot. “Sorry. Anyways, Alfina give me a big glass of lemonade an’ whilst I was munchin’ one of her sugar cookies, she tolt me about seein’ somethin’ over aginst the treeline.” “I says, ‘Somethin’? Whaddya mean somethin’?’ An’ she says, ‘I thought first off it was Henry Stye, walking along the edge of the trees. It were big like Henry, and scruffy looking. But then, just before it went into the trees, it turned toward me, and I saw that it weren’t Henry. “And, you know, right then, Joe, she flushed a little pink,” Luther shook his head at the stove poker. “Ain’t never seen Alfina Pale with no color to her. You know she’s white as milk.” Joe nodded and motioned for Luther to go on. “Anyways, she looked right at me an’ said, ‘Lute, it weren’t human. I mean, leastways, I never seen nobody that looked like that.’ I looked at her an’ I could tell she weren’t lyin’, that she really believed she seen somethin’ strange over ‘cross the field. ‘Didn’t have no clothes on,’ she said, ‘an’ whatever it did have on was brown an’ shaggy. An’ Lute… it didn’t have no eyes.’ “Well, me, I jist stared at her. She went on an’ said,
I know it sounds crazy, but I seen this face a’ glarin’ at me through a hole in the brush. Jest standin’ there, glarin’ at me. An’ Joe… that face were a good eight feet off the ground an’ it didn’t have no eyes! ‘Least, maybe it did an’ I just couldn’t see them from this far. All it looked like was a pair of black holes in its skull. “Well, I didn’t know what to think, you know?” Lute said to the toe of his boot. “So, I says to her, ‘Alfina,’ I says, ‘would you like fer me to go over the field an’ have a look-see?’ “Well, she looked real relieved, Joe. She said, ‘It’d take a load from my mind, Lute, if you’d do that for me.’ So I put down my cookie an’ started for the door. I was jist liftin’ the latch when she says, ‘Lute?’
I turned an’ looked, an’ she handed me a shotgun. That ol’ 10 gauge double her husband Orville had. I says, “Ma’am, I don’t think…’ But she shoved the gun into my hands. “’Just in case, Lute,’ she says. ‘Just in case.’” “So I taken that shotgun an’ set off acrost the field. An’ you know Joe, the further I got from the farmhouse, the more I thought about how scairt Alfina seemed, an’ I begun to get a little nervous. I broke that gun open an’ it sure enough was loaded with a pair o’them ol’ brass shells they used ter make. Looked as big as a pair of bananas. Made me feel a little better. “Anyways, at the treeline I see some tracks scuffed in the grass an’ dead leaves. Couldn’t make out what kind of tracks they was, jest that they was big. I looked all arount, an’, you know, I never remembered how black them woods back of Alfina’s field was, but I couldn’t see nothin’ suspicious. But the tracks led down through the woods toward the stream. You know that little stream along
the side of Alfina’s property she’s been tryin’ to sell lots on?” Joe nodded again. “Well, I weren’t real excited about it, but I figured I owed it to Alfina to try an’ see where them tracks went. I fullered along through the woods an’ you know it gits thicker down toward the stream. They’s some big hemlocks down there, an’ it holds back the sunlight somethin’ fierce. I was almost to the stream when I heard somethin’.” He swallowed nervously. “Thought at first it was jest the stream noise, but it was different. I cain’t really explain it good…” “Kind of a growl, was it Lute?” I asked helpfully. Joe glared at me. “Tell it in your own words, Lute.” Luther talked to the corner of the woodbox. “Weren’t no growl. It was more of a…I dunno…like a moan, or the wind blowin’ through a big hole…only they wasn’t no wind. An’ then I
(Me & Joe cont. pg 7)
October 2019
Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 6) seen…” he flushed a beet red, and then cleared his throat self consciously. “I know it sounds crazy, but I seen this face a’ glarin’ at me through a hole in the brush. Jest standin’ there, glarin’ at me. An’ Joe…that face were a good eight feet off the ground an’ it didn’t have no eyes! Jest like Alfina said… they was just black holes in its skull! I couldn’t help it, I was scairt an’ I jest…” “Don’t tell me, you gave it both barrels!” I put in helpfully. Joe scowled, but Lute just shook his head rapidly from side to side. “Nope, I didn’t neither. I, I jest dropped the shotgun an’ ran all the way back to Alfina’s house. I guess the shotgun is still out there.” He hung his head. “Guess you don’t think much of me, Joe.” “No such thing, Lute.” He reached over and patted the little man on the back. “I like a man don’t shoot at somethin’ when he ain’t sure of his target. Any fool kin pull a trigger,” he glanced over at me with a
Northwoods Sporting Journal solemn expression. “Takes a good man not to shoot, jist to turn an’ walk away.” “ Wa s n ’ t e x a c t l y walkin’,” Lute mumbled. “What did Alfina say when you got back?” I asked. “She jest thanked me for lookin’. Said it was prob’ly jest a moose or somethin’ I seen an’ not to worry about the shotgun. Said she’d go on down an’ git it later.” Lute jerked up and stared at the front doorknob. “But I made her promise not to go down there. Said I’d go back later an’ git it myself.” He grinned sheepishly. “Ain’t worked up the courage yet, though. An’ she tole me not to tell anybody about what happened. Said it would jest upset folks an’ start rumors.” “And did you keep your mouth shut, Lute?” Joe asked kindly. Luther looked at the stove, embarrassed. “Well, Joe…I though maybe, if folks knew, they would know well enough to stay away from there an’ not stumble onto somethin’ by accident an’ get hurt. So I tole Eben, an’…an’…maybe a few others.” Joe sighed. “So this was
yesterday, an’ in the 24 hours enough of the town gossips will have built up the tory so that a few local loudmouths like Juice Halfcock and Lyman Cringe have probably gathered a few cronies by now and headed over to kill the monster.” He glanced over at me. “Let’s take a ride over to Alfina’s farm.” As we clattered info Alfina’s gravel drive we could just make out a group of perhaps five or six men entering the woods down toward the stream. All appeared to have guns. Alfina stood on her back stoop, shading her eyes from the sun and staring after the men with a worried expression. As usual, she looked white as death with her gray hair adding to the washed-out appearance. But Alfina Pale was tougher than she looked, running a farm all by herself. She was dressedin an old tweed skirt and sweater with her feet encased in oversize barn boots. “Hello boys,” she said as we walked up. “I wish you’d go down and tell those men in the woods that there’s nothing to get excited about. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I told
Page 7
them there’s no such thing as a Bigfoot; that it’s just an old folk tale, but they wouldn’t listen.” Joe looked at her oddly. “Who said anything about Bigfoot?” “Oh, I don’t know if it was Juice or one of the others. I know they’ve convinced themselves that there’s a Bigfoot living on my property and they say they’re going to get rid of it for me.” “We’ll go down an’ have a talk with them,” Joe said. We had just turned toward the woods when a small SUV pulled into the yard and parked behind Joe’s Jeep. Clara Byline got out, threw a bag over her shoulder, and trotted in our direction. Clara was the reporter for the Mooseleuk Mouth newspaper and I felt my heart sink. “Hold up guys,” she said.
“If you’re going after Bigfoot, I’m going with you.” “I don’t think they’s any Bigfoot around Clara,” Joe said. “But you’re welcome to come along.” “’Course there’s a Bigfoot,” Clara snorted. “Everybody says so. And I want to get some pictures and be there when they find it. I’ve already written a preliminary article for tomorrow’s paper and I’ve called the wire services in Augusta and Portland. All the big papers are sending reporters. I think one TV station is even sending a film crew.” Joe groaned. “That’s all we need. Come on, if yore comin’.” He set off across the field toward the trees. Clara and I followed close behind. From time to time Joe slowed
(Me & Joe cont. pg 22)
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Blaine’s Outdoor Journal
Blaine Cardilli, Winthrop ME More and more people are developing an interest in fall turkey hunting. Most have been serious deer hunters, focused on either Expanded archery, (which starts in early September), or regular archery, which also began towards the end of September. Those hunters used to tell me that, as much as they would like to have pursued fall turkeys with more vigor, they were not willing to give up the time they wanted to devote to deer hunting. The only way they would take a fall turkey was if one walked under their tree stands. This year we have a few new changes to fall turkey hunting which has provided some of these diehard deer hunters with an opportunity they haven’t had in the past. First, the Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has changed the regular archery season
opener to October 5th. Last year it opened on September 29. Along with that, the fall turkey opener, (which last year was October 1st), has this year been changed to September 16th. That means the hunters will now have almost three full weeks to chase turkeys before the regular archery season on deer even opens, as opposed to having no time at all in past years, since the seasons overlapped! We are also looking at a substantial increase in bag limits this year. In nine of our districts, (15-17 & 20-25), we are allowed to take five birds as opposed to two, and in district 26 you will now be able to take three birds. (See new law summaries online) Because of these radical changes, more hunters who haven’t focused their efforts on a fall turkey hunt in the past are now very interested
October 2019
Fall Turkey: Tips For Success
in giving it a try, and are now asking a multitude of questions on what tactics work best for harvesting a fall turkey. Now we know there are several ways to approach fall turkey hunting, including ‘spot& stalk’, to busting flocks and calling the birds back in, to the use of dogs. However some of us who have had knee surgeries and can’t do that much walking, still prefer to sit and call, though the calling tactics for fall birds are not the same as in spring hunting. For those who still like the rush, (and comfort), of calling, let me share some tips that have helped me fill my fall tags on not only bagging hens, but big toms, too. As always, if you can get close to a roost in early morning, your odds will be higher when it comes to calling. The same rings true for an evening hunt if hunting in the morning fails. This is because the birds will be coming back to
roost, probably using the same travel route. Now if you haven’t roosted any birds, don’t worry; as long as you know what areas hold birds on a regular basis, you can still experience successful calling. Time of day doesn’t matter to me and that’s a plus because I never feel rushed. Usually, I’ll head out mid-morning to a spot I’ve already scouted that I know holds birds. Using a blind, you’ll have freedom of movement but I prefer the challenge of hunting in the open. That means picking a spot with my back to a wide tree, (preferrably with bushes around it), so I’m well concealed from the back and sides. That way the birds don’t usually see me until they’ve circled around into my view and by then it’s too late. Just make sure you’re safe because other hunters may also be stalking your calls! I like decoys. If you just want to kill a turkey, place five
or six hens out. If looking for jakes or toms, try a strutter, a standing jake, and two hens. As to calling, I use hen yelps, assembly yelps, and kee-kee’s to draw in hen flocks. But when after toms, you’ll need to incorporate gobbles and gobbler yelps.This mix of calls will arouse curiousity in both sexes. The real key is patience! Except for the occasional hen yelp, most birds will come in silent so settle in and don’t be in a hurry!
Blaine Cardilli is a Maine hunter and outdoor writer who has been hunting Fall turkeys for the past 15 years; He is a former Prostaffer for ‘Hunters Specialties’ and ‘Knight & Hale Game Calls’ and has given dozens of hunting seminars in New England. He can be reached at indianwd@ gmail.com
North Maine Woods
Since 1972, an organization called North Maine Woods has been providing remote outdoor recreational opportunities amid a vast expanse of privately owned commercial forest that encompasses more than 3.5 million acres in this state. North Maine Woods was formed in 1972 with the aim of carefully managing and balancing outdoor recreational access and commercial logging. There are about 30 woodland owners who comprise North Maine Woods and serve on its board of directors. North Maine Woods executive director, Al Cowperthwaite, has been at the helm almost since its inception. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the organization. Cowperthwaite has advised his board that he will step down from his position in the fall of 2020. Cowperthwaite’s assistant, Mike McLellan, is his likely successor and will have some big shoes to fill, literally and figuratively. Under Cowperthwaite’s capable, steady leadership North Maine Woods has been a
model for how to successfully meld industrial logging and outdoor recreation activities with a minimum of user conflicts. Today, there are 8 staffed checkpoints and 7 automated checkpoints that oversee and monitor outdoor recreational traffic into the North Maine Woods holdings. North Maine Woods is a non-profit undertaking. The proceeds from gate fees are used to pay for part time staffers who man the checkpoints and maintain the 350 camp sites and 211 outhouses used by outdoor recreationists. A recent studio guest on Maine Outdoors, Cowperthwaite said that, while North Maine Woods gets a lot of hunters, fishermen and campers, October grouse hunters represent the largest user group by far. “We get more grouse hunters through the gates each year than all of the other users combined,” he said. As anyone who has ever checked through a North Maine Woods checkpoint will tell you, the part-time staffers at these
checkpoints are always friendly and helpful. This is a tribute to the managers who find the right people to represent the face of North Maine Woods. There is another friendly and helpful aspect of North Maine Woods. Check out their newly up-graded website: www.northmainewoods.org This fall as you patrol the many logging roads behind the North Maine Woods gates for your favorite game bird drive safely and keep an eye out for heavily laden logging trucks, who always have the right of way, cautions Cowperthwaite. If you run into a big guy in a red-checkered shirt at one of the gates, it just might be Al making his rounds. Wish him well in his retirement. His dedication and leadership at North Maine Woods is, indeed, a north woods legacy. Happy trails Mr. Cowperthwaite. ` - VPR
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Crossbow Purchase Tips
As you have probably read in the Northwoods Sporting Journal or through the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, starting in 2020 all hunters will be allowed to use crossbows in any season including the October Special Archery season. If you are interested in getting involved in crossbow hunting, please don’t wait to the last minute to find a Crossbow Safety Education Class. This past summer, after the legislation was passed to allow crossbow hunting during the archery season, all my crossbow classes tripled in size and in some cases the crossbow class was larger than the archery class that was put on the day before the crossbow class. I expect this trend will continue for the next couple of years, so don’t wait to sign up for a class as space is limited at each session. If you are new to crossbows I recommend to you, just like I do with the new archery hunters, to not rush out and buy before you attend a class. It’s good to come to the class first to learn from others that have experience with the crossbow so that you don’t get talked into the wrong crossbow for you. If you have looked at the wide range of prices on the modern crossbow, you can tell it can get expensive fast for a good quality crossbow that will last. I believe it was back in 2005 when we started teaching the Crossbow Safety Education Class in Maine. The crossbows back then appeared to be good, but I soon found out brand names don’t mean anything. Horton back then gave new instructors a great deal to purchase a complete Horton Legend 175 package or at least it
seemed to be a good deal. First, I wished they allowed you to read the owner’s manual before you made the purchase. Once I got the crossbow and read the manual, I discovered the string had to be replaced after 75 to 100 shots! Also, you could not keep the crossbow cocked for more than 6 hours or “limb set” would start to weaken the limbs. How does that work in a hunting situation? Then of
grips the string like a vertical bow and eliminated the need for a retention spring which is a great improvement. Some of the manufacturers are offering crossbows that eliminates the flight groove so that the arrow is held only at the string and at the arrow rest which eliminates the string making contact with the flight groove and the need for rail lube to protect the string from the friction caused by the
Page 9
Flight Of The Arrow by Jerome Richard, Clinton, ME crosshairs, but no illumination. Now it is very common to see crossbows with telescopic sights with crosshairs that you can illuminate in low light situations by simply turning a knob one direction for different intensity of green or turn
If you are new to crossbows I recommend to you, just like I do with the new archery hunters, to not rush out and buy before you attend a class. It’s good to come to the class first to learn from others that have experience with the crossbow so that you don’t get talked into the wrong crossbow for you. course the only way to uncock the crossbow was to fire a field tipped arrow into “soft” ground and hope you didn’t hit a buried rock. Well, that crossbow lasted less than 50 shot before it exploded when the steel cable connection to the cams ruptured! At first Horton was not going to go good for the warranty until they were informed I was a new instructor and it would not be good for me to take their bow into a classroom and display the results of their product. Amazing how fast that problem got resolved. Now fast forward to the crossbows of today that last hundreds of shots and are very reliable. More and more crossbow manufacturers are starting to make the crossbow setups exactly like the vertical compound bows. The old days they used flat nocks or half moon nock with a retention spring to hold the arrow in place on a shooting rail or flight groove. I have seen many changing over to a nocking system that
string rubbing against the rail. Getting the arrow off the rail and eliminating the string contact with the rail was another great improvement. The sights on crossbows have made some improvements too. Some of the older models had just a pin and peep or maybe a red dot sight with no magnification. Most of the telescopic sights had multiple
the opposite way for different intensity of red illumination. Cocking crossbows in the past seemed to be the biggest pain to me compared to my archery equipment. A lot of the old crossbows didn’t offer hand cranks to draw the string back, so mainly depended on a cocking strap that reduced the draw force by about 50%. Many of todays crossbows
offer built-in hand cranking systems with a cocking sled to evenly pulls the string back time after time for dependable accuracy. Even better now is that this hand cranking systems allow you to safely uncock the crossbow without the need to fire a field tipped arrow into the ground or use the “biodegradable” arrows offered by Ten Point that you shoot and forget. Again, not all crossbows offer these features, but really research crossbows before you buy.
Jerome Richard is past president of the Maine Bowhunters Association, Master Outdoor Safety Education Instructor for MDIF&W, Registered Maine Guide, member of Franklin Search and Rescue, and a Licensed Professional Engineer. He can be reached at jerome.richard7@gmail.com
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Sporting Journal Northwoods
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Backpacking the National Monument
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument encompasses 87,500 acres of craggy peaks, deep woods and free-flowing rivers and streams immediately east of Baxter State Park, an area long recognized for its ecological, recreational and cultural significance. Established in 2017, KWWNM is the latest addition to a diverse matrix of public and private conservation lands in Maine’s North Woods that range southwest across the 100Mile Wilderness to Moosehead Lake and west to the Canadian border. The southern terminus of the renowned International Appalachian Trail is at Mile 12 on the Katahdin Loop Rd., the gravel circuit through the southern reaches of the Monu-
ment. The IAT meanders for 30 surprisingly rugged miles to Grand Lake Road near the north entrance of Baxter at Matagamon Gate. From there, the IAT continues across northern Maine and through New Brunswick and Quebec to its North American terminus at Crow Head in Newfoundland, some 1,900 miles from endto-end. The initial section of the IAT had been on this hiker’s bucket list for several years, and when the Monument became a reality on the ground, well, I just had to get up there and take a good look around. Over four days and three nights on a long and frosty cold late fall weekend, two companions and I did just that, on what I now consider one of the best
“A Hiker’s Life” by Carey Kish, Bar Harbor, ME by the time we reached the large open ledge on top, the sun was out. To the west, Katahdin Lake sparkled, and beyond, against a backdrop of steely gray skies, rose magnificent Katahdin dusted in white. The temperature plummeted that night, and by 6 p.m., too cold for a campfire or even a cribbage game, we retreated to our down bags. It was still in the 20’s the next morning when we swapped boots and socks for camp shoes and made the shin-deep, 100-foot ford across Wassataquoik Stream. Numb toes slowly warmed as we made a wide arc around Deasey Mountain, then scampered up to the mostly open summit and another grand view of Katahdin. We lunched in the warmish sun next to the restored 1929 groundhouse firetower, which like the name implies, sits right on the rocky ground. To the east, we could see shapely Sugarloaf and Mt. Chase, and by using the alidade table 1197115968 inside the firetower, we could identify many more peaks. The trail continued along the high, undulating ridge to the next objective, Lunksoos Mountain. Here the three of us reveled in the 360-degree panorama—the best of the
multi-day backpacking treks in Maine. With abundant solitude, fabulous scenery, bountiful wildlife and cozy log shelters en route, I simply can’t recommend this hike enough. A squall descended upon us as the warm shuttle van drove away. Hoisting our backpacks, we turned and sauntered northbound into the swirling November snow. A half-mile along, we hurriedly pulled into the shelter along Katahdin Brook. Cold fingers worked pack straps and zippers, and we each donned an extra layer of fleece and a wind shell. “Are we almost there?” I jokingly quipped to my buddies, who offered only icy stares before venturing on. Barnard Mountain is a short side hike off the IAT, and
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Page 11
trip, before negotiating the trail to the welcome lean-to in the valley far below, which we reached in the fading pink light of evening. The second half of the walk is mostly on old tote roads through the wild valley of the pristine East Branch of the Penobscot River. We spent the final night close to thundering Grand Pitch, and on the last day, thoroughly enjoyed the odd-shaped Haskell Rock set amid the rapids. At Haskell Hut, a lovely log cabin on Haskell Deadwater open to the public for overnight stays, we snacked on the meager morsels left in our packs. By late afternoon we were at the car and celebrating with huge cheeseburgers at Matagamon Wilderness Campground. This is a backpacking trip you’ve got to put high on your to-do list. A parking permit is required if leaving a vehicle overnight at any KWWNM trailhead. If you’re planning to hike the entire 30-mile stretch of the IAT, a car spot or shuttle is necessary. Maine Quest Adventures and the Appalachian Trail Lodge operate shuttles out of Millinocket. Find more information and maps at www. nps.gov/kaww and www.internationalatmaine.org
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Page 12
Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Outdoor News - October 2019
Edited by V. Paul Reynolds October! For most of us who hunt or fish or just enjoy the great outdoors this is it – the month of months. Enjoy!
NH Hunting Season
New Hampshire’s fall hunting seasons kick off on September 1 with the opening of black bear and gray squirrel seasons. Archery seasons for turkey and white-tailed deer got underway September 15. The statewide resident Canada goose hunt runs September 1-25. Numerous additional opportunities exist for hunters this fall, including additional eithersex deer days and lengthened bear seasons in many Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). Highlights of New Hampshire’s hunting seasons can be found in the New Hampshire Hunting and Trapping Digest, which includes New Hampshire hunting season dates, bag limits, check station locations,
and more. Hunters and trappers can pick up a free copy at NH Fish and Game Department Headquarters or their local license agent when they buy their license, or view it online at www.huntnh.com/hunting/
publications.html Looking ahead, the much-anticipated regular firearms deer hunting season opens on November 13. Both the archery and regular firearms seasons for deer continue to end one week early in WMU A. Check the Hunting Digest for WMU-specific either-sex deer hunting regulations and additional bear hunting opportunities. The fall shotgun turkey season will again run 7 days (October 14-20) and provide weekend hunting opportunity.
Hebron Man Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter
Robert Trundy, age 38 of Hebron, plead guilty in September in Oxford County Su-
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perior Court to Manslaughter, a class A crime, for the killing of Karen Wrentzel on October 28, 2017. Justice Andrew Horton sentenced Trundy to serve seven years with all but nine months suspended, four years probation and perform one hundred hours community service. Trundy was hunting behind Wrentzel’s residence in Hebron and violated Maine’s Target Identification Law when he mistook her for a deer and shot her with his Browning .30-06 rifle. Wrentzel died at the scene. Almost a dozen of Wrentzel’s friends and family provided impact statements to the court during the proceedings. The comments illustrated the tragic consequences that resulted with the failing to make proper target identification while hunting. The conviction was the culmination of a two-year investigation that involved hundreds of hours of work by Maine Game Wardens and the Maine Attorney General’s Office. “The seven-year jail sentence with nine months behind bars is significantly longer than other hunting related shooting incident convictions of the past,” said Lieutenant Dan Scott who oversaw the investigation. “The incident clearly changed the lives of many people forever. Hopefully today’s proceedings will help the family find some closure or at least allow them to continue moving forward from the tragic incident.” The shooting incident and conviction serves as a reminder of the law that every hunter must make proper target identification by obtaining an unobstructed view of their intended target, and all hunters understand the risk of loss of legitimate prey in order to properly identify their target. It is unlawful for a hunter to base his or her target identification upon sound alone or even upon sound in combination with what appears to be an appendage of the wild animal or wild bird. The consequences of such a decision were illustrated in this case.
Trundy was scheduled to begin his jail sentence on September 16, 2019. As a convicted felon, he will forever be banned from possessing a firearm.
ATV Task Force To Convene
ATV use is rapidly increasing in Maine, and with registrations now totaling over 70,000 annually, Governor Janet Mills has created an ATV task force that will look at a variety of issues associated with the growth in ATV use in the state, including a focus on ATV use on private land. The first meeting of the Task Force was Thursday, September 5 at 1:00 p.m. at the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine headquarters in Augusta. “The growth in ATV use is a boon to many Maine businesses and small towns,” said Judy Camuso, Commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, “We are excited about the continued growth in the ATV industry, and this task force is an important tool in managing that growth, particularly when the vast majority of ATV riding occurs on private land.” The task force is comprised of 15 members that represent landowners, farmers, government agencies, ATV owners and retailers, and snowmobile organizations. Maine has over 6,000 miles of trails, yet with the increasing interest in ATV riding, there are concerns regarding ATV size, riding on private land without permission, and environmental damage.
“Much of Maine’s ATV trail network is on private land,” said Tim Peabody, Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; and co-chair of the ATV task force, “and with
the growing increase in ATV use, it is time that we review our currents standards for our trail system, trail construction, registration requirements and other aspects regarding ATVs.” The task force will also be looking at expanding the existing trail system with consideration to private landowners, the growing size of ATVs and their impact; discuss maintenance and trail standards for the trail system; developing a communications and outreach plan with a focus on landowner relations; discussing registration requirements based on size and value; and discussing funding for the oversight, construction and maintenance of the trail system. Representatives on the committee include Co-Chair Timothy Peabody of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; John Bryant of American Forest Management; Matt Stedman of Irving Woodlands, Kyle Burdick of the Maine Forest Products Council, Tom Doak of Maine Woodland Owners, Julie Ann Smith of the Maine Farm Bureau, Brian Berube of Central Maine Power, David Montague of the Downeast Land Trust, Dick Howlett of ATV Maine, David Jones of the Jackman Borders Riders Club, Ian Bourgoin of Fort Kent Powersports, Bob Meyers of the Maine Snowmobile Association, Brian Bronson of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and Dave Chabot of the Maine Warden Service. There still is a vacant position to be filled by a large farmland owner. Meetings of the ATV Task Force are open to members of the public, with future dates and locations to be announced later. The task force has been charged by the legislature to submit its recommendations to the Governor on or before January 1, 2020.
Maryland Resident Drowns In Canoeing Incident
Maine Game Wardens responded to a canoe trip turned tragic on the Androscoggin River last month.
(News cont. pg 24)
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 13
A Guide forYoung Guides Northwoods Voyager
Last July Dot and I were honored by being guests on the Maine Outdoors radio show on the Voice of Maine network. The program is hosted by V. Paul Reynolds, who is also the editor of this magazine, and Bob Leeman, a fishing columnist for this publication. Dot and I enjoyed the experience and were surprised at how fast the hour passed. It was over before we knew it! For the most part I was satisfied with the answers I gave to the callers over the course of the hour. There was one, however, that I felt I had not given a satisfactory answer. So, I will attempt to correct this here and hope the caller reads this. The question the young caller asked me was: what can I do to get started in guiding? Or words to that effect. Let me start out by saying that when I started there was no internet, and national advertising was too expensive. Also, it is important to mold your approach to getting started by the kind of guiding you plan to do. If you are going for either hunting or fishing I think a smart thing to do would be to join the Maine Professional Guides Association (MPGA). If you are only going to guide recreational activities then the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization (MWGO) would be a good choice, but I would recommend joining MPGA as well. Your name will be listed
on their websites along with what you do. It is also an opportunity to meet experienced guides and learn from them. Of course if you can find an experienced guide that is willing to have you along with him or her, then that is a good way to gain experience. I had inquiries about this possibility from young guides, and I was willing to have them along, but they all expected to be paid. I could not afford to pay an assistant so it never worked out. There are some guides that take on apprentices. Who they are and what the financial arrangements are I cannot say. I only had my summers free for guiding, and because I had a love for canoes, I decided to work toward that goal. I was fortunate to be writing a canoe column for a Maine publication at the time, so that gave me some exposure that helped in the beginning, but even more help was doing some contract work for a Maine summer camp. I was quite successful with this and having kids go home telling about the great time they had canoeing during the summer helped get my name out there. Also, occasionally some parents would go along on one of the trips. When the internet came along it didn’t take me long to see the advantages to having a website and email. This proved to be a very good investment and for a relatively
small amount of money. I took the guiding website down several years ago, but I still keep the one going for my books; national coverage at little expense! An ad in this magazine will give some national recognition. The only national advertising I managed early on was a classified ad in Yankee Magazine. However, I was pretty well established by the time I could afford the monthly expense. Here’s a hint if you do any advertising at all: Code your address somehow so you know what ad your contact is answering. I added a letter to my Post Office box number so I would know the source of the inquiry. Don’t be discouraged if
by Gil Gilpatrick, Skowhegan, ME your advertising doesn’t yield immediate results. I had people on one trip who told me they had received my brochure three years ago, but the time wasn’t right for them at that time. Well, I hope this helps the young caller and anyone else who might be just starting out in this honored profession. When you do get going and get established be sure to do your part to keep it an honored profession. Gil Gilpatrick is a Mas-
ter 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 outdoor-related books. Contact him at Gil@GilGilpatrick.com
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Those October Trout
Fly Fishing by Joe Bertolaccini, Orrington The coming of October heralds some of the finest trout and landlocked salmon fishing available, not necessarily in terms of numbers of fish caught, but certainly in quality of the fish and quality of the experience. For the most part, rivers and streams in Maine are restricted to fly fishing and lakes and ponds have an artificial lures only regulation in October. Also, all fish caught must be released alive at once, but as always, please be sure to check the appropriate regulations for the area to be fished. Trout and salmon can be difficult to catch at this time of year, their major priority being to spawn, but with a little persistence and the right fly, you can have some great action. In October, these fish are generally in prime fighting condition being well proportioned and in bright spawning colors. They can be attracted to the whole gamut of flies; large streamers including Joe’s Smelt, Mickey Finn, Gray Ghost, white marabou Muddler, red and white, etc, and dry flies such as Elk
hair caddis and Grasshoppers. I have had the best success, however, with caddis larvae and nymph patterns fished with a strike indicator, but if action was lacking, I would change to larger patterns such as Hornbergs and Muddler Minnows fished both wet and dry, as well as streamers. Admittedly, I have never caught a lot of fish in October, and if I averaged several hits per day with one or two hookups, I’ve “done good.”
fish on those sizes. That all changed for me several years ago when my wife and I took a trip out west to visit and fish in Yellowstone National Park and southwestern Montana. As it
However, I have seen anglers do very well and the major reason for their success is the use of small nymph and caddis larva patterns in sizes 16 to 20 that closely imitate the naturals. However, I have seen anglers do very well and the major reason for their success is the use of small nymph and caddis larva patterns in sizes 16 to 20 that closely imitate the naturals. My own use of such small flies has been limited since I’ve never had much confidence in being able to hook and land
turned out, we were too late for the salmon fly and pale morning dun hatches, although we did get some brook and rainbow trout on elk hair caddis, grasshoppers and caddis larvae. It wasn’t until our float trip on the Madison River below Quake Lake that I could fully appreciate the need for
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small flies. The guide rigged up our floating lines with #20 pheasant tail nymphs as tail flies and #12 girdle bugs as droppers with a split shot about a foot above these. Just to be slightly different, my wife’s tail fly was beaded and mine wasn’t. About six feet above the split shot, our guide attached two small fluorescent strike indicators three inches apart. He stressed the importance of presenting the flies so that fish would see them before they see the fly line, his opinion being that two strike indicators can better pinpoint the direction and location of the flies. Needless to say, we had to frequently mend our lines to make a proper presentation. We hooked browns, rainbows and mountain whitefish up to 18 inches throughout the eight-mile trip, all on the small tail flies. The truth compels me to admit, however, that we netted only a total of eight fish between the two of us and lost probably 25+ in addition to many other hits. I don’t feel too badly about this because our guide disclosed that on the average, less than
50% of the fish hooked on these small flies are actually landed. All of our action was on either size 20 pheasant tails or green and brown caddis larvae. The bottom line for my wife and I was that we found out first hand that fish could be hooked and brought to net on small patterns. When tying flies size 18 or smaller, it is difficult to weight them because the small bodies will look out of proportion. One solution, which is very effective, is to add a 3/32inch bead just behind the eye prior to tying the fly. Another would be to use an unweighted fly and add split shot about a foot above it. Based on our experience on the Madison, there was no appreciable difference in numbers of fish hooked between the two methods. Both options are legal in the fly fishing only waters of Maine.
Places
out my wife, Claire, I could not have done this column. I wish I had a dollar for every time she asked, “What is that word?” or the times I chuckled at her interpretation. It’s been fun and I hope you have been entertained. You better save my phone number! Best of luck to all of you and I do hope to see you on the trail, Ray Hamilton
(Cont. from pg 3) 6,185 miles of interesting sites. I have decided that this is my last article. I want to thank Paul Reynolds for the opportunity to share my thoughts and the knowledge that I have gained since I started black powder shooting in 1972. I would also like to thank my readers who have been very kind. My stories have all been true. Many people believed that I was stretching the truth and that was not the case. With-
Joe has enjoyed fly fishing for over 65 years. His first book, Fundamentals of Fly Fishing, is now available. He can be reached at: brewerberts@aol.com
Ray Hamilton is a black powder hunter, demonstrator and instructor. He can be reached evenings at (207) 897-5058 or email to smokefromthewoods@hotmail.com
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
The Anticosti Dream Hunt: Affordable
Is a hunt on Anticosti Island on your bucket list? With today’s favorable exchange rates, now is the time to pull the trigger. It is now more affordable than ever. As of this writing, one US
and you are still given an exclusive territory for your party. The big advantage is having a professional guide who knows the territory, deer habits and hot spots. The success rate is obviously
Plan package. I can tell you first hand, these packages are fantastic. For this example I’ll use the Chicotte Sector where again, a guide is available for four hunters. Fine restaurant cuisine is prepared by gourmet chefs every morning and evening. Rooms are cleaned daily,
Page 15
Anticosti by Mark Cote, Rumford, ME cocktails in the restaurant that could be considered a hidden fee, but that’s your choice. Another additional expense would be groceries if you chose the European Plan. There is no way to es-
purposes, these should be a good indicator to get you started. All of these are for September and October stays. During the months of November and December, the packages go to a five night, four day hunt and
The price is $2,745 Canadian. Add the license and air transportation and it brings the total to $3745 Canadian, or approximately $2838 US.
dollar is now worth $1.32 Canadian dollars. It amounts to a whopping thirty two percent discount across the board. For example, let’s look at the increasingly popular September or October selfguided European Plan package in a rustic shelter. It is a seven-night stay with six full days of hunting in your own exclusive hunting sector. You are supplied with a crew cab 4X4 pickup for up to six passengers and an ATV. You prepare your own meals and provide your own linens. Each sector has a caretaker who has knowledge of the territory and will give you pointers during your stay. Caring for your deer is your responsibility. The price in Canadian dollars is $1820 per person. The plane ticket is $600 and a hunting license for two deer of any sex is $400. Simple math brings it to $2,820 Canadian, or $2,136 US dollars. In this package, you are required to top the gas tanks off when you leave. Next, we’ll consider a guided European plan. This package has a guide for four hunters. He has the same pickup truck and ATV as the prior package. You still fix your own meals and bring your own bedding,
better on this type of hunt. The guide will help you retrieve your two deer and prepare them for transport home. The price is $2,745 Canadian. Add the license and air transportation and it brings the total to $3745 Canadian, or approximately $2838 US. A tip for your guide is at your discretion. If you prefer a housekeeping plan where your meals and linens are provided for you, an American
and a bag lunch is provided for your back pack every morning for your day in the field. This package is $3,460 plus license and air transportation comes to $4,460 Canadian or $3,379 US. I am often asked about additional “hidden” expenses. When I go, we typically arrive at the airport in Mont-Joli the day before the flight and stay at one of the hotels nearby. They are reasonably priced at around $150 for two people with breakfast included. I guess if you choose to eat and have
timate this for you because I don’t know what your eating preferences are. I will say the grocery store is pretty well stocked and similarly priced to a Mom and Pop IGA we have here in the states. They have a good selection of beer, wine and spirits. My crew typically gets more food than we’ll need for around $150 per person, plus whatever alcohol they buy. I consider that reasonable. There are several more packages available than I covered, but for illustration
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the prices go up by $500. Because the deer are on the move during these months, four days gives ample time for the opportunity to fill your tags. For more information on a hunt on Anticosti, give my friends a call at the reservation desk at 1-800463-0863. Tell them Mark sent you. Mark Cote is a Registered Maine Guide. He has been hunting on Anticosti Island for more than twenty years.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 16
What's In Your Woods
October 2019
Higher Elevations
by Bud Utecht, Dedham, ME Taking every opportunity to get out in the woods has always been part of my life. While you can place a camera in your back yard with great results, I seem to be driven to go further. I spend countless hours hiking into the most remote places this state has to offer. Some cameras will take over 5 hours to complete the trek. One such adventure started with going to “The Big Bog” to check a few semi- remote cameras. The other side of this bog is a steep,
side. On this particular day, with no idea what to expect, the steep ascent began. Now this is not Katahdin, by any stretch, but plenty steep nonetheless. Approaching what seemed to be the summit, I was stopped by ledges that were completely sheer faces. I decided to try and get to a spot that would allow me and the pups an easier passage. I probably could have gone over them, but needed to keep the dog’s best interest in mind. Skirting the sheer face
on a regular basis? Wondering around looking for some spots to place cameras, I came to a large open grassy area. In the middle is a smallish tree that
The peak has some sparsely forested areas and very open ledge spots covered with grass, berry bushes, and a bit of invasive vine. The top ridge had a trail right down the center which surprised me. extremely high hill which I wanted to check out. However time is usually never on my
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and finding a run off we eventually reached the peak. The peak has some sparsely forested areas and very open ledge spots covered with grass, berry bushes, and a bit of invasive vine. The top ridge had a trail right down the center which surprised me. Does wildlife traverse this hill
resembled an apple tree. It needed a camera. One down and only one left in the pack. Soon after I set this one, I found another spot where the open grassy area met some mature spruce with a beat down trail heading into it. Camera two set. Now, it’s not often I receive accolades for being in-
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Another lesson in the books. The newly found ridge is home to the wildlife and they will travel wherever it is necessary to survive. I suspect this place will provide some very entertaining shots until winter buries the new spot deep in snow. By now you may have figured me out, knowing I will most likely leave the cameras at the top to see if my theory is correct. Bud Utecht is an avid wildlife enthusiast and trail camera specialist. His trail cameras are strategically placed throughout the Maine Woods. Feel free to email Bud for trail camera tips at bud@ whatsinyourwoods.com
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credibly patient. Knowing what the bog had delivered recently for pictures, I could only stand waiting a few weeks before making a journey back there. The bog pictures were great as usual, but I was dying to see what the top of the ridge had in store. Being excited certainly does not physically assist with the grueling hike, however it did motivate me to push on. Upon arriving at the first camera, panting from the exhausting vertical climb, I removed the precious card. Wow, everything comes up here; deer, bear, turkey, coyote, bobcat, and most surprisingly, a pair of otters. I would love to tell you why a pair of otters would be up there, however I remain clueless as this ridge is dry.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Maine’s Mountain Man
He had just one shot, and he had to make it count. The wounded grizzly roared out of the willows. His enormous jaws extended and eyes flashing fire. Oh Heavens! Was ever anything so hideous? We could not retain sufficient presence of mind to shoot at him but took to our heels separating as we ran the Bear taking after me…I could
Here along the Snake River, in what would become Wyoming, Russell found himself a world apart from his childhood home on the Kennebec River at Bowdoinham, Maine. The massive Teton Mountains were stupendous crags compared to the shaggy, low hills of Maine. The Crow and Blackfoot Indians were
Although Osborne Russell received no attention to his journal during his lifetime, it has been republished several times; first in 1914 and 1921 and later by the Oregon Historical Society (1955) and University of Nebraska Press (1965). It is widely reprinted and available today (check Amazon). go no further without jumping into a large quagmire which hemmed me in on three sides, I was obliged to turn about and face him he came within about 10 paces of me then suddenly stopped and raised his ponderous body erect, his mouth wide open, gazing at me with a beastly laugh at this moment I pulled trigger and I knew not what else to do and hardly knew that I did this but it accidentally happened that my Rifle was pointed toward the Bear when I pulled and the ball piercing his heart, he gave one bound from me uttered a deathly howl and fell dead: but I trembled as if I had an ague fit.” So reads 20-year-old Osborne Russell’s journal entry of August 12, 1834. The run-on sentences and occasional misspelled words perfectly relay Russell’s breeches-wetting terror.
far more dangerous than the Wabanaki. The beaver looked the same. Osborne Russell ran away to sea at the age of 16. He deserted the ship at New York and signed up for adventure in the service of the Northwest
Fur Trapping and Trading Company. They operated in Wisconsin and Minnesota territories. But the beavers there were on their way out, and Osborne heard tales of adventure and wealth in the mysterious West. He signed with a passing expedition led by Nathaniel Wyeth intended for the Oregon country. There they would meet a ship at the mouth of Columbia River to supply the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. When the overland expedition arrived at the trapper’s rendezvous on Ham’s Fork of the Green River, they found the Rocky Mountain Fur Company dissolved and defaulted on their business agreements. Russell remained at Fort Hall where he joined Jim Bridger’s brigade. Later he would become a “free trapper,” an independent soul roaming the Rockies in search of beaver and attempting to keep his topknot out of the hands of the Crow and Blackfoot Indians. Like many mountain men, Russell fell in love with the Rockies and was reluctant to give up the carefree life among the peaks. He eventually moved on to Oregon, then to the California gold fields in 1848 where he studied law and became a judge. He was injured in a mining explosion and suffered poor health until his death in 1892. Russell was well-read and kept a journal of his travels and experiences as a trapper from 1834-1843. It is one of the few surviving records concerning the life of the mountain men. He read other fanciful and inaccurate accounts of the trapping era and decided to write his Journal of a Trapper.
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Page 17
Northwoods Sketchbook by Mark McCollough, Hampden, ME He sent the manuscript to his sisters in Maine, who long gave him up for dead. They could not find a publisher. Disappointed, Russell asked his sisters at least have his manuscript bound. Eventually it was published in 1914 after Russell’s death, but it never received much notoriety. Russell’s factual, unembellished narrative is perhaps the best account of the life of the fur trapper in the Rocky Mountains when the beaver trade, rendezvous, and life in the pristine ramparts were at their peak. He describes in detail the equipment and manor of trapping. A Trappers equipments in such cases is generally one Animal upon which is placed one or two Epishemores [saddle blankets] a riding Saddle and bridle a sack containing six Beaver traps a blanket with an extra pair of Mocasins his powder horn and a bullet pouch with a belt to which is attached a butcher Knife a small wooden
box containing bait for Beaver a Tobacco sack with a pipe and implements for making fire with sometimes a hatchet fastened to the Pommel of his saddle… He then mounts and places his rifle before him on the Saddle. He describes several trips through the bubbling and steaming Yellowstone country. Our horses sounded like travelling on a plank platform covering an immense cavity in the earth whilst the hot water and steam were spouting and hissing around us in all directions. The mountain men frequented the wonders of the Shoshone geyser basin. After surveying these natural wonders for sometime my comrade conducted me to what he called the hour Spring…it begins to boil and bubble violently and water commences raising and shooting upward until the column arises to the hight of sixty feet… Russell and his occasional comrades lived hand-to-
(Man cont. pg 21)
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Page 18 Northwoods Sporting Journal
Outdoor Sporting Library
by Jeremiah Wood, Ashland, ME
Most of us outsiders consider Alaska the last great place for a trapper, and dream of trapping that vast wilderness area that offers high quality pelts and plenty of adventure. Trapping in Alaska is much different than anywhere in the
traveled throughout the state to purchase pelts from trappers far and wide. His personal experiences on his many traplines, as well as time spent with other trappers made Wilson uniquely qualified to write the go-to book on the subject.
October 2019
The Alaskan Trapper’s Handbook
he was apt to say, long traplines are built, through hard work over many years, they aren’t just found! Though the subarctic and arctic climates are harsh for even the toughest of critters, they still support a wide variety of furbearers to target. Wilson gives species informa-
Dean Wilson was a legendary trapper in Alaska, particularly known for his expertise in catching wolves. He was also a fur buyer who traveled throughout the state to purchase pelts from trappers far and wide. Lower 48, and though places like northern Maine come close, nothing is quite like the Alaska experience. For the uninitiated, there’s certainly a lot to learn about trapping the last frontier, and Dean Wilson’s “The Alaskan Trapper’s Handbook” provides an in-depth introduction. Dean Wilson was a legendary trapper in Alaska, particularly known for his expertise in catching wolves. He was also a fur buyer who
In “The Alaskan Trapper’s Handbook”, Wilson describes Alaskan trapping from start to finish. He talks about the climate, how it varies across the state, and how that affects trappers and the furbearers they pursue. He discusses gear and guns needed on the trapline and necessary transportation, whether it be a good set of snowshoes, dog team, snowmobile or bush plane. He also describes how one might go about buiding a trapline, and as
tion and trapping methods for lynx, marten, wolverine, wolf, coyote, red fox, beaver, otter and muskrat. If you’re a trapper and you’ve never trapped in Alaska, chances are you’ve dreamed about it. In addition to being a great source of practical information from one of the legends, this book definitely helps fuel those crazy dreams! Jermiah can be reached at jrodwood@gmail.com
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Page 19
The Fox Hole
Distress calls coming from the coop on the edge of dark got Shawn Carrol on his feet in a hurry. He went for the shotgun. The flood light flipped on right when the porch door swung open. Shawn could see the bushy tail fluttering at the entrance to the coop. The red fox had its whole body, except the tail, inside as the fox dined on chickens and eggs. Shawn pointed the shotgun and yelled extremely loud until the fox backed out. The shotgun roared in the night. One less chicken snatcher. It baffles me when I hear someone say that Red Fox are not predators. The Red Fox hunting season starts in October here in Maine. You should hunt the red fox early for the mere fact they are more plentiful. The harsh Maine winter hasn’t taken it’s toll. In addition the coyote didn’t kill off too many up to this point in the year. So get after these chicken snatchers early. Red fox are notorious for hanging around open farm country – either blueberry land, corn fields, hay fields, orchards, cow pastures, cranberry bogs and so forth. The fox make a living from hunting mice, voles, shrews, grasshoppers, song birds, game birds, rabbits, hares, and obviously chick-
ens and fawns. Fox love the wild berries when ripe. They practically will eat anything that is an easy catch. They are scavengers. If you go out scouting for fox look hard in and around open hilly grassland. It shouldn’t take too long to find
fox scat and tracks. When your close by a den area it’s blatantly obvious. Bones, feathers and animal hare will be scattered near the trail and entrance leading to the den. You’ve hit pay dirt if you come across this kind of fox sign. It would be wise to plan the hunt. I’ve had great success at calling in and shooting fox in an area I like to call the, “Fox
Hole”. It’s the kind of location that holds fox every year. It’s a brush-chocked ravine connecting two craters. The large bowl shaped craters are full of trees. The receding glaciers eons ago carved out this unique geography. Surrounding the craters and ravine are blue-
berry fields. The geography of this land alone screams RED FOX! Plenty of food, cover and the two nearby ponds provide ample water. The fox do not need to move far to get what they need on any given day. No wonder I have great foxhunting success here. You can imagine the amount of rodents living around a blueberry field is im-
mense. Red Fox come charging a few minutes after using a mouse distress call. Bird distress sounds on the remote control electronic caller work great. Often what happens is the fox come in fast looking and listening for the distraught rodent but can’t find it. I will then have to mouse squeak using my lips by puckering up and gently pushing air between my squeezed lips. This turns a fox around in a heart beat. I immediately have to be aiming and ready to squeeze the trigger. This October when the fox population is plentiful
don’t hesitate to get after those chicken snatchers. Look for favorable habitat coupled with geographical features that provide den sites with plenty of food nearby. Set up and call from a look-out that allows concealment but lets you see and shoot a long way. Justin is the host of “Spikes and Gills” on the Outdoor Adventure TV network. He is the author of “Wild Maine Outdoors – hunting tactics, tricks and secrets” and “The Sit Spot – discovering the forest near you”.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Open Season
Maine’s Upland Miracle!
by Steve Carpenteri, Lyman, ME In a state where almost nothing ever changes, year after year, decade after decade, I’m thrilled to announce that the powers that be have decided to open Maine’s 2019 small game hunting season “the Saturday before Oct. 1.” This means squirrel, snowshoe hare, grouse and bobwhite quail hunters may get out three days earlier in 2019, with a potential of a full extra week in the years to come. I have been hunting in Maine since 1960 and have not seen many positive changes in hunting seasons during the interim – back then we could rifle hunt for deer in October, and we had a spring bear sea-
son, too, but the same powers that be won’t let go of their iron grip on those seasons because, by heck, “the public” might get upset about it. For now, though, let’s focus on the good news: We can all get out there and chase our favorite small game in September, which is a perfect time of year to roam the woods looking for squirrels, hares or grouse (quail hunting is iffy at best in Maine unless you buy your own and put them out). You can grab a favorite .22 or shotgun, head for the hinterlands and enjoy some great sport while the weather is crisp, clear and balmy. Cool September morn-
Maine now joins every other New England state in offering a September small game season.
ings and evenings are perfect for small game hunting, and you can always claim that you are scouting for deer or bear in your spare time. This is the perfect opportunity to head out and check your old hunting spots,
maintain stands or blinds or just go to camp and get things ready for deer season. A walk in the woods along any old logging trail should produce enough hares and grouse for a Saturday bean
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supper, and if you want to try your hand at squirrel hunting you can head for the nearest hardwood ridge and wait for some big, fat grays to come out and start gleaning the season’s first acorn hickory crop. Squirrels are especially busy starting in mid-September doing something that makes no sense to us but is apparently perfectly logical to other squirrels. For some reason grays start nipping the ends of oak branches and drop them to the ground this month, which seems odd because in most cases there are no or few acorns on those leafy tips and the nuts are nowhere near ripe. Plus, I can’t ever remember seeing a squirrel gathering these tips for nest building or forage, so I’m not sure what the purpose of that exercise may be. However, it brings squirrels into the open and keeps them busy well into October, which is good news for early-season hunters. Find a stand of white or red oaks and sit tight early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Sooner or later squirrels will start to show up, offering some challenging sport for sharp-eyed hunters using scoped .22 rifles or high-brass shot loads. Actually, the best shotgun load for September squirrels is the same cartridge used by spring turkey hunters. In most cases the squirrels will be 30 or 40 yards overhead in thick foliage, and the heavy shot charge in turkey loads is ideal for cutting through the brush in between. I am fond of my Browning BPS .410 and use it for most of my early fall squirrel hunting. I use No. 6 shot in 3-inch shells with a full choke and I pick my shots, taking only squirrels that are under 30 yards and wide open. It’s easy enough to move closer to a feeding squirrel, just step slowly and quietly till he’s straight overhead. On a good day and if you hunt near a den tree (any large, old dead tree that’s full of holes and scraggly branches) you should be able to take your limit of grays while sitting in one spot. Just let the dead squirrels fall where they may and pick them up on your way out of the woods. If you move around too much you’ll
(Miracle cont. pg 21)
Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Man
Miracle
(Cont. from pg 20)
(Cont. from pg 17)
alert any remaining squirrels, which may not resume feeding for as much as 30 minutes. All of this is good practice and training for deer season. If you can hit a feeding squirrel in the head with a .22 at 40 yards you’ll have no trouble nailing that big buck come November!
mouth from the land. Buffalo, elk, bighorn sheep, and mule deer were so abundant that they shot an animal or two whenever they needed meat. They would dry meat for the occasional lean times. He acknowledged the waste; it is a shame to kill one of those large fat Cows merely for two mens suppers. The Snake Indians were friendly around Fort Hall, but Russell describes many skirmishes and a surprise attack by 60 Blackfoot Indians along
Steve Carpenteri has been an ardent fan of small game hunting in Maine and elsewhere for over 60 years.
the shores of Yellowstone Lake. He was struck by arrows in his hip and knee. The Indians left after taking their horses, pelts, and gear. One trapper was never seen again. Russell and his companions treated their wounds with salt and beaver fat and limped and crawled 150 miles back to Fort Hall. The mountain man led a difficult life, but there were leisure times as well. Osborne Russell had access to books at Fort Hall that he read over and again on expeditions. He witnessed the great herds of bison and elk that would soon
Page 21
be gone. In 1843, he sadly accepted the beaver were trapped out when he penned a farewell poem to the Rockies. Ye rugged mounts ye vales ye streams and trees, To you a hunter bids his last farewell…The herds are dwindling very fast, The numerous trails so deep by Bisons worn, Now teem with weeds or over grown with grass…
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 22
Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 7)
slightly, looking at the ground, then he’d speed up again, a thoughtful look on his face. We found the group of five men near the bank of the stream not far from the big stand of hemlocks Lute had told us about. They looked up as we approached. Juice Halfcock, a barrel of a man with a scraggly beard stained with chewing tobacco, was examining the shotgun Lute had left behind. “This is the place, men,” he said solemnly. “Keep yer eyes peeled.” “I was afraid you might shoot us for Bigfoot, Juice,” Joe said sarcastically. Juice scowled but tall, rail-thin Lyman Cringe chimed in. “Knowed you wasn’t Bigfoot. You ain’t big enough. Why, Lute said the Bigfoot was 12 feet tall an’ had four eyes.”
“Eight feet tall and with two black holes for eyes,” I corrected. Joe shook his head in exasperation, but Lyman just scowled. “Ain’t the way we heard it.” “Look, boys,” Joe began. “We all know they ain’t no such thing as Bigfoot. “It’s jest somethin’ to sell television shows an’ tourist trinkets. An’ as far as a Bigfoot lurkin’ around here…” “What was that?” Clara said sharply. “What?” Juice demanded, instantly alert. “I thought I heard a…” Suddenly, we all heard the crackling of brush back under the hemlocks. A screen of alders separated us from the bases of the big trees and then, through a natural opening in the small trees some six feet in the air, a round, hairy face glared at us. Instead of eyes, two black holes the size of fists led deep
into the craggy skull. Through the thick underbrush we could just make out the hulking form of a hairy body as it started to turn. Joe opened his mouth to say something, but whatever he said was drowned out in a fusillade of rifle shots. “Got ‘im!” Juice cried. The face in the opening had disappeared. The five men pushed through the screen of trees, rifles at the ready. Me, Joe and Clara moved in behind them. The shooters stood in a group, staring around, puzzled. The little glade under the hemlocks lay empty. But big tracks scuffed the evergreen needles and moss under the trees, and a trail of tracks led off upstream. “No blood…nothin’!” Lyman bleated. “Ain’t natural,” Juice said with a scowl, spitting tobacco juice to one side. “I know I had my sights right on ‘im. But them Bigfoots kin soak up
a lot of punishment.” “Without bleeding at all?” Joe asked mildly. Juice’s face darkened. “Maybe they don’t got blood. Maybe they heal up right off.” “Well, there’s the trail,” Joe continued. “Have at it.” Lyman swallowed nervously. “Headin’ right into the swamp. If’n it waits in ambush, we ain’t got a chance. “Took ever ’thing we could throw at it an’ didn’t go down,” Juice agreed, wiping his mouth with the back of a sleeve. “Let’s go back ter town an’ think this over.” The men moved off toward the field, glancing over their shoulders and muttering among themselves. Clara had been flitting about the clearing, taking pictures from all angles. Now she stuck the camera back in her bag. “Can’t wait, boys. Got an article to write and news
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October 2019 to get out to the wire services. I’m probably the only one in America right now that has actual photographs of Bigfoot tracks.” She scurried toward the field, following the men. Joe stared at the tracks and I could have sworn I saw a slight smile on his lips. “I don’t know,” I said. “I saw something. I mean, there was something there, but I’ll be darned if I know what it was. But it had to be alive. It moved off.” Joe looked at me. “Yeah, it did. Let’s go back to the farm.” “Yes,” I agreed, falling in beside Joe as he walked through the trees. “We’d ought to tell Alfina the Bigfoot, or whatever it was, has headed back into the swamp.” Joe looked at me strangely, but kept on walking. We found Alfina in the kitchen. “I heard shots,” she said nervously. “Is everything all right?” “Yeah,” I replied. “They fired at something, but whatever it was headed back into the swamp.” “Well, as long as nobody got hurt,” Alfina said, relieved. “Would you boys like some lemonade and cookies?” I opened my mouth to politely refuse, but Joe slid into a chair at the table. “Sounds good, Alfina,” he said, looking at her from under hald-closed lids. “Look, I know you’ve been trying to sell some of that land down along the stream. Had any bites lately?” “Well, funny you should ask, Joe,” She said. “I hadn’t had any calls at all, but since this Bigfoot thing came about, my phone’s been ringing off the hook. Folks from far away as Boston been asking about renting camping space or even buying lots. Say they want to camp in Bigfoot territory.
(Me & Joe cont. pg 26)
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 23
Big Buck or Bust
I have been hunting deer for 17 years now and, while I have a nice collection of antlers, I have never shot a big buck… like a really BIG buck. That is going to change. I made the proclamation to Dad on June 30th and I am making it here. I will shoot a big buck this year or it will be tag soup. As I write this, we have seen four big bucks on our trail cameras, spread across three different properties. One of them is my missing 8-pointer. He does not have the biggest body of all of the deer that we are seeing, but he is an 8 and the missing piece to my sets of antlers. The other three are big bodied, beautiful animals that I would love to catch a glimpse of and hope that I can hold off the buck fever until after the shot. Last season, I’m certain that I was the only one in our
zone that didn’t have a doe tag. I had to wait for a buck. And I waited. And waited. I watched a group of 10 does walk in front of me as I sat in my stand and I couldn’t do anything about it. The big buck that we had been after was staying nocturnal, but his fresh tracks in the snow proved that he was staying close by. I wanted to wait and see if I could catch him
during muzzleloader season. We knew where he was staying most of the time. It was just a matter of me being in the right place at the right time. When a nice buck stepped out with two does the afternoon before Thanksgiving, I was torn. The temps were supposed to drop to single digits the next morning and the thought of continuing to sit in the woods by myself (everyone else had tagged out)
Women In The Woods by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME was more than I could handle. I shot that buck in a snow squall and happily punched my tag. The big buck lived on… and made it through deer season. There is also some pressure that comes with being an outdoor writer. It’s great to write about hunting but it’s even more fun to write about a successful hunt. I have not told Dad this yet, but I am giving myself one out this year: if it is getting late in the season and none of us have punched our tag but I have the opportunity to put meat in the freezer, I
will. But that is my only out. This season, I will work on my patience and try to out hunt one of those big bucks. Wish me luck! Erin is a member of the OWAA and the New England Outdoor Writers Association. She is a senior writer for Drury Outdoors’ DeerCast and is the President and co-Founder of the non-profit group Women of the Maine Outdoors. You can read about Erin’s adventures and contact her at www.andastrongcupofcoffee.com
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 24
October 2019
Question Of The Month October 2019
Should Hunters Need Permission to Hunt Private Land? By Joshua Reynolds
On September 5th Bangor Daily News outdoor editor John Holyoke wrote a column asking readers the following question, “Do you think hunters should need permission to hunt on private land?” The column, and question asked, were published following the verdict handed down to Robert Trundy, a deer hunter who shot and killed Karen Wrentzel in 2017. The victim owned the land Trundy was hunting on. She was out and about, searching for gems. The hunter shot her thinking she was a deer. Trundy’s prison sentence of 9 months for manslaughter has been widely questioned in the media given the extenuating circumstances. Reading readers’ re-
sponses regarding this question were varied and sometimes surprising. One of the most surprising to me was to learn that many, many landowners are unaware that currently, statute allows anybody to access private land without permission unless it is posted no trespassing. Stated another way, you are only trespassing if the land is posted. This law, or how it can be applied, is sometimes vague. If someone tells you to stay off their land, and you ignore them, you are trespassing even if it’s not posted. It is illegal to “tip” trees on private land without written permission, even if the land isn’t posted. One reader made a reference to this law making the comparison that it is not logical to allow hunters
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to hunt without permission, but you can’t “tip” without permission. She has a point. I, for one, understand the current law in Maine and enjoy the fact that it sets us apart from just about every other place in the U.S. Historically, the law worked pretty well as the great majority of the landowning public also hunted and understood the law as hunters did. If you don’t want people on your land, post it. It has always been this way. Unfortunately, and as it is with most things, times have changed. The landowning public is different. Gone are the days of large tracts of private land, woodlots and farm plots
News
(Cont. from pg 12) Xiaolian Ding, age 75, of Silver Spring, Maryland drowned when the canoe she was traveling in overturned and she became trapped underneath at approximately 5:30 p.m. Ding, her husband Nimin Wang, age 82 ,and her daughter, Qiong Wang, age 49, all of Silver Spring had rented a canoe in Bethel and had just started their trip downriver when the canoe they were paddling became stuck on a rock. Nimin Wang was paddling in the stern of the canoe
that made up the bulk of the land in most of Maine. South of Bangor and East of Route 2, you will be hard pressed to find these big, open tracts. Combine this with the fact that most hunters and most of the deer reside on these smaller, private plots of land and now we’ve got a problem. I wish it were not the case, but you can’t wish the good old days back and ignore the realities of today. The law will change. Hunting is still a very safe thing to do, but the tragic and unnecessary death of Karen Wrentzel, who did nothing wrong, will usher in a new era in Maine trespassing statute
and will affect every one of us who hunts private land. The best thing we can do as hunters is to ask for permission from land owners, whether the land is posted or not, and do it before every season. If you don’t do this as a matter of course, consider it good practice because before long, you’ll be doing it whether you want to or not, or wind up ticketed for trespassing or worse.
with Qiong Wang paddling in the bow and their mother Xiaolian sitting in the middle when their canoe became wedged on a rock. Nimin and Qiong tried to push the canoe off the rock, and as they did the canoe overturned, with Nimin and Qiong thrown from the canoe and Xiaolian trapped underneath the canoe as it floated downriver. The father and daughter were able to get the canoe and Xiaolian to shore as a witness on the opposite shore called 911. Xiaolian was unresponsive once on shore, and efforts by Nimin and Quiong to revive
Xiaolian were unsuccessful, as were later efforts by Bethel Rescue emergency personnel. The Maine Warden Service, Bethel Ambulance and Rescue Services, Bethel Fire Department and the Oxford Sheriff’s office all responded and assisted with the drowning.
Editor’s note: If you have thoughts about this issue or wish to respond, please email the author at: jreyn207@gmail. com
MDIFW Honors Charlie Mann, George Smith For A lifetime Of Outdoor Achievement Charlie Mann of Win-
(News cont. pg 60)
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Bird’s Nests
In October I walk through my land in Cooper over a ground layered with leaves. So now I can see what the leaves hid before they were shed from my deciduous trees. There will be bird nests. Once
they had been in pristine condition and served their purpose. They functioned as shelters to withstand the elements and for protection. The female laid the eggs and incubated them and the young were reared there. Now the nests are abandoned and not in pristine condition. But they would be sufficiently
intact to reveal their builder’s identity. Bird nests are as diverse in shape and form as are the number of bird species that come to my land. I might find a Crow’s nest, a large
basket of sticks and twigs in the crotch of a tall tree. The Broad-winged hawk’s nest looks similar but usually there will be an evergreen branch or two sticking out. For some reason many raptors decorate with them and replace them when they turn brown. The wide cup nests made of grass
Togue caught by Cole Keegan from Brookfield, NH. The fish weighed 6 lbs. and was caught on 8 colors of lead core line on a pumpkin seed streamer. Boat operator was Dylan Nichols.
and cemented with mud on the outside are from Robins. The evergreens often have similar looking nests, but they are heavily garnished with lichens and moss on the outside instead of mud. These are from Cedar Waxwings. Red-eyed vireos’ nests are delicate looking pouches made of birch bark and spider webs. They hang from the end of branches. Blue-headed vireos have similar looking nests,but they always use conifer twigs too. The goldfinches make a cup nest made from plant fibers and lots of thistle down. Their nests are at the base of branches and not suspended. Goldfinches are one of the last species to nest because they use thistle down and this only is available late in the summer. I hope some time to find a walnut sized nest of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. The Northern Parula
Page 25
The Bird Perch by Karen Holmes, Cooper, ME Warbler builds nests festooned with hanging gray-green beard mosses. It is necessary to look for nests closer to the ground or even on it. Catbirds nest in dense shrubbery and use many strips of grape bark woven among the twigs and grasses. The Chestnut-sided Warbler nests built in shrubs are flimsy looking and made entirely of fine grasses. On the ground the Ovenbirds build a domed nest. So do the Winter Wrens. Often you can find many of their nests, with an entrance hole on the side about the size of a quarter. Male Winter Wrens build several nests and their mate chooses one of them. Only that nest will be lined with fur and feathers by the fe-
male. Northern Waterthrushes often build within an upturned tree root. From looking for bird nests in the fall I have developed a deep appreciation for their artistry. Birds do not receive any instructions on how to build nests. Nest construction behavior is genetically encoded. This to me is just amazing. Karen Holmes lives in Down East Maine where she enjoys the natural landscape and all its creatures. She volunteers for various wildlife surveys because she believes it is important to be a citizen scientist. She writes for various publications and is an Associate member of the New England Outdoor Writer’s Association.
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 26
Me & Joe
said, looking at Joe with what I thought was a worried expression. “Farm work gets harder every year. I been shoveling manure an’ I guess it tired me out.” Joe burst out laughing, and I looked at him uncertainly. “Yes, I guess you have been shoveling manure,” he said with a grin. He glanced out the window at the garden. “Say, Alfina, what happened to that old oversized burlap scarecrow of yours?”
(Cont. from pg 22)
‘Course, it’s all nonsense, but if it sells the lots, well, social security does me all right but a little extra money would make things a lot easier around the farm.” “Know what you mean,” Joe said, still with that slight smile on his face. “Say, you sound a little out of breath.” “Well, I guess I am,” she
She stared at him, nervously. “Oh, that ratty old thing? It was about falling apart. I threw it somewhere. Expect I’ll have to make me a new one.” “Oh, I don’t know,” Joe continued, his grin widening. “I think you’ll be able to use the old one again before long. You see, Alfina, down there in the clearing under the hemlocks?” “Yes?” she said fearfully. “I looked up.” “Oh!” she said, cover-
ing her mouth with a hand. Her knees seemed to give out and she slumped down into a chair. I glanced back and forth between the two of them. “What am I missing here?” Alfina ignored me, staring across the table at Joe. “What made you suspect?” “Other than the fact that I’ve been running these woods all my life without so much as a hint of a Bigfoot around?” Joe
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October 2019 said. “Well, there was the tracks made by your big barn boots along that fence line across the field. Made yesterday, an’ you was really hurryin’. Behind that fence line Luther couldn’t see you an’ you could get down to the stream before he got there.” “Almost didn’t make it back to the house before he did after he dropped the shotgun an’ ran,” she said. “What am I missing here?” I repeated. Joe looked across the table at me. “If you had wasted less time staring at them fake footprints she scuffed in the turf and looked above your head, you’d have seen Alfina’s scarecrow dangling up in the hemlock branches, hangin’ from a pulley system.” I stared at the old woman seated beside me. “You made it all up?” “It wasn’t really that hard,” Alfina looked down at the table sheepishly. “You see, people want to believe something beyond themselves, that something is out there that we haven’t discovered yet.” “An’ usin’ Luther Vaguely was a really smart move. You had to know he’d go back to town an’ tell everybody in sight what happened to him.” Alfina smiled. “All I had to do was tell him not to say anything. That’s all it took. I couldn’t think of how to really create a Bigfoot, but then I was watching the Wizard of Oz the other night on the TV, and I thought…Scarecrow… something moving behind the screen of trees. It all came together.” She chuckled. “Just as long as there was no little dog around to draw attention to the old woman standing behind one of the big trees a few yards away, pulling on the clothesline rope.” “But why,” I said. “What did you do it for, other than entertainment, I guess.” “Don’t be thick,” Joe said. “She’s been tryin’ to sell that land down by the stream for months. Land sales been stagnant for years. But if folks from away think that land’s got a Bigfoot on it, well, I expect the price jest went up.” Alfina chuckled. “It did indeed. Now, all I’ve got to do is take the ladder back down there and remove the old scarecrow and the pulley
(Me & Joe cont. pg 27)
Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Me & Joe (Cont. from pg 26)
arrangement, and I’ll be home free.” She looked at us, suddenly uncertain. “That is, unless you boys are going to give me away.” “Your secret’s safe with us, Alfina,” Joe said, grinning once more. “And we’ll go down and remove the evidence for you. You jest stay here by the phone so if any more buyers call.” An hour later the scarecrow was back on its pole in the garden, the rope back on the clothesline and the pulleys back in the tool bin in the barn. “Juice and his buddies didn’t do bad at snap shooting,” I said as we walked toward Joe’s Jeep. “But you have to look real close to see those bullet holes in the scarecrow.” Right then a purple van with a satellite dish and various antennas sprouting from its roof swung into the yard. A portly man with a carefully groomed beard leaned out the window. Other men peered at us from inside the cab. “Pardon me,” the driver said importantly. “But is this the Pale Farm? We’re the Bigfoot Busters from the Prevarication Channel on TV. Perhaps you’ve heard of us.” “Can’t say as I have,” Joe said casually. “But, yes, this is the Pale Farm. But I don’t think you’re gonna be findin’ many Bigfoots right around here.” The man smiled condescendingly. “That’s what we hear from all you yokels,” he said, and tromped on the gas, heading up the driveway to the dooryard. I looked after the van, grinning slightly. “You know,” I said. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever been thought of as a yoke.” Joe smiled back. “Well, that ain’t so bad. Jest think, you could be up there in that van an’ be thought of as a gullible fool instead.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 28
New Hampshire Guide’s Journal
Fall Crappie Fishing
tive because basin depths vary from lake to lake. In many cases it simply means the deepest section of a lake or pond. Some water bodies that hold crappie have very distinct basins that are 20, 30, and even 40 feet deep; these are usually great places to fish. Once you figure out where the basins are and which one you want to fish, head for the upwind side of it and begin your drift. Kayaks make the ultimate attack vessels because of their stealth and low profile. Being low to the water means they catch less wind and therefore drift more slowly. Electronics, such as a Vexilar sonar flasher, give you a huge leg up when fishing for suspended deep-basin panfish, because they show the depth of the fish in real time. If you don’t have electronics, don’t worry, you will still catch fish. Luckily, once you figure out where fish are suspended, you will usually catch fish at that same depth until there is another significant change in water temperature or quality. If you ice fish for crappie then you probably already have a lot of the necessary tackle. Small 12mm tungsten jigs with soft plastics, such as the Maki or Jamei from Maki Plastic, work great. The Live baby Shad by Lake Fork Trophy Lures and size 3 Salmo Chubby Darter are a couple of my favorites. Vary your jigging cadence until you find a particular pattern that works well. When choosing a lure color, match the existing light conditions: bright day = bright colors, dark days = dark colors. When all else fails, you can’t go wrong with a Swedish Pimple tipped with a bit of garden hackle. These are some of the most widely used techniques across the country to catch fall
by Tim Moore, NH
Cooling water temps have triggered crappie and other panfish to move out of the shallows and school up over deep basins in ponds and smaller lakes. For some anglers, myself included, October is the most productive month of the year to fish for black crappie. Add ultra-light gear to the equation and you’ll not only catch a lot of fish, but you will have a boat load (pun intended) of fun as well. The first task is to locate deep basins. This is where lake
October 2019
maps and charts come in handy. In this age of smart phones there are a myriad of lake map apps to choose from. I use the Navionics app; it not only gives very detailed information about the contours of almost any lake or pond, it will also show your location on the chart. No more lining up objects on shorelines to find the honey hole. Just remember to close the app once you get where you are going or the GPS function will drain your battery in about an hour. The term “deep” is rela-
Central Maine Region
(Fishing cont. pg 31)
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
New Law at Grand Lake Stream According to Regional Fisheries Biologist, Greg Burr, of the Downeast Region, landlocked salmon fishing at Grand Lake Stream during the month
of October should be excellent. Certainly not like last fall, when all of the fish hatchery improvements were underway. Cool water is now, and has been flowing into the fish hatchery since late in 2018,
and will continue year ‘round, keeping those valuable salmonids alive and well. As most people found out, during the last several
years, before 2019, quite a number of hatchery fish, salmon and trout, were lost during the critical months of July and August. One year, nearly 25,000 brook trout were lost due to the water temperature
in the rearing pools reaching near eighty degrees! Hard to believe, but true. Well, no more! This year, so far, even during those critical months, according to Biologist Burr, NO fish were lost due to high water temperature. And that, my friends, is GREAT news! There are now two new intake valves that take cool water - near fifty-five degrees -from a far out deeper depth in the lake above, and another ingesting pipe just below surface water a bit warmer - at sixty-five to seventy degrees or so, during the summer months. These valves both flow into the fish hatchery where these can be adjusted and mixed for the desired water temperature for healthy inhabitants right through the year. All of this should mean exceptional angling for those fly-casting visitors to this site
Page 29
“Just Fishing” by Bob Leeman, Bangor, ME from April 1st to September 30th with a one-fish daily limit, and the special Grand Lake Stream fall, October, no fish limit season that closes on October 20th. Now next year that special fly-casting only, no-fishlimit season, may be extended five more days until October 25 th. That is, IF a new law proposal makes it through the current legislature. Interest arose on this proposal from local business men and lodge owners, etc., who circulated a petition on the possible extension of the season by the end of the month of October. But the Maine Fish & Wildlife Department, and the fisheries staff, believe a
shorter extension of the season to five days, rather than the eleven days, as of now, for a trial period, would be better. Of course, the proposal must be approved by legislation before becoming law, perhaps in 2020.
Bob Leeman is a Master Maine Guide, outdoor writer, naturalist, book author, and a co-host of the “MAINE OUTDOORS” radio program on Sunday evenings from 7-8 p.m. His three books are all available at several bookstores and fly shops, or directly from him. For information on his books, please call 207-989-7696.
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Page 30 Northwoods Sporting Journal
Lug Nut Blues
Outdoors In Maine
tire-changing regimen. Why? Because, unless you are Charles Atlas, you will never be able to loosen the lug nuts! I f your truck is a modern pickup, it is probably equipped with these shiny, smartlooking chrome lug nuts. If they
by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME As Maine comedian Bob Marley would say, “Looky, looky, lissy, lissy.” If you are an old guy, like me, who likes to drive his pickup on the logging roads in October looking for a bird to shoot, check your lug nuts before you strike out. Let’s say that you are somewhere on the newlygraded Blanchette Road north of Musquacook Lake as the autumn sun sinks in the West. You’ve got a couple of birds
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October 2019
have been there a few years, the moisture has likely gotten between the hard metal base and the chrome cover so that they expand into a bastard size that defies both the China-made toy lug wrench or your best metric socket set. If you are lucky enough to get the lug wrench onto the enlarged lug nut, you will never be lucky enough to separate the lug nut from the wrench – if, indeed, you are blessed with enough muscle to actually turn the lug nut. Standing on the lug wrench handle and even jumping up and down will be an act in futility. There is a way, however.
Don’t worry about looking foolish. In a back woods breakdown, appearances don’t matter. Function is everything. (Somebody tell Detroit). If you don’t own a batteryoperated impact driver with appropriate sockets, do as I did. Include in your emergency tool kit a hefty plumber’s pipe wrench and a 6-foot length of sturdy pipe with enough diameter to fit over the handle of the pipe wrench. Don’t worry about looking foolish. In a back woods breakdown, appearances don’t matter. Function is everything. (Somebody tell Detroit).You’ll also need a socket with some length to it, so there is room to tighten the pipe wrench to it. Once the pipe wrench is tight on the socket, insert the length of pipe over the handle of the pipe wrench and grip the upper end of the long pipe. Now apply pressure and presto! Let the law of physics teach that rascally high-fashion lug nut that there is more than one way to undue the handiwork of that sadistic kid at the local garage where you had your tires rotated. You know the one. The skinny lad with the smirk who is armed with the heavy duty air-powered impact wrench. You think I’m the only guy with the lug nut blues?
(Lug Nut cont. pg 31)
October 2019
Fishing
(Cont. from pg 28)
crappie. If you like crappie fishing then the fall bite is not to be missed. It has already begun and should improve throughout the month. Early morning bites will usually be better with fish often coming one after another. With a little time and effort you can catch a meal’s worth of tasty fillets in no time and still have time left to climb into your tree stand for the afternoon hunt if you wish. Be mindful of your state’s regulations as bag limits and lead bans vary from state to state. As always, be good to the environment and clean up after yourself.
Northwoods Sporting Journal
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(Cont. from pg 30) Here is E.B. in Boyertown, PA: I’ve had two flat tires in the last three years, one on each of my cars. Both times, I found it impossible to remove the lug nuts, even with a large star wrench I keep in each car. Both times I had to call AAA and the young guys that came out almost injured themselves loosening the nuts. Finally I bought telescoping lug wrenches and, with the extended leverage, the nuts can be budged. I mentioned this to the tire dealer and my regular mechanic. They both said that they had to tighten the nuts to specifications. What’s with this? It didn’t used to be difficult to change a flat tire. Happy Trails. 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 at 7 p.m. Sundays on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored three books; online purchase information is available at www. maineoutdoorpublications.net
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 32
Opening Day Track
The Buck Hunter by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME Fall has officially arrived in the north country. The bright reds and burnt orange colors of the maple ridges signal the end of the growing season. Frost is beginning to turn the weeds brown and the moose and deer have shed the velvet from their antlers. My wife feeds a variety of birds in her feeders and by
October 2019
year. When the Gobies show up they land on the deck railing where we feed them all winter and look in the windows. It’s funny how the same ones return every year as if to say here we are again. Last year, fall came early, and we had snow on the ground from the third week in October
lem that had only ended on Tuesday, I headed for the high country first thing in the morning on the opener in search of a big buck track. I drove up into a mountain and parked my old Ramcharger “Gray Ghost”. I grabbed my pack and rifle and headed up into the mountain hoping to find a Big old boy holed up. I was still in sight of
road before heading to lower ground. It was obvious that this buck was checking on does and I followed him through several chopping’s, before he turned and headed back up the mountain behind another decent sized buck. When the bucks got up out of the hardwoods, they both abruptly turned up onto a green knob. I knew that
the Ram when I cut a buck track coming down that was a couple days old. I figured that I might as well follow it backwards to see where he had come from. I had only gone up his backtrack about fifty yards when I cut another buck track coming down that had been made in the night. It was the track of a buck around 200 pounds, so I decided to see where he was headed. Neither of those two bucks, had crossed the logging road which is quite common. The one I took went out of his way to go around the end of the
they would probably be at the top laying down. With no way to circle the bluff, I was going to sneak one step at a time up their track, hoping to get a look at them, when I peeked over the top. That plan came to a screeching halt when on the first step up, I stepped on a rotted birch log covered with snow. The loud crunch could have been heard by a deer a hundred yards away, let alone the thirty yards to the top of the bluff. I stood there a minute knowing that the jig was up before easing up to the top
I got back to the truck just as darkness was settling in and light snow began to fall from the sky. It was one of the best opening day hunts that I can remember. the first of September, she noticed that most of the species have left. I don’t know if it’s because of all the natural feed in the woods that they would rather eat, or mother nature is telling them something we don’t know. The Blue Jays always stay for the winter and usually the Canadian jays “Gobies” show up in October. It will be interesting to see if they are ahead of schedule this
pretty much right through the winter from then on. There were only a few days when you couldn’t find some snow to track on. I remember staring out the window at the snow the last week of October wishing deer season was open. It actually did open on the earliest day that it can by the calendar, October 28th. Still on the mend from my meniscus operation on my knee and a back prob-
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and finding the two beds only twenty yards over the top. I sat down and had a sandwich, all the while kicking myself for stepping on the birch. As soon as I took up the chase, it was evident that the bucks were going to head high back up the mountain. I followed them for about a half a mile and then turned up a steep ravine. They had been walking and bounding some all the while. As I eased up the ravine, I noticed a track off to my right. As I looked at it, I could see that it was a buck feeding. This track looked bigger than either of the ones I had been following, so I went up the ravine to see if both bucks were still going up. After confirming that both had gone up the ravine, I decided to leave them and go after the bigger one even though the track had been made in the night. Early in the season the old bucks don’t travel far so I figured this old boy would be on the mountain somewhere. I followed the big rounded track through a spruce thicket for about a hundred yards and when I popped out the other side, there was the buck’s bed. It looked as though the buck had just left it, so I eased ahead and saw a pile of droppings. I reached down and squeezed them and found that they were not frozen, confirming that this buck was not more than a half hour ahead of me. The track
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Listen to the Sounds of Silence
As hunters, we rarely talk about hearing protection or sound suppression. If you are a serious hunter, you should be practicing on a regular basis. We expose our hearing to hazardous levels of noise. The medical industrial standard for permanent hearing loss is 85 decibels on a repetitive basis. In other words, repeated shots
their corresponding decibel signatures. As you can see, your exposure is still above the recognized safety level for repetitive exposure. There are some steps that can be taken to improve the situation. The easy answer is to double up on protection by adding ear plugs along with range muffs. In general, ear
means in addition to doubling the suppression values we need to double the inefficiencies of the two types of protectors, we never get close to where we need to be. What is the answer? Repetitive exposure is the key. The nerve endings in the ear need to recover between shots. Rifle barrels need to cool between shot strings. 7 mm Rem Magnum 166.5 dcbl. -33 dcbl red. = 133.5 dcbl. When we are sighting in a gun, the general rule is 3 shots at 30 .30.06 163.6 dcbl. -33 dcbl. = 130.6 dcbl. second intervals followed by .270 Win 162 dcbl. -33 dcbl. = 129 dcbl. a cooling interval of several .17 HMR. 147.1 dcbl. -33 dcbl. = 114.1 bcbl. minutes to allow the barrel to Handguns can be even worse. cool. While this is happening, .357 Magnum 169 dcbl. -33 dcbl. = 136 dcbl. your ears are also recovering. .22 LR 157.9 dcbl. -33 dcbl. = 124.9 dcbl. This discipline also conditions at targets. Here is the point of plugs suppress an average of us to concentrate. I have obconcern. Commercially avail- 23 or so decibels. You can see, served, that for many shooters, able hearing protection has a this totals around 56 decibels range sessions turn into a rapid decibel reduction capability of of suppression. However, we fire and a waste of ammo. Slow 23 to 33 decibels. Good, right? never can get full efficiencies down, concentrate and take Well, it’s better, but not good from any hearing protectors be- care of your equipment and enough. I have listed some cause of the variables of fit like your hearing. What does this common hunting calibers with hair, facial structures, etc. This mean for shots in the field?
October Best Shot!
I just wanted to offer up one of my photos for consideration in your monthly contest. Really want the hat! “One of the only times I can get to read my Northwood’s Sporting Journal is when I can get away from all of the busyness of life, get out in nature and enjoy my favorite magazine.” The attached photo was taken after lunch on Bar Island, Frenchman’s Bay, Acadia National Park, Maine last week. Sincerely Ken Jones
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Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME Remember the key word – “Repetitive”. The shots we take at game are rarely repetitive, so the hazard is reduced. For those that are concerned, there are products that can help with hearing protection and hearing enhancement. Numerous companies make muffs with hearing enhancing microphones. These units have noise cancelling technology that shuts off the microphones and blocks the noise at the sound of the shot. I find these units very useful for turkey hunting when you are straining to hear a distant gobbler returning your call. I have also used them on a western elk hunt for the same purpose. Like so many issues in our sport, a little common sense goes a long way. Take care of your hearing, because hearing damage is forever. This is yet
another lesson we can teach our children when we take them hunting or shooting with us. Oh, by the way, come and see us at the lake. Tom is a Registered Maine Guide. He is the owner/ operator of Shamrock Outfitters in Orient Maine with his wife Ellie. He is a retired police officer as well as a retired manager from two major firearms manufacturers. He is an NRA Certified Instructor as well as a Hunter Safety Instructor in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. You can reach Tom at Shamrock Outfitters (207) 694-2473. Please visit our Facebook Page: Shamrock Outfitters and Properties and come visit us on East Grand Lake.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Maine Outdoor Adventure by Rich Yvon, Bradford, ME
For die hard fishermen, there is nothing more pleasing than a fall day enjoyed on open water. This year should prove to be a treat due to a favorable summer fishing conditions. Rain is a good thing! Most serious anglers would agree that higher water flows is always good not only for the angler but more importantly for the fish. Getting everyone on board with the mind-set, fish come first and fisherman come second is also a good thing in my humble opinion.
Taking care of the fish and their environment, will indeed take care of the fisherman. Smallmouth bass, although considered invasive and not native to Maine, pound for pound are by far, one of the best fighting fish in North America. As water temperatures fall in late summer, bass start to feed heavily in order to survive the icy, dormant period that lies ahead. Big, egg laden females are bulking up, which presents a window of opportunity for exceptional big fish fishing.
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October 2019
October Angling Tips
Our fishing this season in Maine has been great due to plenty of water from generous rain falls. As our season comes into October, open water fishing opportunities exist for both cold and warm water inland species. Fall is here with cool nights that bring down water temps in the 60’s and 50’s. This spring in Maine was basically a flash in the pan…Our cold winter had made more ice than I can recall. In fact, on our last guided ice fishing trip in April, ice in Northern Maine was in excess of over 4 feet. Our annual rainbow smelt dip net fishing was also short lived due to stubborn ice keeping our lakes closed in. Our weather is certainly changing and effecting the when and how we fish. The summer for our inland fish was very hospitable due to a trend of moderate temps and plenty of rain fall which kept our waters flowing and running on the cooler side. Typically, the month of August is when most fisherman have a lull, target warm water species in anticipation for the cooler fall temperatures. Also in August, hot weather days typically rise water temps to over 70 degrees which stresses out our coldwater species such as the land lock salmon and brook trout. Most guides and anglers opt
for smallmouth bass in August. This year, both our cold and warm water fisheries water did better than the last few years. Smallmouth bass fishing has and should continue to do well into November until dormancy. Fishing smallmouth bass in cold water temps can most certainly be a challenge for even the most experienced of anglers. Knowing fish behavior and patterns at different times of the season is key to being successful. In other words, the tactics you used in July are not necessarily going to work for you in October. Fish holding patterns and behavior changes once water temps delve into 60’s and into 50’s. If you are to locate active fish in October,
fishing thoroughly and with finesse will help you become successful. Lake smallmouth and river smallmouth behave very differently as well as techniques. It’s always fun to fish with folks that are used to lake fishing or vise versa. There are always new things to learn from just about anyone. One thing that brings joy to a fishing guide is certainly learning new techniques, baits and approach to different fishing conditions. The more open minded, versatile and multi-task oriented you become, success will always be sure follow. Before venturing out in October, be sure to check your waters regulations. Typically they change and do not stay the same year after year. If you are interested in a Northern Maine Outdoor Adventure, please reach out to Rich! About Richard Yvon… Rich is a full time Registered Maine Guide and Luxury Sporting Lodge operator. He is a “Certified Yamaha G3 Guide” that runs fly and spin fishing trips with a G3 Jet boat and drift boat. Located in Bradford Maine, Rich guides World Class Maine hunting, fishing and recreation adventures. As well as guiding, Rich is also an outdoor writer, tree farmer, fly-fishing and certified NRA firearms instructor.
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
October Tune Up
The fall to-do list is still staring you in the face – clean the chimney, stack the wood, put away the boat, yard work – it’s never ending, but deer season is closing in fast! My suggestion is to put off today what you can do tomorrow and spend time getting tuned up for deer season. Hit the range. Most of us do not practice enough (I’m preaching to myself here). If you haven’t hit the rifle range in a while, the time is now. Take that old ammo from last year with you, and shoot it all. I know it seems like a waste to burn through a box or two of perfectly good bullets. Putting time in fine tuning your weapon is time well spent. Shoot from a bench where the gun is fixed if possible, zeroing it at 100 yards is always a good bet for a Maine deer gun. It really doesn’t matter the caliber, if you are dead on at 100, you are good inside that range and a bit beyond. Unless you are a crack shot with a flat shooting, fast caliber (.243, 7mm .08,
.308, .270 to name a few) or shooting from blind with a rest, you probably shouldn’t be taking shots beyond 150yds anyways. Don’t forget to pay attention to bullet weight that you are practicing and zeroing with – use the same manufacturer and same weight bullets that you’ll hunt with, different bullets shoot differently. Finally, after you’ve achieved tight groups on the bench at 100 yds, shoot the gun at 50yds and out to 150yds if
on a deer are about the diameter of a 10 inch pipe. If the gun is accurate, you are confident in your shooting and most importantly, you aim it in the middle of that 10inch diameter spot on the animal and don’t succumb to buck fever, you’re good. Places to hunt. If you don’t have a good spot, there is still time to find one. Relying on friends can work, but it can be a source of hard feelings too. Thankfully, nobody “owns” Maine’s wildlife. Some land-
My suggestion is to put off today what you can do tomorrow and spend time getting tuned up for deer season. possible, depending on the caliber, you’ll want to see where it’s hitting at these distances to make sure you can still get it close to where you’re aiming. The bottom line is this, most of us are not expert marksman (we may think we are, but we are not). Get comfortable with the gun you’ll hunt with, make sure it hits pretty close to where it’s aimed and realize that the vitals
owners think they own the deer on their land, but they don’t. Some hunters think they own the deer that they have found at their “spot”, they don’t. Landowners do own the land and have every right to strictly control access or no access to it. I do empathize with the hunter who gets possessive over the buck that they find and hope to hunt. I understand the disap-
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Post-Script From Pocasset by Josh Reynolds, Wayne, ME
pointment felt when you find out others are hunting him too. I don’t understand those that are rude about it, act like jerks or, in some instances, try to sabotage other people’s chances (which is illegal). If you find posted land you want to hunt, go ask the landowner for permission. Find out who else has permission too. Try to work with that person and let him know who you are and what you are up to. If you don’t like asking people for permission, than go find public land or plan on heading to the big woods where you are free to roam. Remember, someone owns these huge tracts of land too so be a good steward or prepare to see posted signs. Mark the calendar. If your life is anything like mine, you need to plan ahead to make sure you plan time to hunt. If your in-the-woods time is lim-
ited, just make sure you focus on the third week of the season. The old timers knew that the peak of the rut is your best chance at catching up to a buck. Nothing has changed. During the rut, bucks spend most of their time on their feet, moving in search of does to breed. They will stay with one done until she’s ready to breed and move on to another once the deed is done. It’s rare to see does and bucks together throughout the year. During that magic time from November 15 th to late December, it’s rare to not see them together. Increase your odds by getting in the woods as much as possible and good luck on the hunt! Josh Reynolds is the Assistant Editor of The Journal. He can be reached at jreyn207@gmail.com
Northwoods Sporting Journal The Tyer’s Corner thread and tie in the embossed
Page 36
The Herb Johnson Special
by Hugh Kelly, Detroit, ME
This month’s fly is the Herb Johnson Special. This is a very colorful streamer that showed up in the early 1960’s and was credited to Herb Johnson of Yarmouth, ME. It’s popular during fall fishing and is known to work well on trout, togue, landlocks and Atlantic salmon. I believe this is the original recipe but there are other versions out there using a top wing of brown bucktail taken from the back of a tail dyed yellow instead of purple. That’s the same color used on the wing of an Edson Dark Tiger bucktail; both wing colors
October 2019
can be deadly so feel free to substitute. Recipe for the Herb Johnson Special Thread – Black Hook – 6x-8x long streamer Body – Black wool Rib- Embossed silver tinsel, wound opposite direction Belly—White bucktail Wing – Yellow bucktail, under sparse purple bucktail Sides—Two strands of floss, one magenta, one light blue Head—Silver head, yellow eye with black pupil I use a Mustad 94720, which Mustad now calls a R7994720, size 6. You can use a 6x long hook if that is what you have. There’s no tail on this fly so you should wrap on a base of
tinsel behind the eye and wrap thread over the tinsel all the way back to the bend of the hook. If you’ve ever seen flies with a strip of tinsel hanging off the rear from being torn by fish teeth, this is a technique to reduce that problem. Embossed tinsel is available but not many people bother with it, I used UTC brand French Tinselembossed. I like it but you can use plain silver Mylar if that is what you have. Tie in a piece of black wool and wrap a body on the hook shank. Wind the tinsel forward about eight turns to make a silver rib. The rib should be wound on in the opposite direction of how you wrapped the black wool body; this will keep the rib from sinking into the black wool wraps and disappearing. The belly is white bucktail; try to use bucktail hairs taken from the tip of
the tail and not the base. This hair is finer and will give more action. The lower wing color is yellow bucktail. Don’t use too much, sparse is better. Next, tie on the floss sides. This is an unusual ingredient for a fly but it is time tested. The floss is very limber and moves well in the water giving the streamer good action, as well as a flash of color. The top of the wing is purple bucktail, don’t use too much here either, sparse is better. It’s about a flash of color and good action; heavy bunches of bucktail don’t move much. The wing, the sides and the belly should be about the same length. The head is painted with silver nail polish (or model paint) and the eyes are yel-
low with a black pupil. Painting on eyes can take some time while you wait for the paint to dry so I generally tie up a dozen and then paint eyes on all of them. You won’t see these color and material combinations on other streamers and maybe that’s why this colorful streamer has such a great reputation. This is a Maine fly in the tradition of its day and no one is taking the time to tie them anymore. That’s all the more reason to put a few in your fly wallet. Hugh Kelly has fly fished and tied his own flies for over 40 years. He and his family live in Detroit where he ties flies, drinks Moxie and plans fishing trips. He can be reached at hkellymaine@gmail.com and writes a fly tying blog at puckerbrushflies.com
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Ramblings From T8-R9 by Benjamin Rioux, Millinocket Lake
Catching Fish Matters
My fishing buddies love to give me hell because “that’s a good fish” is something I say frequently during a day on the water. Fish with me long enough and you’ll soon realize that every fish is a good fish, and every time I set the hook the entire river knows instantly. I’ve been working on relaxing – really, it’s a problem. I understand that not everyone wants their peace and quiet interrupted every time I catch a twelve-inch brook trout, but most days I just can’t help myself. I love fly fishing and catching fish, and the joy it brings me most days is as hard to contain as it is difficult to explain. That joy is what made me want to become a fishing guide, and helping people chase the fish of their dreams is a privilege I don’t take lightly. I’ve heard it said often that it’s not about catching fish, but it wasn’t until I started taking paying clients on the water that I realized how often people are lying when they say that. No one says it’s not about catching fish after a fifty fish day, or immediately upon releasing a 25” landlocked salmon that just jumped and fought for fifteen minutes. They more often than not say it after a ten-hour day that yielded only one fish, or after a bright sunny day spent sitting in a canoe with nothing to show for your troubles but a sunburn. Don’t get me wrong, beyond the fish there is plenty to admire and be grateful for in regards to the experience as a whole. I recognize completely that people take up fly fishing for different reasons, and my clients come to Libby’s with goals above and beyond catching fish. I often get romantic
about fly fishing and the places it takes me, but anyone who tells you they appreciate those places just as much if the black flies are biting but the fish are not is lying. During our day in the boat or wading a river, we might laugh together over funny stories, or have serious conversations about life while we smoke cigars, but at the very heart of it all the goal is to catch a few fish. Most of the time we accomplish that goal, but sometimes it’s beyond our control. The North Maine Woods is a beautiful place that leaves most people enchanted, but at the end of our journey when we return to the lodge, even the most appreciative client has a difficult time hiding at least mild disappointment if the fishing doesn’t fully cooperate the way they expected it to. As a fishing guide, October can be a bittersweet month. The flies I tied and the boxes I so neatly organized at the beginning of the season now tell a story. Feathers, fur, and tinsel are shredded, hooks are bent, and thread is unraveling. What started as a collection of patterns meant to fool trout and
salmon is now a collection of memories made during the last 6 months. And in those memories are lessons about what went right, or what went wrong, or what could be done differently the next time around. When my clients catch a fish that they are proud of, I’ve tried to make a habit of snipping the fly and presenting it to them at the end of the day. Some put it in their fly box, others stick it in their hat, but my hope is that most all of them recognize the significance of my gift and come back to it days or even years later and recall the memories that it represents. And I hope they share those memories with their family and friends, and maybe even tell them about the bearded fishing guide who got excessively excited every time they caught and released another fish. Ben is an avid fly fisherman, registered Maine Guide, and the Marketing director for Libby Sporting Camps. When he’s not exploring T8-R9 in search of new water, he can be reached at ben@libbycamps. com
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 38
All for One
The Gun Cabinet by John Floyd, Webster Plantation I backed my truck around and pointed it up ridge towards the silo silhouetted in my headlights. I grabbed my phone and called back to camp. My client Josh answered and I could tell by the edge in his voice he was
in camp were just as ecstatic and after many handshakes and thanks later, the trackers headed home to prepare for the next day’s hunt and to await the next call. We, on the other hand, were just about to
October 2019
were everywhere. The apple trees were loaded like I hadn’t seen in years. This combination made for some erratic bait site activity. We had some good bears on the trail cameras but my clients just weren’t seeing them when it counted – during daylight and on stand. Every night we recounted what activity was taking place around each site and the guys bolstered
The first week of the bear-over-bait season was a tough one this year. Both the soft and hard mast crops were bountiful. Berries and nuts were everywhere. on pins and needles waiting for my call. “Go and get your wallet out so you can tip the tracking dog. We found your bear, bud.” I could hear the other clients, the lodge owner and the camp cook in the background, hooting and hollering. After it calmed down, I told him we were headed to camp so he could meet and thank the tracking crew and the blood-tracking dog that saved his bear. Back at camp, I introduced Paul House and his crew, along with his dog Turbo, one of the finest trackers I’ve seen in action. It felt electric in the lodge as Josh realized he really had taken his first Maine black bear. His fellow hunters
get started. Our camp cook Skeeter had made sure the guys were well fed and ready; a long time houndsman, he knew very well that the retrieval could make for a long night and he wanted the hunters fueled up for it. The lodge owner Frank was busy readying some extra equipment - saws, pruning loppers, and extra lights, all lashed down on his ATV. When Tyler and Eric (the other hunters in camp) were ready, we made a convoy back down the ridge and set to work. The first week of the bear-over-bait season was a tough one this year. Both the soft and hard mast crops were bountiful. Berries and nuts
each other with tales of previous hunts and experiences, all the while keeping a positive attitude. Some stands were hotter than others but that varied day-to-day as well. Throughout the first four days, I saw hunters get discouraged only to be motivated again by the others. There was no feeling of competition, only a mutual bond that hunters share. It can only be felt at small hunting camps among true sportsman and I cannot express how truly good it feels to witness it – both as a guide and as a fellow hunter. When I received word that Josh had hit a bear in the waning hours of the hunt, on the very last day, I notified the
LINCOLN
other hunters. The bear was hit twice but sprinted down ridge toward the bog into heavy cover. There was an easy, unspoken determination; let’s get out of the woods and help. After the initial search came up empty and seeing the lack of a heavy blood trail, I sent our search party back to camp and made the call to our local tracking crew. It was dark by now and I knew the dog would work better with less distraction and scent around. I parked out by the road so the crew could find me and waited to see how the night would end. Sometime after midnight, the bear was finally in the back of my truck. The camp had come together – sawing
blow-downs in the way, clearing a path through the thickets, shining flashlights to guide us, and pulling and heaving the 262 pound boar in the sled up ridge, through the black of night. As their hunt came to an end that Saturday at 2 a.m. these hunters finished their week together as they had started it – all for one and one for all. John is a Registered Maine Guide, an NRA Certified Instructor and is the owner of Tucker Ridge Outdoors in Webster Plantation, Maine. He also works as an outdoors writer and can be reached at john@tuckerridge.me or on Facebook @writerjohnfloyd
2019
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
A Fight for Life
This story of an experience by the Hon. Judge Geo. H. Smith of Maine, was published in the Maine Sportsman, in March 1906. “Seated on the shore of Squa Pan Lake after a long and hard day’s work, suddenly the most fiendish cry ever heard be mortal man rent the peaceful air. Glancing toward the source of the horrible sound, he saw curled on the limb of a close-by spruce, a sight that caused him to fear for his life. An enormous red squirrel was preparing to spring on the unarmed man. With flattened ears, waving his bushy tail, the vicious beast struck terror to the almost defenseless and poorly armed man. Seizing a club he stood waiting the attack of the cruel brute, determined to sell his life at a cost. Closer and closer crept the snarling beast, its hot and fevered breath coming in gasps. Throwing the club directly at its head “the Judge” turned and ran for his canoe. The club went with a true aim and smote the beast on the leg, breaking it. With fearful sounds it crashed through the woods, after the fleeing man but, he gained his canoe. The night was spent on a rock with no fire, as the beast would be attracted by the light and could easily spring upon the man should he happen to fall asleep. Throughout the entire night the cries of his
fiendish enemy echoed o’er and o’er the hills, while the timid deer snorted in terror and the noble moose came not his feed of lily roots. As soon as dawned approached “the Judge” started on his journey for home. In the very dry summer of 1905, he returned to the lake and while walking through a dense piece of woods, “the
“the Judge” had lived and now seized the first opportunity to avenge itself. Crouching on the ground it uttered a low growl and sprang at the hunter. The trusty rifle spoke and the deadly bullet sped straight for the cruel monster. With a yell that was frightful it turned and ran, pursued by the Judge. Wounded though the beast was it ran
The night was spent on a rock with no fire, as the beast would be attracted by the light and could easily spring upon the man should he happen to fall asleep. Judge” heard the sound of a heavy body crashing through the trees. He sprang to one side and the form of a thelegged squirrel was seen to launch through the air. For all the years gone past the foe of
with great speed, and the hunter was soon left in the rear. The crimson trail however was all that was needed, and the keen eyes of “the Judge” saw their tell-tale strains far ahead. On and on the animal went, deeper
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Old Tales from the Maine Woods by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA
and deeper into the wilderness, pursued by the relentless man. After the chase had led into a most forbidding spot the trail of blood spot ceased and “the Judge” realized that he must use care. The wounded beast had evidently circled and was using every endeavor to escape. Carefully looking for the least sign “the Judge” began to fear lest the beast had escaped, when a low growl directly ahead caused him to think otherwise. A slight movement in the bushes showed where the foe was to make its last stand. With the rifle ready for instant use, “the Judge” advanced
when with a diabolical yell the beast sprang directly at this determined foe. The rifle rang out and the deadly bullet was sure this time. It crashed between the eyes of the desperate brute and it dropped at the feet of the exhausted hunter. Even in death its eyes gleamed with a fierce fire and as its noble form lay stretched on the ground “the Judge” could but feel that “it as a noble foe.” Steve is an avid hiker, paddler and historian, having collected over 25,000 Maine Woods articles to date.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October is SteelShad Time
Best Bassin’ by Bill Decoteau, Hampden, MA October is the month of opportunity when it comes to bass fishing! Cooler nights,
the beautiful foliage, October offers anglers the opportunity to land some of the largest and
“The SteelShad is the best schooling bass bait period. It can be cast fast and far to these surface busting bass, then it vibrates and falls quickly enticing schooling bass to eat it.!” shorter days and less boat traffic on an angler’s favorite body of water are just a few of these opportunities. Besides enjoying
October 2019
hungriest bass on their favorite bodies of water. Bassmaster Elite Pro Jay Yelas always has a Steel-
Shad rigged and ready B.A.S.S. Elite all year long. However, Pro Jay Yelas during the fall season, lands a fall Yelas will have three of his Lew’s Custom smallmouth on Pro Rods, paired with the SteelShad. Team Lew 7:1 Custom Pro Baitcaster reels all spooled with 10-12-15 lb. Trilene Fluorocarbon line. “If I am vertical jigging a heavier SteelShad up to 3/4 oz. deep, I like a longer rod Lew’s 7’4” H Team Lew Custom Pro Rod paired with Team Lew 7:1 Custom Pro reel. This combination allows bass.” for good hook-sets, picks up Armed with his 7’MH more line, and the 7:1 reel gear Lew’s Custom Pro Rod Jay ratio helps me control the deep Yelas scouts isolated cover,
humps or saddles, as he monitors his sonar units to locate baitfish/bass. “This is when I
(SteelShad cont. pg 43)
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
All Things Woodcock
I recently received the annual American Woodcock Population Status Report, 2019. Probably pretty dry reading for most but I must admit I look forward to this report each summer. Myself and many MDIFW biologists and others conduct
had a very deleterious effect on this early migrant. Despite the population trend, the woodcock remains a popular game bird throughout eastern North America. The management objective is to stabilize woodcock populations and
9,700 birds shot by roughly 3,800 hunters. While the number of birds taken appears low compared to other game birds, Maine still ranks number 1 in the Eastern Management Region for the most birds harvested. More woodcock were
Woodcock photo by Busta Koppenhaver several woodcock signing ground surveys in Maine each spring to monitor the status and trend of woodcock numbers each year. These data reveal an unfortunate trend; that this diminutive game bird’s population has experienced a population decline of 1.1 percent per year for the past 50 years. Most in the wildlife field believe this downward population trend is due to a widespread loss in habitat that woodcock prefer, forests in early phases of forest succession as old fields revert back from pasture to forests. With habitat being the key its common for state wildlife agencies to work with USFWS staff and groups like the Ruffed Grouse Society to get the message out about woodcock habitat and the plights of wildlife species that also require young forests. More than just woodcock rely on young forests for optimal habitat Review of the most recent American woodcock population data indicated that the number of woodcock heard singing during the 2019 Singing-ground Survey actually improved 13% in Maine over the dismal result from 2018, when late spring snowstorms
ultimately return the population to a level that occurred in the early 1970s. Protecting existing woodcock habitat and creating additional early successional habitat will be a key feature if this objective is to be met. Maine is a very important woodcock state, even though the harvest and hunter numbers seem few. Maine’s 2018 woodcock harvest and hunter effort was estimated at approximately
shot in Maine than in any other state in the Eastern Region. Despite this, wildlife biologists with interest in woodcock are very concerned about the declining hunter numbers and low harvests. Maintaining hunting participation and improving woodcock abundance are high priority issues that we hope to address throughout this birds range. Declining populations of
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Flight Feathers by Brad Allen, Bangor, ME
this and other migratory birds has prompted a renewed interest in understanding migration ecology. Researchers at the University of Maine (UMO) have initiated what they refer to as the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative. Because considerable knowledge gaps exist with respect to woodcock migration, these researchers hope to learn more about migration timing, stopover ecology, and determine survival during migration for woodcock in the Eastern Region. Recent advances in radio transmitter tracking allow woodcock to be tracked using very small satellite transmitters. These transmitters simultaneously collect global positioning system (GPS) location data and remotely transmit these locations to a central database via satellite or cellular networks. The UMO researchers recently reported on some very interesting information (that they caution is preliminary) as
they continue to collect more data this year and next. Here I will describe some of their initial findings which begin to answer questions that I and fellow woodcock enthusiasts have wondered about for years. The researchers captured and deployed 121 satellite transmitters on woodcock captured in nine states and two Canadian provinces throughout eastern North America. They obtained movement data during the spring or fall migration from 113 of these woodcock, and collected at least one full migration path for 83 birds. The average distance between capture locations and residency site (wintering or breeding area) was 835 miles in fall and 747 miles in the spring. The single night flight distance averaged 151 miles in the fall and 106 miles in the spring. So when a woodcock gets going on migration it is averaging between 100 – 150 miles each night.
(Woodcock cont. pg 50)
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
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Fishin’ Lake Ontario by Capt. Ernie Lantiegne, N.Y. On my third drift in the riffs below the Trestle Pool the strike indicator disappeared as an unseen silvery torpedo slurped an Oregon cheese glow bug dead drifting downstream inches off bottom. On the hook set, the surface erupted in a spray of water against a
minutes from my pickup, and another 20 minutes from my home, standing on the bank of New York’s Big Salmon River. The silvery 10 lb. masterpiece of Nature I had just hooked and released was a fresh run steelhead. It was one of thousands up to 25 lbs.
Fall and Winter Steelhead, It’s Not that Hard!
Big Salmon River and many other Lake Ontario tributaries provide some of the finest fishing in the eastern U.S. for big steelhead. Yet, many anglers have not enjoyed this fabulous fishery. Why? Well, simply put, it seems out of reach, mostly because many are unfamiliar with where, when, and how to fish steelhead.
Most steelhead are on the way to the Salmon River hatchery, 16 miles upstream of the lake where they imprinted as smolts before being released to migrate to the lake.
backdrop of autumn color as 10 pounds of solid muscle objected to the stinging hook. Seconds later 100 feet of line melted from my fly reel as the feisty fish roared downstream. No, I wasn’t on the Chimehuin River in Argentina fishing seas run browns. Nor, had I made the long trek to New Brunswick’s Miramichi to fish for Atlantics. I was 15
that run the Big Salmon every year beginning in earnest in October and remaining in the river until late April or early May. Most steelhead are on the way to the Salmon River hatchery, 16 miles upstream of the lake where they imprinted as smolts before being released to migrate to the lake. From early fall thru late spring for seven months the
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It is not that hard! If you have fished streams and rivers for anything from brook trout to smallmouths, you know the basic principles. If you are computer literate or know someone who is, you have access to all the info you need to gear up with essential tackle, learn the basics of steelhead fishing and be successful fishing for them. In addition, there are two other valuable sources of information. First, tackle shops like Fat Nancy’s and All Seasons in Pulaski near steelhead rivers make their living helping anglers select the right steelhead gear from waders to fly rods. They also have a wealth of knowledge about techniques,
Releasing an early morning steelhead in the Oswego River. plus where-to info. Secondly, it’s tough to beat a guided bank or float trip to learn how and where to catch steelhead. There are a few very good guides who specialize in all types of steelhead fishing, including fly fishing, drift fishing, and float fishing. Spend a day with one of these experts and you will save yourself literally years of trial and error. It is a great way to get a jump start on your way to becoming a successful steelheader. Yes, fishing Lake Ontario tributaries is not like fishing a remote Patagonia trout river because fishing pressure is much heavier on these very accessible waters. However,
the crowds can be avoided. Wait to fish steelhead until after the king and coho salmon runs have ended, say until late October. Avoid fishing holidays and weekends. Stay away from easy access points like bridges and road sides, and be willing to do a little walking to find water. Fish catch and release fly fishing areas like the section just below the Salmon River hatchery. Remember that afternoon fishing pressure is lightest, weather usually warmest, and, coincidentally, steelhead activity often greatest. Midwinter, weekday fishing pressure on these rivers is usually lighter than at at any time of the steelhead season. If you live in the Northeast it is not that hard to enjoy some of the finest river fishing in North America for one of the most fantastic gamefish on the planet. Capt. Ernie Lantiegne has operated Fish Doctor Charters on Lake Ontario for 37 years, and worked as a fishery biologist/manager for the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation for 22 years.
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
How to Hunt Grouse
H u n t i n g t h e r u ff e d grouse, the king of game birds, is a life-long challenge for most lovers of the upland. However, a systematic and logical approach will help you locate more birds. First, there are two tools
gun style for ruffed grouse is the side x side. Any of the popular styles such as over and under, pump or semi-auto will work just fine. I prefer a 20 gauge with improved cylinder in the right barrel and modified cylinder in the left barrel. If
Food and shelter are found primarily in young hardwood forests with mixed species of conifers. The hardwood forests are best if they age between five to twenty years. This age provides enough shelter from aerial predators but enough sunlight to permit ground food to grow for the grouse. The conifers provide a safe haven for roosting and from inclement weather.
On Point by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. it provides an excellent opportunity to work your dog on wild birds. For training purposes, there is no equivalent to wild bird work. Both August and September provide two months of training opportunity. When
The conifers provide a safe haven for roosting and from inclement weather. Reminder: You must have both food and shelter to locate grouse.
that make the hunt more enjoyable. The first is a grouse dog. Both pointing dogs and flushing dogs are used with success; however, I prefer pointing dogs. For pointing dog grouse hunting popularity, the English setter has always been No. 1. The setter is followed by the Brittany, the German shorthair and the pointer. Any of these pointing breeds will give you many years of grouse hunting enjoyment. The next tool is your shotgun. The traditional shot-
shooting a side x side. Shot size 7 ½ is my favorite grouse load. Now comes the challenge…how to find grouse. It’s important to recognize that all living critters need two things to survive…food and shelter. Combine the two and you have what biologists refer to as habitat. For the ruffed grouse, food comes from a variety of sources. Those sources change depending upon the geographical location and time of year. For the purpose of this column, we’ll discuss Northeast habitat.
Reminder: You must have both food and shelter to locate grouse. Your author breaks down ruffed grouse food sources, during hunting season, into three phases. The first phase is early season grouse hunting. The green food sources such as clover, strawberry leaves, raspberry leaves and; well, just about anything that’s green all are loved by the grouse. The food plate is huge which makes finding grouse a little harder. There is no need for them to concentrate around one food source. The plethora of early season food dictates that the serious grouse hunter does preseason scouting. What makes pre-season scouting fun is that
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you locate broods, mark the location on your map. Grouse do move throughout the day but usually stay within a 15 acre area. The second food phase for the ruffed grouse occurs during mid-season. By midseason, frost has killed much of the green food sources. Clover, strawberry and raspberry leaves have all turned black and have no nutritional value. Grouse food during mid-season consists of nuts, berries and apples. Apples if you’re lucky enough to have an old deserted farm in your Rolodex of grouse covers. Acorns, beech and hickory are all favorite grouse food. For berries, mountain ash, highbush cranberries, grapes are all favorite mid-season food
for the grouse. Around mid-November, we move into the third phase of grouse food during the hunting season. This phase consists primarily of buds from aspen, black cherry and apple trees. Rose hips might also be still around at this time. Tree buds are what keeps the grouse alive during the stressful winter months. Now let’s introduce science to help us find more birds. Body scent is pointing scent. Birds moving create more body scent than birds that are still. Birds move the most during feeding periods which are early morning and late afternoon. The bacterium that creates scent requires moisture to live. Hot dry periods are difficult for a pointing dog. Temperautres and humidity levels between 40 and 60 are considered ideal scenting conditions. Have a great grouse season. Perhaps Susan and I will see you in the woods. Paul and his wife, Susan, are hosts of Bird Dogs Afield TV Contact: paul@birddogsafield.com
B.A.S.S. Elite Pro include; Heavy Series 1/2 oz. bait,” VMC PermaSteel coated hooks be bent back to their original SteelShad the docks, inside & outside weed- says Yelas. As for his choice preventing rust in fresh & salt- shape! (www.SteelShad.com)
(Cont. from pg 40) will make long casts allowing 1/2 or 3/8 oz. Shad Color SteelShad baits to fall to the bottom, and then slowly retrieve it back to the boat.” Yelas adds, “If bass are following your SteelShad, try a Yo-Yo technique to encourage reaction bites.” Yelas cautions anglers to concentrate on locating baitfish and always keep an eye out for schooling bass. Yelas says adamantly, “The SteelShad is the best schooling bass bait period. It can be cast fast and far to these surface busting bass, then it vibrates and falls quickly enticing schooling bass to eat it.!” Several other areas and techniques recommended by
lines, transitional areas from summer to fall, first drop-offs, and secondary points to main points. A few SteelShad tips from Jay Yelas include; ripping the SteelShad out of the vegetation, allowing the SteelShad to vibrate as it falls to the bottom, burning the SteelShad over submerged vegetation, and bending the SteelShad to run left or right. Yelas adds, “One other outstanding location can be bluff walls and ledges. Bending the SteelShad so that it runs into the ledge or bluff wall can ignite a feeding frenzy.” “Cranking the SteelShad is one of my favorite techniques to fish! I know of no other crankbait that can cover the entire water column faster, especially for deepwater over 20 feet. My go-to SteelShad size is the new
of colors, more often than not this Elite Pro Angler sides with the Shad colors. However, he quickly adds, “Whenever I’m targeting shallow rocky areas the red (Crawfish) color has been productive.” Pausing for just a moment, “The Perch (Fire Tiger) color is dynamite on all of the Great Lakes, New York lakes, including the 1,000 Islands and St. Lawrence River Region.” Jay Yelas did reveal he has thrown the Gold color SteelShad in off-colored water, adding the extreme vibration of the SteelShad allows the bass to hone in on its location. SteelShad’s in the Elite Series have Lead FREE belly weights. All hooks are secured with split rings, allowing for quick hook changes and freeswinging. Most baits utilize
water. SteelShad 1/2 oz. Heavy Series and 3/8 oz. Elite Series comes with sharp VMC Black Nickel trebles. SteelShad bodies are extremely durable being made of malleable stainless steel. It is this stainless steel malleable material that separates SteelShad from all other blade-baits. Unlike other traditional blade baits, SteelShad Blade-Baits may be bent in a variety of directions and angles. All of which will change the SteelShad’s depth, action, and direction. SteelShad’s can also
God Bless and Best Bassin’ Billy “Hawkeye” Decoteau is an outdoor journalist with a strong passion for pursuing the Black Bass. His activities include; emceeing The Bass University weekend educational seminar programs, as well as emceeing benefit tournaments such as Maine’s Annual May Special Olympics Team Tournament, Fishing For Freedom, and working with the USO.
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Marsh Island Chronicles by Matthew Dunlap, Old Town, ME Okay, dear reader: if the lead to this story makes you think I have the Magic Almanac for Best Days for Hunting Deer in Maine, you would probably be better served to skip this and move on to one of the more reputable how-to columns here in the Northwoods Sporting Journal. My general formula for success has historically consisted more of a large dollop of good luck rather than a measured dose of science. Nonetheless, as amateur naturalists, we look to all kinds of factors in the outdoors that will undoubtedly increase our odds of success in the field. Phases of the moon are an old-time favorite. We’ve all heard that deer travel more under a full moon, increasing the odds of catching a bruiser buck on his way back to his bedding area after a heavy
night of feeding. Likewise, the new-moon phase is perfect— because the deer tend to move more under cover of darkness, relying on their sense of smell, and that increases one’s odds at catching a bruiser buck sneaking to a bedding area after a heavy night of feeding. Depending on who you talk to or which expert you subscribe to, it’s best to hunt in a high wind, heavy rain, or still, cold, frosty morning. Bucks move most in the middle of the day, or the middle of the night. We all feast on the notion that deer are most active in twilight hours, which is why we rise to prepare breakfast at uncivilized hours, and stumble out of camp in the deep predawn to assume our positions of ambush in the dark, and edgily check our watches every few seconds in the afternoon
October 2019
Best Days for Hunting
twilight while straining for the sound of the tell-tale rushing of hooves through dead understory leaves before the witching hour expires into the night—the hours owned by the local game warden. We hunger for success in the field, and I for one have been guilty of subscribing to the idea that only certain times and conditions lend themselves to success, because it was under those conditions that I found success before. While fishing with a favorite guide in a small Vermont stream some years ago, I missed several strikes in a row—because I wasn’t ready. “You have to be prepared for the strike the instant the fly hits the water,” Willy Dietrich patiently admonished. “The fish isn’t going to wait until you’re set to fish.” I have been prone to forgetting that while deer hunting. I’ve managed to take enough deer within the first twenty minutes of the shooting day
that if I’ve sat out there for an hour and haven’t seen anything, it vastly increases the odds that I’ll cash in for the day, and go home and watch hunting shows on television. Watching hunting on TV, though, doesn’t put a lot of venison in the freezer. Worse, we steal from ourselves when hunting season comes along. We plan on hunting every Saturday—or, as I used to do, every Tuesday and Thursday because those were my days off—but then something crowds in. Can you come in to work? So-and-so called in. Or we need to get firewood in. My personal favorite was the Santa pictures we would take at a photography studio when my daughter Emily was little. Somehow, that always coincided with Opening Day. To make matters worse, my devoted wife would schedule the photo shoot at nine in the morning. “Well,” she would concede apologetically, “Maybe you can hunt for an hour or two,” to which I would wave my hand in
defeat, and pose smiling around a fake fireplace bordered with plastic mistletoe and Christmas ornaments. So, I have come to believe that the best days for hunting deer are any day we can sneak away until lunch, or sneak out around two in the afternoon for the last half of the day. If you’re there when the deer is there, you will magically fill a tag. This year, if you include all of the archery, rifle, and muzzle-loader seasons in Maine, you can take to the field any day except Sunday from September 7 th to December 14th. Those, dear reader, are the very best days to hunt in 2019.
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 WRKLD 1450 AM.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Page 45
ATV's in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is a big state with a lot of land but, unfortunately for our residents, it is lagging being our neighbors in developing ATV trail
systems that will attract large numbers of ATV tourists or increase local ATV operation. People from Mass travel 4 or 5 hours with all of their gear in
tow to ride and spend money in other states, when they could be spending it here and improving the local economy. I love travelling to ride in new locations and on new trails, but I also like being able to make a game time decision to ride for a few hours closer to home. Although Massachusetts ATV clubs have been able to put together short stretches of local trails, there is a lot of room to build. On Massachusetts public land, there are 69 miles of ATV trails located between three separate parks. Compare that with 80 miles in New Hampshire’s Jericho Mountain ATV Park and you get the picture. In New Hampshire, there are more than 1200 miles of ATV trails and this outstanding riding opportunity bring riders and their cash from all over the US. North of Route 2 in Massachusetts lies an opportunity to build trail systems, connect with trails in New Hampshire and Vermont and
The Trail Rider by Rod Fraser, Hyde Park, MA
increase tourism through ATV and snowmobile promotion. I spoke with Doug McCray of the MA Trailriders. The MA Trail Riders connects ATV riders with other riders to support the sport. Doug says they are “the Tinder of the ATV world.” Doug is also on the OHV Advisory Committee which advises the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and its agencies on issues related to OHV laws and regulations, OHV use, rider outreach and OHV education. Doug sees tremendous potential in Mass and positive steps being taken with the approval of an OHV registration funded full time position dedicated to exploring ways to increase ATV operation and improve the OHV trail systems in Mass.
COMING SOON
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) offers offhighway vehicle (OHV) riding opportunities on designated trails in some of the state forests between May and November. All vehicles need to be registered. Riders under 18 must complete an operator safety and responsibility program before riding. Helmets are required. In Western Massachusetts there are four forests open to OHV use through the partnership of the Berkshire Trails Council and local OHV clubs who help to maintain the trails for all visitors. OHV trails in Western Massachusetts are challenging and only suitable for the intermediate to expert rider. Beartown State Forest
(ATV's cont. pg 46)
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 46
Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby
Kineo Currents
able to recover from ailments. As her passion for fishing and writing grew during these forays, she became a great spokeswoman for the recreational lifestyle Maine offered. She became an early proponent of catch-and-release, at a time when she noted box loads of brook trout were being shipped out of state by railcar. She also wrote in support of the new Fish & Game Commission, wardens, and laws that were being put in place against the wholesale taking of moose,
by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME I am a plain woman of uncertain age, standing six feet in my stockings. I have earned my bread for a good many years doing the work of a bank clerk. I scribble a bit for various sporting journals, and I would rather fish any day than go to heaven. So wrote Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby when asked for a description about herself back in 1894, when she began to become famous for her fishing abilities and marketing of the Maine woods. She spent much of her adult life fishing and hunting, and writing and promoting fishing and hunting, in a column and at the big outdoor expositions in Boston and New York City. She represented Maine’s first Sportsmen’s Expo at Madison Square Garden in 1895. She is also known as the first person, male or female, in
ATV's
(Cont. from pg 45) (Lee, Great Barrington and Monterey) has approximately 25 miles of OHV trails suitable for motorcycles or ATVs. October Mountain State Forest (Lee, Lenox, Washington and Becket) has approximately 30 miles of OHV trails suitable for motorcycles or ATVs. Pittsfield
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October 2019
Maine to be a registered guide. Most of her time was spent in Farmington and in the Rangeley area, but she also liked to guide on Moosehead Lake, from Mt. Kineo. She was a leader of a number of the Maine Fish & Game Association’s annual gatherings at Moosehead, before they were switched to being held in
her clients were often wealthy businessmen from cities who came to Maine to relax in rustic means. She herself spent a good amount of time at camps. One 1893 column about the Mooselookmeguntic House provides a typical description of life at camp: Here were Mr and Mrs. B. G. Ackerman of New York City, who had been very successful. They had fished six days and had caught ninety trout, sixty-two of which they had packed to take home, their largest, taken by Mrs. A.,
I scribble a bit for various sporting journals, and I would rather fish any day than go to heaven. differing areas around the state. When her column began to attract a large following, she switched to signing her name “Flyrod.” When she could, she left the job as a bank clerk to devote her time to the outdoors as much as possible. She suffered poor health throughout her life, but found relief in the outdoors and retreated into the woods, where she was often
deer, and fish. Even so, she has the distinction of reportedly shooting Maine’s last caribou. The well-known photographer E. R. Starbird of Farmington showcased her, too, because she captured the imagination of what out-of-staters came to Maine for: the camps, wild scenery, and wealth of wildlife, woods, and water. Like many other guides of the day,
4 1/2 lbs. Mr and Mrs. Theo Harris of New York were with them and caught fifty-two trout, the largest 3 1/2 lbs. Mrs. Harris, one afternoon in two hours, caught eight, the largest 2 1/2. Of the Kineo House on Moosehead Lake, in 1898 she writes: It is almost impossible to tell the number of guests at one time, for they go off camping in all directions. Each guide
State Forest (Pittsfield, Lanesboro and Hancock) has approximately 14 miles of OHV trails suitable for motorcycles or ATVs. Additionally, there are trails for motorcycles only: Tolland State Forest (Tolland, Sandisfield and Otis) has Approximately 15 miles of OHV trails best suited to MGL c. 90 registered motorcycles (motorcycles registered and equipped to ride on public roads). Many Tolland trails merge with public
ways where ATV use is prohibited; ATV riders will find more suitable trails in Beartown, October Mt. and Pittsfield State Forests. In Southeastern Massachusetts there are two forests are open to motorcycle use only, OHV use through the partnership of the Pilgrim Sands Trail Riders and King Philip Trail Riders who help to maintain the trails for all visitors. Freetown-Fall River
State Forest (Freetown and Fall River) with approximately 25 miles of single track trails for the expert rider and F. Gilbert Hills, Wrentham and Franklin State Forests (Foxboro, Wrentham and Franklin) with approximately 8 miles of single track motorcycle trail in each of the three forests. Best suited to intermediate to expert riders. For more detailed information, trail maps and directions go to https://www.mass.gov/visitmassachusetts-state-parks
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here has a canoe, tent, and cooking utensils, and at short notice a party will be off for a day or a week’s outing. Just as I was leaving, Blackhawk Palmer one of the guides came in from three days’ camping at Spencer Pond with a Boston party. They found the fly fishing excellent and almost as many deer as trout, for look wherever they would, deer were constantly feeding. She received many gifts from admirers, including a 4.5 oz. Wheeler fly rod from her friend, Charles E. Wheeler, also of Farmington, a pioneering maker of split bamboo rods. She wrote into the 1920s. She died in 1946.
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 47
Cast and Blast
The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) opened the ruffed grouse season three days earlier than normal this year to give hunters the opportunity to go fishing and hunting on the last weekend in September. This
trout and salmon almost always bite well during the last part of September and the grouse (or partridge as I like to call them) are still bunched up in coveys. So, when you see one partridge you had better look around because there is apt to
The author’s wife Ruth and their gundog Maverick. (Photo by Matt LaRoche)
weekend has been affectionally called “cast and blast” weekend. What could be better than going camping in the Maine Northwoods with your fly rod and your shotgun? I’m getting excited just writing about it! Seasoned outdoor enthusiasts know that the brook
be several more nearby. There is nothing quite as exciting as flushing a whole flock of birds. When it does happen, you need to concentrate on one bird at a time or you might end up empty handed. It looks like the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW)
Track
time, searching everywhere for the buck. I’d only gone about ten yards, when suddenly the buck stood up in front of me and lunged into the spruces before I could get a bead on him. I couldn’t believe that the buck had been laying right where I was looking without me seeing him. When I walked ahead to where he was laying, I could see why. He had laid in a depression about two feet deep under a big spruce tree. It was odd that the buck had fed downhill and then laid down, but lying in that hole saved his skin. He was just low enough over the crest of the hill so I could not even see his antlers sticking up out of the brush. I got a good enough look to see that he was a heavy horned 8 pointer with a huge
(Cont. from pg 32) lead me higher up on the mountain as the buck fed on old mans beard moss on all of the blown down spruce. I was going slow one step at a time thinking that I should see him at any moment. When the buck came to three spruces blown down together, I stopped to listen and look for movement around the blow downs. After a few minutes I circled below the blowdowns and picked up the track coming out and headed down. There was a ten-yard wide opening with just small brush for about thirty yards with the buck’s track going down the middle of it. I took one step ahead at a
will have good water levels this fall to support canoeing. This is a great opportunity to take a cast and blast canoe expedition down the waterway. The fishing is almost guaranteed to be good at the end of September and my dog has found plenty of birds in and around the waterway on our morning walks. Be advised, that firearms are not allowed within the restricted zone (approx. 500 feet away from the water) of the AWW until October 1st. On
The Allagash AWW Superintendent, Matt LaRoche, ME
We never saw another person on our journey except at the Churchill put-in and at the Michaud Farm ranger station. We saw and heard lots of wildlife, had an outstanding wilderness adventure and learned a lot about late-season camping. We were ill prepared
It looks like the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) will have good water levels this fall to support canoeing. This is a great opportunity to take a cast and blast canoe expedition down the waterway.
October 1st, the only restriction is no hunting within 300 feet of a campsite, designated trail or other developed area. See AWW rules for the details concerning firearm restrictions in the AWW at: www.maine. gov/allagash. My first multi-day canoe trip down the AWW was in October of 1975. My college roommate and I started our trip at Churchill Dam and paddled to the Town of Allagash. body. I’m guessing he would have weighed at least 250 pounds. He blasted down off the mountain, headed for parts unknown. I followed him until I had to turn and head back for the truck and he never slowed down. I got back to the truck just as darkness was settling in and light snow began to fall from the sky. It was one of the best opening day hunts that I can remember. I called it my practice run for the following week! Until next month, good luck on the trail! Hal is a Master Maine Guide, Author and President of Big Woods BucksHe lives in Moose river with his wife Deb. Hal can be contacted through email at: hal@bigwodsbucks.com
for the cool nights. I slept in a $20.00 sleeping bag with no sleeping pad and the water froze in our water pail every night. Needless to say, I did not get a very good night’s sleep, but when you’re inexperienced- that is what often happens. We also ran out of food. Luckily, the ranger at Michaud Farm, Lee Hafford invited us in for a cup of coffee and a piece of lemon meringue pie- I actually had two pieces of pie. That held us over until we got to the Town of Allagash. It was a trip I will never forget. You can be comfortable on those cool nights with the right equipment. I suggest a sleeping bag rated down to at least zero degrees, a good insu-
lated sleeping pad and a wool hat to keep your head covered. Also, bring plenty of food- you will burn a lot of calories paddling and staying warm. You will usually be rewarded with cool crisp days, awesome night skies, and solitude. You might even catch a few brookies or shoot a partridge to fry over an open fire! If a fall canoe trip is not something you feel up to, the AWW has some drive-to campsites at Ramsay Ledge- located on the river just upstream from Michaud Farm. There are campsites accessible by short trail at Churchill Dam. Also, camping is allowed in parking lots at Chamberlain Bridge and Umsaskis during the months of October and November. The AWW is managed by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Parks and Lands as a wilderness canoe area. Great effort is made by managers of the waterway to ensure that visitors have a highquality wilderness experience. Matt LaRoche is Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, a Registered Maine Guide, and an avid outdoorsman. He can be reached at 207-695-2169 or at matt. laroche@maine.gov
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 48
Muzzleloading Afield by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME
October! Love just about everything about it. Cool, sunfilled days with no humidity, crisp nights perfect for sleeping, still with the windows open at least a third of the way, of course and a kaleidoscope of brilliant color and blue bird skies. What’s not to love? But there is another prime reason fall is one of my favorite times of year and it can be summed up in five simple words: the start of deer season. Deer hunting seasons commence at different times in different states but here in Maine October gets the ball
rolling. It starts with archery season October 5 thru November 1. Firearms season comes next, commencing November 4 thru November 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving as usual followed by muzzleloader season that starts statewide December 2 and ends December 7. In central and southern areas muzzleloader season continues to December 14 and the expanded archery season to December 14. There are, of course other fall hunting opportunities. The general bear season remains open until November 24, and
October 2019
October’s Bliss But…
over much of the state fall turkey until November 7. Ruffed grouse and gray squirrels are open game until December 31, snowshoe hare until the end of March and for winter lovers the night hunt on coyote opens December 17. There are other opportunities as well, just check the 2019-2020 law book or go on line, but needless to say there’s plenty of hunting available over the next several months. I have to say, though, there are a couple reasons why I hate to see summer pass and fall begin. One is, the older I get the more I dislike winter. That’s a personal thing, but despite having been born and raised in Maine and lived through some tough ones in
Carroll’s Corner
Water Jugs and Coolers Fall is here and this means hunting for several species. The last few falls have provided, at least on some of the hunting days, unusually warm weather. This is particularly of concern to those who are successful on their moose hunt. Getting the body temperature of the big mammals down is always a concern, and as soon as possible after the animal has been field-dressed. Having guided many moose hunts, including some where just plain old hot weather created concerns about preventing spoilage, we can’t be too careful about this. There are several ways to address the concerns that hot weather brings; first, get the animal field-dressed as quickly as you can. Next, you can skin the top side of the animal, and use sticks to prop the body cavity open as much as possible. We always have several coolers, the larger the better, with us and have 8 or 10, gallon milk jugs frozen solidly, in them. As soon as the moose is on the trailer, we literally will throw as many of these frozen jugs (or bags of ice) in the body cavity as possible. Getting the moose to the tagging station and then into cold storage is very important. Hang the moose as soon as possible and skin it right away. If flies are a concern, I always have lots and lots of cheese cloth and wrap the animal completely. Blow flies always seem to show up about the time that the moose hits the ground, so taking care of all this is important. If you are hunting bear, this becomes very important, as bear that are left in the woods for too long in warm weather will see that the hair starts to slip and the mount ruined. The ability to get your trophy into a walk-in cooler is big advantage. With that said, some pre-hunt work to determine the availability of a cooler or reefer trailer in your area is important, and available in many areas. If you are keeping hearts and livers for consumption, these need to be cooling right away. An old gent that I used to deer hunt with many years ago taught me that the best way to thoroughly drain a deer, moose or bear liver is to completely cut the “rind” or edge of the liver away. We also soak our hearts and livers in salt water overnight. Lots and lots to think about when Mother Nature provides unseasonably warm weather for your fall hunt. Plan ahead, do your homework and find available cool storage options. November…..Flying to your hunting destination? Travel tips! Carroll M. Ware is a Master Maine Guide, holder of forty-eight world fly-fishing records and a two-time Maine Professional fly-casting champion.
my 66 years the chill seems to recess more quickly and deeper into my bones these days and as winter drags on I can’t wait until springs forth. The other reason is regulatory. We can’t hunt on Sundays in Maine. We haven’t had that opportunity since 1883. Maine has the distinction of being just one of four states where Sunday hunting, either for all species or in some seasons, is totally prohibited. Since 1981 34 Sunday hunting bills have been introduced in the legislature, all have failed. At various points some of Maine largest and best known organizations including the Maine Professional Guides Association, Maine Snowmobile Association, Maine Forest Product s Council, Maine Farm Bureau and Maine Woodlot Owners, to name but a few, have testified against Sunday hunting. In most instances even the MDIF&W testified “neither-for-nor against” the measure, which is nothing less than a vote against it. Why? Each of the groups seem to have their reasons, but the general consensus is those who rely on private property to hunt, which is the vast majority, don’t want to alienate private landowners who, according
to those who are supposed to know and seem to speak for all landowners, don’t want it and have threatened to post their property if Sunday hunting ever comes to light. Personally, it’s one of the reasons I don’t belong to any of these organizations, even though I own a woodlot, snowmobile on occasion and at one time held a guide’s license. Which brings me to my point. Back in late August I got an e-mail from the MDIF&W concerning landowner appreciation day. You might have got it, too. Scheduled for September 15, prizes were to be awarded to volunteers who pick up the most trash, apparently on private property. The department has been making great efforts to improve landowner relations and apparently this is one of them. Not supporting Sunday hunting seems to be another. Don’t want to rock the boat I guess. But I got an idea. If the department really wants to show some appreciation and support for woodlot owners and for hunters in general why not allow me to hunt my own property on Sunday, and those I give permission to? For what it’s worth, I’ll pick up my own trash.
No Posing Here!
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 49
Meet the New Boss
“Same as the old boss”, as the old song by The Who, used to go. But in this case, the saying refers to Captain Seth Megargle, owner of Capt. Seth Sportfishing, (captainsethsportfishing.com). That’s how I felt anyways after spending an afternoon striper fishing aboard The Otter with Capt. Seth off the Connecticut coast near Groton. Captain Seth took over the long standing successful charter boat fishing business from Capt. Bruce, (Millar), Sportfishing last year and he hasn’t skipped a beat, using Bruce’s methods of trolling and casting for stripers. We had fished with Capt. Bruce for years and we had done quite well with him too and like I said, Capt. Seth is following in his footsteps, (or wake if you will), having a long list of successful, happy clients. I was fishing with the usual cast of characters, five in total and not to make a long
story short, but we all limited out with stripers and caught a few nice blues too. It wasn’t that we were successful that was surprising, but it was the conditions that we fished that made the trip memorable. The weather forecast said 5-20mph winds which isn’t great, but the winds were out of the East, and that’s never good. My Grandfather always said, “East wind-no rabbits”, so
years and he said that we were fishing in 5-8’ waves and it felt it. You absolutely had to hang on to something if you were standing up, which almost no one did until it was their turn to sit in one of the fishing chairs. Capt. Seth trolled at the first spot for over an hour with only one strike, a 40” striper which turned out to be the biggest striper of the day. We proceeded to the next spot,
Capt. Seth said that these were the roughest conditions that he’s fished in all year, and I believe it. even before we got on the boat, we had two strikes against us. I really, really, wasn’t looking forward to getting on that boat so I took a Dramamine at lunch, an hour before we shoved off. Capt. Seth brought us out to the usual spots, but it wasn’t easy. One of my fishing buddies was in the Coast Guard for four
change tactics a little bit, but the fishing was still very spotty, only catching a few schoolies. The afternoon continued on and Capt. Seth pressed on but by now I had had enough of the waves and went into the cabin to lay down. I wasn’t nauseous, but dizzy, as my inner ear did not like what was going on and
Mass Wanderings by David Willette, N. Adams, MA my vertigo kicked in big time. I laid there for all but two hours of the trip, rising only once for one minute but it was long enough to catch a striper. It was brutal out there and to tell the truth, I don’t know how more of my fishing buddies didn’t get sick too, seeing all the beer that they consumed. A beer was the last thing on my mind. We’re over four hours into a five hour charter and we’ve landed, (my friends landed anyways), and Capt. Seth decides to add another hour to the trip to see if we can limit out. If we had taken a vote, I would’ve voted NO, but we didn’t vote so off we went. Capt. Seth brought us back to the original spot
and troll some more and lo and behold we, (they), landed a couple more keepers and the day was done. We bounced our way back to the dock but I really couldn’t stand until we tied off and my vertigo almost immediately went away. Capt. Seth said that these were the roughest conditions that he’s fished in all year, and I believe it. But even in those rough waters, Capt. Seth came through, going the extra mile, fishing an hour longer when he didn’t have too, to make the day a success. David Willette is the author of “Coyote Wars”. He can be contacted at coyotewars@ gmail.com
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 50
Vermont Ramblings
by Dennis Jensen, Vermont
It all begins here. If you are one of the thousands of Vermonters who hunt with a bow, a rifle and a muzzleloader, then you know that the first season can be the most difficult and, at times, the most rewarding of all three seasons. I’m talking about the bow season, which opens on Oct. 5. While I have never been the kind of bow hunter who fills his tag every season — in fact, I have taken far more deer with the rifle and the smoke pole — I can honestly say that some of the most remarkable days of my hunting life have been spent, in a tree stand, hunting with a bow. Much of this is about October, with Canada geese honking overhead, wild apple trees laden with fruit and the bounty
of that fruit littered on the forest floor. I have shot a number of doe while hunting in places where a half-dozen or so apple trees were located. Back in the good days, you had some great, frigid weather, even early in October, cold mornings that would get deer on the move. Unfortunately, over the past two decades or so, those coldweather days are not as common as they once were. I learned more about whitetail behavior in the woods of October than at any other time. One main reason for that is the lack of human competition during the archery season. Deer are not on edge, with the stinking scent of human intrusion, the kind you find during the rifle season. I learned, the hard way, about
October 2019
It All Begins in October
where to put up a tree stand. Early on, I watched a young, 4-pointer coming out of the thick cover and headed for my stand. Then, as the buck drew near, he suddenly turned and bolted, with such a degree of fright it was as if I tossed a cherry bomb his way. In fact, it was the awful stench of a human that caused his flight. To this day, the first rule I apply to any effort to building a ground blind or climbing up a tree stand is wind direction. Not paying attention to the dominant wind in any place where one decides to stay and hunt is the No. 1 mistake a deer hunter can make. Fall turkey season While we are on the subject of October, bear in mind that the fall wild turkey season opens on Oct. 26. Talk about being conflicted. Come the late days of October and I still haven’t tagged a deer with the bow, I must make the tough de-
cision about going after a deer or a turkey. Actually, there have been days when I would bow hunt from first light to about 10 a.m., then head back home, drop off the bow and grab the shotgun and set out for a wild turkey. It is still a bit early to predict how well the fall hunt will prove to be. Personally, I am a bit concerned about the cold, wet weather we experienced in the Green Mountain State in late May and early June when poults first hatched. Those weather conditions can play havoc on young turkeys, with death coming from exposure. Another factor is the fall mast crop. I attended a concert in Saratoga two weeks ago and was stunned by the amount of green acorns hanging from a dozen oak trees outside the venue. If that is any indication of what is happening here, then it will be a banner season for acorns. But only time will tell.
at 4-5 stopover sties days before continuing on mi- Erik Blomberg, and Dr. Amber Woodcock ofandtime remaining at each site for gration. In general, spring mi- Roth for the progress report that
(Cont. from pg 41) When do they begin their fall migration? In this study, the average initiation date for the fall flight was 7 November and the average termination data was 5 December. On average it took woodcock 25 days to complete the fall migration, stopping for extended periods
an average of 5.4 days before continuing migration. During spring migration the average date that woodcock began north was 10 March and the termination date was 7 April. On average it took 29.3 days to complete spring migration, with woodcock using 4.8 stopover sites and remaining at each site for an average of 7.4
gration was longer in duration and woodcock stopped over at sites for greater lengths of time than during fall migration. The researchers report that during the upcoming fall and winter they will continue to mark birds and expand project coverage throughout eastern North America. I thank researchers Alexander Fish, Dr.
contained this information on the status of their project.
Brad Allen is a wildlife biologist with MDIF&W. He is also an avid bird hunter and gun dog man. He would be pleased to receive feedback on his articles. E-mail him at brad. allen@maine.gov
Finally, it is vital that bow hunters take great care in the field, especially when climbing up and down tree stands. Every year, we hear of horror stories of hunters falling and suffering great injuries or even death. Fall turkey hunters should also be mindful that they are usually dressed in camouflage and share the woods with bear hunters, youth deer hunters and upland game hunters. If you are moving in the woods, looking for a flock of wild turkeys, do the sensible thing: At the very least, don a blaze orange hat. Be careful out there.
Dennis Jensen is the outdoor editor of the Rutland Herald and the Barre Times Argus and a longtime member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association. Contact him at d.jensen62@yahoo.com
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 51
Barre Fish & Game Club
On July 27 the Barre Fish & Game Club celebrated the 100th year anniversary of its formal establishment. The Club has had many addresses over the years in Barre City and Barre Town. The present Clubhouse was constructed in 1990, at 31 Gun Club Road, Berlin VT. In the late 19th century the Vermont Sportsmen’s League, now known as the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc., was active in Vermont. While League had the prestige that brought national personages, including then U.S. Vice President, Teddy Roosevelt, to Vermont to address that assemblage, Barre, VT area sportsmen wanted a more hands on conservation group. An undated History of the Barre F & G Club, prepared by Percy Angwin, suggests that the Club likely had its origins at the Old Scampini Hall on the 3rd floor of the Scampini Block on North Main Street, Barre, VT, actual date unknown. Mr. Angwin remembers that Tom McGoff was the Clubs 1 st President. As often happens with volunteer organizations much of the formal history of the Barre F & G Club has been lost. Barre F & G has over the past many decades become a leader in firearms & hunter safety training programs, conservation programs, fish and wildlife stocking programs, outreach programs to introduce women, youth and men to shooting and other outdoor sporting activities. The Gunner Brook Fishing Derby has been sponsored, annually during early June, since 1938. The Club originally supplied the trout for this event with the State of VT providing the fish for the past 25 years. In February the Club will host its 38th Annual Gun Show, the largest Gun Show in Vermont, which attracts three to four thousand attendees. For 60 years the Club hosted an annual Sportsman’s Show. That event ended in 1980. The Club’s Annual Venison Dinner is held on the 1st of March. Starting the last Wednesday in April the Club hosts Public Skeet Shoots through the end of September.
100 Years Old By mid May the Skeet Shooting League starts on Monday evenings featuring 5 man teams continuing for 10 weeks ending with a banquet. The Club’s Annual Chicken BBQ, held on the 2nd Thursday of August , attracts 250+ attendees from around the State. The Club hosts a high power rifle Egg Shoot in June with shooters from around Vermont and New England attending. A Youth .22 Rim Fire Rifle Shoot is hosted on an August afternoon annually. Two years ago, July 2017, the Club started an Annual Skeet Shoot for benefit of the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc. to raise funds to support the Federations State wide activities. In August & September the Club hosts a “ Hunter’s
Challenge” with rifle shooters competing, shooting off hand, at 50 yard targets and at 200 yard gong targets. Archers will be challenged with bows & crossbows at targets at undisclosed distances. Skeet shooting rounds out this event. In October-November the Club hosts “Sight-in Day” where the Range is run by Club Trustees to allow hunters to better prepare for the annual Vermont Rifle Deer Hunting Season. This event has been run annually for decades. The Club annually sponsors boys and girls to go to the Green Mountain Conservation Camps operated by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. These camps are perhaps the best investment Vermont Sportsmen & Sports Women can invest in. Kids really get a
VT Federation of Sportsmen Clubs, Inc. by Roy Marble Morrisville, VT
lot out of the training offered there. At this 100th Anniversary celebration the Vermont F & W Department displayed their newly built Operation Game Thief Trailer built by Game Wardens Jeff Whipple and Jason Gravelle. The trailer features illegally killed & confiscated whitetail deer, confiscated firearms, photographs of poached game animals and a “blow gun” used to illegally take fish among other items. This display is available through the VT F & W Dept. for public events. The Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc. wishes to extend the best wish-
es of Vermont’s Sportsmen & Sportswomen to the Barre F & G Club on the milestone of its 1st 100 years.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 52
Green Mountain Deer and Ducks
Green Mountain Report
by Bradley Carleton, Charlotte, VT We edge the old Mansfield canoe off the shore, and gently lower it down over the rocks to the shallow water surrounded by a wall of cattails. Silently, we enter the wood and fiberglass craft and sit, easing our paddles into the murky waters. The water is low again for the third year in a row. Boats
of muck” he replies. Before the light begins to appear over the ridge, wingbeats tear through the dark over our heads, the sound of silk tearing. We look at each other and smile. A short “whoosh” and a plopping sound comes from the spread. “In the decoys” we say at the same time. Across the marsh
After the longest two minutes on record, the alarm sounds and a flight of greenwings pitch into the spread with abandon. cannot navigate our course – even with a mud motor – to the backwater beaver ponds that lie amidst the acorn-laden oaks. We brush past the wild rice, loose seeds falling with a “tink, tink” into our canoe. Using our headlamps, we navigate the narrow channel, pushing against underwater clumps of vegetation. After 20 minutes of paddling we arrive at our destination, a small pool of water in the headwaters of the brook. Arranging the decoys – wood ducks in one pocket, greenwing teal in the other, we finish the spread with a few mallard buttfeeder motion decoys and then pull the old canoe up into the weeds and buckbrush. We take our positions behind a muskrat house against a swamp maple. We tuck ourselves into the base of the tree. “Comfortable?” I ask my partner, John Lesher. “As comfortable as you can be leaning against a tree in a foot
October 2019
we hear the lonely call of the wood duck.”Wooo’Eeeeek”. John looks at his watch and says, “two more minutes!” in a loud whisper. After the longest two minutes on record, the alarm sounds and a flight of greenwings pitch into the spread with abandon. We look at each other and rise simultaneously. The semi-automatic guns echo through the dawn. The season has begun! It should be an interesting and challenging waterfowl season with low water for the third year in a row. Lake Champlain level as of this writing was 94.54’ above sea level, meaning that many marshes will be difficult, if not impossible, in which to run a boat. Remember, the seasons were set this spring and there is a LONG split for the Lake Zone of 22 days. Refer to your syllabus, because there are several changes this year, among them
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a two-mallard limit – with only one hen. Black ducks go up to two per day and the elusive and rarely seen canvasback was boosted up to two per day. Woodies remain at three birds per day and total daily bag is still six birds. The season opens for the Lake Champlain Zone and the Interior on October 10. The CT Zone opens October 2. Please refer to the syllabus available at post offices with your federal stamp and pay attention to the changes. It would be very easy to mistake a hen mallard for black duck and, with a one hen mallard limit, it would be an easy mistake to make. Solution: Don’t skybust! Let ‘em work all the way in and make dang sure you’ve identified your species and sex. Archery season for whitetails opens on October 5 and runs to November 1 this year under the same rules as last year – two deer, only one of which may be a buck. The total for all deer seasons will be a three deer limit, with two legal bucks allowed to be taken. Remember that only one legal buck may be taken during archery. With the combination with rifle or muzzleloader, it is possible to take a second buck during rifle or muzzleloader. NOTE: Changes to whitetail hunting rules will be implemented next year (2020) – not this year! Hunters harvested a total of 19,011 deer during the four Vermont deer seasons in 2018, providing about 3.8 million servings of local, nutritious venison. The total harvest was 27 percent more than the pre-
vious 3-year average (14,984), and the buck harvest was 8 percent more than the previous 3-year average (9,267 bucks). The overall harvest was 19 percent more than 2017 (15,984), and the total buck harvest of 10,028 was 6 percent more than the 2017 buck harvest (9,477) Also, let’s not forget the wonderful upland bird hunting we have here in the Green Mountain State! Ruffed Grouse (partridge to the locals) opens the last Saturday in September, and as the leaves flutter to the ground the hunting heats up. Check out overgrown apple orchards, abandoned hillside
farm and fields, and regenerating clear cuts, particularly with aspen and birch. In the early season, try hunting near streams and swamps. Although found statewide, the Northeast Kingdom generally offers the best grouse hunting in the state and some of the best hunting anywhere in the Northeast.
Bradley Carleton is the founder and Executive Director of www.sacredhunter. org which teaches the public respect and empathy through hunting and fishing.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Many Choices, Little Time Choices, so many choices, that is what October brings for the sportsman. The month is my favorite because of all those choices plus weather that is often ideal for being in the woods or on a stream. Add to that, most of the biting bugs are gone and you understand why October can be so enjoyable.
valleys with my shotgun is a great way to scout for deer, get in shape and perhaps get a meal which may include a partridge, a snowshoe hare and a gray squirrel which my wife makes into a delicious game pie. Vermont’s hunting season for ruffed grouse or partridge, is September 28 to De-
Space does not allow for listing the waterfowl seasons as Vermont has three zones, Lake Champlain, Interior and Connecticut River. An early morning in a blind can make for some fine shooting and good eating. Western Vermont and the Lake Champlain Valley are known for waterfowl hunting in the fall but the eastern most area along the Connecticut River and the Vermont/New
Page 53
Outdoors In Vermont by Gary W. Moore, Bradford, VT
However, it is not just trout and salmon that we can fish for. Bass, walleye, northern pike, pickerel and perch seasons remain open all month. My favorite fall day combines hunting partridge, hare and squirrel with fishing for brook trout in small mountain
October is my favorite month to be in Vermont as I can pursue so many of my passions such as hunting, fishing, canoeing and hiking.
Remote beaver ponds often hold nice brook trout. Bear hunters should have a good year as the bear population is high. The early season opened September 1 and continues through November 15. Just remember a $5 bear license is needed plus a big game hunting license. The late season, November 16 - December 1, does not require the $5 special license. Like so many others, I will be deer hunting with my crossbow during the statewide archery season October 5 - November 1. Unlike last year, there are plenty of apples in most of the areas I have checked so that will help. Wandering the hills and
cember 31 this year providing hunters ample opportunities to bag the willy birds. Woodcock hunting season is October 1 to November 14. Some years we have plenty of woodcock and other years they are very scarce. Gray squirrels may be hunted through December 31 and snowshoe hare through to mid March. Come October 26 I will concentrate on turkey hunting which remains open through November 3 in most of the state and November 10 in three WMUs. The turkey season for bow hunters opens statewide October 5.
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Hampshire border where I live also has many opportunities for good shooting with much less pressure than our western colleagues encouonter. October is my favorite month to be in Vermont as I can pursue so many of my passions such as hunting, fishing, canoeing and hiking. Those activities are not restricted to October but this is the month that the weather is most enjoyable for outdoor activities. I like to spend mid-day fishing and October is often prime time to fish for trout and salmon as the water has cooled and the fish are near the surface.
streams. It doesn’t get any better than that. Nearly as good is a float trip down one of our many rivers in a canoe, casting as we go. Sometimes the colorful fall foliage and scenic views around every corner make it hard to concentrate on fishing or paddling. Such is a burden we who live in Vermont have to bare. Hiking in the mountains is one of my passions and October is a good time to be on the trails for all the same reasons that it is a good month to hunt and fish. The views of the fall foliage seen from the top of
one of our Green Mountains is special. Getting there is a good way to get in condition for November deer hunting. So many choices, so little time. Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore is a life long resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game. His new book, Four Seasons in Vermont, can be ordered online at www.bondcliffbooks. com, on Amazon at www.amazon.com. He may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@ myfairpoint.net or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
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October 2019
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 55
Grant's Kennebec Camps A Maine Tradition
Although Maine’s coastline has seen increasing development over the last two centuries, the seemingly endless track of spruce and balsam stretching down from the mountains surrounding Big Kennebago Lake remain much as it did in the 1800s when viewed by Ed (Ned) Grant, who with his sons, began construction on the lodge that would be the precursor to what is presently Grant’s Kennebago Camps. This traditional Maine sporting lodge continues to cater to anglers, who can cast their flies to both brook trout and landlocked salmon in much the same way as it has since Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby became the first registered Maine guide, Herb Welch, fly fishing’s renaissance man, cast his silk lines upon the Rangeley Region’s lakes, rivers, and streams, and Carrie Stevens perfected the art of tying streamers from her cottage at Upper Dam. Since the 1970s, John and Carolyn Blunt have owned Grant’s Camps, located on the east shoreline of Big Kennebago Lake. The Kennebago River flows south out of the lake for nine miles before crossing Route 16, the two-lane macadam road connecting the New Hampshire border towns with those of Maine. Beside a sign for the camps is a gated logging road that runs north through the spruce and pine forest roughly parallel to the river that crosses under Route 16 less than two and a half miles west of the hamlet of Oquossoc, Maine and approximately ten miles east of the dam at the bottom of Aziscohos Lake. John Blunt not only manages the camps, he is also a registered Maine guide, who takes great pride in the history
Don't Forget! Clean & Sight In Your Guns!
Against The Current by Bob Romano, Columbia, NJ
surrounding his sporting lodge. Although taciturn by nature, like any good guide, he’ll entertain sports with stories of days gone by while putting them on fish, bird or game. The Kennebago River is known for its runs of landlocked salmon and the size of its native brook trout. The river begins its journey as a small brook just south of Maine’s border with Canada. Slipping over cobble, rock, and larger boulders, it continues for approximately ten miles before entering Little Kennebago Lake. After exiting the lake, which is little more than a pond, the river winds for another few miles before it enters Big Kennebago Lake, where Grant’s Camps is located. After leaving the bigger lake, the river deepens and widens while providing the angler miles of classic salmon water before it sweeps under Route 16. Much of the river is gated, limiting vehicular access to the lodge’s customers and those owning homes on the big lake that is the largest flyfishing-only lake east of the
Mississippi. When combined with the lodge’s catch-andrelease philosophy, the limited amount of anglers has insured a world-class fishery. Over the years, John and his crew have refurbished a fleet of wooden Rangeley boats that he maintains for use by his guests. At Grant’s, sports have their choice of fishing the lake or river for a trophy fish, or hiking into one of the backwoods ponds where brook trout ranging up to fourteen inches will leap at a fly with unrestrained zeal. If at Grant’s Kennebago Camps, you can motor a Rangeley boat over to the Logans or Big Sag to try your luck casting a Gray Ghost or one of the many other streamer patterns created by Carrie Stevens. In the evening you can retire to the main lodge and listen to John Blunt tell a tall tale in much the same way as Ned Grant might have done. Food served at the camp is no longer simple fair. For the last few years Grant’s has employed a gourmet chief to the delight of its clientele. Although this traditional sport-
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ing lodge serves the needs of anglers and hunters, it’s familyfriendly, catering to both young and old. Reservations should be made well in advance, as availability is limited. If you’ve always dreamed of watching a salmon tail dance across the surface of a sun dappled pool or feel the pull of a brook trout as it strains your line to the breaking point; if you’d like to cast a fly from a classic Rangeley boat, or come home to tell a tall tale like Ned
Grant, why not spend a few days at Grant’s Camps. Bob Romano has owned a camp in the Rangeley Lakes Region of western Maine for over thirty years. For more information about the region check out his website: www. forgottentrout.com and go to his Facebook page: Robert J. Romano, Jr. More information about Grant’s Kennebago Camps can be obtained at www. grantscamps.com
HIGHLANDS
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 56
South Of the Kennebec
Turkey Hunters Beware!
by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME Can There really be such a thing as too much of anything? Too much money, too many friends, or, third on my personal list, too many wild turkeys? Reading the current Maine Fall wild turkey regulations, one might think the wild turkey restoration program started in 1977 has now become a mission of eradicating an invasive species. Each hunter may now take up to seven wild turkey per year, two in the spring and five wild turkeys, either sex from September 16 through November 7. They may also now use 28 gauge shotguns or .410 provided they load with the new size 7 or 9 TSS ammunition. Hunters may also purchase a small game license in addition to their turkey permit as opposed to requirement of a big game license as in the past. Beginning in 2020, turkey hunters will be allowed to use a crossbow during the fall season. Add to the already loosened regulations the fact that hunters create their own reporting tags and most check stations are busy variety stores where the clerk barely looks at the carcass. The opportunity for checking in birds taken with
unlawful firearms is high. Some turkeys never even make the check stations. As a Vermont Game Warden in the late 1960s I helped biologist Bill Drake release the initial 31 trapped-in-the-wild turkeys in southwestern Vermont. The entire Northeast has now the beneficiary of those releases. In Maine, having been a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation since 1974, I volunteered to help the newly formed Maine State Chapter born of members of the Windham Rod and Gun Club. Together with Eugene Howard of Wells, Jim Wescott of Windham and Steve Brooks, Hall Sawyer and others, we took the lead, gathering legislators and raising funds to support a bill to allow wild turkey hunting. I sat with the legal department of the legislature and helped draft the wording of wild turkey laws and regulations in Maine. Our first season was held in 1986. Despite efforts by Maine politicians looking to designate the turkey as small game with bag limits, we convinced the body to adopt wild turkeys as a big game species, requiring a big game license and permit. This allowed IF&W to receive
October 2019
Fall flock of wild turkeys! (Photo by Stu Bristol photo)
license funds in the springtime when they need them the most. Over the years, due in large part to the tenacity of the species, wild turkey flocks expanded into regions of Maine beyond historic locations. Due to the dramatic increase in bag limits, social media instantly lit up with critics from both sides of the issue. In one camp hunters are overjoyed at the thought of an increased bag limit. “Turkeys are everywhere!” Over the past several years huge flocks of young birds are being seen almost statewide. Instead of bolstering the requirements to hunt Maine’s only big game bird, it seems the legislature and IF&W are looking to pacify non hunters and landowners, who view the burgeoning flocks as a nuisance.
From the viewpoint of serious wild turkey hunters, these regulations are a bridge too far. Being one of the more avid turkey chasers in the Northeast and recently inducted into the Wild Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame for my 50 years of wild turkey management and advocacy, I point the finger once again at Maine politics as usual. The probability of abuse is almost certain. Over the last few years “flock shooting” has increased dramatically and the introduction of new ammo such as Third Degree and TSS loads encourage hunters to shoot at greater distances, increasing the incident of wounded turkeys. Management of wild turkeys and whitetail deer have the same major flaw. How can
St John Valley
biologists manage a species on private, posted land where hunting cannot be utilized for management purposes? I guided a couple from Connecticut last fall and showed them over 150 turkeys in several huge flocks, all on posted land. My suggestion: instead of upping the bag limit per hunter Maine should institute landowner programs such as those in use in western states, known simply as Block Management Areas. Landowners allow grouse hunting on their property; hunters fill out visitation tickets (at no cost) and the landowner receives compensation from the state or Federal government based on the number of visits by hunters. As always I encourage all wild turkey hunters to exercise restraint. Taking a pair of fall birds whose necks are crossed standing away from the flock is as far as I can encourage. There may be an abundance of turkeys right now, but that can change in a blink of your eye. Stu Bristol is a Master Maine Hunting, Fishing and Tidewater Guide and outdoor writer. He operates Orion Guide Service out of southern Maine. His outdoor features have been published nationwide for more than 50 years. Stu was recently inducted into the Nation Wild turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Visit his website at www.deadlyimpostergamecalls.com
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Mountain Lion Sightings
While, for many, November is the “Big Show”, there’s a lot going on in October! There’s still time left before you put the fly rod away but Tuesday, October 15th marks the end of another fishing season for trout in rivers, streams and trout ponds. Bass fishing in rivers, streams and
in there. I don’t blame them. The Dam Pools, Judge’s & Jury Box, Boulder Bend Pool, Junction Pool, Doc’s Pool and the Step Pools are legendary. And Fish and Game and the Pittsburg Angler’s Association have done their part with stocking to help ensure that the action stays memorable.
It sounds like the cougars have “been looking for love in all the wrong places” for a while. trout ponds also ends on October 15th. Fishing for brookies, browns and rainbows in Wild Trout Streams and Wild Trout Ponds closed back on Labor Day. I’m going to free up a day or two to hit the Androscoggin River and the Connecticut River in Pittsburg. I usually take a pass on the Trophy Stretch of the Connecticut River that runs between the dam at the end of First Connecticut Lake and Lake Francis because of the number of anglers that are either in there or trying to get
The Fall Shotgun season for turkey runs October 14 through October 20 ONLY in WMUs: D2, G, H1, H2, I1, I2, J1, J2, K, L, M. There are a couple of differences between the Spring Turkey season and this one-week Fall Shotgun season. One (1) turkey of either sex may be taken as opposed to the Tom/Jake/Bearded hen requirement in the Spring. And, turkey hunting can take place ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset. Cottontail Rabbitt,
S n o w s h o e H a r e , R u ff e d Grouse, Quail, Chukar, Hungarian Partridge and Pheasant season all open on October 1st. Fish and Game has said that they’ll stock approximately 11,500 pheasants at some 60 release sites around the state. The Youth Deer Hunting weekend falls on October 26th and 27th this year. A listener called my radio show recently and described seeing what they thought was a mountain lion. The way they described it, there’s no way that what they saw was a bobcat. An article in the New Hampshire Union Leader back in June quoted Sunapee Police Chief David Cahill as saying that three people in his town reported seeing big cats, much larger than a bobcat, with a long tail. One observer believes that male mountain lions have been roaming the East for some time. But, apparently the big cats won’t stay unless they find a female. So, it sounds like the cougars have “been looking for
Page 57
New Hampshire Outdoors
by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H. love in all the wrong places” for a while, but, based on reported sightings, it may be just a matter of time before they start setting up housekeeping. We’ll see? With a new legislative session just around the corner, I’m hearing about a new gambit from the anti-hunting crowd. While I haven’t seen the specific language yet, it sounds like a proposed ban on what they perceive as unethical killing contests in the state, which include coyotes, crows and furbearers… even though I’m personally unaware of any of those contests taking place. I understand that they’re clinging to a principle in the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which states that wildlife shall be killed only for a “legitimate purpose.” So,
what’s a legitimate purpose? Rock Bass contests to try and keep the populations in check? What of fishing derbies like the Winni Derby or the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby, Striper derbies on the coast, Bass Tournaments, Kid’s Fishing Derbies or Big Buck Deer Pools? This looks like just another way of trying to come in with a bill that sounds good on the surface, but just serves to support the Anti’s end game which is no hunting or fishing. I’ll keep you posted. Peter St. James, host of a daily show on WTPL 107.7FM in Concord, is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, Outdoor Writers Association of America and is a licensed NH Fishing Guide.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 58
Too Much Bait?
Salt Corner by Doug Jowett, Brunswick, ME There are many problems facing striped bass populations and too much bait isn’t a problem. That’s alarming and difficult to admit as a full-time striper guide, but that’s how it is. If you follow the internet
chat rooms you may have seen the post talking about a “well known” Maine striper captain asking a Maine Department of Marine Resources biologist why Maine’s striped bass fishing hasn’t been very good in
recent years. The biologist answer – too much bait! I couldn’t believe that one. Anyplace I’ve fished where there was too much bait there were always plenty of large striped bass and blue fish. Bottom line is, striped bass fishing along the east coast is OK, but not what it has been for several years. There are many problems facing striped bass populations and too much bait isn’t a problem. Maybe
you read that in 1917 in this same column. Things haven’t changed. Oh, but they have. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council, known as the ASMFC, met last July to discuss all fisheries issues under their charge which includes striped bass. For the past ten years, northeast striper anglers have suggested that the management of striped bass has been lacking in providing a system of harvest that would carry
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the fish into the future to insure good fishing. Recreational and commercial anglers from New Jersey south, including the Chesapeake Bay area states insisted there was no problem. During those years, ASMFC, continued to beat the drum from their internal science that striped bass populations were not over fished. Well, they finally came out to say that “over fishing is not happening and striped bass decline has reached a threshold of decline
“over fishing is not happening and striped bass decline has reached a threshold of decline to demand action for protection under the guidelines of ASMFC Science.” to demand action for protection under the guidelines of ASMFC Science.” Stripers need some protection to increase their biomass and year class structure to insure a future for recreational and commercial fishing. They didn’t even consider the 2011-year class of striped bass, the largest since 2015. The entire political process of ASMFC is complex. A good explanation may be found on Facebook written by Ross Squire. During the past ten years, political pleasure not to reduce consumptive striped bass via recreational and commercial fishing for striped bass has come from the political strong areas from New Jersey and Chesapeake Bay area states has blocked any meaningful regulations to protect vulnerable year classes. In my opinion, we are at a crisis in the management of striped bass management along the Atlantic Ocean. An example of resistance to any conservation measures being supported by the Massachusetts commercial sector is the recent 2019 calls to increase their two
(Bait cont. pg 66)
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
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Beto’s Gun Grab
SAM News
Part One of Two
As a law abiding, gun owning American, hunter, leader of one of the state’s largest organizations defending firearm rights and veteran of Maine politics for over 25 years, hear me when I tell you, your rights to own firearms and the future of hunting are under siege from powerful influences in and out of state! We are well over a year from the presidential election and we are witnessing the spectacle that has become the crowded Democrat National Presidential Primary, where recently, candidate Beto O’Rourke said “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR15, your AK-47,” September 12, 2019. Worse, loud cheers could be heard from the audience. This provocative statement was a shamelessly orchestrated theatre as within hours his campaign was selling t-shirts with the same slogan. He wasn’t saying, I want to keep dangerous weapons from criminal that commit violent crimes, he was saying, if elected President, my administration will, “take” against a person’s will, and we must assume by force if necessary legally owned property. In subsequent interviews he doubled down and clarified-“it would not be voluntary-it would be mandatory.” https://certifiedconspiracy.com/2019/09/14/ beto-orourke-gets-floored-fordoubling-down-on-ar-15-confiscation/ No politician at the Presidential level says such a thing without a reason and in my opinion was not spontaneous. It was a political trial balloon he felt safe to say in a Democrat primary, it is more likely he said it to test the “confiscation” of firearms waters to determine the 2019 public response. Banning certain semiautomatic firearms and also high capacity magazines is not a new policy, but, it has been tried and failed as a part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. When the ban expired 10 years after enactment, in 2004 it was found in several national studies that banning certain semi-automatics firearms had virtually no impact on violent
crime. Gun control advocates though, would not be deterred and are trying to resurrect the ban on one simple premise, the ban was not in place long enough to be effective and, (please pay close attention) because these firearms and their corresponding high capacity magazines were not confiscated and destroyed. This excerpt from a 2013, Factcheck.org piece that was written about the 1994-2004 ban on semiautomatic firearms and high capacity magazines illustrates this point perfectly: “The final report concluded the ban’s success in reducing crimes committed with banned guns was “mixed.” Gun crimes involving assault weapons declined. However, that decline was “offset throughout at least the late 1990s by steady or rising use of other guns equipped with [large-capacity magazines].” Ultimately, the research concluded that it was “premature to make definitive assessments of the ban’s impact on gun crime,” largely because the law’s grandfathering of millions of pre-ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines “ensured that the
effects of the law would occur only gradually” and were “still unfolding” when the ban expired in 2004.” Factcheck. org, Feb. 1, 2013. When I read the excerpt, my determination was, when you try and ban certain weapons to stop violent criminals, it will not deter them, they will just find another way and another weapon to commit the same crimes. So far the Beto O’Rourke comment has been met with silence from Democrat party leaders, except to try and shut him up. It is likely because party officials realize such bans and confiscation schemes have some initial public and voter appeal until you learn how such a plan would be implemented. First, there would be a voluntary give back program where undoubtedly, some Americans would comply. The next government step and where things would begin to go off the rails is when gun owners receive a letter from the U.S. Attorney General informing them that according to government records they own one or more firearms or high capacity magazines, (there are tens of millions of these firearms devices nationwide), now illegal
by David Trahan, “Executive Director” under federal law. The mailing would be massive and the letter would likely read something like this: “Our records indicate you own one of the firearms or accessories recently banned by federal law. You must relinquish them. You have several options, prove you no longer own them, turn them into a local law enforcement agency or law enforcement is authorized to confiscate them. Noncompliance may lead to prison time or large fines” I do not want to contemplate what happens next, but, if our recent American history is any indication, prohibition and heavy handed government force never ends well for anyone. All is not lost, this recent in-your-face Beto O’Rourke’s
gun confiscation statement may have an unintended positive impact for firearm owners. He has forced us into a robust public debate, not driven by thirty second television ads or cheap one-line political rhetoric screened by a friendly press, but one in which all candidates for national and state office must reveal their position on this important policy, and furthermore, it they support it, they own what comes next. The cat is out of the bag! Next Month-I will write about the groups targeting hunting and firearm ownership in Maine and how they tap into national money. David Trahan is Executive Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine.
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
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News
(207) 394-2031 jrdnortax@aol.com John R. Dykstra, Owner
a 30-year columnist for the Kennebec Journal, and outdoor blogger for the Bangor Daily News. Smith was instrumental in establishing the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, which has provided millions of dollars to protect and enhance Maine’s fish and wildlife resources, the Department’s outdoor license plates, and ensured hunting and fishing were an integral part of the land for Maine’s future program. He also led successful efforts to revive Maine’s moose hunt, defend Maine’s bear hunt, simplify Maine’s hunting and fishing laws, and expand opportunities for hunters, trappers and anglers. Charlie Mann was honored posthumously, but learned of his selection prior to passing away on September 4. Charlie founded the Department’s Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs Program over 25 years ago, and served as the department’s volunteer coordinator, scheduling programs and getting volunteers to assist in those programs. Mann was also a wellknown and avid fly tier, tying at many national shows, and in recent years, devoted much of his time to “Back In The Maine Stream” where he taught disabled veterans how to tie flies.
In Business Since 1980
(News cont. pg 63)
(Cont. from pg 24)
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October 2019
throp and George Smith of Mount Vernon were honored this past weekend with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. MDIFW Commissioner Judy Camuso presented the award to Smith and Elaine Mann, Charlie’s widow, at the annual Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine banquet this past Saturday. The award, one of the department’s highest honors, celebrates a lifetime of achievement and mentoring in Maine’s outdoors. Smith, a lifelong hunter and angler, grew up in Winthrop. Smith turned his passion for Maine’s outdoors into a career, becoming the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine for 18 years, host of the TV show Wildfire,
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October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
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Cast ’n Blast!
Hunters and anglers have much to be thankful for this fall. Not only is it the time of year that quickens their blood, gets them up a little earlier in the morning, and has many of them getting themselves into shape for their favorite time of year. This year, the state of Maine has sided with them in providing one more seasonal opportunity, long wished for by many an outdoorsman. On April 22nd, Governor Janet Mills signed Legislative Bill LD 265 into law. That law will open the upland game season on September 28th, a Saturday. That means that it will also be open on Monday, September 30 th . Translated into sportsmen-speak, a “cast and blast” bill has passed the Maine Legislature and we’ve all been granted an upland hunting opportunity while the fishing season is still open! In many parts of Maine, this will be a brand new experience, one that stands to benefit lodges, outfitters and guides at various sporting destinations around the state. Picture yourself or your group arriving in camp in time for a Friday evening fly fish on your favorite trout or salmon stream, getting
up the next morning, and after a hearty breakfast, heading afield with the 12 guage. That’s what this bill enables, and moreover, if you can make it a long weekend, you can fly fish on Sunday, then go back out hunting on Monday! In other parts of the state, parts like Grand Lake Stream, sportsmen have enjoyed this opportunity for many years. With salmon season open on Grand Lake Stream and on West Grand Lake during the first few weeks of October,
bobwhite (quail). The fish that are legal to fish are all those included under General Law, except where special restrictions apply. The end of September and early October may be too early for the crunch of frozen leaves underfoot; in fact, it may be too early for very much defoliation at all, but that hasn’t stopped upland game enthusiasts here. It’s a business that has been growing for the past ten years. The din of gun dogs barking in autumn is
hunter/anglers have been able to cast and blast once the bird season opened October 1st. Now, they’ve got an earlier opportunity as well. Since woodcock are a federally regulated migratory game bird, it could not be included in the bill since that season opens October 1st. The game that is legal to hunt as of the 28 th , are snowshoe hare (or varying hare as some would say), gray squirrels, ruffed grouse and
now music to the ears of more and more lodge owners and guides. Sports travel considerable distances to reach bird covers known to local guides who’ve spent years scouting them. Stories of 40 wing shots per day are not uncommon. In many cases, clients bring their own gun dogs, or, they may opt to use the guide’s. Pointing breeds seem to hold sway in these parts, though the occasional flushing breed shows up too.
The Singing Maine Guide by Randy Spencer, Grand Lake Stream, ME Some of our October clientele are here for more than one reason. Those who’ve been visiting northern Washington County for many years have found other diversions to occupy them during their stay. Some will begin scouting for their deer hunting trip the following month. Much riding of logging roads and walking
The din of gun dogs barking in autumn is now music to the ears of more and more lodge owners and guides. Sports travel considerable distances to reach bird covers known to local guides who’ve spent years scouting them.
of twitch trails may reveal to them the signs that will inspire a second look in November. Perhaps the perfect spot for a deer stand will be discovered. Others have learned that the area abounds in wild cranberries. October is the perfect time for this harvest, as the ripe fruit is far tastier after a frost or two has sweetened them. If you’ve been taken to one of the many wild bogs that have turned crimson with this October bounty, then count yourself lucky. Locals can be covetous
of this important addition to the larder. On the other hand, scouting the rivers and flowages and lakeshores can surely prove worthwhile, not just this year, but for many years to come. For the record, if you’ve never compared wild cranberries to store-bought cranberries, don’t bother. There’s no comparison. Still other visitors may take some time off from cast and blast action to do some high quality leaf peeping. The shores of our rivers and lakes have by this time caught fire with color, and with shortened days and chilly nights, the process accelerates this month. Bird watching and eco tours are on the rise as well, so be sure to book your guide to save yourself hours of unproductive searching. You know the saying: let a Maine guide show you the way. Randy Spencer is a guide and author. Reach him at randy31@earthlink.net or via www.randyspencer.com
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2
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Malarkey Cabin Chronicles
by Ray Dillon, Keswick Ridge, N.B. October in New Brunswick starts out with crisp frosty mornings, an explosion of color in the hardwood ridges and hillsides and the smell of minty mountain ferns mixed with subtle hints of dying grasses and gun powder. It is bird season in the province and eager hunters both young
and pepper. Thick soft slices of home- made bread and a hot coffee or a cold drink wash it all down and then it is off to oiling and cleaning the shotgun of the next day’s hunt. It is the perfect way to end a perfect day in early October. Hunting “Partridge” as we “Maritimers” all called it
The Best Pa’tridge Days
our small farming community. Then it was dismounting the bus and racing to our homes to change clothes into our old gear and with shotgun in hand and a pocket full of ammunition, we were off for the bird woods and the last couple of hours of daylight. There was simply no time for supper or homework from school. It was bird season and we would pair up with a hunting partner or go solo and visit our favorite hunting areas.
Hunting “Partridge” as we “Maritimers” all called it has undergone some not-so-subtle changes since I was a boy carrying my father’s old H&R single shot twelve gauge shotgun. in the hardwood covers back of our farm. and old have been oiling and cleaning their guns for weeks anticipating the opening day of uplands bird and waterfowl season. Uplands bird hunting in New Brunswick has always been an exciting and enjoyable way to pass the early autumn days and the fun we experience usually culminates in delectable strips of savoury breast meat from several Ruffed grouse sizzling in a hot frying pan with butter, onions mushrooms, salt
has undergone some not-sosubtle changes since I was a boy carrying my father’s old H&R single shot twelve gauge shotgun. in the hardwood covers back of our farm. I recall how eager I was back then watching the clock on the wall at the back of the classroom and waiting for the final dismissal bell of the day. The bus ride home was long and arduous but always filled with hunting tales and plans for young bird hunters in
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October 2019
We combed alder swales and old apple orchards and head into the hardwood ridges where we knew plump grouse would be feeding on birch buds and beechnuts. Shotguns would roar and birds would fall to the ground in a swirl of leaves and feathers. Occasionally we would spook up some white tails, a black bear or a moose and it just added to the thrill of the hunt. Hunting back in those days was a noble quest to put food on the table as well as to give us enjoyment and a “high”
The author in the bird woods with his granddaughter. experience not found in a bottle or can. We relied much more on skills we developed, shooting accurately with a single shot rather than laying down a wall of lead with a pump or semi and we walked to our hunting grounds rather than ride in trucks or ATVs We respected blinds, stands and equipment that other hunters might leave in the woods and we observed game laws to protect our fish and game. Today as arthritis seeps into these old bones causing me much grief and a much slower step, I appreciate all the newer gear…the Atvs and guns that offer more than one shot, and GPS, good warm dry boots and hunting clothes that have been so much improved over the years. I knew friends who
PETS/VETS
carried pump shotguns and semis back years ago, but even they would seek to harvest their birds with one good shot. There is much less woodland to pursue your game in today, but even that shouldn’t compromise our morals and ethics. We should share the wilderness and the game it provides rather than make our hunt a competition to see who can get the most game regardless of fair chase. We should be able to leave our vehicles unlocked and with gear inside anywhere on the edge or in the woods and not have to worry about stuff being stolen or the vehicle vandalized. When I look back, I long for the days when life was so simple, when we could trust other hunters and concentrate on getting into the woods to bag some birds and enjoy the day. I just don’t understand why most hunters will walk right on by a trail camera, a blind or stand and never even think of bothering it while a fringe few have no qualms about stealing or vandalizing it. Those people aren’t hunters. Many hunters today enjoy hunting birds with dogs and I have seen some of the best in action. So whether you “roll” them like most Maritimers do or flush them with dogs and bag them from the air, bird hunting is and will always remain an exciting and fun sport. Ray Dillon is an Outdoor writer, bestselling book author, Professional Guide and owns/operates Malarkey Cabin Guiding Service in New Brunswick, Canada. To book a trophy Big Game or Uplands Bird hunt with him, go to www. malarkeycabin.com phone 506-363-2839 or e-mail rdillon@rogers.com
Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
News (Cont. from pg 60) He also he also created and tied commemorative flies including the Governor Angus King Streamer, the Maine Warden Service Streamer, the Maine Guide Fly, and other streamers commemorating individuals throughout the state. The Department’s Lifetime Achievement Awards, which is presented by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, honors individuals who are dedicated to the use and stewardship of Maine’s natural resources, and have a passion for Maine’s rich outdoor heritage. This award
celebrates the achievements of an individual who has shared their experiences with future generations. Nominations are
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accepted starting in June of each year, and award winners are notified by the end of August.
Elaine Mann, center, is pictured with MDIFW Commissioner Judy Camuso and MDIFW Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody as she accepts a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of her late husband. (Photo Courtesy MDIFW)
George Smith, center, is pictured with MDIFW Commissioner Judy Camuso and MDIFW Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody after being honored with a Department Lifetime Achievement Award. (Photo Courtesy MDIFW)
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal CHRISTMAS SUBSCRIPTION SPECIAL ONLY $75 FOR (3) SUBSCRIPTIONS $AVE Over $100. off the newsstand price
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AG GIF REAT T ID EA
We will email or mail a Christmas Card from you. ONLY $75 FOR (3) ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS! (12 ISSUES) Mail to: Northwoods Sporting Journal, P.O. Box 195, West Enfield, ME 04493 Email: info@sportingjournal.com, Call: 207-732-4880 or Fax: 207-732-4970
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
2020 NEOWA YOUTH OUTDOOR WRITING CONTEST RULES
New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA) is pleased to announce the 2020 Youth Outdoor Writing Contest.
The rules for the 2020 contest are as follows: 1. The contest is open to anyone in grades 6-12. This includes students from schools, outdoor organizations/publications, youth members of rod & gun clubs, Scouts, and other youth organizations in New England. All entries must be submitted to the appropriate State Chairperson. 2. Submissions from entrants in grades 6-8 will be entered in the Junior Division; submissions from entrants in grades 9-12 will be entered in the Senior Division. Junior and Senior State Winners chosen by state judges will each receive a $125 cash prize from the NEOWA. The winners from each state will be judged by a New England panel of judges for a New England Regional award. New England Regional winners from the Junior and Senior levels will each receive an additional $150, bringing their total award to $275 each. Winning works will be published in the Northwoods Sporting Journal, The Maine Sportsman, and possibly state wildlife magazines. 3. Entries must be nonfiction and focus on outdoororiented stories, which add to the knowledge and enjoyment of nature and natural resources. Entry topics may include: fishing, boating, archery, shooting, hunting, trapping, field trials, sporting dogs, camping, woodcraft, skin diving, scuba diving, hiking, rock climbing, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, wildlife watching, natural history, conservation, ecology, and similar activities that relate to outdoor recreation, natural resources and nature.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
4. Entries may not exceed 500 words. Entries must be edited by the young writer, without assistance from adults. School students and youth organization members may submit work that may have been part of an assignment within school or youth program curriculum. Adult teachers or leaders may NOT assist in editing of these submissions. Young writers should include a title for their work, and submit their entry to the State Chair, either embedded in an email or as an attachment. Youth may submit only one entry each year. 5. Deadline for submitting contest entries is February 15, 2020. Entries must include name, grade, postal mailing address, phone, and email. Entries that do not meet these or other contest rules may be disqualified. 6. NEOWA will notify
SELLERS LANE
BUYERS ROAD
the State and New England winners, and if applicable their schools/organizations. NEOWA reserves the right to publish any work submitted. However, students submitting work also retain the right to publish their entries. 7. Rules are subject to changes from year to year. For questions or to submit a contest entry, please contact your NEOWA state chairperson, or the New England Chairperson by e-mail for more information:
8. Additional Information: Organizations or schools are encouraged to conduct school or organization-wide, pre-contests in order to encourage students to enter the NEOWA state-wide contests. Each school/organization can acknowledge their own winners at an award assembly, meeting, or other recognition program, whether or not they are state winners. Also other
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youth organizations or entities such as rod & gun clubs, outdoor publications, scouting organizations, or publications can hold their own contests to promote the NEOWA writing contest among their members encouraging them to submit their writing to the NEOWA State Chairpersons to be judged at the state level. State Chairs and CoChairs
Massachusetts: Chair: Marion Larson, marion46@verizon.net Co-Chair: Barnet Sherman, bs8082@gmail.com
Connecticut: Chair: Peter Picone, pjpicone@cox.net Co-chair: Bob Sampson, bosamp@comcast.net
Rhode Island: David R. Pickering, imhooked2000@ cox.net
Maine: Chair: Will Lund, will.sportster@yahoo.com Co-Chair: Stephen D. Carpenteri, scarpenteri@ aol.com
New Hampshire: Chair: Jim Allard, jcallard@ metrocast.net Co-Chair: Hal Lyon, Halclyon@yahoo.com
Vermont: D r . H a l Lyon, halclyon@yahoo.com (Acting State Chair) New England Chairman: Dr. Hal Lyon, halclyon@yahoo.com
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#487 - MLS#1428998 World class fly fishing, vintage camp on the Kennebago River. Boat to Kennebago Lake. Fish from your dock. Land lease - Lots 17 and 20 from Union Water Power. $135,000.
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#307 - MLS#1368735 Upper Dam, fly fish, hunt. Access, Mooselookmeguntic and Richardson Lake. Annual lease $1525 . Cabin $145,000. #594 - MLS#1418868 Chain of Ponds! Property borders on state land with a rustic, winterized camp and a new garage with living area above, full bath. Sled, hike, hunt, fish and enjoy the ponds. $150,000. #482 - MLS#1417760 Vintage camp on Little Kennebago Lake. Full foundation. Fabulous fly fishing & views. Storage building, boat house. All well maintained. Charming interior. $390,000. #590 - MLS#1317532 Camp in Dallas PLT. easy access to 4-wheeler/ sled trails, includes bedroom and sleeping loft, nice open lot. New price $79,000.
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Bait (Cont. from pg 58) days per week to four days as they had not reached half their quota when the season was half over. They wouldn’t stand up to admit there is a biomass problem needing attention. And a few years ago, they wanted to carry forward to the next year the uncaught quota for the next season. That is just one example. The resistance from the southern states is even tougher. Late in August, 2019, Massachusetts officials denied the request. Good for them. This positive attitude will become a big battle this fall. So, saddle up for more need to participate in the discussions.
417 Main St. Bangor, ME 04401
570-0818 Nicholas Beaulieu Welcome to Northern Maine. We are offering a once in a lifetime opportunity; Two camps on one property. Situated in Shirley, Maine o n 5 . 5 A c re s a re t wo camps with everything you need for Hunting, Fishing, Snowmobiling and ATVing. Both camps include a full kitchen with a cooking stove and a full bath with hot water, electricity, septic and running water. The ‘’Main’’ camp includes washer and dryer hookup and three different forms of heat. Many improvements have been made to the ‘’main’’ camp in the last three years. New roof, new windows on the second floor and this camp has been lifted and set on a new treated sil. Both camps together can sleep 10+ people. This camp is your gateway to the north with year round accessibility. 300 yards from ATV and snowmobile trails and not far from Canada.
Captain Doug Jowett is a Master Maine Guide holding a USCG Captain’s License who charters striped bass anglers on the coast of Maine and Cape Cod. He has been writing outdoors columns and articles for over 35 years in regional and national publications including major outdoors magazines and has six books he has contributed to. He may be reached at: www.mainestripedbassfishing.com
P.O. Box 616 Long Lake, NY 12847 www.adirondackmtland.com
518-265-9198
290 acres Mitchell Mt. This parcel has incredible views of the Adirondack High Peaks and the Green Mts of Vt. The terrain is rolling to mountainous with very good Adirondack deer hunting. $225,000.
158 acres Flagstaff Mt. near Lake Champlain, this property has incredible views and great deer hunting. Own a mountain top and an excellent location for a secluded camp. $129,000.
50 acres for Adirondack Homestead - property features a stand of mature pine and a beautiful 5 acre meadow. Close to thousands of acres of state land for wilderness hunting. $69,000.
30 acres bordering 80,000 acre Debar Mt. Wild Forest and is close to Debar Pond. Property has a small bunkhouse and is very private. $47,000.
SELLERS LANE
BUYERS ROAD
October 2019
REAL ESTATE
Northwoods Sporting Journal
October 2019
H H A A L P L P O Y W E E N
REAL ESTATE
SELLERS LANE BUYERS ROAD DEWITT-JONES REALTY
Email: info@dewittjonesrealty.com
1427474: BLANCHARD 3+/- AC./POWER ROADSIDE. EXCELLENT SPOT FOR A CAMPER OR BUILD A CAMP. A SHORT DRIVE TO GREENVILLE OR MONSON. ATV TRAIL SYSTEM NEXT TO THE PROP. GREAT OPP. FOR ALL THOSE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES. $25,500 1421161: MILO 1 ACRE WITH WELL BUILT INSULATED CAMP ON CONCRETE SLAB WOOD STOVE SLEEPS 8+ IN THE HEART OF HUNTING. NOT FAR FROM THE SEBEC RIVER AND SEBEC VILLAGE. SEASONAL ACCESS. $34,900
Check out our website over 100 land listings
www.dewittjonesrealty.com
Multi Million $ Club • Home Office
1426855: BRADFORD 30.6+/-ACRES WOODED LOT ON TOWN MAINTAINED ROAD WITH 1000’+/- ON DEAD STREAM. POWER AT ROADSIDE. CLOSE TO BANGOR. LOTS OF WILDLIFE IN THE AREA. PLENTY OF PRIVACY. $41,900 1431003: MEDFORD 51.2+/-ACRES WITH ROW TO THE PISCATAQUIS RIVER. SEASONAL LOT OFF THE GRID. GREAT HUNTING AREA. BUILD A CAMP SET A CAMPER AND ENJOY THE GREAT MAINE WOODS. $49,900
Cell: 207-290-5508
1426408: ABBOT 2.78+/-ACRES WITH COZY CABIN. GREAT LOCATION FOR THOSE HUNTING, FISHING GET-AWAY TRIPS. MINUTES FROM GREENVILLE MOOSEHEAD LAKE AREA. ATV TRAILS NOT FAR. POWER AT ROADSIDE. $45,000 1430980: BROWNVILLE 41.2+/-AC. OFF THE GRID /CABIN LOCATED ON SEASONAL ROAD AND RIGHT ON THE ATV TRAIL SYSTEM. SHORT DRIVE TO SCHOODIC LAKE. LOCATED IN GREAT HUNTING AREA. COME SIT BACK RELAX AND WATCH MOTHER NATURE AT HER BEST. $49,900
175 + ACRES
$195,000. PRICE REDUCED
Rumford & Mexico - Approx. 2,900 acres including; Whitecap - 2,000', South Twin, 2,156' & Black 2,300' mountains. Part of the land is an active Sugarbush. Impressive views. Land can be separated. $1,450,000. Greenwood - 251 Acres. Views of surrounding hills, lakes & Mt. Washington. 32'x20' log cabin shell. Good access & road system. Highest elevation is 1,620'. Rec. paradise. $229k New Sharon - 678 +/- Acres w/ abundant wildlife including deer & upland game birds. Diverse land with Bragdon Brook & Salt Marsh Creek running through the lot. Over 900' of frontage on Weeks Mills Rd. $299k or only $441 per acre. Greenwood - 220 Acres. Own two mountain tops w/elevations over 1,900'. Seasonal road acc.most of lot. Great views in all directions of White Mts. to the west and nearby mts & lakes. $149,500. Phillips - BROKER OR OWNER MUST ACCOMPANY BUYERS. Approx 1,800' on Bean Brook which is known support wild populations of brook trout. Stone walls, trails throughout, good topo and an old historic foundation approx 21 cords per acre. $110,000.
102 + ACRES
$125,000.
THREE camps on Portage lake. Paved road, power, ATV, snowmobile, great fishing, what a family retreat. $215,000.
New Sweden: 152 acres of well wooded land. ATV and SNOWMOBILE TRAIL goes through one corner. Gently rolling land with trails. Norway Spruce. Paved town road. Septic design. $99,900.
Carroll: 11 ac on public year round road w/power. Good building sites. Snowmobile and ATV trails across the road. $11,900.
Carroll: 7 acre lot on public road w/power. ATV friendly town. Good building sites. Great hunting, fishing, streams, lakes, moose.
$9,900.
or ultralight. Make offer.
Harrington - 175 +/- acres with 1,650' of salt meadow frontage on Flat Bay. Numerous coves, sea grasses & changing tides create a unique experience. Westerly views & mature timber. $175,000.
BUYERS ROAD
THE NORTHERN MAINE LAND MAN
PRICE REDUCED
Dallas Plt - Timber, water, wildlife & views. Four miles of frontage on S. Branch of Dead River and four remote ponds. 1,700' of elevation. Interior roads. Close to Rangeley. $2.75mm
SELLERS LANE
Roger & Pat Ek
52 Park St., Milo, ME 04463 (207) 943-5225 1410051 BROWNVILLE 42.2+/-ACRES NICE WOODED LOT ON TOWN MAINTAINED ROAD. POWER AT ROADSIDE DEEDED ROW TO ABBY POND. ACCESS TO ATV TRAILS FROM PROPERTY. SHORT DRIVE TO SCHOODIC LAKE. $42,000
Page 67
Jonesboro: 20 acres with tidal frontage and an AIRSTRIP! 1,900' water frontage, town paved road, power and a well. Great for light plane
Danforth: 63.5 acres on a hilltop. Long views, nice woods. Field to build. Old granite foundation. ATV and snowmobile trail. Only a mile from town. Price reduced $29,900.
LAND FOR SALE
HIGH MEADOW REALTY TRUST P.O. BOX 130 CARIBOU, MAINE 04736
TEL. (207) 455-8340 FAX (207) 455-4995
www.highmeadowrealtytrust.com
192 + ACRES Guilford - 192 +/- acres w/views from Oak Hill (920' in elevation) & in the shadows of 1,326' Guilford Mt. overlooking First Davis Pond. Wildlife galore with evidence of moose & deer. Cut in 2011. $129,000.
realty@mfx.net
• 45 acres Woodland Center Road, Perham, ME. $45,000 • 57 acres Fowler Road, Woodland , ME. $35,000 • 42 acres on High Meadow Road, Perham, ME $29,900. • 68 acres Borden Road, Washburn, ME. $47,600 • 55 acres Mouse Island Road, Perham, ME $35,000
All these parcels would make great hunting camps Financing Available
SUNRISE REALTY
P.O. Box 628 Main Street Machias, ME 04654 Office Tel. & Fax: (207) 255-3039 Email: anitaj@midmaine.com Website: www.sunlist.com Anita Johnson
EAST MACHIAS: This home is close to the Elementary school, Washington Academy and all the down town area of East Machias. The home has three bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. Enclosed in sun porch and the Sunrise Trail connects onto the property. Home needs work and is sold as is. Great price of $49,900. CHERRYFIELD: Home sits on a hill w/exc. views of the sunsets. 3-4 bdrm & 1 1/2 baths. Kitchen views of field & mountain. There's a nice pond out back to sit and watch the wildlife come to enjoy the water. Nice lg bldg used to be used as a dog grooming place. This is one of a kind property with 38 +/- acres. Great price $275,000.
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 68 SELLERS LANE
BUYERS ROAD
Subscribe Today! $30.00 for 12 months See the details on page 44!
REAL ESTATE 207-265-4000
259 Main Street, Kingfield, ME
www.csmrealestate.com
Enjoy Maine's Vacation-land!
ESTATE FOR SALE IN BEAUTIFUL CARIBOU MAINE!
Love to Fish?
We have properties on Hancock Pond, Flagstaff Lake, Sebec Lake, Embden Pond, West Carry and East Carry Pond. Land, camps and homes of all prices and sizes. Call today!
janet@csmrealestate.com
NEED A CAMP?
Camps • Mini Barns • Garages
October 2019
Situated on 25 acres in town, this property includes a world class wood working shop featured in two magazines as one of the 10 best in the country. Large salt water pool, paver driveways, 6 car garage, great view of Canada, deer, moose and eagles from your kitchen window! This is the most privacy of any property in town. $550k or $395k with 2 acres.
Contact Bill Belanger 207-551-2560 bill@trackersystems.com see video here https://youtu.be/dmCYxGSo7EE
Overhead Door Company of Caribou “The original since 1921”
Residential Sales, Service Parts for Residential, Commercial, Industrial 24-Hour Emergency Repair Reliability and so much more
Commercial
554-9044 320 Bowles Rd, Caribou www.overheaddoorofbangor.com
LAND FOR SALE IN NORTHERN MAINE
BRING US YOUR DREAMS!
See us at Mountain View Structures
171 Lincoln Rd., E. Hodgdon, ME (207) 532-6450
8 Acres of land with 1.500 feet of frontage on the Prestile Stream. Last lot on town maintained dirt road with Electrical. This lot already has a septic system and well, but has no buildings or structures. Great lot for out door enthusiast, with great trout fishing and just a few hundred feet from ITS snowmobile and ATV trails. Asking $28,995.00 please call 207-745-6951 for further details.
October 2019
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Stephanie Fields Beaulieu Designated Broker-Owner Cell: 207-551-5835 Fax: 207-472-3084
email: fieldsrealty@maine.rr.com 72 Fort Hill Street Fort Fairfield, ME 04742
21 Johnson Road, Presque Isle, ME $259,900 This contemporary chalet is a dream come true! Close to town, but sooo private. Open concept, gorgeous kitchen with cherry cabinets and quartz countertops. Custom designed touches throughout this majestic retreat. There are 2 pellet stoves, radiant floor heating and hot water baseboard...you will stay cozy! The decks will blow your mind... wrap around cedar for entertaining and relaxing. Lovely sunroom, choice hardwood floors, stunning views. And an amazing detached 3 car garage for all your hobbies rounds out this one of a kind charmer. This is the right home for your lifestyle!
Darren McGovern, Associate Broker Cell 207-712-3325 Office 207-773-1990 53 Baxter Boulevard, Portland, ME 04101
darrenmacthemover.cbintouch.com Darren.McGovern@NEMoves.com
This custom built one-of-a-kind Red Cedar Log Cabin/Post and Beam home is where country meets luxury meets privacy! Everything about this home is High End! This great home is quality throughout! The builder designed and built this place for himself with never intending to sell. If all that isn’t enough how about 173 acres, approximately 1 mile of water frontage on the Saco River. Not to mention the four stall horse barn, shooting range, gravel pit and so much more! Unique gems like this don’t come along everyday! $1,499,000.
Page 69
GATEWAY RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES Office 207-746-3398 gatwainn@midmaine.com www.medwaygateway.com P.O. Box 637 Medway, ME 04460 SNOWMOBILERS - CAMP LOTS AVAILABLE Along ITS-83 From Houlton to Presque Isle MATTANAWCOOK LAKE FRONT LOTS FOR SALE
ASHLAND: 10 Acres on Aroostook River. $14,000. ASHLAND: 20 Acre, river frontage. $25,000. GREENBUSH: 10 Acre camp lots, waterfrontage, large meadow, good views, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. $25,000 - $42,000. CARMEL: 25 Acres. $42,700. TROY: Hunting camp with 30 acres $45,000. CRYSTAL: 100 Acres large deer population and other wildlife. Will divide off a piece, perfect for your needs. Large brook on property. $49,900.
A labor of love with artistic design & attention to detail are found in the home nestled in the quaint village of Oxbow, Maine. A renovation of the West End School dating back to the early 1900’s took place during the years of 2001-2006 with the addition of a 30x44 two level barn in 2007. Immaculately preserved & cared for offering beamed spruce ceilings, red birch flooring, granite counters, cherry cabinetry, & a wood burning fireplace in the open concept living/dining room areas. A Harmon wood stove with stone hearth accents the warmth throughout the kitchen. The cozy comfort of the home also includes a reading/sunroom, three bedrooms, two baths, plus a den/family room area with built in book shelves. The barn has a wonderful wood heated work shop area plus a second level large enough for added living space or storage. Located in an area steeped with sporting traditions, close to the legendary Aroostook River and the North Maine Woods entrance offering thousands of acres for your recreational adventures. If you are searching for a home that whispers quality & comfort in a small community where neighbors care about one another & nature surrounds you. $329,000.
CAMPS LOTS AVAILABLE ON MATTASEUNK LAKE & MATTAWAMKEAG AREA
deb@maineoutdoorproperties.net www.maineoutdoorproperties.net www.landleader.com
COUNTRY HOME & BARN OXBOW PLT
DEB HENDERSON MAINE OUTDOOR PROPERTIES TEAM REALTY OF MAINE 207-852-7577
WE OWN WHAT WE SELL! OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE
BUILD ONE IN YOUR FAVORITE PLACE. 5 Lake Street, P.O. Box 66, Lincoln, ME 207-794-2460
Danforth- Cabin will sleep big crew & entertain more on the huge deck. Insulated garage w/ furnace for storing/ working on the toys all year. Fishing out the front & hunting out the back, built for outdoor people on Sandy Beach Rd. $69,500 Winn- Beautiful 4.7 acre lot is home to Maine hunting and recreational cabin. Drilled well plus a rocked up spring. An outhouse, flush and shower are there too. You need to bring only a smile and your toys to Mattakeunk Rd. $39,900
Email: cwa@cwalakestreet.com Burlington- Wellbuilt cute cabin tucked away in the woods with access to Madagascal’s gorgeous private sand beach. ATVing & snowmobiling and POSSIBLE OWNER FINANCING. Take a look today on W. Madagascal Pond Rd. $49,900 Lakeville- Acreage, views, close t o p o w e r, y e a r round road, well & septic. Wired for a generator & propane. Wonderful location on Dill Valley Rd near snowmobile & ATV trails PLUS it has Lakeville’s incredibly low taxes! $69,900
Pukakon- Lakefront Lincoln- Huge camp paradise cabin on on huge lot w/ year o n e o f M a i n e ’s round potential most desirable on Mattanawcook lakes, Junior Lake. Use as-is or Lake. Fabulous use grandfathered fishing. Hunting, location to build Snowmobiling & ATVing are just some your home. Sunrise & sunset views, great activities out your door. Lake views through swimming, & great fishing. $144,000 many windows. $345,000 Carroll Plt- Some views & more available with cutting down some firewood. Quiet & rural. Beautiful spot for getaway cabin. 15 minutes to Lakeville’s lakes & recreational opportunities on Kossar Rd. Owner financing available. $23,900 Lincoln- If you could remodel land, that’s what has been done! Septic pumped, new well pump installed, lot is cleared, filled, leveled, & seeded. Electric on site & ready for your new home on Bagley Mt Rd. Come take a look today. $29,500 Burlington- WOW, nice lot with road frontage on two roads. Located just minutes from Madagascal Pond. ATV and Snowsled from this nice lot on E. Madagascal Pond Rd. Compare others in the area and this will be the one. $20,000 Lakeville- Tucked away on rural secondary road, & well maintained. Electricity on lot, privy, fire pit & wood storage. Driveway & large gravel pad for camper right on Hobbs Rd. Will add the camper for a small additional fee. Worth a look. $19,900
AFFORDABLE, EASY-TO-BUILD CAMP & CABIN KITS Our Cumberland model with wrap-around porch and loft, package price $38,055. Discover the rustic charm and convenience of Northeastern’s Camp and Cabin kits. Perfect for vacation homes or retirement retreats, these log cabin kits are easy to build and very affordable. They feature simple, open designs and come complete with pre-cut
Eastern White Pine Logs, insulated doors, windows, rafters, roof sheathing and sub-flooring plus step-by-step instructions. Just imagine relaxing in your very own www.northeasternlog.com Northeastern log retreat! Give us a call today.
1-800-624-2797
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 70 SELLERS LANE
October 2019 SELLERS LANE
REAL ESTATE
BUYERS ROAD
BUYERS ROAD
Houlton Office 207-532-4500 Hermon Office 207-605-0556 Scot Walker, Broker
For all your recreational needs! First Choice Real Estate
Land, Cabins, Acreage, Waterfront and more.
www.mainelandbroker.com CALL TODAY TO PLACE YOUR REAL ESTATE 207-732-4880
(207) 696-4247
www.HearthAndHomeRealty.com 274 Main Street Madison, ME 04950
#3387-Mercer; 3BR, 2.5 bath home has granite countertops, central vac, hardwood flooring & built in speakers. Just needs some finishing touches. 3-car attached garage with lots of storage above. 83.32 acres. $274,900
#3383-Madison; Quality constructed contemporary ranch on 2.54 acres. 3BR, 1.5 baths, utility room, cathedral ceiling, radiant & hot air heat along with modern passive solar design. Large attached 1 car garage, covered porch & paved driveway. $225,000.
#4352-North Anson; 4-unit in great location with ATV/snowmobile trail bordering property. Front porch, shed & coin operated laundry. Each unit w/ 1BR, 1 bath, refrigerator and stove. Good income earner & currently rented. 4 acres. $119,000
#6079-Moscow; Camp ready to make your own. Circular driveway, electric on site and 3BR septic system installed ready to hook up to camp. Easy access to ATV/snowmobile trails. 0.95 acres. $28,500
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL Our Past. Your Future
P.O. Box 72 Houlton, Maine 1-800-341-1566 www.wardcedarloghomes.com
Stephanie Fields Beaulieu Designated Broker-Owner
Cell: 207-551-5835
Fax: 207-472-3084
email: fieldsrealty@maine.rr.com 72 Fort Hill Street Fort Fairfield, ME 04742
$75,000 84 Mountain Road, Presque Isle, ME 29 acres of woods abutting 800 acres of State of Maine park land can be yours. This wooded parcel includes gated road access a good portion of the year. Recent improvements include new chimney top, roof and leveling. $82,000 999 Pingree L141 Loc F T8 R10 Wels, ME 00000 Would you like to be near the Allagash region and some of the best fishing/hunting in the North Maine Woods? This camp is very well built and maintained and has a very nice lawn and yard to allow outdoor enjoyment. $199,000 72 Puckerbush Trail, T1 R8 Wels, ME This camp is located on the end of a peninsula on Millinocket Lake with a spectacular view of Mount Katahdin. Property inlcudes a fully-furnished main camp with 2 bedrooms and a sleeping loft, open floor plan for the kitchen and living area. $95,000 Fish River Aroostook 913 Location F T14 R8 Wels, ME 04757 Very tidy, solid log camp with outbuildings including a two bunk sleeping cabin. Propane stove, refrigerator, generator, beautiful hand made beds and cabinets. Gated over 1 mile.
Overhead Door Company of Bangor
“The original since 1921”
Residential Sales, Service Parts for Residential, Commercial, Industrial 24-Hour Emergency Repair Reliability and so much more
Commercial
$115,000 479 East Cottage Road When you see this vacation home, you will pinch yourself, wondering whether the price is real. Three bedrooms and full foundation. Located on Portage Lake.
www.bigbearrealestatecompany.com
515 Main Street • Presque Isle, ME 04769 Office: (207) 764-4600 Cell: 227-2305 Fax: 517-6860
1-800-696-2235 56 Liberty Drive, Hermon www.overheaddoorofbangor.com
Judd Goodwin Well Co
"We Do It Right The First Time"
Complete Well & Pump
Installation, Service and Repair Residential • Commercial Camps • Cottages
P.O. Box 17 Greenville, ME 04441 Office: 207-695-695-3645 Cell: 207-280-0923 goodwinjudd@yahoo.com www.juddgoodwinwell.com Member Maine Groundwater Association
PRICED!!
“Please call or visit for exact quote”
$179
Clearcoat
$373 $406
$119 $139 $279 $299
$343