Northwoods Sporting Journal

Lost Hunter: The Untold Story

By V. Paul Reynolds

In mid November of 1982 in Maine’s Grant West Township, a few miles East of the Greenville Airport, an experienced Massachusetts deer hunter got turned around later in the afternoon, and it began to snow. An extensive search

one conclusion: the hunter could not have survived! He was presumed to have perished from the punishing cold and bitter nights. The incident, with all of its human drama, was, as you might imagine, the subject of intense press coverage by all elements

not only from the press but from Maine public opinion. Some of the criticism from Mainers was scathing. Critics, including experienced hunters and survival experts, called him a fraud. There were suggestions that he had scammed the public for the publicity,

On that first day in the deer woods, Wescott realized late in the afternoon with snow spitting that he had been going in the wrong direction. Just before dark he found himself facing Rum Pond with no quick or easy way out. He would spend the night.

party that included his own hunt companions, trained ground personal and search aircraft never found a trace of the missing hunter. After a few days with colder temperatures and a new cover of wet snow, the Maine Warden Service called off the search. The statistical data of other missing hunters, as well as the gut instincts of experienced woodsman and survival experts, all pointed to

of Maine and New England news media, most especially when the rest of the story broke unexpectedly almost three weeks later.

The missing hunter, George W.Wescott, 52, of Swansea, Mass. was still alive and was picked up by a stunned telephone serviceman on the Scammon Road that runs north of Lower Wilson Pond.

From all reports, Wescott took a drubbing,

or that he escaped an ugly divorce and ran away to warmer climes with a lady companion.

What was the rest of the story? For a long time, it never got told. Wescott faced difficult toe and foot amputations and rehabilitation time from his ordeal. If the press really wanted to delve into the postscript account from Wescott himself– and we are not sureWescott was hurt and angry

Wescott, the deer hunter who was missing in the north woods for three weeks.

and wanted no part of press interviews. He was also miffed at the Maine Warden Service for reasons that become clear later in this article.

As so often is the case, the Wescott story fell off the radar quickly. It was not until eight years later in 1990 that George Wescott agreed to sit down and tell his story for the first time - an in-depth televi-

sion interview with the late Bangor Daily News outdoor columnist Ralph “Bud” Leavitt. Leavitt was a consummate, probing interviewer. It is clear from Wescott’s body language and attitude that he trusted Leavitt and was ready to tell all, for the first time since his narrow escape from death eight years earlier.

(Missing cont. pg 22)

George

Photo taken ten years after his ordeal.

On The Cover

Pinch Brody Adds Me & Joe To Road Kill List - Pg 16

Lost Hunter: The Untold Story - Pg 3

Deer Outlook Good - Pg 42

Best Grouse Habitat - Pg 6

Cast And Blast - Pg 61

Camps, Cottages and Land for Sale - Pg 68-70

Contents

3.Lost Hunter: The Untold Story - V. Paul Reynolds

6.On Point - Paul Fuller

7. Tales Of A Maine Woodsman - Joel E. Tripp

9.On The Prowl - Justin Merrill

10. A Hiker’s Life - Carey Kish

14.On The Ridge - Joe Judd

15.SAM Banquet

16. The Adventures Of Me & Joe - Bob Cram

18.Outdoor Sporting Library - Jeremiah Wood

20. Aroostook Woods & Water - Mike Maynard

24.Outdoors In Maine - V. Paul Reynolds

25.From Craig Pond - Bob Mercer

27. The Singing Maine Guide - Randy Spencer

28.Northwoods Sketchbook - Mark McCollough

29.Basics of Survival - Joe Frazier

33.Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s Perspective - Tom Kelly

34.Kineo Currents - Suzanne AuClair

35. Young Blood - Jake Guay

36. View From The River - Laurie Chandler

37.Old Tales From The Maine Woods - Steve Pinkham

39.New Hampshire Outdoors - Peter St. James

40. The Bird Perch - Karen Holmes

41.Muzzleloading Afield - Al Raychard

42. The Buck Hunter - Hal Blood

43.Cookin’ With New England’s WildCheff - Denny Corriveau

44. Angling, Antlers & Artifacts - Jake Scoville

45.Green Mountain Report - Bradley Carleton

46.The Trail Rider - Dan Wilson

47. Women In The Woods - Erin Merrill

48. Vermont Ramblings - Dennis Jensen

49.Outdoors In Vermont - Gary Moore

52.Slipstream - Scott Biron

53. Against The Current - Bob Romano

55.South Of Kennebec - Stu Bristol

56.Question Of The Month - Sam Jacobs

57.Everything Maine - Greg Burr

58.Marsh Island Chronicles - Matthew Dunlap

59.Maple Country Outdoors - Ben Wilcox

60. Warden’s Words - Kale O’Leary

61.Maine Tails - Jonah Paris

62. The Back Shelf - Randy Randall

64. The Maine Woods - Matt LaRoche

66.Cracker Barrel - Homer Spit

67. A Halibut Story - Kevin Warr

Cover Photo: & Information

Tyler Strasenburgh of Clifton bagged this non-typical 11-pointer on opening day of last year’s expanded archery season. The 150-lb September bow buck was scored 143 by MASTC.

The Sportin’ Journal

The Northwoods Sporting Journal is the Northeast’s most comprehensive and readable monthly outdoor publication. Published at the trailhead of Maine’s sprawling North Woods, the Sporting Journal prides itself on being an independent voice for the region’s outdoor community for more than 28 years. Some of our writers are seasoned and specialized outdoors people who will share their know-how and insights; some of our contributors are simply lifelong outdoor people with interesting stories to tell.

Our aim every month is to capture the essence of Northern New England’s remarkable outdoor heritage by stirring memories, portraying outdoor humor, and sharing experiences and outdoor knowledge. We also keep our readers up to date with late-breaking outdoor news and hard-hitting editorials about fish and wildlife issues.

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

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

Editor - V. Paul Reynolds

Associate Editor - Donna Veino

Graphic Arts Manager - Gayleen Cummings

Subscription/Distribution Manager - Alicia Cram

Operations Manager - Annette Boobar

Webmaster - V. Paul Reynolds

Sales Department; Thomas Schmidt, Paul Hatin, Traci Grant, Joe Ferris, Michael Georgia, Mike Brown and Joshua Kane

Regional Advertising Manager - Jim Thorne

The Northwoods Sporting Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited photos or manuscripts. Photos submitted without a stamped, self-addressed envelope will not be returned.

The Outdoor Paper For “Maine Folks”

Aroostook Woods & Water - Pg 20

A Halibut Story - Pg 67 by Kevin Warr

Muzzleloading Afield - Pg 41

We know that all living creatures need two items, shelter and food. It’s called habitat. Over the past few years, your columnist has written about the three phases of grouse food. Those three phases represent the food side

On Point

by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H.

needs to find about a 15acre section of habitat that provides him with all the food and shelter he needs to take care of a harem of several hens. This habitat is usually what biologists refer to as a piece of land that is in early succes -

Best Grouse Habitat

perennials begin to appear. Henry is looking for that new perennial growth. In the Northeast, it’s often raspberry plants. In fact, large sections of raspberry plants. Grouse love the leaves of the raspberry. This early growth is also excellent for whitetail deer and rabbits. Next early growth are shrubs and

Your author’s favorite Northern Maine grouse cover is a thick aspen stand, perhaps ten years old, with an adjacent thicket of vines. Vines so thick it’s impossible to walk through them. If I send in one of the dogs, the grouse run to an outer edge and then flush.

of habitat. Now, let’s talk about the shelter side of habitat.

We’re going to explain shelter by following a young male grouse right after his brood (brothers and sisters) break up. Let’s call him Henry. This is not an attempt to anthropomorphize our Henry but just an easy way to keep track of his activities.

Henry’s natural instincts tell him that he

sional growth; or, early successional vegetation. Early successional growth can happen anywhere. It can happen in your front yard, in the prairies and in the grouse woods. In the grouse woods, it begins with logging a mature forest. A mature forest is typically of little use to most wild animals…except perhaps squirrels.

After the mature forest has been harvested,

vines. And, then you’ll see aspen beginning to appear. Aspen are a key ingredient in ruffed grouse food and shelter. For food, it’s the aspen bud which is high in nutrition. Also, the thick growth of early aspen provides excellent protection from aerial grouse predators…hawks and owls. Sandy soil is the best for aspen growth. Henry is going to settle down in an area with excellent aspen growth. His harem and their broods will do well with young aspen growth.

Your author’s favorite Northern Maine grouse cover is a thick aspen stand, perhaps ten years old, with

an adjacent thicket of vines. Vines so thick it’s impossible to walk through them. If I send in one of the dogs, the grouse run to an outer edge and then flush. usually spend one whole day just looking for new coverts. And, we always find at least one or two new areas to put down the dogs.

To quote an iconic

It would be impossible for them to flush in the midst of the vines. If I’m hunting that cover alone, even with a nice point, I rarely get a shot. The flush is too far out. If Susan is with me, one of us will stay with the dog and the other circle around to the far side of the vineyard. The far side of the vineyard usually permits a shot.

A great amount of grouse hunting fun is searching for new coverts. When we’re hunting the North Maine Woods, we

New England outdoor writer, Frank Woolner: “birds are where you find them.” However, you’ll find them more often in a 10-15 year aspen cut. The aspen provide both food and shelter which is grouse habitat.

Paul and Susan Fuller are avid upland hunters. They’re the hosts of Bird Dogs Afield TV. There are over 200 episodes on their YouTube Channel. www. youtube.com/birddogsafield

Good aspen cover produces good grouse hunting. (Photo by Susan Fuller)

Model 141

Four does walked single file not ten yards in front of me.

When I was 13, I hunted with my brother who was 17. We hunted down back on our land and the neighboring properties. Larry was carrying his new Mossberg 12 gauge and I had my father’s Remington Model 141 in .35 Rem.

This morning it was cold, late in the season and there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground. Larry was in charge and we hunted slow, meeting up every hour or so. “Go to the porcupine tree and I will see you at 8:30.” “Hunt down to Jim’s big hemlock, 9:15.” “Move slow up the Foxwell to the big burl. I will be waiting.”

Just beyond the burl is Milliken’s corner and there is always a scrape line going up the brook. We found several scrapes and there appeared to be fresh sign. Larry looked around and spotted a red maple half blown down. I was perched fairly comfortably in the red maple and Larry made a wide circle. Half an hour later the heat from the morning activity had worn off and I was cold. My fingers were numb but I didn’t dare to move as I waited for my brother to return.

As I concentrated on suffering, no longer enjoying hunting, there appeared in front of me a deer. Broadside not ten yards away. I was dumbfounded. I had heard nothing and

apparently the doe did not realize I was there. She looked back and as I followed her gaze, I became aware that there were three more does in line getting smaller as they went.

As they began to move it dawned on me that I should shoot. This

Without moving the gun, I reached back and checked the safety with my thumb and finger. My hands were frozen and I was doubting

Tales Of

A

Maine Woodsman

by Joel F. Tripp

Limington, ME

trigger guard not the trigger. I sat there and looked at it then glanced up as the deer disappeared. I put the safety back

As they began to move it dawned on me that I should shoot. This was the first time I had the opportunity to actually shoot at a deer. I slid the safety off using thumb and finger to prevent a click. As the lead deer looked away, I lifted the 141 to my shoulder and squeezed the trigger.

was the first time I had the opportunity to actually shoot at a deer. I slid the safety off using thumb and finger to prevent a click. As the lead deer looked away, I lifted the 141 to my shoulder and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened.

whether the safety had been taken off or not. It had and I reached ahead and squeezed again expecting a bang. Nothing. The last deer was moving out of sight as I pulled the gun down to look. My trigger finger was squeezing on the

on and sat there, not knowing if I should pursue the deer or wait. A few minutes later Larry showed up following the track of the deer. He poked out of a thicket of fir and looked right at me. “Why didn’t you shoot?” I (Model 141 cont. pg 11)

BOOKING HUNTS

NOW THROUGH DECEMBER

Grouse: Faster Than A Speeding Bullet?

For more than 30 years, I have been writing this weekly outdoor column for this paper and a number of others in Maine. I have no copy desk to “proof” this column before it is sent to my client newspapers. There is Diane, however. Not only is she my wife of 60 years, my cribbage partner and extraordinary cook, she is a second set of eyes to look over this column before it is sent out.

Her sharp eyes and grammar knowledge have saved me more than once. Editors at my client newspapers have also caught mistakes before they wound up engraved in black type for all to see.

But, alas, a few years ago, I made a beaut, a significant math error in an article about Ruffed Grouse that just slid on by me, Diane, and, as far as I know, the client newspaper editors as well.

The piece in question was a tribute to Maine’s most popular and sought after legendary upland game bird. Sporting literature has over the years, with no small

Theriault for Congress

To the Editor:

There is nothing that I love more than spending time in the great outdoors. As a guide, I am fortunate that I have the opportunity

measure of hyperbole, helped along the grouse’s sterling reputation as exceedingly elusive, hunter wary and very fast. Inadvertently, I contributed to the myth building by stating that the grouse flew at 900 feet per second!

That number caught some readers’ attention. They wrote to me, “C’mon, man. They are fast, but not that fast!” Another wrote, “ Wow, no wonder I have such a hard time hitting them in the air.” A friend, who enjoyed poking me in the eye, observed: “At that speed a grouse could take off from Bangor International Airport and land in Rochester, New York in one hour!” My critic ground it in by reminding me that some handguns don’t shoot bullets that fast.

My face is red. In fact, a grouse’s top speed is actually 35 mph. If my math serves, and you might want to doublecheck me, that computes to 51.3 feet per second. A grouse that flies at 900 feet per second is supersonic at sea level, 613 mph, or as the test pilots say, Mach One.

Editorial Letters

to showcase our great state to the country and highlight why we are the premiere location for all sportsmen.

B ecause I love our state and the great outdoors, I’m writing to make other sportsmen like me aware of the race in Maine’s Second

So where did the 900 feet per second come from? We are still checking our research notes. In all probability, 90 feet per second was found by me in a grouse book that took liberties as well with grouse speeds. My clumsy typing style clicked in an excess zero that did not belong.

My apologies to all, especially to the Ruffed Grouse, who is a stalwart and impressive game bird in its own right and needs no marketing hoopla from me.

By the way, Maine’s game bird biologist, Kelsey Sullivan is optimistic about this fall’s grouse outlook. He reports: “Spring drumming counts were down, as expected after the low production we had last summer. Favorable conditions for nesting and brood rearing in much of the state and production was good this year, with large broods. I expect this year’s fall grouse population to be up from last year. Grouse hunters will find birds in good numbers.”

Congressional District and its potential impact on our community.

Jared Golden’s changing the more time he spends in Washington – and it’s not for our benefit. As most of you know, he’s flipflopped on us and our Second Amendment rights. We can’t afford for the status quo to continue. That’s why I’m supporting Austin Theriault for Congress and think you should too.

Austin grew up in a Fort Kent logging family and respects the values and woods of northern Maine like any other reader of this fine publication. I bet he had more time in the field by the time he was five years old than most other Mainers! With an upbringing like that, you can take his support for Maine’s

sportsmen to the bank. It’s in his blood.

We cannot afford to lose our way of life to a flip-flopping congressman.

I’m voting for Austin to protect Maine’s sporting heritage and I hope you’ll join me.

Roger Lambert Maine Guide

Bristol Bows Out

To the Editor:

Beating the heat in my cool office cleaning out old printed manuscripts from over 60 years of outdoor writing and wondering what to do with the hundreds of computer CD’s. I can’t remember what the first year I sent Vic columns to get him started with Northwoods

Sporting Journal. I believe Dave O’Connor and I were among the first if not the first columnists.

I have made a decision to call it good and focus my attention on call making, my website blog, fishing with friends and upcoming hunting seasons.

I appreciate the years of support you and Vic have given me but it’s time for me to step down as an active writer.

It has been an honor to communicate with your readers all these years and I will probably miss the time spent penning the column, but I feel like a baseball player that stayed in uniform too long.

I look forward to the next time we can share a dinner or a place in a boat

(Letters cont. pg 19)

Controlling Your Odor

We’ve all heard the stories about a hunter dressed in everyday clothes taking coffee, food, and cigarettes to the stand. Several hours later that same hunter reappears dragging a 200 pound ten pointer behind him. There’s always exceptions to the rules. Most likely the wind and thermals on that particular morning were carrying the hunters millions of odor molecules far away from any approaching deer.

Take the same hunter on the same stand on a different day with swirling winds and he most likely won’t see one deer the whole day. I may speak for every hunter when I say that I want to see deer every time I head to the woods in November. I am extremely

careful with my odor eliminating rituals when coyote hunting so why not when getting ready to pursue the wary deer?

The majority of the game species we hunt rely heavily on their noses to detect approaching predators and any danger nearby.

It’s often talked about how

phy class buck ignoring the wind. It’s almost always a young doe or yearling buck being more curious than anything. Unbeknownst to them a strange two legged creature lurks nearby. All young animals, including human children, demonstrate a tremendous amount of fearless curiosity that

mature bruin would? The majority I’m quite sure. To consistently see game and reap high success rates the hunters paying heed to the rules of the sport normally win all.

It amazes me every

It amazes me every year how many hunters get frustrated over not seeing game or get busted by a wise old doe that stuck her nose to the wind and began blowing the alarm snort. I hear it all too often.

deer will usually trust their nose more than their eyes. Again, there’s always exceptions to the rule. Just as I’m sure you’ve seen, I too have witnessed deer walk right into my downwind side showing no care for alarm. I also must add that it was never a mature tro-

sometimes gets them into trouble. It’s not old news that, “curiosity killed the cat”!

How many black bear hunters have had one or two year old bears run right into the bait sites downwind without circling to decipher all odors like a

year how many hunters get frustrated over not seeing game or get busted by a wise old doe that stuck her nose to the wind and began blowing the alarm snort. I hear it all too often. I’m frequently asked how black bears walk within five feet of me or how I harvest my

On The Prowl

by Justin Merrill, Cherryfield, ME

deer at point blank range without ever being discovered. My simple four word reply has always been, “I control my odor”!

No two hunters are going to be the same. We all have our preferred interests or likes and dislikes even when controlling our odor before going hunting. I chose this topic for this month’s column to share with you all my bag of tricks. It’s completely up to you whether you take it or leave it.

Quite simply three days before opening day of any hunting season I shower in odor eliminating soap, I use scent free (Odor cont. pg 11)

Hiker’s Life”

By Carey Kish, Mt. Desert Island, ME

Moxie Bald Mountain rises to 2,630 feet in the wild country of Bald Mountain Township in Somerset County, the highest point along the Appalachian Trail between the Kennebec River and Monson. Burned mostly bare by forest fires over the years,

vantage point, across the blue waters of Moxie Pond, Pleasant Pond Mountain and Mosquito Mountain stand tall, as does Moxie Mountain southwest of the pond. A mile and a half to the north via the AT and a blue-blazed side trail is

Moxie Bald Mountain

across the 100-Mile Wilderness to Katahdin.

To the east of sprawling Moxie Bald is Bald Mountain Pond, a pristine 1,200-acre expanse that has, incredibly, remained undeveloped over time except for just two leased camps. Popular with anglers for its trout fishery, hikers on the AT have enjoyed the place too, camping at the log lean-to on the

To the east of sprawling Moxie Bald is Bald Mountain Pond, a pristine 1,200-acre expanse that has, incredibly, remained undeveloped over time except for just two leased camps. Popular with anglers for its trout fishery, hikers on the AT have enjoyed the place too, camping at the log lean-to on the pond’s north shore.

Moxie Bald’s extensive open granite ledges reward hikers with extraordinary views in every direction.

A small trail sign and the metal footings of the old 1919 fire lookout tower mark the top of Moxie Bald. The tower, one of 144 that once stood guard over Maine’s forests, was removed in 1994. From this

the 2,350-foot North Peak of Moxie Bald Mountain, a lightly visited gem that features even more open bedrock terrain. You’re likely to have the place to yourself while you enjoy the view that ranges from the High Peaks Region and the Canadian border around Jackman to Moosehead Lake and

Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a handful of other partners to acquire the needed funds for the conservation deal.

The NPS owns and manages the additional land on Moxie Bald, while the MATLT owns and man-

in-and-out trek by staying at the AT shelters at Bald Mountain Brook and Bald Mountain Pond. Or you might just want to hike the entire 34-mile AT section from Caratunk to Monson, a fabulous 3 to 4-day journey.

pond’s north shore.

The conservation community had long considered Bald Mountain Pond a high priority place conservation the 282-mile Maine AT corridor. Lo and behold, four years ago the Trust for Public Land purchased more than 2,600 acres around Bald Mountain Pond and on the south ridge of Moxie Bald Mountain from Weyerhaeuser.

TPL worked with the State of Maine, the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust, Poland Spring, the National

WASSOOKEAG RETRIEVERS

ages the land around Bald Mountain Pond. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is responsible the public boat launch at the south end of the pond, where there is road access from the south at Route 16 in Moscow.

Day hikers can reach Moxie Bald Mountain via the AT from Troutdale Road at the south end of Moxie Pond, a moderate 5-mile hike (one-way) that gains about 1,650 feet. Add another three miles round-trip if you want to tackle the North Peak. Backpackers can make it a 1 or 2-night

However you choose to adventure on Moxie Bald, enjoy the big views and remember to tip your hiking cap to the conservationists for their amazing work in preserving this precious place.

Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island, ME is the author of Beer Hiking New England, AMC’s Best Day Hikes Along the Maine Coast, and the AMC Maine Mountain Guide. Catch up with him (maybe) at maineoutdoors@aol.com, on Facebook, and on Instagram @careykish

Model 141

(Cont. from pg 7)

explained the situation and we stood there. Me shivering and Larry steaming, physically and mentally.

“No use following, they are headed for the Heath” grunted Larry. 50 yards away was a wall of vegetation 100 feet thick which surrounds the Heath. We headed home. Pretending to hunt but knowing that the chance had passed us by. That night at the supper table we reported to my father. Little was said. It was too obvious. I had the chance and blew it.

A few years later hunting on my own I realized that that day had not been entirely wasted. My brother had planned a perfect hunt. We scouted, moved silently and when the deer were found he pushed them right in front of me. After that I stopped feeling guilty about not shooting that day and focused on hunting.

For the next few years the 141 and I put on a lot of miles. We followed any track, and in the process learned how, when and where deer move. At 16 I shot an eight pointer with the 141 and this time my finger didn’t get stuck on the trigger guard.

Joel F. Tripp is a Maine Woodsman who still hunts with his brother after nearly 50 years. For more information go to; trippsend.com

Odor

(Cont. from pg 9)

antiperspirant deodorant, and all my clothing and bedding is washed in odor eliminating detergent. This becomes my regular routine throughout the season.

On opening day and every hunting day I always wait to get dressed in the field once I arrive at my parking spot. I will put on Scent-Lok or Scent Blocker clothing that has been stored in an odor eliminating storage bag. I also spray all my other gear –including my bow – with odor eliminating spray.

Before heading to the woods or fields I figure out what the wind and thermals are doing with my Cirrus Wind Indicator. I then make a decision on what blind to go to or where to set up my portable Ghost Blind. It’s always a good idea to have multiple locations to set up when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

All the hunters I’ve looked up to growing up constantly set up dozens of tree stands throughout their hunting grounds to be sure they can hunt no matter what wind direction. I too always have back up plans especially since I’ve worked really hard year after year patterning my deer or at least getting a handle on where they might be during different wind directions. It’s gotten to the point that I’ve started talking to the deer in my hunting area. They are so used to my truck and my presence. If they do bound off it’s only a short distance and then they look back watching and listening. That’s just about everything I do to control my odor in a nutshell.

When I go to the woods this October and

November I will be extremely confident that I will see deer. Harvesting one will be totally up to my capabilities through diligent practice. I want you to exude the same confidence. So why not give these odor eliminating tactics a try? Go on! Try it! I’m sure you’ll like the results this hunting season. Best of luck and shoot straight.

Justin has his Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology from Unity College and is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA). He authored two books and is the owner of the hunting and fishing show, “SPIKES and GILLS” on YouTube.

During customer appreciation day at Whitney Outfitters in Lincoln, pack basket maker Brittinie McLaughlin of Lee displayed her handiwork. Whitney Outfitters also crafts these handsome handmade pack baskets that are sold at major retail outlets all over Maine. McLaughlin has been making these baskets for five years. The baskets can also be purchased at Whitney Outfitters and Old Town Trading Post. The “signature” or classic basket is 30 inches high and is priced about $83.00. More information is available on the website at packbasketsofmaine.com. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds)

Edited by V. Paul Reynolds

Outdoor News - October 2024

October! For most of us who hunt or fish or just enjoy the great outdoors this is it – the month of months. Enjoy!

Maine’s Fall Hunt Season Dates

Deer Season: Expanded Sept 7-Dec. 14

Regular Archery Season Oct. 5 -Nov. 1

Youth Day Oct. 25-Oct 26

Maine Residents Only Day Nov. 2

Firearms Season Nov.4Nov. 30

Muzzleloader Season Dec. 2- Dec 7

Bear Season: Bear Baiting Aug. 26Sept. 21

Youth Day Aug. 24

General Bear Season Aug. 26- Nov. 30

Grouse Season: Sept. 28- Dec. 31

Fall Turkey Season: Fall Turkey Sept 16-Nov. 7 (* Bag limits vary by WMA, check lawbook)

Youth Day Sept. 14

Game Wardens

Rescue 71-Year-Old Man

Maine Game Wardens, The Maine Forest Service, the Carrabassett Valley Fire Department and the Eustis Fire Department teamed up to rescue a 71-year-old Maine man who collapsed while hiking in mid August.

Gerard Jalbert, age 71, of Falmouth Maine was hiking with a friend and returning back from hiking to the top of Red-

dington Mountain when he collapsed on the trail.

The friend was able

“With the need to get Mr. Jalbert to the hospital quickly, state agencies

to call 911, and emergency personnel were able to get an exact location of the victim through the cell phone. Two teams consisting of multiple game wardens, Eustis Fire Department and Carrabassett Valley Frie Departments assembled quickly and began hiking in. One team hiked up the Appalachian trail up Crocker Mountain to access the Redington Trail, while the other team travelled by ATV on the Caribou Pond Road to an old snowmobile trail to an intersection with the Red dington trail.

Both teams reached Jalbert at approximately 3:15 p.m. A decision was made then to contact the Maine Forest Service, who quickly arrived by helicop ter, and was able to hoist him out of the woods, and transfer him to a waiting LifeFlight helicopter, who transferred him to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Jalbert remains at Maine Medical in stable condi tion.

and local emergency personnel were able to work together to rescue a man in a very remote area among some of Maine’s highest mountains,” said Sergeant Scott Thrasher.

Fort Kent

International Muskie Derby

According to the Bangor Daily News, a fisherman from Quebec, Bobby Bolduc, won first place in Fort Kent’s 22 Annual International Muskie Derby held Aug. 9-11. His first place fish, which set a derby record, was 46.75 inches long and tipped the scales at 27.75 lbs! From the total derby purse of $10,000.00, Bolduc took home the $2,000.00 Grand Prize.

Derby organizer Dennis Cyr said that Bolduc’s whopper was an inch longer than last year’s first place winner. “There were

a lot of big fish this year. They seem to get bigger every year,” said Cyr.

The other Derby winners were:

Second Place: Zack Gallant of Edmundston, New Brunswick

Third Place: Scott Haggerty of Presque Isle

Fourth Place: Jim

Campbell of Fort Kent

Fifth Place: Tyler

rescued a 71-year-old Fort Kent man who was missing overnight after he headed out fishing in mid August.

McClaren “Mickey” McBreairty, age 71 of Fort Kent, had told his wife that he was headed out fishing in the North Maine Woods, but when he didn’t return that evening, she notified the Maine Warden Service that he was missing.

Thibeault of Fort Kent

Seventh Place: Felix Gautreaux of Edmundston, New Brunswick

Eighth Place: Dave O’ Brien of Vermont

Bass Derby Winners:

First Place

and Second Place:

Zach Haggertyn of Presque Isle with a 4.7 lb bass winning

$1,000.00

Third Place: Shane Wishart of Wallagrass.

According to Cyr, next year’s International Muskie Derby is planned for the second weekend in August of 2025.

Maine Warden Rescues Maine Man

Game wardens were able to confirm that McBreairty did go through a North Maine Woods gate at around noon, but a search by game wardens in one of his favorite fishing areas revealed no sign of McBreairty. Game Wardens continued to search the area until approximately 3:00 a.m. Game wardens resumed searching at 6:00 a.m. the next day with more game wardens, an Allagash Ranger, and a Maine Warden Service aircraft. At approximately 10:15 a.m., Game Warden Pilot Josh Tibbetts located McBreairty’s truck stuck on a washed out road alongside a beaver flowage off the Michaud Farm Road in Allagash.

Game Warden Kayle Hamilton was able to drive to the scene where he found

The Maine Warden Service (News cont. pg 13)

Bobby Bolduc with his winning muskie 27.75 lbs!

(Cont. from pg 12)

McBreairty in the truck, a little tired but in good spirits. Game Warden Hamilton was able to get him out of the woods, and reunite him with his family.

Caso Bay Cup Winners

Capt. Isaac Molt and the crew of Redemption captured the Casco Bay Cup and first place in the 2024 Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza with a 635-pound bluefin they landed on Day 1 of the 3-day tournament. “Weather and politics both factored into this year’s results,” said Bluefin Bonanza president and tournament director Bob Humphrey.

“NOAA Fisheries, which manages highly migratory species like bluefin tuna changed their regulations this year reducing our fishing days from 4 to 3, and strong winds and high seas further reduced fishing opportunity.”

All the same, fishermen went forth and results were on par with previous 3-day tournament years. Of the 59 boats participating, 24 accounted for a total of 31 fish. Redemption’s 635-pounder took first place and was the largest fish on Day 1. Second Place went to Amy Lynn and 19 year old Capt. Bobby Strong with a 612.5-pound fish landed in the waning hours of Day 3. Capt. Keith Jordan of Bailey & Bella took third place with a 610-pound fish, the largest on Day 2. Fourth place was taken by Capt. Max Bogdonovich and Bogsea with a 591-pound fish.

In fifth place was Molly Jane and Co-Capts. Kurt and Erik Christensen

with a 576.5-pound fish.

Molly Jane also took the trophy for highest cumulative weight for 2 fish totaling 1,152 pounds. That total also secured their win in the inaugural Gulf of Maine Grand Slam.

New this year, the Gulf of Maine Grand Slam is a cooperative effort between the Bluefin Bonanza, the Bluefin Benefit Battle and the Bailey Island Fishing Tournament. Anglers who participated in all 3 tournaments accumulated points based on total weight. “It’s an effort to build comradery among the tournaments, further support our local community and encourage anglers to bring better fish to market,” said Grand Slam director Peter Moore. Proceeds from the tournament, which included 2 youth events, 3 fishing days and an awards and fundraising dinner featuring a Downeast lobster bake will go toward community college scholarships for students enrolled

Women’s Outdoor Survival Classes

Vermont Outdoor Guide Association (VOGA) announces the return of nationally known MasterClass Wilderness Survival Instructor, Jessie Krebs who will be teaching women’s outdoor survival skills for 3 weekends in Monkton, VT in October.

Jessie is a former U.S. Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training instructor and one of the few female S.E.R.E. specialists who taught military members how to stay alive and return home if they were shot down behind enemy lines.

in trades and marine science programs, internships for students working at the University of Maine’s Pelagic Fisheries Lab at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) and an endowment with the University of Maine Foundation supporting bluefin tuna research led by Dr. Walt Golet at GMRI.

“Our 3 pillars are community, conservation and education,” said Humphrey. “The local workforce desperately needs skilled tradesmen and women and we’re helping to fill that void. Meanwhile, the research and students we support ensure the resource we harvest through this local, artisinal fishery remains strong and sustainable, supporting the waterfront infrastructure.”

For more information, check out the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza on Facebook and Instagram and visit: www.bluefinbonanza. org or email bluefinbonanza@gmail.com

half of American women are participating in outdoor recreation: The female participation rate reached 51.9% in 2023, up from 50% in 2022.

The outdoor recreation economy brings $1.9 billion annually into Vermont, amounting to 4.6% of State GDP. Nationally, Vermont ranks second only to Hawaii for outdoor recreation contribution as a percentage of state GDP, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. According to Outdoor Industry Association’s 2024 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, for the first time ever, more than

Jessie is the founder & head Instructor of OWLS Skills ( www.owlsskills. com ), Colorado’s Premier Women’s-only Outdoor School and is highly sought-after as a technical consultant and on-screen survival expert for a number of international survival shows including Science Channel’s Hacking The Wild, Fox’s Kicking & Screaming, and a participant in National Geographic’s “Mygrations” where Jessie became one of only a handful of modern human beings ever to complete a primitive crossing of hundreds of miles of Tanzanian Serengeti on foot following the great wildebeest migration. She is also an “Alone” Season 9 participant. As more women are taking up a variety of outdoor recreation activities, the need for outdoor survival skills has increased. (News cont. pg 68)

Body...Rear 1/2 burnt orange floss with flat silver rib. Front 1/2 embossed silver tinsel

Wing...Sparse golden yellow imitation bucktail over which 4 saddle hackles the color of which can best be described as faded medium blu dun with a lavender tone.

Throat...Sparse white imitation bucktail to bend of hook

Comment...Originated by Forrest Roberson who preferred having the rear hook ride upward. A very effective fly.

All patterns reprinted from “Trolling Flies for Trout & Salmon” by Dick Stewart and Bob Leeman.

Robbies

Tied by: Ora Smith

On The Ridge Passing It On

by Joe Judd Shelburne, MA

A few weeks back, I got wind of an event I’d never heard of before, yet it’s been happening in and around Shelburne, every fall now, for years! Not hearing about this is partly because of its origins, which began as a small family activity that included only a few close friends. However, over the years it’s evolved into

something incredibly special while touching the lives young of people throughout this region of Western Massachusetts where I live, and beyond. But I’m getting ahead of myself … so let’s back it up!

For people not raised in a hunting family, learn ing to hunt can be intimi dating and full of obstacles. New hunters often come

Coastal

wiscassetspeedway.com

from diverse backgrounds and have questions about how to get started! These questions can be as simple as, what time of year do you hunt, where can you hunt, and what time of the day is best? What are the

field to freezer, or how to correctly sight in a rifle, or zero in a bow and arrow. They can help you learn how to use a turkey call, read a compass, build a duck blind, identify signs in the forest, follow an ani-

seasons? And what type of gear do I need to get started? Over the years, the cultural relevance of hunting has slowly reduced for reasons stemming from urbanization, negative nonacceptance of the sport, and dozens of other reasons in between. But through a mentor/mentee relationship, people receive the positive support needed to begin, or continue, with the form of hunting they choose to participate in, while finding ways to connect with intricacies of the sport.

Mentor’s help new hunters overcome the fears and challenges of becoming a hunter. They also teach important practical skills, like how to get a deer from

mal trail, or tell the difference between a fox or coyote track! Or they could just spend an afternoon in the woods squirrel hunting with you! Which takes me back to the beginning of my story, and a simple, small family activity that’s grown to become so much more!

That activity is an afternoon squirrel hunt

where teams of young hunters’ pair up with mentors, spending the entire day squirrel hunting in various locations in Franklin County, MA. By the end of the day some are successful, some are not. But each person has been given a day of adventure that could potentially become a life-changing experience, made possible only by seasoned sportsmen and women acting as mentors, while donating their time to this event. And the day culminates with a fantastic barbecue where stories of the hunter’s adventures are told and retold, well into the evening. This idea was spawned by Kylie Lowell, daughter of area resident David Lowell, when she

was much younger than her current “ripe old age of 21”! Her goal was to make it grow and grow it did! This year more than twenty-five new hunters shared the adventure with some of the best mentors you could ever find, anywhere! Great sportsmen and women like Dave, who I watched as a

Mentor’s help new hunters overcome the fears and challenges of becoming a hunter. They also teach important practical skills, like how to get a deer from field to freezer, or how to correctly sight in a rifle, or zero in a bow and arrow.

boy grow up to become one of the best turkey callers in the region! Pete Donahue, who I hunted coyotes with as a young man on local area farms, was there. And the Bassett brothers, Wade and Toby, who had the good fortune of growing up in the woods with two great mentors of their own, grandpa and dad! These people, along with so many others, gave of their time that day with no fanfare expected. Moreover, their goals were as simple as Kylie’s when she first came up with the idea many years ago. To give of their time, passing along a lifetime of outdoor skills to kids and new hunters, while teaching them that hunting, and conservation, coincide with all the natural resources around us. Today, it’s so gratifying to watch hunters come

(Passing cont. pg 26)

Sporting Journal editor V. Paul Reynolds and his grandson Eli ready for an overnight camp out.

(Photo by Diane Reynolds)

SAM Banquet Attracts Record Turnout

V.Paul Reynolds, editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal, was presented with the SAM Excellence In Communications Award by SAM’s executive director David Trahan.

Maine Guide Alexandra Conover Bennett was presented with the Flyrod Crosby Award by Tim Peabody, Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Tenley Skolfield was also presented with the award.

Bob and Andrea Howe’s Veteran Volunteer Award was

The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) held its annual Save Our Heritage Banquet and Fundraiser Sept 7th at the Waterville Elks Club. There were 325 SAM members in attendance and, according to SAM’s executive director David Trahan, a combination of live auction and silent auction generated in the neighborhood of $25,000, which will be used to support SAM initiatives including youth fishing licenses.

The SAM Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Brent St. Clair; The West Gardiner Rod & Gun Club was named the SAM Fish & Game Club of the Year; three Legislative Service Awards were presented to State Representative Poirier, State Senator Hickman and State Senator Harrington for their efforts in supporting gun rights during the legislative session; Bob and Andrea Howe’s Veteran Volunteer Award was presented to David Giampetruzzi.

SAM Legislative Service Awards were presented to state lawmakers (left to right) State Rep. Poirier, State Senator Hickman and State Senator Harrington for their efforts in supporting state gun rights.

The SAM Excellence in Communication Award was presented to outdoor writer and Northwoods Sporting Journal editor V. Paul Reynolds.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife presented the annual Flyrod Crosby Lifetime Outdoor Achievement Award to Tenley Skolfield of Solon and Alexandra Conover Bennett of Willimantic. This award is presented annually, honoring the award winners, and also recognizing Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby, Maine’s first registered Maine Guide, for her work in promoting and showcasing Maine’s outdoors, and her stewardship and passion for the Maine outdoors. This is the first year the awards were presented since the awards were renamed in honor of Fly Rod Crosby.

Tenley Skolfield (right) is congratulated by Governor Janet Mills.

presented to David Giampetruzzi.

The Adventures of Me and Joe

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

Looking back on it, we probably shouldn’t have talked to Pinch Brody right on Main Street in Mooseleuk, not with half the busybodies in town eavesdropping on the conversation. But at the time, we were a little desperate and to our way of thinking, the old adage that “desperate times call for desperate measures” surely fit the bill.

Joe had just pulled his Jeep into one of the diagonal parking spots in front of The Emporium when Warden Brody came out the front door. We got out quickly and intercepted Brody before he reached his parked pickup.

“Say, Pinch. Got a minute?” Joe asked quietly, looking around nervously at the various people passing by.

“Got to make a run to Portage,” Brody replied.

“What you got in mind?”

“Well…” Joe fidgeted while I scuffed one toe and minutely examined the boardwalk at our feet.

“See...what it is…we were wondering…”

“Spit it out, man!” Brody said loudly. “I gotta get goin’.” Joe winced as several people stopped to listen.

“Well…we was wonderin’,” Joe repeated, “if you could put us on the list for road kill. You know, if somebody hits a deer or moose and don’t want it, maybe we could jist take care of it for you, an’…”

“Put on the road kill list?!” Brody bellowed. “You two? Are you serious?”

Both me and Joe flushed a deep crimson as various people on the boardwalk began to laugh.

“Wait a minute!” The warden scowled deeply.

“Didn’t you tag a eight point buck you shot over back of Willard Mountain last week?”

Joe’s flushed face turned a deeper red. “Yeah, but…”

“An’ you!” He swiveled a banana-sized finger at me. “Didn’t you tag that crotch-horn just a couple days ago?”

I nodded reluctant agreement and then stut-

The Necessary Moose

I’d mentioned the idea of the road kills to Joe and he finally went along with the idea, although I could tell it grated on him to take meat he didn’t kill himself. It’s surprising how many flatlanders hit a deer or moose and then don’t want the animal or any of the meat.

tered, “Yes, but…but…”

“I’m shamed!” Brody put his hands on his hips.

“Shamed, I tell you!”

“Shamed!” Alfred

Mimic chimed in from the boardwalk, a wide grin wreathing his gargoyle face.

“To think that two of the best hunters in Northern Maine are so greedy that, besides the deer they’ve already tagged, they want even more meat in their freezers.” Pinch was now having a hard time keeping a straight face and several of the bystanders were openly laughing. “Why, I’m shamed that you even ask.”

Joe tried to blurt out a response, but Pinch held up a deprecating hand.

“Say no more. Because of our long association, I’ll

do what I can. I’ll pass the word around to the rest of the wardens how desperate you two are for meat. I’m sure that, amongst us, we can come up with somethin’.”

“But Pinch! You got to…”

“I got to be in Portage, is what I got to. Don’t fret boys; we’ll take care of yer. Though it grieves me to see you both on the public dole.” He turned to hide a grin, climbed into his pickup and drove off down the street. Both me and Joe stood there, chagrined, our mouths hanging slack.

Me & Joe

(Cont. from pg. 16)

“Say, Joe.”

We looked at Alfred on the boardwalk.

“I heard Ophelia Pelt’s cat got hitted by a car. You want I should see if she’s buried it yet?”

Joe started for him and Alfred ran giggling down the street. The small crowd scattered, concealing grins as me and Joe slunk back to the Jeep.

Joe hunched over the steering wheel as we headed toward his cabin.

“Knew we should have talked to Pinch in private.”

“I just thought that, well, you know, he was right there and we’d just mention it to him,” I said. “I didn’t expect a crowd to gather.”

“Didn’t even give us a chance to explain,” Joe muttered. “I wouldn’t take a piece of meat now if’n they paid me in Canadian dollars.”

In a way, I suppose it was my fault. Joe had known that Moses Sheepskin’s family was in a bind. Mose had broken a leg in a logging accident and couldn’t work. He was a proud man and didn’t like taking money from the state, but with six kids he’d had to accept the unemployment payments. But it was scant money for such a large family and extras were few. Joe had given his entire deer to the family, knowing I’d probably get one that we could share for winter meat.

Unfortunately, at the same time, my cousin Jasper had called from Brewer and asked about a donation of meat to the soup kitchen he worked at part time. Knowing Joe already had a buck hanging, I’d given

Jasper my forkhorn. By the time we found out about each other’s misconceptions, it was too late to do anything about it. We faced a long winter without any wild meat, a totally unappetizing predicament.

I’d mentioned the idea of the road kills to Joe and he finally went along with the idea, although I could tell it grated on him to take meat he didn’t kill himself. It’s surprising how many flatlanders hit a deer or moose and then don’t want the animal or any of the meat. Years ago such meat would go to public institutions like hospitals. Now, all meat for public consumption had to be federally inspected. Road kills went either to the game warden investigating the incident, or to someone he designated. Getting put on the list and acquiring a slightly damaged deer or small moose seemed like a simple matter. And then the whole affair had turned into a fiasco right on main street.

The next morning as we sat at breakfast, we heard a solid “thump” on the porch. By the time we got out the door, we could just make out the tail end of a warden truck disappearing up the road.

“Angus Crossman,” Joe said crossly. On the porch lay the battered carcass of a raccoon that obvi-

ously had lost a confrontation with some vehicle or other. To one hind leg was wired a tag that read,” skin this one, pilgrim, and I’ll fetch you another.”

“Ain’t funny,” Joe grumped.

“Kind of funny.” I grinned, shook my head and looked at him. “You know this is just the beginning.”

“Yeah, I know,” he sighed. “I think I’ll become a vegetarian.”

During the next week various samples of the lower life forms that occasionally met their demise on the roads around Mooseleuk found their way to one of our doorsteps. I have to admit that Joe took it all much better than I thought he would. Finally, on Friday, Pinch Brody flagged us down as we idled down Main Street. He came over to Joe’s rolled down window.

“What kinda wildlife you got for us now, “Pinch?” Joe asked with a wry grin.

Brody looked slightly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and looked off down the street.

“I just found out about you two givin’ your deer away to folks that needed the meat.” He looked in the window, shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “I told the boys to lay off droppin’ carcasses on your

Portland

porches, but you got to admit, it was kinda fun for a while.”

Joe looked at him for a moment, then broke into a smile. He shook his head.

“Got to tell yer, Pinch, I never thought they was that much road kill around Mooseleuk in any one month, but I’ll be glad to see it stop.”

“I’m sure somethin’ will turn up before long in the way of deer or moose meat,” Pinch continued. He glanced at us slyly. “’Course, if worse comes to worst, you could always go down to the IGA an’ buy some beef.”

Joe snorted indignantly. “Beef?! What you wanta do, Pinch… plug up our arteries with all that animal fat?”

Brody gave a short, barking laugh. Then he turned serious.

“Look, boys…somethin’ I should tell yer. That no-account Alf Mimic has been droppin’ off half the carcasses you been finding. I told him about you giving away your deers, but it don’t make no never mind. Alf don’t know when to let things go. I expect he’s gonna keep on riding you for a while yet.”

“Oh, I guess that’s all right, Pinch. We’ll just take it from the source.”

It got a little old. Alf Mimic kept riding us about road kill every time he ran into us in town. Even that hangers-on at the Emporium were getting tired of it. We were also getting tired of Alf dropping off carcasses or notes that told of the location of a particularly succulent road kill. The final indignity was when Joe came out to find a flattened stuffed animal suction cupped to the back window of his Jeep. A tag identified it as “Earl, the dead cat” and it looked like a cat that had been run over, complete with black colored trade marks across its body. Its glass eyes beaded out and a red cloth tongue sagged from one corner of its mouth.

“We got to do somethin’,” Joe said in exasperation.

“I don’t know…” I tilted my head sideways, looking at the stuffed cat. “I think he looks a little like you.” Joe scowled and stalked off toward the cabin.

The very next evening the phone rang in Joe’s (Me & Joe cont. pg 32)

Outdoor Sporting

Library

by Jeremiah Wood, Ashland, ME

Henry Moberly was just a kid when he signed on to work for the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1854. It was still early days in much of North America, where most land remained

truly an opportunity for adventure, and the company recruited young men from all parts to run its business. Once stationed to a particular post, a factor’s duties involved ordering

essential to harvest enough game to supply the post for the long cold winter months. He got to know the country well, exploring various territories and traveling from post to post throughout his career.

Spending nearly forty years with the Hudson’s Bay Company in numer-

Moberly thrived on the life of a trader. He enjoyed trading with and learning from the Indians. He loved to hunt, and it was essential to harvest enough game to supply the post for the long cold winter months.

vast and unsettled. Founded by royal charter in 1670 for the sole purpose of trading – primarily to acquire valuable furs – the Company had a virtual monopoly on all trade within lands that drained into Hudson’s Bay.

Working for the HBC as a trader, or factor, at its various posts throughout this vast territory was

supplies, taking in and managing the often once annual supply deliveries, and trading these supplies with the Indians and a few white trappers for valuable furs to ship out to the company’s factories. Moberly thrived on the life of a trader. He enjoyed trading with and learning from the Indians. He loved to hunt, and it was

ous positions and parts of the country, Moberly saw and experienced more than most, in a time of great change in the wilds of Canada. Much of the wild country he traversed in his youth is now covered in settlements and farms, but the memories of abundant game, roaming Indians and vast herds of buffalo remain.

Fur Was King

www.visitaroostook.com

Henry Moberly lived to be an old man, and he wrote extensively of his experiences in a set of memoirs. At some point he tried unsuccessfully to have these published, but there seemed to be little interest, so that other than what he shared with a few friends, his stories remained mostly hidden.

In the 1920’s, near the end of Moberly’s life, William Bleasdell Cameron, while seeking out area history, learned of the old man and his extensive knowledge and experiences. After hearing some of Moberly’s stories first hand, he worked to publish Moberly’s writings in a book.

“When Fur Was King” was first published in 1929 and is available in print, ebook and audio versions.

Jeremiah can be reached at jrodwood@ gmail.com

(Cont. from pg 8)

or on a stream.

Editor’s note: Thanks Stu for all your contributions to the Northwoods Sporting Journal all these years. Smooth sailing, old friend.

No Energy Plan

To the Editor:

Just read V. Paul Reynolds column about solar farms. Add to the list of cons: solar does not work 85% of the time in Maine: it is dark 50% of the time and then reduce further by cloudy weather and snow covered panels. When the sun does shine and the electricity does flow, most is generated between 10a and 2p - not times of high demand.

U.S. natural gas consumption reached a record 89.1 billion cubic feet per day in 2023 and has increased by an average of 4 percent per year since 2018, according to an April report by the EIA.

That’s right, despite the massive investment in wind and solar by taxpay-

ers, MAINE and the US are now burning MORE fossil fuels to make electricity than ever. This is a fact. Pretending wind and solar are major players is a lie. Solar has a capacity factor of 25% nationally and only ~15% in Maine. Would you buy a car that only ran 15% of the time?

Wind is better but still intermittent. Offshore wind has potential, but floating wind turbines? Even the unsinkable doesn’t long survive ocean storms (or ice bergs!). And, potential won’t keep the lights on.

Here are the final stats for electricity generated in New England for 2023 (Note: NE only generated 87% of the electricity we used, the rest was imported, mostly from Canada)

Gas 55%

Nuke 23%

Hydro 10%

Wind 4%

Solar 4%

Trash 3%

Wood 2%

(The listed resources add to 101% due to rounding. The Renewables listed in bold) actually comprise only 12% total)

Mainers are demanding ever more electricity.

What’s the plan? It looks to me like more gas plants or more Nukes are needed, and soon. Or, we could cut demand by shutting down all the data centers = no more smart phones for the addicted masses. Maybe that would be a good thing!

My sense is there is no plan: Failing to plan is planning to fail!

Randall Poulton

Sporting Journal Has It All

To the Editor:

I used to subscribe to several outdoor magazines in the past until one day I picked up a copy of the NWSJ at LL Bean in Freeport, Maine. After reading the journal I have to say I never subscribed to any other outdoor magazine. The journal had it all and the thing is it only gets better every month! The articles are informative and very well written by what I consider experts in the field. I have to say if one does not subscribe to the journal or picks up a copy of the journal “they do not know what they are missing!” Unfortunately, I

am not a resident of Maine but after reading the journal I feel I know more about your great state than my own regarding the opportunities of hunting and fishing, very good writers.

Tony Ostrowski Chicopee, MA Lost Game

To the Editor: In the course of 60 year of hunting and 28 years of working as a State Game Warden, I have come across the remains of numerous game animals that

were not retrieved by the hunter that killed them. Some, of course, were lost after a diligent search and best efforts of folks involved. Others were lost to laziness, indifference, and ignorance.

Most recent was a very nice Maine bull moose found on a well used game trail, just in the woods, in the back of a small clearcut. The clear cut was about 400 yards deep from a logging road, where I believe the fatal shot was fired from. If so, the moose would have travelled per-

I know it’s deer season, and I should be focused on that, but you already know what to do, right? I mean, just go out and shoot one. Here en -

Aroostook Woods & Water

by Mike Maynard, Perham, ME

he understood his place was in the woods from the first moment he stepped into them. I know the feeling, and so do you. But not every child will be blessed

It’s because of people like him, and my grandmother, who were able to instill that wonderful pine-scented elixir of the gods into my soul at a very early age. I wish I knew their secret. I’ve tried with my own kids to do much the same.

deth today’s lesson in deer hunting. Instead of discussing the virtues of ground blind hunting over falling out of an ill-placed tree stand, I’d rather go back and talk about something the boss said in his editorial last month: namely, perpetuating our fish and game lineage through our children; we can do better. We have to.

Paul talked about how

with an internal compass that always points to a little blue stream, or a contour line on a topo map. They need a gentle touch. A deft hand at the throttle of that education train will be in order. Too much ‘instruction’ equals pressure, and pressured kids rarely turn into what you try to make them. Yes, we need more kids! No, don’t go making

every one of those fish himself. We should be so lucky.

any more just yet; let’s work on the ones we got first. There isn’t a memory in my head that goes back any further than of being in the woods, or slogging up a little stream behind my grandmother, busting through the alders, looking for brookies. Not a one. Those are the memories that come back to haunt me in my encroaching dotage; in the best way. And it’s those memories of being a child of the wild blue yonder that I will savor right up to the bitter end. When I was 5, I remember walking up some little, nameless brook in Coos County. I was struggling to keep up with my grandmother and her brother, my great-uncle Don. I remember we caught fish. I remember nothing else of the day because it wasn’t important to me; the fishing was. Well, fast forward a good 5 decades and I’m still fishing with uncle Don. He just turned 101. He couldn’t walk up the brook any longer but we got him down to a stream close enough to cast a line, and he caught fish, a pile of them. It’s because of people like him, and my grandmother, who were able to instill that wonderful pine(Heart cont. pg 21)

Heart

(Cont. from pg 20)

I wish I knew their secret. I’ve tried with my own kids to do much the same. I had some success with one, and the jury is still out on the other. I won’t push it, though; it’ll still be here if they chose to come along.

A couple of my friends, all ancient and wrinkly, have been making noises lately about selling off the sporting accoutrements that took them a lifetime to acquire. Books, gun collections, rods, reels, tents, canoes…, the whole kit and kaboodle. “No! No! Fight the good fight! Push back the darkness!” I scream at them. They don’t listen to me, maybe they never did. It’s the conversations like that that remind me of a line from that absolute classic (you know I’m right) horror movie, ‘Tremors!’ Just before they’re almost eaten by the graboids, Reba McEntire turns to her husband and says, “Jeez, Burt, it’s like you’ve given up or something!” And as

if you needed any more inspirational salve than that, let me throw some vintage Jim Valvano at you, “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up!” -1993 ESPY Awards

I certainly hope that my grandchildren will take an interest in the familial history of the things that I’ve accumulated over my lifetime. Not just the stories, but things like the .32 special that their great, great grandfather carried into the deer woods. Or the sweet little Granger rod that their other great, great grandfather wielded on the streams of Maine and NH. It’s a rod that lives now in an aluminum tube, brought out and unwrapped whenever I need to touch a memory. But maybe they won’t have any interest in those things. Maybe they’d rather have a vintage 1984 first generation Apple MacIntosh 128. And if that’s the case, we have to be okay with their choices. Some kids are born to the woods and some aren’t; it’s a crapshoot. Some of my generation will be the last of their family’s Mohicans, and none of their line will follow them into the forests

and onto the streams. Sad, but it happens.

Our task is getting more difficult with the advent of newer electronic technologies that compete for our children’s attentions. How do we make a worm, a funky little red and white plastic bobber, and a cheap Zebco rod, out-compete a kids first Kindle Fire?

The world is a far different place now than it was when I was a child. Even here, waist deep in the back of beyond, the veil of innocence and wonder has been tarnished. It has

faded to a certain dullness, and it just doesn’t want to polish up. As a child I was given almost unfettered access to my surroundings. I used to tell people just how lucky I was to have grown up on an unwatched channel. But that wasn’t true; I had simply been granted the gift of exploration, the opportunity to find for myself what really lurked in my heart. And it worked like a charm.

Mike Maynard can be reached at perhamtrout@ gmail.com

Missing

(Cont. from pg 3)

Leavitt, in the interview, starts by setting the stage, much as this article has attempted to do. Then he let Wescott tell his story, and tell it he does.

On that first day in the deer woods, Wescott realized late in the afternoon with snow spitting that he had had been going in the wrong direction. Just before dark he found himself facing Rum Pond with no quick or easy way out. He would spend the night. With the wet snow, wind and faulty safety matches he could not get a fire going. “I spent the night doing muscle tensions and trying to keep my blood circulating. I slept a couple of hours,” he recalls. At daybreak he decided to seek higher ground hoping

to find an opening where he would be visible to search aircraft. He headed for Rum Ridge. “It was then I realized that I was in trouble with my feet, fired constant gun shots and ran chain saws hoping that the sound might give the lost hunter an exit bearing. Wescott said that he never heard a sound or an aircraft

Caught in a snow storm and lost, Wescott eventually got himself to a camp on Lower Wilson Pond.

walking became slow and painful as the day wore on.” During this period, search and rescue people

until he finally made it to an opening late in the day atop Rum Ridge. “An aircraft flew directly above me at a fairly low altitude. I waved my orange hunting cap fully expecting the plane to fly back over me with a wing wave. That never happened,” he recalls.

Disappointed and exhausted from the ascent of Rum Ridge with frozen feet and a layer of heavy snow on the ground,

Wescott settled in a for a long cold night. The next morning from the ridge he said he could see a camp on Lower Wilson Pond and decided that reaching that camp was his only hope of survival. Wescott was warmly dressed as a typical deer hunter, but there was a chink in his survival armor: his boots. “I thought those new boots were top of the line with the brand name and all. They were Korean knockoffs. Bad purchase. They were so

should break in new boots before the hunt.

Hobbling and limping on his frozen feet, Wescott told Leavitt that it took him close to two days to make it through the snow and down Rum Mountain to Lower Wilson Pond, where he eventually broke into a camp.

Before his ordeal was to end, Wescott would break into three different camps on Lower Wilson Pond. At the first camp he found no food, except

By the time Wescott got out of the woods and was admitted to the hospital in Greenville, his toes and feet were so badly frostbitten that he under went major amputations.

damn tight that I could not wear my usual three pair of socks. One pair only,” said Wescott, conceding to Leavitt that you always

coffee and coca. He found some wood and was able to heat up a camp stove, thaw his frozen pants and socks and eventually cut his boots to get them off his badly swollen and frost-bitten toes and feet. His toes were black and painful. He found aspirin, which helped. At another camp, he found some cookies but the canned meats were all rusty and spoiled and he dared not eat the bad meat.

Leavitt asked Wescott if he made any efforts to flag spotter planes. Wescott said that he put a blanket on the snow by the lake with letters spelled on the blanket with tape. He also fashioned a makeshift horn

Missing

(Cont. from pg 22)

from an aluminum fly rod tube, and blew it frequently by the lake to no avail.

Later, after Wescott was hospitalized in Greenville, search officials said they flew over Lower Wilson Pond a number of times and saw nothing. Wescott contends that never in that extended period at the camps did he ever see or hear an aircraft.

A number of days later at the third camp, Wescott discovered a small sailfish, which is a tippy shallow draft sailboat. “ I saw that as my ticket out of there. It might get me across the lake. I knew there was the Scammon Road on the north side pond that would get me closer to people, if I could just get there,” he recalls.

The first attempt with the sailfish crossing was aborted when Wescott tipped the boat and fell into the icy water. He returned to camp to dry himself and his clothing and spend yet another night at the camp. To make matters worse, the wind blew the lake into frothing whitecaps for five days straight. Wescott waited. Late on the fifth day, the wind subsided and Wescott saw his opening. He paddled uneventfully across Lower Wilson Pond. Exhausted. He spent another night hunkered down, although the weather had warmed some, he recalled. At daybreak, hobbling on his frozen feet and supported with a stick, he got to the Scammon Road and starting limping along toward Greenville.

Wescott said that in no time at all a telephone service truck approached him and stopped.”When I

opened the truck door, the driver took one look at me, kind of recoiled and said, “Holy….! Are you who I think you are? Wescott said, “ I probably looked the part with my scruffy beard, torn clothes and cut off hip waders with trash bags over the top and socks for gloves.”

When Wescott asked the telephone repairman to stop at the nearest phone booth so he could contact his family with the good news, the driver said, “No way, Bud. We are going directly to the Greenville hospital emergency room. I will make your calls for you.”

At the Dean hospital, the emergency room medical staff would not believe that Wescott was who he said he was. Only when he showed his identification did they realize that he was actually the deer hunter who had been missing in the North Woods for three entire weeks! From the first-time photos shown on Leavitt’s show of Wescott’s tattered and blackened feet and toes, it becomes even more amazing that he was able to survive and ambulate at all. Before it was over,Wescott would lose all of his toes on his left foot and right foot, as well as part of his right foot.

More than 40 years later, there are some postscripts associated with this incredible survival story and chapter in the annals of Maine’s missing-hunter stories that are worthy of mention. Wescott made it clear to Leavitt that he was miffed at the Maine Warden Service for two seemingly valid reasons. First, he contends that the critical physical profile of him used by the search and rescue teams were badly flawed, that they gave up on him

prematurely because they profiled him as not being in good enough physical condition to endure the hardship. “Look at me, Bud,” Wescott said, patting his flat tummy. Do I look like a fat guy to you? And I am not a smoker as the warden profile claimed.”

On television Wescott, who worked as an iron worker for a living, looks at 52 to be in prime physical condition for a man of his age. The second reason for Wescott’s animus toward the Maine Warden Service was the request that then Warden Colonel John Marsh made to Wescott. “ Mr. Wescott, would you be willing to take a polygraph test?” Wescott was at first insulted by Marsh’s demand, but eventually, under family pressure, took the lie detector test and, according to Leavitt, passed with flying colors.

Looking back after all these years at this fascinating missing hunter story, as well as watching the broad-shouldered Wescott matter of factly recount his ordeal in 1990 to Leavitt, an adage comes to mind: “Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” It seems that the critics, and even the search and rescue personnel, missed a critical element in their armchair speculations about Wescott’s story: the missing hunter’s frozen feet. From his first night until his last night in the woods, Wescott was a man profoundly debilitated as his feet only became progressively more painful and useless.

The irony is that, despite the Warden Service’s physical profile of a middle-aged man who was physically compromised and not likely to survive, Wescott was unusually

tough and anything but a quitter. A lesser man would have probably given up and frozen to death in his sleep. During Leavitt’s show most of the callers were sympathetic to Wescott and apologized for the way he was treated, both by the press and the general public. One of the show callers was a Greenville Warden, Glen Perkins, who had apparently been involved in the search for Wescott. Perkins was forthright, explaining that mistakes had been made in the search for Wescott, and that the War-

den Service is proud of its search and rescue record, but would continue to upgrade its capacity to make the right decisions in any given search and rescue scenario.

Wescott, despite his ordeal and amputations, did not give up hunting and fishing in Maine. As a gesture of good will, Wescott was given a complimentary hunting license by Glenn Manuel , the same Fish and Wildlife Commissioner who earlier had demanded that Wescott undergo a polygraph test.

Lost Persons Profile

By V. Paul Reynolds

In 1992, ten years after lost hunter George Wescott walked out of the woods after having been given up for dead by the Maine Warden Service search and rescue team, Wescott told his story to Bangor Daily News outdoor writer Bud Leavitt. Wescott was very critical of the search efforts contending that the Warden Service’s “search profile” of him was way off the mark. The search profile described Wescott as a smoker, and a middle-aged man who was overweight and out of shape. Wescott said he did not smoke and, as a career construction worker, was hardly overweight and certainly not out of shape.

Looking back at the difficult conditions under which Wescott survived his three week ordeal, it is hard to quibble with his grit, determination and physical condition.

Today, 42 years after the search for Wescott, The Maine Warden Service’s search and rescue team, is performing its mission with proven skill, professionalism, and a high degree of success. According to Warden Lt. Josh Bubier, who heads up Maine’s search and rescue operation, Maine Wardens receive on the average of 500 missing person calls a year.

When a hunter or a dementia patient turns up missing, and the search and rescue team swings into action, one of the first steps is to interview friends or relatives and establish a profile of the missing person from the information gathered using a standard questionnaire. Bubier says that, as it turns out, many of the calls never require a search. Often times the missing hunter finds his own way out of the woods, or the dementia patient is found before the Wardens launch a search. If somebody is missing, how do you know when it’s appropriate to make that call to the Maine Warden Service? Bubier emphasizes that time is always of the essence in any search operation, that concerned relatives or friends of a missing person should not hesitate to make that call. In other words, if in doubt call. “Nobody gets in any trouble for a false alarm,” says Bubier.

The problems with wild mushrooms is that there are so darn many of them, more than a million species of fungi in the world. Maine doesn’t have a million species, but enough to make mushroom identification and safe consumption very tricky. The bad ones can make you very sick.

Outdoors In Maine

by V. Paul Reynolds, Ellsworth, ME

rooms.” Maybe Diane and I were just lucky. Mushrooms that grow on old hardwoods trees, such as oyster mushrooms or chicken of the woods, are always a sure bet, according to the book and Wiggie. Once, while dragging out a harvested small buck from a bog near Wayne, I happened by a hardwood

Wild Mushroom Season

text came back: “Paul, do NOT EAT! That is a Destroying Angel or Death Cap ( Amanita virosa) and can make you very, very sick!” My mushroom book reports that this particular mushroom is “one of the prettiest and most deadly.”

The next day while walking in the woods, I found and picked some small fresh fungi that I thought to be safe Honey Mushrooms (Armillaria mellea). Miya was eager

Years ago, as an avid forager of wild things, furry or fungi, I took some mushroom identification lessons from my friend, Millinocket Guide Wiggie Robinson. Diane and I only cooked the wild mushrooms that were given the good housekeeping seal of approval by Wiggie.

Years ago, as an avid forager of wild things, furry or fungi, I took some mushroom identification lessons from my friend, Millinocket guide Wiggie Robinson. Diane and I only cooked the wild mushrooms that were given the good housekeeping seal of approval by Wiggie. We never had a bad gustatory experience, at least not from Wiggie’s recommendations. Recently I learned from Wiggie’s son Jay, who knows his mushrooms, that his late father once made a bad selection and got very sick on some toxic “sch-

tree festooned with fresh oyster mushrooms. They got dragged out, too, along with the deer. When those mushrooms were later pan fried with a piece of venison back strap it was, especially for the forager in me, the best of both worlds.

Last week, my visiting grandson’s girl friend, Miya, from a coastal village in China, picked some mushrooms while picking blueberries near our place on the lake. Although eager to cook them up, I suggested she wait until I send a photo to Jay Robinson for his blessing. His

to cook, so I rushed a text photo to Jay. “Those are young Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius). Delicious! Cook’em up with a steak.” Those mushrooms wound up, not on a steak, but in Miya’s homemade chicken soup. She said they were wonderful and nobody suffered any ill effects.

Because of the perils of mistaken identity with wild mushrooms there is natural inclination toward timidity, to simply avoid them altogether. That’s your call, but before you do, though, check this out.

The last chapter in my mushroom books is the best: Edible Fungi. It advises: “ This list of edible fungi are easy to identify, there is little chance of confusing these with a poisonous species and they have been eaten by many people for many years with no ill

Oh, one other thing, even the safe edibles are not to be over indulged, at least that has been my experience. Once, after eating more than my fair share of pan fried Chanterelles, I wished that I had exercised some restraint at the dinner table.

effects.” This edible list comprises 24 different edible mushroom species. The book is “Mushrooms of Northeast North America” by George Barron. The color photos are excellent. Once you have seen the safe edible list, you can make your own choices of how risk averse you are in the wild mushroom department. I am sticking with Oyster Mushrooms, Chicken of the Woods, Chanterelles, and perhaps a Honey Mushroom. Mushroom teacher Jay says that the Black Trumpets, which are a Chanterelle, are especially flavorful.

Late summer and early autumn are a good time to poke around the woods for wild edibles. The young Chanterelles were popping up in mid August near my place at Branch lake in Ellsworth.

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored three books. Online purchase information is available at www.sportingjournal.com

For more than 20 years, the Maine Outdoors has been talking to outdoor people about hunting and fishing and anything related to the outdoors. Host V. Paul Reynolds and Catherine Gordon interviews studio guests and takes your calls. Outdoor trivia questions and prizes! Now streaming live, worldwide. Google WVOMFM

Catherine Gordon

False chanterrelles on the left. (Photo by Jay Robinson)

Braiding Sweetgrass

There comes into one’s life, books that are of significance above all others. Such books burrow into the marrow of the soul and refuse to let go. BRAIDING SWEETGRASS is one of those. After spending the winter in a society dominated by

that all living things on earth are related and thus referred to as people, respected and valued as such. For example the trees are the “standing people” and the animals are the “nonhuman people”. The significance is that in the indigenous tradition, “people”

electronics, cell phones, TV, computers, etc., I find I need to scrub my brain clean of all these artificial things and get back to the natural. Each summer when we move to Craig Pond, I do just that by re-reading Braiding Sweetgrass, (Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants), by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

The author believes

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are valued, consulted and thought of as part of life. When the basket makers go into the woods looking for an ash tree to harvest for their baskets, there is a process. First they locate a really nice tree clear of blemishes and they explain to the tree why it is needed and seek permission to take it. Lastly they express a prayer of gratitude and/ or leave a gift for that per-

mission. How they know they have permission, I am not sure but they do. I can relate somewhat. My granddaughter, Maizey, was helping me trim out a boundary line. In the process we came upon a beautiful small fir right in the middle of the line. As we approached it, it seemed to sparkle. I asked Maizey, do you see what I think I see? She answered “yes”.

From Craig Pond

by Bob Mercer, Bucksport, ME

I am aware of a situation where a couple bought an old home on a corner lot lined with huge maple trees, which were beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves were all colored up. They had them all cut down because they did not want to deal with

harvest process all together different. Quoting Ms Kimmerer, “….how do we consume in a way that does justice to the lives that we take?”

“In our oldest stories, we are reminded that this was a question of profound concern for our ances -

Trees valued as relatives garner respect and are to be valued as more than as potential boards or wood products. That is not to say they shouldn’t be harvested to be used as such, but that the harvest should be with a feeling of thankfulness and maybe even some regret.

We left that tree right in the middle of the line. A friend had a similar experience as he approached an ash tree to remove it from his line; all the leaves fell off the tree at once. He was surprised, moved and amazed and that tree still stands right in the middle of his boundary line. Maybe trees can communicate.

Part of this philosophy relates to basket makers who use sweetgrass. They follow the same process, but they never pick the first bunch they encounter and never take more than half of the plants in a patch.

the leaves. Counting the rings on the stump showed these trees were over two hundred years old. I don’t think those maples wanted to be cut down, do you?

Trees valued as relatives garner respect and are to be valued as more than as potential boards or wood products. That is not to say they shouldn’t be harvested to be used as such, but that the harvest should be with a feeling of thankfulness and maybe even some regret. Giving thanks and respect to the trees for growing and providing us with needed resources; that makes the

tors. When we rely deeply on other lives, there is an urgency to protect them. Our ancestors, who had so few material processions, devoted a great deal of attention to this question, while we who are drowning in possessions scarcely give it a thought. The cultural landscape may have changed, but the conundrum has not – the need to resolve the inescapable tension between honoring life around us and taking it in order to live is part of being human.” (Kimmerer) Is it possible that we (Braiding cont. pg 30)

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Letters

(Cont. from pg 19)

haps 100 yards, out of site of the road hunter, before it expired. Likely, the hunter assumed the shot fired was a miss, and did not take the trek into the woods to verify that. I cannot imagine any legal hunter leaving this prize to rot.

While examining the scene of this 2 year old incident, I found a 3 or so years dead, remains of a nice white tailed buck just feet away. Again, likely the same lazy cause of the loss.

I have encountered duck hunters with no means or intentions of retriev -

ing their numerous ducks downed in a cattail swamp, picking up only those that floated within easy reach. Once, while entering a marsh, our retriever handed us well over a day’s limit of injured and or lost birds. We had not even loaded our guns.

A nice Vermont buck was found on a game crossing trail about 75 yards from a town road, again, just out of sight of the road. Again, it appears to me that no effort was made to follow up a shot.

One morning, a couple of years ago, I encountered a group of Maine moose hunters that taken a

large bull moose the evening before. Their moose had left the back of a clear cut and gone 50 yards into a cedar swap before it expired. The five folks there had no idea of how to retrieve the moose and no equipment to do so. Three of the five were elderly and not up to the task. The remaining two were not physically able or mentally tough enough to pack their moose out. I imagine that had I not taken the time to coach them along, this moose too would have been written off . As it was, a poor salvage job was effected on a nice 800 plus pound bull that should have

been at least field dressed the night before. Almost or mostly lost game. I would hope, that if one is too lazy to follow up a shot or ill prepared to retrieve game from a tough area, then they should not shoot.

One should have a plan and ability to retrieve game should it become difficult. A good long rope is not enough. Lights for locating game killed at dusk is a good start. For moose hunters, be prepared to quarter and pack. Bring a freighter frame pack, black jet sled, axe, game bags to keep the meat clean. Have at least two good knives

Maine Woods

and a means of sharpening them. Ice may be required in warm weather. If all else fails, field dress your animal then contact a Game Warden and ask for help. Fill your freezer with good quality meat!

Douglas Lawrence, Retired Vermont State Game Warden , Barton, VT

(Cont. from pg 14)

together to become mentors to others. For myself, after over 50 years of hunting and fishing, it’s an inspiring experience to see the outdoors through the eyes of a child or spend time with an adult who has never hunted before, and I’m grateful to be a part of it. And I believe the sky’s the limit, for renewing our hunting community in this way. By pairing people up with knowledgeable and generous mentors, relationships are forged that help sustain the hunting tradition. Then, they themselves might become ambassadors who will someday bring young people, friends, and families into the sport, while continuing the hunting tradition of, “passing it on”! And, if we seek that out, maybe we can all become a part of it ourselves, even if for just a moment!

Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also on the Quaker Boy Game Calls National Pro-Staff and Bass Pro Shop/Cabela’s Regional Pro-Staff.

Long in the Tooth Dogs

It seems impossible, but these two Springers who have been six inches off the ground since the day they were born are slowing down. The first time I saw any indication of it was two seasons ago at Tim Pond Camps. They were

their beds. Once up, they lumbered around the cabin, apparently lame all over. That was the start of it. Now, as these litter mates approach ten years of age, they show signs of lameness after each major outing. In the buildup to-

in fine form all day, and at the end of it, they looked like they always do after a day’s hunt––bedraggled, shredded, bloodshot eyes, festooned with burdocks. That part was fine, but the next morning was not. Even banging their dog dishes didn’t get them off

ward upland bird season, I run them every day, twice a day to get them trimmed down and ready, but even after all that, their age can’t be reversed. Therefore, I researched some standardized, accepted methods of dealing with aging bird dogs while still continuing

Lincoln

to hunt them.

I wasn’t looking for anything in particular; I only wanted to know what was out there on the topic, since every upland bird hunter I know wants to keep their experienced, bird-wise, but aging dog afield for as long as possible. This will hold true whether it’s a flushing breed or a pointing breed.

The Singing Maine Guide

by Randy Spencer, Grand Lake Stream, ME

Understanding Your Dog’s Limitations

First and foremost, it’s essential to recognize the physical limitations that often accompany aging. Many flushing breeds retain their enthusiasm for the hunt, but their endur-

cations with thick brush or uneven ground that might strain your dog’s joints. Favor fields with a decent level of cover that still allow your dog to flush birds effectively but without the risk of strain. Open grasslands or mild low-lying

Hunting with aging bird dogs from the flushing breeds—like springer spaniels, cocker spaniels, and American water spaniels—is a richly rewarding experience, filled with the joy of companionship and the thrill of the search. I learned that with age can come challenges that require modifications to both technique and expectations.

Hunting with aging bird dogs from the flushing breeds—like springer spaniels, cocker spaniels, and American water spaniels—is a richly rewarding experience, filled with the joy of companionship and the thrill of the search. I learned that with age can come challenges that require modifications to both technique and expectations. Here are some strategies to make the most of your time afield with your seasoned (old) companion.

ance and mobility may decline. Pay close attention to your dog’s energy levels and physical state. Signs of fatigue, overheating, or discomfort are signals to adjust your plans accordingly. Ensure regular vet check-ups to monitor any underlying health issues that might affect their performance.

Adjusting the Hunting Environment

When planning your hunt, consider less challenging terrain. Avoid lo-

brush can provide ample opportunities for hunting without putting excessive pressure on their bodies.

Timing is Key Choose times of the day when the temperatures are moderate, usually during the cooler morning or late afternoon. High temperatures can exacerbate fatigue and lead to heatrelated issues. Ensure that your dog stays hydrated; keep fresh water on hand and take breaks frequently. (Dogs cont pg 30)

Send Us Your Favorite Game and Fish Recipes!

Most outdoor folks like to eat what they bring home from the woods or the waters. And you like to cook it yourself, too right? So what is your favorite culinary lashup with fish or fowl? The Northwoods Sporting Journal would like to know. And we invite you to help us share your proud concoction with all of our readers. Our Northwoods Sporting Journal website:www.sportingjournal.com has a new addition: Outdoor Connections, which includes “Sporting Journal’s Top Shelf Game & Fish Recipes.” It has become a popular spot for visitors to find some great outdoor recipes, not from TV cooks, but from folks like you who live it.

Email us your favorite outdoor recipe to editor, V.Paul Reynolds, at vpaulr@tds.net. We won’t send you any money, or give you a new boat and motor, but we will list your recipe with all the others, along with your name.

If your recipe catches on and goes viral, we’ll figure out some kind of reward - say a new fry pan, a crockpot, or maybe a dutch oven?

So get crackin’...

Before you get agitated by the title, Maine’s last caribou hunt occurred 126 years ago in 1898. The infamous persona and promoter of the Northwoods, Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby, is said to have shot the last legally harvested caribou on December 10 of that year.

Caribou were once common, and in colonial times they probably ranged across most of Maine. For indigenous people, they were an important source of food. Sinew was valued for sewing, and the hide was cut into strips for durable lacing on snowshoes. Caribou were also killed by European settlers streaming into northern Maine to work in the burgeoning logging industry. Deer were rarely encountered in

Northwoods Sketchbook

by Mark McCollough, Hampden, ME

northern Maine until the 1860s after logging and fires created young forest habitat. Maine’s first big game season was set in 1830 from September 1 to December 31 each year. Initially there were no limits, but by 1883 posses-

Caribou Hunting in Maine

ing in Maine in their book Early Maine Wildlife. Caribou hunting was frequently discussed in Forest and Stream, Phillips Phonograph, Maine Sportsman, and other outdoor publications There was no shortage of conjecture about their comings and goings. Writers suggested that they numbered in the thousands, possibly tens of thousands.

One writer wrote in 1889 that there was so much caribou activity around Allagash Lake that they had “worn away all the small growth in the woods around the pond.”

sion limits of one moose, two caribou and three deer were established. With a liberal season and minimal enforcement, it was open season on big game year-round. People simply shot caribou whenever they were hungry.

Bill Krohn and Chris Hoving assembled many of the early records of hunt-

In the early-1890s, “Jock” Darling (1830-1898), a market hunter and sometimes poacher, estimated a population of 10,000 caribou in Maine.

Maine caribou hunters were astute students of the peculiar habits of their quarry. Foremost, Maine’s caribou were wanderers. Although they were consis-

Central Maine Region

tently found in open habitats - bogs, heaths, burned lands, mountaintops, and frozen lakes in winterthey disappeared from some regions for years at a time. They favored areas with abundant lichens;

frozen lakes in late winter and early spring; a tactic to detect and flee from approaching wolves and feed on lichens bordering the lake. One writer wrote in 1889 that there was so much caribou activity

Usnea or Old Man’s Beard growing on black spruce and the spongy, lime-green caribou “moss” (Cladonia) carpeting poor soils. In the depths of winter, caribou sheltered in dense sprucefir forest, and gathered on

around Allagash Lake that they had “worn away all the small growth in the woods around the pond.” Maine hunters took advantage of the curiosity and social behavior of caribou. One writer in 1891 said that caribou have “the distinction of being the stupidest beast that ranges the woods.” Instead of running, they stood fearless to watch hunters approach from downwind. Hunters also concealed themselves along the lakeshore and were fond of waving their red hunting hats to attract curious caribou or whistle to stop a running herd. Joshua Rich (1884) penned, “If you see a herd on the ice go boldly on toward them and when fairly away from the shore, lie down and stick your gun up, and wave it back and forth until some curious one among them discovers it, then look out, they will come fast toward you, and will mean to run you down,

Ground Blind Hunting Safety

Ground blind hunting has many advantages, but

getting a bow ready for a shot? One slip or miscommunication and a razor

you should be aware of and train for. Set it up in your backyard before you take it to the woods. Be sure you have all the parts and if you are going to leave it in place in the woods use heavy duty stakes to anchor it. Use extra guylines to secure it and keep the wind from shredding it.

You also want to practice moving around inside the blind, especially if you are sharing the blind with another hunter. You should both figure out where gear will be stored, where your chairs are set up, and how to get in and out silently.

Another consideration is your guns or bows. Where are they going to be put when you are not holding them? Can you both safely move around while

hunting tip can do serious damage to you or the blind. With guns, you should both have hearing protection. You will be in very close proximity when you fire.

Turkeys can’t see orange, so throw a rope over a high

You should make sure your blind is visible to other hunters who might be in your area even if you are not expecting anyone.

by Joe Frazier, Bangor, ME

other hunters in your area might target them.

Deer don’t see orange so you should put flags or vests on all four sides of your blind as well as wear orange.

branch and hang an orange flag (or vest) above your blind. Only use hen calls and decoys. Don’t use gobbler calls or decoys because (Safety cont. pg 38)

If you can, set up your blind a couple weeks before you will be hunting if

Dogs

(Cont. from pg 27)

Watch closely for any signs of distress, as older dogs are often less vocal than younger ones about their needs.

Adjusting the Pace

Optimize your hunting strategy and modify the pace of your hunt. Shorter hunts can be significantly more beneficial than long, exhaustive excursions.

Consider hunting for an hour or two instead of a full day. Allow frequent breaks for your dog to rest and cool down. This pacing not only keeps your dog more comfortable but also

gets the most out of their capabilities without risking injury.

Utilizing Training and Familiarity

If your dog has been hunting with you for several years, leverage that familiarity. Many older dogs have honed their skills, and even if they are less sprightly, they may still guide you to the right spots effectively. Trust in their instincts; they have years of experience flushing birds and tracking scents!

The value-added benefit to my research on aging Springer Spaniels is that most of it applied to me too! Some days, it might

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be a toss up as to who’s lamer–them or me. The fact is, we all still love the hunt, especially after the first or second frost. Flights of woodcock are streaming in. Grouse aren’t used to being flushed yet and they may hold longer. And the longer the dogs and I can do this, the happier we are.

Randy Spencer is a working guide and author. His mult-award winning books are all available on Amazon, and his six albums of original music are available on all streaming services. Reach Randy at randy31@earthlink. net or www.randyspencer. com

Braiding

(Cont. from pg 25)

need to define progress as returning to the ideas of history, as opposed to rushing forward with no regard for where we go or what we do?

Where do clear-cuts to create solar farms fit into this equation? Are the “non-human people” of the fields and woods consulted? Are the “standing people” asked if they want to be sacrificed in order to provide “carbon offsets” for some big company elsewhere? A lot to ponder isn’t it.

Bob writes from the

Region

shore of Craig Pond where he and his wife Jena have raise three children and ten grandchildren. He is an avid outdoorsman and former Registered Maine Guide. You can reach him at craigponder@myfairpoint.net

Caribou

(Cont. from pg 28)

but when near enough rise up gently and get in your shot.” Using this method in 1863, Mr. Rich killed 7 caribou for scientific specimens near the headwaters of the Kennebec; selected from a herd of 20. A common tactic was to shoot a single animal and leave it on the ice. When the herd returned to investigate their injured companion, they were shot.

Still-hunting in dense forest was difficult, but possible. Caribou travel at a breakneck pace. A hunter’s best hope was to find a group of caribou bedded or feeding. Hunters put a white sheet over their head and approached stealthily from downwind. “Crusting” was a controversial practice of snowshoeing on heavy crust in late winter to kill caribou and moose. Hunting moose and deer with dogs was popular, especially on crusted snow. But authors said this method did not work for caribou who easily outpaced the dogs with their large hooves supporting them on the snow.

Caribou were rarely as abundant as moose and later deer, but were frequently encountered (and promptly shot). Typically, they traveled in small groups or “droves;” typically 5 to 10 animals, but sometimes as many as 50 to 80. Subsis-

(Caribou cont. pg 31)

Caribou

(Cont. from pg 30)

tence and market hunters were most deadly in winter when the small herds could be tracked down on snow. Joshua Rich (1860) from the Rangeley Lakes region wrote that some sports followed a drove of caribou for multiple days over dozens of miles.

Prior to the Civil War, muskets and muzzleloaders limited the harvest to just an animal or two per encounter. Rifles in that era were open sighted. Virtually extinct calibers mentioned include .45-70, .32-40, .44-40, .45-70, .4590, and Bullard and Springfield rifles (Civil War era). Some caribou were killed with a single shot, but after repeating rifles were introduced many accounts tell of massive volleys at caribou running across lakes until rifles were emptied and ammunition was exhausted.

Of course, poaching occurred. Snaring caribou was said to be common, and a writer to Forest and Stream in 1891 described finding several snares set for deer and caribou near the Moose River.

Hunters hauled the meat out of the woods on “moose sleds.” Horse teams from logging camps would retrieve some carcasses on frozen lakes. Usually, the entire animal was used. However, a writer in 1899 said that caribou shot on Katahdin were “so far from the wagon road and the trail so rough that it is out of the question to bring out anything except the head and skin.” Often a caribou was shot for “camp meat.”

Photographs and a few mounted Maine cari-

bou heads still survive. They had heavy, tall, upright antlers, with a narrow spread (40 to 50 inches for a large bull); far smaller dimensions than their relatives in Newfoundland and the migratory caribou of Labrador and Quebec. Like all caribou, they sported a palmated brow tine or shovel. No mention was made of double shovels. Perhaps 10 percent of the cows sported smaller antlers.

Market hunting was profitable for moose, caribou and the increasing number of deer expanding their range into northern Maine after the Civil War. Moose and caribou sold quickly; 15 cents for a hind quarter, 10 cents for a front quarter. Hides sold for a dollar a piece. Caribou were regular table fare at logging camps. A writer in 1892 said, “most lumber camps have a good supply of Winchesters.” In 1888, the Maine Commissioners of Fisheries and reported “one of our wardens last winter seized a whole (train) car load of Caribou meat on its way to Boston market.”

flocked to Maine for the novelty of hunting caribou and moose. This was a different kind of hunting, often occurring in the fall before snow covered the forest. Hundreds of guides, often native Penobscot and Passamaquoddy, were procured to canoe the sports deep into the forest to spike camps. Hunters were also transported by “tote teams.”

Hunting ethics and fair chase were primitive. A guide and hunter at Parmachenee Lake (1878) ran down a swimming caribou in a canoe and shot it. This technique was common and sometimes resulted in killing entire bands of caribou. Upon discovering 25 caribou on Tim Pond in the fall of 1883, a writer penned, “We cautiously crept up to the edge of the pond, and after waiting about ten minutes in hopes the caribou would come nearer, I fired at a large buck. Before the others had recovered their surprise, I shot two more. They then

started off and I fired the two remaining cartridges, killing two others, the last being 225 yards distant. I killed the five with five shots, using a Winchester Express…”

Caribou numbers held up until the early 1890s. In 1891, a camp near Madawaska claimed to have killed over 50 that year.

The North Maine Woods was marketed in newspapers, fairs, and sporting journals as a sportsperson’s paradise. Local writers and guides advertised the quality of hunting opportunities that quickly became the mainstay of a new Northwoods economy. “Sport” hunting attracted affluent clients to the Northwoods on expedition that typically lasted for 2 or 3 weeks, but some trips lasted up to three months in the bush.

By the mid-1890s, large numbers of sports were coming to Maine.

D.H. Blanchard exclaimed, “The newspapers of New England have extended invitations to people ev -

erywhere to come to Maine for hunting and fishing, and the railroads now take their passengers to the very heart of the forest…The hunters who follow the moose in the snow will pursue him till the last moose or caribou is taken, if they are permitted.” Caribou and moose dwindled. Outdoor writers for Forest and Stream called for the closure of Maine’s caribou season in 1897.

Game laws could not prevent the demise of the caribou. In 1899, a six-year moratorium was placed on caribou hunting, which was renewed for another six years in 1905. That signaled the end of caribou hunting in Maine. Possibly the last caribou were seen on Mt. Katahdin in 1908.

Mark McCollough was the lead biologist for the Maine caribou reintroduction project in the late 1980s. He can be contacted at markmccollough25@ gmail.com

“sports”

In the 1870s, railroads penetrated the interior of Maine to Rangeley, Kingfield, Greenville, Mattawamkeag, and Ashland bringing many more hunters to the Northwoods and increasing hunting pressure on big game populations. Despite the intense hunting pressure, historic records document a resurgence in caribou numbers in Maine in the 1870s until about 1892. By then, wolves were nearly extirpated; bountied and indiscriminately shot and poisoned. In 1875, caribou in the region of the Forks of the Kennebec were described as “plentiful.”

Me & Joe

(Cont. from pg 17)

cabin as we sat eating a supper of perch fillets from the freezer. It was Alfred Mimic.

“Might as well not call, Alf. I ain’t fallin’ for it,” Joe said.

“No, wait,” Mimic said contritely. “I know I been ridin’ you boys a little hard. Guess it’s time I eased off a mite. What I’m callin’ for is, they’s this moose got hit…”

“Now, Alf…”

“No, wait! Warden Brody is there right now. It’s out on the Pelletier Road. I was comin’ back from over Munsungan way and come upon the warden an’ the moose. He asked me to call you guys when I got to town. Said he’d wait right there by the moose ‘til you got there.”

“I’m tellin’ yer, Alf… if this is a trick…”

“No, Joe. I swear on my dear mother’s grave. They is a road kill moose out there an’ Warden Brody is right there on the scene.”

Ten minutes later we were driving out the Pelletier Road.

“If this is a trick…” Joe growled.

“Don’t seem like Mimic would get Brody into it if it was a trick,” I said. “The warden would be paying Alf a visit if he was lying about him being involved. Besides, “I said seriously. Getting a moose is really necessary if we’re gonna have enough meat this winter.”

We rounded a curve and, sure enough, there was Warden Brody’s truck, backed into a twitch road that led off to the south. Across the road, Alf Mimic’s truck was parked on

the shoulder. We stopped and got out. As we approached the Warden vehicle, Brody himself appeared from around the back. He stopped when he saw us, a puzzled look on his face.

“What you boy’s doin’ here?”

“Alf told us there was a road killed moose,” I began. Brody’s face darkened.

“Alf!” he roared. Across the road, Alf stuck his smirking face out the truck window.

“I jist told them they was a dead moose an’ that you was here, Warden. Now, I didn’t lie, did I?”

Right at that moment a breeze came from behind Brody’s vehicle and the stifling odor of rotten flesh filled the air. I hacked, spasmodically.

“You know darn well, that moose has been dead for three days, Alf!” Pinch grated in exasperation.

“Never said it was fresh,” Mimic chortled. “Never said that at all. Did I Joe?”

Joe never said a word, just turned and started for him. Seeing the look on Joe’s face, Mimic blanched, ground the starter until his truck’s engine roared into life, and spun out on the road, gravel shooting from under his tires. The truck sped away in the direction of town.

“C’mon!” Joe shouted. I followed at a trot as he ran for the Jeep.

“Now, just wait a minute…” Brody began. But Joe was already in the Jeep. I leaped in the other side as he started the engine and sent the vehicle into a skidding turn. In seconds, we were rocketing down the road in hot pursuit. In the side mirror I could see

Warden Brody jump into his vehicle and turn onto the road after us.

Mimic was driving wildly and Joe ate up the distance between us in the turns. In a short time we were only a few car lengths behind.

“What are you gonna do?” I asked tensely.

“I think I’m gonna kill ‘im” Joe said over the roar of the straining motor.

Suddenly, on a rise along the left side of the road, a bull moose appeared, staring toward us, goggle-eyed. Alf stuck his head out the window and shouted back at us.

“There’s a moose for ya!” he cackled shrilly. “All you got ter do is hit him!” He screamed into the slip stream.

But Mimic had been leaning too far out and looking back at us for too long. As he glanced back at the road, he saw to his dismay that the truck was heading right for the ditch. He swung the wheel violently to the right and the vehicle started to swerve. Joe stood on the brakes as the moose reared in fright at the approaching truck. Mimic over controlled the other way, and his truck shot into the ditch, bounced up over the banking and plowed into a huge rock maple.

The moose, frightened out of its wits, bounded across the road in front of the jeep and disappeared over the downward sloping bank on the other side.

“The bank drops off right there own to the bed of Rocky Brook,” Joe said worriedly. He pulled the Jeep off on the right hand side of the road. We ran back just as Warden Brody pulled up and climbed out of his truck. The three of

us stood on the edge of the steep embankment, staring down. The Bull Moose lay in a scattering of boulders on the side of Rocky Brook, its head twisted at an impossible angle.

“Broke his neck,” Brody said in amazement.

At that moment, Alf Mimic came staggering up, a cut on his scalp dripping blood down his cheek, a wild look in his muddy brown eyes. A knot the size of a tennis ball was swelling on this forehead and his nose was red and had grown to twice its former size.

“My truck! Lookit my truck!”

We stared across the road to where his truck sat with its grill wrapped around either side of the maple tree. The front end was a total loss and the windshield was shattered from contact with Alf’s head.

Warden Brody grinned slowly. “Well, Alf. Looks like you got yoreself into an accident. You got to pay more attention to the road.

Mimic sputtered and bristled. Then he noticed the dead moose down the slope.

“Say! That moose is dead!” He brightened considerably. “Why that there is my moose! When they’s damage to the vehicle, the owner gits to keep the moose. I know my rights!”

Brody looked at him in disgust. He turned to me and Joe.

“You boys go on down and dress off that moose. I’ll make out the paper work so you can take the meat.”

“Now just you wait a dawg-gone minute!” Alf began to bluster. Brody stuck a finger to the end of

his swollen nose.

“Lissen, you! You only git to keep the meat if you hit the moose. What you done is hit a tree. I oughta charge you with molestin’ game animals. What you get out of this deal is a half a cord of rock maple and a ride to the hospital with me. Now git in my truck!”

Mimic began to whine as Brody grabbed his arm, shoved him into the passenger seat of the warden truck, and slammed the door. As the truck swerved past us, the warden stared out the side window, stone faced. But his right eyelid dropped down in a wink. I looked down over the bank. “I think if we take that twitch road at the bottom of the hill, we can drive real close to where that moose is lying.”

“Yeah,” Joe said absently as he stared after the departing warden truck.

“You know,” he said suddenly. “I think we ought to take old Alf a few moose steaks after he gits out of the hospital.”

“What?!” I said, shocked. “After all he’s done.”

Joe lifted his hand. “It twould be the neighborly thing to do,” he said piously. “Let bygones be bygones.” He turned toward the Jeep.

“O’ course, we’d have to let them steaks set out on the sideboard for a day or so afore we took them over,” he continued thoughtfully. “By that time the swellin’ should have gone down in his nose enough so he kin really appreciate the smell.”

Mass vs Speed

In general, there are two types of hunting rifles. I am not talking about types of actions, but two types of performance. Many, many deer have been killed with traditional calibers like .30/30, .35 Rem Mag, .32 Winchester Special, .45/70, .444 Marlin and others commonly called woods

can so I will always have the choice for the purpose at hand. I sincerely hope you all have the ability to own as many hunting rifles as you choose. I also know that it is not practical. The firearms industry has long tried to introduce innovation into their guns and ammo. Sometime, in

cartridges. The other school of thought promotes smaller, faster high velocity calibers like the venerable .30/06, .308, 270, .243, 6.5 mm- Creedmore, 7mm magnum, 7mm/08 etc. All of these calibers have their loyal, sometimes fanatical, followers, especially the Creedmore.

So, with all of these choices, what is the best hunting caliber, or more accurately, which philosophy is correct? Well, my goal over my long life has been to own as many as I

the late 20th century, that innovation took the shape of faster is better. However, velocity became the most important thing.

Outdoor celebrities have made careers out of promoting new guns and calibers. Some shooters/ hunters have felt a little left behind because their favorite .45/70 or .35 Remington was not as fast as the new Creedmore offering or whatever the flavor of the month was. The ammo companies like Hornady have responded by

Guns & Ammo: A Guide’s

Perspective

offering “light for caliber” projectiles with rubber or ballistic tips to increase the aerodynamic qualities. This gives the shooter a flatter shooting round, capable of slightly longer lethal range. These projectiles also expand rapidly. The entry wounds tend to be large, but fairly shallow. Whitetail hunters are generally happy with their performance.

These fast, light bullets are great for thin skinned animals like deer.

by Tom Kelly, Orient, ME

like .30/06. It’s a combination of velocity and bullet weight. In the smaller diameter bores, we want the projectile to expand and penetrate to destroy as many vital organs and sever blood vessels and arteries as possible. In calibers like these, a heavier 180 gr. bullet will penetrate deeper than say a 150 gr bullet even though the lighter bul-

crushing penetration to an expanding, less penetrating round. In simple terms, you have turned your .45/70 into a .30/30 on a high protein diet. The good news is, the recoil will be less. So, it’s all about choices. Me, I like my .45/70 to dig deep and my .30/06 to reach out as they were intended. Please remember to reach out and take a young-

These fast, light bullets are great for thin skinned animals like deer. However, these rounds are not good for heavier game like moose, elk or even black bear, because deep penetration is critical. There are several factors to consider based on how bullets kill game.

However, these rounds are not good for heavier game like moose, elk or even black bear, because deep penetration is critical. There are several factors to consider based on how bullets kill game. The universal fact is that an animal must experience a 30% loss of blood volume to die. The hope is that there is a good enough blood trail to follow to find the animal when that happens. For large animals, penetration is achieved in one of a couple of ways in calibers

let is moving much faster.

The faster bullet will also expand more violently. Simple physics. Where this discussion becomes a bit more complicated is when we try to change the characteristics of a caliber. For instance, a traditional .45/70 load with a 405 gr bullet, traveling at a muzzle velocity of 1330 fps with muzzle energy of 1590 ft. lbs .These bullets penetrate extremely deep with no expansion, and usually exits the animal giving two wounds to bleed. Expansion is not necessary because the bullet diameter is already nearly ½ inch. Feeding a .45/70 lighter projectile will change the performance from bone

ster into the outdoors on your adventures.

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.

Kineo Currents

by Suzanne AuClair, Rockwood, ME

Every once in a while I go back and read some of the messages from Moosehead that were written by the men who spent their lives working in the field of fisheries here. I do this to go back and remem-

Formation & History of Maine’s Inland Fisheries Division,” which was first published in 2014. The reference anthology considers all of the major inland fisheries projects, from approx. 1867 to 2012.

Messages from Moosehead

most proud of how different Maine is from other states. The geography, the climate, and the presence of the amount of available waters in many different areas throughout the state are prodigious. Here in Maine we have everything, from the high elevations down to the salt water,

Probably the biggest challenges today are the spreading on non-native fish through the state or the introductions from outside of the state, even from outside of the country.

ber what it is they found the most important about our lakes, rivers, streams and ponds, and to go back to the first recorded foundation about Maine’s inland freshwater fish, a touch-stone a little like keying in on the Holy Grail.

These are taken from the book “The Origin,

Here are some words from the Moosehead region’s first three generations, totaling a combined 120 years plus of day-in and day-out time in the field, written by my late husband Roger P. AuClair, Bill Meyer, Paul Johnson, and Scott Roy.

Roger AuClair: I’m

with a moderate to cold climate, which has served the native, wild fisheries well. Without the water, we have no fish. We have at least three big river systems running through the state, plus many small tributaries. That’s also a problem because a lot of them are connected, so you have to be careful of the accidental or illegal spreading of introductions.

Probably the biggest challenges today are the spreading on non-native fish through the state or the introductions from outside of the state, even from

outside of the country. The role of the biologist is to protect the natural conditions of the waters for native populations and to determine how much of

ography. When you live in a state with thousands of waters, you need an organized, science-based Division.

Bill Meyer, began

The late Greenville fisheries biologist Roger AuClair.

the population can be harvested without endangering it. The inland fisheries is highly regulated and should remain so. These waters should continue to be held to the highest standard and guarded against the proliferation of commercialization because that sort of pressure cannot be sustained. It doesn’t fit ethically because in time it would damage the natural reproduction of our wild, native fish and would create a complex set of problems that are not well understood.

For any young person with an interest in becoming a biologist I would say: be an outdoor person. You need to harbor the spirit and to understand the animals and plants and to have a love for it. Then, go get a formal education. Include the study of geology, ge-

at Moosehead, ended with the Federal Fish & Wildlife Service, Dept. of the Interior: The issues that biologists and conservationists at large work on and the habitat that we attempt to protect or enhance requires trained, dedicated, and effective people. Accomplishment and “word of mouth” are the best means to attract people to the field that will make a difference on critical environmental issues. Indiscriminate bad mouthing of government workers, both state and federal, has become a standard device of campaigns. When accusations are true, correction must follow. Where statements are clear deceit and easy rhetoric, they need to be challenged. In the close of my career, there are several observations I offer:

*One’s credibility is perhaps the hardest attribute to earn and the easiest to lose, so guard it carefully.

*Solve your own problems. The further they rise in an organization for solution, the less likely you will be satisfied with the outcome.

*Quiet accomplishment is the best pay you’ll (Messages cont. pg 38)

Hunting Smarter

So, this month I’m going to try two new things; first, I’m writing an informational/how-to article for the first time ever. I’m also going to presuppose that if you’re reading this magazine, you’re looking for whitetail hunting tips and tactics for deer hunting, whether you plan to hunt via freezing your digits off in a chilly treestand or reclining in a toasty shack.

This month, I wanted to give you my best deer hunting advice: if you want to improve your whitetail hunting skills and scout efficiently and effectively, I would strongly encourage you to try hunting spring turkeys. Just hear me out! The weather is nicer, you can shoot two or more males instead of just one buck, it’s incredibly cheap, and the experience you garner will keep you sharp in the off season and hone your skills for Autumn hunting, too. As you hunt turkeys, you’ll learn where to find deer food; both critters often dine off the same things, especially acorns.

You’ll find plentiful fields with ample sign of both cervid and avian visitors, and enlarge your capacity to hide from the sharpest ears and most discerning ears. My grandfather, who taught me everything I know about turkey hunting, once told me that it’s easier to teach a turkey hunter how to deer hunt than vice versa. Mature turkeys will slip in and not make a peep until they’re right on top of you, even if they’re certain there are no threats. They’re small enough that they can’t rely on their ability to evade danger, and predators are

more confident in footballtackling a 20-pound bird than a deer.

As a predator, it’s up to the hunter to be aware of the turkeys first. You can’t take a catnap and be fully confident that

of food sources, so as you chase turkeys, you’ll definitely stumble upon plenty of public land to scout for your fall whitetail season. As you do so, you become intimately familiar with the landscape you’re using.

Turkey hunting is a great warmup for deer hunting.

you won’t be seen, heard, or silently walked past. Turkeys are not forgiving beasts. Because a turkey hunter’s success depends so much on how he moves in response to the smallest hiccup, geographically, physically (with his body) and mentally. Turkey hunters have to keep their ears finely tuned for the slightest echo, cluck, or flap, as well as their eyes, for even the smallest lurching of a shadow. I always like to look at it this oversimplified way: each animal has a varied set of heightened senses for hunters to overcome.

Whitetail deer can see, hear, and smell incredibly well. Spring turkey hunting makes you a better deer hunter, especially if you prefer to be on foot when hunting whitetails. Deer and turkeys share a lot

call or diaphragm call, and a Flextone Funky Chicken.

Young Blood

by Jake Guay, Phillips, ME

Turkeys are cunning; they force you to take advantage of everything you can, especially the lay of the land.

Turkeys can see and hear better than deer, to compensate for their sense of smell, which is of

little importance to turkey hunters.

If you’re tired of keeping up with the latest scent control products, consider that a bonus. The most expensive thing about turkey hunting is probably the amount of time it will take, and even then, it’ll pay for itself with bigger racks on your wall and more meat in the freezer. You don’t need much more than a shotgun, and if you’re really trying to spend the bare minimum, you can even get away with just a good speaker and your phone. If you can manage to pair a bluetooth speaker to a laptop, do that; the NWTF website has the essential vocalizations you need, sourced from live birds. If you’ve got more money and prefer to participate in the game a little more, definitely invest in a box

As in any kind of hunting, camouflage is important, though it’s pointless if you don’t know how to move carefully. Grab a ghillie suit from Amazon and you’ll be squared away. Ghillie suits also make layering your clothes more manageable, too; you

when I know that I’ve outwitted the “DON’T DIE’’ programming that God put in that animal’s head. I think that’s what makes it beautiful. You can’t do that elsewhere. All the stupid turkeys have been removed from the gene pool. The remaining birds are whipsmart and owe their lives to their wits. Season after sea-

As a predator, it’s up to the hunter to be aware of the turkeys first. You can’t take a catnap and be fully confident that you won’t be seen, heard, or silently walked past. Turkeys are not forgiving beasts.

can add or subtract layers and always wear your suit on the outside without altering your appearance. I don’t know about you, but I hunt because I want to beat the ultimate computer. I love the moment I hear a gobble or see the gleam of an antler in the sunlight, because that’s

son, the hunter and hunted get better. Everybody gets to level up.

Jacob Guay is a homeschooled teen who loves creation as much as he loves to write. Curious readers can learn more by emailing him at jaguay26@gmail.com

Her big brown eyes are her father’s; her chubby cheeks and brown ducktail curls her mother’s. I like to think her comfort and fascination with the natural world are mine. At sixteen months old, she loves pine needles, bright green moss and fistfuls of rocks. White admiral butterflies are everywhere

View From The River

by Laurie Chandler Bremen, ME

The weather shines upon us. Freshening rains at night clear to still mornings with sun to warm the chilly lake. There aren’t many toys up at camp. Instead, we set out across the roots and hummocks of the grassy yard on journeys of discovery.

We make a game of finding tiny spruce cones.

One Small Nature Girl

Beau. The bucks on the wall and the magnificent work horses that pull her wagon at the lumbermen’s museum are bo-bo’s, too. Millie has a growing vocabulary: hat and hot (for the evening campfire), buck-buck (a chicken), Dada (her father) and Dada-Mama (her mother), but I look forward with great anticipation to next summer when we can have a true conversation.

Our first canoe adven-

By mid-week, Millie is truly a lake girl, shrieking with laughter as her father sweeps her through the water and high in the air. Her first unsure frown is replaced by joy, and then she suddenly lies back, floating on the water.

at camp this summer. She greets each one—and the dragonfly that lands beside us on the sand—with an excited oy-e-oy-e-oy-e, fingers fluttering up above her head. I love her word for butterfly.

Emilia Wren—Millie for short—is the first of a new generation on our side of the family. The blur of time has made memories of my own children at this age fuzzy. I am continually amazed at the awareness and independence of this little person, with all that she can communicate and understand.

Her concentration and determination are adorable as she searches for one after another, lifting them up to show me with pride and delight. Carefully, she walks over to add them to our pile. What better way is there to spend a summer morning than this?

There is another little one at camp. My son and his girlfriend have brought their six-month-old puppy Tilly. A black Lab and pointer mix, she is every bit as inquisitive and active as her human cousin. To Millie, he’s a bo-bo, inspired by her grandfather’s dog

touch the water. A day later and she finds her PFD and toddles over with it, pointing toward the lake. This is surely one of the best moments for Grandma, watching a camp tradition blossom.

By mid-week, Millie is truly a lake girl, shrieking with laughter as her father sweeps her through

tremolos, wails, yodels, and hoots that come from the record player are too much for them both. Tilly whines and Millie cries. Perhaps next year, the loons, too, will be magical. As we say farewell to camp, treasured memories will keep me through a cold and snowy winter, when Millie is far away in her

ture is not as well received. The infant life preserver rides up under Millie’s chin and even looks uncomfortable. The lake is windy, and I think she senses our tension. Later, though, we climb Sugarloaf Mountain. Riding in the high seat on her father’s shoulders, Millie bravely ducks the low branches and keeps her balance. Halfway down, she falls asleep in his arms, her face smushed into his shoulder.

Another morning, and the early sun casts a magical glow across the glassy lake. We go out in the canoe again. More comfortable now, Millie leans over the gunwale to

the water and high in the air. Her first unsure frown is replaced by joy, and then she suddenly lies back, floating on the water. The loons may take more getting used to. Millie first hears them in the dark of evening, just before bed. Mama whispers, listen, Emilia, with a finger to her lips. Eyes wide, the baby puts her finger to her lips, very serious. The next day, though, neither baby nor puppy appreciates the record we find on the camp shelf. It is called “The Voices of the Loon.” The

Virginia home. For a time, I have looked at the world through the eyes of a child, and it has been good.

Laurie Apgar Chandler is the author of Through Woods & Waters, which provides an adventurous look at Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, and Upwards, the story of her 2015 solo self-propelled thru-paddle of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. To learn more or purchase the books, please visit www. laurieachandler.com

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Early Days at Bulldog Camps

Enchanted Lake, sometimes known as Bulldog Pond, lies between Coburn Mountain and Spencer Lake, about twelve to fifteen miles from The Forks. It is about 1.7 miles long and lies at an elevation

that happened during the days of the lumbermen and early hunters. In the summer of 1886, a fire broke out and burned both sides of Enchanted Stream, burning nearly 25,000 acres. Two

Bull Dog Camps

of 1,445 feet above sea level. The western slopes of Coburn Mountain hem it in on the east and a cliff, the lower end of Shutdown Mountain walls it in on the west side. Apparently, the early trappers and lumbermen saw the resemblance of a bulldog’s face in the cliff and named the lake Bulldog Pond. The name of Enchanted comes from a series of mysterious and unexplainable occurrences

years later, on July 13, 1888 the Maine Industrial Journal reported that “Patrick Murphy, the well-known hotel man at West Forks, is preparing to institute a new sportsmen’s resort at Enchanted Pond, eight miles from his place and thirteen from the Forks. This is a great trout pond, and Mr. Murphy will erect buildings there to accommodate fishing and sporting parties. He will build a road this

summer to the pond so that it can be readily reached with buckboards.

Murphy operated the camps for about four years, then the camps were managed by John G. Forsythe, who was born in Downs County, Ireland, arrived in July 1828 at Carrying Pond Township, in the Upper Kennebec Valley, aged 11 years. He then worked

ber 5, 1884, at the age of 22 years, from St. Coomb, Sillery, Quebec, to operate them. In 1900 the Maine State Fish & Game Report mentioned that Daniel Patience was the proprietor of Bull Dog Camps, while the census said he resided at West Forks working as a guide. Later he resided for many years on a farm

by Steve Pinkham Quincy, MA

were thought to have been reopened in the 1920s, but in 1924 three men spent a week at the pond and walked its circumference without mentioning any sporting camps, so they probably started after that year. This was an unusual occurrence, not repeated anywhere else in MaineA lumber camp became a

Apparently, the early trappers and lumbermen saw the resemblance of a bulldog’s face in the cliff and named the lake Bulldog Pond. The name of Enchanted comes from a series of mysterious and unexplainable occurrences that happened during the days of the lumbermen and early hunters.

as a river driver and farm laborer, before serving in the Civil War in Co. H, Maine Cavalry. He was later active in the Grand Army of the Republic, a now-defunct fraternal organization for Civil War veterans.

In the mid-1890s Henry McKenny of Jackman, one of the woodland bosses of the Parlin Pond region had a crew of men cutting pine along the Enchanted Township. He took over and improved Forsyth’s former camps, and renamed them Bull Dog Camps. He then hired Daniel Patience (1862-1956,) who had arrived at the Upper Kennebec on Novem-

in Bingham.

In 1908 McKenny then hired Thomas Gerard to overhaul the camps and oversee their operation as sporting camps. Gerard built some more camps and operated them while also running his Spencer Lake Camps. The Moosehead Lake Region and Upper Kennebec Valley, a 1909 pamphlet, announced that “Mr. McKenney also owns camps at Enchanted Lake, eight miles by buckboard or saddle horse…These camps will be in charge of Thomas Girard, a wellknown camp proprietor and guide.”

The sporting camps

sporting camp, then a lumber camp again, and then a sporting camp again.

Two books have been written about the area -” Dud Dean and the Enchanted,” by Arthur M. McDougal and “The Enchanted: An Incredible Tale” by Elizabeth Coatsworth. Today, Bulldog Camps are under the proprietorship of Darren Savage, who recently built and opened a nice large dining room and office.

Steve is an avid hiker, paddler, and historian, having collected over 40,000 Maine Woods articles to date.

Safety

(Cont. from pg 29)

it is legal in your area. This will give the wildlife in the area time to get used to it being there. Be sure you have clear lines of sight and know what is beyond where you will be shooting. If you have permission to clear your shooting lanes, cut out as little as possible.

Put a tag on your blind with your name and phone number so people can contact you if there are any questions.

As always when you are going in the woods, leave location information and expected return time with a trusted emergency contact.

If you are using a heater inside your blind be aware of possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep windows open and keep fresh air flowing into the blind. Keep packs, extra clothes, etc. away from the front of the heater. Remember there is only so much space in a blind and nylon is extremely flammable.

Box blinds are the same as Ground blinds, just elevated on a platform. Usually from 5 to 15 or more feet off the ground.

The same basic safety rules apply. Be aware you are in a confined space. Plan where everything and everyone will be. Because you will be shooting down, you don’t need to worry as much about missing or overpenetration. Your arrow or bullet should go directly into the ground.

ALWAYS climb empty handed, then pull your gear and EMPTY gun or bow with a rope. Use a padded bag or case for anything fragile.

Have a good first aid kit and communications gear handy, don’t take anything for granted.

Joe is a husband, father, author, and marine. Joefrazier193@gmail.com

(Cont. from pg 34)

ever receive.

*There is no recognition better than that of your peers or your employees.

*You work less for your boss and more for your employees.

*One’s true character is best displayed in difficult times.

*Quality trumps quantity just about every time.

*If you feel it would be ill-advised to receive a negative answer to a question or to a request that you have, do not ask. If you cannot afford a “no,” keep quiet.

*Work for effective and respected bosses who are confident enough to credit others; your ideas will not otherwise rise in a large organization.

* And, as my Dad told me, “We grow too soon old and too late smart.”

Part II of Messages from Moosehead will continue next month.

Suzanne AuClair is an avid outdoorswoman. She lives near Rockwood and has been writing about the Moosehead Lake Region for the past 29 years. She produced Maine’s reference anthology, “The Origin, Formation, and History of Maine’s Inland Fisheries Division.”

Stuck in October

Remember the movie Groundhog Day where Bill Murray is trapped in a time loop, forcing him to relive February 2 nd over and over? Interesting premise. But if I were to be trapped in a time loop, Groundhog Day would not be my chosen time period. It would be the month of October. If you fish or hunt, you know

like it was in “the good old days”, but I think I heard that Indiana is getting the manufacturing nod. For trout fishing, you’ve got until October 15th to hit your favorite (or soon to be favorite) rivers, streams and trout ponds. Wild trout streams and wild trout ponds closed on Labor Day.

Hampshire. One of them said that in October you should fish Squam Lake for lake trout and white perch and in November, hit the Connecticut Lakes in Pittsburg for lake trout and rainbow trout. The problem is lake trout and rainbow trout fishing closes on all waters on September 30th Try and tell the Conser-

what I’m talking about. To relive that over and over would be outstanding. Trout fishing, turkey hunting, pheasant hunting, archery deer hunting, bear hunting, duck hunting, goose hunting and moose hunting – with a permit of course.

The only fly in the October ointment so to speak is that this year because of the date, smoke pole hunters won’t be taking to the field until November 2nd. And on the subject of muzzleloaders, I see that Thompson Center, under the new ownership of Greg Ritz, has announced that they’re launching a new product line in 2025. I also saw that they’re looking for a Controller who will be based out of Rochester, NH. I wish that production would be out of Rochester

If you want the story on fishing dates, rules, regs and anything to do with fishing go to: fishnh.com. That’s an official website of the NH Fish and Game Department. I’m telling you this because of the incorrect information that’s out there on the internet. Recently I was checking some fishing websites to see what they had to say about New

vation Officer that some website told you that it was OK to fish here at this time. Ignorance is not a defense. When in doubt go the Fish and Game website or pick up their free Freshwater Fishing Digest or the NH Hunting Digest. Both have information on dates, laws and regulations to help insure that you’re doing everything ethically and

by Peter St. James, Warner, N.H.

legally.

Bear season, which opened on September 1st, rolls on. It’ll be interesting to see how the harvest goes this fall. Starting in mid-July, White Mountain National Forest staff began receiving near daily reports about food-conditioned bears interacting with hikers and campers within, and around the Pemigewasset wilderness located near

H1, H2, I1, I2, J2, K, L, M. Duck, Canada Geese, Snow Geese, Coots, Brants and Woodcock all open this month as well.

Thirty three lucky hunters will take part in the nine day moose season, October 19 th through the 27th in WMUs : A1, A2, B, C1, C2, D1, L and M. There you have it. Lots of reasons why October in New Hampshire

But if I were to be trapped in a time loop, Groundhog Day would not be my chosen time period. It would be the month of October. If you fish or hunt, you know what I’m talking about.

Lincoln, NH. So naturally, a TV station in Boston ran a story with the headline, “Hungry bears are “following campers” in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Forest Service says”. Ramping up the fear factor much to the uninitiated?

Archers have been going after deer and turkeys since September 15th. This month turkey hunters with shotguns take their turn October 14th – October 20th But only in WMUs: D2, G,

Greenville New Hampshire Outdoors

outdoors is about as good as it gets all year long. But, looking down the road, November ain’t half bad either! Choices, choices.

Peter St. James is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, Outdoor Writers Association of America and is a licensed NH Fishing Guide. You can reach him at: outsideinsides603@ gmail.com

(Photo by Tim Flanigan)

The Bird Perch

by Karen Holmes, Cooper, ME

Hundreds of volunteers from all over Maine went out onto Maine lakes and ponds early on the morning of Saturday, July 20, 2024. They were participating in the 41st annual Loon Count and counted observed adult loons and chicks. Since I am the coordinator of the count in Washington County, I compiled the results from twenty-nine observers on 21 water bodies there. Seventy-four adult loons and four chicks were seen during the official count hour.

about how the Maine loon population is faring. The 2023 count was done by 1,503 volunteers on 374 water bodies. From the southern half of the state, the population estimates showed a slight decrease in the adult numbers of 2,892,

From the southern half of the state, the population estimates showed a slight decrease in the adult numbers of 2,892, but a big jump in chick numbers of 411.

but a big jump in chick numbers of 411.

Maine Audubon thinks there is not enough coverage north of the 45th parallel to confidently provide an estimate of the overall loon population for that part of the state.

Maine Audubon will compile these with the other count results from other Maine areas. This will be published in November of 2024 and also included, will be an interpretation

In 2023, 522 adults and 31 chicks were counted there. Hopefully this year’s count will show an increase. Common loons are long-lived birds with life spans of up to 30 years.

910 Exeter Rd, Corinna 207-278-3539

Annual Loon Count

They are recognized as a warning indicator species for aquatic habitats. Their bodies accumulate contaminants over a long time.

It has long been known that loon adult and chick populations have been decreased by such

neighboring New Hampshire, it seems possible Maine could also be experiencing it.. Nonviable loon eggs that failed to develop or hatch were seen in two nests this year in two lakes in Washington County. Over my years of being in-

contaminants as lead-based fishing tackle, mercury, DDT and other pesticides. PFAS, substances that were used in food packaging, clothing, furniture, cosmetics, etc., are now also being found in aquatic habitats. Scientists in New Hampshire will release an intensive study in November of this year which involved checking unhatched eggs for PFASs at Squam Lake. This was the site filmed in the movie On Golden Pond.

volved with loon monitoring, I have seen that human activities can cause loon population fluctuations. Too much shoreline development and other human disturbances, boats hitting swimming loon chicks and adults, speeding boats causing wakes that swamp shoreline nesting sites, all have caused problems for the loons.

and fly off with loon chicks. The adults who were with the chicks failed to protect them.. At one lake, a witness saw an eagle drive an adult loon off its nest where it was incubating two eggs. The eagle then proceeded to eat the eggs. Low water levels and the opposite crisis of heavy rains over the years have caused declining chick productivity of loons here in Washington County and elsewhere in Maine.

One out of four loon chicks survive to breeding age which is when they reach six to seven years of age. Since adults take that long to survive and reach maturity, you realize that dramatic increases of the loon p opulation will not happen quickly. So for the years I will continue to coordinate the loon count in Washington County, I hope to see such an increase in both adult a nd chick populations of that beautiful bird, the Common Loon.

www.yodersawmill.com Yoderssawmill@gmail.com

Over the years since there has been a serious drop in loon breeding success there. If PFAS are found to be a problem in

Many natural predators kill loon chicks like foxes, skunks, raccoons, minks, snapping turtles, northern pike fish,and bald eagles. It was reported to me this year that people saw eagles swoop down and grab with their talons

Karen Holmes is a naturalist living in Cooper, Maine. She writes for various publications and is enjoying her retirement from teaching. She also enjoys doing programs for the public about loons and another of her favorite birds, the owls.

Ruffed or Spruce?

There isn’t much I dislike about October. You can’t go wrong with cool nights, warm days with little or no humidity and the start of archery deer season. In general, October weather conditions and hunting opportuni -

the uplands or miles of northern back roads and hunting ruffed grouse, or “partridge” or as some call them “pa’tridge.” Long considered the King of Maine game birds, it was estimated some 500,000 were harvested annually

ties make you glad you’re alive. The fall foliage is just an added bonus. If there’s a downside to this month it’s knowing winter is just around the corner, but that’s another story.

For many Mainers, October means hitting

back in the early 1980s. I have no idea what the annual take is these days, but it seems hunting these birds is as popular today as ever. This is especially true in western, northern and eastern regions of the state where the best habitat is

found. Generally speaking, ruffed grouse are considered native throughout the state, but I’ve flushed or seen just a handful in the quarter century since living here in Lyman. Finding appreciable numbers of birds to hunt in much of southern Maine is like hunting for a needle in a haystack, possible but difficult.

With the grouse season now upon us it is important to keep in mind there are two types of grouse

can be confusing. This is particularly true of the female “fool” hen, as some call them. The females are gray and brown above and brown and white below, somewhat similar to a female ruff, especially at a distance. A closer examination, however, will reveal no wide, black tail band like on ruff but a reddish-brown tip. Female

by Al Raychard, Lyman, ME

I once walked up to within ten feet of one roosting on a black spruce limb and could probably have gotten closer. I can honestly say I’ve never done that to a ruffed grouse!

In all my years of hunting the north woods for ruffed grouse and after killing my share I have only seen about a dozen confirmed spruce grouse.

With the grouse season now upon us it is important to keep in mind there are two types of grouse in Maine, the well-known and popular ruffed variety, the one we so passionately hunt, and the spruce grouse.

in Maine, the well-known and popular ruffed variety, the one we so passionately hunt, and the spruce grouse. The ruffed grouse season opened September 28, closes December 3 and there is a four-bird daily limit. But there is no open season on spruce grouse. Although far less common than ruffed grouse and generally found in thick spruce-fir forests and shaded mossy areas spruce grouse do frequent and can be found in the same habitats as ruffed grouse. So unless we are familiar and can recognize each, it

spruce grouse are often smaller than female ruffed grouse, although under hunting conditions can be difficult to tell. The males are easier to recognize, typically gray and black above and black, blackand-white or grayish-andwhite below. To me they just look darker in appearance. Perhaps the most distinguishing marking is a patch of unfeathered red skin over each eye that can be quite noticeable. Compared to ruffs that flush with abandon, both spruce sexes also seem rather docile, almost tame.

Generally, they’re not something seen each day out. But I’ve seen several that I wasn’t sure of so I didn’t pull up and let loose preferring to err on the safe side, a good rule to follow.

Al Raychard and his wife Diane live on 43+/acres in Lyman, Maine that offers good deer and turkey hunting opportunities they both enjoy. If the property had a year-round trout stream it would be pure paradise. Al can be reached at alraychard@ sacoriver.net

The Buck

Hunter

by Hal Blood, Moose River, ME

The doldrums of summer have slipped by and now fall is upon us. Bear hunting over bait has come and gone as it started early this year. The hound hunters still have month to run, but usually by the second week of October the bears are denning up in the north country. The way the season is set for bear, this

it keeps up most of the trees will be bare by early October. The leaves changing signals that fall is coming and that deer season is fast approaching.

I think it should be a banner year in the north for deer this year. With the last couple of easy winters, most all of the deer are making it through in

I think it should be a banner year in the north for deer this year. With the last couple of easy winters, most all of the deer are making it through in great shape.

year it was as early as it can be, with the entire first week being in August. It also made the first week of moose season the earliest it can be, with the entire first week being in September. Those seasons are a little early for my liking but such as it is. Next year those seasons will jump ahead almost a week, and the calendar count will start over again. This year was the earliest I can remember the leaves changing color. There were swamp maples turning red at the end of July and the orange tinge of the sugar maples began in the third week of August. If

great shape. This means the old bucks might make it another year and that the does are likely to have more than one fawn. I have been seeing deer from the roads every trip I make in the woods. On one trip bear baiting with my grandson, we saw eight deer in three hours and two of them were racked bucks. On another trip I saw a doe with one fawn, a doe with two fawns and a doe with three fawns.

It’s not hard to figure that the deer population could almost double in one year.

From what I have seen the antlers on the buck and bulls are bigger than nor-

Deer Outlook Good!

mal. The young deer have good sized forked horns instead of the usual spikes. I have seen a lot of young bulls and only one that had just spikes.

Every year I get messages from hunters that are going to make their first trip to the Big Woods to hunt deer. They have different reasons for wanting to try it, but most of them say it because they are tired of sitting in a stand. Stand hunting is probably the most effective way to hunt farmland and rural areas. It can also be effective in the Big Woods, but I think most hunters want to come north to wander and experience the vastness and mystique of it. Other hunters want to head to the Big Woods to try their hand at tracking in the snow. For others, it’s for the chance of shooting a 200-pound buck. I dare say that for some hunters it is all of the above reasons. For those of

you that are going to give it a shot, I want to give you a few things to think about.

Make sure you have good tires on your vehicle and tire chains are a plus if you hunt later in the season when snow and ice are likely. There are rules of the road when traveling logging roads. Number one is if you see a log truck coming, pull over as far as you can to the side and let them go by. They are working and time is money. When you’re driving a logging road and another vehicle comes up behind you, pull over and let them by. Again, it might be a worker going to or coming from work. It’s obvious they are traveling faster than you and are not on your time schedule. It’s basic courtesy. Do not block any road when parking. Just because you don’t want to take your vehicle down that road, it doesn’t mean someone else won’t. Do not park next to another hunters vehicle and get out to hunt. There is plenty of room for everyone so find another spot. If you see another hunter walking a logging road, ask them if they need a ride. They may have been tracking a buck all day and are miles from their vehicle. You might be in that situation some day and appreciate a ride. Now that you have

your road etiquette, here are some things to think about in the woods. Always have a compass with you and know how to use it. If you don’t know how, I have a YouTube class on map and compass. A GPS, OnX or the likes are great tools, but they are electronic devices and can fail you. A Garmin Inreach, is a good tool. If you are new to the Big Woods it might give you some peace of mind. You can text or email anyone via satellite. It might come in handy if your vehicle breaks down or you get stuck. Take a lunch with you and spend the day in the woods. The days are too short to be going back and forth to the vehicle. The easiest way to find buck sign, is to hunt the transition zones. This is the area where the green growth meets the hardwoods. There are transition zones in the bottoms as well as up high. Bucks like to travel in the cover and not so much in the open hardwoods. Well, that’s the basics of getting started in the Big Woods, so get out there and have fun.

Good luck on the trail!

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

Cooking Game Birds

One of the best times of the year for many of us is the fall hunting season. It kicks off with bear season, fall turkey, moose, squirrel, snowshoe hare and upland birds like woodcock and grouse, waterfowl and deer.

What an amazing abundance of choices for filling your freezer! The options are endless on how many ways you can cook and enjoy this tasty table fare from God’s grocery store.

My mind immediately gravitates to the supporting cast of fall ingredients that pair well with the game. If you took advantage of the summer growing season, or your local farmer’s markets you had an opportunity to preserve and can some fresh items that can be used during times like this.

game birds, and even wild rabbit can lend themselves to some great recipes. There are a variety of recipes that I can provide, and optional ways that you can enjoy your game birds. They can be used for a pot pie, game bird and dumplings, soups, fajitas and

Will Lund, editor of the Maine Sportsman, with a pair of grouse for the game pot. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds)

tacos, pasta dishes, pizza and flatbreads, meatballs, burgers and so many other ways.

A visit to your local apple orchard or farm can provide you with fall squashes, apples, and other ingredients that will make their way to your menu.

This is just one of many reasons that wild game is so special. It adapts to the season much like what we grow and want to eat at certain times of the year.

Although I enjoy many varieties of wild venison, this season makes me also long for game birds. I think that we so often get caught up in talking about venison that we sometimes don’t always focus on how

One idea that many are unaware of, that brings to light “old school” methodology is to age your game birds. Using this method, you will experience a whole new flavor profile on your birds. My recommendation, should you decide to explore this, is to reach out to me and I can provide my WildCheff’s Guide to Aging, Preparing & Cooking Game Birds that I wrote as a means for teaching people how to do this. It will cover off answering all your questions, so you do it properly. The biggest takeaway about this method is keeping the birds in an environment that offers the right temperature while the birds age to a certain stage where you can then enjoy them in recipes I provide in the guide.

Some of the birds that I enjoy in the fall include wild turkey, grouse, woodcock, pheasant, quail, along with duck and geese.

Cookin’

With New England’s WildCheff

by Denny Corriveau, Kennebunkport, ME

can Blend seasoning

3/4 C of Daisy sour cream

1/4 C of unbleached allpurpose flour

2 C of chicken bone broth, or game stock

WildCheff Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil

1/4 Tsp. each of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

mushroom and sage olive oil to coat pan and a pat of butter, along with seasoned grouse; cook and stir 5 minutes or until ready. Remove from skillet; keep warm with foil.

Reduce heat to medium; Add shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes stirring. Add mushrooms, cook and

One idea that many are unaware of, that brings to light “old school” methodology is to age your game birds.

1/2 T of shallots, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

6-8 oz. of egg noodles, cooked

Fresh minced flat leaf parsley for garnish

Directions

Some prefer to make turkey nuggets, use their crockpot, or just get those breasts into a hot pan with some butter and garlic. Pansearing, grilling or roasting some woodcock can also be special. No matter what your preference, it shows the versatility of how unrestricted game birds can be for the table.

Like other varieties of game, each type has its own characteristics that differentiate how you cook it, and some may be misrepresented as to how good they can be to eat.

WildCheff’s Grouse & Roasted Garlic

Stroganoff

Ingredients

1 lb. of boneless grouse breasts, cut into 1/2“strips

2 Tsp. of WildCheff Tus-

Place grouse into a bowl. Lightly coat with olive oil, and then season with Tuscan seasoning. In mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream and flour until well blended.

Gradually whisk in 1 3/4 cups of chicken bone broth until mixture is smooth.

Add sea salt and pepper; set aside.

Boil water in a large pot and prepare egg noodles according to package directions.

While water is heating up, preheat skillet over medium heat until hot. Add

stir 3 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup of bone broth. Return grouse to skillet. Stir in sour cream mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Serve over cooked noodles, garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

WildCheff - Denny Corriveau is AwardWinning Native American Game Chef. He is a Wild Game Evangelist and a nationally recognized trendsetter and pioneer for preparing wild game. He is also the National Game Chef for TenPoint Crossbows. You can learn more @www.wildcheff.com or visit him on Instagram @ thewildcheff

The first days of October are usually a blur. Statewide archery season has started, and Maine’s waterfowl season is in full swing. Nine times out of ten, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere besides sitting in a tree with my bow on a cool fall morning. Recently, I have been

Angling, Antlers & Artifacts

By Jake Scoville, Machiasport, ME

Ducks and Dunsters

But with a bit of scouting and a few decoys, I’ve had some good mornings. Even my old Yellow Lab, Fisher, has retrieved a duck or two. A few years ago, Harry and I stumbled across an old blind that hadn’t been used in what looked like many years. We had seen dozens of ducks while paddling to this new spot, mostly Mallards, which aren’t the most common waterfowl in Downeast Maine.

Managing just a couple of October waterfowl hunts every fall usually does the trick for me, and I can scratch the itch of getting on a few ducks. After those first few weeks of the season, I’ll again emphasize waterfowl if I tag a deer.

making an exception. I’ve come to enjoy the morning light when it reveals golden hues and reflections on the glassy water while there is whistling in the air. Turns out, I can be bribed out of a tree. I just need two things: Ducks and Dunsters.

I never hunted for waterfowl while growing up. It was one of the few outdoor activities we never dabbled in. But as I strived to be a ‘Jack of all trades’ outdoorsman, I started trying my waterfowl luck. I

first embarked on a waterfowl hunt with one of my friends, Harry. It was opening day in the South Zone, and we paddled our canoe through the darkness. We eventually caught up with some ducks and geese. We did some jump shooting that morning, but I’ll never forget when Harry crushed a Black Duck flying overhead, and it folded as the shot rang out. It wasn’t just the big splash and mixed bag of birds that got me hooked; it was also the simple fact that they were delicious.

It’s a slippery slope for me. By that, I mean that I tend to go all in once I get my feet wet with a new outdoor pursuit. But, over the years, I never really managed to get out as much as I planned, which means I’m still very much of a novice.

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It’s all there at your fingertips with one click of your mouse. Try it! www.sportingjournal.com and click on Outdoor Connections.

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We figured if someone else thought it was a good enough spot for a blind, we should try it out after some TLC. We cobbled it back together and have had fun mornings killing Woodies, Blacks, and Mallards from that old blind.

Managing just a couple of October waterfowl hunts every fall usually does the trick for me, and I can scratch the itch of getting on a few ducks. After those first few weeks of the season, I’ll again emphasize waterfowl if I tag a deer. Living on the Downeast Coast also allows me to hunt the coastal zone in December, where I usually take advantage of the warmer days when the rivers and bays are icefree. But as any seasoned waterfowl hunter knows,

Duck hunting the coastal estuaries in early October is the cat’s meow.

those first few days of October are special. The weather is usually perfect, and there are plenty of ducks around. You never know what species of ducks will be around, especially Downeast. If I’m not in the old blind, I like to tuck myself into river bends and grassy pockets with a few Black Duck decoys, which will entice most any duck to land in the spread. Spending most of my fall in the whitetail woods is usually a grind. The mental battles of spending day after day in a tree with just your thoughts can be challenging. Treestand snacks are generally not the finest morsels in the culinary

world, and I try to limit my caffeine intake.

Hunting waterfowl is a pleasant change in hunting styles, and I didn’t know I was missing out on the camaraderie that deer hunting usually doesn’t provide. Telling stories while sipping coffee as the mist slowly rises off the warming water is hard to beat. Harry and I started grabbing a bag of Mrs. Dunster donuts for our duck hunts. It’s becoming a tradition. I look forward to dipping one of those quintessential Maine treats into a hot cup of coffee as much as I enjoy seeing a group of greenheads cupping into our decoys. Pairing that scene with the smell of gunpowder in the air makes missing a morning or two of deer season just what the doctor ordered.

Jake Scoville can be reached at jacobysco@ gmail.com or on Instagram at @jacobysco

Vermont’s Busy October

I’m not ashamed to admit it. October is my favorite season. The month offers the greatest opportunity for the widest variety of hunting and fishing options. This year will be a bit different for those of us waterfowlers due to a new split season for all three zones. With the logic of “letting the migration build up greater numbers of ducks – primarily in the Missisquoi Refuge in Swanton (which became part of the Interior Zone a few years ago) there will be no duck hunting opportunities available in the Lake Zone from October 4 through November 22.

That is 19 days. For the Interior Zone, the split will run from October 11 through November 22.(That’s 12 days) For the CT River Zone the split will be from November 12 through the 26. (That’s 15 days.) In my opinion, that’s

The author in his October “happy place.”

a lot of lost opportunities just to give the migration a chance to rebuild. I’ll be spending a lot more time in my treestand than in my duck blind. As the leaves slip quietly down as if waving goodbye to their barked hosts. Geese will begin to migrate regularly, celebrating with long skeins of majestic “V’s” thousands of feet above the lakes.

Ruffed Grouse (locals like to call ‘em “Pahtridge” just to irritate the gentry that invade the state) and woodcock flights will be peaking. Come October 5, archery turkey provides a wicked challenge and for those who prefer better odds with a shotgun, October 26 through November 3 for WMU’s B, D, G, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, and Q and October 26 through November 10 for WMU’s F, K and N, allow either sex. If that’s not enough to wet your whistle, you can still toss a couple of flies at rainbows, browns, and brookies as they display their fall spawning finery. Do you see now why October is my favorite month? I don’t expect to spend much time here in my den.

Another celebration of waterfowl is the terrific family-friendly event is Dead Creek Day at the Dead Creek Refuge in Addison on Saturday Oct 5.This year will feature a newly designed interactive waterfowl team of some of the most passionate fowlers, like master caller Andy Dezotelle, the inimitable Richard Swomps, and a passionate newcomer, Andrew. I will be playing the role of Master of Ceremonies (a title that means I talk too much) and directing participants to the various experts. We

Green Mountain Report

by Bradley Carleton, Charlotte, VT

will feature decoys, calls, blinds, flagging, and boat set-ups. The Lake Champlain Retriever Club will be putting on demonstrations of talented canines and both hunters and non-hunters alike will be amazed at the level of expertise of some of the area’s finest trainers. Expect a raucous fun time with lots of infor-

and furbearer project leader with the VT F&W. “That makes any verifiable lynx sighting in our state important. This newest sighting is especially exciting because the cat was spotted in Rutland County, far south of most confirmed lynx reports in Vermont.” Vermont is on the southernmost edge of the Can-

The Lake Champlain Retriever Club will be putting on demonstrations of talented canines and both hunters and non-hunters alike will be amazed at the level of expertise of some of the area’s finest trainers. Expect a raucous fun time with lots of information and a healthy dose of laughter. Come join us for all things waterfowl.

mation and a healthy dose of laughter. Come join us for all things waterfowl. A rare native wild cat—the Canada lynx— has been confirmed in Vermont for the first time since 2018 from video recorded on August 17 in Rutland County, according to the VT F&W. “Canada lynx are endangered in Vermont and threatened nationally,” said Brehan Furfey, wildlife biologist

ada lynx’s range. Most confirmed sightings are from the Northeast Kingdom, which supports the best climate, habitat, and food sources for lynx in the state. Rutland county, where this lynx was seen walking along a road edge and caught on video by several members of the public, is not a suitable habitat for large numbers of snowshoe hare or, by (October cont. pg 50)

An 80 degree day in Washington DC, what a perfect time to stroll through the National Mall on our way to the International Spy Museum. Ducks tip themselves upside down

At the end of the main exhibit, we enter into the “Bond in Motion” official exhibition, showcasing over 17 iconic vehicles used on-screen, open through April 2025.

in the water and cicadas echo in the distance.The Washington Monument is an impressive sight to see, standing 500 ft tall and is a hollow Egyptionstyle Obelisk. Washington DC was clever with their zoning, as most anywhere you stand in the city, you

“The Trail Rider”

by Dan Wilson, Bowdoinham, ME

can see the Washington Monument. We walk by the WWII memorial and I make sure to find our state of Maine amongst the pillars and fountains, then walk up the hill to get a closer look at the Washing-

On the Big Screen

skywalk jetting out donned in red with white letters spelling: spy.

Upon entry, we were given badges with undercover aliases, backstory, and mission prompts. Throughout the multi-levels of exhibits we learn about all sorts of spy relat-

ton Monument. We continued our walk through some gardens and by several other museums, turning the corner and seeing a platinum colored building, shaped as a block, with side of windows, and

Forever” film starring Sean Connery and Jill St. John and the yellow Ski-Doo MX Z-REV snowmobile from the 2002 “Die Another Day” film starring Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry.

“The Honda US90 was first offered for $595

ed information, from secret gear to cyber security, and even an exhibit explaining the accuracy of spy movies and the real-life spies that were consulted to make these films mostly accurate (Hollywood liberties aside).

At the end of the main exhibit, we enter into the “Bond in Motion” official exhibition, showcasing over 17 iconic vehicles used on-screen, open through April 2025. Two vehicles that caught my eye and inspired this piece were the green US90 Honda three-wheeler from the 1971 “Diamonds Are

US90 and ATC90 and they are similar in measurements. It was fun to see a three-wheeler again in person, in the wild.

“Bombardier [inventor of the snowmobile and Ski-Doo] made a specially trimmed “007 Special Edition” variant of this sled available, on a one-perdealer basis, at a suggested retail price of $11,249. Bombardier designers kept special agent James Bond in mind when developing the look of this special edition model - a black and silver body accented with red and chrome.” https:// www.jamesbondlifestyle. com/product/ski-doo-mxz-rev-snowmobile

USD in 1970 – just a year before the release of Diamonds Are Forever. It was sold until 1973 before it was replaced the next year by the ATC90.” https://silodrome.com/honda-us90three-wheeler-diamondsare-forever/ Sean Connery escapes on the all terrain cycle after commandeering it, riding rapidly over loose dirt and rocky terrain in the desert. Looking at the threewheeler from afar in the museum, it looked so much smaller than the “doodle buggies” my grandparents used to drive, but I looked up the dimensions of the

While the commercially available collectors edition had a different color scheme, the movie uses Ski-Doo’s signature yellow color. I remember instantly recognizing SkiDoos when I saw them on the trails growing up. Now sleds come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. I was able to hop on the MX Z-REV for a photo op, only feeling slightly out of place in my shorts and sunglasses, but felt right at home behind the handle bars.

Daniel Wilson works in healthcare and enjoys time outside in nature with his family. The cold is hard on our pets too! Make sure they have plenty of water and a warm place to be.

Yellow Ski-Doo MX Z-REV Snowmobile and Green US90 Honda three-wheeler.

As hunters, we can go a little overboard with our preparations for deer season. Non-hunters have no idea of the work we put into the calculations around opening day. They may think we are crazy but it’s fun to pull everything together and get ready for what has to be, one of the best times of the year.

What stand to sit in?

Are you thinking about morning bedding to feeding patterns or afternoon feeding and traveling patterns? What about other hunters and where to sit if they bump a deer towards you? My neighbors tend to hunt the property line and as a result have done this a few times for me! I write for the DeerCast app and it breaks down every wind change, atmospheric pressure changes and when the

optimal time is for you to catch a buck moving. It’s science.

Snacks

This is critical. How long are you going to be in your stand or in the woods

and what can you bring that will allow you to eat without making noise?

Last year, I started bringing a thermos of coffee with me plus a sandwich and so many snacks. Some I

ate, willing to make noise with the idea that a deer may think I’m a squirrel. Other snacks, I would put in cheap baggies so that I could (as quietly as possible) open the top and get my food out. I sit for 12 hours in my stand so snacks and coffee are key nowadays.

Clothing

The first week of rifle season, I am not as worried about what I am wearing. The weather is usually warmer, for example, it was 80 on opening day of the 2023 season. I will bring some layers, but I am not loading up my pack until week two of the season. I always wear wool and depending on what the day looks like, I will be in some of my First Lite Marino or LL Bean gear. If it is cold, I will be in my stereotypical

green wool pants and red and black plaid jacket. The goal of hunting is to kill something, not look good.

Other must haves

My knife, safety kit, gun, extra bullets, camera, cell phone and portable

The Woods

by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME

usually means packing more than I will need but if anything were to happen, I am ready. Hand and toe warmers, a blanket on colder days later in the season and lots of layers allows me to get in those 12 hours comfortably. It’s

This is critical. How long are you going to be in your stand or in the

charger are also must haves in my pack. Sometimes, if I know it will be a warn day and movement will be slow, I will pack a book. From 16 feet up in a tree, I have the luxury of being able to move a little more and see deer coming. I was watching an owl last year and taking photos before my buck stepped out. I quickly flipped my phone over, lifted my rifle, switched off the safety and waited for my shot.

Planning for the season and my full day sits

what we have waiting for all year; deer season and getting back into the woods to try our luck at getting one of those big bucks.

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

Is there a month more spectacular than October? We’re not just talking about the splendid colors and cool nights. The real magic of October is what it brings to anyone who hunts. It is the season for bear, wild turkeys, upland game, moose and, of course, whitetail deer.

by Dennis Jensen Vermont

And not 40 yards away, I saw something that will always stay with me: A buck, a really good buck, had bedded behind a huge, downed tree. The buck had allowed me to walk past his location, not 40 yards away, and was waiting for me to pass.

We will pass on the bear season (it is simply a personal choice) and we did not get a Vermont moose permit (so that option is out) and while we will sometimes take the .22 and hunt squirrels, the day is usually spent scouting for deer. October, for this old man, is the month of

During the rut, when you see does, the bucks aren’t far away.

wild turkeys and of deer. While I have pursued this greatest of all game animals for six decades, I still marvel at the first movement of brown early in the November rifle season, even if all we see is a big doe. And, brother, keep an

eye on that doe because a few steps behind or a few hours later, a legal buck could be on her trail. Here’s the thing about does and I’m talking from mid-October to mid-December when any adult doe can come into estrous.

Let me tell you about a call I got from an eager deer hunter maybe 20 years ago. It was the Vermont firearms season and he was very frustrated, he told me. “All I’m seeing is does. No antlers. What should I do? What is wrong?”

“Listen,” I told him. “You are in the right place. Stay put. As long as you are seeing does, there is a very good chance that, sooner or later, a buck will come by.” Three days later he called again and he thanked me. He shot a good 6-point buck, he told me, right where he had been seeing all of those does. The world of deer hunting is full of surprises. And, truth be told, I learn something about whitetail behavior every year I hunt. Here is an example: One morning, in early October, I scouted some woods

(Magic cont. pg 51)

https://www.voga.org/

Conte Refuge Gets New Bridge

Ron Rhodes checks out new bridge with old culvert behind him.

terrestrial restoration in Vermont and New Hampshire. The construction of the Yellow Branch bridge is the first of many projects that will take place over the coming years. The habitat restoration funds are being provided to the Conte Refuge as part of the climate resilience component of the Inflation Reduction Act.”

An old, undersized culvert in the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Conte National Wildlfie Refuge was replaced by a wide bridge in August. I visited the refuge to check out the project at its completion and came away very impressed.

Nest Road in the unorganized town of Lewis.

The new bridge is supported by six I-beams resting on concrete blocks and is planked with pressure treated lumber. It also has side rails to prevent vehicles from accidentally

Steve Agius and Ron Rhodes are already coordinating on future projects on the refuge, an example of how the non-profit Connecticut River Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife work together for the benefit of us all.

driving off the edge.

The old culvert was big, about six feet in diameter, but not large enough to pass the high flows that happened in July that destroyed roads, bridges and homes in northeast and central Vermont. It was replaced by a bridge that will aid in fish passage and allow flood waters to flow freely without destroying the road.

The Connecticut River Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collaborated on the culvert replacement on the upper Yellow Branch of the Nulhegan River where it passes under the Eagles

As impressive as the wide bridge is, I was more amazed that the job of removing the culvert, preparing a foundation and erecting the new bridge was done in one week by refuge staff. They worked long, tiring days from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to get the job done and reduce the rental time on a crane and two excavators.

I talked with three of the staff who were cleaning up the site. They certainly take pride in their work and in the refuge, often performing tasks not in their job descriptions such as running excavators, driv-

ing dump trucks, repairing roads and building a bridge.

Wildlife Refuge Manager Steve Agius told me, “The Conte Refuge is in a unique position to have received federal funding to conduct aquatic and

He added, “The objective is to replace undersized culverts with larger arch culverts or bridges that allow for full aquatic organism passage and to install structures that are designed to handle larger volumes of water, for example flood events.”

It is not just about streams as Agius pointed out. “In addition, terrestrial restoration funds are being provided to restore the softwood forests in the Nulhegan Basin in an effort to make them more resilient to a warmer climate. The terrestrial restoration work will focus on removing shade intolerant hardwood species and planting tens of thousands of spruce, pine, hemlock and cedar (Bridge cont. pg 50)

Phil LaCroix

October

(Cont. from pg 45)

With Vermont’s bear hunting season having started September 1, the VT F&W reminds hunters that the sale of bear paws and internal organs

of bears is prohibited by a new law. “Vermont State Game Wardens have investigated cases where people from out of state have approached Vermont hunters to purchase bear paws and gallbladders which are valuable in Asian countries,” said Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Christopher Herrick. “Vermont was one of the few states that still allowed the sale of bear paws and gall bladders that are re-sold on the black market.” The meat of bear, deer or moose may be sold within Vermont during the open hunting season and for 20 days after the season ends. The meat may not be bought or sold to be transported out of the state. A person may buy or sell the head, hide, hoofs, and antlers of legally taken deer or moose and the head and hide of legally taken black

bears at any time.

Bradley Carleton is the founder and Director of Sacred Hunter.org which teaches the public respect and empathy through hunting, fishing, and foraging. More of Bradley’s writing can be read on https:// sacredhunter.substack.com

Bridge

(Cont. from pg 49)

seedlings.”

Ron Rhodes, Director of Programs for the Connecticut River Conservancy, explained how the joint venture worked. “Conte had the money and put it in a Cooperative Agreement for CRC. We hired the engineer, ordered the bridge, concrete abutments etc. and pay the invoices as they come in with the USFWS funding in the Coop extension, lynx. Since 2016 the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has received over 160 reports of lynx, but only seven of these were confirmed. The most recent credible report was from Jericho in 2018. “If you think you’re looking at a lynx the most helpful thing you can do is take a photo or video and send it to the Fish and Wildlife Department,” said Furfey. “The large majority of photographs our biologists receive are bobcats, but that doesn’t exclude the possibility that a Canada lynx will show up one day.”

Agreement.”

He also was on site during the construction supporting the Conte crew as required by the agreement.

Once the final invoices come in Rhodes predicts the job will have cost in excess of $100K with much of the money going to local or regional entities.

Steve Agius and Ron Rhodes are already coordinating on future projects on the refuge, an example of how the non-profit Connecticut River Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife work together for the benefit of us all.

The refuge roads suffered considerable damage in the July flooding and sections of some roads are closed, but with the bridge done, work is proceeding on the roads which get a lot of use during the fall hunting seasons.

I have been visiting the area around the Yellow Branch since the mid 50s when Dad would take me to Walt Osgood’s camp. To get there, one had to wade the Nulhegan where the Black Branch joins and then hike up along the Black to a one room camp on a knoll above the stream. I fondly remember my brother Rick and I being carried across on the shoulders of Dad and Walt.

Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore is a life long resident of Vermont and a former Commissioner of Fish and Game. His latest book, Four Season in Vermont, is available at many bookstores and sporting goods shop or from him directly. He may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud. com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Four Oak Labrador Retrievers - Templeton, MA. Breeding Labs since 1964. PennHIP Browns, Blacks and yellows. Fouroaklabs.com 978-894-6869

(Cont. from pg 48)

behind my brother’s camp in St. Lawrence County, up in northern New York, just below the Canadian border. I was walking his property line and just outside a vast growth of cedar trees, in a swamp, I spotted a good tree to set up a tree stand. I checked the wind direction, then contemplated how I would set up the stand. Walking from the tree, some 20 yards away, I was still considering the pros and cons of the setup and, simply standing there, something made me turn my attention toward the swamp. And not 40 yards away, I saw something that will always stay with me: A buck, a really good buck, had bedded behind a huge, downed tree. The buck had allowed me to walk past his location, not

40 yards away, and was waiting for me to pass. However, when I stopped and considered just how to place my tree stand, the buck must have gotten nervous and, in a burst of speed, jumped from behind that fallen tree and off he went. He had big, high antlers —probably a very good 8-pointer — and in three bounds, he vanished.

Then, I got to thinking: How many times had I passed a bedded buck when I was setting out for my place to hunt?

In years past, I would love to talk about how important pre-scouting is when it comes to hunting deer. My approach, when it is possible, is to find good deer sign before the October bow and early muzzle-

loader seasons, looking for good, well-traveled deer runs and early buck sign. When we get to the November firearms season, I have four or five locations — places where I have killed deer in earlier times or because scouting tells me to hunt in a new place. Now, as all deer hunters should know, there is no sure method of deer

hunting. We have chasers, slow-hunters, sitters and those who hunt out of tree stands. It’s simply a matter of preference. Good luck this season and hunt safe.

Dennis Jensen is a freelance writer who resides in Vermont. He can be contacted at d.jensen62@ yahoo.cm

Every year usually in February people run into me and ask about fly tying classes. Often, they have tried to get into one and they are full. This year I thought if I gave everyone a heads up it might help.

I set my fly tying class schedule up in July for the 2024-25 winter season. These classes are very popular and held at a variety of locations. Let me breakdown these classes and

Slipstream

By Scott Biron, New London, NH

Fly Tying Primer

caught on one of the flies we tied. It’s quite a rewarding experience to catch a fish on a fly you tied.

Classic Streamer

New Hampshire Fish and Game’s Lets Go Fishing fly tying classes: I try to offer a few of these during the tying season. The classes are beginner level and more of an entry to fly tying class. As I write this there are two scheduled, one at North Country Angler in North Conway and the other at the Dunbarton Public Library in Dunbarton, NH. The hyperlink

Classes are held in partnership with local fly shops all over the northeast. These are all intermediate to advanced level classes. In general, the class ties 3-5 feather wing streamers that can be used for trolling or casting. Most of the patterns are popular local favorites and the class covers wing mounting both Rangeley and Eastern style.

The fly shops charge

Two patterns are covered and both patterns are effective for fishing in NE waters. Last year one of the students texted me the day after the class with a photo of a 17” brown trout he caught on one of the flies we tied. It’s quite a rewarding experience to catch a fish on a fly you tied.

how to register for them because there is something for every level fly tyer in these classes to learn from. www.nhflytyer.com lists all the classes that are going to be offered. Most of these classes have a hyperlink under their description to register for the class. Usually, the fly patterns the class will be learning are listed as well but that is not always the case. There is no denying these classes are very popular and fill up quickly.

for these classes is https:// nh-events-web.s3licensing. com/Event/AllEvents?Eve ntTypeID=161&ClassActi vity=20 and the registration is through NHFG. These classes are free and all the equipment and materials are provided.

Two patterns are covered and both patterns are effective for fishing in NE waters. Last year one of the students texted me the day after the class with a photo of a 17” brown trout he

es), Cape Neddick, ME. There are a few more that may be added and my website will list them as they get scheduled. HMH Vise Bar Flies Series, this is a unique experience. These classes are run for the most part at local breweries and are very popular. There is a small fee for the class that includes a beverage from the venue where the class is held. We offer two levels

through the HMH Vise website https://tyingvise. com/product-category/ barfly-fly-tickets/ We have a beginner class set up at North Country Hard Cider in Dover, NH in October and it is filling up quickly. We expect to hold intermediate classes at that location as well as Hobbs Brewery, Ossipee, NH, Northwoods Brewery, Northwoods, NH and the Furbish Brew House in Rangely, ME.

a fee and all of the materials are provided. Students bring their vise and tools along with the thread colors specified at the time of registration. Different fly patterns and techniques are taught in each class. These are full day classes and we tie a couple Carrie Steven’s patterns as well as a pattern or two from other regional tyers. The class gets a chance to tie on long shank streamer hooks which are becoming difficult to find and we use Ewing Signature Series Saddles, often in newly dyed colors.

Classes are scheduled at the following Fly Shops: Bears Den, Taunton, MA, North County Angler, North Conway, NH, Stone River Outfitters (2 classes) Amherst, NH, Rangeley Region Fly Shop, Rangeley, ME, Selene’s Fly Shop Gardiner, ME and Eldredge Brothers Fly Shop (2 class-

of classes. This beginner class is much more extensive than the free beginner classes described above. Everything is included in the beginner class and student’s tie two patterns that will be effective in local waters. Most students leave with the ability to take the intermediate level Bar Flies class.

The intermediate HMH Bar Flies Series are offered at similar locations and focus on 2 or 3 historical local patterns. These are patterns that may have dropped off the radar for many anglers but are extremely effective. Last year I taught a pattern for the Swift River and one local guide shared that he guides that river and never was aware of the fly. Some of these flies use materials that many tyers don’t get to use making the experience unique.

Registration is

All of the classes are great for fly tyers looking to get started or expand their tying abilities. Often these classes are given as holiday gifts to fly tyers. Now you have jump on classes so you will not get shut out.

Scott Biron learned to tie flies and fly fish back in the1960s in the North County of New Hampshire. He is a regular contributor to the American Fly Fisher and Atlantic Salmon Federation Journals. Scott is a Master Artist in the NH Traditional Arts Program and instructs fly tying both nationally and internationally. He is on the Ambassador Pro Team for HMH Vises, The American Museum of Fly Fishing and Partridge of Redditch. Ewing has come out with a signature series line of feathers under Scott’s name.

A Fish Story

Now, I know Mark Twain once said, “Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish,” but here goes.

I’ve been casting my flies to western Maine’s

sterned Grumman, and on a June evening, when I was so bloodied by black flies, my wife thought I’d been mauled by a black bear.

The biggest fish I’d ever encountered was a brook trout. It happened many years ago. The story

forward. As my hands slid down into the water, the mammoth trout swung its head, stripping the streamer from the tippet, the fish appearing to stare up at me before sinking down into the roilly depths of that pool.

brook trout and landlocked salmon for going on forty years. That’s not to imply that I’m some kind of expert. Far from it. But to say instead that I’ve simply paid my dues. For during that time, I’ve fished on days when sun baked down upon my arms as well as days when rain spat down upon my shoulders. There have been times when I would have swapped my favorite fishing shirt, the one with the frayed collar and rip in the sleeve, for a breeze, and other times when the wind blew so hard, I had to use the lace from wading boot to secure my wide-brimmed hat to my head. I remember a sudden snow squall during the second week of May, wet flakes stinging my cheeks as waves broke over the bow of my square-

may sound familiar to those who have read my little book of essays or my collection of short stories, as the encounter with that fish has haunted me for many years. It was a stormy evening in late August. Gusts of wind were whistling past my back preventing the Hornberg knotted to a 5X tippet from settling on the stream. As the pattern “dappled” over the surface, the largest fish I’d ever come up against cleared the pool, grabbing the traditional streamer in mid-air. Rain splattered against the swirling current, the wind screaming in my ears as line zinged off the reel. I was overmatched from the beginning. After a lot of giving and taking of line, I knelt on a shoal, the fish now a foot or so in front of me. Having no net, I leaned

breaks through the surface along the far bank.

Quite secure under the overhanging branches of the hardwood tree, the brook trout rises a third time mumbling something that sounds like, “Catch me if you can.” Then again, it has been a long morning

Against The Current

by Bob Romano, Rangeley, ME

my favorites, an imitation that has never failed me. It’s on the fourth cast the fish rises to suck down that little imitation of a bug not much bigger than the dot above this letter i, and yes, metal pierces bone, and he’s mine, or so I thought, the brook trout taking line,

As the pattern “dappled” over the surface, the largest fish I’d ever come up against cleared the pool, grabbing the traditional streamer in mid-air. Rain splattered against the swirling current, the wind screaming in my ears as line zinged off the reel.

and it might simply be the sound of the passing current.

But here I am on this lovely morning on the last day of fishing season. The popples flutter under a gentle breeze while maples glow under a sun shining down from a flawless blue sky. The temperature has broken through the sixties and I’ve rolled the sleeves of a flannel shirt to my elbows. The fish gods have been kind. I’ve released a number of palmsized brook trout, spawning crimson splashed across each of their bellies.

I’m about to wade upstream when my attention is drawn toward a suspicious set of ripples spreading outward from under the branches of a maple tree. A few moments later, the largest maw I’ve ever seen, larger even than the beast I lost that night so many years ago, momentarily

No matter, I take the bait, in a matter of speaking, and with a great deal of difficulty set my dry fly as pretty as you please just under those damn branches, not once but three times, watching my pattern float under that trout’s nose without so much as a twitch of its tail.

Now this isn’t just any fly. It happens to be one of

until suddenly, where there had been life—raw, angry, in-your-face, pulsating life, there is now only a limp line, with my favorite pattern on the wrong side of the parting tippet.

I swear that old son of my maiden aunt Philomena was laughing all the way downstream, but like I said, it had been a very long morning and could have have been the current.

Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

RIVER FLOWERS - by Robert J. Romano, Jr. "Lyrical, poignant,

woods

tradition

Sparse Gray Hackle and Robert Traver..."Stephen Sautner, author

(Sporting art by Chet Reneson)

Exit, Stage Left

“Hunters and Anglers are actors. The woods and waters are their stage.” This was my message to hunters and anglers for over sixty-five years of covering the “outdoor beat.” Age and multiple health issues

nal and spend more time introducing my four great grandchildren to the sports I love.

My south of the Kennebec column has been printed in the Sporting Journal since the very first

Railroad and the Kennebec River. I felt southern Maine has plenty to offer for hunters and anglers and needed a voice to keep up with southern Maine issues.

Every month I offered readers facts and truth and although readers sometime disagree with my opinions, they always respected them and the likewise.

have warned me it’s time to slow down. With mixed emotions I have decided to give up my column in Northwoods Sporting Jour-

While

I leave the ranks of columnist, I will still be on hand for features dealing with wild turkeys and whatever the

Editors ask of me. Readers can still view my writings through my Facebook and website blogs. www.deadlyimpostergamecalls.com Bristol, left and his mentor Gaddabout Gaddis.

issue. I created the name to recognize the division between North and South in Maine lawbooks. Northern Maine was above the

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

(See page 47)

Click menu item, “Bristol’s World.”

My heartfelt thanks to Vic Morin, Paul and Diane

and all its wild creatures. Be safe and always practice fair chase principles and pass it on whenever you get

In closing I repeat my motto, so to speak, that I have repeated many times over the years, “Hunt and fish for yourself, not to please anyone else of to boost your hunting and fishing prowess.”

Reynolds and the rest of the Northwoods Sporting Journal staff for allowing me to communicate with their readers.

In closing I repeat my motto, so to speak, that I have repeated many times over the years, “Hunt and fish for yourself, not to please anyone else of to boost your hunting and fishing prowess.” Enjoy and respect the out-of-doors

the opportunity.

Stu Bristol is a Master Maine Hunting, Fishing & Tidewater Guide, Outdoor writer and game call maker. His features have been published nationwide for more than 60 years. He was inducted into the National Wild Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame in 2019. www. deadlyimpostergamecalls. com

by Stu Bristol, Lyman, ME Kennebec

October Question Of The Month

Deer Hunters: How Do You Stay Sharp for November?

By Sam Jacobs

Now that we’re entering the heart of the offseason, it’s time to get back into the hunting mode, at least for those of us who live the hunting lifestyle.

Throughout the summer, there are numerous actions we can take to significantly improve our chances of having the most rewarding deer hunting season yet. It’s all in our hands, and it’s up to us to put in the effort.

Here are six tips that have helped me succeed in the past and that I continue to use every year to better my odds.

Tip #1 - Keep The Trail Cams Running

The end of deer season typically means hunters gather their trail cams and quit monitoring their hunting property for several months.

This is a mistake.

First, understanding how patterns change throughout the year will

give you a better idea of setting up and targeting a specific deer, as you’ll have more data on which to base your decisions.

Secondly, it’s interesting to see the antlers and

areas without busting them out of an area and screwing up your hunting season.

doesn’t love finding a cool antler? I know I still get excited when I find one.

I find the most sheds during and after a control burn on our property along fences and creek crossings.

Knocking the rust off my shooting skills took longer than a week. Thankfully, I didn’t have a buck-of-a-lifetime step out, but I still didn’t feel comfortable sitting in the treestand, unsure of how I or my tools would perform.

fawns drop and then watch them grow. Plus, you’ll have a better idea of the deer population on your property, so you can make more informed choices about which deer you should harvest and which ones you should let walk.

Tip #2 - Take Hikes Through Your Property

It’s essential that you get to know your land, and the best way to do that is by walking around your hunting property.

By doing this, you’ll be able to identify bedding, feeding, and high-traffic

Walking your property also helps keep you in shape for the walks to your stand or during a deer drive.

Tip #3 - Search For Sheds

Growing up, I primarily hunted public land with my dad. It was illegal to bring home sheds from the Corps land near our house, so we didn’t go shed hunting much.

However, when we got a private hunting lease, we began shed hunting, and it was beneficial to see what bucks had made it through the season.

Shed hunting is also a great way to get kids involved because who

Tip #4 - Keep Your Shooting Skills Sharp I mistakenly took the off-season off and did not fire my 270 Win rifle or draw my Hoyt bow back until a week before opening day.

Knocking the rust off my shooting skills took longer than a week. Thankfully, I didn’t have a buckof-a-lifetime step out, but I still didn’t feel comfortable sitting in the treestand, unsure of how I or my tools would perform.

Don’t be like me that year; regularly practice shooting throughout the off-season to keep your skills sharp.

Tip #5 - Repair Or Replace Broken Equipment

I’m rough on equipment, especially hunting equipment, so by the end of deer season, I often have gear that needs replacing or repairing.

The off-season is the time to get this done because sporting goods stores often run sales on hunting equipment, and you’re not missing the buck of a lifetime by getting it repaired.

I like to keep a running record of everything that needs to be repaired or replaced during the season because if I don’t, I’ll inevitably forget something and be frustrated the next time I need that item.

Tip #6 - Continue Feeding

The Deer

Similarly to running trail cams, hunters tend to stop feeding deer once hunting season ends.

And while I understand it could be expensive, it’s a mistake to abandon feeding them completely.

I’m not talking about continuing to purchase hundreds or thousands of pounds of corn, either.

It’s best to plant and manage native plants that deer naturally eat. Yes, food plots and corn are good supplements to bring the deer to your area, but they don’t always provide the nutrition deer need (corn is primarily a filler with little nutritional value).

I’ve planted native trees, especially fruit and nut trees, to help jumpstart an area. Browse, forbs, and mast are essential to a deer’s diet, so it’s best to have a good variety of native (to your local area) plants.

Sam Jacobs is a writer, and chief historian, at Ammo . As a self-proclaimed outdoorsman, it’s his responsibility to use his knowledge and experience to educate others about ammunition, the outdoors, and conservation.

The Walker Pond Model

The battle that was waged over fair and equitable public access in the early 2000’s at 800-acre Walker Pond in Sedgwick and Brooksville was a prime example of the innate selfishness of humans

vantage to access the water as the lucky few that had camps and homes there. As the land surrounding the lakes changed hands and the attitudes towards sharing with others became an old-fashioned notion,

that is displayed on many lakes and ponds in our state.

This battle was initiated by the simple IF&W stocking policy handed down by generations of fisheries biologists so that every Maine citizen and visitor to our special place would have the same access to our resources. This just, fair handed, fair minded approach has stood the test of time for decades. I was always proud to stand up for the policy at public meetings, where some of the lake’s abutting landowners were against the public having the same ad-

private, and they did not want the public on “their lake”. My retorts were sharp and to the point. The lakes and ponds within the state of Maine that are over 10 acres in size are “Great Ponds” and as such are the property of the people of Maine. People pay taxes that go into the general fund that

Everything Maine

realize that the area townspeople have very little freshwater lakes and ponds nearby. Lots of ocean to play in, but a paucity of large freshwater bodies to recreate on. So, the towns jointly barged ahead and bought a 20-acre parcel

by Greg Burr Addison, ME

be granted for the purposes of providing public access to the town’s parcel. So, do you know what the Mainers did then? The town of Sedgwick took an access easement by eminent domain and built a road to the town’s property.

These fights became nasty, many times as I, the point person for spear heading developing public access for stocking, was accosted by camp owners claiming that the lake was private, and they did not want the public on “their lake”.

privately owned parcels that were once allowed to be accessed by the public dried up. As this happened, due to the policy, many trout and salmon stockings had to cease. These lakes and ponds were placed on a priority list to develop access for the public in perpetuity. In doing so this meant the waters became a battle ground between the haves and the have nots. These fights became nasty, many times as I, the point person for spear heading developing public access for stocking, was accosted by camp owners claiming that the lake was

help maintain those waters and their resources in them. Period! I was called names and threatened. In one such altercation, a man from Georgia stated that he would come get me if I proceeded to develop a public access on his pond. When I told him to get in line, he paused and spoke. “Well, you’d feel the same way if you owned a place here”. I spoke. “No, I wouldn’t”. He said, “How could you say that?” I said, “because my kindergarten teacher taught me to share.” (Remember the book, All I need to know I Learned in Kindergarten) He paused again, then said “ok, I get it.

In the case of Walker Pond, the local Mainers and town officials from Sedgwick and Brooksville battled a group called the Friends of Walker Pond. This organization was largely made up of landowners on the lake that had their own boat launches and access points, and did not want the perceived congestion that would come with a public boat launch.

Now if you know where Walker Pond is you

with 200 feet of frontage, complete with a sand beach. The only problem was the property was landlocked. The only access to the piece was from the lake itself, and the property was over a mile from Route 15. Not only that, but the abutting landowner surrounding their newly acquired acreage had put covenants on their property that explicitly stated that access across their land could not

Then was given $250,000 from the Maine Department of Conservation to develop a back-in boat launch. IFW donated the concrete planks for the launch and the towns constructed a 6-vehicle parking lot for trucks and trailers, plus an 8-vehicle lot for passenger cars. The access road was constructed with storm water buffer strips, (Model cont. pg 65)

Marsh Island Chronicles

by Matthew Dunlap, Old Town, ME

Maine’s hunting laws have changed gradually but tremendously since the Legislature began tackling conservation issues in earnest in the 1880’s. Some of those changes—like the prohibition on hunting on Sundays and the careful management of permissive trespass laws—are philosophical. Others, like

boom and who had spent childhoods cooped up in straitened circumstances, fishing in the Caribbean for broadbill and sailfish or hunting for lion in Africa or grizzly bears in Alaska represented a rediscovery of the power of the outdoors that we still feel today. With that popularity came some real problems,

With hunter safety education, we can say with demonstrated proof that it’s safer to go deer hunting than it is to check your mail or ride a bike along a city street. Dykstra and I wondered aloud; why require orange at all?

closed seasons and bag limits, are oriented towards conservation; still others, like the requirement to wear hunter orange clothing during open rifle seasons on moose and deer, are for safety. But are our safety laws up to date?

The popularity of hunting skyrocketed in the late 1940’s and 1950’s, spurred by exotic and velvety tales spun by writers like Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark. For people riding an economic

though. Maine’s then125,000 hunters (half as many as today) were involved in over 100 serious hunting mishaps with 19 fatalities in mistaken-forgame shootings in 1954. While that year was the high-water mark for hunting accidents, similar numbers were so common from year to year that mistakenfor-game shootings didn’t even make the front page of the paper.

I had the good fortune to do some business with

TAXIDERMY

Now You See Me

John Dykstra of Northland Taxidermy in Alton. With the any-deer permit I had in 2023, I was able to tag a medium-sized buck with a small rack of antlers, and John did a lovely European mount for me. John is a true artist in the craft, but he is also an avid hunter and follows the Legislature’s ac

proposed were meant to recognize the success of integrating crossbows into the equipment locker of archers. Somewhere in the deliberations, though, removing the blaze or hunter orange requirement for crossbow hunters during the rifle season was sim-

There has been some confusion about the hunter orange law relating to crossbow hunters. During the September and October archery seasons, a crossbow hunter is not required to wear hunter orange. During the firearms season, however, a crossbow hunter must wear hunter orange, but a bow hunter does not. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds)

tivities with great interest. We discussed the disposition of LD 1879, An Act to Align the Law Governing Crossbow Hunting with Those Governing Archery Hunting, sponsored by the House chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Rep. Scott Landry, D-Farmington. One part of the bill proposed eliminating the requirement that crossbow hunters wear blaze orange while hunting during the rifle season.

“They did a really good job with that,” Dykstra observed. “But one thing they took out of the original bill was a proposal to drop the requirement around blaze orange for crossbow hunters.” LD 1879 was a department proposal, and the changes committee.

The hunter orange requirements were established in the early 1970’s as part of a national move to reduce mistaken-forgame shootings. Around the same time, because of severe winterkill in the deer population, the Legislature also prohibited deer driving and closed the hunting day at sunset instead of at the end of twilight. While those were conservation measures, they were also believed to make hunting safer. “The mandatory hunter safety education program was the real key to eliminating accidents, though,” Dykstra observed. In my own experience, he is spot-on. I believed in 1999 that statutory changes to bring back twilight hunting and limited drives

were incredibly dangerous. But when they were implemented, there was no uptick in mishaps at all. With hunter safety education, we can say with demonstrated proof that it’s safer to go deer hunting than it is to check your mail or ride a bike along a city street. Dykstra and I wondered aloud; why require orange at all? After all, non-hunters have never been required to wear orange during hunting season. Since the high-profile shooting of Karen Wood in Hermon, who was mistaken for a deer while hanging laundry in her back yard in 1986—the same year the hunter safety education law was passed—mistakenfor-game shootings have become vanishingly rare.

Of course, removing the hunter orange requirement entirely would be a lot for policymakers to swallow in one bite. But if you’re going to treat crossbows as archery equipment, it stands to reason that you should treat archers as archers and drop the statutory provision requiring blaze orange for crossbow hunters during the rifle season on deer as it is for traditional bowhunters. I doubt over the longterm that it would be seen as a tremendous change. We shouldn’t confuse a safety requirement with a philosophical position.

Matt Dunlap is a sportsman from Old Town and is a periodic co-host on Maine Outdoors, heard statewide every Sunday night at 7:00 pm on WVOM 103.9 FM, WVQM 101.3 FM, and WRKD 95.1 FM in Rockland.

Deer Hunting: The Glory Days?

I’ve heard several well respected outdoorsmen and women comment recently that Vermont, and the Northeast are entering the Glory Days of Deer hunting. This includes biologists, hunters, and the former commissioner of

one doe per year in the late muzzleloader season, but we will try to get a few more during bow season as well.

The size of the racks is extremely exciting. In Vermont we don’t grow large racks like Maine or

Hoping everyone gets a chance to walk up on a big one this year. Pictured is the author’s 222 lbs big woods buck.

the VT Fish and Wildlife. I, too, am quite optimistic about the immediate future and in my opinion this season should be excellent for all of us in New England.

Surely the mild winters have contributed to an increase in deer numbers across the northeast. Two very mild winters in a row resulted in deer coming out of winter healthy, fit and capable of growing larger racks or healthy fawns. In my area of Vermont, much of winter was so mild it resembled late November. Deer have had little trouble finding food and in many locales, the deer have not had to even migrate to a wintering area. I personally have seen an increase in rack size in the areas I hunt, and on my property am now realizing that we need to focus on killing a few more does this fall to prevent over browsing. Typically, I try to kill only

on snow up North was impressive. I honestly wasn’t even upset when I got cut off, because I knew all I had to do was circle up the mountain and I’d find another fresh track shortly. It probably took me 45 minutes of walking until I found a fresher buck that was nearly mine that day.

hard and soft mast crops the past few seasons, and on top of that, ample rain has allowed for browse to flourish providing more food. This summer native plants and trees have been growing at an extremely fast pace. The tap holes

Maple Country Outdoors

by Ben Wilcox, Essex, VT

few more in the Northeast this year than average. Maybe Vermont will even kill another Boone and Crockett buck, though, I’d still put my money on “literally anywhere else”. I’d love to hear if others are seeing similar things

The size of the racks is extremely exciting.

In Vermont we don’t grow large racks like Maine or NH, or really any other state or province surrounding us, but for once I can’t complain about the deer I’ve located via scouting and trail camera images.

NH, or really any other state or province surrounding us, but for once I can’t complain about the deer I’ve located via scouting and trail camera images.

I’m seeing wider, taller and heavier racks with more points than anytime in the past. Instead of 2.5 year old 3, 4, and 5 points, I’m seeing 6 and 7 pointers. I’m also seeing mature deer with mostly 8 or 9 points when in years past most of the mature deer were 5-8 points with spindly racks and often no brow tines.

Hunting in the north country has improved greatly as well. The past two seasons I’ve spent a few days in the big woods of ME and NH and the number of deer I’ve seen rivals or surpasses what I see on my own property where there are supposed to be “way more” deer. The amount of buck tracks I saw in one day last year

Several other factors are helping grow more and larger deer. The lack of snow has made hunting more difficult, especially in the bigger woods. Having fewer good tracking days means more deer living to old age. Additionally, snow benefits the hunter by allowing deer to be spotted easier while allowing us to definitively locate where the deer are hanging out at that very moment. The majority of our last few seasons have been on bare ground. Mild winters also mean earlier spring green ups, allowing a head start for deer to replenish their bodies after the winter. We have also had decent

on our maple trees have already healed over and the golden rod in my fields are over my head. In Vermont, the one buck rule is having the desired impact as many hunters just aren’t ready to end their buck hunting with a 3 or 4 point on opening day, often that is the only chance they get.

So, we may actually be living in the glory days of deer hunting here in the Northeast. We aren’t the midwest, but there is something very special and quite a bit more rewarding taking a deer up here. Trophy bucks certainly in my opinion are no where near Booners, though I’m guessing we are going to see a

around their areas of the Northeast.

Ben Wilcox is owner of Maple Country Anglers, located in Northwest Vermont. He was a member of the USA Fly Fishing Team from 2020-2024. He is a registered Maine Guide and graduate of the University of Maine. He also owns a large Maple Sugaring Business, Amber Ridge Maple. These occupations allow him to be in the woods or water nearly every day of the year. He can be reached at maplecountryanglers@gmail. com, or on instagram @ benwilcox_maplecountryanglers.

This summer, I spent 12 weeks serving in a coaching, mentoring and teaching role as a “Cadre” member for the Advanced Warden School. This school is a training environment that all Maine Wardens

Warden’s Words

by Game Warden Kale O’Leary, Ashland, ME

rescue in the State and often respond to law enforcement calls in rural areas as the first officers on scene until troopers, deputies or police arrive. We wear many hats and must be “jacks of all trades” when

Advanced Warden School

Warden School, I am reflecting on all the memories that will last me a lifetime. The other 8 Wardens and I that graduated on August 16th have just started the best career that any of us could have ever dreamed of. Most of us, in fact, have always dreamed about this.

We all come from a wide variety of back -

We have been pushed to our limits and beyond and we have done it all together. From pulling each other out of the Kennebec River when a raft flipped in “whitewasher” rapids, to finding our way out of the woods on Frye Mountain in the middle of the night with only our compass.

are sent through to learn the skills and techniques needed to be a successful Maine Game Warden. I often think of my fellow Wardens and I as the “swiss army knives” of Maine law enforcement. Our specialty and primary focus being hunting, fishing, trapping and recreational vehicle law enforcement, but we are also the agency in charge of all search and

we put on our uniforms each day. Each new Game Warden enters his or her districts as the most trained law enforcement officers in Maine after their Warden School graduation. Below is article written by new Warden Dory Kulis, which summarizes her experience and thoughts on Advanced Warden School.

As I write this in my last week of Advanced

Basic Law Enforcement Training Program and 12 weeks of Advanced Warden School. The extensive process to get to where we all are now is well worth the wait. Throughout Warden School I have become very close with the 8 other

to help us along the way. One of the best parts about Warden School is being able to experience different parts of the state. We spent a week up in Ashland and canoed parts of the Allagash River. Downeast, we spent a week in Ma -

grounds. Some were Deputies with the Warden Service in prior years. Others have military experience, prior law enforcement experience or grew up in a Game Warden family. But one thing that we all have in common is our passion and commitment to the Maine Warden Service.

For several of us, we have been working on becoming a Game Warden for well over a year. Between the thorough hiring process, the 18 weeks at the

Wardens that I am here with. We have been pushed to our limits and beyond and we have done it all together. From pulling each other out of the Kennebec River when a raft flipped in “whitewasher” rapids, to finding our way out of the woods on Frye Mountain in the middle of the night with only our compass.

In Warden School, we are pushed to be the best that we possibly can, and our Cadre staff are there

chias where we learned about how to reconstruct and investigate different outdoor crime scenes that we will be working on and about trapping and trapping enforcement. We spent another week in Greenville, where we participated in the “Greenville Olympics”. This is where we are paired up into teams of two and compete against each other with our warden skills such as canoeing and compass navigation. One of my favorite weeks was our search and rescue week. For a lot of this week, we were only allowed to use our compass to locate where a gunshot came from or to locate someone lost in the woods. One of our last weeks, was what I believed to be our most beneficial of all. We have veteran Wardens come in to act as role players for different scenarios that we will be faced with throughout our career. These scenarios range anything from an over limit of trout to night hunting deer. Being able to wrap (School cont. pg 65)

Cast and Blast

Like many of our outdoor adventures at the time, the planning stage of our “cast and blast” weekend took place at the local pub in Orono. The pub was swarmed with herds of drunken karaoke singers -typical of most establish-

had spent a few late nights squinting at the vise recently, and was anxious to test out my creations.

Long before the sun rose the next morning, we were crouched along the shore of a swampy lake somewhere in central

flew far out of range. Another party down the lake had set up in the right spot and steadily blasted away all morning. After a few hours, Sully had shot a ring-neck and I had somehow managed to hit a mallard. We paddled the

ments on a Friday night in Black Bear country.

My friend, Sully, and I sat across from each other, both hunched over a mountain of chicken wings. In between mouthfuls of spicy gristle, washed down with lukewarm beer, we tuned out the crowd and devised an itinerary: duck hunting Saturday morning, grouse hunting Saturday afternoon, and salmon fishing Sunday. The regular fishing season had closed, but the extended season waters, including the East Outlet of the Kennebec, remained open through October. Eager to sneak in one more trip, fishing would be the highlight of the weekend. I

Maine. As we studied our sprawl of decoys among the lily pads, the smell of a nearby dairy farm settled low overhead. Behind my left shoulder, a doe crept down through the reeds and, finally detecting human scent, hastily retreated back into the oaks. Clouds of teal and mallards took flight, but as usual, they

canoe back to the truck and headed north. Moosehead was our destination.

We passed through Greenville around noon, headed west around the lake, and ventured into the woods. After hiking several miles of roads, and walking parallel through overgrown cuts and raspberry patches, we had located plenty of

grouse hunters, but the grouse themselves eluded us. We drove to the river and set up camp. Seared duck breast, paired with mugs of warm apple cider, made for a hearty dinner.

When I stepped out of the tent the following morning, I could see my breath. The woods smelled like fall; clean, wild, and earthy. I rigged up my fly rods, munched a donut,

By Jonah Paris, Ellsworth, ME

Rain fell hard, but despite being soaked, we continued fishing. I was casting a Baby Brook Trout streamer - green over orange bucktail, a white yarn body, and a bright red hackle throat. Following a series of riffles, a large submerged rock interrupted the current. I cast my fly upstream, let the streamer drift down, and began stripping so that my fly swung behind the

Three strips in, I set the hook into something solid, and my line peeled off downriver. Now, seven years and many fish later, this particular buck salmon remains one of the most handsome specimens I have ever brought to the net.

and boiled water for coffee.

The Folgers Instant looked -and tasted - like mud, but it was hot. We walked to the river and began fishing. Two epiphanies came to me after just a few casts; the sky looked increasingly threatening, and my waders leaked profusely at my right knee. Slowly fishing downriver, we worked every pool, run, and piece of pocket water that looked remotely promising. After an hour, Sully had a strike on a nymph in a small pool, and landed a beautiful brook trout. Soon after, the storm moved through.

rock. Three strips in, I set the hook into something solid, and my line peeled off downriver. Now, seven years and many fish later, this particular buck salmon remains one of the most handsome specimens I have ever brought to the net.

Just as I released the salmon, thunder sounded. By this point, we had wandered a distance from our campsite. Since we were already wet, and there was no lightning, we had no reason to stop fishing. I landed a small salmon on

(Blast cont. pg 65)

A handsome October salmon. (Photo courtesy of Jonah Paris.)

THE BACK SHELF

-Randy Randall

I don’t know…call me nuts I guess, but when I think about camp and deer hunting and places I’ve been, I begin to think about outhouses. You know; what we in Maine call a backhouse or a privy or, if you’re a boy scout, the biffy. Doesn’t matter what you call it. We all know what it is, and I’ve known some good ones. Like that time 50 years ago when we were hiking into Four Ponds. I was maybe 10 or 11 and Dad’s friend Harry had a Ruger Blackhawk revolver in a holster. The men all swung their pack baskets onto their backs and picked up their fly rods and headed up the trail. Harry held the pistol out to me. “I got no place to put this. Can you carry it?“

Just then you could have seen a scrawny boy in rubber boots grow about 2 feet. Of course I could carry that hog leg of a gun and I strapped it onto my

belt. For the first mile or so things were fine until the weight of the gun began to drag my pants down. That’s also when I was caught short and had to tell my Dad. “I gotta go. Bad.” Dad

When I was done I struggled to my feet and began to hitch up my pants. That’s when the Ruger slid off my belt and fell down the hole! It happened so fast I was taken totally by surprise. Harry had entrusted me with his prize revolver and I’d managed to drop it into an outhouse.

called a halt to our march and looked at me and said, “Well, be like a bear. No poop on the trail” I knew that meant I was to step off into the brush and do my business. I pushed through

the raspberry bushes and alders and began searching for a comfy spot when I spotted an old dilapidated privy. There back in the woods just out of sight was a 40-year-old outhouse! Somewhat tilted and the door hanging loose on the hinges but a genuine privy none the less. I couldn’t

believe it. It only took me a few stomps to test the floorboards and rejuvenate that forlorn outhouse. As I sat there I held the heavy revolver in my lap. When I was done I struggled to my

feet and began to hitch up my pants. That’s when the Ruger slid off my belt and fell down the hole! It happened so fast I was taken totally by surprise. Harry had entrusted me with his prize revolver and I’d managed to drop it into an outhouse. My eyes swelled up and I began to cry. I was 10.Dad heard me and came on the run.

“You OK?” he yelled. All I could do was cry and point into the hole. By then the rest of the crowd had showed up. Dad knelt down behind the rickety old outhouse and retrieved the gun. Everyone was laughing and shaking their heads as I was drying my tears. Harry took the gun from me.

“No harm done,” he said.

“I think I can carry it the rest of the way,” Dad said the privy was probably left

from the old logging days when they toted pulpwood over the trail.

There was another privy at Grandfather’s house. I remember it well. Grandfather lived in an old Maine farmhouse with an “ell” and a shed. You could walk from the kitchen out into the “ell” and then into the woodshed and from there into the barn. The barn had been for horses and if you walked back to the stalls and turned by the sawdust bin you found a bench seat and a privy. Many years ago my father had installed a modern bathroom for Gram and Gramps, but Gramp still used this old privy. The seat was worn smooth I suppose from many hours of quiet contemplation. I used it, too, and found it was kind of pleasant to sit there hidden away in the far corner of the barn. There was a window up high that was nearly opaque from 100 years of accumulated dust and grime on the glass. Now that I look back (Outhouse cont. pg 63)

Outhouse

(Cont. from 62)

over the years I’m amazed at that privy’s longevity. You’d think it would have fallen into disuse years ago, but it was well built and nicely situated. Only when I was years older and rummaging around inside the sawdust bin for a shovel did I stumble on some ragged copies of Playboy buried beneath the sawdust.

Later in my life I discovered the outhouses in Vietnam. All along the canals and creeks that flowed into the Mekong River, isolated outhouses perched precariously on posts hung out over a ditch. I never determined if each home had an outhouse, or if just one served a neighborhood, but we saw them everywhere especially when we were on patrol easing our boats through the labyrinth of canals. I recall the women in their conical hats squatting beside the water and washing clothes with an outhouse just a few feet away or just downstream a young mother bathing her infant in the foul water. Some of those outhouses were walled with corrugated roofing or some kind of thatch. The walkways leading out to the privy were precarious as well; usually pieces of bamboo laid across the gap to make a bridge. We GI’s thought we could improve sanitation near the Mekong so we built a bathroom. The building was made from cement blocks. There were toilet stalls and showers and washtubs where the women could launder clothes or bath their children. We waited months for the porcelain toilets to arrive from the states, and when they finally showed up we had

them all installed, plumbed up and working within a day. The next morning we went to check on our work and were dumbfounded to discover all the toilets missing. Sometime during the night they had all been stolen. Every one. Our own outhouse at camp is a perfect example of the edict that “form follows function”. There’s nothing extraneous or superfluous about it. It’s there for one purpose and that purpose only. We don’t store rakes or shovels or canoe paddles in the privy. This one is just about right. Ben built it out of pressure treated lumber so it would last. The bench is perhaps a little high but you get used to it. The window faces west so you don’t get good reading light until noon or a little later. He put in a large pipe to vent the odors up above the roof. Very civilized. When he built it, Ben also thought of his brother and sealed every crack, crevice, and joint so as to keep out the dreaded spiders. No sir. No spiders

were going to find their way inside this privy - and no bears either. Bears could be a bigger problem than spiders and we told Jeremy that. Don’t worry about the spiders we said, but watch out for the bears. To this date no bears have molested anyone traversing the no-man’s-land between the back door of the cabin and the privy. But the spiders, now they’re a different matter. We learned that one night at deer camp when Jeremy took his flashlight and slipped out the back door. He wasn’t gone long. In fact it only took a minute for him come charging back into the cabin, sputtering and fuming and waiving his flashlight and cussing out his brother. “I thought you said no spiders could get inside that backhouse?” he yelled. “Well what the hell is this?” Jeremy turned to show us the back of his hat and clinging to the brim was the biggest old black spider we’d ever seen. “Get him off!” Jeremy hollered. His brother jumped to his feet and batted the spider

down to the floor. Jeremy swung around and landed a roundhouse punch right on his brother’s shoulder. The rest of us leapt up from the table and separated the two young guys. Jeremy shook his fist and glared at his brother and said, “I - hate -spiders!” They don’t bother me

–much, and as I said the privy is pretty nice, if you like that sort of thing. I’ve known and used many in my time, but these I’ve told you about, are a few that stand out in my memory.

Randy Randall lives in Saco but does not have an outhouse.

Master Maine Guide and trapper Laurel “Doug” Russell from Milo and Medford passed away Aug. 18 at a hospital in Dover-Foxcroft. Russell was born in Medford. Russell and his sons operated Russell’s Guide Service and bait business in Medford. In the early days, Russell trapped all over Piscataquis County by snowshoes, snowmobiles and eventually by airplane. Russell’s brother, Dwight, also a private pilot and well-known aviation mechanic, also passed away earlier this year. (Photo by V. Paul Reynolds)

The Maine Woods

Matt

LaRoche, Shirley, ME

Woods and Lakes of Maine

gash River and eventually to the St. John River all the way to Edmundston, New Brunswick.

canoes from the rocks as they travel down the headwaters of the Musquacook chain of lakes. They miss

Woods and Lakes of Maine, by Lucius Hubbard is the story of an 1881 canoe trip from the shores of Moosehead Lake in Rockwood, Maine to Edmundston, New Brunswick Canada. This is a classic book about nature, wildlife and exploring the Northwoods of Maine. In his book, Hubbard documents an arduous journey with his friend Captain Sartor and two Indian guides.

His guidebooks provide an excellent record of the region during the late 1800’s. In this book, Hubbard hires two Indian guides to accompany them on their expedition that traverses the northern end of Moosehead Lake, across Northeast Carry, down the West Branch of the Penobscot, across the north end of Chesuncook Lake, Mud Pond Carry, across Eagle

The trip embarks from Rockwood with one birch bark and one wood canvas canoe, provisions for 25 days with guides named only Joe and Silas in the book. Joe is a Passamaquoddy of the Maliseet tribe- described as upwards of 50 years old, lightly built but tough and sinewy and devoid of any tendency to laziness. Silas was an Abnaki of the St. Francis

In this book, Hubbard hires two Indian guides to accompany them on their expedition that traverses the northern end of Moosehead Lake, across Northeast Carry, down the West Branch of the Penobscot, across the north end of Chesuncook Lake, Mud Pond Carry, across Eagle and Churchill Lakes.

Lucius Lee Hubbard (1849-1929) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was educated at Harvard, the University of Bonn, and Boston University Law School. Hubbard’s tours of the Maine woods began when he was a student at Harvard and continued until he moved to Michigan.

and Churchill Lakes. At Churchill Dam, his guides opt to take an alternate route down the Allagash River. They portage from Churchill to Harrow Lake, then upstream to Little Harrow Lake where they portage to Clear Lake and then downstream byway of the Musquacook Lakes to the mainstem of the Alla-

tribe- described as 30 years old, of short stature, with broad shoulders, thick neck and solid frame. He was a marvel of strength and agile as a cat.

The canoe expedition takes longer than expected due to low water and other hardships. Because of the low water- his guides make “shoes” to protect their

an opportunity to shoot a caribou near the inlet of Harrow Lake and run out of food. At one point in the trip, his guides leave and travel overland to go find some food- they come back three days later with some potatoes and soup powder after Hubbard and the Captain have decided to continue downstream not knowing if their guides would return.

The 160-mile trip starts in September and doesn’t end until ice flows are starting to form on

the lower section of the Allagash River. It documents the scenery, geography, camp life, settlements along the route and people encountered on the journey.

I suggest Woods and Lakes of Maine as a pretrip reading to all my Allagash Wilderness Waterway guests. The book is an enjoyable read that captures your imagination and transports you back in time to when the Maine Woods was a more inaccessible wilder place than it is today.

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

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Model

(Cont. from pg 57)

ditch turn outs, and level spreaders.

Today, Walker Pond is stocked in the fall with brown trout and brook trout, and the launch is regularly used by local people both in the winter and in the open water months. Swimmers and sun bathers flock to the beach, along with sail boaters, kayakers, paddle boarders, canoeists, motor boaters, and anglers who use the launch. In the summer, there is a staffed check station to inspect for aquatic invasive plants. In the winter the access road is plowed by local anglers so that ice fishermen can gain access to one of the largest freshwater lakes on the coast.

The brown trout and brook trout fishery is awesome! The browns there commonly reach 3 to 5 pounds, with the occasionally fish reaching 8 pounds. The brook trout holdover through the winter and are regularly caught between 15 and 17 inches.

To say that this public access is a success is an understatement. This relatively new launch is a prime example of a smooth-running engine that provides many outdoor recreational opportunities. And is something that we all should strive to do for the people of the state of Maine. This is the balanced approach to a need that I preached about throughout most of my career. Kudos to local leadership for making this happen!

School

(Cont. from pg 60)

up Warden school and put together all the skills that we have learned throughout the twelve weeks was an eye opener to all of us. From the first day of Warden School to now we have learned an assortment of knowledge that will help us to become the best Wardens that we can be.

As we enter the field as Maine’s newest Game Wardens, we will all be located in different areas of the state. Some down East, up North, down South and a handful of us will be neighboring Wardens in Central Maine. I think I can speak for my whole class when I say the Advanced Warden School class of 2024 has been one of our greatest experiences and accomplishments. Although we still have so much to learn we are all extremely excited and blessed to be out working the field in what we all consider to be the best job in the world!

The 9 new Maine Game Wardens who graduated on August 16th, 2024:

Dory Kulis- Georgetown Eriksen Shea- China

Rose Mandella- Augusta

Cody York- Belgrade

Nathaniel Burke- Lubec

Jordan Perry- Gouldsboro

Brady Lombard- Beaver Cove

Sean Higgins- Turner

Charles Sawyer- Portland

K ale O’Leary has been a Maine Game Warden since 2016. He lives in Ashland and works the Masardis/Oxbow district in Central Aroostook County.

Blast

(Cont. from pg 61)

a Mickey Finn and Sully had another strike. An hour later, the sun emerged and a bright blue sky appeared. Weather moves quickly in Maine. I was ready for another cup of bad coffee, dry clothes, and a warm truck.

By October, landlocked salmon are preparing to spawn. They are impulsive and aggressive. The fishing technique differs from earlier in the season. Whereas carefully “matching the hatch” was key during the spring and summer, fall success is largely dependent on triggering a strike through agitation. Over-sized, bright streamer patterns - pugnacious and provocative - are extremely effective for fall landlocks. Coincidentally, many of the best fall streamer patterns mimic the colors of the foliage - tied with plenty of red, orange, and yellow. Among others, the Wood Special, One-Eyed Poacher, Montreal Whore, and Mickey Finn always have a place in my fall salmon box.

Though the woods and marshes call out to us this month, don’t stow away the fishing gear just yet. As the leaves turn, the finest fish of the season might be waiting behind the next rock.

A four-season outdoorsman, Jonah lives in Ellsworth, ME with his wife, Ashley, and beagle, Aurora. Jonah can be reached at jonaheparis@ gmail.com

Cracker Barrel by Homer Spit Chain Saw Dummy

Chain saws aren’t new to me. If you burn wood to stay warm at camps and even at home, you become familiar with these howling, gas- driven cuting devices.You learn about the perils of “kickback” and the importance of keeping your chain sharp and wearing ear and eye protection. I’ve even instructed woman in proper chain saw use at the Maine Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW) program.

“Bernie,”

different saws in my garage over the years, some better than others.

I’ve tried to keep them sharp and, thankfully, none of these saws has ever taken a chunk out of me. I say “tried to keep them sharp.”

I pleaded, “ I

know

how

“Bernie,” I said,” Can you teach me how to sharpen a darn chain? This new saw of mine doesn’t cut for beans. I hate to admit it, but I guess I just don’t know after all these years how to use a chain saw file.”

With palms extended and eyebrows raised, I gave him that look that says, “Help me.”

you trade safety for a saw’s cutting capabilities. Unbelievable! Did anybody ever tell you this? It was news to me. Looking back now I know why that 1960s vintage McCollough, with hardly any compression left, had twice the cutting effectiveness of any of my

gonna like this chain a whole lot better.”

Boy, was he right. Like night and day. The difference between those two chains is remarkable. The new chain throws wood chips while cutting, not sawdust.

What’s the lesson?

Bernie was great. He took me under his wing, and Chain Saw 101 class began. He showed me a demo display of 15 dif -

to operate

a

chain saw. Pretend that I am a professional logger. Put on a chain that will cut. Let me worry about the kickback.”

My first saw 40 years ago was a hefty, battered old industrial -size McCollough. Hernia City. But if you could get it off the ground and against a tree it would cut anything. That McCollough once fell a Winterport oak so big that my knees shook after it came crashing to earth. There have been a lot of

There’s a knack to proper chain saw sharpening, but knowing it and doing it are two different things. Not being a detail person, chain saw sharpening has never been my strong suit. I have known this for years, but have never done anything to remedy my lack of chain saw sharpening skills. Until the other day.

Frustrated by a dullish saw that didn’t seem to cut much better after I filed down all the cutters on the chain, I visited my local chain saw mechanic. I was in a self-deprecating, confessional frame of mind.

ferent styles of chain saw chains. Incredible, I thought. I always thought a chain was a chain. No way. There are a variety of differing chain cutters or teeth, depending upon the work expected of the chain.

Now here is the kicker, if you’ll excuse the pun. The “safest” anti-kickback chains that are designed by the liability- wary manufacturer are the least effective wood cutters. In other words, there is a tradeoff;

$24.95

Send a check for $29.95 ($24.95 plus $5.00 for postage) along with this ad, to Maine Outdoor Publications, 51 Branchview N., Ellsworth, ME 04605

newer, high-compression chain saws.

It was the chain, dummy!

“Bernie,” I pleaded, “ I know how to operate a chain saw. Pretend that I am a professional logger. Put on a chain that will cut. Let me worry about the kickback.”

Bernie complied. After installing my new realman chain, he explained how the cutters worked on the wood and the proper way to use a file on the cutters as well as the rakers.

As I left his shop, Bernie said with a smile, “Homer, I think that you’re

I’ve known for years that because of our suit-crazed society both government and industry will readily ruin a time-tested device in order to protect us from ourselves. I should have known that they would eventually get from my lawnmower to my chain saw.

Now you know, too. The next time you buy a new chain saw off the shelf take my advice. Take off the factory chain, throw it away, and ask the dealer to install a real chain.

Be careful of kickbacks, though.

By Kevin Warr

The wheels of the Alaskan Airline Boeing bounced off the tarmac as we landed in Petersburg, Alaska. The excitement of finally being back here was overwhelming. It was a long way from Northern New Hampshire, but well worth it. We were here to meet up with some friends, Bill and Amber, who came down for the week from Anchorage. It was my second time there, having spent three months there in 2022. For my brother Alex, it was his first time in Alaska. As we got to the lodge, we rented a 26 foot Hewescraft with a 150 horse motor for the week of self-guided fishing. Fishing for halibut can be slow, followed by moments of sheer adrenaline and chaos. The first few days of the trip went great, nothing crazy but none the less we caught some nice smaller halibut. Getting to your fishing spot is half the fun, navigating your way there.

On the fourth day of the trip, we had decided to try a spot about 25 miles from the lodge. The boat ride there was something young men dream of when they think of Southeast Alaska. A rugged, undeveloped shoreline, glaciers, and tall snow swept mountains. It’s hard to not feel

A Halibut Story

small in such a massive area. No wonder this place is called the last frontier.

Upon arrival we scanned the bottom until we found a nice spot suited for halibut, dropped anchor, and waited for a tide change. The lines were baited and in the water, now we waited. Not even a half hour in and my rod just about bent in half.

It’s 0 to 100 real quick. Everyone reeled in their lines as I began to fight a seemingly big fish. I’d feel the fish fight real hard and take off on a few real good runs, then tire out and that’s when I really cranked on the reel. My friend Bill was standing by ready with the harpoon. As soon as we could see color we knew it was a big fish. We got him

the boat, which took a few of us to do. This entire trip was a team effort, definitely something I could not have done alone.

As we got back to the lodge, and the workers there measured the fish to find its weight with a State

As we got back to the lodge, and the workers there measured the fish to find its weight with a State of Alaska Halibut chart, it was determined the weight of the fish was 155.6 lbs. A fish of a lifetime for someone like me!

close to the surface, and Bill thrashed down with the harpoon into the fish.

From there, I felt pretty primal. Everything happened so fast. He did not make another run, so the gaff was next, followed by a tail rope. We then cut the gills and let him thrash in the water before bringing him into the boat. It really dawned on me how big this fish was once we got it into

of Alaska Halibut chart, it was determined the weight of the fish was 155.6 lbs. A fish of a lifetime for someone like me! I’m beyond grateful to have been able to show my brother the beauty of Southeast Alaska, and to be fortunate enough to spend time with my Alaskan friends.

We all got to go home with lots of filets, and more importantly memories of an amazing place that will last a lifetime.

K evin Warr lives in Lyman, New Hampshire.

(Cont. from pg 13)

Jessie explains that “These classes are perfect for women who enjoy the outdoors. Whether you work in the outdoor industry or participate in any of the many activities available in the region. Build skills and confidence in a fun learning atmosphere.”

“Humans have been passing down wilderness skills for years, but women were often excluded. This is obvious when we look at

most survival schools today. At OWLSSkills, women support and nourish each other to express and grow via training. With the physical skills of making a fire, tying up a shelter, or leading an off-trail hike, come the non-tangible skills of empowerment and confidence.”

Women’s October classes include: Women’s Basic Survival Course, Shelter Craft for Emergencies, Practical Fire Craft and Weekend Core Survival Principles. Options include one day to more intensive

three day classes. Topics such as staying warm, building fires, signaling for help, navigation concepts, knife sharpening, building emergency shelters, and more. Young, old, injured or otherwise are welcome! If you have questions, contact Jessie at: owlsskills@ gmail.com To learn more and sign up visit: https:// www.voga.org/survivaldoe-camp.html

Fatality on Kinsman Ridge Trail

At approximately

2:14 p.m. on August 6, 2024, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of a hiker who was having a medical emergency between the summits of North and South Peaks on the Kinsman Ridge Trail. The Kinsmans are located approximately 4 miles from the nearest trailhead, which makes quick rescue response difficult. Due to the severity of the emergency, the NH Army National Guard was called to see if they could assist in the rescue efforts. In

addition to the Blackhawk request, AMC staff were responding with medical equipment from the Lonesome Lake Hut. Conservation Officers and volunteers from the Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team also responded from the Mount Kingsman trailhead in Easton.

Medics from the NH Army National Guard Blackhawk team were able to reach the distressed hiker at 3:55 p.m. and continued using life-saving measures that family members and other Good Samaritan hikers had started until they transported him down to a waiting ambulance from Littleton Rescue and Fire at 4:40 p.m. Unfortunately, the hiker succumbed to his medical emergency. He was transported by Ross Funeral Home in Littleton.

The hiker, a 52-yearold male from Topsfield, MA, was hiking with his family at the time of the emergency. They had planned to hike to the top of South Peak and return to their vehicle via the Fishin Jimmy and Lonesome Lake Trails. The hiker will not be identified at this time due to pending family notification.

BUYERS ROAD

SELLERS LANE

BUYERS ROAD

SELLERS LANE

Lot 22 Map P1003 Plan 4 Ebeemee Twp: Look no further, this furnished camp provides the ultimate vision you’ve been wanting to escape reality. The island experience is perfect for all families and sportsman alike. Electricity, gas appliances, and an incinerator toilet make this cabin comfortable and convenient. Enjoy swimming along the tranquil sandy beach in the front after taking a boat ride across the serene 905-acre Ebeemee Lake.

Located roughly halfway between Milo and Millinocket, this 1.95-acre lot nestled on Russell Island provides access to all that Maine’s recreation has to offer. Septic plans, well, and additions have been previously approved. With some interior finishing touches, the endless memories at this one-of-a-kind property will be treasured MLS#1583230 $179,700

40 Weld Road, Byron, ME: Just minutes away from Tumbledown Mountain, along the Swift River in a secluded tranquil spot, you will discover three furnished cabins along with a garage, shed, and out-buildings. Fully equipped for efficient yr-rd offgrid living w/a well and two septic systems. Powered by gas, solar panels, and a generator shed. The main camp boasts 3 bdrms, 1 bath and the two front cabins each contain 1 bdrm, 1 bath. Reside in the main camp and rent out the other two for additional income - currently being advertised and rented at $125 per night. This is the ultimate sportsman’s dream showcasing what the beautiful state of Maine has to offer. Leave right from the front door on your snowmobile or ATV and hit the ITS, enjoy excellent hunting in both zone 7 & 12, hike the Appalachian trail, or take a drive to Coos Canyon! See multi-family listing MLS# 1574475 $394.00,

8 River Road, Detroit, ME: “custom-built Douglas Fir timber frame home expected to be completed soon. Main floor boasts an open concept living & kitchen area along with the primary suite. A loft and 1/2 bath on the second floor. Radiant heat, standing-seam metal roofing, and Andersen windows to name a few quality materials. This unique 2.5-acre lot was home to a Gristmill in the 1800’s, leaving behind the original granite foundations on site. Surrounded by 550’ of Sebasticook River and 500’ of Brackett Brook, this property is absolutely remarkable! During the summer/early fall, the secluded and serene setting provides extra privacy with such lush vegetation. Detroit is a small rural town conveniently located minutes away from Pittsfield & Newport and only 1/2hr to Bangor.”

MLS#1587204 $510,000

; Restore this magnificent building to its former splendor! A significant portion of the initial renovation has already been undertaken. Stunning interior woodwork. An ideal downtown location. Envision the possibilities. Views of the Kennebec River. Adjacent building also available if you need more space. $350,000

In these troubled and divisive times for our country, we at the Northwoods Sporting Journal remain proud to be Americans. We still stand for the National Anthem and thank our lucky stars that we live in the land of the free.

And we still salute our military men and women, who have served and continue to serve their country, here at home and in faraway lands. To them we owe our gratitude and appreciation for what they do, and for safeguarding our American way of life, which we value deeply.

NH Hunting & ishing Licenses

QUALITYHUNTING & FISHING PRODUCTS FOR OUTDOORSMEN AND WOMEN

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