Hunting Season Recap

I apologize for my absence around here lately, but the constant demands of life have afforded me little time to keep everyone updated.  I do have a couple of long awaited stories through, so let's get right to it!

I had promised a picture of a big a bear and that bear was taken by George Haley.  George is a friend of mine who owns and runs Moose Mountain Guide Service.  He has taken his fair share of black bears and decided that he would like to trap a bear.  Now before any naysayers start, let me put your minds at ease, bears are now trapped with a cable restraint on their paw that is very humane.  Last year, George decided to try his hand at trapping a bear.  He had game cam pictures of a large bear that he wanted to target, so he set the closure on his snare to a larger than required size in an attempt to catch only the larger bear.  He had many bears come in, but none were large enough to hold in his oversized opening.  The big bear also came on several occasions, but would not be fooled by the standard set and always maneuvered around the cable.   Time constraints and prior commitments would not allow George the opportunity to snare a bear in 2011.  The 2012 season started and George had a different strategy, to attempt a blind set to snare the bear.  Again smaller bears were caught and quickly pulled out due to George's generous closure size.  After seeing one of the bears that had pulled out, George was wondering if he had been too generous, as it was a very nice bear.  Determined to get the " big one", he stuck to his guns and sure enough, he got the 522 lb. boar!  

George's mother was also drawn for a moose permit this year, and the family got together to try their hand at tagging a bull.  The first day of hunting was tough, and while many moose were spotted, their lack of head adornment in the form of antlers, took them off the playing field.  The next morning, they arrived early to a likely field and saw the dark forms of moose in the field.  As it brightened, they could see a bull in the back of the field headed into the woods.  Knowing they would have little time, Milton (George's dad and subpermittee) pulled off a 275+ yard shot to down the "swamper".  It was a nice bull weighing a little over 800 pounds field dressed and sported a 48" spread on it's antlers.  I think the Haley's freezers will be full this year!

The last hunting story I have from this years big game season is a friend of mine Lance Cunningham.  He was out deer hunting the week of Thanksgiving.  His party had hunted hard, but no one had tagged a deer.  Lance had found a pocket of deer on a ridge, with good buck sign in it.  It was Thanksgiving day, and they were only hunting until noon to pack up and make it home for a Thanksgiving supper.  Lance was still hunting his way back to pickup when he heard a noise.  Freezing, he strained his ears and heard it again.  It was the distinct sound of an animal walking through the leaves above him on the ridge.  Having seen moose in the vicinity, he assumed it was probably just another swamp donkey.  That was when the rest of the hunting party called him and told him to hurry back to the truck, because they were all waiting on him.  Lance assured them he would hurry, but could not forget that sound and had to investigate.  As he eased up the ridge on full alert, he saw a large ledge and decided that once he could see past that he would be able to tell what was making the noise.  He slowly worked around the ledge, and as he did a buck materialized in the beech whips in front of him.  Seeing it was a nice buck, Lance fought to put the crosshairs on the buck's shoulder without having beech whips in the scope.  Finally, he thought he had a clear shot and fired.  The buck bolted and Lance was unsure of his shot, so he worked the bolt again and let a shot go at the running deer.  As soon as he fired, the buck piled up.  As Lance got closer, he could see that one side of the rack was nontypical and that it was a very nice buck.  It field dressed out at 190 pounds with 12 points.  4 points on the typical side and 8 on the nontypical side.

Stay tuned, because I have some trapline pictures and stories as well as shed hunting reports and hard water fishing is knocking on the door!

Deer Season Winding Down

As I write this, the last day of muzzleloader season dawned crisp and cold.  Last night, our temperatures bottomed out below the 0 degree Fahrenheit mark for the first time this fall.  Very fitting to mark December's entry.  I haven't posted in a while and wanted to catch people up on what has been happening here in Northern Maine as deer season progressed.  The deer sightings and harvests seem to be up dramatically from what we have seen for the previous two years, but are still far from what I consider a good population level.  There were a lot of young deer shot this year which I would have expected from our mild winter, but I also talked to lots of people that passed on some of these younger deer to let them grow.  When it comes to the topic of which deer should you shoot and which ones should you pass, I feel that there is no one answer to that and the decision should be made at the individual level.  Essentially, I feel if a deer excites you when you see it, that is a deer you should shoot.  That excitement level may or may not change for people as time progresses.  For me personally, a spike horn used to evoke a lot of excitement and therefore I was very happy to shoot a spike horn, but now I am happier to let that deer walk and target an older age class.  It will be very interesting to see what transpires this winter and if we can sneak by with another mild winter.  If that is the case, I would be hopeful for next years season.  Well, I will get off my little soap box and tell you about some deer!

First off, Josh Caron was hunting a piece of ground that he had discovered a pocket of deer in a couple of years ago.  Not having a chance to get back into that area until this year, he was pleasantly surprised when he had just started to poke into the woods and doe appeared.  Josh watched her for a moment, then decided that her behavior was slightly untypical and his eyes started probing the brush behind her.  To his amazement, he could see a mature buck in the raspberry bushes.  The buck had his head down as if to hide behind the bushes, but the buck's gaze was fixed on Josh and he knew he had little time to waste.  Smoothly easing the rifle to his shoulder, he settled the crosshairs and squeezed the trigger.  The deer bucked, giving clear evidence of the shot finding it's mark and ran up the hill only to collapse after going about 30 yards.  Josh was elated, as he approached the buck and could see the thickness in the deer's body.  After dragging the deer to the road, Josh had quite a task ahead of him as his tailgate wouldn't open.  Josh has loaded a few deer in his hunting career, but this one was just not possible to get over the broken tailgate.  After many attempts and a finally a strap cut from his cooler, he was able to get it loaded.  His battle eluded to the fact that this was a large bodied deer.  Just how big? ... 247lbs. field dressed!  This was the heaviest deer tagged in our area and was truly impressive.

One buck wasn't enough for the Caron family though and later that week Josh's brother and his brother's wife were both able to tag nice bucks on the same day.  That is the way hunting should be, with 3 family members getting deer over 200 pounds!  Unfortunately, this probably won't happen again for quite a while, but it is a nice picture!  Way to go Caron family!

Matt Collin also filled his tag and his freezer with a 202 pound 8 pointer.  He glimpsed this buck running through the woods as he was driving by.  He managed to stop and get a running shot on the buck, anchoring it with a solid shoulder hit.  He didn't make it too far, before he was able to catch up and deliver the final shot.  Congratulations Matt!

Bud Soucy pulled off some long range freehand shooting for his buck.  Spotting the buck about 250 yards up a skid trail in a block that had been harvested, he couldn't tell how large the antlers were, but could tell it wasn't a spike horn and made the split second decision before the buck bolted.  His shot was true despite the distance, and the buck dropped in his tracks.  Nice shooting Bud!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more upcoming stories!  I haven't forgotten about some of the stories I promised and I will get to them, and I'll be writing some trapline stories soon too! 

Trapping Update

I have been very busy lately, so I don't have much time for stories, but thought I would let everyone know that trapping has been going pretty good.  I had picked up one fisher and then on my next check, I had a three fisher day.  I have never picked up three fisher on the same day, so I was pretty excited to say the least!  There has always been something about the fisher that has fascinated me.  I am not sure if it is their elusive nature, or their "top dog" status in our north woods of Maine, but the "black cat" has always piqued my interest.  In certain areas, I had been noticing what seemed to be a decrease in populations, but it appears to be on the rebound now.  I don't know if that is due to the limit restrictions that have been placed on them or just the poor trapping conditions that we experienced last year, giving them a year to restock.  Keep in mind my sample size is very low and restricted to areas that I trap.  Anyway I look at it, I am happy with four fishers in the skinning shed!

New Arrival!

My wife and I welcomed our son into the world on Friday, November 9, 2012 at 12:41 a.m.!  He was 5lbs. 15oz. and we have named him Drake Adler Huston.  Welcome Drake!

Deer Season Continues

As the deer season progresses here in Northern Maine, the number of bucks being harvested is up substantially from what we have seen the last five years.  Many of the bucks that are being taken are younger deer and I think many of them can be attributed to the mild winters we have experienced over the last 3 years.  This week is another week of moose hunting, which is a subject of great debate among the locals.  Many people feel that the added hunting pressure put on the deer herd due to the extra hunters in search of their "swamp donkey" has the potential to be detrimental to our struggling herd.  I guess I would have to agree that it might be wise to not apply additional pressure on the deer herd while they are rebuilding.  That being said, the idea of being able to harvest two species while on a hunt does hold a certain allure and would be an added challenge and draw for any hunter.

Okay, enough ranting and more deer!

The Coffin family has done well to round out their deer tags.  After Bryce got his deer, the family ventured back out to try their hand yet again and Kendra shot her first ever whitetail, a nice 3 point buck.  Way to go Kendra!

Not to be outdone by his kids, Ked had to try his hand at a little deer hunting as well.  Pulling some quick thinking and shooting, he managed to get a shot off at a very nice buck.  A quick follow up showed that the bullet had found it's mark and his hands were able to grasp the rack of a mature buck.  The buck broke into the "Big Buck Club" when it topped the scales at 206 lbs.  Congrats Ked!

Tim Cyr was in one of his favorite hunting areas when he saw a white flag signaling the departure of a deer.  As he glassed the bounding deer it's bald head was disheartening, until he saw the second deer.  As his heart rate sky rocketed, the optics came to rest on the deer's head and it also was bald.  Heart rate returning closer to normal, he decided to glass the rest of the surrounding area.  He had almost given up when out of no where, a deer suddenly materialized and as the optics cleared the blurred lines between the bushes and deer and... and ... antlers!  Wasting little time, Tim centered the cross hairs on the deer's shoulder and squeezed the trigger.  Tim was able to put his tag on a 128 pound 5 point buck.  Congrats Tim!

I have more deer pictures and stories to come, but right now I also have some skinning to do so I better get to work!  Stay tuned for some more updates.

Moose Hunt 2012

Below is one of the moose hunting stories that I promised.  Enjoy!

The afternoon sun was waning as the Pelletier trio headed into the cutover area in search of a bull moose.  Their minds were only half focused on the hunt, as they were still preoccupied with the funeral they had just left.  The patriarch Pelletier had passed away and the funeral had just ended as they headed for the woods in an attempt to clear their minds for a few hours.  The coveted Zone 2 bull tag had been drawn and the hunters were as ready as could be expected due to the circumstances.  As they rounded a bend, a dark form was spotted along one of the harvesting trails.  A glimpse through the binoculars confirmed the status of an antlered moose and after a minute the head turned to reveal the size of the bull’s headgear.  It was quickly decided that it was a “shooter” and the floodgates of adrenaline opened.  As the permit holder, the senior Pelletier let the first lead fly, quickly followed by a round from the sub-permittee Nick as the moose took off on a run.  Nick quickly sprinted to the last place they had seen the moose and saw it heading up the trail.  Another shot quickly anchored it and down it went.  The rest of the party had caught up at this point and the permit holder headed towards the downed behemoth.  As he neared the bull, it mustered a last dose of adrenaline, rose and charged him.  Despite his best attempts to sidestep, the moose still managed to knock him to the ground and although unharmed, the experience was one not to be soon forgotten.  The moose was a prime example of what Northern Maine has to offer with it’s moose herd, sporting 53” wide headgear and topping the scales at 775 pounds.  Congratulations to the hunters!

 The last weekend before deer season opened up, found me deep in the 3.5 million acres that is called the North Maine Woods.  A group of us had decided to try our hand at shooting some "big woods" birds.  We ventured into the Ramsay Brook and Big Brook country just to the East of the famed Allagash River.  The birds have been plentiful this year, but that day the weather was just not conducive to our hunting efforts with most of the day being filled with pouring rain.  We did still manage to shoot a few of the hunkered down birds, with a group total of 9.  Even though when you go hunting there is no way to control how the hunting is going to be, one thing you can control is how well you eat.  The Coleman stoves cooked up some delicious beans and hotdogs.  Isn't it amazing how much better food can taste when eaten off a tailgate in the middle of the woods?  The battle of the day was between Mossberg and Remington, as I shoot partridge with a Remington 870 and my Father shoots a Mossberg.  At the end of the day, we ended with the same number of birds so it was deemed a tie.

Trapping season is now well under way and the traps are all ready to go, so stay tuned for some upcoming fur reports!

Deer season is officially underway as well and some stories of deer have been drifting around.  I will try to get some more stories and pictures to everyone soon.  As for my season, on Saturday I did not see any of the whitetail species, but did see a few moose and several grouse.  Monday was also uneventful.  I had hopes of big moves by the deer right before Hurricane Sandy hit, but it was rather quiet on the deer end.  Tuesday put me in the North Maine Woods again, this time closer to the confluence of the St. John and Allagash Rivers and put a deer in front of me.  As my eyes strained to see antlers between the ears, I was elated when a set of spikes appeared out of the brush.  Not quite the deer I am looking to shoot, but exciting all in all.  Unlike many places where hunters pursue whitetail, the sighting of a legal buck in Northern Maine is not very frequent, so it must be relished.  Make sure to check back often, as it is an eventful time of year and there will be lots more coming soon!

Deer Season 2012

This past Saturday was "youth day" which marks the start of the 2012 Maine Deer Season. On "youth day"  hunters who hold a junior license (10-16 years of age) have an exclusive chance to harvest a whitetail.  On Monday morning, the first buck pictures of 2012 found their way into my inbox, courtesy of a friend of mine Bryce Coffin.  He was out on Saturday, hunting with his father Ked, when Bryce pulled off some fine shooting on a nice buck.  The details on location are being kept under wraps, but as the story unfolded, Bryce's quick thinking and shooting skills were the recurring theme that allowed his outing to be successful.  According to second hand reports, Bryce spends a lot of time practicing his shooting and it definitely has paid off.  This is the third year in a row Bryce has produced a buck, firing the same number of shells, 3 shots equaling 3 deer.  The shot opportunity on this year's buck was far from perfect with only the neck and head visible, but he wasted no time in settling his nerves and squeezing off the 75 yard free hand shot to anchor the buck in his tracks.  Congratulations to Bryce and keep up the good work!  Stay tuned for lots more articles soon to come.

Excuses...Excuses!

I know I haven't been around much lately and I know I am full of excuses, but this time of year the project list seems dauntingly long and takes much of my time that I would have had to keep everyone here up to date.  I thought I would put up a couple pictures to keep everyone interested.  I do still have some moose and bear hunting stories on the go, not to mention the long awaited canoe article.  Also trapping season is getting under way and deer season is right around the corner!

A quick note about the 2012 moose hunting season:
I checked in faithfully at the Quigley's Outdoors tagging station during the first two weeks of the season and admired the moose as they came in.  The tagging station was well set up and efficient, which proved to be crucial to the large numbers of moose as they came in.  The bulls were impressive to say the least and the weights were even higher than I expected.  I am guessing that maybe the rut was a little further behind than in years past and the bulls hadn't lost their weight yet.  Check out some of the nice bulls that came in!

I have also been working on couple of European mounts for some friends.  One was a mule deer and the other a whitetail.  The mule deer came out very nice, but the whitetail was more of a learning project.  I have learned a lot since then though!

The skinning shed is filling up as well and keeping me occupied!  Stay Tuned!

Limited Out!

Today was the second day of "bird season" when everyone targets Ruffed Grouse, locally called partridge or "thunder chickens".  I managed to make it into the woods for a brief time and was fortunate enough to bag my limit rather quickly.  The birds were tough to see as the leaf and grass cover is still quite thick and hasn't been knocked down by frost yet, but I employed an old standby technique to produce the results.  Hunting involves all of your senses and when the visibility is limited due to vegetation, sometimes listening is your best offensive tactic.  Driving slowly and listening for the distinct leaf rustling that the birds make during their attempt at a Houdini act can be extremely productive for locating them in cover that makes them all but invisible.  It certainly paid off today!  Stay tuned for several upcoming stories.

End of One Season - Begins Another

The firewood is done!  With many thanks to all those who have helped me this year, my mother and father in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, my parents and my grandmother, the last piece of wood was placed on the top of the stack that fills the room in my basement.  

Last week found me in the Allagash River country and with the foliage around it's peak the views were amazing.  Below is a shot of the valley that contains the famed Round Pond.  The water isn't visible from this vantage point, but the contrast of the leaves with the stark green of the softwood really looked nice.

Last week was also the end of the fishing for most species and in typical fall fashion, I was down on the Fish River casting at my familiar haunts.  While I was not able to land any fish for pictures, I did see several nice fish, with a couple being over a foot long and a nice salmon that I lost which was over two pounds.  The location is beautiful and also attracted several other anglers, which meant pressured fish for an added challenge.  I had the privilege of fishing with my grandfathers favorite fly rod, stirring many emotions and raising lots of memories, as my finger slid into the worn groove in the cork handle formed from hundreds of hours of casting.

The foggiest of mornings last week found me rising well before the sunrise to navigate the twisting road west along the St. John River until I reached a predetermined meeting location with Peter Gagne.  He generously offered to allow me to tag along on his outing for ducks.  He had an empty blind and I had a shotgun, so it worked out perfectly.  I think the fog caused the ducks to sleep in and the sightings were down.  We did have three ducks decoy in perfectly, but while their decoying was perfect, my shooting was far from perfect and they continued on their merry way.  It was an enjoyable morning and we even had a bald eagle fooled as it swept in to grab a "duck", only to realize at the last minute, we were watching and the decoys would make a tough meal!  Stay tuned as I have some moose hunt updates and a bear on the horizon and "bird season" opened today, so there should be more of our feathered friends in the future!

My Absence ... Firewood

I apologize for my absence recently, I have been gathering firewood to keep our house warm this winter.  In true Maine tradition, our primary heat source in the winter is firewood.  I have recently replaced my classic wood stove for a more efficient boiler and while the efficiency is hard to argue, the feel of the old wood stove radiating that dry heat that can only be achieved with wood heat will be missed.

I haven't completely given up the recreational pursuits and I have been down casting on the Fish River, as well as planning a waterfowl hunt.  Also I have a couple of hunting stories coming up, let's just say trapping a black bear over 500 pounds and a trophy Maine moose are coming soon!

P.S. This blog also had it's one year anniversary last Friday!