Saturday, November 17, 2012

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!



Friday, November 16, 2012

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!




Wednesday, November 7, 2012

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.



Friday, November 2, 2012

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!