Northern Maine Ridge Runners and River Rats

 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!