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February 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
! w o n E B I R C S sub Volume 7 Issue 2
Publisher/Editor: Fred Allard Graphic Design: Dan Millet
Send correspondence to: The Outdoor Gazette 1166 Court Street Haverhill, NH 03765 Tel: (603)989-3093 • Cell: (802)738-6755 Web: www.theoutdoorgazette.com e-Mail: fred@theoutdoorgazette.com
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Legal
The Outdoor Gazette, with all of their agents, officers and employees, accept no responsibility for any or all injuries or damages that may result from interpretations of articles or advertisements within this publication. The opinions expressed by contributors to The Outdoor Gazette are their own and do not reflect the opinions of the The Outdoor Gazette in any way. No part of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of The Outdoor Gazette LLC. Copyright, The Outdoor Gazette LLC. All Rights Reserved
Submissions
Do you have an interesting story to tell? It could be about a fishing trip with Dad or Grampa, maybe a hunting trip with some buddies or just about exploring nature with Grammie. We are always looking for good stories/pictures to publish in our paper. If you have a story that you think our readers might be interested in, then give us a call at 603-989-3093 or send a copy by mail or email to fred@theoutdoorgazette.com.
On The Cover
Anita Williams new columnist for The Outdoor Gazette and Minnesota resident, seen here holding a pike she speared in her home state. She Hunts, He Cooks, They Travel.
February 2013
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Editor’s Back Porch
On-line Success, Outdoor show grows!
The Twin State Big Game and Outdoor Show is shaping up nicely. The majority of our vendors are returning and we have added some new folks too. The updated list is on the new website for the Outdoor Show, www.tsbgoutdoorshow.com. Go there, check out the vendor list and the seminar schedule and the door prize list. All are bigger and better than last year. Some new attractions are the Ice fishing pond. Bring your kids in for a chance to try some ice fishing in our portable “ice fishing pond”. The pond will be full of local pan-fish species. The Outdoor Gazette’s pro hard water fisherman, D-b Ice Adventures will be there to help show you and your kids some modern ice fishing techniques. Another fun activity is the video hunting simulator. Rob Frye, the coordinator of the Rockingham show, will have his virtual shooting gallery at the show. Test your skills on real, virtually, animal
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targets as they move in their natural habitat…on the movie screen.
By Fred Allard
A local NWTF chapter/s is working hard to get this done for us, and it is looking like it is going to
unique one time opportunity. Here’s the deal….50% off all our 1 year or greater advertising pakages….I’ll spare you most of the details here but here is the down and dirty. • Commit to a one year prepaid ad contract (or longer) and you only pay 50% of the regular price. • The added beauty of doing this is, as long as you keep renewing your contract, without a break, you can continue to take the 50% discount... for years to come. Even if you change the ad details (ie size etc.) of your ad package. • The offer expires April 1, 2013.
The On-line version of The Outdoor Gazette up on a big screen TV at the Yankee Sportsman’s Classic
We are also working on providing a Turkey calling competition.
happen. Keep an eye on the website and Facebook pages for the time of the competition. We are also trying to pull together a wild chili cook-off competition….no cost to enter but a chance to win some cool prizes. The entry form is on the website for the show and on The Outdoor Gazette’s website too. Well the show plans are going well and so is the Outdoor Gazette’s growth. The new format continues to gain momentum each and every month. I get new login/reader registrations everyday now. To celebrate the success, (phew! Haha) we are offering a one time introductory advertising package sale to anyone that signs up. The offer is time limited, so be sure to take advantage of this
February 2013
So even if you think this “virtual” thing is risky business, you can take advantage of “it’s down the road potential” without much financial risk. But I can tell you this, there is no risk, and I can show anyone that would like to see them, the analytics of the both readership numbers and ad view numbers, ad click numbers etc etc... The response has been surprising and gratifying…. and already in 5 months, the reader and viewing stats far out do any of the stats from the old “hard” copy version of the gazette. Fred Allard lives in Haverhill, NH with his family. He is a Bowhunter Education Instructor, a scorer for the Northeast Big Buck Club, the New Hampshire Antler and Skull Trophy Club and the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club. He is the President of the Montshire Traditional Bowhunters. Fred can be reached by emailing fred@theoutdoorgazette.com.
The Outdoor Gazette
CAUTION: Watch out for Maine ice conditions
Following a very busy weekend, the Maine Warden Service reminds people who recreate on the ice to use extreme caution and good judgment. Game wardens responded to eight different incidents over the weekend that included both people and motor vehicles going through the ice. Fortunately, everyone involved in the incidents below survived. MOOSEHEAD LAKE (NEAR BIG MOOSE TWP) – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2: At 8:45 AM, wardens responded to a call of an ATV through the ice. An ATV carrying two passengers near Dry Point on Moosehead Lake became submerged in water created by a pressure ridge. James Doucette, 45 from Bangor, and Jay Munson, 44 from Orrington, made it out of the water and were aided by nearby fisherman. The ATV remains in the water. GREEN LAKE, ELLSWORTH – SATURDAY, FEB. 2: At 10:20 AM, wardens responded to a report of a snowmobile through the ice near Scott’s Neck on Green Lake. Christopher Duplessis, from New Hampshire, was on a 2000 Arctic Cat 340 snowmobile when he went through the ice. Duplessis was able to make it out of the ice to safety.
The Outdoor Gazette
The snowmobile was submerged in eight feet of water and was removed the following day.
water. There were no injuries in this incident. (No names available at this time.)
SCHOODIC LAKE, LAKEVIEW – SATURDAY, FEB. 2: At 2:30 PM, wardens responded to the report of two ATV’s through the ice. One ATV was being operated by an adult male. The other was operated by an adult male with a three-year-
SEBASTICOOK LAKE, NEWPORT – SATURDAY, FEB. 2: At 6:30 PM, an ATV (side by side/UTV) operated by Owen Cooper, 57 of Newport, carrying 4 other passengers went into the Sebasticook Lake. All passengers
old passenger. The man and threeyear-old child were able to jump to safe ice and did not enter the water as later determined. The other man did enter the water but made it to safety. Both ATV’s remain in the
made it to safety with the help of citizen volunteers. The UTV remains in the water. BIG WOOD LAKE, JACKMAN – SATURDAY, FEB. 2: At 6:45 PM,
February 2013
wardens responded to a report of two snowmobiles through the ice. Raymond Buker, 21 from Winslow, and Adam Lee, 34 from Benton, both made it to safety. The snowmobiles remain in the water. LONG LAKE, NAPLES – SUNDAY, FEB. 3: At 9:30 AM, wardens responded to a call of a motor vehicle (truck) through the ice on Long Lake. The truck entered into approximately two feet of water. Robert Allen II, 40 from Naples was the vehicle owner/operator. The truck was towed out shortly thereafter.
LONG POND (MOUNT DESERT ISLAND), SOUTHWEST HARBOR – MONDAY, FEB. 4: At 1:30 AM this morning, wardens responded to a vehicle through the ice on Long Pond. A truck driven by Micea Novac, 25 from Southwest Harbor, drove into open water. Novac and a female passenger were able to exit the vehicle and entered a nearby camp for shelter. The vehicle remains in the water. Long Pond is a public water supply and Novac is currently working with the Park Service to have the vehicle removed. Mount Desert Police Department assisted.
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Life at High Altitude
By Cody Covey
Go in light, come out heavy.
You just put an arrow through the cage of a beautiful bull; you wait 30 minutes and start following the blood. After an 80 yard, heart pumping track you can see him laid up in a pile of dead falls. As the excitement of the hunt starts to wind down and you climb off cloud 9, you realize that now the work begins. Hunting in the west is vastly different than back east and one of the major things you find is that any animal you take will most likely come out of the woods on your back. When it comes to early season elk hunting, this is one of the many things you will need to take into account. Archery season in Colorado starts on the last weekend in August and runs until the last weekend of September. The temperatures can vary from 30 degrees at night to a scorching 70 degrees during the day at higher elevations. That being said, knowing there is a chance of high temperatures, you need to be sure you can get your animal from the ground and to a cooler within a day or two.
You have your animal all skinned out, quartered or deboned, depend-
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ing on how you do it, and hung in your meat bags in a nearby shade tree. The pack out is inevitable and now the fun is about to begin.
favorite type of pack system and probably the best on the market. Names like: Kifaru, Kuiu, and Stone Glacier make the best ones money
Pack selection- This in itself could be a whole article of its own, but for the sake of focusing on one thing, we are going to talk about meat haulers. Your pack bag could be a suspension system style pack, internal frame pack, external frame pack, or your day pack (if you want to take a lot of trips.) You want a pack that is made of tough materials and that has withstood the test of time. Most big names in the pack industry are known for having something special of their own, whether that be tougher material, better load lifters, stronger buckles, light weight material, aluminum or composite stays, or a harness and waste belt system that is comfortable while hauling crazy loads, all are equally important. When it comes to choosing a pack the options can be endless, I would start with the higher end stuff to see what they are boasting, choose a couple that fit your needs and then if price is an issue find some other manufacturers that have a close match. Suspension systems- These are my
can buy and they have the capability to haul very heavy loads (100+ lbs.). A suspension system is the backbones to this style pack as the bag itself is just an attachment, similar to a lid or extra compartments. You can kill two birds with one stone when buying this type of system because you have the capability of using it for your long trips or day trips and then removing the bag will allow you to use the frame as a meat hauler. Most systems have a fold down shelf that is built into frame so once the bag is removed you can add your meat, tie it down, and hit the trail. Internal frame packs- The internal frame on this style of pack is right tight to your back and is what makes the pack rigid. Most Badlands packs are internal frame packs and they have a reputation of being tough, but also heavy. There is nothing wrong with a pack that is a few more pounds if you are willing to carry it around, and when you’re talking about packing out 70 pounds of
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February 2013
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meat on each trip than what are a couple extra pounds anyway. This style of pack is great and I actually own one, but I don’t feel it would be my “go to hauler” if I had another choice. There isn’t a whole lot of adjustment in this style of pack, so if you are in between sizes (to tall or short) you are kind of stuck, getting less out of one. External frame pack- These are great for short distances and for people who don’t care to spend the money on a higher end pack. You can usually pick one of these up, brand new, for around $100 and use it for years. These are made up of aluminum or composite material and are just that, a frame with straps. These allow you lots of places for attaching meat bags and you can haul very heavy loads, but your back may not be thanking you in the next few days to come. I used one of
Internal Frame Pack.
these for my first hauler when I moved out here and with a load of about 60 pounds, and a distance of 2 miles, I was whooped. I found that it put pressure in weird spots on my back and did my shoulders (traps) no favors, mostly due to the fact that it had little to no adjustment.
Pack for success- Believe it or not there is an art to packing your pack so that your use less energy, don’t get hot spots, and keep yourself balanced on steep slopes. I wish I could insert a video here as it’s easier to show than tell, but I’ll do my best. Consider this when packing gear, and meat, as it holds true for both applications. Start with your light to medium weight, bulkier items in the bottom of your pack followed by your heavy items (meat) in the middle, and then back to light items towards the top. The idea is to keep the heavy portion of your pack in the middle to upper part of your back so your core can control the weight. You want to take your loose items such as: clothing, extra meat bags, kill kit, etc. and stuff them into all the little crevices that your bigger items didn’t take up. The air pockets
from previous page
External Frame Pack. fully loaded. I sat through a seminar at REI on how to find a pack that fits your body type but any sporting goods store should be able to help you out and explain what to look for when selecting a bag for a specific use. Once you choose a pack get it loaded up and go for a hike, this is best way to get used to how it feels. The adjustment process is an ongoing battle and terrain, weight, and strength will dictate how you carry your pack on a given day. Just remember it never hurts to have lots of friends with strong backs once you put an animal on the ground and it’s time to enjoy your labor of
Cody grew up in Corinth, Vermont and went to Vermont Techincal college where he graduated with a bachelors degree in construction management. He was born into a family of avid hunters and a love for the outdoors was instilled in him at a young age. After college he moved to Lakewood, Colorado to pursue a job as a Field Engineer in commercial construction and has lived there ever since. The rocky mountains are where Cody learned a love for elk hunting and the challenges of a western mountain hunt. He can be found hunting deer, elk and various other game in the fall and skiing the fresh powder in the winter. You can reach Cody at Cody.covey @whiting-turner.com
are easy to see from the outside of your pack because the material your pack is made from will look saggy in those spots. Those are what you are trying to fill. Try to keep tabs on where you are placing things on each side of your pack as you will want it to feel balanced, left and right, once
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February 2013
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A Waterfowler's Perspective Gunning for Waterfowl
I had a guy come up to me the other day, at an outdoor show we were doing. He asked me what kind of shotgun I use and what would I recommend for someone just getting into waterfowl hunting. It sort of hit me, that there are folks out there that think us waterfowl hunters use special shotguns when we waterfowl hunt. I guess it's true we do use different chokes and are required to use steel shot. Of course there are several different kinds of loads and shot sizes to consider before heading afield. We are also only allowed to have a shotgun that can hold 3 shells including the one in the chamber. This is regardless of the shell size, which range from 2 3/4 to 3 1/2 in length. The exception to this rule is that during certain snow goose hunting seasons when "unplugged" guns are allowed. So the question he posed to me on what shotgun I use triggered a 30 minute conversation ( no pun intended ). So here is how the conversation went. I told him that most all of us
By Brian Bouchard
hunters have a shotgun in our collection of firearms. Many of those I have to believe are 12 gauges. It doesn't really matter if they are single shot, over and under, pump, semi-auto or even a bolt action. What is important is that you can shoot it well and it can handle steel shot when hunting waterfowl. I have hunted with folks that use pumps, over and unders and semi autos. I have a buddy that used to hunt with a bolt action. Seriously? I hunt deer with a bolt action but not waterfowl. I then said to the future Waterfowler "before I tell you what I use, I will tell you what I recommend for the youth hunters or even an adult hunter just starting out". For a new youth hunter just starting out I recommend, if affordable, to get them a shotgun that will be used for other critters as well was waterfowl. If you invest in a shotgun that can handle different chokes this will allow them to go from turkey hunting, upland bird hunting, waterfowl hunting to skeet & trap shooting. In regards to the type of action
a pump is nice for a young person because it requires another step to get that next shell in the chamber. This allows them to shoot without the worry of the action having a live round automatically fed into it. It also makes them really focus on that first shot. The other advantage is
recoil away. It's action is flawless regardless of weather conditions and temperature. I will say that I clean this gun more than I clean my truck during hunting season. Keeping your firearm clean is extremely important to the longevity of the firearm. I joke with my buddies and
Remington 1100 - Ducks Unlimited show gun from mid 80's clearing the action on a pump at times is easier than an autoloader that can miss feed at times. The key to choosing a shotgun for a youth is that it needs to fit them properly. They won't have fun lugging around a gun that is too heavy or they don't feel comfortable shooting. He again asked what do I use. So feeling the pressure to get to his question I told him. I use a Benelli Super Black Eagle II. It's a 12 gauge autoloader with a 28 inch barrel. The reason for this choice is that its light weight and takes most of the
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February 2013
tell them if they find a dirty firearm in my gun safe they can have it. I haven't given one away yet. I shoot the Benelli all summer when shooting skeet to become one with the gun. I use it when hunting crow spring and fall as well. I then told my one man audience, that when I turkey hunt I use a Mossberg 835 pump action with a red dot scope. It's all set up with a turkey choke that has been sited in out to 50 yards. When turkey hunting one rarely needs a second shot with most shots
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The Outdoor Gazette
inside 50 yards. He then posed the question again to get me to endorse the all around gun for waterfowl, turkey and other such winged game. I was on such a roll that I brought up predator hunting and the 12 gauge Remington 1187 that I have set up with a Carlson predator choke which is crazy deadly out to 70 yards. I told him we use rifles to reach out to get the coyotes beyond 50 yards but when they are running in hard to the call and are within a long field goal attempt we whack them with the shotgun. Realizing that I like to talk more than he wanted to listen and with his wife looking on most likely thinking
from previous page
that this guy is a nut, I summed it up like this. If you are just starting out in pursuit of waterfowl go out and buy the highest quality shotgun you can afford. Get a 12 gauge either in pump or semi-auto. Go to a gun
Take good care of your new investment and it will return to you many hunting memories to cherish for years to come. The best shotgun out there is the one that goes boom every time you need it to. To me any firearm that I'm in the field using is my most important piece of equipment. Your feet and hands can be cold. Your calls can be froze up. Your decoys can be riddled with holes. But if your shotgun doesn't go boom when the birds are coming in you might as well be home watching a hunting show on TV. Before he walked off he thanked me for my time, the information I had shared and asked "How many guns do you own?" I smiled and said a few. I can't write down the real answer to his question in case my wife reads this article. If your in the market for a new shotgun for yourself or that young hunter you are looking to introduce to hunting. Email me your questions and I will try to share my thoughts on what I have found as useful insight.
Remington 11-87 12 gauge with Carlson Predator choke. Used for up close predator hunting.
I have been hunting deer and predators for over 30 years. Turkey for 15 years. Waterfowl for the past 10 years. Owner of Fields Bay Outfitters. I Live in St Albans VT with my wife Michele and our 2 sons Dillon & Kyle and our 2 labs Tyson & Remi.
Benelli Super Black Eagle II - 12 gauge autoloader with Kick's High Flyer modified choke.
My turkey set up. Mossberg 835 pump with Aim Point red dot scope and turkey choke.
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shop that carries many models and hold them up and work the actions. Then when you get your new shotgun home read the manual and become one with it by shooting it more than just the day of the hunt. This shotgun will become your new favorite hunting buddy that will be by your side for many hunts to come.
February 2013
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Embrace Your Redneck Tendencies Walk on water!
Crash-thump-thump-thump. My dog, Casey, whined a bit and put his paw on my arm. It sounded like a herd of wildebeest crashing around on the floor above my basement level bedroom. I checked the clock, 4:30 a.m. and Saturday morning to boot. I knew what the commotion was, my teenaged son and three of his friends heading out on an ice fishing expedition. The night before there was a brand new ice auger in the living room, some rubber maggots on the coffee table as well as various and sundry other ice fishing implements such as tip ups, jig poles, gloves, bibs, and boots strategically placed for maximum availability. Why did all that need to be in the living room? Because the shed is approximately fifty feet from the back door and it is dark out at 4:30 a.m. The boys proceeded to load up the Bronco in a loud and industrious manner. Casey continued to whine perhaps in the belief that he was missing out on something, so I grudgingly left my nice cozy bed, put on a robe and trudged up the stairs
my catch of the day
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by Tina Corron to my kitchen. I was greeted simultaneously with a blast of frigid air from the door being left ajar and the warm fragrant smell of freshly
Its true I am usually up, however I did find myself wondering why most outdoor pursuits need to start predawn and involve a great deal of
Jake and Jack headed out to find a fishing spot
brewed coffee. The sight that met my eyes was a sure guarantee to make me smile, no matter how early in the morning, my son and three of his buddies all dressed for the chill in insulated bibs, buffalo check flannel and thermals peeking out of the unbuttoned gap at the neck of their shirts. I .just stood there in my kitchen a bit dazed in an ice cold puddle that had probably been snow minutes earlier. “Mornin’ guys. All ready?” I asked “Did we wake you up?” one of the boys asked anxiously “No honey, I am always up at 4:30 in the morning.” I answered letting in yet another blast of frigid air as I let the dog out.
thumping about and doors being slammed. I know none of that is intentional, they are just in a hurry to get out and get fishing or hunting or whatever it is that boys need to do at the crack of dawn. I do not ice fish primarily because I have absolutely no interest in being cold for any length of time. I tried it once when I was a teenager. It was one of those no choice situations. My dad drove his Jeep Cherokee out onto the ice, and I would not really have worried about it except for my mother screeching “David, David oh, Jesus Christ, David!” all the way to the shanty. I spent much of my childhood believing that my father’s middle name was O’JesusChrist, seriously we are part Irish. Once we arrived at the shanty, we all hung around for what seemed like ages, the adults seemed to be enjoying themselves. I am not sure for how long it actually was since, as a teenager I was not allowed to have whatever was in that flask they were sharing. I kind of just sat there and when I tried to go outside to ice skate, the lake was a total misery of snow and rough ice. I just cannot get into it. In any event, my husband and boys enjoy it. For my part, I try to make sure they have ‘to-go’ cups for their coffee and the ice fishing breakfast of champions ‘Koffee Kup’ cruller donuts. I also make sure they have trail mix and granola bars. I am not sure why
February 2013
I try to provide an abundance of portable food, but I am a Mom and the first order of business is to be sure no one starves to death while
participating in any activity. I think that might be a rule of Momdom.
Jack drilling the ice with the hand auger
Anyway the boys left, I let the dog back in, dried my frozen feet and went back to bed. Later that day I decided that my next IMPORTANT WRITING PROJECT would be about ice fishing. I have already outlined the depth of my experience on this sub-
Continued on page 13
The Outdoor Gazette
from previous page
Jake and Jack with ominous clouds ject—NONE. So I asked my son Jake and his friend Jack: “Can I come take some photos of you guys ice fishing for my next article?” Jake’s response was a very skeptical: “I suppose.” Jack was a bit more enthusiastic with: “Sure.” I am sure they were just being nice to me because I do, in fact, try to make sure that no boy is
early on a Sunday morning to concern myself with such things. Either way the result was a great deal of slipping but thankfully no actual falling. The boys found their spot and commenced drilling holes in the ice with the hand auger. The ice was measured and found to be at three inches---now that is not really what I would consider a comfortable amount of ice, but the boys seemed fine and I did not hear any cracking while I was walking out with them. I appreciated their tolerance of me and my photographic endeavor but it was really cold and honestly I was ready for a hot shower and some brunch, so I left them to their fishing. It turns out that ice fishing is not really a spectator sport, so I will just make sure to keep the pantry stocked ever hungry on my watch. Still they did agree to it and while they are men of few words, they are willing to back the words up with action. So it was arranged, I was to meet the boys at a certain fishing location (I know better than to say in a magazine article where that was. what am I silly? I want to be allowed to go again if necessary). This time however they
were slightly later than 4:30 a.m., in fact it was closer to 7:30 a.m., I think they overslept or perhaps were trying to get out of their commitment. I was at the appointed location with my dog, my camera, and a package of crullers. The boys finally showed up and unloaded the sled full of gear from Jake’s vintage Ford Bronco. “Ready?” Jake asked “Yup” I said grabbing my camera and letting Casey out of my Trailblazer. Off we went from the parking lot down to the pond, full sled, two giant boys, my dog and me following them gamely onto the ice. Jake was testing the ice every few feet with a chisel. I was pretty impressed and felt a bit safer even though I could see actual pond weeds through the ice. I think I put a great deal of faith in Casey too; I figure dogs have a sense about these perilous activities and would not lead me to danger. Yeah right, he likely only concerns himself with his own fuzzy butt. I also regretted leaving my ice grips at home; somehow I did not figure pond ice to be a slippery as sidewalk ice. I don’t know why, I think I may have just been so flattered to be included in an ice fishing situation that I went kind of mental—or maybe it was just too
my grandfather's pack basket with tip ups-just for some 'old school' fun with portable food for the boys to take with them and they can continue to enjoy their ice fishing adventures in peace. For my part, I am going to stay in my nice cozy bed. A South Burlington, Vermont resident, formerly a “flatlander” and married to a Vermonter. She and her “Vermnter” husband have 2 sons aged 17 and 22, as well as a Brittany spaniel who behaves better than all of them. Tina was raised country and it is in her blood. Tina can be reached via email at tinacorron@gmail.com.
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my son Jake with tip ups and bait bucket
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February 2013
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Mass Meanderings State lags in attracting new hunters
The average age of a deer hunter in Massachusetts is 47 years old,and getting older every day, also the number of hunting licenses sold in this state has dropped by 50% since 1993. There are three very badreasons why this has happened- very restrictive gun laws, a highminimum age requirements before a person can begin hunting, and ourhunter education program. On a national scale, since 1980 the hunting population has dropped 23%, a loss of about 4.5 million hunters. Even in hunting householdsonly 25% of youths hunt due to the restrictive regulations. Onceclaiming to be the hunters savior, hunter education is now suspectedto be a factor in the sport’s decline. A recent study sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation,the National Wild Turkey Federation and the U.S. Sportsman’s Alliance,found that for every 100 hunters lost, only 69 new hunters take theirplace, yielding a national hunters replacement ratio (HRR), of 0.69.The study ranked
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the 50 states into three categories based on whetherthey have mandatory hunter-education or minimum
age restrictions, or both. The “least restrictive” states had the best HRR while the “veryrestrictive” states had the lowest. The least restrictive states are Missouri, Oklahoma, and NewHampshire, they all have a HRR of over 1.0. The most restrictivestates are Michigan, Nevada, and Oregon. These states have an HRR ofunder 0.35. This means that for every 100 hunters lost, these
By David Willette
states get 35 new hunters. Massachusetts ranked near 0.50 HRR, no surprisethere. I’m stunned that we’re not at the bottom of this list.
Presently in Massachusetts and in 32 other states, it is illegal to take a child into the woods hunting before the age of twelve. By this age it is way too late to get a child interested in hunting. By then, these kids have established their discretionary hobbies, (usuallyplaying video games), and so haven’t all of their friends. The lastthing they want to do is get up before dawn with and adult, who in ateenagers eyes knows nothing, and tromp about the woods. Unfortunately, these kids don’t know what they’re missing. If we start these kids at a much younger age, (around six), when they are more receptive to adults and eager to hang out with dad regardless of what he’s doing, then we have a much better chance of keeping thesekids in the hunting mindset, and off the streets. Hunting teaches responsibility, accountability and respect for life. Fish and game biologists in this state are clamoring to get more hunters. They say we need them to kill more geese and deer, (I findthat hard to believe). The only way to get more hunters in the woods, is to allow them into the woods with a licensed adult before the age of twelve. The state is currently sponsoring a “youth day pheasant hunt”. Locally this will take place in September. It is sponsored by The East Mt. Sportsmen Club, the Chesire Rod and Gun Club, and the Adams Outdoorsmen for Youth. The state also has a youth opening day for duckseason too. This is all great, but the only kids that are allowed to participate are those that
February 2013
have taken and passed a complete hunter safety program. Now I’m all for hunter education, but we have to allow these kids tosample hunting long before they take the grueling and sometimes boring hunter education classes. This is not like drivers ed, where at the end of the classes a youngster is getting their drivers license. At the end of a hunter education class, the teenager gets to hunt by themselves, without an adult. Not many young adults even know if they like hunting, but every teenager in the country knows that they’ll like driving. Hunter education is different to them. Presently if kids haven’t started hunting, and not many of their friends do it, then they don’t want to do it. I can remember the struggles I had getting my son to attend. It’s not that he didn’t want to go, but we had a hard time fitting it into his football practice schedule. Thankfully, we had understanding coaches, who also hunted. Concerns about the safety record of young hunters are unfounded. Hunting, in general, is one of the safest forms of recreation. The Hunter Incident Clearinghouse database shows that in 2010, junior hunters ages 11 and younger accounted for only 28 incidents, or just 3percent of the 849 incidents that year in the country. How many car accidents involving teenagers were there in 2002? Or skiing accidents, or sports related injuries? Hunting accident reports show no difference in safety in states with restrictive youth hunting laws, it is clear these laws serve no purpose, and are in fact, harming America’s hunting heritage. Nevertheless, qualified adult supervision is a critical part ofhunter safety and an important component in starting young hunters. And so isn’t hunter education. But we have to let these kids sample hunting at an earlier age. It’s time this state relaxed these restrictions and allow some kids to gain an early appreciation for hunting. David Willette is a free-lance outdoor writer who lives in Western Massachusetts. He can be contacted through www.coyotewars.com
The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
February 2013
Page 13
Riverbank Tales by Bill Thompson
Tying a Maine Classic -The Chief Needabeh
I know that I am old fashioned in that I still like books. This morning I whiled away a couple of hours looking through some of my old fly tying books. In my defense, I was technically doing research for this article and then got carried away, losing the better part of the morning. It started by going to the book shelf and pulling down several titles: Streamer Fly-Tying & Fishing by Joseph D. Bates, Jr., Forgotten Flies by Paul Schmookler and Ingrid V. Sils and Tying Classic Freshwater Streamers by David Klausmeyer. If you own any of these books you know how beautiful the color plates are and probably understand why one might spend some time perusing them. The object of my research was the Chief Needabeh streamer fly. Not long ago the Chief Needabeh had been the “fly of the week” at one of our Saturday morning fly tying sessions at the shop. One of the regulars had suggested it after successfully fishing it for Atlantic salmon this past fall. After tying the fly I wanted to know more about its originator and history.
The Chief Needabeh fly comes from the Moosehead Region of Maine and is named for its designer Chief Needabah aka Chief Roland Nelson of the Penobscot Tribe. The chief owned a store in Greenville, Maine called Needabeh’s Shack. The store sold fishing tackle and other outdoor equipment. Aside from being a shop keeper he was well known as a guide in the area. The Chief lectured on Native American history and culture at universities and colleges throughout Maine. However, Needabah is perhaps best remembered as the master of ceremonies at the old Boston Sportsman Show. In digging around on the Internet, sometimes I do resort to other means research other than books; I came across one other aspect of Needabeh’s life. Turns out that he made several recordings of Penobscott songs and amazingly I found a web site that had a few of these historic recordings. Being a native of Maine and the possibility of having a distant relative who was a Penobscot I have
always had an avid interest in things like this. My grandparents resided for a time in Greenville, in the early 1920’s. My mother was about four years old at the time. My grand-
STEP 1
STEP 2
The North Country Angler has been in the “Valley” for over thirty years. We are a full service fly shop offering quality fly fishing gear and guiding.
STEP 3
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2888 White Mountain Highway North Conway, New Hampshire www.northcountryangler.com Phone: 603-356-6000
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mother knew Chief Needabeh and often spoke about him when she talked about her time spent in Greenville. The Chief Needabeh is a very pretty streamer fly and is often tied for just that reason; however, it is a
very effective pattern for salmon and brook trout. The fly is a combination of the colors red and yellow. Tied with jungle cock cheeks it is a very striking fly. The Chief is one of those flies that has gone out of fashion and is remembered by only a few. Today it is tied more for its beauty and as a historical curiosity. My advice is tie a few is tie a few up and fish them. Trout and salmon know little of history and very seldom ever read fly tying books.
February 2013
STEP 4 Originally from Maine, Bill Thompson, with his wife Janet, lives in Freedom and owns North Country Angler fly shop in North Conway. He has been fly fishing for more than 30 years and is a licensed NH Fishing Guide. He has fished all over New England, in Canada and out West, but claims the Saco as his “home river.” He also writes a column for a local paper as well as articles in national fly fishing magazines. Bill’s email is bill@northcountryangler.com. The Outdoor Gazette
from previous page
Tying Instructions for Chief Needabeh
STEP 5
•Cover hook shank with thread wraps and tie in tinsel for tag (use white thread as black will bleed through red floss) •Tie in tail and the floss & tinsel for body •Tie in throat 1/3 up hook shank •Wrap floss body •Wrap in rib (you can tie off the white thread and change to black for head) •Tie in yellow hackle wings •Add second pair of red wings •Tie in Jungle cock cheeks •Prepare and tie in a red hackle for the collar whip finish and cement with gloss head cement.
STEP 6
STEP 7
Finished Fly for Atlantic Salmon
STEP 8
STEP 9
The Outdoor Gazette
Finished Fly
February 2013
Page 15
Lock, Stock and Smoking Barrel By Stan Holz
Where did all the ammo go?
We shooters seem to have gotten ourselves into quite a mess lately. Basically, there is no handgun ammunition on dealers’ shelves. I mean…none! In the 35 years I’ve been in business, I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s frightening. Now, according to my suppliers, good old 22 caliber rim fire ammunition is also unavailable. Do you reload your ammo? That’s great. Now try to find some powder and primers to put in all those case you have lying around. Powder and primers are also gone. What the heck is going on out there? Have “they”, whoever “they” may be, finally been able to shut down our access to the all the ammunition and supplies we need to go out and shoot? To understand what’s happening now, we have to go back to Election Day and the public’s perception of what a Democratic administration and Congress might mean for gun owners. As a Senator, President Obama’s track record on gun rights was pretty poor. Vice President Biden’s history has always been
strongly anti-gun. The same can be said for Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, the new Attorney General, most of the new Cabinet, and many
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of the returning and new Democratic Congressmen. It is entirely understandable then, that many gun owners saw the
Democratic electoral victory as a major threat to our gun rights. Predictably, Election Day brought on a sudden rush to buy so called “assault weapons” … rifles which are styled to look like military guns. This style of gun was banned from 1994 until 2004, and many feared that the new administration would seek to re-instate that much hated piece of legislation. This initial rush actually started to fade by late January as people realized that gun control wasn’t even being mentioned by the new President or any of his staff. Then, in late February, our new Attorney General, Eric Holder, was interviewed about the growing drug violence in Mexico; violence which has been spreading across our border. While claiming that many of the Mexican drug cartels arm themselves with “assault weapons” smuggled in from America, Mr. Holder said that he wanted to bring back the “assault weapons” ban in order to stem the flow of these weapons into Mexico. He also stated that Mr. Obama has always wanted to bring back the weapons ban. Well, this didn’t exactly calm the fears of an already nervous gun owning public. In fact, this one interview caused a total buying panic. At least he didn’t blame Mexico’s swine flu epidemic on “assault weapons.” We have also all been witness to a spate of horrendous shooting sprees, where sick individuals have used firearms to slaughter innocent citizens. In some of these cases, the
February 2013
shooters did actually use assault style rifles … a minor fact that the media immediately seized upon. Now, these were no longer just heinous crimes, they became a rallying cry for the passing of a new and tough “assault weapons” law so that people wouldn’t be able to get these “weapons of mass destruction.” So now, simple semi-automatic rifles have once again become the cause of violent crime. These guns really are an easy target. They look intimidating, people see them in the movies and on television all the time, and the media has done a good job of portraying these replicas as the real thing … fully automatic “machine guns” whose only purpose is to kill people. From what I’ve seen, none of these “experts” have the slightest idea what they’re talking about. The problem is that they scare people, both anti and pro-gun people. They feed misinformation to the uninformed public, while making the gun smart public ever more suspicious and fearful for their rights. But the problem has now gone way beyond a demand for a type of gun which may be regulated or banned at some point. The supply of “assault” rifles has dwindled and most manufacturers are now backordered for over a year. As the availability of these rifles has gotten worse, people felt that any type of self defense gun was at risk. So the rush moved from the rifles to handguns. Short barreled revolvers, high capacity pistols, even .22LR pistols, were being bought up by the thousands across the country. This created not only a shortage in the handguns, but also in the ammunition needed to shoot them. So, it didn’t take long before supplies of handgun ammo started to dry up. The retailers sold out, the wholesalers sold out, and the manufacturers couldn’t keep up with the demand at all. The production of ammunition requires components like brass, powder and primers. With ammunition production “full steam ahead” there isn’t enough powder and primers to sell to the public, so the supply of reloading components has dried up as well. What a mess! Every month I have a truck come up with my powder and primer supplies. For April, I had several hundred pounds of powder and several hundred thousand primers ordered. The truck arrived….and unloaded ten pounds of powder. That was my total delivery! Nothing, and I mean nothing, was available. This is really bad. Where do we go from here? I truly believe that this is a 100% consumer
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The Outdoor Gazette
driven buying panic and will only end when people start to calm down. Granted, the media will continue to push an anti-gun agenda whenever they can; granted tons of misinformation will be presented as fact, and granted that some politician will always say something stupid. But, in the end, I do not think that we are in any immediate danger of seeing restrictive gun legislation being enacted. Am I being naïve or am I being realistic? I think I’m being realistic. We all have to remember that 2008 saw a huge decision about gun rights from the Supreme Court. In the Washington DC versus Heller case, the majority ruled that banning handguns, while allowing ownership of long guns, was a violation of the second amendment. The ruling was very clear that, under the second amendment, guns can not be banned. They can be regulated, but they can not be banned. This was a momentous decision for gun rights activists and a crushing blow for the anti-gun activists. Another interesting thing happened, this time in response to AG Holder’s remarks about an “assault weapons” ban. Sixty five Democratic Congressmen signed a petition to the Attorney General stating their strong opposition to any such law, or any infringement of individual gun rights in this country.
The Outdoor Gazette
In my own state of New Hampshire, I was very disappointed to see only Paul Hodes’ name on that letter. Carol Shea-Porter and Jeanne Shaheen chose not to sign it. In any case, it appears that there is no antigun majority in Congress, and likely won’t be for quite some time. Every day I get emails about another attack on our gun rights. Some of these reports are truly frightening. Well, being the skeptic that I am, I never take anything at face value. I always investigate and reach my own conclusions. So far, all of the anti-gun proposals I’ve checked on have proven to be dead in the water. The worst of the restrictive proposals sit alone with no co-sponsors; others have died in subcommittee, while still others were just discussions that went nowhere. I keep hearing rumors of a 500% tax on ammunition being proposed, but can find absolutely no evidence to support this. Are we, as gun owners, completely safe? No, and we never will be. As long as people are willing to use guns against other people, as long as people are addicted to drugs, as long as crime exists there will be people who will go after the private ownership of firearms. Those with the least understanding of guns and their true uses are the ones most likely to blame “the gun” for the crime. It is, after all, much easier to control
hardware than the actions of desperate and misguided individuals. Even so, I do not believe we will see any serious attacks on our gun rights for at least the first term of President Obama. He, along with the leaders of the Democratic Party, knows any gun proposal will be divisive and bitter. It will only serve to divert attention away from the serious issues that we all have to deal with; the economy, health reform, the deficit, the future of our auto makers, a nuclear Iran, the instability of the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan. The political plate is full and no one needs an issue like gun control to make things even worse. So, here’s my prediction. Things will be bad as far as ammunition and reloading components until the summer, at which point I think supplies will start coming through again. Until then, ammunition for handguns and all .22’s will be in very short supply. Powder and primers will trickle in. Now, here’s the real kicker ... prices will continue to increase. I’ve already seen several price hikes as demand has exceeded supplies. Ammo should be dropping, because the price of lead and brass has plummeted over the past year. Transportation costs are down. Ammo prices should have dropped 30% by now; instead they’ve increased by 30%.
February 2013
from previous page
Based on my own experience, as soon as ammo and reloading supplies start showing up on dealers’ shelves again, the demand will quickly drop off. I’m afraid that there will be a glut of merchandise on the market as all the backed up production finally gets through the wholesale pipeline. Then, and only then, will prices start to come back down. For the hunters out there, don’t worry. I have seen no shortages of any hunting ammunition at all. You’ll find plenty of rifle and shotgun ammo out there, and I don’t expect that to change any time. For the time being we’ll all just have to take a “grin and bear it” approach. There is no pending legislation, there are no new ammunition or gun taxes, there is no new “assault weapons” ban, and there is not likely to be anything happening in the near future. The sooner we all calm down, the sooner these shortages will be over. Stan Holz lives in Whitefield, NH and, with his wife Sandy, has owned and operated Village Gun Store there since 1974. He invites everyone to stop and visit. Aside from his interest in firearms and shooting, Stan is also involved in amateur astronomy, photo-graphy, ham radio and scuba diving. He can be contacted by emailing him at saholz@myfairpoint.net.
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Family Tracks Hurricane Hunt - Part 1
The rattling noise didn’t start right away. It wasn’t until after the second detour sign, and the moment we saw the closed bridge ahead that the metallic scraping and clanking interrupted our conversation about Dad’s semiretirement plans. We came to a stop on the side of the road, which was required anyway since the road was closed, and investigated the source of the noise. It was pretty clear the bearings on the boat trailer were shot on one side, with grease sprayed over the circumference of the wheel and the bearing assembly exposed. It wasn’t such a great start to our annual Adirondack backcountry hunt. There was a service garage in sight of where we were marooned, not an hour from home. A sympathetic fellow came and made an inspection of our situation, but unfortunately was unable to help us. He called a buddy of his, though, and after a moment of discussion gave us
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By Brian Lang
some directions and said his friend could help us out. Very grateful, we climbed back in the truck and crawled a mile or so down the road to, of all places, the “Adirondack Tire Center”, though we were still in Vermont. We were certainly thankful for the same day service, but we still had to wait a couple hours. We sat in the waiting area, drinking complimentary coffee from Styrofoam cups, and watched the news from the small T.V. in the corner. The weatherman talked of a strong storm moving up the coast, and the various projected paths of Sandy spread fanlike across the map like the tail feathers of a gobbler in full strut. Uncertainty crept into the air as we sat surrounded by displays of new tires. We talked of what could happen in a bad storm where we were going, and what we would do if it did. Our boat, loaded with hunting and camping gear, sat outside on the trailer, cocked to one side up on the jack
with the wheel removed. After getting two shiny new sets of trailer bearings installed, the rest of the trip was smooth sailing. Sporting our sunglasses, with the windows down at times, the unusually mild weather had us feeling like we were headed on a summer camping trip and that
selves constantly pushing down on the throttle lever, worried it may have crept back a bit and we weren’t at full power. The lake shimmered in the sunlight, and I even thought that I should be wearing sunscreen. As we passed the large rock, we saw a man in only shorts jump from
A hidden jewel-exploring an un-named wilderness pond
maybe instead of the woodstove we should’ve brought the water skis. My father has been going to this area hunting for 30 years, and he has made the ten- plus mile trip down the lake in many different types of watercraft, from canoes to large motorboats. A constant concern, traditionally, has been the risk of ice, prohibiting travel by water, or extreme cold and wind making the boat trip not only miserable, but dangerous. On this trip, we encountered a situation that had never happened before. At roughly the halfway point of our journey, there is a group of campsites and lean-to’s perched on a scenic rocky point in the lake that is very popular with canoe campers in the summer. A large rock, with deep water below, is a landmark, and in the hot weather brave souls climb to the tip and launch themselves off the rock into the lake below. We motored along slowly, the boat heavily loaded, and wearing our shades. The boat, piled with all our gear, plus food and water, plowed through the water inelegantly, forming a big, frothy wake behind us upon which the canoe we were towing loaded with firewood followed along like an obedient dog on a leash. Riding in such conditions, we found our-
February 2013
the rock with a splash into the water. He came up with a big whooping yell, like an Indian on the warpath. Both fists were raised in triumph, bare chest full on in the sun. The weather was horrible for hunting, but great for a late fall dip in the lake. In all the hunting trips in early November, we had never seen anybody swimming! Arriving in our hunting area, we had a choice to make. In past years, we have made our weeklong home in a swamp. Nestled in among some spruces and a high bluff, it is normally dry, comfortable, and has easy access to the water. This year, though, with the forecast of a possible storm, a hurricane even, flashbacks of hurricane Irene the year before with the devastation and suddenness of rising water made us set up camp in a state maintained spot on high ground. This spot also had a lean- to as a back -up shelter. The only problem was that the knoll on which the site sat was crowned with a towering group of majestic white pines, which blanketed the whole area with a soft bed of pine needles. While beautiful, they could prove catastrophic if they blew down. Even still, we felt more comfortable with this spot since we kept thinking of Irene, and the condi-
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The Outdoor Gazette
tions we experienced in that storm were that of extreme rain and high water, with hardly any wind. We had to drag the boat around a bit with waders on to get across a sandbar and access the site, but set up was pleasant and exciting as we anticipated getting into the woods. As mentioned, the weather was tough for hunting. It was very warm and calm, with bright sunshine. The deer in that weather magically disappear. It’s as if they have the ability to slide right up underneath the leaves and moss and vanish, only to appear if you literally step on them. With the low deer densities in the northern Adirondacks, that can mean a long time between deer sightings. We hunted the morning with little luck. I jumped one deer early, but it was over a hundred yards away. Meeting up around lunchtime, we decided to hike together into an area we hadn’t really explored too much. We had found a rough trail in previous years and wanted to see where it led. We traveled very light. The cheap, plastic thermometer we stuck outside at camp said almost 80 degrees! The trail was mercifully well shaded by spruce trees, and followed along the spine of a long narrow ridge of land. It was a natural travel corridor between two lowland areas; swamp and beaver ponds on one side, and a small stream on the other side. The stream’s ribbon of water weaved back and forth like a snake within a wider swath of swamp. It seemed to be an old road of sorts that people had continued to use over the years. In one spot were the remains of a camp, with some old equipment and pieces of an old cast iron stove stuck in the ground, partially hidden by the decaying leaves. Sections of it had some very intricate swirls and designs. We have found several sites like this, old logging or hunting camps, and sometimes there are some neat, old items if you kick around through the leaves and dirt. At one point on the trail was a fresh buck scrape, which was very encouraging. I tried some calling nearby, but had no response. Eventually, Dad decided to sit and glass a large beaver meadow with lots of high grass and clumps of spruce trees, trying to get lucky and spot the tips of some antlers as a buck snoozed the day away. I worked my way back towards a larger ridge above camp and hunted the evening with no action. The next day was equally beautiful, if you were at the beach. We hunted early, but by midday it was sweltering. We had met up in
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the woods, but while heading back, we split up again walking back toward camp. We were taking it easy in the heat, and wanted to try and hear the latest forecast. Whatever weather was coming, it would be the next day. I beat Dad back to the tent. I immediately kicked off my boots and padded around in the dry pine needles just wearing my socks. Dragging a camp chair out of the tent and positioning it outside with a view of the water and mountains, I grabbed some water and kicked back. I was quite content. Then I heard a rustle. And then a stick broke. It was coming from the direction Dad should have been approaching, and I nonchalantly spun my head, casually looking over my shoulder. Instead of spotting Dad trudging along, there was a deer running right at me! I saw It was a doe right away, and then it spun 90 degrees and ran broadside from me, about 20 yards from our tent. I dropped my water bottle and awkwardly clamored out of the chair, still in only socks, trying to reach my gun propped against a tree 10 feet away. I didn’t know what was chasing the deer at this point, nor if there were any more coming. The deer bounded away up the knoll behind camp, passing mere feet from the outhouse. The outhouse was just a box built over a hole in the open, no walls or roof. It is actually quite a nice place to sit, except its still dark in the morning before the hunt. Dad had been poking back toward camp and spotted a point of swampy land sticking out into the water a little bit. Instinct made him stop and stare. He didn’t see anything yet, but just had a feeling. With his gun at the ready, he took a cautious step into the soggy ground. Immediately, the doe jumped up and made a few slow, broadside bounds through the tall, brown grass and then continued on to surprise me at camp. He jumped the deer not 50 yards from the tent. First swimmers in the lake, now deer running by the tent while I’m sitting there with no shoes on! What a strange year, what was going to happen next? Well, what happened was the forecast. It was getting worse. Sandy was due to hit southern New England and then make a strange hook back to the northeast, bringing it straight towards us. We became concerned, but not alarmed. We had no issue with losing power, and we had heat and plenty of food. We had camp set up on high ground, and had a lean-to available to hunker down in if the tent seemed too risky.
Then we received the text messages from our wives, which we were able to receive sporadically. “This is a superstore,” wrote my mom. It was supposed to be “superstorm”, and the failed autocorrect gave my Dad a fit of laughter, and took any sense of impending doom out of the word. Also amusing was the fact that my Mom’s name is Sandy, same as the storm bearing down on us. “Can be bad where you are”, she continued. “You and Brian should stay in town overnight. The winds will be really bad overnight. PLEASE.” We were just feeling comfortable with our plans, and Mom’s pleading message inserted some doubt into my mind. I could picture the stories in the news, the media playing footage of the storm in the south, and all the dire predictions of violent weather. Were we being stupid and irresponsible? Then the message came from my wife. She had heard that the NY Department of Environmental Conservation had recommended that all campers and hikers get out of the woods. That hit a little close to home. I wondered if the forest ranger in our area would go on a patrol through the area and make us
from previous page
leave. Should we pack up and leave now as soon as we could, while the weather was good? It would be no small task, and to travel fast we would have to pack very light and have very little equipment. I felt that the NY DEC warning could be meant more for hikers camped up high on the mountains where the winds would be worse. We were down low, but on high ground and safe from any flooding. For us to evacuate to town would involve some danger of its own, especially with a storm approaching. If just one thing went wrong, we could be stranded in an even more threatening circumstance. Standing in the sunshine of the calm before the storm, we were silent. If we left or stayed, we needed to decide now. I needed a moment, and decided I had to go sit on the box on the knoll and think it over. I brought my gun. Brian Lang lives with his wife, Michelle and two children Megan and Ben in Reading, VT. Brian grew up in VT and started enjoying his outdoor pursuits at a very young age. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, camper, and hiker and hopes to give his kids the same wholesome upbringing he enjoyed in the New England outdoors. When he's not outside, he works as an MRI Technologist. He can be reached at Bclang78@gmail.com.
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February 2013
Page 19
Anchor Points Making Good on a Dismal Outlook
The pain had steadily increased in my shoulder until it got to the point I couldn’t participate in anything that required the use of my right arm. After visiting an orthopedic surgeon, then having an MRI, I waited with great anticipation to find out what was causing all of the pain. When I went in for my appointment after the MRI I didn’t know what to expect. There was no doubt I would need surgery, but I didn’t have a clue about anything beyond that. When the doctor came in he shook my hand and got right down to business. When the words, “There’s a good chance you may never shoot a bow again” came from his lips it was almost surreal. Although I heard the words, the magnitude of what they meant didn’t really stick in until my ride home from the office. I knew I had to speak to my parents because I always value their feedback, especially on things concerning my health. My parents tried helping me make better sense of what the doctor had told me. It was pretty simple when I stepped back and looked at it. At that particular point I couldn’t shoot a bow, cast a fishing pole or throw a ball, so if I had surgery there’s no way it could make those things worse. Instead, if I went in with a positive attitude and approached the physical therapy afterward the same way, I might be able to do some of the things I couldn’t do at that time. My surgery was scheduled for early May. Before I went in, I applied for a few out of state hunting licenses in the Midwest, including Kansas, where I go every year. I was determined to draw a bow by November and this would give me incentive to do everything I could to meet the goal. The surgery went well, but even more damage was found once they opened me up, so the repairs were even more extensive than originally planned. If any of you have ever had shoulder surgery, you know
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how painful it is. If you haven’t had it, all I can tell you is that it’s one of the most painful things I’ve ever dealt with. As the summer months moved quickly I kept at my therapy. Even on the days when I felt like I couldn’t move my arm, I somehow found a way to deal with the extravagant amount of pain and do the
By Todd Mead
ready to go hunting. Since I could draw only 47lbs I chose to shoot small diameter ACC arrows tipped with 4-bladed 90 grain Muzzy broadheads. The main difference in my shooting was that I didn’t have the ability to hold very long once I got to full draw. In some ways this was good because it forced me to concentrate on aiming and executing the shot before it deteriorated.
This is the buck I killed after being told I would never shoot a bow again. exercises. By the middle of August my The week in Kansas passed quickly. physical therapist said he thought I should Every day I saw what I would call a shootbe able to shoot a very light poundage er buck. Since I’ve killed quite a few big bow. deer, I chose to wait until I saw one that When I heard the news I immediately really caught my eye. Fortunately, that called one of my buddies who is a PSE happened the last night of the hunt. dealer to see if he had anything I might be I’m not a big fan of sitting on a food able to borrow for a little while. I was flat- plot, but I chose to do so because a lot of tered when he gave me a PSE Chaos, set does had been filtering in and out of the at 23lbs, in my draw length. This was a one I went to. As I walked along the perfect starting point. hedgerow on my way to the stand I startAs I latched the release to the string ed cussing when I turned the corner and and began drawing the bow I could feel saw about 50 cows lingering around the my heart beating through my chest. The outside of the plot. When I saw them I anxiety was almost overwhelming, but I figured it would be senseless to sit there. continued the draw until I comfortably After a long week of hunting I didn’t anchored the string on my nose and have much ambition, so I climbed into began executing the shot. When the shot the stand and decided to stay until the sun broke and the arrow flew into the target I set on my last day in Kansas for 2012. I had a great sense of relief. Although it was knew I couldn’t have asked for a better only 23lbs, I knew I could draw it com- trip. I would let the cows wander around fortably and I still had three months to below me as I relaxed and thought about build strength. I would make 50lbs my all of the great things I had experienced ultimate goal, but anything near there over the last week. would be fine. Around 5 o’clock I noticed a bunch of When November rolled around I was cows getting restless. As two calves below
February 2013
me starting bellowing back and forth I glanced at the sky and quietly asked if someone would make them be quiet. Just as my head came back to the level position I saw some movement on the ridge above the food plot. Instantly, I could tell it was a shooter buck and he was coming quickly. Within seconds he hopped the fence and was standing in a brown spot that I had range-found earlier at 45 yards. I slowly drew the bow and settled the pin behind his shoulder. Since he was calm and relaxed I decided to shoot the shot subconsciously rather than manually squeeze the trigger. As I held steady, moved my elbow backward and let my back muscles crease together the shot broke. It felt like someone took a pair of scissors and cut the string in half. I heard the hollow sound of an arrow hitting a deer. If I wasn’t mistaken the arrow went straight through his vitals and landed in the dirt. He bolted out of the plot and headed toward the timber. A few seconds after he got into the timber and headed up the hill he tipped over backward. I gathered my stuff, climbed down the tree, picked the arrow up and slowly walked to the fallen deer. When I got to him I ran my hand down his back and felt his antlers in my hands. I don’t know why or how, but I had been truly blessed. I sat down and took it all in. I had a few minutes to be alone before my father arrived to help me. Six months earlier I had been told I would never shoot a bow again, and there I was, with a dandy whitetail I had just shot with a bow and arrow. I’ve been thankful for many things in my life and this surely rates up near the top of the list. Now, I hope I can keep bow hunting from one year to the next.. Todd is the author of Backcountry Bucks and A Lifetime of Big Woods Hunting Memories. You can catch up with him on his website: www.toddmead.com He resides in Queensbury, NY.
The Outdoor Gazette
Free Ice Fishing Class at Claremont Recreation Dept.
CONCORD, N.H. – Are you looking for a new outdoor activity for these long winter months? How about ice fishing! The Claremont Recreation Department and instructors from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s “Let’s Go Fishing” Program will present a free ice fishing workshop in Claremont on Saturday, February 23, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The class is open to anyone, however, those 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Register online at www.activenet013.active .com/claremontparksandrec or call the Recreation Department at (603) 542-7019. The class is free, and registration is first-come, first-served. All equipment and materials will be
provided. You do not need to have a fishing license to participate. The morning will be spent at the Claremont Community Center at 152 South Street, learning about ice fishing equipment, safety and practices, as well as some winter ecology of lakes and ponds. In the afternoon, you will head out to a local pond and put your newly learned skills to the test! New Hampshire Fish and Game’s “Let’s Go Fishing” program has taught thousands of children and adults to be safe, ethical and successful anglers. Find out more at fishnh.com/Fishing/lets_go_fishing_class_schedule.htm. The program is federally funded through the Sport Fish Restoration Program. The New Hampshire Fish and
Game Department works to conserve, manage and protect the state’s fish and wildlife and their habitats,
as well as providing the public with opportunities to use and appreciate these resources. Visit FishNH.com.
The Gazette’s Hunting and Fishing Solunar Tables
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February 2013
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The gun is civilization
By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret.)
Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that’s it. In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some. When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force. The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger, and a
single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.
guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a armed mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger’s potential victims are mostly disarmed either by
There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we’d be more civilized if all
choice or by legislative fiat—it has no validity when most of a mugger’s potential marks are armed. People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that’s the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly. Then there’s the argument that the gun makes confrontations
lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser. People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don’t constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level. The gun is the only weapon that’s as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn’t work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn’t both lethal and easily employable. When I carry a gun, I don’t do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I’m looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don’t carry it because I’m afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn’t limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation... and that’s why carrying a gun is a civilized act. So the greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed and can only be persuaded, never forced.
ROSCOE BLAISDELL Official Measurer Boone & Crockett Club Pope & Young Club NH Antler & Skull Trophy Club Maine Antler & Skull Trophy Club
22 Scribner Road, Raymond, NH 03077
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February 2013
rblaisdell1@comcast.net
603-895-9947
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Anyone contemplating violating Vermont’s fish and wildlife laws now needs to keep in mind that they can no longer just hunt, fish or trap in another state if their licenses are revoked here. Vermont is now the 39th member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (IWVC), which recognizes license suspensions of member states.
The Outdoor Gazette
Any person whose license privileges are suspended in one compact member state will have his or her licenses suspended in all other compact member states. The IWVC assures that in participating states, nonresident violators will receive the same treatment as resident violators. A violator who fails to comply with the ter ms of a citation
issued in a participating state also faces the possibility of suspension of their wildlife license privileges in the other member states until the terms of the citation are met. The goal of the IWVC is to improve enforcement of hunting, fishing and trapping laws through the cooperation of law enforcement units in member states.
February 2013
“Joining the IWVC provides an added deterrent to Vermonters who might be tempted to violate fish and wildlife laws at home and then expect to hunt, fish or trap in other states or vice versa,” said Col. David LeCours. “Also, we didn’t want Vermont to be one of the last states where bad actors from other states can come to violate our fish and wildlife laws.”
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The Captain’s Corner By Matthew Trombley
Are we staying warm??!!
Ohh baby its cold out side! I think Mother Nature is warning us that she still holds the trump card on this week of some of the coldest weather we have had in the northeast on over two years! A week & half ago we had a stretch of 50 degree weather that depleted our snow pack & ruined the great snowmobiling season we had began. The ice over the New Years week had started to look good & ice fisherman were enjoying some good early season action….but that had slowed for a bit as the ice had weakened making some lakes & ponds unsafe. But as I sit here the thermometer is resting at -1 and was at a low of -14 this morning at 7:00 am! We have had three nights straight of sub zero temps & NO DOUBT ice is building nicely! The long range forecast doesn’t show any temps above freezing for at least ten days, one would think we are heading into a really nice stretch of reliable ice for those folks to get on once it does warm a touch! We are smack dab in the middle of our winter sportsman show season, just completing the Yankee
Sportsman Classic in Essex VT & two weeks prior the Rockingham show in NH. It has been great to meet folks, swap stories of past season hunts & outdoor adventures, but of course discussions of Gun Control & second amendment rites have been at the forefront many encounters. Show attendance is always a fine balance of what Mother Nature is dishing out outside of the venues, along with the economy & what ever other events might be taking place such as Football playoff games! Most folks seem encouraged that the economy is ever so slowly improving, we have seen a steady increase of bookings each season & am happy to say that we are booking trips out into September & are over 70% booked for our Spring Striper trips on the Hudson River! A very encouraging sign to say the least, each year more folks are recognizing our business, hearing scuttlebutt about our trips and wanting to try out for themselves what we have to offer! We have had a wonderful number of return clientele looking
for- that next trophy Striped Bass or King Salmon & booking their trips early! Lets hope we continue to see that for years to come! Right now with the cold fronts out of the northwest the lake effect snow machine has been cranking on the east end of Lake Ontario, with the Salmon River region receiving over
that the warm stretch brought some activity that both float fisherman & fly fisherman were enjoying. Float fisherman using light tackle with beads (artificials that imitate salmon or trout eggs) along with red or blue egg sacs has been productive. Fly fisherman have been having luck with glow bugs (another egg imita-
MOUNTAIN DEER TAXIDERMY
The Captains son Logan with a nice Vermont Largemouth caught aboard the drift boat!
30 inches of snow this week alone! This combined with the frigid temps has really slowed the pressure on the river giving the Steelhead a bit of a break! Six or eight days ago with the warm spell the region experienced the fishing took off nicely with some dime bright fresh
With over 20 years of experience in taxidermy, we pride ourselves in our ability to preserve your trophy to look as it did in its natural habitat. We work annually on about 300 mountings and presentations of many varieties of wildlife; deer, bears, moose, coyotes, fox, fisher, turkeys and more. We also work on animals from other parts of the globe including Africa.
tion) size 10 & 12 black stone flies, & another local steelhead favorite “crystal meth” a bright small fly that steelies can’t resist! Many days a slight warm up during the mid day, with just a touch of sun working into the pools may change the temp less then a degree, but enough to make
In addition to being entertaining, the stories of the hunters who are our cus tomers provide information allowing us to suggest possible ways to present and mount the trophies that they have bagged. Our high quality work can be seen by our many repeat customers that seek out our services. The presentation of your trophy can be head wall mounts or full body depictions. We are also the State of Vermont Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Big Game Reporting Station. A specially designed outdoor scale system with tall vertical clearance is also provided for easy weigh-in of all species.
at 802-485-7184
Call Rodney or Theresa Elmer 1308 Loop Road - Northfield, VT 05663
Our booth at the Yankee Sportsman Classic show
WWW.MOUNTAINDEERTAXIDERMY.COM
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chromers entering the river, adding some fresh fish to the numbers that have already arrived for the winter. The reports from the lower part of the river , in what is known as the Douglaston Salmon Run, has been
February 2013
the Steelhead more active in this near freezing water. That short period at mid day may spell the difference between a very slow day with no takers, or actually have a nice mid
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day bite with multiple hook ups that will leave you smiling! Most guides who run drift boats incorporate multiple types of rods or styles of fishing to get fish to hit for waiting clients on any given day. Some days when the cloud cover won’t break and the temps just don’t budge, some guides turn to a tactic called back trolling or “plugging”. This technique uses three or four rods set in rod holders in the bow of the boat. The guide lets out any where from 25 to 60 ft of line out with small crank baits attached to them. There are many types of baits that will work, but steelies tend to like brighter hughes of chrome with red, pink or green on them. When the guide starts the drift into a likely fish holding stretch of the river, he back rows, causing the boat to almost come to a stand still in the flow as the lures work a tight pattern in front of the boat. This irritates the steelhead in striking the lure bumping down stream in front of them. It is a great tactic for beginning fisherman who have never done a drift trip or may not have had experience at fly or float fishing but may have had done lake trolling before. Some guides have tactics that they specialize in such as strictly float fishing or drifting flies, but usually this targets clients that are familiar with the particular technique and may request
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one way over another. No matter what way you prefer there is a dozen different ways on any given situation that these fish can be caught, beginning in the fall, through out the win-
we are in full blown trolling season for Stripers & trout. This doesn’t mean that the drift boat is going to be put on moth balls for the summer, quite the opposite! She can now
Tom from VT with a nice Salmon River Steelhead
ter, and ending in the spring. Once the Steelhead have left the Salmon River, spring has sprung &
double duty as an excellent craft that can sneak into some of the smaller waters of western Vermont, such as
February 2013
from previous page
the Otter Creek, Lakes Bomoseen, Dunmore, St. Catherine & the many small bays of Lake Champlain. This makes for wonderful quiet trips for Bass, Pike & occasionally Walleyes on a select few bodies of water. Casting spinner baits, soft plastics & top water baits are always goto ways to put some bucket mouths or toothy critters in the boat! One way that we target these fish that most others do not is with a fly rod. Now this isn’t for your small stream 4 or 5 weight rod. We are using six to eight weight rods, chucking BIG surface bugs, streamers or mouse imitations with weight forward lines. Nothing like a 4lb largemouth smacking a Popper on a flat calm pond just before dark! It’s something that every one should give a try, a much different way to enjoy our waters of the Green Mountain state! No matter what tactic or fish we may be pursuing….i know one thing is for sure! I know I can’t wait for this cold snap to subside, maybe see the snow melt just a bit, and just get a hint of what the next great fishing season has in store for us! Matt Trombley is a career firefighter, residing with his wife & son in Florence Vermont. He is a U.S.C.G licensed Master captain, guiding & chartering fishing trips through out Vermont & New York. His charter business, 3rd Alarm Charters can be viewed at www.3rdalarmcharters.com
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She hunts, he cooks, they travel By Anita Williams
Spearing Northern Pike
A blanket of snow lies upon rocks piled on the shoreline of Pokegama Lake. Like marshmallow cream five inches thick as far as I can see. I ride the snowmobile across the frozen bay with Joan. Bits of ice swirl in the air and sting my face as we
Anita Williams, new monthly Gazette.
for the
round the bend toward the shelter. Her husband, Randy, is already in the darkhouse and will guide me fishing. Ice and cold water make Northern Pike aggressive. This is no ordinary ice fishing. A spear replaces a fishing rod as my weapon. Spearfishing for northern pike is the most exhilarating fishing I have ever done. Today feels like a great day for these aggressive predators. We arrive at The Shack to find Randy holding a large northern pike. “I was barely in the shack and had just skimmed the ice out of the hole.” Randy speaks with confidence as he tells about his catch. “I watch a big fish swim by. I grab the weapon and spear him.” I can hardly wait to get into the shack to spear
Anita Spearing 29-inch northern pike
a pike just like this. Minnesota ranks first nationally in Page 26
sales of fishing licenses per capita (at over a million sold per year). Spearfishing accounts for fifty thousand of those. Spearfishing is an exhilarating sport. I love everything about it: the warmth inside The Shack, the view into the cold water watching fish swim below me, the conversations as we sit on the bench, the thrill with the thrust as I release the spear, and the taste of a freshly speared Northern. They all combine to make an enjoyable winter afternoon. I enter The Shack and hang my coat on a hook. Orange glow from the heater produces warmth as I sit on the grey wooden bench. The rectangular hole has been cut through the floor of The Shack and the ice beneath it cut out, making a window into another world. The wooden decoy is eight inches long and is painted greenish-yellow except for
Frozen Pokegama Lake flash. Will she return? I sit and watch the water for movement. Almost immediately a Pike swims toward the decoy. I am doing all I can to remain calm. The dark green elongated body mimics a charging alligator, coming in fast and furious. I must react quickly. I stand, lower my spear in the water,
and Randy congratulate me. We get back into The Shack to try for another fish. All of a sudden I see a smaller fish and can’t react quickly enough to spear her. The sun is lower in the sky and darkness will come quickly. We head back to the house, clean the fish, and enjoy dinner.
Baked Northern Pike with Prosciutto
its metal fins. It hangs into the water three feet beneath the surface and is held in place with a string. The string is tied to the wall of The Shack. Weeds grow on the bottom of the lake and my guide tells me we are above water 15 feet deep. I pick up the string, forcing the decoy to swirl, imitating a swimming fish. A school of perch fingerlings swim by. I hope a Northern will be hungry enough to pursue. Pike are ferocious predators and their appetites intensify during winter months. They prefer cylindrical fish like perch. I watch the cold, clear water intently. Soon a dark green fish swims into my view. I hold the spear, stand, and begin to lower the spear into the water. Immediately the Northern notices my movement, curls her body, and disappears in a
Anita Williams and Joan Lease on snowmobile arriving at The Shack
and thrust it into the fish. In the split-second flurry, she thrashes her tail and curves her back. Water bubbles envelope and rise with her as I pull her up. She is large. The spear is parallel to her body, instead of the ideal shot, behind the head and cross-wise to her body. I must be careful as I lift her out of the water. I do not want to let her shake off the spear. I must get her out of The Shack and away from the water hole. She has sharp needle-like teeth that point backwards. I am cautious and stay away from her dangerous mouth. Randy throws open the door, grabs the spear, and shakes the pike onto the snow. I did it! Joan
February 2013
The good news is that Minnesota may be known as the walleye state, but the truth is, the northern pike is the most widespread game fish here. That is great news for Joan, Randy, and Me because we enjoy spearfishing. Anita lives in Grand Rapids, MN and is the mother of two adult children. She has been a hairstylist for thirty years. Her empty nest allows time to pursue interests of photography, bowhunting, fishing, travel and food. Follow her on facebook and watch her videos @ "http://www.huntervids.com /?videos=northern-pike-spearfishinganita-williams-pokegama" http://huntervids.com/?videos=northern-pike-spearfishing-anita-williams-pokegamaThe Outdoor Gazette
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February 2013
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The Trap Line Otters (and Bear)? II
As I promised last time I have a confession to make, so here goes. I did not go into great detail about trapping otter for one reason; I do not intentionally trap otter. Yup I get a stray once in a while beaver trapping but I do not intentionally set traps for them and here is why. Years ago I trapped them and had no problem with it. That all changed about six years ago. It was early spring and I was in the town of Huntington. While traveling down the road something caught my eye on the edge of the stream on the side of the road. I backed up and witnessed something I had never seen in all of my time as a trapper. A pair of otter would run up the bank and roll around and then curl up their front legs and slide back down into the stream. After a dozen or more times doing this they would take a break and lay in the sun and then back at it again. I watched these two perform for close to a hour. I decided right there that any animal that enjoys life as much as these
By Randy Barrows
two otter did that they deserve to live life to the fullest. The following spring I am turkey hunting on the east Shore of Arrowhead Lake in Milton and upon reaching the shore I heard the distinct bark of a male otter. As I walk closer to shore a otter splashes in the water and disappears. A few moments later a female otter with three pups swims right up to me. The male is off in the distance still barking at me to warn the female but she must have known I was no threat as she would roll on her back and let her pups climb on to feed and frolic. Again, an hour free show courtesy of Mother Nature. I usually catch a glimpse of them every time I hunt in the area. Now I told my son Trevor about this and he wanted to know if I was ok? Getting enough sleep? He along with my hunting buddy Smitty took all of the home brew out of the fur shed and cabin and hid it on me. I assured them I was fine but with old age you start to appreciate nature differently. Call
me weird but you will not see an otter in my shed in the near future regardless of the lack of home brew. Bear Trapping? A few years back I had the opportunity to go to the great state of
Maine on a bear hunt. I stayed with the good folks who operate # 9 Lake Outfitters in Bridgewater, Maine. This is an outstanding outfit so if you get a chance visit them. While there we met J.R one of the guides. This guy is a hoot and lives life to the fullest that is outdoors. He can locate and spot game like no one I know. Two years ago I had the opportunity to trap bear. Now I have trapped about everything there is to trap, but BEAR? JR is a licensed nuisance bear trapper. While hunting JR could not wait to get the mail every day. On day JR burst into the lodge with a smile broader than the state of Maine and
announced the permit was here. I would bet if you had offered him a million bucks for the permit he would have declined. Knowing I was a trapper he asked” want to come along?” Well, my bear was already on the pole as well as my nephew Scotts so it was a mad dash to the truck and we were off. Now let me explain this TRAP. It is basically a have-a –heart trap , ten feet long, four feet tall with a trailer hitch and lights. Going down the road it looks like a road culvert chasing a truck. We get to the site and JR goes to work. Down goes the support legs, up goes the door and in goes JR. At the far end of the trap hangs the bait hook which is quickly loaded with a bag of stale donuts and then smothered with a concoction of bacon grease and molasses. JR backs out and smiles and says “that will get them”!A requirement is to put a fence up around the site and when doing that the skies opened up. I got it all, the whole process on video right down to the pouring rain. We checked the trap for a couple of days and then it was time for me to head home. No bear for me but enough memories to fill that trap ten times. Thanks JR and #9 Lakes Outfitters. Keep your lures in the shed, your waders patched, and be sure to take a kid out with you. Randy lives in Milton, Vermont, has trapped in Vermont for 43 years, is a hunter Ed Instructor and an Advanced Trapper Instructor for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Randy and wife, Diane & their family, own and operate Arrowhead Trapping Supply. Randy is also a Vermont State Licensed Fur Dealer. They can be reached at Critrgitr@msn.com or 802355-7496, on facebook or at www.arrowheadtrappingsupply.com.
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February 2013
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Behind the Sights By Charlie Chalk
Who Stands up for You?
Do you ever have one of those days where you just wish that the ‘anti’s’, the government, the activists and the media would just stop trying to stop our gun rights, hunting and outdoor lifestyle? Why can they not just go and attack someone else? Just let us live in peace to follow our heritage in the outdoors; to hunt fish and trap like so many generations before us. Well, that dream is unlikely given the condition of our society today. Everyday, I wait for what new legislation, ban or prohibition will occur. I do think it is time to calm down and focus on the best plan of defense. Hoarding ammo, guns and putting up MRE’s is not the way to defend our rights. We must join in the fight to keep our sporting activity open and available. For years I have held memberships in the NRA, NMLRA, and other pro-gun groups. I became an outdoor writer and proudly served as president of New England Outdoor Writers and well as a charter member of Professional
Outdoor Media Assoc. My stories have defended our gun rights and our Legislators hear from me on hunting and gun issues. Please let
me depart from my usual column, for just once to share some information. You may not know about the “U.S.Sportsmen’s Alliance”, but you may know their good deeds, like defending bear hunters and trappers in Maine, youth apprentice hunting licenses, and the rights
of sporting dog owners and bow hunter rights in many states.. The U.S. Sportsmen's Legal Defense Fund is the nation’s only litigation entity established specifically to represent sportsmen in law-
suits that affect outdoor sports. They invest money and time in legislative action and legal defense Anti-hunters have launched a barrage of suits against government wildlife management and natural resource agencies to stop hunting on public lands--including National Wildlife Refuges. The U.S. SLDF provides legal services on behalf of named sportsmen to intervene in such lawsuits or otherwise support the legal work of the government agencies being sued. But they are much more than just political. They have the “Trailblazer Adventure Program” which was designed to expose families to outdoor activities and offer them the chance to engage in the activities. Since 2001, over 1 million young people have participated. Programs have been held at NHF&G’s “Discover Wild NH” and will be again this year in April. “Cabela’s” in Scarborough, has also had events. This one-day program serves as an all-around introduction to the thrill of outdoor sports and the importance of conservation. It is typically hosted at a Boy Scout camp or similar facility. The Trailblazer Adventure Day features a variety of activities, demonstrations and orientation sessions designed to show children and their parents what the outdoor lifestyle is all about. Activities include firearm
safety, archery, trapping, fishing and much more. Local Field Directors, U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance representatives, attend each event to ensure coordination between all participating organizations. There are many sporting clubs across our state that could benefit from the USSA. Just being with a national organization that can keep your members informed of political activity as well as offer insurance that cover the clubs' individual members with liability coverage for personal hunting and fishing activities. Options also exist for a personalized website where your club can list all pertinent information regarding club members, upcoming events, and more on the Internet. Several specialized club memberships exist in USSA. “The Bowhunter Rights Coalition” (BRC) was launched in response to the January 1, 2005 merger of the Humane Society of the United States and the Fund for Animals. The new mega-animal rights group boasts of a multi-million dollar budget and has vowed to target bowhunting. In May 2005, 10 bear hunting organizations from across the country established the “Bear Hunting Rights Coalition”. Task force members had defended bear hunting from attacks at the state and federal levels. The “Sporting Dog Defense Coalition” (SDDC) protects your right to hunt with dogs. By organizing under one umbrella, dog groups across the country are effectively working together to protect their sport. Recently, the SDDC played a key role in drafting legislation that got field trials recognized as an "important and beneficial" feature of federal lands acquired using sportsmen's dollars. Individuals can join The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance; the only national organization with the sole purpose and mission to protect and advance America's hunting, fishing and trapping heritage. By joining the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, you will be helping on the frontlines to defend your rich American traditions of hunting, fish and trapping. Your financial contribution and
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R i c h a rd Tr e m a i n e Optician Quality Eyewear
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February 2013
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Special Snow Goose Harvest Opportunity
Since 2009 hunters have had the opportunity to pursue snow geese during the spring as a result of a special management action referred to as a “Conservation Order” allowed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and adopted by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board. The measure was adopted at the recommendation of federal and state wildlife scientists in response to concerns about a growing number of snow geese across North America. Eight states in the Atlantic Flyway (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Vermont) will hold a Spring Snow Goose Conservation Order in 2013. The Vermont 2013 Spring Snow Goose Conservation Order will
occur statewide from March 11 through April 26. The daily bag limit is 15 snow geese, and there is no possession limit. Waterfowl hunting regulations in effect last fall will apply during the 2013 Spring Snow Goose Conservation Order with the exception that unplugged shotguns and electronic calls may be used, and shooting hours will be extended until ? hour after sunset. A 2013 Spring Snow Goose Harvest Permit is required and is available at no charge on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com). Hunters may also call the Essex Junction Office (802-8781564) to request a permit. In addition to this permit, hunters will need a 2013 Vermont hunting
personal dedication plays an important role in the protection of your right to enjoy the outdoors today and for generations to come. I urge you to visit the USSA’s website at www.ussportsmen.org and review the important wildlife research and programs available. Look at the works done by them in just a few short years. Review the online newsletters and sign up for important legislation releases by becoming a Sentry.
By the way, you may wonder if this organization is legitimate? Well, check out the sponsoring organizations, like “Cabela’s” and other ‘who’s who’ of the outdoor world.
from previous page
Charlie Chalk is an outdoor writer and has a background as a professional Firefighter and is a member of the American Mountain Men, an organization that emulates the life of the fur trappers of the 1800's and their survival on the land.
Attention Attention New New Hampshire Hunters Hunters
license (residents $22, nonresidents $50), 2013 Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification, a 2012 federal migratory hunting stamp ($15), and a 2013 Vermont migratory waterfowl stamp ($7.50). Hunters can register with the Harvest Information Program by going to the department website or calling toll free 1-877-306-7091 during normal business hours. The populations of snow geese, blue geese and Ross’s geese in North America, collectively referred to as “light geese,” have grown to record levels over the past three decades. According to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the overabundance of light geese, which nest in far northern regions of North America, is harming their fragile arctic breeding habitat. The damage to the habitat is, in turn, harming the health of the light geese and other bird species that depend on the tundra habitat. Returning the light goose population to sustainable levels is necessary to protect this delicate habitat and every species dependent on it. Greater snow geese make up a large share of the light goose population in the Atlantic Flyway. “The population of greater snow geese has grown from approximately 50,000 birds in the mid-1960s to
1 million today,” said David Sausville, Vermont’s waterfowl project biologist. “This increase has resulted in damage to agricultural crops and marsh vegetation in staging and wintering areas from Quebec to North Carolina. The Atlantic Flyway has established a goal of 500,000 greater snow geese to bring populations in balance with their habitat and reduce crop depredation.” Hunters who obtain a permit will be required to complete an online survey after April 26 and prior to May 16, 2013, whether they hunted or not. Hunters without access to the internet may obtain a copy of the survey by calling 802-878-1564. The Spring Snow Goose hunt occurs annually from March 11 until the Friday before Youth Turkey Weekend. During spring migration, snow geese typically move through the Champlain Valley in late March and early April. They usually pass through Vermont fairly quickly in route to their spring staging areas along the St. Lawrence River Valley. Here they remain for about a month before moving on to their nesting areas in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. About 100 snow geese are taken by Vermont hunters during the spring seasons.
The New Hampshire Antler & Skull Trophy Club 7th Edition NH Big Game Record Book is now available!
• New State Records • Boone & Crockett Trophies • Hunting Stories • NHASTC Hall of Fame • Incredible Antler Racks! and much more. Don’t wait till they’re gone, order yours today!
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The Outdoor Gazette
Enclosed please find my check for $
Name:
Address: City:
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Zip:
Please allow 2 - 4 weeks for delivery. Mail or photocopy this form and send to: NHASTC Record Book Roscoe Blaisdell, President 22 Schribner Road Raymond, NH 03077
February 2013
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From the back of a canoe Fly Fish New Hampshire Show
The 11th annual show will be March 2nd & 3rd. Saturday 9-4 and Sunday 8-3 at the Pelham Fish and Game club 100 Simpson Mill Road Pelham NH. This year’s show will feature three well known authors. In alphebital order; Bob Romano, Paul VanderWende and Don Wilson. Bob Romano’s first book Shadows in the Stream, is about the Rangeley area of Maine. The Lewiston Sun Press had this to say about Bob’s book of fly-fishing essays: “Aside from the prose that will make a regular to the region nod when a favorite fishing hole is mentioned, Romano’s knowledge of the area paints a realistic picture for the reader who has never set foot in Maine.” Bob’s following two books are fictional stories based on the same territory; North of Easie and West of Rangeley. Paul VanderWende book Field Guide to Trout Streams of New Hampshire is the most comprehensive book ever published on New Hampshire Rivers. Twenty five rivers and streams are included in the book with topographical maps, pictures, river features, and access with GPS coordinates. If you like to fish ponds Trout Ponds of New Hampshire is a must. It includes acres, maps with pond depth, elevation, access and directions. Don Wilson grew up on the shores of Moosehead Lake in Maine, where his family has run a sporting camp since 1865. A licensed Maine guide, Don has written over a dozen books on fly fishing, tying and historical and still retains a cabin on Moosehead Lake. A few of the titles are; Smelt Fly Patterns,
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Tandem Streamers, Glimpses of Maine’s Angling Past and Fog on the Water. Presentations for this year’s
show are: 9am Dick Peterson – F ly Fishing 101 What you need to get started 11am Jim Norton – the New England Fly Box 12 & 1:30 Tom Jutras F ly Casting Demonstration 12:30 Angus Boezeman F ly Fishing Strategies 2pm Bob Romano Fly Fishing Maine’s Rangeley Lakes Region A partial list of vendors include: Broadsides Custom F ly International, Fishing Products, Dan’s F ly Shop, Outcast Custom Rods, Fish Story Guide Service, New Hampshire Rivers Guides Service, Costal Conservation Association of NH, Northwind Outfitters and Guide Service,
By Jim Norton
Paul’s Bait Rig & Tackle, Opechee Trading Post, Osprey Fishing Adventures, New Hampshire Guides Association, North Country Angler, Shadcreek Flies, Vedavoo, Tom
Jutras NH Guide and United Fly tiers. From novice to expert there’s something for everyone. Fly Fish New Hampshire has more licensed New Hampshire fishing guides than any other show and is a great opportunity to talk about fishing opportunities from the seacoast to the North Country. If you’re planning a trip to Maine it’s a good chance to see Bob Romano presentation on the Rangeley lakes regions of Maine. Drive east with Bob along Route 16 from Errol, New Hampshire to Rangeley, Maine, stopping along the way to fish the Magalloway, Cupsuptic, Kennebago and Rapid Rivers as well as such historic fishing locations as Upper and Middle Dams where Carrie Stevens originated her Gray Ghost streamer and Louise Dickinson Rich wrote her books about living in the Maine woods. Bob has updated his presentation especially for the Show to include new photographs of the region. There will be a rod building class Saturday; pre-registration is required. Call 508-892-3765. Here’s a link to the show flyer: www.mer rimacktu.org/FFNHFlyer-2013.pdf For years I been manning a both or doing presentations at shows so I’m usually on the other side of the table or speaking. Besides talking to a lot of
February 2013
clients or students from the Northeast F ly Fishing class there’s usually a number of anglers that stop by from year to year. Names were never my strong suit and recognizing someone in a different environment is not that easy. All anglers look a little alike at a distance with waders, vests or chest packs, sun glasses and hats. Seeing someone without a hat or in a different setting can take a minute or two to recognize or remember. Anglers talk about everything from rivers to flies equipment and anticipated trips. There’s always a changes in technology; mostly rods but usually nothing as drastic as the change from bamboo to fiberglass or to graphite or waders going from rubber to neoprene and then breathable. The most common topic the last few years has been the change from felt soles to rubber in wading boots. Sometimes there’s a slack time in the afternoon at shows when you can visit with other guides and outfitters. The Pelham show has a vendor’s dinner Saturday night and it provides the opportunity to catch up on what’s going on with vendors and guides. During the season we seldom have the opportunity to talk although I stop in fly shops to pick up items and chat whenever the opportunity arises. Most if not all the guides at the show are members of the New Hampshire Guides Association and we get together for meetings and Wilderness First Aid recertification. There are always new guides getting into the business and a few leaving for one reason or another; mostly economical. It’s difficult if not impossible to make a living in New Hampshire as a fishing guide. Another source of income is required; teaching is probably one of the best; steady employment and fringe benefits with weekends and July and August off. If I was younger and wanted to guide I’d probably move to Montana but even there with the opportunity for more days on the water it’s not easy. Jim Norton is a native of New Hampshire and author of the book Granite Lines. He enjoys fly-fishing & tying, bird hunting and a variety of other outdoor activities and is also a registered NH fishing Guide. Visit his website at www.nhriversguide.com The Outdoor Gazette
Stick and String By Fred Allard
Bear Archery
Traditional archery and bowhunting is my Outdoor thing. Part of this thing that I do includes collecting old archery paraphernalia, mainly bows. Bows from the father of bowhunting, Fred Bear. Over the next few months I am going to talk about this collecting of mine. Tell you how to figure out when that old Bear bow that you have in the basement was made, and where. If I don’t spark your interest, then you should sell that old Bear bow to me. Fred Bear’s first company was started in 1933. The place was Detroit, Michigan. It started as a small archery shop under the name, The Bear Products Company. Believe it or not archery was only a small fraction of what this company did at this time. The Bear Products Company’s bread butter was silk screening and other advertisement projects for the auto industry. Fred Bear did make bows for himself and some of his friends but the bear products company did not offer bows to the public until 1938. This is when Fred hired a very skilled Detroit woodworker, and bowyer, by the name of Nels Grumley. Fred had a business partner but the archery thing was his baby. In 1940 the archery portion of The Bear Products Company had grown enough that Fred decided to sell his half of the advertising business to his partner and started the Bear Archery Company. The economy was kind of like it is now a days but Fred proved to be a wise businessman. The company continued to grow throughout the forties and in 1947, Fred decided to build a new plant in Grayling. Later to raise capital to expand the business further Fred Bear sold the Bear archery Company to Victor Comptometer in 1968. Fred would remain the president of the company under the new owner. The Bear Archery Company did very well in Grayling and steadily grew to be the largest archery products company in America. A strike at the plant in 1978 forced the owners to pick up and move to Gainesville, Florida. The Bear Archery Companies is a fixture in Gainesville to this day. Fred Bear remained a very active participant in the daily operations of his company until his death at the age of 86 in 1988. The bear archery company has been in business now for 72 years. It is still one of the most successful archery companies in the world. Because I am a collector of traditional archery equipment I am going The Outdoor Gazette
to write about their traditional bows. I will take the time to do research on the modern era of Bear Archery in a
future column. The Bear archery Company has produced more traditional style bows than any other Archery company. The peak production year was 1975 when they produced 360,000 bows. Because they made so many bows they are the perfect bow for the average Joe like me. There are other archery companies that have produced fewer bows but these are much more difficult to find and can be quite pricey. Back to Nels Grumley. When the Bear Products Company first started producing bows commercially, 1938, Fred Bear hired Nels Grumley as his bowyer. Nels’ work was astonishing and it was obvious he took pride in his craft. Every bow that Nels made for Fred was stamped, until the stamp was dropped and broken, or signed “Bear Products by Grumley” or “Bear Archery by Grumley”. In 1948 Nels resigned from Bear archery as the company began to mass-produce bows at their new factory in Grayling. Nels did not jive with the idea of bows being made by machine. He felt a bowyer should individually craft them. Fred tried to convince Nels to stay with him and Bear Archery but despite generous financial offers, Nels chose to resign and go out on his own. “Grumley by Grumley” bows were only made for 2 years. Nels’ company did not survive and he ended up working for an appliance manufacturer as a model
maker. Nels was not the only bowyer to work for Fred in the early days. There were many others that produced the lower lines of Bear Bows.
If “ Grumley” was on your Bear bow you can be assured it was top of the line. Nels Grumley made four different styles Stock bows. The Field, the Hunter, the Bush Bow and the Deer slayer. The Field model was a straight limb bow. The Hunter sported steamed limb tips without brush nocks. The Bush Bow had brush nocks about 1-2 inches long that were carved in to the bow and the Deer slayer had brush nocks 3-4 inches long. Nels also filled custom orders for one of a kind bows for customers that ordered them. Options included 2 piece take downs. The 2 piece takedowns came in either a take apart design or hinged. Fred Allard lives in Haverhill, NH with his family. He is a Bowhunter Education Instructor, a scorer for the Northeast Big Buck Club, the New Hampshire Antler and Skull Trophy Club and the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club. He is the President of the Montshire Traditional Bowhunters. Fred can be reached by emailing fred@theoutdoorgazette.com.
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February 2013
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Reflections of the Outdoor Angel Driving around spotting “stuff ”
So I have my first turkey hunt in. Didn’t shoot anything (besides my mouth) because turkey season in Vermont wouldn’t be open for another few weeks. But we would be back at in again at 4:30 AM. I could get used to this! I was up at 3:45 beautifying myself for the darkness in the woods and antsy to put my new rifle skills to the test. Today I’d be out looking for the giant (looked at least 110 pounds!) coyote we’d spotted the day before. This guy was going down. No more havoc to reek on the farmers land or innocent wildlife. I was doing my part for conservation. Apparently the coyotes are quite a problem in Vermont and I was on a mission to help. After being made to RUN the day before for what seemed like 6 miles (probably closer to ? mile) I asked if we’d have to run today. I was assured by Lee Dufresne, owner of Elusion Camo, no running would be involved. Whew, off the hook! I hate running and avoid it at all costs. Unless of course a bargain basement sale is going on! The morning started out at a very chilly – actually downright cold – 32 degrees. I had on the same layers from the day before and was beginning to question my sensibility. I’m sitting on the cold ground for extended periods without moving. What on earth had I been thinking? I had gloves along, but what good did they do me in my luggage. Shrug it off and stop being a wimp. I knew that’s what Lee was thinking but he had the sense to keep this to himself. Today would bring a different view. We were on a plateau sitting in front of a huge tire pile. I’m proud to say I had spotted 2 – yes 2 – coyotes near this area the previous day. The guys listened to me and we were
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back for the attack. I’m sure it was their plan all along, but I like to take credit for our venue. The tire pile, a large mound covered with plastic
held down by tires (hence the name) was blocking the sun. I could feel the cold creeping in and I didn’t like it. Shh, turkeys were making their way toward us. I moved my eyeballs in the direction they were and sure enough I saw 2 dark objects. Why weren’t they moving though? Oops, I had spotted 2 dirt clumps. I really need to get some camo contacts so I can SEE more clearly. Well, the turkey came and went but now Lee and his videographer Kevin Hoyt spotted a coyote across the way in another field. He was on the prowl and crossed the road. Time to move. Oh no! Lee made me run again – after he promised no running would be involved. I’ll deal with him later; I had a coyote to shoot! We were now arranged and ready. I actually warmed after running which got my blood flowing. This
By Mary Kay
wasn’t so bad after all! My cameraman was now pushing the fact that I was cold. I think he was using me as an excuse because HE was cold. Who would believe a tough guy would be cold? Blame it on the sissy
girl who’s not dressed appropriately, except for the Elusion Camo, which allowed me to be up close and personal with the wildlife. I said I had warmed after the marathon run, but we packed it in. I didn’t even get to shoot. But I have to say I looked good holding the gun! I still had 3 ? days to accomplish that goal, so back to the truck we went. Driving around spotting “stuff ” apparently is how this hunting thing is done. At one point we pulled over and poured out of the vehicle. What had they spotted? A clump of switch grass, big deal, I’ve seen grass. Now I was being told to sit down in front of the grass. What kind of joke was being played on me? Kevin Hoyt (videographer extraordinaire and all around good guy) started taking video. What kind of sick stunt do they have up their sleeves? Did they want to capture me on film screaming like a girl with snakes crawling all over me? I wanted no part of this but I would not be a wimp. I was AMAZED when I saw (actually didn’t see) the footage. I was nowhere to be found. It looked like a picture of tall brown grass. But I knew I had been there!?! My Elusion Camo, Airbourne Stalk pattern, literally blended right in with the surroundings. So good it was scary. That afternoon Elusion Camo was being visited by Beagle Outdoor Wear for a business venture. I made myself scarce and took time to catch up on my reading. I was enjoying my quiet time when Lee came in, said “Let’s go” and briefed me. He was showing the video of me “hiding” in the field to Emile Willett and
February 2013
Derek Libby, co-owners of Beagle Outdoor Wear, along with Lane Benoit, legendary deer hunter and spokesman for Beagle Outdoor Wear, and wanted to recreate it live. Show time! We went to the same spot. The men huddled together (and not because they were cold) while I took my place. Ok, they knew where I was, or did they? Lee called out for me to wave to the group. I complied. They gasped! They had me pegged at a different clump, and someone else thought I had been lying down. No lying down on this job. My back was ramrod straight while sitting up! If that wasn’t enough, 2 men in 2 different patterns also ran the test. Each time was just as phenomenal, grown adults being undetectable. I felt honored to be included in the “celebratory” lunch. This was a match made in heaven. Beagle does lightweight wool clothing so now the marriage of wool with Elusion Camo will keep me toasty on those chilly mornings. No complaints from this girl and a lot easier than toting my electric blanket along. After all where could I plug that in? I don’t think the coyote dens are outfitted with electricity and I wasn’t about to knock at that door. With pictures and goodbyes said the Beagle crew was back on the road for home. Another guest was expected. Wow, this was shaping up to be an action packed day. We were still outside visiting and dressed in our Elusion Camo when a white car pulled in to the drive. A gentleman stopped and cupped his hands around his eyes like he was looking through binoculars. He “pretended” he couldn’t see us. This would be none other than Jay Faherty and I knew he was going to be fun! Jay is the owner/creator of HIPSblind and turkey caller extraordinaire! He was in to discuss his blind – Hidden in plain Sight (HIPS) now being made with Elusion Camo fabric. Check this out because we were sitting in open fields with the blind and the birds had no clue. Our next move was to strategize. I was scheduled to go to Manchester, VT for a visit/tour of the Orvis Flagship Store, and felt left out of the hunt! But I still had 2 days to be one of the guys, and I was excited about fly fishing! Plus I would not have to be up at 3:45 for Orvis! Stay tuned for more… Mary is the host of “The Outdoor Angel”. This is an Outdoors show that features a novice woman out hunting and fishing with the industries top pros.. Mary Kay will inspire the uninspired to enjoy the great outdoors
The Outdoor Gazette
Pop’s Kitchen
Cajun Venison Chili
Sponsored by Green Mt. Marinades
1-1/2 2 pounds pounds ground ground beef beef or or venison venison 1-1/2 -- 2 1/2 onion, onion, chopped chopped 1/2 1 teaspoon ground black black pepper pepper 1 teaspoon ground 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon garlic garlic pepper pepper 1/2 teaspoon celery 1/2 teaspoon celery seed seed 2-1/2 cups tomato sauce 2-1/2 cups tomato sauce 1 (8 (8 ounce) ounce) jar jar salsa salsa (mild, (mild, medium, medium, or or hot) hot) 1 1 tablespoons cajun seasoning mix 1 tablespoons cajun seasoning mix 1 (15 (15 ounce) ounce) can can light light red red kidney kidney beans beans 1 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
1. In In a a large large saucepan saucepan over over medium medium heat, heat, combine combine the the 1. ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or or until meat meat is is browned browned and and onion onion is is tender. tender. Drain Drain until grease, if desired. desired. grease, if 2. 2. Add Add the the ground ground black black pepper, pepper, garlic garlic pepper, pepper, celery celery seed, tomato tomato sauce, sauce, salsa, salsa, cajun cajun seasoning seasoning mix mix and and seed, kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at at least least an an hour. hour. for
Bill "Pop" Burke, resides in Claremont, NH. If you would like to contact Pop send an email to: pops-kitchen@hotmail.com
The Outdoor Gazette
February 2013
Page 35
Fish & Wildlife Management Winter Food for Deer & Thought
The winter of 2013 has gotten off to a good start…for deer that is. Across the north country of Maine, NH and Vermont where winter harvests its’ own deer, the snow and cold have, thus far, been sparing. It is beginning to look like this may be another easy winter for deer. Most of the area currently having more than 18 inches of snow is limited to extreme northern New Hampshire and northwestern Maine. If the current weather pattern continues through the winter, we can expect deer numbers to continue to grow this year. Early reports from both Vermont and New Hampshire (http://www.nhfishandwildlife.com /2012-est-deer-kill.php) indicate that the 2012 deer harvest did surpass that of 2011. More information will be available from state agencies in the next month or two. Deer are not so tightly confined to their core winter cover areas during years with little snow. This allows deer to spread out and browse over a larger area. This means that more food is available to deer. At the same time, it reduces the intensity of browsing in the vicinity of critical canopy cover giving vegetation a break from the annual cycle of winter browsing. This can bolster the capacity of critical food sources, improving its’ ability to support deer during subsequent winters. An added bonus is that fewer deer tend to crowd around legal and illegal deer feeding stations during open winters. In my experience winter feeding of deer is generally a bad thing for deer. Frequently, deer feeding operations draw deer away from winter cover and close to or across roads thus increasing their exposure to coyotes and encounters with vehicles. Cars don’t discriminate between the old, the young, the diseased and the healthy the way “old
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man winter” does. In the past 20 years, many hunters/private land owners have taken up the practice of creating food plots to enhance food sources available deer and lure deer to cer-
tain locations on their property. Food plots and agricultural crops do provide deer valuable food sources provide for dispersed feeding opportunities. When deer are drawn out of winter cover across deep snow to winter feeding stations, they become more susceptible to coyotes. Anyone who has ever watched deer at a feeding station should have noticed the pecking order-like competition among deer as they posture, stare and strike
By Wayne A. Laroche
each other with their front hoofs. Mature bucks are most aggressive. However, does are also very aggressive towards fawns and may keep fawns from feeding when feed is concentrated in piles. Most deer starving during the winter die after the first of March by
which time their fat reserves can be depleted. Waiting to start feeding deer late in the winter is a really bad idea. Like dairy cattle, the microorganisms responsible for digestion in deer’s stomachs adjust slowly to major changes in diet. Sudden changes late in winter cam simply and quickly kill deer. Whitetails are browsers. They eat a lot of wood. That means their diet requires even higher fiber content than cattle which are grazers eating grass. As a result, all of the feeding stations that I have ever visited were surrounded by forested areas that had been pretty much stripped clean of woody browse suitable for deer. If fawns are locked out of feeding on the feed piles and doe and fawn groups don’t move far from feeding stations through the day, slim pickings may remain for fawns and other subordinate deer. Too much grain and not enough fiber in a ruminants diet is a sure recipe for stomach problems. Lack of fiber means less cud chewing and saliva production. Saliva buffers the stomach. Every dairy farmer knows what acidosis can do to a cow. Deer like cattle are cud chewing ruminants. You can’t manage a dairy herd by just feeding
February 2013
them grain. Most of the folks manning deer feed station give absolutely no though to what a deer’s dietary requirements are. If deer feeders did know about deer nutrition, could they and would they do anything to improve the situation? My observations on human nature suggest that some would try more than others would, while some just wouldn’t put in the effort. To improve native browse for deer adjacent to feeding stations would certainly take effort and planning to make any improvements sustainable. Trees would have to be cut to promoter regeneration. Hardwood regeneration would have to be accomplished and sustained on a rotational basis on acreage large enough to assure a constant supply of browse in the vicinity of the feeding station as well as the critical softwood cover needed by deer for thermal protection and predator avoidance. Does this sound like a lot of work and planning? In fact, you might even have to fence deer out of areas being regenerated to get trees past early stages of growth in areas near feeding sites used by a lot of deer. This kind of feed station and forest management would take a dedicated effort. When it is legal for anyone to feed deer, exactly how can there be any assurance that good feeding management practices will be employed and good things will be accomplished for deer…better survival/nutrition? Is it likely that merely educating people would assure good practices? Given the small number of deer wintering areas in some parts of the country, a single bad operator may be able to adversely impact next fall’s deer numbers and harvest for miles around the feeding station. He/she may wind up killing more deer than are “saved” by winter feeding. Odds are pretty good that when this happens you and I will not even know what happened. We will be left thinking of reasons for why there are fewer deer. Of course, we can just blame it on doe season. Wayne Laroche directed Vermont’s Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2003 until 2011 serving as the Commissioner. He holds degrees in both fisheries and wildlife management from the Univ. of Maine and California State Univ. Wayne is a native Vermonter and currently resides in Franklin, VT. He enjoys tracking whitetails in the big woods of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Wayne can be reached by emailing deerwayne@franklinvt.net. The Outdoor Gazette
The Maine Hunter By Steve Beckwith
Calling All Coyotes
Calling All Coyotes It was the day before Christmas 2012, most people are working or home inside planning for the festivities of Christmas day. But not my son Russell and I, we were up as the sun was rising in the sky, sitting with our backs up against a tree, waiting for enough daylight to turn on our video cameras and start our day of calling coyotes! The first setup was on a powerline where we have heard and seen many coyotes in the past, while out turkey hunting and deer hunting. The wind was in our face and everything was in our favor for a good morning. But on set up number one we had no takers. At least that showed their faces into the open powerline we set up on. Many times coyotes in dense forest growth will not run right out into large fields and openings, like they do out west. This is not to say they won’t here in New England, just that it is not as natural and they are a lot more cautious to this type setup! It’s always worth the effort to try this type setup at daybreak and last light. When we call coyotes in the cold of winter, we prefer to do twenty (20) minute setups, with several call sequences run in intervals and a minute or two breaks between sequences, using the Snowshoe hare (Jackrabbit) in distress call. Coyotes typically will hear this call and be on their way in a trot almost immediately, if they are looking for a free meal! In nature other predators like owls, hawks and foxes will capture a rabbit (A Snowshoe Hare in Maine’s case as Cottontail Rabbits are very rare and only in the far southern tip of Maine!), it will be heard for miles as it screams and tries to get away from the grip of death of these predators. The call sounds we use are actual recordings of a Snowshoe Hare, so
The Outdoor Gazette
they are quite convincing! After set up one revealed no coyotes, we opted for heading into dense cover. We set up with our backs to a mature pine and hemlock grove, which is a great backdrop for us to setup against. We positioned ourselves about 50 yards from the edge of a very thick, swamp edge with a lot of dead trees and larger bush growth, making it impassible by
feeling rather dumb founded, he spied us and flew away! Russ and I both looked at each other and said, “Wow, that was awesome”! We continued calling for twenty minutes and nothing appeared! We returned to our vehicle and headed to spot three of our morning plans. When we got to spot three, it was a Saturday and there were some folks out walking their dogs and we had to move on to location number four! We decided to walk about a
humans. With camera rolling and Russell positioned with his AR-15, we started the call sequence and in less then 30 seconds our motion decoy that was attached to our Foxpro call, was the target of a hungry Bared Owl! This owl came from the swamp on a mission to find the wounded rabbit! When he saw the motion of the decoy, it attacked the call. We had placed the caller in a blueberry bush about 5 feet off the ground and the weight of the owl turned the call box and decoy upside down. I was videoing this as the call and owl went upside down, the owl continued his attack until he realized that decoy was only cloth and the call box wasn’t edible! The owl then flew into a tree right in front of Russell and I and tried to figure out what just happened, as he sat there
mile down a powerline and set up just inside the woods in a triangle of a brook and thick cover. As we approached the calling setup area we stopped to check the wind direction and the wind was blowing our scent down wind right into the nose of the coyotes! We had walked the mile in and decided what did we have to loose, we were there and t was our last setup of the day! We setup with our backs to the powerline about 10 yards into the woods facing the thick bunny cover. We started the call and within two minutes of the call starting up, a coyote was running full stream ahead right at the call decoy, which was on the ground, I quickly got on him with the camera as I whispered to Russ, he was coming in. The coyote ran right up to the call decoy and stopped 20 feet from
February 2013
it and froze stiff staring at it. Unfortunately for Russell with is AR in hand, the coyote stopped right behind a large bull pine tree in his sightline. When the coyote broke his fixed stance on the decoy, he took off with such speed he bolted into the brush never to be seen again, leaving Russell and I with the memories he and I will never forget! All we could say is, at least we got that on film! We gave ourselves a high-five and headed back to the Jeep and called it a great day! Upon arrival to the house, I headed right to my office to pull the footage off the camera and get it on the TV so we could re-live the day, only to learn that my Canon GL2 didn’t like the freezing cold temperatures of the day and although I watched the entire day’s events through the camera, nothing recorded on the tape! The day is now truly nothing but a father and son memory that will last a lifetime! Russell and I will be back out there calling again and hopefully the new cameras we bought will work under such extreme conditions! For more information on coyote hunting, join our forum at CoyoteCrosshairs.com and share and learn about the great sport of coyote hunting in New England! Steve Beckwith is a Registered Maine Guide, ThermaCELL Pro Staff, and owns these owns these websites: • MaineGuideCourse.com • MaineHunters.com • CoyoteCrosshairs.com • MoosePermit.com • MaineGuidedHunts.com He is a life member, editor and webmaster of the North Berwick Rod and Gun Club. A videographer, website designer and internet entrepreneur with his online portfolio located at MultitaskWebsites.com, Steve can be reached through any of his websites.
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Hard Water Fishing Ice Fishing River Systems 101
Through the years, we have put together a formula for success while fishing river systems. Countless trips were taken with limited success before we started taking note of the external factors that either make a trip picture worthy or just a long ride home. Like any usual body of water, fishing low light conditions at sunrise and sunset offer a decent bite but not always the best. The movement of water in any direction gets baitfish and aquatic insects moving causing a feeding frenzy. When the water is rising or just starting to fall you will find your best bites. At these times of the day the fish will come out of their dense weed mats to feed in more open water. Hydro dams produce power for when their demand is predicted to be up. With that being said think about the busiest times of day for most residences. Weekdays tend to be a little more consistent since dam openings and closings are more frequent
By D & B Ice Adventures
hydro dams. Knowing how to read external factors such as blue
and scheduled, making it easier to predict good bites. Understanding how to read the channel and weed structure is vital to not only catching fish but being able to stay on them throughout their daily migration. Each area that we fish seems to have a completely different channel layout or in some cases no channel at all. In most large river setbacks, the channel will often times run adjacent to a shoreline. Knowing this will save you time when searching for the channel and the fish it may be holding. Once the channel is located it is useful to find the closest weed line or flat. This will give you a starting point for your search when the water is low or the sun is high. Fish will often tuck into the thickest weeds along the channel’s edge. Channel features to key in on are inside turns, sharp breaks in depth contours, and like we said before, weed edges. Timing is everything when fishing a larger river system with
First and last light, high water, and cloudy days you will mainly
Bobby Booth of Db Ice Adventures
Dylan Smith of Db Ice Adventures
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skies, cloud cover, and pressure systems can make or break a day.
February 2013
find us set up over short weeds
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The Outdoor Gazette
and in the channel. As the sky gives way to an abundance of
light, the panfish that we are after slide from feeding mode in open water to their daytime retreats in dense weeds. One interesting factor that is huge in
The Outdoor Gazette
most bodies of water doesn’t seem to impact river fishing is
atmospheric pressure. These fish are regulated mainly by water flows and sunlight more than anything else. Anyone who fishes regularly
has had a day where anything seems to go. The fish were biting on large or small, any presentation worked. Well, that happens for us on the river but not that often. Most times we are downsizing our presentation to a size 10-12 hook in order to finesse even the most finicky biters. The only time that this method really hurts is when fishing deep water and it takes a long time to reach the fish. One great way to combat deep water, or any water for that matter, is to use tungsten. Sure it is a bit more expensive but being able to punch through dense weeds and speed up drop time of a jig far outweighs the cost. The next addition to our presentation is plastics. We fish plastics 95% of the time because they work that well. The main plastic we use on the river was designed specifically for that application. It is called the Jamei by Maki Plastics. It started as a split tail bait but to combat line twist, five protrusions were added to each side. The quality of fishing on river systems, changes drastically throughout the ice season. Early to mid winter will offer the best bite as the fish are seeking better-sheltered areas and easier forage. As winter progresses the bite for bluegill and crappie
February 2013
from previous page
seems to diminish as the numbers of perch and other larger predators move in preparing to spawn. Along with the first major warm up, there is noticeable decrease in the overall flat fish population. Our theory is that these fish move out of the setback to search for warmer water as the main river thaws because of flowing water and war mer snow melt run-off. These fish will stage in this warmer water until their spawn occurs. With all this being said, it would sound like we won’t fish the river if the conditions are not in our favor. There is some truth to that but in reality, the fish will be there it just depends how hard you want to work for them. D & B Ice Adventures is based out of Barre, Vermont and composed of two fishing fanatics: Dylan Smith and Robert Booth. With an equal drive time to the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain, the hardest decision is whether they want to catch giant bluegill on the river or huge pumpkinseed on the lake with crappie in the mix at both. These decisions have been logged through their blog www.dbiceadventures.wordpress.com which gives details on what they have to endure to be successful. You can checck them on facebook too at www.facebook.com/DBIceAdventures.
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Southern Side Up By Alex Cote
Boston Harbor duck hunt
The temperature was hovering between 12 and 14 degrees depending on what side of the house I checked it on. A last minute gear check and we were on our way to the scheduled rendezvous point. As I pulled into the parking lot, there was a truck towing a duck boat. So, I assumed that it was our ride, Tom Rochette. I jumped out of the truck with an arm load of cloths and was a little surprised, it was Tom’s brother Gene that greeted me, not Tom. That was fine, I was simply expecting Tom. Gene told me that I could put my gear into the back of his truck. Gene said that Tom was on his way. I first met Tom at a local restaurant several years back. I was having a discussion on hunting over breakfast one morning. He introduced himself and asked where he could find some duck hunting spots. We kindled a friendship from that chance meeting. Tom’s Brother Gene, owns and operates Stateline Guns and Archery in Plaistow. He has been kind enough to donate to
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various events such as New Hampshire chapter of QDMA annual banquet and Ducks Unlimited. Tom is a tax consultant and operates Rochette Tax service in Deerfield. Like Gene, he also has
been very generous to many of the same various organizations with fund raising donations. In fact, several years running, we have shared a
table at the QDMA banquet. Tom actually has been the high bidder on several sea duck hunting trips out of Boston Harbor. Last year, son Alex II and I were invited to tag along but it simply wasn’t in the cards for us and never happened. This year, we were kindly invited again, this time
over the school Christmas break. I was physcd to say the least. Now, this was Alex II’s first time duck hunting period, never mind the fact that it was late December, cold and we were hunting sea ducks in Boston Harbor! Fact of the matter is, he has only shot at hand thrown clays only once! This was going to prove interesting! As for myself, I had done a lot of quacker hunting but that was 35 plus years ago! I had only been sea duck shooting once. That one trip was so long ago, lead shot was still in and we used plastic milk jugs strung together and painted black for decoys! I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect and I would have to say that I didn’t ask the right questions to begin with. My biggest mistake was not enough in the glove department. Needed something waterproof or at least something waterproof, even if it was Mom’s over cleaning rubber gloves to wear while handling the decoys or the boats anchor line. After a series of back roads, actually, quite a few back streets, we were at the boat launch. The guys were a little surprised, we were the only hunters thus far and the boat ramp hadn’t even been plowed out! It was windy and it was awfully damn cold! The outside temperature reading inside of the truck read a balmy 10 degrees and factoring in the wind, who knows! To even consider launching the boats, Gene unhooked his and drove back and fourth breaking down the snow bank. The biggest issue to contend with was now the ice on the cement ramp from the spray. With snow banking out of the way, it was time to get out
February 2013
the layers of cloths and get dressed. Alex II and I had two base layers then an over layer. After putting on my second base, I reached for my knee high rubber boots. They were nowhere to be found! Nothing in Gene’s truck, panicking, I rummaged through Tom’s truck. Nothing, no boots! Now what? I was almost ashamed to tell anyone. Then Tom asked me where the 5 gallon bucket seats were that he asked me to bring! I had completely forgotten them at home! I must have been making a good impression at this point! I kind of chuckled, It must have been that tell all snicker, Tom immediately asked me what else I had forgotten! A one word reply was all that was needed, I said, ”Boots”! I was going through my bag and came up with a second pair of socks. My plan was to wear the shoes that I had come in, a simple pair of cloth slip on type, something like a pair of crocs. He laughed and threw me a pair on Lacrosse calf highs, they fit simply marvelous! With boots, and makeshift seats, we were in the water and off at last. At first, the harbor was reasonably calm. As the morning grey began to lighten, the wind picked up some. We were treated to a great sunrise over the water but soon disappearing to overcast skies. With the overcast horizon, came the winds out of what appeared to be the north. All I could think about, was a story that I had read about a bunch of duck hunters that were stranded in a storm that blew in out of nowhere causing white out conditions and severe cold and killing a fair number because of it. Many of them froze to death! It was cold in Boston harbor this morning, that was for sure. The boat carrying Tom’s brother began to set out decoys. We tried to set anchor, only tried! The wind was just blowing too hard to make it work. We changed anchors with the other boat and managed to get it set. There were birds flying everywhere! Even as we tried to set anchor, there were ducks landing in our decoys! At last the other boat was anchored and let the shooting begin. The first group came in and Alex was a little quick to the trigger. He let rip with the 870 and touched nothing but air! As would be the case with 90 plus percent of his shots! But when he did connect for the first time, he was elated. He grinned from ear to ear to the point where I honestly thought he was going to bail out and swim after the bird himself ! I didn’t take his eyes off the floating bird and never saw a
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The Outdoor Gazette
Taxidermy Trails By Rodney Elmer Here’s your chance!
Deer hunting in Vermont. Love it or hate it? 2013 is the year to think, articulate and act! The Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife is asking the people to evaluate their hunting experiences, imagine what they would like to see happen and contact them during the next 8
tact us through this survey.” The department will form 3 working groups of six to ten citizens that will meet several times during the next eight months to discuss new management strategies, possibilities and changes. These people will be selected through applications on the
back. Their findings will be presented to the state’s deer team and the F&W board. The annual yearly deer meetings are under way and new format’s for these meetings are involving more input from attendees. We have some basic fundamentals and overall rules that must be adhered to like herd health, carrying capacity and habitat health. However, many changes are possible. Season dates, bag limits, antler restrictions, habitat work, incentives, yard protection and development. As well as new mapping, public outreach in forestry, planning and survey results to be made public. This is your chance to say what’s on your mind and take part. Here what ideas are on other people’s minds that could make positive advances? The goal is to do the best job possible to create a better management process as well as keeping up with changing preferences among the state’s people. The survey contains questions like, where do you hunt, private land or public land or both? Do you hunt deer in other states? How important is it to you to protect young bucks?
Do you support antler restictions? and the like. Now that 8 years have passed since the antler restrictions took place it seems time to evaluate its effects and hunter satisfactions. At the January 31 meeting in Barre, habitat was a top concern along with winter yarding areas, antler restrictions, and possible changes to rules. Currently, these moves will probably come about the fall after next. Personally, I feel that these plans by the dept. can facilitate the chances to increase the tools available for more flexible long term deer management much faster, especially when it comes to legislative moves. The days of high deer numbers may be over with such an aging forest, but why not have the best possible management? I would not be surprised to see some moves similar to New Hampshire’s current structures. How often do you hear “Everything is on the table!?” Come to the table with your views now so we can sit at the dining room tables come fall! Rodney Elmer and his wife Theresa own and operate Mountain deer taxidermy in Northfield,Vermont.
MOUNTAIN DEER TAXIDERMY months through a new comprehensive deer management plan and new web page. A survey is being conducted and public input is of the utmost importance! “Everything is on the table!” says Mark Scott. “ We want to know what the people think and would like to see as many people as possible conflight of maybe 10 birds come over the boat so low I probably could have taken out 2 or 3 with a tennis racket with one swing! When I fired, it brought him back to reality and he emptied the gun! Which now happened to be my 1100, he liked the semi auto idea better! So, by mid morning, we were all in. The flight of birds had become non existent. It was time for us to pack it up and head in. The other boat began to pick up the several dozen decoys that they had put out at first light. Alex II was happy, between the 2 of us, we had spent nearly a box and a half of shells. Alex had downed 3 sea ducks in his first duck hunting adventure. As far as pictures go, I got none! The cold drained the battery on my camera
The Outdoor Gazette
Dept.’s site. They will review data from the surveys and help provide input on the best structures for seasons and harvest strategies in varied regions across the state, representing the eastern & western foothills, mountains and northeast kingdom. They will act as liaisons to citizens in their regions and gain further feed-
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by the time we had gotten in. I took several pictures of the surroundings while on the water. As a mater of clarification, the hunt wasn’t about me, it was about Alex II, and so my wing shooting success isn't the issue here now is it! We will be shooting clays when the time allows and I was informed that we would be duck hunting more in the future! I was also informed that he was looking for a new shotgun, an 1100 is would recon! Alex Cote resides in Deerfield New Hampshire. He is on the Pro Staff for Northwood's Common Scents! He is also a scorer for the NHASTC. Alex and his son spend as much time outdoors as possible and he only works when he has to.
With over 20 years of experience in taxidermy, we pride ourselves in our ability to preserve your trophy to look as it did in its natural habitat. We work annually on about 300 mountings and presentations of many varieties of wildlife; deer, bears, moose, coyotes, fox, fisher, turkeys and more. We also work on animals from other parts of the globe including Africa. In addition to being entertaining, the stories of the hunters who are our cus tomers provide information allowing us to suggest possible ways to present and mount the trophies that they have bagged. Our high quality work can be seen by our many repeat customers that seek out our services. The presentation of your trophy can be head wall mounts or full body depictions. We are also the State of Vermont Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Big Game Reporting Station. A specially designed outdoor scale system with tall vertical clearance is also provided for easy weigh-in of all species.
Call Rodney or Theresa Elmer
at 802-485-7184
1308 Loop Road - Northfield, VT 05663
WWW.MOUNTAINDEERTAXIDERMY.COM
February 2013
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The Coastal Zone Captian John Curry By Captain
A Brace for Chatham
Chatham is my 3 year old male golden retriever. I feel bad for Chatham sometimes. Being the faithful companion to a fishing guide isn’t exactly the best gig for a pure bred retriever. He comes from a long line of field trial Champions so it’s in his DNA to get up early everyday and hunt with his master. As I am gathering my fishing gear at early hours of the morning I have to tell him “no boy, were not going after ducks today”. What doesn’t help is that I do wear camo fishing shirts on occasion and that really gets him excited. This is when the old head tilted sideways look of confusion sets in as only the canine species can exhibit. This is played out over and over again almost daily from March to the end of October. Don’t get me wrong this dog lives a charmed life. My wife makes it a point to spoil him at every turn. And when I tell him “no boy, not today”, he simply lays down with a loud thump and a moan knowing that when the wife awakes he’ll be chasing tennis balls before breakfast. Not the best habit for a trained retriever, but he seems
to turn on the hunting switch when it’s needed so I just bite my lip and
Chatham and his brace of Eiders.
let him play. Normally by the end of October the fishing boat is winterized and the duck boat is dragged out of its summer siesta. The normal cleaning, untangling decoy lines and general maintenance of trailer bearings and
such takes place. This is one of Chatham’s favorite days of the year. He and I will be outside all day tinkering on stuff and he is there always
with a stick or throwing dummy in his mouth nudging my side for a quick toss. Even with bearing grease on each hand I can still manage to toss a “bird” somewhere to keep his tail wagging. I love that sight as he holds his head high and pumps up his chest as he brings back the trophy bird (stick) to his trusting master. I’ll
I accompany him on a Lake Champlain diver hunt. This time, when I broke out the travel kennel, waders, gun and camo gear, Chatham knew this was no drill. The drive to Vermont was faced with a strong head wind all the way North West. This weather brought down a new flight of Goldeneye’s the previous night. The shooting wasn’t fast and furious, but for me it’s more about the crisp winter air, the escape from normal society (albeit for only a day) and the ability to see Chatham in his element. He has lost most of his refined training skills and is pretty low key for a 3 year old. This is not a jump all over you take off down the shoreline kind of dog. He goes about his business in a very slow deliberate demeanor. Which for me is a better trait in a gun dog than one that is super high strung. What Chatham lacks in pure energy he more than makes up for in a laser like nose and strong powerful swimming strokes. I have not seen him lose a duck yet in his three seasons. Our trip to Vermont was short and once we were back on Cape Cod life seemed to once again get in the way of a good day on the water. Cape Cod is loaded with ducks from November to February and into later
A pair of Hen Eiders coming into the hand carved cedar decoys.
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admit this day takes much longer than necessary with Chatham at my side, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. He has been turned away for over six months and deserves my undivided attention for a little while. This year for many reasons the annual “getting the duck boat ready” day came much later than normal. It wasn’t until midNovember that we were ready for some duck hunting. I missed the Vermont State opener due to a busy guiding season this past fall. It wasn’t until the end of November that my friend Mike Ryan, up in Grand Isle, VT offered to let Chatham and
February 2013
spring. By Christmas time most of the puddle ducks have moved south (except for the huge numbers of Black Ducks that winter here) and as the weather turns colder and the winds blow stronger the waterfowling gets tougher. We enjoy a later season than even states as far south as Maryland and the Carolinas. Our regular duck and goose season ends around January 20th. While Sea Ducks and the Atlantic Brant season runs until January 31st each year. For me the king of fowl is the Common Eider. It is a large, rugged and beautiful bird. The fact that this
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duck species lives 90% of its time on the open ocean is to me, amazing. I have not had the opportunity to put Chatham to the ultimate retriever test yet, fetching eiders. For most of December and January, when I had the chance to go out the weather called for small craft advisories and this time of year you don’t take chances. We even had most bays and launch sites iced in for two plus weeks. Yesterday (January 26th, 2013), I finally had a chance to head out for some Eiders. My buddy Dave Hodsdon said he would take up the offer to come along and I warned him that we may be driving around looking for a launch that wasn’t frozen most of the morning. He didn’t flinch and he even had to snake his right ankle with a brace into his waders. Dave started out this year with a bang, literally having broken his ankle on some ice January 1st. You got to like that hunter’s spirit. Well the weather called for 32 degrees and some light flurries with a light west wind. Now I’m a full time fishing guide from May to November and I know that if you’re not prepared well, things can go wrong on the water in a blink of an eye. Sea Duck hunting is not for the faint of heart and the first thing that went wrong was we hit 6 launch sites with most having 5-6 inches of ice locking them in. That is very thick for sea water to freeze in New England. Well we finally found a launch open and the tide was dropping fast so we had to scramble to get the boat in so as to not sink the truck in sand and muck at the end of the ramp. On our way out to the Hog Island Channel area of Upper
Chatham his own brace, as in a pair of Eiders. One hen and one drake just like the old market gunning days as ducks were sold in pairs known as a brace of duck. The wind continued to pick up speed so we set out one line of my
grabbed the line of deke’s and made our way to the other side of the bay. We were on a mission and it was getting close to the point where the tide would turn and the chop would begin. We had 15 minutes of a steady stream of one of nature’s
Dave Hodsdon of Dennis Port, MA with Chatham at the Launch.
trusty old Herter’s Eider decoys. Once we were set up it was apparent that the birds would be using a flight line that was not in our favor at all. As I was contemplating our move a hen eider came out of nowhere and surprised us with a 30 yard pass over the deke’s. It’s a been two months since I last shouldered my super black eagle, but she came up quickly and I slowed her down with my first shot and finished her in flight with my second load of 3.5” #1 shot. Chatham was called to duty. Like a well trained soldier that has done drill after drill when the real thing
most incredible sights, thousands of eiders heading to a feeding area like B-52 bombers in formation. The limit is one hen eider out of your 4 eider limit per day. So this meant passing up many “candy” shots at birds closer than 20 yards. Finally a small bunch that had a trailing drake
from previous page
in full plumage came just in range and I felt confident that if I missed him, none of his ladies would feel hot steal. My first shot was a dead miss, but my second shot dropped him and he quickly popped his head up only to be met with my last shot to finish him off quickly. Chatham was on him and just in time as we needed to get out of there in a hurry. Some may think that shooting only two ducks is not much a good day on the water, but for me it was one of my most memorable hunts. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Dave decided to leave his gun at home since he was not sure footed with his injury. A true sportsman who understands that safety comes first. So on a cold January day that ended a season that seemed to be full of reasons why I had to say “ no boy, were not going hunting today”, Chatham was able to hunt the king of all ducks and brave the cold waters and fast current to get his own brace, finally. Capt. John Curry grew up in Rehobeth, MA and summered on the Cape mainly in the Bass River area. He has over 30 years of fishing and boating on Cape Cod and Rhode Island waters. Currently living in W. Yarmouth and summers in Bourne. He runs a sportfishing business on tha Cape, visit his website www.capefishing.net.
The boat launch at Monument Beach, Bourne, MA under 6” of sea ice.
Buzzards Bay I noticed that we had our second problem. The wind was picking up and it was out of the north more than the westerly light breeze that our good friends at NOAA had predicted. This meant we had a short window to set up an attractive spread before the tide turned and would be against the ever increasing wind speed. While Dave suffered with his ankle in a brace (he actually said once it was in his waders it felt great in the icy cold water), I had my heart set on getting The Outdoor Gazette
happens, instincts take over. Chatham was on a good line for his retrieve. With strong steady strokes against the icy current he was on her and quickly twisted around to bring her back in. The sight of the amberbrown colored hen eider and his golden fir against the cold steel blue water was magical. I wish I had a free dry hand to snap a picture, but the cold wet chore of pulling him back in the boat was about to take place. Once he had sufficiently coated us with an icy saltwater spray we February 2013
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Trail Camera Photo Contest Sponsored by Chadwick’s Trail-Cams
Dan Green - Lyme , New Hamp
Not in the contest, but fou
shire
photo..from nd it on FB...very unique
Roscoe Blaisdell - Raymon
d New Hampshire
Texas
2012 Trail Camera Photo Contest
David Hinkle - Odenville, Alabam
a.
Sponsored by ChadwicksTrailcams.com Send in your trail camera pics, and for every picture that is published in The Outdoor Gazette you will get one chance to win one of three Trail Cameras.
Two (2) Winners will be drawn randomly and announced in the January 2013 issue. Plus One (1) Winner/Owner of “The Trail Camera Picture of the Year”, will be chosen by the Outdoor Gazette staff and folks on our Facebook page. The “Pic of the Year” will be on the cover of the Jan. 2013 issue!
Are you worried by sending in your pic of that trophy buck or huge bull moose, will give away your secret location? No need to worry! We will post your pics anonymously, with as little info as you like. Your secret is safe with us!
Roscoe Blaisdell- Raymon
d New Hampshire
2011 Trail Camera Photo Contest Winners ; Trail Camera Picture of the Year is Dan Green from Lyme, NH Random Winners - Thomas Flynn from Holderness, NH and Mary Emery from Enfield, NH
It’s a Granite State Sweep!
Send photos to: fred@theoutdoorgazette.com with the subject line “TC Photo Contest 2012” Page 44
Bruce Goguen - Souther n New Hampshire
February 2013
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February 2013
Page 45
Primitive Skills By Michael Douglas
Why “Primitive” Skills?
Do you hunt or fish? Maybe you go for hikes or paddle. These pursuits have been going on for thousands of years. Our ancestors developed abilities that seem the stuff of legend by outdoor enthusiasts today. Those abilities remain dormant in each of us. Our love for nature is an instinct to connect with the landscape we all share. Primitive doesn’t mean “stupid”. Profound simplicity, as we are calling it through discoveries & experiences, is interacting with the landscape in a meaningful way to encourage health & diversity for both you and the land that supports you. More than reclaiming ancestral wisdom (knowing wild edibles, medicinal plants, friction fire, reading tracks, understanding bird behavior & language, etc.). It is the expression of these skills in a modern context that make every outdoor pursuit more engaging, in depth, and meaningful. Imagine knowing where the deer were at every moment due to your ability to read the tracks in leaf litter and pine thatch, your knowledge of their diet through the seasons, and
the way the birds react to their presence. Not only do you know the bedding areas, feeding areas, and escape routes, you know the time of day and variations in their patterns
The primitive skill of fire building.
of movement through every season. With this awareness, you know the deer you will take, and you choose that deer because it will not only feed your family, it will make the rest
of the population healthier, more able to get through the harshness of winter. The hunt shifts from the adrenaline rush of the new comer to a mutual agreement based on respect and thankfulness. Perhaps you are hiking or pad-
dling. The bird alarms indicate the movement of a bear up ahead near the shore of the lake, giving you time to quiet yourself and take out your camera as it emerges to scout the shore line for fresh water clams or a washed up perch. Maybe you’re already practicing debris hut shelters and friction fire. Your understanding of the limitations and applications of modern tarps, tents, and fire starters increases as well. It doesn’t mean you have to leave your matches and sleeping bag at home, but it does mean your ability to light a fire in the rain with a single match has increased many time over as a result of your primitive pursuits. Who doesn’t appreciate the responsible approach of the steward or caretaker? There is an outdoor wisdom that goes beyond “no impact” toward an older approach; pro impact. Practicing Primitive Skills taps in to and begins to culti-
vate the intuitive tracker and woods folk in all of us. We track subjects for fun and insight, but in the winter we follow the trail in the opposite direction of travel to prevent stressing the animal. We find ourselves spreading seeds of important plants for food and medicine, for us as well as the specific species on a decline during their population cycle. We even control the spread of nonnative invasive plant species. Learning the edible and medicinal uses of Japanese Knotweed and harvesting it responsibly has kept it in check in our area. Regardless of language, geography or culture, we all come out of the womb with predictable and reoccurring tendencies. We all, in our childhood, like to build “forts” or shelters. We pretend to be animals, stare at stars or clouds, take risks, and will climb if given the terrain to do so. I believe these and other tendencies found in all children across the globe are nothing less than the way we evolved to interface with a healthy and dynamic natural landscape. Why Primitive Skills? They are already within each of us. They express themselves as an interest in tracking, wild foraging, friction fire, shelter building, and more. Each of the countless facets of these arts enrich the outdoor experience for each individual, and for groups that share in them. Primitive Skills are a gift from our ancestors and a treasure to pass on to the future generations. Michael Douglas has been sharing Survival, Tracking, Awareness, Wild Foraging, and Primitive Technology at the Maine Primitive Skills School since 1989. He continues to be a student of the natural world and our abilities to interact with it through his school and full immersion trips in the North Woods. He is eager to answer questions and hear your comments and can be reached at staff@primitiveskills.com.
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Dean Vanier • PO Box 1327 • Lebanon, NH 03766 • 603 523-9206
February 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
The Outdoor Gazette
February 2013
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The Gazette’s Book Review
By Colonel J.C. Allard
Cabinology By Dale Mulfinger The Taunton Press 2008 250 pages, $25.00 ISBN: 978-1-56158-948-7 Lodged between a how-to manual and a coffee table book, Cabinology is Minnesota architect Dale Mulfinger’s third book on the subject of recreational homes. Completely different from Lou Ureneck’s intensely personal cabin building story Cabin (see review in Outdoor Gazette January 2012), Mulfinger subtitles his book “A Handbook to Your Private Hideaway.” Packed with photographs, sketches, and sidebars that quote Mulfinger’s friends and clients, as well as Henry David Thoreau, Albert Einstein, John Muir and William Butler Yeats, Cabinology is a celebration of the woods and lake or sea-side getaway. As Mulfinger himself says, “This book of all things ‘cabin’ will help you mold your dreams into the reality of that glowing fireplace, that predawn
aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and to the pitter-patter of your loved one just rousing overhead in the loft.” For the hunters and anglers, snowmobilers, canoeists, hikers and kayakers of northern New England, owning a cottage, camp or cabin (what it is called depends on where in the country
it may be located) is either a dream or a reality. That place on a lake or near a favorite trout stream or mountain base, with deer antlers nailed above the door, burns bright in the imagination of any who love the North Country. Intertwined with all the cabin philosophy, Mulfinger incorporates an architect’s practical advice. From his ten-step “essential checklist” for purchasing land, to his seven tips for “being your own surveyor,” to his seasonal guide “Coming and Going: Your Instructions,” Mulfinger fills his pages with information without making it dull or dry. On the contrary, reading Cabinology is busy and almost frenetic, as the author apparently intended. Mulfinger says, “If you’re like me, you open a book like this somewhere in the middle and flip through the pages until you find where you want to start reading. Here, I’ve taken a straight forward where-whathow approach to the chapters, which are laid out in such a way that you can jump in just about anywhere and find something interesting and, I hope, helpful.” Anyone thinking about a cabin either in the dreaming stage or the planning stage ought to jump into Cabinology. It is both helpful and entertaining. For the majority of readers, Cabinology goes beyond helpful and entertaining, all the way to inspiring.
This is a book that could stimulate the real estate market. Readers just may be motivated to start pouring over topographic maps, to explore potential sites, make an offer on a place they’ve long admired, sketch nascent ideas, and talk with local officials, real estate agents, or even builders. At the very least, this book will fill any number of hours with pleasant notions of what’s possible winter, spring, summer and fall in the country north of Boston. Whether reading from first page to last, or jumping into any one of the chapters individually, Cabinology will not disappoint. It may overwhelm some readers with its abundance, but it will never disappoint. As Mulfinger says in his introduction, “the world of the cabin is a place where modesty and char m outweigh size and grandeur, while simplicity and flexibility outshine the sophisticated and complicated. We go to the cabin to get away from phones, television, computers and other symbols of our interconnected world.” Could any sportsman or lover of the outdoors disagree? Col. J.C. Allard lives in Pittsfield, NH about 20 miles north by east of Concord. “We're in the shadow of the Belknap mountains here, but we can see Mt. Washington on a clear day”.
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February 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
Pictures Gone Wild Our reader submitted photos
Dylan Smith of Db IceAdvebtures
The Outdoor Gazette
Tyler Hoisington, 4.5lb Largemouth, Lake Morey, Fairlee Vermont. Nice!
February 2013
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NH 200 lb buck club entries for 2012 - TOP TEN
NH 200 lb Buck Club entries for 2012
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February 2013
The Outdoor Gazette
NH 200 lb Buck Club entries for 2012 - Continued
FOR SALE Do you have a recreational camp or property? An outboard motor, ATV or snowmobile? Why don’t you try placing an ad in the NH Outdoor Gazette? You’d be surprized by the results.
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February 2013
603-989-3093
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February 2013
The Outdoor Gazette