Me & Joe Use Pig To Lure In Bear For Uncle Arnold May 2024
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 26
On Point
by Paul Fuller, Durham, N.H. We’re thinking back about the excellent dog work we had during last fall’s hunting season. Despite all that great bird work, there is preparation required for this coming fall. It’s what we call maintenance work during the summer months. Maintain-
bird work, we should look at the health of our dog. If the dog was hunted hard for several weeks, it could easily need additional fat and protein to recover. Increase the daily calories per cup your dog normally eats. A food such as Native Performance Dog Food
Gundogs: Maintenance Training
sically remaining at heel until released. And, then hunting in front of you. Always searching for birds. In other words, hunting for you, not for themselves. And, recognizing when you change direction and changing also. Come to you is simply responsive recall. A dog needs to come when called. Recall could
I believe it was the Smith family (Delmar, Rick and Ron) that first discussed the three skills that a well-trained dog must perform. Go with you, come to you and stand still. ing the excellence is an ongoing project. This is especially true for younger dogs. Although a younger dog may have entered the hunting season looking like a world beater, the excitement of wild birds and multiple flushes and gun shots may have led to unwanted chasing. All that previous training is forgotten. Although the maintenance training we’re discussing is primarily about
providers several levels of fat/protein. Also, a week of rest might be in order. Regarding maintenance, as mentioned above, what we’re really addressing is training. I believe it was the Smith family (Delmar, Rick and Ron) that first discussed the three skills that a well-trained dog must perform. Go with you, come to you and stand still. The Smiths describe those three skills as follows. Go with you is ba-
May 2024
be for several different reasons. One is it’s simply time to stop hunting, or to avoid danger such as a road or barbed wire or to be given water. Standing still is the art of the point. The dog has recognized scent and is standing the bird. The dog must remain standing until the hunter has approached the point and flushed the bird. And remains standing still until released. Most likely, most
transgressions came from a first-year dog. The excitement was simply overwhelming and training lessons easily forgotten. The beginner did well with the first few hunting season
the rules is common for a first year dog. If a first year dog continues to chase and break the rules, without correction, the correction becomes harder and takes longer. Here are corrections for the dog chasing birds. If the dog has been whoa trained, in a low and quiet voice, repeat the command whoa when approaching your dog. It’s okay, I’ve witnessed even the top professional trainers doing it during high stake Using a place-board to steady field trials. your dog. (Photo by Paul Fuller) It’s simply rebirds, however, as the ex- minding the dog of what’s citement increased, so did expected. If the dog does the desire to chase and for- break, catch the dog, pick get the training. Breaking it up and bring it back to the spot the dog was pointing and put it down while repeating whoa. Here’s another correction. If the dog has been e-collar trained (on the flank), stimulate when the dog breaks. Only use an e-collar if the dog has been previously trained with an e-collar. Never introduce stimulation with an e-collar in a hunting situation. I’ve seen it done and the ramifications are terrible. A rule for a hunter is to never shoot a bird that your pointing dog has wild flushed and chased. If you do, this simply encourages the dog to flush and chase. The dog thinks why point
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(Training cont. pg 30)
May 2024
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 27
A Wild Turkey Two-Fer
Wild turkey populations didn’t become reestablished Downeast until sometime between 20052011. I don’t remember the year, but I remember the day I saw my first wild
a strutting Tom, gobbling in a field. My blood gets pumping just at the thought of distant gobbles as the world awakens on a dewsoaked spring morning. After years of near
a complete turkey hunter in 2020. I spent the better part of April scouting; had daily practice sessions with my diaphragm call; and watched every YouTube video I could find. Before I knew it, opening day was near. Not surprisingly, the first days of the season did not go as I had dreamed. Discouraged and tired, I debated on whether it would be worth hunting
Angling, Antlers & Artifacts By Jake Scoville, Machiasport, ME
ing parcel I heard a series of gobbles. I immediately picked out an opening in the timber where a small, mowed field sloped slightly downhill toward the property line. There, a cluster of mature spruces with overhanging limbs hung over an old, abandoned Chevy that had become one
followed by gobbles. I struggled to contain my composure. After the second calling sequence, the gobbles became louder, and it was clear two Toms were headed my way- and fast. I stayed quiet, knowing once the birds reached the property line, they’d have a straight line of sight
A simple series of calls were immediately followed by gobbles. I struggled to contain my composure. After the second calling sequence, the gobbles became louder, and it was clear two Toms were headed my way- and fast.
turkey. There was a flock of about 15 birds feeding in the middle of a blueberry field on a gloomy spring day. These foreign creatures were fascinating to watch, but it wouldn’t be another 10 to 15 years before I’d find myself trying to coax longbeards into shotgun range. It’s tough to admit, but I would scoff at the unknown hype of turkey season and question the sanity of those who go up at 3 a.m. to hunt a “dumb bird” … If I could only travel back in time. I tagged along with my good friend Tyler for the first few years of my turkey-hunting career. We had some fun adventures and learned what not to do in the turkey woods. Initially hesitant, I was promptly hooked after experiencing
misses, killing Jakes, and fumbling opportunities at several Toms, I committed myself to becoming
the upcoming ‘pictureperfect’ May evening. Nevertheless, I came up with a plan. I was granted permission to hunt a small property that abutted a chunk of posted land which consistently held birds. I quietly approached the private property and carefully listened for the distinct sound of spring thunder. Sure enough, about 100 yards from the neighbor-
with the ground, an ideal spot to tuck into. Before I made any calls, I crawled about 20 yards toward the gobblers and drove my hen decoy into the soft ground. I slipped my way back to the Chevy, caught my breath, and settled in. A simple series of calls were immediately
to the hen decoy. Sure enough, two strutting, gobbling, longbeards appeared through the timber. A matter of seconds after emerging into sight, both birds were in range and just feet away from my decoy. I clicked the safety off and buried the bead of my (Two-Fer cont. pg 35)
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Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 60
Women In The Woods by Erin Merrill, Portland, ME I remember planning the initial meeting at Cabela’s and inviting every hunter I knew in the greater Portland area. I wanted to prove that there were plenty of people who were
ended, a guy named Steve offered to teach me how to bear hunt. I eagerly took him up on the offer. All summer, I unwrapped sweets, loaded them into barrels and
May 2024
A Decade of Bears
a close encounter, I never shot a bear over bait. Downeast Magazine dedicated their whole fall 2014 issue to ‘Why We Hunt.’ Given their audience, it was a gutsy move. Thanks in large part to the incredible George Smith, I wrote an article for the issue and some fellow out-
The next time we have to fight for our hunting rights, I hope that the same people who enjoyed my wild game meals will think about which box they check when they are filling out their ballots. I hope they realize how beneficial – and tasty – hunting is and they will support us. passionate about bear hunting in Southern Maine. If I remember correctly, the room was close to packed when James Cote started talking about the bear referendum and what the plan was to win at the ballot box. I look back now and cannot believe it was 10 years ago! I had never hunted a bear. I knew enough to talk about the various methods but I had not experienced a hunt. When that meeting
lugged 5 gallon buckets into the sites. We changed our clothes to minimize our scent. We wore rubber gloves. I got my first experience (and smell) of rotting beaver and old lobster bodies, as they hung out in the July sun. I saw how much time and money went into managing the bait sites to ensure bears were coming in on a regular basis. I did this for two years with Steve and although I had
door women and I were the ‘centerfolds’ decked out in our camo under the Casco Bay Bridge. Again, proving that hunters live all over this state. As we got closer to that November vote, I attended a live televised debate and heard the most insane things being said about hunters, bear hunting and conservation in general. Things were tense and nerve racking. In early October, I saw a Facebook post by Tim Cote advertising a one day bear hunt with
hounds. I knew if I wanted to write about bear hunting, I should try as many methods as possible so I contacted him and told him I would love to go. I will never forget the sound of the hounds when they caught that bear’s scent or Tim’s words as we looked at the dogs on the GPS, “They got you a bear.” I would have never guessed the role that bear hunting would play in my
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life. I have shot three bears since then. A couple of those bears have gone with me into classrooms to give first graders the chance to feel a bear rug and see what their skulls looks like. I show them what a bear trap looks like and share photos of going with biologists to trap and collar bears in the spring and cuddle cubs in the winter. I give that teachers huge kudos for adding hunting to her curriculum as she teaches about bears each winter. Almost every civic group that I am a part of has, at one time or another, eaten bear chili or queso dip. They get excited about it. At a recent event, a former fellow Rotarians mentioned remembering me bringing bear chili to one of our meetings. It is my way of helping people who do not hunt get a better understanding of why I do. The next time we have to fight for our hunting rights, I hope that the same people who enjoyed (Bears cont. pg 62)
May 2024
Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 61
Moms on the Move
Spring is in mid-step, inching towards summer, growing warmer each day. April showers have led to May flowers as we make way for new life and growth. The second Sunday in May kicks off the month by celebrating Mother’s Day in the United States. Mark your calendars, Sunday, May 12th is Mother’s Day in 2024. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson formally made Mother’s Day a holiday. Prior to this, there had been a few iterations of a mother’s day, one of them even with Maine ties. “Around 1870, Julia Ward Howe called for a “Mother’s Day for Peace” dedicated to the celebration of peace and the eradication of war…” ― Heidi Stonehill https://www.almanac.com/content/history-mothers-day Julia Ward Howe was a writer and poet, known for writing the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She would often visit a family home called “The Yellow House” in Gardiner, Maine. I remember my grandmother pointing out the house as we drove by, telling me about Julia Ward Howe. The house was also the longtime residence of Laura E. Richards, Howe’s daughter, who is also a treasured American writer. Christmas Eve of 2022, the historic home burned
“The Trail Rider” by Dan Wilson, Bowdoinham, ME stick, and digital camera at the ready. We share old stories and tales of our adventures in the past, all while embarking on new adventures and making new memories. From a macro
Each new season in the woods and on the trails is always an exciting ride. In spring the forest is coming alive again, with all sorts of sweet smells, beautiful blooms, and lush greens, bursting with life and energy.
The author’s mother enjoying a day on the trail. down, signaling an end of an era and a reminder of life’s cycle. I think of how much change I’ve seen in the woods on our property and wonder what the landscape may have looked like nearly 154 years ago. Each new season in the woods and on the trails is always an exciting ride. In spring the forest is coming alive again, with all sorts of sweet smells, beautiful blooms, and lush greens, bursting with life and energy. Once mud season cleared up a bit, my family and I’d often go for a ride on the 4-wheeler or side-by-side. We’d take old woodlot trails throughout our property, taking us over all sorts of terrain, often pausing to explore an area a bit on foot or take a quick break and enjoy a snack. From tadpoles to apple blossoms, there was much to see.
My mom always added a bit of fun to the adventure, inspiring a bit of wonder, and encouraging observation of the beauty all around us. I’ve been honored to pass that same wonder on to my three nephews. My mom still makes it out with us on some of our adventures, often with a ballcap, walking
is advancing, as it does, no matter what, not being singular or particular, but one of the forever gifts, and certainly visible.” ― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems. To all the mothers
close-up of a mushroom to an action shot of one of her grandchildren hopping down from climbing a big pine tree, she captures such special moments, and we’re so fortunate for the time together.. “Come with me into the woods where spring
and motherly figures out there, and especially to my mom, thank you and happy Mother’s Day. Daniel Wilson works in healthcare and enjoys time outside in nature with his family.
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