VGOM October 2013

Vermont’s

Magazine

GREAT OUTDOORS

Vermont’s

Magazine

GREAT OUTDOORS Advertising Works

V

ermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine has been a great source of promotion for our business.

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Page 3 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine www.VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com October 2013 • Volume 1 • Number 10

Features 18 Fall

© Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine 2012-2013 Published by Coyote Communications LLC

Foliage

Vermont remains a photographer’s paradise and it doesn’t get any better than fall foliage.

Publisher & Editor Darren Marcy News/Marketing Assistants Maya Marcy & Camilla Marcy

22 Larry

Benoit

One of the greatest to ever follow the track of a mature whitetail buck has died.

30 Chris

Adams

A Rutland man is chasing his dreams at the B.A.S.S. National Championships in Ark.

Contributors Jeremy Baker, Bradley Carleton, Bob Shannon, Evan Chismark, Wayne Laroche, Aaron Rohde, Dalton Harben, Marlene Murray, Shelley Walton, Tina Thornsberry.

Article & Photo Submissions editor@VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com Press Releases, Letters news@VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com

50 Record

Book Bull

The largest bull ever killed by an archery hunter in Vermont was arrowed this year.

More Inside 5. Photo of the Month 6. Editor’s Note 7. They Said It 8. Outdoor News 16. Fall Foliage 36. Fly Fishing 54. Sacred Hunter

60. Hunting 64. The Great Artdoors 66. Birds of Vermont 68. The Outside Story 70. LCI 71. Conservation 72. Out and About

Advertising ads@VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com Phone (802) 331-0130 Like us on Facebook VermontsGreatOutdoorsMagazine

Follow us on Twitter @VGOMag Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine is published monthly as a free digital publication by Coyote Communications LLC. This publication is protected by copyright and each individual story and photo is protected by copyright owned by the respective contributors. All opinions belong to the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect that of Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine.

Page 4 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Photo of the Month:

Nate Hamlin enjoys some technical riding in Bolton as Vermont’s fall foliage frames the scene.

Page 5 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Editor’s Note:

Achievement As the finishing touches go on the October issue of Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine, the word “achievement” is ringing in my ears.

Achievement can take so many forms and it can mean something different to each individual. Not everybody has the same goals in life, and reaching those goals – whether lofty or modest – is an achievement.

There are several examples on these pages.

One is Chris Adams, who will be fishing the B.A.S.S. National Championship bass tourney later this month in Arkansas. While he has certainly achieved a lot just to make nationals, his sights are set much higher now as he fishes for a chance to make the Bassmaster Classic. We wish him well and you can read a news account of his efforts as well as a first-person column Adams wrote himself.

Another achievement on these pages is in the hunting section where the story is told of what is believed to be the new state archery record moose.

A pair of hunters from Kentucky and West Virginia killed the bull on the opening day of archery moose season and the pair are justifiably pleased with their achievement.

Yet another achievement are these pages themselves. The publication you’re reading is unofficially one year old this month. “Unofficially,”j because we consider January to have been the first official month the magazine was published. But we launched last year with a couple of test issues in November and December tackling a year-long learning curve that just may be starting to flatten out just a wee bit in some areas.

A few people told us we were crazy when we shared our vision of a monthly digital outdoor magazine. “Nobody will read it.” “Outdoor enthusiasts don’t use computers.” And, “You can’t make any money in digital.” They may have been right about that last one, but we’re working hard at it and have a few tricks up our sleeves yet. The readers have defied the naysayers and the advertisers are slowly figuring that out.

We are pleased to report a monthly average readership of more than 4,000 outdoor enthusiasts.

Even more importantly, we’re having a great time doing this despite the lack of sleep. And that, is an achievement we are enormously proud of.

On the Cover

Fall Fishing This month’s cover shot is

by Tom Rogers of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department who caught Alexalee Nadeau of Johnson casting a fly on the Lamoille River. Fall fishing in Vermont brings great foliage, good conditions and eager fish.

Have a great photo you want to share?

Whether it’s a fish, a summit, a sunset or just a little family time.

Please send it in. You might find it on the cover of the next Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine.

Page 6 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

VGOM:

Like that special tree stand from which you always see deer, or that stretch of river where the trout always rise, there are just some places that are unique. A spot that holds a place in your heart so special that you keep it to yourself.

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And you won’t believe how affordable this space is.

There are other publications that cover some of the outdoor experience in Vermont and this little slice of Heaven they call northern New England. They do a good job, but none of them cover the depth and breadth of the topics you’ll read about in Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine.

So contact us today to ensure we can get your advertisement in the next monthly issue of a growing and exciting publication that covers the topics that are important to you and your business.

Email: ads@vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com Phone: (802) 331-0130 Page 7 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Outdoor News:

Vermont

Practice treestand safety in the deer woods Bowhunters are reminded to practice treestand safety. “We see several hunters every year who seriously injure themselves while using treestands,” said Col. David LeCours. “These injuries can usually be avoided by following a few simple precautions.”

Hunters should use a safety harness in a treestand, even while climbing.

They should also not go too high. Staying lower in a tree not only improves safety, but also increases the size of the vital zone exposed on a deer.

And hunters should choose large, stable trees and use stands certified by the Treestand Manufacturer’s Association.

New hunting rules in effect this fall The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department points out that three new hunting rules passed by legislature are now in effect.

A person shall not take or attempt to take any wild animal by shooting a firearm, a bow and arrow or a crossbow while on or within 25 feet of the traveled portion of a public road.

It is also illegal to shoot a firearm, a bow and arrow or a crossbow across the traveled portion of a public road.

It is now legal to carry a pistol or revolver while bow hunting deer in the bow and arrow deer season.

Antlerless deer permits to be sent in late October The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says it will

Page 8 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Outdoor News: be mailing out Vermont antlerless hunting permits for the December muzzleloader season late in October.

The department also says it has some permits available in southwestern Vermont that be purchased on a first-come-first serve basis.

“Hunters who drew an antlerless permit in the lottery drawing posted on our website are wondering when they will receive their permits,” said Fish & Wildlife’s Director of Wildlife, Mark Scott. “We plan on mailing those permits, which are on orange post cards, late in October.”

“We also want to let people know some antlerless permits are still available in Wildlife Management Units K-1, K-2, and N in southwestern Vermont where not enough people applied for the permits in the lottery.”

These permits can be purchased on the department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) and printed at home.

Bowhunters: Handguns may not be used to take game The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding hunters that handguns may not be used to take game while archery deer hunting. Following the Sportsman Act of 2013, archery deer hunters in Vermont are permitted to carry a pistol or revolver.

“This provision was passed to create more consistency with rights currently afforded to hikers, wildlife watchers, and others,” said Col. David LeCours, head of law enforcement for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. “However, it was not intended to supplement a bow and arrow for legally taking other game during the archery season.

Handguns may not be used for taking deer, bear or any other game animal while archery deer hunting, including downed deer.”

Page 9 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Outdoor News:

Dead Creek Wildlife Day planned Oct. 5 One of the top outdoor events in the state will take place Oct. 5 when the annual Dead Creek Wildlife Day again comes to Addison. The event is held every year at the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, a Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department WMA located on Route 17 west of Route 22A. The event kicks off at 7 a.m. with bird banding demonstrations for those who like to get up early. For the rest of us, the tents open at 9:30 a.m. with a variety of wildlife and outdoor demonstrations and seminars throughout the day.

Some of the events are only

offered once, some several times throughout the day while others are ongoing from beginning to the end of the day at 4 p.m.

Named one of Vermont’s “Top 10 Fall Events” the Dead Creek Wildlife Day offers something for everyone — from hunters to wildlife watchers to folks who just love nature.

There are plenty of events for kids as well, including the always popular face painting.

If you want to learn more about Vermont’s white-tailed deer, rattlesnakes, black bears and butterflies there will be workshops

and presentations.

Kids and adults alike might enjoy soap carving, live critters exhibit, a demonstration of game warden search and rescue dog work, and bird banding.

Other offerings that might be of interest to a wide variety of people include wildlife photography, a bird walk, nature walk, plant identification, forest pests, owl pellet workshop and rocket netting wildlife demonstration.

Hunters might enjoy the seminars on goose hunting and working retriever demonstrations.

Events that will take place all day

Page 10 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Outdoor News: — either from 9:30 or 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — include: waterfowl viewing, bluebird box building, decoy carving, know your plants, laser shooting range, the pellet gun range, bird identification and Go Fishing activities.

All of the family friendly events are free.

Even in the case of rain, many of the events will be held under two large tents allowing those who don’t want to get wet to participate.

Because some events are held at nearby fields, a shuttle bus will delivery people to those fields and back regularly throughout the day.

The event is hosted by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Otter Creek Audubon Society and the Vermont Federation of Sportmen’s Clubs.

So hop on the Internet and check out the full list of events and times, then hop in the car and truck on over to Addison for one of the neatest fall events Vermont has to offer.

For more information and a schedule of events, visit Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website at www.vtfishandwildlife.com and click on the Dead Creek Wildlife Days link.

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Page 11 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

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Outdoor News:

Furman to lead Vermont Land Trust The Vermont Land Trust has named Heather Furman as its state director.

Furman is a land conservationist and seasoned executive with 18 years of experience in organization leadership and development.

She was the executive director of Stowe Land Trust, a position she had held since 2003.

While there, Furman developed and carried out the vision of SLT’s strategic plan and goals for long-term land protection.

She directed conservation initiatives, coordinated with external partners, and worked closely with SLT’s board to build organizational support.

Furman has led multiple capital campaigns, and has raised more than $4 million for SLT’s specific conservation priorities.

She has built strong relationships with supporters and worked with them to ensure that the impact of their investments be permanent, far reaching and sustained.

In 2009, Furman lead the effort to create the Pinnacle Society, a group of supporters that have a strong commitment to the work of SLT, and who significantly enable the organization’s growth and effectiveness.

Furman co-founded the Climbing Resource Access group of Vermont, a nonprofit focused on land protection for recreation access and habitat, and served as its board president from 1999 to 2005. Currently she is an honorary director.

She has also worked at the national level to protect land for recreation access with the Access Fund, a climbing advocacy organization, where she served as vice-president from 2007 to 2009.

During her tenure, the organization embarked on a multi-million dollar capital campaign raising funds specifically for land conservation priorities around the country.

She graduated from Ohio State University in 1993 and has five years of international experience in Asia and Latin America.

Furman carried out conservation initiatives for the World Wildlife Fund, and the U.S Peace Corps in Nepal Himalaya from 1995 to 1998.

In 2001, Furman received a Masters of Science in

Heather Furman is the new state director for the Vermont Land Trust.

She replaces Bob Klein.

Natural Resource Planning from The Rubenstein School of Environmental & Natural Resources, University of Vermont.

Furman is looking forward to working with TNC. “It’s an honor to be joining one of the most respected conservation organizations in the world and continue the impressive legacy that Bob Klein and the Vermont team have built,” she said.

Page 13 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Outdoor News:

Dead Creek Wildlife Day coming soon

One of the top outdoor events in the state will take place Oct. 5 when the annual Dead Creek Wildlife Day again comes to Addison. The event is held every year at the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, a Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department WMA located on Route 17 west of Route 22A. The event kicks off at 7 a.m. with bird banding demonstrations for those who like to get up early. For the rest of us, the tents open at 9:30 a.m. with a variety of wildlife and outdoor demonstrations and seminars throughout the day.

Some of the events are only offered once, some several times throughout the day while others are ongoing from beginning to the end of the day at 4 p.m.

Named one of Vermont’s “Top 10 Fall Events” the Dead Creek Wildlife Day offers something for everyone — from hunters to wildlife watchers to folks who just love nature.

There are plenty of events for kids as well, including the always popular face painting.

If you want to learn more about Vermont’s white-tailed deer, rattlesnakes, black bears and butterflies there will be workshops and presentations.

Kids and adults alike might enjoy soap carving, live critters exhibit, a demonstration of game warden search and rescue dog work, and bird banding.

Other offerings that might be of interest to a wide variety of people include wildlife photography, a bird walk, nature walk, plant identification, forest pests, owl pellet workshop and rocket netting wildlife demonstration.

Hunters might enjoy the seminars on goose hunting and working retriever demonstrations.

Events that will take place all day — either from 9:30 or 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

— include: waterfowl viewing, bluebird box building, decoy carving,

know your plants, laser shooting range, the pellet gun range, bird identification and Go Fishing activities.

All of the family friendly events are free.

Even in the case of rain, many of the events will be held under two large tents allowing those who don’t want to get wet to participate.

Because some events are held at nearby fields, a shuttle bus will delivery people to those fields and back regularly throughout the day.

The event is hosted by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Otter Creek Audubon Society and the Vermont Federation of Sportmen’s Clubs.

For more information and a schedule of events, visit Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website at www.vtfishandwildlife.com and click on the Dead Creek Wildlife Days link.

Page 14 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Outdoor News:

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Brag about how many fish your clients catch.

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Page 15 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Vermont

Fall Foliage:

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Fall Foliage:

Fall Foliage Page 17 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fall Foliage:

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Fall Foliage:

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Fall Foliage:

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Fall Foliage:

Page 21 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

VGOM:

Death of Larry Be I

sat down this month to put fingers to keys and conjure up memories of days gone by and memories of those hunting seasons with my family and friends.

Well, recent events have caused me to push those memories to the back of my mind for a few more recent memories, and equally profound.

On Monday, Oct. 7, we lost a great man with the passing of Larry Benoit.

Hunters from across the nation are familiar with the legend of the Whitetail King, and as a kid growing up in Vermont I am no different.

I remember my first day on a track in 5 inches of fresh snow with my father as a young boy and having to give up on the track late one Sunday evening.

I asked my Dad to skip work on Monday and I would “be willing to cut school” to take up the hunt again.

Alas that was not to be but the comment that came next would resonate for years, “What are you one of those guys from up north, and want to walk the deer to death?”

Walk the deer to death – huh? Can men really do that? Well as a kid in Vermont that was the legend of Larry Benoit.

If he was on the track … that deer was as good as on the hook.

More than 30 years passed and many miles of frustration under my boots had come and gone before I was fortunate enough to meet Larry at the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club event in Montpelier.

There he was, not a 10-foot giant with an ego to match. Not at all.

There he was, a magnanimous, kind, friendly and, dare I say, witty man in plaid, shaking hands and smiling at the multitudes of folks ogling over the proof of his exploits adorning the booth Lane wrestled to assemble earlier that day.

I was manning our booth, when he and his son, Lane, came by and introduced themselves to me and proceeded to extol the virtues of our product to me and anyone else who would listen.

There he was the man who walked deer to death – the legend my father told me about – right there shaking my hand and telling me he was happy to meet me.

Me? Really? Some clown with one deer head on the wall? Larry Benoit was happy to meet me. How cool is that?

The day progressed in a pretty uneventful way and I remember leaning against a rack of coats when a voice came from behind me.

“I wish you could have met my wife.”

I turned around to find that man in plaid and his dark sunglasses looking up at me.

“Hey Mr. Benoit, I am sorry what did you say?”

“It is Larry. None of that Mr. Benoit stuff, and I said I wish you could have met my wife.”

That sentence – those eight words – started a conversation that continued at every show and event we saw each other at since. Like a 2½ year-long game of chess, the conversation would pick up where it left off and always turned to Mrs. Benoit, and those eight words.

At a show in Rockingham N.H., he and Lane were set up right next to us and I spent an hour with Larry talking about his wife, and growing

Page 22 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

up in Vermont.

A generation apart but mutual love of family and I remember having to s of a story about raising h “Larry there is a crowd waiting to say hi, you sho catch you later.”

It was true. They were learn at the foot of the ma just a sliver of insight int huge whitetails every yea Secret.”

Gracious as Santa Clau shook every hand, and sp

enoit a Great Loss

tell you, if he liked you in the first 2 minutes, you had a loyal friend for life. I like to think Larry was my friend.

Since hearing the news, I have been reflecting on those many conversations with Larry and something interesting occurred to me. Not one time did we talk about deer hunting.

Can you imagine, sitting within a foot of Larry Benoit, arguably the best deer hunter ever and not talking about deer hunting?

Sure we talked about knuckleheads in camp, or the long drive to Ontario, but not one time did we sit there and talk hunting, or tracking or “The Secret” as some folks call it.

We talked about the lady behind those eight words … “I wish you could have met my wife.”

It is true, I never met Mrs. Benoit – but I sure wish I had.

For those of us fortunate enough to have known Larry, we lost a great man and a great friend this week. The hunting world lost a legend. As I told Lane – we will all sit around some time and celebrate the life of Larry Benoit.

I like to think that, right now, Larry is sitting guy. Nobody under the age of 35 by the way. All t connected by our there to meet the man, the man who walked deer with his wife, looking down on all of us saying, “I wish you could have met all of those folks.” d the state we call home. to death.

Rest in peace Mr. Benoit – oh sorry, Larry.

Now make no mistake, I would have loved to stop Larry in the middle An avid hunter and outdoorsman, Emile enjoys his family. be on a track with Larry just one time, to see firsthand the King in action and to learn from the spending as much time as possible with his family d of guys behind you and friends, and could not think of any better best. ould talk them. I will hunting partners than his two children Brooke That would have been a hunters dream, and and Connor. Emile lives in Morrisville with his e there to say hi, and to for a Vermont kid it would have been the children, his wife Karen and their German aster. To try to glean pinnacle of my hunting life.

That said, having Larry as someone I can call Shorthaired Pointer, Oakley. Emile is co-owner to what it takes to kill of Beagle Outdoor Wear, manufacturer of the a friend, if even for a short time, is greater than ar … to learn “The all of the 250 pound deer you can put in front of highest quality wool outerwear of Johnson, Vermont. Emile can be reached at 802.635.9200 us, Larry turned around, me. or by emailing him at ewillett@beaglewear.com.

Anyone who was blessed to know Larry can pent time with every Page 23 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

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Fishing:

Perseverance Pays Off

J

ust recently, I had the pleasure of competing on the Vermont B.A.S.S. Federation Nation state team at the B.A.S.S. Eastern Divisional tournament held on Sebago Lake outside of Portland, Maine.

This was my fourth divisional with the Vermont team, though I had previously qualified for a few other divisionals that I was unable to attend.

I will first give a quick walk-through of this process, what it means, who is involved etc., and then tell you a great

story of why it can pay off to persevere and work hard despite being faced with a worst-case scenario and the toughest of odds, regardless of what you’re doing.

In the sport of competitive bass fishing, there are essentially two main distinctions in competition.

There are professional tournaments – big money events that are the bread and butter for folks trying to make a living through tournament fishing, and amateur tournaments – including

various local and regional level tournaments that are held for fun, bragging rights or smaller amounts of money.

There are also various team tournaments that pay out decent amounts of money, but I will refer to those as amateur events also.

So, within the sport, there are two main organizations – FLW Outdoors and B.A.S.S. Both have a series of tournaments at the professional, amateur and

Page 30 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fishing: collegiate levels.

I have competed in FLW and B.A.S.S. events over the years at the professional and amateur levels and while they have their own distinguishing characteristics, both FLW and B.A.S.S. run great events.

At the amateur level, each has a state team and divisional format. The event I competed in recently was a B.A.S.S. sanctioned event.

In order to qualify for this tournament, I fished a two-day state team qualifier event last summer (in which I placed third), with the top 12 anglers being named to the Vermont B.A.S.S. state team.

All 12 anglers compete as a team at the divisional against teams from nine other Eastern Division states, which also includes international teams from Ontario and Spain.

The top six anglers from each team (based on their qualifying position) bring and fish out of their own boats, while the bottom six anglers ride along as nonboaters, or co-anglers, during the divisional.

Each is granted control of the boat for four hours each day, or half of every tournament day.

And, while the anglers work to help their respective state or province to a team victory, they are also try to accumulate their best three, five-fish limits over the course of the three day tournament.

The top finishing angler from each state earns a spot in the B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship and the top angler from each of the six divisions at “nationals” moves on to the biggest event in competitive fishing – the Bassmaster Classic.

Now that the basic format explanation is out of the way, let’s talk

some fishing.

My longtime fishing pal and teacher – my dad (who also competed in this event), and two fishing buddies arrived at Sebago Lake on the Saturday before the tournament.

The tournament days would be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Therefore, we had about two full days and two half days to practice or “prefish” for the event, try to pick apart this

foreign body of water that none of us had been to before and locate some productive fishing areas and patterns.

I had done a fair amount of research on the lake prior to arriving, but nine times out of ten you can throw that information out the window because of changing lake conditions, seasonal weather trends etc.

Sebago is a deep lake, crystal-clear with dozens of sandy beaches, rocky islands and ledge points. It has hundreds of offshore humps, shoals and reefs, but contains very little aquatic vegetation or shallow hard cover such as stumps, laydown trees etc.

It hosts a huge population of smelt and is therefore a known salmon, trout and smallmouth bass fishery. It also has a very small population of largemouth bass, but the lake has been known to produce big fish in the 8- to 9-pound class.

The one thing Sebago is consistently known for in tournaments is low

weights.

In most tournaments on the lake, a limit of 2 to 2½ pound fish will put an angler near the top of the leader board.

To put that in perspective, on Lake Champlain an angler typically needs a 3½- to 4-pound average per fish to win.

Between the gin-clear water, the nomadic nature of the smallmouth bass on the lake always moving and following smelt, and the limited number of productive largemouth areas, the lake can fish extremely tough.

Based on my research, I chose to split my practice time scouting middepth (10-20 feet) and deep smallmouth spots (25-50 feet), as well as canvassing miles of shoreline boat docks and shallow rock piles that might provide cover and habitat for some of the lake’s quality largemouth bass.

During practice I essentially found two productive smallmouth areas. One in 15-20 feet of water along the breakline of a well-marked offshore rockpile, and another on the very tip of an offshore reef where the bottom sloped from 25 to 40 feet of water.

While both areas contained an abundance of baitfish, the deeper spot held the bigger fish while the shallow spot mainly held fish just over the legal 12-inch keeper size.

I also found two main largemouth areas – one with the hard-to-find aquatic vegetation, and another with a couple of productive boat docks and rock piles.

When I refer to a couple of productive docks, I literally mean two boat docks that held fish out of several hundred that I made casts at during practice.

Finding these key spots took a ton

Page 31 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fishing: of hard work and stick-to-it-ness as I went for hours and hours fishing dock after dock waiting until I got a bite or saw a fish under a dock.

However, I knew in the back of my mind if I was able to catch just a few of the bigger largemouth bass that I saw during practice around these docks, that I might have a chance at winning the entire event.

My plan was shaping up and I felt very comfortable with my approach. I love fishing for a mixed-bag of both smallmouths and largemouths and enjoy fishing clear water lakes where I can do both.

I’m lucky to have been raised fishing Lake Champlain, Lake St. Catherine and Lake Bomoseen – all lakes that provide this option.

However, it was my years of practice, specifically on Lake St. Catherine, and my versatility as an angler, that really paid off for me.

I don’t claim to be an expert at any one way of catching fish, but do take pride in understanding most approaches. It is that versatility, in a sport of ever-changing conditions, that can mean the difference between winning and losing.

Fast forward to day one of the tournament.

The tournament field launched to a thick fog, which resulted in a two-hour fog delay for safety reasons.

So, at this point, with the tournament day now down to six hours (and only three of which I’d have control of the boat), my mind began to race over what plan would be best.

Go for a limit of smaller smallmouth bass or swing for the fences and try to get a big lead early in the tournament.

I opted to go for it and start on the bigger largemouth bass near my two

docks. I put the throttle down, and after running across the lake, set the boat down in front of the first dock.

I told my co-angler that we’d need to sneak in slowly and quietly so we didn’t spook any fish in the gin-clear water. I also said we’d need to make super-long casts at our targets.

No sooner than I got the words out of my mouth did I look down below my trolling motor and watch two 5pound Sebago largemouth bass swim away.

The thing with this lake is once the fish see you, it’s all over. You don’t have much of a chance to catch them again for a while.

After no luck at the first dock, I moved to the second and then onto a shallow rock pile.

I didn’t see any more fish and never had a bite.

Now, it was time to go smallmouth fishing. I ran to my shallow smallmouth spot and immediately caught three keepers pretty quickly.

Next move was to the deep smallmouth spot to get some bigger fish, but 15 minutes later, I knew that the school of smelt there had vanished and with them had gone the big smallmouths.

We left there, hit a few of my coangler's spots, and then, late in the day, moved to my shallow largemouth spot with aquatic vegetation (or “grass” as we call it).

I missed a couple of decent bites there and my co-angler ended up catching a nice one.

That was the story of my uneventful first day on the very tough Sebago Lake. I only weighed three fish for a little over 3pounds, but I was glad to have them.

On day one, 35 anglers out of 108 failed to catch a keeper bass! If that doesn’t paint a picture of how tough the fishing was, I’m not sure know what will.

I think at that point I was only 3 pounds out of the lead for Vermont and

Page 32 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fishing: still felt fairly confident that I could get a few big bites and be back in the race.

Day two started much better.

No major fog delay, a 2-pound smallmouth in the boat in the first hour off a shallow smallmouth spot and plenty of time to work with.

After landing the decent smallmouth on a drop shot rig and fishing around some more in that area, I ran to the grassy largemouth area that I had ended the first day on and where my co-angler had caught a nice fish.

The first pass on the spot was unproductive, but the second pass resulted in a solid 2½-pound largemouth that crushed my topwater bait.

Things were looking good. Two fish for about 4½ pounds in the livewell in the first two hours.

As good a start as you can ask for on this lake. I may have gotten a little overconfident because the next six hours might have been the most boring of my fishing career to date.

With the exception of watching my co-angler land a big Sebago smallmouth – about 3 pounds, it was completely uneventful.

Deep smallmouth spot was dead. No more fish to be found on the shallow smallmouth spot. The docks and rock piles were barren of any life at all. It was a grind.

We did see several big smallmouths cruising on shallow flats, but they had certainly seen our boat and had no interest in eating a fake lure!

I ended the day with just two fish for a little more than 4 pounds and was starting to get excited about packing up the trucks and heading home to Vermont after our final day of competition. I just couldn’t wait to get

away from Sebago Lake.

What was most frustrating for me was not that the fishing was tough, but that my practice session had been pretty productive and I truly felt good heading into the tournament.

Now, things had changed 180 degrees and here I am with just five fish in two days for 7½ pounds. I’m still in second-place on the Vermont team, but am now 6 pounds out of the lead and a trip to the B.A.S.S. Nationals.

Being six pounds back on Sebago Lake, unless you happen to catch a fluke 8- or 9-pounder, is a nearly insurmountable deficit to face, let alone overcome. Furthermore, I was 6 pounds behind one of the best anglers in our entire region in Vermonter Skip Sjobeck, not just some other face in the crowd.

After going back to the cabin and packing things up for our departure the following day, I took a few minutes to think about everything that had happened.

I thought to myself, “This is a

challenge, but I’ve been in big tournaments with a lot more pressure than this before and what I need to do is get my fire back. I need to fish harder, make better decisions and at least have one respectable day before I leave Sebago Lake.”

Deep down I was OK with how difficult the tournament had been, but I also knew I had another level inside me in terms of my execution and decision making.

I knew I had just about no chance at advancing to nationals based on my first two days, but I also knew that if I didn’t bring my A-game on the final day, that I wouldn’t personally be happy with my efforts.

In fishing, for me at least, the competition is between me and the fish, and the goals that I set for myself are what fuel my efforts.

Friendly competition with other anglers is fun and the camaraderie is great, but ultimately, the competitive side of the game is determined solely by the challenge posed by the fish.

I needed to win the battle against the fish.

So now it’s the third and final day of the tournament. At this point I am exhausted.

Three full days of practice and two days of tournament competition, followed by team meetings etc.

But for some reason, I felt a little bit of extra fire in my stomach that final morning.

Before takeoff, I said to my coangler that we’d be running and gunning all day, fishing all largemouth spots and covering as much water as possible. I wasn’t going to mess with smallmouth bass at all.

I told him that I was going to really go for broke and try to at least salvage

Page 33 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fishing: one good day and leave Sebago Lake feeling good about my performance no matter how tough the lake was fishing.

He was accepting of my plan, though personally, I think he just couldn’t wait for the day to be over so he could get home too!

As I idled out of the takeoff that morning, I was amped up. Recharged and ready to go.

I hadn’t felt like that before a tournament day in a while. Sometimes when you fish a lot of tournaments you lose a little bit of that competitive drive. I had mine back.

First stop of the day was my shallow grassy area for largemouths. Spent about two hours in there and had two small keepers.

One thing I noticed was the water level in this area kept falling throughout the tournament. As I was leaving that area, I thought to myself, “some of the bigger fish in this area HAVE to be pulling out to deeper water with the drop in the water level.”

Big fish, in my opinion, most often prefer to have some sort of deep water access or deeper water cover.

Once out of this cove, despite original plans to fish a totally new area, I called a quick audible out of instinct and opted to hit a few docks close by that I had seen and noted in practice.

I pulled up on this stretch and made about 10 casts before it happened.

There was one dock with a big log lying next to it on the bottom. I could see it from a distance and made my cast to the right spot. As soon as my bait hit the bottom, I felt a hard “tick” and my line started running.

A quick, hard hookset and then I could see a giant largemouth fighting in about six feet of water.

My heart started racing.

At this point, I was admittedly a little nervous. I have fished for thousands of dollars against some of the top names in fishing – professionals like Mike Iaconelli, Ish Monroe and Dave Wolak etc., and rarely get very nervous, but this fish really had me on the ropes.

In my mind I wasn’t thinking that

As I idled out of the takeoff that morning, I was amped up.

Recharged and ready to go. this fish might have an impact on my outcome in the tournament, but rather I was concerned about winning the battle against the fish and really wanted to land this one for a sort of personal victory if you will.

A couple of head shakes and runs around my boat later and the 4½ pound Sebago beauty was in the net.

At times during the fight, in the deep, clear water, she looked about 6 pounds, but I was glad to have her in my livewell regardless of how much she weighed!

So, at this point in time, I have two small fish and one big one totaling about 6½ pounds.

I knew I had made up the deficit between me and Skip, but also knew I’d need a really special finish to the day to have any chance at a comeback.

Skip had been averaging a solid limit of 6 to 7 pounds per day throughout the event and I expected him to continue on his steady pace. I

planned on needing another 6 pounds to make any type of move up the leader board. Next stop?

You guessed it. The two docks that I had found in practice that had yet to pay off for me. I pulled up to the first dock and saw another boat in the tournament who had just worked the same shoreline.

I didn’t even stop to complain about it to myself or wonder if the angler had caught a fish off the dock. I just kept fishing.

Three casts at the dock and no bite.

A fourth cast, no bite.

I made one last cast and skipped my bait to the far back left corner of the dock. I can still picture it in my head now.

Next thing I know, my line jumps and starts moving to the left, quickly.

I reel down to get tension and set the hook as hard as I could.

A big largemouth with dark, black spots down its side darts out away from the dock and heads toward my boat.

I reeled as fast as I could to keep up with him and keep the hook from breaking free. A couple of lunges later and I was able to get him in the net.

A solid 3½ pound largemouth.

Finally.

My practice time and hard work had paid off. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders at that point.

I felt like I had finally won the battle against the fish, and, what I had discovered during practice, actually paid off for once. It was a great feeling.

A quick celebration and now I am wondering to myself, “Might I have a shot at this tournament if other guys struggle”?

I’ve now got four fish for about 10 pounds.

Page 34 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fishing: As I was just about to take off and run back across the lake to the shallow grassy largemouth area for the last minutes of the tournament, I thought of a nearby rockpile where I had seen some big fish cruising during practice.

A few minutes later I landed on the spot and started fan casting at the rock pile from a distance.

I worked three sides of the square pile and then, on the very last side, I got a bite.

I set the hook and quickly landed a feisty 1½ pound smallmouth. Not a big fish, but big for Sebago Lake, and it completed my five-fish limit.

I knew I had over 11 pounds at this point in time, but I kept grinding on, as I had done all week, looking for yet another big bite that I thought might seal the deal for me. I never got that bite, but come to find out, I didn’t need it.

Only eight anglers out of 108 brought five-fish limits to the scales on the final day of the B.A.S.S. Eastern Divisional, and in the end, I was fortunate to able to surpass my friend and fellow Vermont angler Skip Sjobeck to earn a spot at next months B.A.S.S. National Championship in Arkansas.

More importantly, I had won the personal battle between myself and the fish that had troubled me during the previous two days of the event, and, I had finally performed to the best of my ability.

So as I do my research, prepare my equipment, practice and ultimately compete at the B.A.S.S. Nationals – where I will have a one-in-nine chance at qualifying for the sport’s ultimate event, the $500,000 Bassmaster Classic – I will be sure to use my lessons learned at Sebago as a

roadmap for all of my decisions and actions.

And the most profound reminder that is stuck in my brain from that event? In fishing, as is in life, you can never, ever give up.

Because you just never know what opportunity might be around the next corner, or in my case, hiding under the next dock.

Chris Adams of Rutland is an avid

bass fisherman who lives to fish Lake Champlain and other small bodies of water in the Green Mountain State. A second-generation tournament angler, Adams has dozens of tournament victories and top finishes to his name.

When he’s not on the water, he enjoys deer hunting, coaching hockey and spending time with his family, his fiancée Julia and their black lab, Bauer.

Page 35 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fly Fishing:

Get Deep

Page 36 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fly Fishing:

A

s we head into the month of October with only a few weeks left of the regular trout season, brookies, browns and rainbows are preparing to fatten up for the long winter ahead.

Most anglers will be hanging up their fishing rods in preparation of hunting, trapping and Vermont’s winter activities.

The underwater world of fishing is always a challenge, especially for fly fisherman, however by learning a few methods of fly fishing with sink tip leaders you can greatly increase your fall fishing success.

At this time of the year, streamer fishing is one of the most effective ways to target the giants that lurk in the deep wintering holes.

You can effectively target them using sink tip leaders.

This article will cover one of the more technical methods of fly fishing.

With this video and the text provided, you should be well on your way to emailing us pictures of the fall giants that this technique will yield.

One of the greatest frustrations fly anglers have when using sink tip leader systems is the frustration in casting them.

My first, and most important, suggestion is NEVER false cast a sink tip line or a sink tip leader until you reach a level of confidence in casting them.

Because of the high density in sink tip leaders, they will not false cast the same as a floating line.

The guides at The Fly Rod Shop spend countless hours each year teaching people to use either a roll cast or pick up and lay down cast for presenting a sink tip leader.

When roll casting, strip the fly line back until the floating portion of the fly line is less than a rod length away from the rod tip.

While the sink tip is in the water slowly raise the rod tip and then accelerate the rod tip forward by using

Page 37 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fly Fishing: the sink tip portion of the fly line to load the rod.

Cast the fly either across or slightly down and across from your standing position in the river.

If back casting is required, strip the line back the same distance as you would when using the roll casting method.

Then back cast the line allowing the line to hit the water behind you.

Use the friction of the sink tip line on the water behind you to load the rod as you accelerate the rod forward, releasing the fly line as the rod tip passes the 12 o’clock position.

With a little practice you can accurately cast the line to various distances on your forward presentation.

When setting up your sink tip leader system, we recommend trying 3-foot, 5-foot, or 7½-foot T-14 Express Sink Tip leaders that we assemble here at The Fly Rod Shop.

We use a perfection loop on both ends of our sink tip leaders for easy fly line connection and for quick tippet connection to your leader.

Anglers who are new to using sink tip leaders often connect a full length 9-foot monofilament leader to their sink tip line.

We realized, however, that the monofilament sinks more slowly than the dense T-14 sink tip fly line, preventing the fly from traveling at the desired depth.

All fly fishermen need to do is attach a 24 inch to 48 inch maximum length piece of monofilament or fluorocarbon tippet material to your T-14 sink tip leader, which will allow the fly to travel at the same depth as your sink tip leader.

We are often asked if this leader design puts the fly too close to the

Click here to

Watch Video thicker section of T-14 sink tip leader and might spook fish.

We do not find that to be the case, as the dark coloring of the T-14 material is less visible under water.

In most Vermont rivers, during normal flow level conditions, the 3foot sink tip system seems to be the most effective and by far the easiest to cast.

This is not only an effective method for catching fish, but also covers water at a very fast speed allowing you to find fish even on the slow days when most anglers come up empty.

Some deep pools will require the use of 5-foot and 7½-foot leaders to carry the fly to deeper water levels and will require more line management to prevent the fly from snagging bottom.

When fishing with sink tip leaders in moving rivers, avoid casting the leader upstream of your standing position.

Casting the leader upstream from your body position or standing position will cause the fly to sink very quickly and most times will snag the bottom before the fly drifts below you.

The most effective method of swinging flies with sink tips is to fish only the lower quadrant of water downstream from your standing

position.

Fly presentation and movement can be as simple as using the natural current speed to let the fly swing downriver.

As you gain confidence you can strip the fly, or bounce the rod tip to create varying movements of the streamer pattern as it swings towards the fish.

This is not only an effective method for catching fish, but also covers water at a very fast speed allowing you to find fish even on the slow days when most anglers come up empty.

Fall streamer fishing offers a huge array of patterns.

My best suggestion would be if the fly is not working, then keep changing it.

Some of The Fly Rod Shop’s deadly “go to” fall streamer suggestions include: Muddler Minnows, Wooly Buggers, Zonkers in various colors, and Hatchery Smolts.

Never overlook the classic northeastern patterns such as the Black Nosed Dace, Mickey Finn, Golden Demon, and Joe's Smelt.

Your streamer fly selection can have as wide a range in colors as the leaves around you.

By learning how to utilize sink tip leaders or sink tip fly lines you will greatly increase your chances of hooking fish by adding another tool to your fly fishing tool box.

Bob Shannon is the owner and head guide at The Fly Rod Shop in Stowe.

He has more than 25 years of experience teaching fly fishing and is a member of the St. Croix Pro Staff as well as an ambassador for Simms Fishing Products. He currently serves on the board for Lake Champlain International and is on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife board.

Page 38 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fly Fishing:

Some items needed to build an indicator system for fishing subsurface flies where 75 percent of a fish’s diet is found.

Page 39 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fishing:

Angler Heads to National Chris Adams will be competing with some of the best amateur and pro bass anglers in the country at the 2013 B.A.S.S. National Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark., Oct. 24-26.

Adams, of Rutland, qualified for the event by being the top Vermont finisher at the 2013 B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional on Sebago Lake in Maine on Sept. 18-20.

Adams' road to the Nationals didn't get off to a great start at the Divisionals, where he found himself 6 pounds out of the Vermont lead after two days.

But a third place limit of 11 pounds, 3 ounces on the strength of a 4½-pound and 3½-pound largemouth, was enough to finish as the top Vermonter and 12th overall in the tournament.

Now, Adams is focused on Lake Dardanell in Arkansas.

Adams was planning to go down early and fish for a week before the lake goes off limits for the week before the tournament.

The Nationals features a winner’s check of $60,000, plus a berth into the Elite Series, the top level of bass fishing in B.A.S.S. But there is another prize at hand.

At the Nationals, Adams will have to beat the other eight anglers from the East to qualify as one of 56 anglers in the Bassmaster Classic and its top prize of $500,000.

Adams appreciate those who have helped him get where he is.

His sponsors include: Sugar & Spice of Rutland, Capital Connections of Montpelier, Campaign for Vermont, and Wilk Paving of Rutland. He is sponsored

by Ranger Boats and Yamaha Outboards.

But he credits his family with offering the love and support to make this possible.

He credits his parents, brother and fiancee with supporting him and said

it was his dad who instilled the passion for fishing.

And it's not like Adams has never faced high-level competition. He competes in the Champlain Bass Series where he competes against Classic qualifiers, former tour pros and others. And he has beaten current big-named pros at AAA events like Mike Iaconelli and Ish Monroe.

“It’s a lot of work in the making,” Adams said.

Contact Darren Marcy at editor@vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com.

Page 40 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fishing:

This 8.5-pound salmon ascended the fish ladder operated by Great Bay Hydro in Newport. Department of Fish & Wildlife staff transported the fish to spawning grounds upstream of Clyde Pond Dam. While most of the salmon that are seen in the Clyde River begin life at the Bald Hill Fish Culture Station, fisheries biologists hope to see an increase in the number of salmon reared naturally in the river.

Page 41 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013 Bunch of workds

Fishing:

Page 42 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Page 43 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Fishing:

Dalton Harben this was the b fly-fishing summ he can remem These pages – the previou pages – are ju few of his fish the past coup of months.

Page 44 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

n said best mers mber.

– and us ust a from ple .

Page 45 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

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Enjoy the added advantage that each monthly issue of VGOM will continue to be available through the digital reading platform and for download at the end of each month. Long after a printed magazine is pulled from the shelves or tossed in the recycle bin, people will continue to run across these old issues as they discover the magazine or find interesting articles during Internet searches.

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Hunting:

Record B The largest bow-killed moose ever taken in Vermont fell to arrows from a pair of hunters from Kentucky and West Virginia on the opening morning of the Vermont moose archery season.

Brad Thornsberry and David Blankenship killed the monster bull moose just a couple of hours after the opening of the season in Island Pond.

Guided by Cory Curtis, the bull weighed in at 797 pounds field dressed and sported an impressive set of headgear.

The rack was first measured at 185 7/8 by a Pope and Young Club scorer, but later taped 180 3/8 by Curtis Smiley, director of the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club. The outside spread is currently 58 3/8.

“The moose in question killed by Bradley Thornsberry … is tentatively the new state record archery moose,” Smiley said. “I say tentatively because the moose cannot be declared a new state record until the antlers have dried for 60 days and it is then rescored.”

Smiley said it appears the Thornsberry bull should be the new state archery record.

“Based on the 'green score' it should surpass the current state record by several inches,” Smiley said. “Our prediction is that it will shrink a couple of inches and should easily surpass the current state record after the 60 day drying period.”

Smiley said that, because the moose has been taken back to Kentucky, a Pope and David Blankenship (left) and Brad Thornsberry pose with the bull that will likely be the Page 50 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Hunting:

Book Bull

new Vermont archery record moose once the 60 day drying period is up.

Young Club measurer in Kentucky will have to score the moose after 60 days.

“I cannot predict the outcome of that scoring,” Smiley said. “I can say that based on my measuring experience of over 100 moose the official dry score should not be more than a couple inches lower than the 'green score.'”

Smiley said that Thornsberry's moose is set up to be the top archery moose killed in Vermont.

The current state record archery moose, Smiley said, is a 2011 bull from Essex County that had a gross score of 170 and an official Pope and Young net score of 163 5/8.

The No. 2 archery moose is another Essex County bull that had a gross score of 165 1/8 and a Pope and Young score of 158 2/8.

Smiley said there are only five archery killed moose in the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club records as this is only the third archery season for moose held in Vermont and tags for archery hunters are limited.

Thornsberry, an elk guide in Kentucky, met his co-hunter, Blankenship, of West Virginia, when he guided him on an elk hunt.

The two became friends and Thornsberry, after drawing his coveted Vermont moose tag, asked Blankenship to be his partner while they spent time at Blankenship's cabin.

The pair would need each other during the frantic seconds as the long-planned moose hunt erupted in a flurry of tree thrashing and flying broadheads at close range.

Thornsberry said the morning started off a little after 6 a.m. as legal shooting light

Page 51 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Hunting:

Blankenship and Thornsberry show off their bull.

was waking up the Kingdom.

Curtis had worked one bull in the early moments of the day, but all they could see was a shadow and the bull, which had approached from the wrong angle, caught their scent and bolted.

Thornsberry said Curtis doesn't chase spooked bulls, so they headed on down the road in search of another bull.

Soon, they had what they were looking for.

As Curtis worked the bull from behind the two archers, Thornsberry and Blankenship were on opposite sides of the road as a bull came in through the thick growth.

Blankenship could see the bull coming and was signaling to Thornsberry it was a big one. Both hunters were ready.

But as the big boy stepped out into Thornsberry's sight at 20 yards for the first time, he quickly realized it was going to wind Blankenship at almost any second.

Despite not getting the broadside shot he wanted, Thornsberry decided it was time and released his arrow a split before Blankenship.

Thornsberry's arrow was off by just a fraction and hit shoulder bone,

Page 52 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Hunting:

Danny Petrick, 13, shot this 254-pound bear in Waterford last fall.

dropping the big bull enough that Blankenship's arrow only grazed the big bull.

The bull regained his feet and headed off through the brush and the hunters gave the animal time before they started blood trailing him.

A good trail led the men through the thick brush and finally they head moose through the brush but couldn't get a clear shot because of the underbrush and trees.

Finally, Thornsberry found a small opening and let an arrow fly

at about 40 yards in an attempt to thread the needle and get another arrow into the big animal.

The arrow struck home, but a bit farther back than he would have liked.

Meanwhile, Blankenship had sprinted to a spot he expected to find a shot. When he got there, the bull spun around and stood his ground just 20 feet from Blankenship.

“He wasn't going any farther,” Thornsberry said. “He'd had enough.”

At about seven paces, Blankenship wasted no time and put

an arrow through the engine room of the magnificent creature.

The bull charged off and collapsed 30 yards away.

Unfortunately, the bull ran right into a swap and died.

The men were able to hire a horse to pull the moose to where they could load it into their pick up truck where they took it to R&B Custom Meat Cutting where it was turned into about 550 pounds of meat, which Thornsberry and Blankenship split.

Page 53 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Sacred Hunter:

Old S

Page 54 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Sacred Hunter:

Songs L

ike many young men I started hunting by pursuing squirrel and rabbits in my back yard.

I lived in Pennsylvania where the opening day of deer season was on the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

The schools were closed. Most businesses were closed. Everything except essential organizations was closed to celebrate Opening Day. I was 13 years old when my father, who rarely had time to do so, took me to his hometown of Grampian to meet his childhood cronies.

These characters had names like “Crappy Hepburn” and “Uncle Pick” that seemed to define a simpler time in our history.

One where young boys would gain status by how well they fought. My father was a scrapper, the 10th child in a dirt poor coal mining family.

He swore that he would not allow his children to grow up poor, so he spent virtually every waking moment pursuing business deals and focusing on making money. There was little time for leisure.

So when he asked if I wanted to go deer hunting, even though I wasn’t sure about actually killing one of these beautiful creatures, I enthusiastically replied “Yes!” It was going to be time with my father, the most cherished of moments. Since this

didn’t come very often, it carried tremendous emotional weight for me.

My senses were awakened in his presence. For the first time in my childhood I was connected to something.

I had always been a miserable ball player.

My baseball coach put me in right field for two innings because it was a regulation to play all the team.

Although my hometown was footballobsessed, I was too small and too sensitive to take the teasing and hazing that went along with it.

I was kind of a loner.

But when my father took me out into the hills of Central PA, I came alive.

I wondered at the mountain laurel that grew on the hillsides.

I would stare for hours into the trees, examining the bark and watching leaves flutter to the ground to land in a swirling stream of color.

The chattering of squirrels and the screaming of blue jays made me feel like I was welcome here.

I was safe from towel-snapping linebackers and bullies. I was in a place where I belonged.

Just as the pines swaying in the cold northern breeze, just as the first snowflakes touching the musky earth, just as the snap of a twig in the distance.

Just as a dark brown object climbed over

Page 55 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Sacred Hunter:

a hummock down the steep hillside from me.

I belonged, as did the doe now pawing the ground just 40 yards away.

She batted her eyes and looked at me. Our eyes connected and I felt my first wave of compassion and adrenalin course through my adolescent frame.

She was in no danger from me. It was rifle season and bucks only.

I smiled and said “hello” quietly.

She twitched her ears as if to try to understand what I had just said, then

she stomped her right foot and began walking away.

I felt blessed.

When we got back to camp I said nothing of my encounter. I listened to all the guys tell their stories of what big bucks they had chased that day.

They sat smoking cigars and drinking whiskey around a stone fireplace adorned with drying woolens draped over every overhanging obstacle.

The smell of wood smoke and fresh liver and onions on the stove

mixed with the laughter and camaraderie of these rough cut pillars of manhood.

On the ride to town that night, my father and I listened to a radio station that still played Hank Williams, Gene Autry and Earl Scruggs.

Later, when we moved to Stowe my father would introduce me to a new country singer, John Denver.

I would watch my grown father with a curious eye as he would actually cry when he sang along with “Take Me Home Country

Page 56 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Sacred Hunter: Roads.”

It was in Stowe that my father and I got our first buck in 1977, the year I graduated high school.

Since those first few episodes in PA, I had become addicted to the serenity and connection that I found from being in the woods.

It had been five years since we started hunting deer when it happened.

We had built a giant tree stand 30 feet up in a triangle of big-trunked pines.

It was a huge space, about 5 feet in each direction. I had fallen asleep when my father woke me to say “Get ready! Here he comes!”

He had heard a distant shot and then brush crashing around us. The buck appeared in the slash to our right.

He whispered “Get him!” and I aimed my Winchester .30-30, leveling the front bead on his mighty chest.

I do not remember hearing the shot, only seeing the deer drop to his knees.

We had done it!

My father and I had accomplished something – together!

Over the next 35 years my passion for hunting grew into a full time lifestyle.

I fell in love with waterfowling and followed that path into guiding.

But every year, out of respect for the memories that molded my spirit, I returned to the woods in search of my connection to the earth and the magnificent whitetail.

It was this same deep abiding love that drove me to the woods this past Saturday.

My team of hunters had finished a wildly successful goose calling and hunting strategy seminar at Dead Creek Wildlife Refuge in Addison for Dead Creek Wildlife Day. The geese had cooperated as if they were trained.

We started calling and about 300 birds lifted off of a farm to the East and flew directly over a crowd of about 30 absolutely stunned seminar

attendees.

But now it was time to spend some “alone time” in the woods behind my house.

As I sat in my treestand, 20 feet above the earth, I listened to the blue jays screaming to one another.

A squirrel climbed the tree beside me and peeked around the trunk to stare at me just 4 feet away. I smiled at him and I could swear I heard his thoughts “Oh. Who are you? Is this

Page 57 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Sacred Hunter:

your tree? OK…I’ll just go find another one.”

He climbed down calmly and skittered across the crunchy forest floor.

I was lost in revelry once again.

The gentle north wind scattered gold and red maple leaves to the ground. The sun had set and the light started to surrender to the canopy shadows.

In the distance I could hear a train whistle. The smell of someone’s distant woodstove wafted through the evening air.

As I was breathing in the fragrant autumn scents, I noticed something moving to my left down the hill.

It was large and brown. I stood up very slowly and prepared my arrow.

It was a doe.

My thoughts flew back to my first deer that I had seen as a teenager in PA and I wondered if this time the scene might play out differently. I decided to wait and see what she would do. She continued to walk toward my stand, then crossed to the right and stood

broadside to me just 28 yards away. As she put her head down behind a tree, I drew my bow. Something told me that if she presented herself to me as a gift, that this time I should take her.

Crossing from behind the oak tree, she stood still, her flanks in perfect position for a shot. At that moment, the voice inside said “It’s OK” and I released the arrow.

I was pitch dark by the time I shimmied down the tree and found the arrow.

It had passed through her and there was no blood trail. I would have to wait until morning and enlist my friends to help find her.

I did not sleep all night and when the alarm clock went off at 5 a.m. I had finally fallen asleep.

There was a knock on my door and I rolled over to see that it was now 7 a.m. and my friend John Lesher was waiting for me on the front porch.

My other pal, Chris Thayer, arrived next and with some very valuable coaching from Chris Peacock of Burlington we were able to locate the doe in about 15 minutes.

After an awkward picture where I felt both pride and remorse, we dressed her out and took her to Dattilios Guns & Tackle to check her in.

Upon returning we hoisted her into the tree and skinned and quartered her. It began to drizzle as we were boxing up the venison and I needed a break.

I asked my wife if she wanted to go for a foliage drive.

We took the truck up into the mountains, through Lincoln and down through Bristol Notch.

The trees seemed to be particularly beautiful this year. We sipped coffee and enjoyed one another’s company like we were on a honeymoon, grateful for all we had in our lives.

On the way home my wife popped in a CD and as the first song began to play, I started to cry. Then I burst out singing with the chorus “Take Me Home Country Roads.”

Bradley Carleton is Executive Director of Sacred Hunter.org, a non-profit organization that is being formed to educate the public on the spiritual connection of man to nature and raises funds for Traditions Outdoor Mentoring.org, which mentors at-risk young men in outdoor pursuits.

Page 58 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Sacred Hunter:

Page 59 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Hunting:

Vermont archery deer season this month This year's archery deer seasons will be held Oct. 5-27 and Dec. 7-15.

A hunter may take up to three deer in Vermont’s archery season with three archery licenses.

No more than one of the deer taken during archery season may be a legal buck.

No antlerless deer may be taken in Wildlife Management Unit E, where antlerless deer hunting is prohibited in 2013.

In Vermont a hunter may take up to three deer in a calendar year in any combination of seasons (Archery, Youth Weekend, November Rifle Season, December Muzzleloader).

Of these, only two may be legal bucks, and only one buck may be taken in each season.

A “legal buck” is a deer with at least one antler having two or more points one inch or longer.

All three deer in the annual bag limit may be antlerless deer.

In order to purchase an archery license, the hunter must show a certificate of satisfactorily completing a bow hunter education course, or show a previous or current bow hunting license from any state or Canadian province, or sign an affidavit that they have previously held an archery license.

Hunters must have a standard hunting license in order to purchase an add-on archery deer hunting license, except that nonresidents may purchase an "archery only deer license" for $75.

Licenses may be purchased on Fish and Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com).

It is now legal to carry a pistol or revolver while bow hunting deer in the

bow and arrow season.

The handgun may not be used to take game or dispatch the deer.

It is illegal to carry a rifle, shotgun or muzzleloader while hunting deer in the bow and arrow deer season.

Also new this year – a hunter must be at least 25 feet from the road to shoot a firearm or bow and arrow, and it is illegal to shoot across the road.

Tree stands and ground blinds may only be built or used if the hunter has landowner permission.

This includes portable as well as permanent stands and blinds.

A hunter constructing or using a stand or blind must permanently mark his or her name and address on it so that it may be conveniently and easily read.

Landowners are exempted from this requirement.

On Vermont State Wildlife Management Areas, it is illegal to use nails, bolts or screws, including screwin climbing steps, or wire, chain or other

material that penetrates through the bark.

Because additional restrictions apply, hunters are urged to read the entire law governing the use of stands and blinds on page 18 of the "2013 Vermont Guide to Hunting, Fishing & Trapping," available online and where licenses are sold.

Hunters planning their first Vermont archery deer hunting trip or looking for new hunting areas should get a copy of the 2012 White-tailed Deer Harvest Report, which gives the number of deer taken in each town in last year’s deer hunting seasons.

It’s available on Fish & Wildlife’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com) under Hunting & Trapping and then “Big Game.”

For more information, download the 2013 Deer Season Guide under “Items of Special Interest” on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website.

You also can call (802) 828-1000 or Email (fwinformation@state.vt.us).

Page 60 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Hunting:

Antlerless Tags If you drew an antlerless tag, keep an eye out for your permit in late October and don’t mistake it for junk mail and throw it out.

If you didn't win the antlerless lottery, permits are available for Wildlife Management Units K1, K2, and N in southwestern Vermont.

You can purchase one at: www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

Hunters reminded of importation rules Hunters traveling outside Vermont to hunt deer or elk need to keep in mind that the regulation designed to protect Vermont's wild deer from chronic wasting disease remains in effect, according to a reminder from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal disease of the brain and nervous system in deer and elk.

Abnormal prion proteins produce lesions in the brain that cause disorientation and emaciation in conjunction with other abnormal behaviors.

For the latest information on CWD, can be found on the department website: www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

The potential exists for CWD prion proteins to be introduced to the environment through the bodily fluids of CWD-positive ungulates and then persist in the environment for extended periods of time.

Thus, hunters are reminded to help reduce the risk of disease transmission through limiting the utilization of real

deer urine attractants while hunting.

Vermont rules on importing and possession of deer or elk from areas with chronic wasting disease and captive hunt areas or farms.

It is illegal to import or possess deer or elk, or parts of deer or elk, from states and Canadian provinces that have had chronic wasting disease, or from captive hunt or farm facilities with the following exceptions: ● Meat that is cut up, packaged and labeled with hunting license information and not mixed with other deer or elk during processing; ● Meat that is boneless; ● Hides or capes with no part of the head attached; ● Clean skull-cap with antlers attached; ● Antlers with no other meat or tissue attached; ● Finished taxidermy heads; ● Upper canine teeth with no tissue attached.

Vermont's CWD importation regulations currently apply to hunters

bringing in deer or elk carcasses from the following states and provinces: Alberta, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

“CWD is a very persistent disease that can resurface after years of absence,” said Adam Murkowski, Vermont’s deer project leader. “Vermont’s CWD regulation is designed to help prevent CWD from infecting Vermont’s deer and the drastic depopulation measures that would be required if it appears here.”

Hunters bringing deer or elk from any of the CWD-listed states or provinces into or through Vermont simply have to get them processed according to the regulation before doing so.

A fine of up to $1,000 and loss of hunting and fishing licenses for one year are applicable for each deer or elk imported illegally.

Page 61 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Hunting:

Fish & Wildlife seeks bear teeth from hunters The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding successful bear hunters to submit a bear tooth so that wildlife managers can collect information on Vermont’s bear population.

Teeth submitted by hunters are used to determine the age of the bear.

Department staff use age and sex data to get an estimate of the number of bears in the state and to determine the status and health of the bear population.

Envelopes for submitting the tooth are available at big game check stations.

“The premolar tooth we’re asking hunters to extract is actually quite small and easy to loosen with a knife,” said Forrest Hammond, bear project leader for the Fish & Wildlife Department.

“Directions for removing the tooth are on the back of the envelope provided by the check station and are also on our website, including a short YouTube

video.”

According to Hammond, preliminary reports indicate that bear foods such as beech nuts, acorns, apples and berries are plentiful in the woods this year.

Previous years with high food availability have usually resulted in a lower September bear harvest and a higher bear harvest during late November when hunters are out in the woods hunting for deer.

“Bears are likely to be more widely dispersed on high, remote ridgelines this fall,” said Hammond. “Years like this typically reward hunters who get away from the cornfields and spend more time afield scouting for natural bear food sources.”

Vermont now has two bear hunting seasons.

The early bear hunting season, which requires a special bear tag, starts Sept. 1 and continues through Nov. 15.

The late bear season begins Nov.

16 and continues through Nov. 24.

Hunters should remember that the limit for bears remains one per calendar year.

The bear tag that comes with a hunting license is for use during this late season.

This season has been extended four additional days during the November deer season.

The change in seasons was instated to help better manage Vermont’s bear population, which is now estimated at roughly 6,000 black bears.

“Carefully regulated hunting plays a very important role in wildlife management by helping to control the growth of the black bear population,” said Hammond. “Minor fluctuations in the bear population will always occur due to changes in food availability, winter severity, and hunter success. Despite these fluctuations, we look at the long-term trends to manage for a healthy, robust population.

If you’ve followed Jeremy Baker in VGOM from the beginning, you know his world revolves around the white-tailed deer. So it’s no surprise that all we received this month from Jeremy is a note that said:

We wish him the best and can’t wait to read the stories.

See you in November, Jeremy.

Page 62 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Like that special tree stand from which you always see deer, or that stretch of river where the trout always rise, there are just some places that are unique. A spot that holds a place in your heart so special that you keep it to yourself.

If you’re looking for an advertising opportunity to share your message, this can be your special place.

This prime spot can be yours next month.

By advertising in Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine, you’ll not only be supporting a growing publication that is generating a lot of excitement in the Green Mountain State, but you’ll also place your message in front of avid and dedicated outdoor enthusiasts.

And you won’t believe how affordable this space is.

There are other publications that cover some of the outdoor experience in Vermont and this little slice of Heaven they call northern New England. They do a good job, but none of them cover the depth and breadth of the topics you’ll read about in Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine.

So contact us today to ensure we can get your advertisement in the next monthly issue of a growing and exciting publication that covers the topics that are important to you and your business.

Email: ads@vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com Phone: (802) 331-0130

The Great Artdoors:

Page 64 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Woods Watchman I drew this picture not too long ago and it quickly became one of my favorites of all time.

It took quite a while and I really enjoyed getting lost in the detail.

I tried to make a concerted effort as I was drawing it to not be overly focused on speeding through to the finish, and relishing the process of creating this picture.

With hunting season opening this month, I thought I'd use this as a friendly reminder to make sure we all appreciate the journey.

Take some time to drink in your surroundings and not get too focused on the prize.

That old saying that the journey is the reward is tired, and pretty cliche, but it still rings true for most of us.

Enjoy the ride, stay safe, and good luck.

Evan Chismark is an artist, environmentalist, and overly opinionated lover of the outdoors. He holds a master’s degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School, has a hard time sitting still, and is a sucker for a good IPA. He and his wife and their two hairy, four-legged children live in Stowe. To purchase any of the work featured in this column, check out EvanChismark.com, or email the artist at info@evanchismark.com Or if you just want to prove your social media savvy, like him at Facebook.com/EvanChismarkArt. "Woods Watchman" February, 2013.

Original: 11 x 17, pen and ink.

Page 65 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Bird Watching:

Becoming a Ci The other day, wandering a trail in Huntington, a group of birders came across a small yellow “thing.”

Plant, fungus, weird bacterial colony, we didn’t have a clue.

I got down to the ground with my camera, and amid the duff and decomposing logs I captured an image of this curious discovery.

Amid our postulations, someone suggested I take the photograph and post to an online community of naturalists and see if anyone there might know this bizarre organism.

Excited and a little nervous by the prospect of sharing and learning with experts, I went home, uploaded that file to the website for iNaturalist, and asked for identification help.

Not more than a day later, I had a reply. Sure enough, someone was very familiar, and from my photo deduced this was not a plant but a fungus called “golden spindles” or Clavulinopsis fusiformis.

This is a species that can inhabit woodlands in northern North America, and grows in clusters of these golden protrusions, which are cylindrical and sometimes slightly flattened.

I also learned that for solid identification of many fungi, a “spore print” is needed. Fungi can produce millions of spores, their way of reproducing, and release them fairly regularly.

The color, size, and shape of these spores have been well documented and serve as a naturalist’s guide for accurate identification.

You place the spore producing section of the fungus (like the cap of a mushroom) on a piece of glass, cover, and wait for the release of the spores, often overnight. Now you can compare your spore print to those previously recorded.

Avid mushroom hunters may even look through a microscope to see the size and shape of individual spores.

I’ve been empowered by this experience of learning and

finding out that observations by anyone are useful and met with equal excitement.

My trips outdoors have now been filled with stopping suddenly to examine something unknown or unique, and grabbing photos or writing descriptions that eventually find

Do you want to reach thousands o

Let’s talk about getting your business into Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazin Page 66 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Bird Watching:

itizen Scientist

their way online.

Being part of these naturalist communities that exist online means the story of that gold bug that landed on my canoe paddle or that weird looking fish seen when swimming in the lake turns into more than just legend. These communities of

observers serve a greater purpose.

When someone like me uploads images or descriptions for identification help or for showing what I discovered, my observations go into a catalog of life in Vermont.

This catalog shares data with citizen science projects like Vermont Atlas of Life and Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas.

Vermont Atlas of Life seeks to discover how many species there are in Vermont, and have even been part of the discovery of new species found here.

Other projects, like Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, focus on specific groups of organisms and works to refine the data and make it available to the public to grow our sense of stewardship for these animals. Bird information can be entered into Vtebird.

Birders can use these data to find hotspots or look for the location of certain species.

Scientists can access the data to look for migration patterns, arrival and departure times, and/or species’ range changes.

Regular citizens like myself who love the outdoors can share and learn through these projects while helping scientists gather data to better understand the natural communities of our naturally beautiful state.

If you are interested in sharing your nature observations or finding out about that “mystery creature” you see all the time on your way to your favorite fishing hole, check out the iNaturalist website, www.inaturalist.com, the iNaturalist app for smart phones, the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas' website, http://community.middlebury.edu/~herpatlas/, or Vermont ebird at www.bird.org/content/vt.

Elizabeth comes to the Birds of Vermont Museum from Maine, where she earned her M.S. in Biology and her B.S. in Environmental Science. She enjoys learning, sharing, crafting, and trying to make a difference.

Questions or want to share your stories? You can reach her at the Birds of Vermont Museum (she’s the intern!) or at elizabeth.e.mitchell@gmail.com.

of outdoor enthusiasts in Vermont?

ne. Email ads@vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com or call 802-331-0130. It’s affordable!

Page 67 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

The Outside Story:

Have You Seen This Snake Cottonmouth snakes, also known as water moccasins, do not live in Vermont or New Hampshire.

These venomous snakes live only in the South. In spite of this, Michael Marchand, a biologist and reptile expert with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, receives many phone calls from concerned citizens who want to report a cottonmouth or water moccasin in their local pond or lake.

Only snapping turtles inspire more phone calls.

People are almost certainly seeing the northern water snake, a are really not fond of large snakes,” one might think that Andrews and common, nonvenomous snake that observes Marchand.

Marchand would know everything spends a lot of time in the water. The Northern water snakes do not there is to know about the snake, but northern water snake is harmless, have a uniform appearance, which there are some gaps in the species’ but because of mistaken identity it adds to the confusion about their range map. may be the most feared snake in the identity.

Biologists depend primarily on region.

They get darker as they age. Old reports from the public to know “People who are where reptiles and nervous about amphibians are in In New Hampshire, the Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program snakes are even their respective more nervous about website links to three ways to report snakes: states. www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Nongame/reptiles_amphibians.htm snakes in the water,” In Vermont, says Jim Andrews, In Vermont, you can file a report of a water snake sighting at: records for northern leader of the water snakes from http://community.middlebury.edu/~herpatlas/index.html Vermont Reptile and the Champlain Amphibian Atlas Valley abound, Project. snakes appear completely black, particularly from places where The snake’s relatively large size with dark, crescent-shaped spots on many people kayak and fish, such doesn’t win it friends, either. The their bellies. Younger snakes have as Sherburne Pond, Button Bay and species can be up to 4 feet long, and dark crossbands on their necks and East Creek. it’s thicker than most other snakes reddish-brown blotches on their But they don’t have as much data in our region. from less popular waterways. light-colored bodies.

“People who aren’t fond of snakes Andrews notes that while many Given the frequent phone calls, Page 68 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

The Outside Story: distribution maps show the entire state of Vermont as being within the range of the northern water snake, a more detailed view would show that it is a valley snake.

It’s not in the mountains, and so is missing from the center of the state.

“From my experience they seem to like places where warm, shallow water with lots of good fish habitat and rocks come together,” says Andrews.

The snakes like to be able to climb out of the water and right into the crevice of a rock.

“Sometimes they use man-made structures, like a stone bridge or a fishing access with rock fill, because they provide just that.”

In New Hampshire, as well, reports of the species reflect more where observers are than where the snakes may be.

It is well-documented in New Hampshire’s denselypopulated southeastern corner. It is not found in the White Mountains, but otherwise it appears to be so common throughout the state that Marchand sometimes forgets to note every time he sees one.

It surprises Andrews, though, that there have been no confirmed reports of the northern water snake along the Connecticut River. The snake can find everything it likes there: water, fish and rocks.

And Massachusetts records seem to indicate water snakes in the Connecticut’s southern waters. However, records stop north of Vernon.

There have been a couple of recent reports from Rockingham, but without photos they can’t be confirmed.

Are there northern water snakes along the Connecticut River in our region?

That’s a question that Marchand and Andrews can only answer with your help.

The best time to look for the snakes, Andrews says, is April, when cold water and warm air entice them to bask in the sun outside their winter dens with little vegetation to hide them from view. The second best time to look is right now – in September and October.

The snakes slither overland to their denning locations, which are deep in rock crevasses, and bask in full view on warm days.

Photos are helpful.

Madeline Bodin is a writer living in Andover. The illustration for this column was drawn by Adelaide Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: wellborn@nhcf.org.

The Outside Story, provided by Northern Woodlands magazine, is a series of weekly ecology articles that has been appearing in newspapers across New Hampshire and Vermont since 2002. The series is underwritten by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation - Upper Valley Region and edited by Dave Mance at Northern Woodlands.

Want to reach us? Email: news@vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com Phone: (802) 331-0130 Page 69 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Lake Champlain International:

Causeways will once again return to the Missisquoi and Lake Champlain.

If these fish survive, it should not take many years before they again start being caught by anglers.

To give them a start, a catch and release fishing regulation for muskellunge has been set by Vermont.

All musky must be released unharmed. Hopefully, the day will soon come when this mighty fighting fish once more bends rods in Vermont waters.

Wayne Laroche is the staff scientist for Lake Champlain International.

A musky from Lake Champlain.

The muskellunge is a highly prized sport fish that was native to Lake Champlain and its tributaries.

The Missisquoi River held the last remnant of this native population until it was forever lost when chemicals spilled into the upper river in the late 1970s.

Since then, New York has stocked musky into the Chazy River.

Occasionally a few adults resulting from New York stockings have been taken in and around the Missisquoi River.

Genetic testing has been used to

confirm their New York origin.

Vermont also stocked some muskellunge into Otter Creek during the 1980s. These fish have actually established a small naturally reproducing population in Otter Creek.

Vermont began stocking muskellunge into the Missisquoi River delta in 2008 to try to restore a Missisquoi population.

Through 2013, about 30,000 young musky have been released into the Missisquoi River system.

With a little luck, a naturally reproducing population of musky

Lake Champlain International (LCI) is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization actively involved in shaping the future of Lake Champlain's water and fisheries health for the well-being of the people who depend on it today and tomorrow. To protect, restore, and revitalize Lake Champlain and its communities, LCI educates, advocates, and motivates to ensure that Lake Champlain is swimmable, drinkable, and fishable, understanding that healthy water resources are essential for a healthy economy and a healthy community.

Page 70 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Conservation:

Fish & Wildlife conserves 2 new land parcels The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department recently closed on a pair of properties that will increase the size of the department’s conserved lands.

The Lewis Creek Streambank property is a 323-acre area of conserved land owned by the Department to protect streamside habitat and provide access along the stream for hunting and fishing.

Recently, the Department acquired an additional 65 acres that has been added to this streambank property in the towns of Hinesburg and Monkton. The 65 acres are along Lewis Creek and were sold at a discounted rate by Ray and Pat Mainer of Hinesburg to the department.

“We're pleased to be able to give something to the community and the state, and to know that this sale will add a substantial amount of conserved land available to the public,” Mainer said.

According to Jane Lazorchak, land acquisition coordinator for the Fish & Wildlife Department, the Mainer parcel hosts habitat for a large colony of federally endangered Indiana bats.

In 2008, department biologists trapped two Indiana bats on adjacent

lands and tracked the animals to a large dead elm tree on Lewis Creek Road near the Mainer property.

“When we revisited this tree at dusk and watched the bats leaving their maternity roost, we counted over 300 Indiana bats,” Lazorchak said. “That makes this tree the largest known Indiana bat maternity colony ever found in Vermont. With the spread of white nose syndrome, it makes it even more important to protect roosting and feeding habitat for these bats. The Department is grateful for their thoughtful and generous donation.”

Calendar Brook Wildlife Management Area near the village of Sutton has also added 37 acres, bringing the total size of the WMA to 450 acres.

The additional property is entirely composed of mapped deer wintering habitat – a conservation priority for the Fish & Wildlife Department. The property was acquired through a donation from Sarah Scharfenaker and Tom Koehne.

“My family has deep roots in Sutton and this piece of land was our last connection,” Koehne said. “We were happy to donate it to the state so that future generations can enjoy this land as we have."

"Tom and Sarah demonstrate the generosity of Vermonters,” Lazorchak said. “This land can now be managed for wildlife conservation and will remain open for the public to enjoy."

The Fish & Wildlife Department has 89 WMAs, the largest of which encompass tens of thousands of acres.

In all, the Department owns more than 133,000 acres of conserved land throughout Vermont.

Streambank properties, which are usually smaller than WMAs, are landholdings of the department that protect riparian habitat along streams and rivers and provide access along streams for hunting and fishing.

They are distinct from the department’s 170 formal fishing access areas on ponds and rivers throughout Vermont, which typically contain a small parking lot and a boat ramp.

More information about Department landholdings is available at www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

Along with the Lewis Creek Streambank, the department manages the Lewis Creek Wildlife Management Area on the same water way, a few miles upstream.

Like the stories you read on the pages of Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine? the of these articles.

Send a little praise their way. Writer them directly, or to the editor.

Page 71 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Out & About:

Best Hunting Buddies

E

very fall, I get an itch to pull the shotgun from its case and dig out the game vest for another hunting season.

Having grown up in the West and in a family primarily of bird hunters, the fall for me meant shotguns, dogs, and feathers floating on a gentle breeze.

It started with dove season on Sept 1, followed by quail in October and pheasants in November. Then more quail and sometimes a late (early?) trip back for late-season pheasants.

When I read about partridge in Vermont, I got excited. Then I realized I actually knew nothing about hunting the birds and, many years in Vermont later, I still don't.

I do know that most of the grouse I've seen in the Vermont woods have been in the spring, but I'm sure that's more my fault than anything else. I simply don't know what I'm doing and, honestly, haven't tried hard enough to learn.

Not too long after arriving in the Green Mountain State, I had to put both “bird dogs” down within just a little more than a year.

I put quotes around “bird dogs,” because they were birds dogs in the sense that one was a Brittany and the other a golden retriever and both had been hunting with me. But, neither were bird dogs as a serious hunter would identify them.

Billy Bob, the Brittany, was a handme-down dog after my uncle couldn't handle him.

Apparently he didn't know that some lines of Brits are high-strung and runners, bread for the big grasslands of Montana, not the close work he wanted a dog for.

I got him just before he turned 1 year old and he came full of bad habits. He chased rabbits, or butterflies, or squirrels, or … well, pretty much anything. A bird would flush and he would break and chase the dang thing to the next county.

An hour later, he'd come back, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth and he'd be ready to work. He just had to get that big run out of him first.

I couldn't let him out of the truck anywhere near populated areas or roads until he tired out.

After he ran a couple of miles he would hunt close and was a pretty good dog with a good nose and never-ending drive.

My hunting partners used to joke that we needed to let him out a couple miles before we got to the area we were hunting so he could chase the vehicle and tire out.

But while I yelled myself horse over that dog, he would earn his keep at least

once a trip.

One time he chased a wounded pheasant for what seemed like a half mile and bringing the big bird back while it spurred him and beat him half to death with his wings.

His first hunt was memorable as he hit the field at something close to 1 year old.

We were hunting an old homesite grown up with weeds and rooster pheasents erupted out of the place. Guns barked and birds fell, but Billy Bob was in chest high weeds with me and didn't see any of it.

We worked our way to the edge and I lifted him out of the fenced enclosure and he hit the ground running.

We couldn't find one of the birds that had fallen in a very bare area and should have been an easy find.

Suddenly, we notice the pup, on the dead run a rooster running with his teal feathers just a half step ahead of the Brittany's mouth.

Up and over a small rise and they went out of sight in a cloud of dust.

When we got there, he had pinned the bird and was holding it with his paw, looking at us with his goofy grin like he'd been waiting for us to get there and take over.

His instinct had him pursue the bird, but he really didn't know what to do with it once he caught it.

Bubba, the golden, was mine from a pup, but he was just my buddy. He went fishing, camping, hiking, biking and other things with me.

Page 72 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • October 2013

Out & About: treatment, he deteriorated to the point He'd retrieve pine cones for hours and bird in his mouth.

Together, they were my half trained the decision had to be made. lay by the fire and eat the leftover I asked the vet if he was suffering or hotdogs I gave him and seemed as bird dogs.

Unfortunately, the other half seemed if I could have one more day with the content as any dog could be.

He even retrieved a big brown trout to come out when we were hunting. big lug.

Taking him home, I stopped for from a cooler one time on the boat They were the kinds of dogs you cheeseburgers on the way launch while we prepped our and he laid in my lap as I fed boat after pulling it out of them to him. the water.

The hunt, for me, was always It's many years later and I But he wasn't a bird dog much more than pulling a trigger still miss that big galoot. for many years until I And losing those dogs is decided to take him dove on a bird. Without my two best probably a big reason I've hunting. hunting buddies, I've just not never really pursued He picked up on the idea Vermont's grouse. that he wasn't chasing a regained the drive to learn a The hunt, for me, was tennis ball and soon realized new game in a new land. always much more than that sometimes the birds fell pulling a trigger on a bird. form the sky and he would Without my two best go get them. He was naturally soft-mouthed and was also wouldn't take hunting with a buddy hunting buddies, I've just not regained the drive to learn a new game in a new unless he was very understanding. dedicated to his task.

They were both great dogs, each in land.

Bubba was goofy golden from field I once read that every man should stock. He didn't have the beautiful, silky his own way.

Unfortunately, Billy Bob had to be own at least one good dog. hair of the show lines. If he had worn I know I've had more than my share clothes, he would have worn Hawaiian put down not long after we arrived in shirts. That's just the kid of dog he was. Vermont and I never got a chance to try already.

But maybe, just maybe, the grouse He once went after a pheasant that him on grouse.

It was one of the hardest things I've coverts are calling, and it might be time had been winged and dove into a thick to forge a new relationship with a new pile of weeds. Bubba went in full bore. ever done.

It wasn't but a year or so later that hunting buddy.

The pheasant popped up and Bubba Darren Marcy is editor and publisher popped up. Over and over, like popcorn, Bubba also reached the end of his run.

Despite months of constant of Vermont's Great Outdoors Magazine. until finally he came back out with the

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