Another Year Comes to a Close #30

There are only a handful of times during the year that I can say I really do not look forward to. The first snowstorm that blankets the ground and makes everything slippery is one. When the cold finally sets in and you have to go from the medium thickness jacket to the full all-out assault on cold thickness jacket would be the second. When you get to the North Maine Woods checkpoints and find them all boarded up and abandoned for the year, (November 23^rd this year) is another.  But the one thing that really bothers me the most is when I have to clean the rifle, and put the shells and hunting clothes up for the season. That means that we have gone through a full year of fishing and hunting and all that is left is snow and cold for the next five months. Now, I do spend time skiing, which helps pass the time, but my mind is really continually calculating the remaining time until I can see bare ground, warmer temperatures and the emergence of my fishing pole. That means that I have successfully weathered another winter and it is time to get out there and go back to what I love the most, the outdoors.

It has been a great year overall. I have done as much fishing as humanly possible and have spent as much time in the woods hunting both birds and deer as I could. I have ventured into new ponds, scouted new roads and made new friends. TC and I have spent a lot of time together and she has really begun to enjoy being out there with a fly rod, and this year getting to know a shotgun. We have been fortunate to have another great crop of partridge this year, and I am extremely impressed and pleased at the amount of sign I saw while hunting deer. One such adventure we had this year while deer hunting in the North Maine Woods was when TC and I left the truck and were walking into a chopping that had been regenerated with small firs. About two hundred yards into the chop, I noticed two deer standing about 125 yards down from us. One deer was looking our way and the other was looking in the opposite direction. I pulled up the rifle, scoped the deer and found them to be both does.  I dropped the rifle and continued to look at them, but what I did not see was the deer behind them and the deer to the right of them just into the woods a bit. TC saw the deer in the back take off running, but was not sure what it was. Then all of a sudden the deer on the right spun around and jumped off into the woods taking the two does with it. I only saw the back end, but from what I saw, it had to have been a buck. With the lack of snow, it was impossible to follow them and in no time, they were nowhere to be found.  They are such an amazing animal when you see them bounding over whatever is in their way.

Now, I don’t want you to think that everything is over, because it is not. There is something called Muzzle loading season where you have an extra week here in Northern Maine to hunt with a black powder rifle, and I have one of those contraptions. I do plan to get out a day or so and revisit the areas that had such promise during the regular firearms season.  At this juncture, I don’t care if I see a deer or not, just being able to get out and enjoy what this area has to offer is enough for me.  And after this week is over and I put away all of my hunting gear, I can unequivocally say that it was a great year, and I did most everything TC and I had set out to do. And as the sun sets this coming Saturday and the entire hunting season fades away, I have no regrets. After Christmas, I will pull out the fly tying vice and material and add to my inventory for the coming year, all be it with one eye to the ground waiting for the weather to warm up, the snow to be gone, and the ice to go out on the water. That will be my cue to pull out the fishing gear and start a new season.

What’s in a Name?  #29

The first couple of days of deer hunting season are really important to me. That doesn’t mean that the rest is not, however, those first couple of days are when I pack my bags and make the trip over to the western Maine area, and in particular, Rangeley. Now, I have been going there this first week for many years and have come to really enjoy what Rangeley has to offer in terms of the area to hunt and the people that live there.  My friend owns a camp on Rangeley Lake and that is the staging area for our hunting activities. I have had very good luck there over the years, and not only that, but I get to spend time with some guys I don’t generally get to see that often.

Now, Rangeley is an interesting town. I have come to know some of the inhabitants of the community and look forward to seeing them during my visit. You can be sure that most of them will come through the doors of the local pub there called Sarge’s at some point while I am there.  The interesting thing about that is I have never been told what their real names are. Yes, some folks around the Rangeley area have very interesting names that appear to have been given to them a long time ago. I must say, in most cases, they fit the part to a tee.

Take for example, Batman. He is the local driver there that you call upon when you want to make sure that you can have a good time at the local pub and not have to drive back to camp. During the winter, he works at Saddleback Mountain. If you want to know what is shaking in Rangeley, Batman can tell you. He has the up to the minute news scoop and is not afraid to color it in a way that will have the tears coming down your cheeks from laughter. Once, Batman had the door handle taken off his Toyota Camray. When he was asked if he was going to replace it, he said, heck no, a piece of rawhide works just as well and costs a whole lot less. While he was taking us back to camp one night this year, he turned around to us in the back seat and said, turn the tunes on. Apparently, the car does not have a working radio, so to provide a calm enjoyable atmosphere while you ride; he has a boom box with tapes. We finally figured out how to turn it on, and he kept asking for us to turn it up which we did. The songs were right out of the 60’s and we laughed all the way to the camp. If you recall the old Batman days, he always had music going when he was riding in the bat mobile. Need I say more?

The next character is Rooster. Now Rooster is a nice young man just scratching to get by and during his travels, got off the track. He did come through the doors at Sarge’s one night and came right over to our table. He told us that he was just out for a ride on his Harley and was living the good life. From talking to him, it seemed that he was really trying to keep the bus on the road and not let it drive off the embankment.

Duck would be the next character. Now if you were to see him, you would know why he is called Duck. He is the cook at Sarge’s and is very dedicated to his work. This year, Duck was so busy that he did not get a chance to come over and talk with us other than to say Hi as he passed. And as he passed, he kind of waddled by. Not to mention he kind of has the profile down pat.

There are a number of other characters in that area, and we hear and see them just about every time we are over there. They include Hoggie, Rum Belly and a new one I met this year, Hobbit. Now, I just met Hobbit this year for the first time and I have to say, he looks just like a Hobbit right down to his sneakers, that by the way don’t have any laces.

To make this even more intriguing, while hunting, we came across a blue haired troll sitting on a stump. At first, we looked at it and wondered how it had gotten there. Then our imagination got the best of us and we remembered we were in Rangeley and anything can happen….

I am sure there are more folks that I have not met and some interesting names I have not heard. The resounding theme that keeps coming back every time I visit is that of a group of people proud of where they live and working hard to make ends meet. Rangeley is truly a beautiful place to visit both from the hunting and fishing aspect, as well as the winter sports it has to offer. As I leave each year, I think to myself how lucky I am to have been able to spend time there, and I can’t wait until hunting season the next year and the chance to get caught up with all the folks. It is truly an adventure right out of a fairy tale novel. Oh, and did I say that the hunting is great too…

I Don’t Need To!  #28

Peter Davies had it all, a great family, a good practice that he had built from time, and he was well known in the community. He volunteered to help with community events, owned and piloted his own boat and cruised up and down the coast on weekends with his wife. He enjoyed fishing while on the boat, pulling in prize fish that so often the sea would offer him. Yes, Peter had it all. But Peter also had another side that few people knew of or concerned themselves with. Peter thought that he knew it all. He didn’t need any help from others, because when push came to shove, he had gotten out of messes on his own all his life.

So, when his friend Joe told him that he was going to take a hunters safety course, just as a refresher, and asked if Peter would like to tag along, Peter remarked, why do I need that? I know all about the woods and gun safety. I have never been lost and I have never injured anyone with a gun. Joe told him that he was taking it to refresh his skills and to get more familiar with the compass and the map. But, Peter continued to resist and in the end told Joe that he knew all of that stuff and had no use for the course or the waste of time in attending.

Fall came, and Peter was invited to join some of his friends for a couple of days of bird hunting. He was excited and gathered all of his gear including his in preparation for his trip to the woods. The day came when Peter loaded the car and took off to meet the gang. He arrived at the camp late in the day tired from the trip north. He spent the afternoon and evening socializing with the guys and had far more to drink than he should have. That evening, he found his way to his bed in the camp and passed out quickly. In the morning, the guys woke Peter up and told him to get ready as they were heading out to hunt. Peter, still feeling the effects from the night before, got his gear together and loaded it in the truck of the guy he was riding with that day named Bill. As they cruised the dirt roads, Peter had a shell in his hand and the gun by his side ready to jump out when a bird showed up. Shortly into the ride, both he and Bill spotted a bird on the side of the road. Peter loaded his gun and then jumped out of the truck. He started to walk toward the bird so as to close the gap between the two of them. Bill walked alongside him with his gun loaded. Just as they got to within shooting range, the bird took flight. Peter wielded around with gun raised and the muzzle of the gun passed right in front of Bill’s head. Peter continued to swing the gun by Bills head and pulled the trigger, but missed the bird. Bill immediately let Peter know that he had just pointed a loaded gun at him and not only that, but the gun was loaded in a truck which was against the law. Peter replied that he had total control of the gun at all times and would never have placed Bill in any danger. Bill told him to be more careful and not to load his gun while in Bills truck again.

When Bill and Peter got back to the camp, Bill told everyone about his day and what had happened with Peter. Everyone remarked that they were concerned about it, but Peter was such a nice guy that they hated to make an issue of it.

The next day, Peter and Bill once again paired up and struck out to find birds. About half way through the day, they ran into a flock of six birds standing on the road. Both Bill and Peter jumped out of the truck, loaded their guns and began firing at the birds. They both got one, and the others flew into the woods. Bill walked down the road to pick up his bird and all of a sudden, he heard a shot and it felt like a noise went right by his head. Bill swung around to find that Peter had seen a bird in the grass right next to Bill and had fired. As he began to say something to Peter, he noticed that Peter was reloading his gun and was running into the woods yelling, I just saw another one. Bill stayed calm and watched as Peter went out of sight. Minutes went by and Bill heard nothing. Bill yelled to Peter to see if he saw anything, but got no answer. Bill wanted to go into the woods, but was afraid of being in the same area as Peter, so he waited as more time passed. Finally after fifteen minutes passed and he had no contact with Peter, Bill decided to go see if he was ok. Bill pulled out his GPS and marked a waypoint where his truck was. He put his compass around his neck and started into the woods calling for Peter, but got no answer. Bill noticed that as he got off the road, the woods thickened and were very dark and grown in from the softwood trees. For twenty minutes, Bill went deeper and deeper into the woods yelling for Peter. Finally, Peter answered him and said, I am not sure how to get out, can you please come help me. Bill plotted a course to Peter using his voice and told Peter to stay where he was and not move. Eventually Bill got to where Peter was all huddled up. He noticed that Peter was soaked from sweat. He then took his GPS and plotted a course back to his truck with Peter alongside him. Once in the truck, Peter told Bill that he had seen a bird by the road and followed it into the woods. He kept seeing it and kept going deeper and deeper into the woods until he realized that he did not know where he was nor did he know how to get out. He wandered around trying to find his way out, but nothing reminded him of the path he took when he came in.

Once back at the camp, Peter walked over to Bill and thanked him for all he had done for him. He told Bill that he really thought he knew it all, but the few days he had spent with him reminded him of the lack of knowledge and skill he had. He told Bill that as soon as there was a hunter’s safety course available, he was going to sign up, and he was going to find some reading material to help him understand not only compass and GPS reading, but what you do if you are lost in the woods. Peter pledged to be a different hunter if they invited him back next year.

Do you know the moral of this tale? Can you pick out the things that Peter did wrong? What would you do differently if you were Peter? What would you do if you were Bill?

Cast and Blast, Anyone?  #27

As much as I enjoy the summer, and all the possibilities it has to offer us, I must admit that I am more partial to the fall. Now, that does require that I put my fly rod up and take out the guns, and that can be a bit traumatic for me.  However, there is a small, brief, window of time known to us die hards as “Cast & Blast” day.  Translated, that means that you fish just before the day the fishing season ends and then hunt the first day of the new season. And that, my friends is exactly what I did this year. Now, it is a wonderful thing when your wife says to you, I think you need to take a day off so we can go into the woods and fish one last time.  And so, TC and I set out last Friday for the North Maine Woods and one of our favorite ponds. Among other things, we packed the Coleman stove, some pots and our food; because it is always better this time of year to have a hot meal for lunch.  We spent the day on the pond and had some very good luck as the trout were willing to cooperate. Once we arrived at the pond, we found that we were not the only people to have the same idea. There were three men coming off the pond who had been there since early morning, and there were three people just preparing to shove off. While we were getting our equipment ready, we got a chance to talk with the folks coming off the pond. They were from the Bangor area and were staying at the Island Pond campsite. They had the same idea as we did and were doing a little fishing and then on Monday were going to do some bird hunting.  The group just going on the pond was from the Freeport, Durham area and was staying at Bradford Camps.  TC and I had a great day and brought home two trout. The woods were just beginning to show some great colors as the leaves were changing, and I knew that in a couple of days, they would be at peak color and there is no better site than that.

Now, the second part of the Cast & Blast began on Sunday when I headed up to Chandler Lake Camps to meet a group of 12 that was coming in to do some bird hunting.  All summer long, I had seen a lot of partridge and was really excited to start the new season. During the two days that we as a group hunted, we were not disappointed. The number of birds that we saw was unbelievable. After Tuesday, it was apparent that they were showing up in cycles.  You would see them early in the morning and then it would stop until late afternoon when they would come out again. We all had a great time and I even got to see a bear on the road during my travels. That coupled with a few moose, a couple of them very big, help complete a couple of wonderful days.

You know, our hunting group was comprised of folks from all over.  We had people from southern Maine, Vermont, Ohio and even one who now calls Texas home. I know I heard the same comment several times which I always keep in mind as I live and play here, and that comment was “ I can’t believe what you folks have here in Northern Maine, it is very special.”  They of course were referring to the North Maine Woods. Every time I heard that comment, I thought that I considered myself very lucky, indeed. And as Aroostook County is referred to as the Crown of Maine, I guess we could call the North Maine Woods the “Jewel of Northern Maine.”

And as I was driving out of the Jewel on Wednesday morning, looking at the woods and the brilliant colors that the trees were now sporting, I considered myself lucky and honored to be able to be just one of the many that pass through its gates and take part in what it has to offer. I will never lose sight of that fact.

Updates:

One of my readers sent my blog address to his Navy Seal friend and told him to read the blog about the Navy Seal and his dog.  Through that reader, I got an email back from the Seal who wrote the following:

Regarding your friend's post, give him a hooya from me. As you're an honorary part of the brotherhood, you understand how difficult a time that was for us. Nice to know that the spirit of the Team runs far and wide, even as far as northern Maine! I've always said that we'd all be much better off if we could emulate the selfless dedication of a dog to his master. Thanks again for sharing; it'll travel.

On another note, we traveled miles and miles in the woods this weekend in search of partridge that were not showing up well at all. When I came to work this morning, there was a spot on the window of one of our managers where something had hit it from outside. When I looked to the ground, there laid a partridge who must have died from the impact. Go figure.

Now, to Little Kearston and an update. I have been following her mother’s Facebook page and it appears that although Kearston is going through a lot right now, she is doing ok. We are keeping her in our prayers.

Can you tell me where the time has gone?  #26

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Where did the time go?” Was it related to your children and their growing up way to fast?  Well I do seem to say that from time to time, and this past week was no exception. TC and I were fortunate to have had both our sons home for a visit. Now, what do you think an avid fisherman would do during a visit with their family that loves to fish? If you said fish, you got the gold star for the day. TC, the two boys and I went to the woods on Thursday and came out Friday night. After going through the six mile checkpoint, we headed to Churchill Dam to show the boys what that area had to offer. While there, they both got to fish just below the red stakes at the dam and really had a great time catching fish. We took lots of photos of them with their waders on working their way downstream. At the end of the day, we had a long journey back to Chandler Lake Camps where we were staying for the night, so we called them out of the water, which they were reluctant to do, and headed back down the Pelletier and Pelletier road to the camp.

The next day, we left the camps and headed to our old reliable fishing hole, Ragged Mountain Pond and spend the day fishing. The weather was great, the company was wonderful and the fish cooperated very well. We ended up putting a lot of fish back, but did come out with three nice trout. As we were packing to leave, our youngest let us know that he really didn’t want to leave, so we had them go back out in the canoe while we finished packing. As we were driving out, I looked in the rear view mirror at both boys in the back seat of the truck. They were both sound asleep. It made me think of the times when they were young and we would go on a trip and they would be fast asleep in the backseat in no time.

They both had to head back to their respective homes the following day, and TC and I were both saddened that the time had gone so quickly. Each has his own life now, but they really enjoy coming back and spending time with us which we appreciate and enjoy as much as them. I could not help but watch their faces in that canoe when they got a fish. It reminded me of times passed when they were still young. It brought a lot of satisfaction to both TC and I that they had a good time while they were here.  

You always wish the best for your children, and TC and I are no exception. You cherish the time you have with them and the time when they are home growing up. But when they leave to their own lives, you cherish the time spent with them even more, and you catch yourself saying, as I did, where did the time go?

From the INBOX:
I heard from a reader who read my blog on little Kearston. He sent the blog to his daughter who works for the American Cancer Society. Alison got back to me and wants to be kept apprised of Kearstons progress. If we hear of any updates, we will surely do so.

We all need to be thankful!  #25

You know, I am fortunate. I am very thankful that I have been healthy enough to do the things I want to do. Stop and think for a minute about the things we take for granted every day of our lives.  In my life, I get to choose when I want to hunt and fish. Where I want to go to hunt and fish, and how long I want to stay there.  I get to plan for these excursions without having to worry about other things that might prevent me from doing them, like my health.

TC and I are proud of where we grew up. The people in Fort Kent, not unlike other towns and cities, are hardworking folks that really care about the people around them. We are just a bit more partial to them and what they do. We get back to Fort Kent as much as we can, but not like years past when our family was all together and we visited relatives there.  We still keep tabs on them, and somehow feel their pain when something happens there. In this particular case, the town is joining together to help one of its own.  She is a little 3 year old girl who has been diagnosed with a form of childhood leukemia, and her name is Kearston Albert.

Now, TC and I have never met Kearston or her family but my friends on Facebook from Fort Kent have kept us all informed about her illness and their desire to help the family. See, that is what folks in Fort Kent do so well. They are already developing fundraisers for her and her family to help them as they go forward.  I also read about Kearston in an article that was well done by the Bangor Daily News on September 12.  The article spoke of her mother and how she told Kearston that they were both princesses and were going to slay the dragons together.  My heart melted when I continued to read the article, and after some of her treatments, Kearston told her mother that she didn’t want to slay the dragons anymore.

TC and I will be following Kearston as she travels down the road to recovery.  And I know that our friends in Fort Kent will keep us posted on her progress.  It also puts in perspective for me how lucky I have been and currently am. Each of us needs to remember that as we wake up every day. I know for sure that the next time I go in the woods; I will remember how fortunate I am.

Kearston, you keep slaying those dragons with your mom until you have gotten every last one.  Remember, that you have folks you don’t even know who are thinking of you and your family. We will be keeping track of your progress. That’s what folks from Fort Kent do.

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/09/12/news/aroostook/community-rallies-for-3-year-old-fort-kent-girl-with-leukemia/

My day with Rosaire  #24

If you read my blogs, you know that I wrote one back in April about an older fisherman that I have spent time with over the years. Well, last week, TC told me that it was time to head back to the St John Valley and do some fishing. As you might expect, I jumped at the chance to get up there and to spend some time with Rosaire. Now he is 87 years young and is still going strong. He has been fishing all summer and at certain times, has been doing quite well.  Well, a quick call to him generated a favorable response and up I went.

When I got there, he was just about ready to go. Now, he doesn’t move as fast as he used to, however, he is quick on his feet when it’s time to go fishing. We also invited his oldest son Paul to join us. When I was on the phone with him, I asked where he wanted to go. As always, he said you choose. When we got ready to go, he let me know that we were going to McLean Lake.

Off we went to the lake with Rosaire in front and Paul in the back seat. When we got there, it was a short walk into the Lake from the road where we parked the truck. We carried all the equipment down to the Lake and let Rosaire walk down in his own time. When we got there, we inspected the shoreline and Rosaire did his walk around to make sure all was to his liking. We got in the boat and paddled out. I asked Rosaire where he wanted to fish and he responded, “You are the captain, I’ll go where you want.” That was short lived, because as I was paddling to a spot that I liked the looks of, he quickly told me that we needed to go somewhere else and that spot was not good.  My captain’s job was once again short lived.  

We fished for about 4 hours and Paul caught five trout, but we were fishless. Toward the end, Rosaire let me know, jokingly, that he was two fish short of his limit. That has significance, because the limit on that lake is two fish. At about 7pm, I noticed that Rosaire reeled his line in, took his reel off, and took his pole apart. I asked if that was a signal that he was done and he said yes. He let me know that there were no fish jumping and it was time to go. So, we paddled to the shore, got all the stuff and walked up the path to the truck. I went back to get the things Rosaire was carrying so as to lighten his load. He finally made it to the truck and we headed back to Fort Kent.

All in all, it was a good day. We had not caught any fish, but I got to spend time with an 87 year old man who had a passion for fishing. It has never ceased to amaze me that notwithstanding his age, Rosaire is very agile. He is not as fast as I remember him being in past years, but just being able to fish is a tall order and he does it well. I look forward to next year. Maybe he will really let me be the captain of the boat then. I think not.