Congratulations, you are Maine’s newest Registered Guide #67

I recently fulfilled one of my goals, and reflecting upon how and what I needed to do to finalize it made me want to blog about what it takes to become a Registered Maine Guide.

Sometime back, I began to look into what was needed to become a Maine Guide. The state does not just license anyone, you must have a knowledge in a variety of areas and not only do you have to pass written exams, but the practical and oral are equally as important. So, in preparation, I began to research if there were any schools or training sessions that I could attend to sharpen my skills and prepare me for the testing process. TC was right there with me and was equally interested in sitting in, not only to sharpen her skills, but to get more knowledge in areas where she felt she needed more information. Our research came up with a company called Fins and Furs in Skowhegan, Maine. Carroll and Lila Weare own and operate the service and they just so happened to have a guide’s school coming up in our town this past February. The training ran from Thursday morning until Sunday afternoon. When we got there, we met with Carroll and with the other attendees who all settled in for what would be an intense learning experience. During the time we were there, we learned about map and compass and how to find bearings, how to determine contours and how to determine inlets and outlets of ponds and lakes. We also went through what we needed to study in the law books and how to prepare ourselves for the oral exam as well as what they call the cat event. Now, the cat event can be almost anything where the examiners lay out an event that you as the guide would have to respond to. That could be anything from a lost person in your party and what you would do to find them, or you may be guiding a party down the river and their canoe upsets and someone is injured. You have to take charge of the situation and handle each event accordingly. In some instances, you may not have cell phone or satellite service. You are it and you must act!

Then, there are other parts to prepare for. The Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is the agency that oversees Maine Guides and does all the testing and licensing. You have to know species of animals and fish, and how to navigate with and without a compass and also how to read a topo map. Carroll did a great job of getting me prepared for my testing and TC also commented that she learned a lot of important and useful information from the class. Now, it was up to me to prepare and know when it was right to apply for the exam.

The next hurdle was that in order to apply, you had to have taken a basic first aid CPR course. TC and I went through that and got our certification. We then went one step further and took a wilderness first aid course which was really intense. TC pointed out that it was going to be very helpful for my cat event scenario, and it truly was.

Well, the time came and I completed my application and submitted the form with the required information. I expected to hear back in about a month which would give me further time to study and prepare. Oh contraire, I got a letter back within a week telling me that I had an appointment with the Guides Examiners the following week. From that point on, everything seemed to be a blur. I studied and studied and at some point found myself where I was not absorbing what I was studying. Thank goodness for Lila and Carroll, because I would email them questions I had and they would get right back to me with answers. The night before the exam, I remember emailing a question and Lila got back to me and explained that I should just breathe and relax and things would be fine.  I always remembered that and went back to that advice on a couple of occasions the day of the exam.

Exam day came and I presented myself at the appointed time and place. I was met by a lady who asked if I wanted to take the written exam first. It took me about 45 minutes to complete. There were 100 questions on a variety of things that I might see or run into down the road. Once done, they checked it and I passed, therefore, I was moving on. The two examiners asked me to follow them into a room and closed the door behind me. They asked me to take a seat at a table directly across from where they were sitting. They informed me that my first order of business would be to show my map and compass proficiency. They passed me a topo map and told me that they wanted me to locate the westerly inlet of a pond they gave me the name of and then, they wanted me to go from there to the outlet of another pond. They wanted the true north, magnetic and back magnetic bearing from one to the other. They also wanted the distance. The kicker here was that there is a caveat to Map and compass and the cat event. If you don’t pass one or both, your interview stops and you fail, thus having to come back and retake the test.  So that was in my mind, as well as the fact that you only have fifteen minutes to do all the map and compass work. Once I had completed that set, they asked for my work and what I got for numbers. I provided all to them and we then moved on to the next set. This time, they wanted me to go from the outlet of a pond in the first scenario to another pond and they wanted the true and back magnetic bearing for that. I worked that out and gave them what I thought were the answers. There was some discussion and then they asked me to sit back down at the table. Waiting for the hatchet to drop, they finally spoke and said relax you passed. That was music to my ears. They then said that they were going to go into the Cat event. My event involved me guiding a party of three with a mother, son and father and the mother and son came up missing. How was I going to proceed? As I was answering, it was clear that they were going to roll play with me and interject things to try to change my mind. At some point, they said they had heard enough and they moved on to the oral exam. They must have asked me 25 questions. One in particular was that I ventured into a pond to do some fishing and used my compass to get in. I fished all day and as darkness drew near, I decided to leave. It was a starlit night and the moon was very bright. I reached for my compass and it was not there. How was I going to get out? Well, I answered as many questions as I could and then they asked me to name several species of fish for them. I went through them and they said ok, we are going to tally up your score and would like you to wait outside. I felt like the wait was long, when in hindsight, it was no more than four minutes or so. At last, I heard the door open and they asked me to come back in. As I was entering, one of the examiners asked me how I thought I did. I replied I think I did ok, but it is up to you. He smiled and reached out his hand and said the magic words I wanted to hear “You passed, congratulations, you are Maine’s newest Guide.  I was elated, relieved, spent and everything else, but I had done it. Thanks to TC, Carroll and Lila and also Penny Kern who had instructed us in first aid and wilderness first aid.

Well, they led me out to the area where the lady asked if I wanted to pay for my license. I said, yes mam and she printed it and I wrote her a check. She passed me a Registered Maine Guide patch and sticker and congratulated me.

All the way home, I reflected upon what it took to get to where I was and it was all worth it.  Now, the next chapter in my life begins, my guiding in the Maine Woods. But first, I think I will take some time and plan it out and in the meantime, TC and I will do a little more fishing.

Mother Nature Reins Supreme #66

From fly fishing to “ice” fishing, all within twenty four hours, how can that be? I experienced that around Memorial weekend when TC, my son and his girlfriend decided to spend some time in the North Maine Woods fishing. Now Ryan and Amanda flew in to our little town and the next day we drove up to what would be our destination, Red River Camps, which is right in the heart of the Deboulie Region of Northern Maine. Jen Brophy owns and runs the camps which are nestled on Island Pond. These camps are quite a classy place. As we drove in, we found Gloria prepping some of the camps for the incoming visitors. She told us where to park our stuff and then we decided to try our hand at fishing. If you have been keeping track of the 2015 fishing season in Aroostook County, you know that out of all the days we have had to fish, 95% of them have been quite windy. Not that good for fly fishing, but that was not our biggest hurdle during this trip. I will get to that shortly. The Deboulie region is full of nice little ponds full of brookies, some fairly large. We fished that afternoon and evening, and although not successful, we enjoyed it. Ryan and I planned to get up early the next morning and try Island Pond. When we rose, we were shocked to find the ground no longer green but white and the snow was still coming down. The wind was howling and the temps had dropped dramatically. Jen, trying to make the most of it, had jokingly put up some Christmas lights on a little fir tree in the yard. It looked like a winter wonderland and the pond color looked like a thin sheet of ice. Not being denied, we waited until the snow stopped and when most of it melted away, we then set out for some more fishing in the afternoon.  Unfortunately, the wind kept us from fishing the ponds, so we decided to do a little stream fishing and give Amanda and Ryan a chance to put the waders on.

Red River Camps has two types of plans you can take. The first is the American plan where you are treated to three meals compliments of Gloria’s cooking and believe me, the meals are delicious. The second is the housekeeping plan where they have cabins equipped with all the necessities to cook your own meals. We opted this time to bring our own food, however we asked Jen if we could have dinner with them the last night and she was more than happy to accommodate us. So that evening, we dined with them and Gloria and Jen prepared steaks for the group, along with all the fixings. During the evening, we sat with a couple from New Hampshire. The lady told us that her father had recently passed away and had been coming to the camps for many years. He had told her that Island Pond was one of his favorite spots. That being said, she was there to experience it and his last wishes were to have some of his ashes spread over his favorite fishing hole on Island Pond, which she was going to do the very next day.

It’s always hard to spend the last night in camp knowing that you are going home. This one was even harder knowing that Ryan and Amanda would be boarding the plane soon. Time seems to go by fast when you are enjoying what you have around you. We set out for home, but not before we stopped to allow a little time for some more stream fishing. Amanda, although from Massachusetts, had attended the University of Maine at Orono, and during all her travels, she had never seen a moose. So that was on her bucket list for this trip. Fortunately, we were able to oblige. On the way out, just off on a side road, there stood the giant beast. It was looking straight at us, and standing there just posing for her. She took a number of photos and seemed happy that she had finally seen one.

If you are looking for a relaxing location to either do some fishing or just to put your feet up and relax, I encourage you to look up Red River Camps and fire off an email to Jen. You won’t be disappointed and hopefully, you won’t run into some snow.

Preparation will pay off #64

The Northern Maine winter seems to be releasing its grip on us as the snow continues to melt, albeit slowly. Soon, the lakes and ponds will be free of ice and the roads leading into those ponds will be passable, and that means fishing season 2015 will begin. For many, it seems as though we just get our poles out and put them in the truck, drive to the water’s edge and cast our lines in. However, there is a whole other side to that, where early preparation will set you up for a much better season. If you have done your homework as far back as when you put the rods away, you will be in much better shape.

Ok, so at the end of September, making sure that your fly line is well cared for is a top priority. Some say that you should remove it from the spool and wrap it around something like a gallon milk jug. Doing so will ensure that your line will not take the shape of the reel over the long winter and it will make it last longer. I must confess that I seldom do this, choosing to keep it on the reel for the winter. I do however, wipe it down thoroughly taking away all the grime and sediment that is on it. I also make sure that my reel is clean and the moving parts are well lubricated. Wiping down your rods is also a good practice, again taking away the dirt. All of these practices will ensure that your equipment lasts and that it will be ready to go come April.

So now that the snow is gone and the roads are clear, it is time to break out the equipment for another year. It is always a good thing to check that your lines are all still tied together well. Make sure that the backing is tied with a nail knot to your fly line. From there, it is a good practice to remove old leaders and tie in a new one. For floating lines, I use a nine foot leader and as it gets smaller from use, I tie on a piece of tippet material. Many leaders now come with a loop which makes it easier to attach it to your fly line. If you still prefer the leader without a loop, make sure that you tie it in with another nail knot, and use a surgeons knot when you attach a leader to tippet material. Remember that there are different sizes of leaders and tippet material. I tend to use a 3X and 4X, depending on my needs. As for a sinking line, leaders tend to be much smaller, and depending on your preference, I tend to tie on a 3ft leader at the end of my fly line. Doing so will make your fly sink at a faster rate.

Now that you have your pole and line ready to go, the most important piece of equipment, even more important than your rod and reel is a survival pack. You should have this above all things in your vehicle; make sure it is well stocked and easily accessible. Your pack should include items such as bandages, gauze, tape, sugar packs, waterproof matches, flagging tape, compass, hard candy, latex gloves, a space blanket and any other items that would help in the event of an emergency. One of the more common injuries, unfortunately, is getting a hook embedded in your skin or eye. TC and I always wear sunglasses on the water to prevent this from happening. Not that we are prone to it, but prevention is the key. Do you know what you should do if a hook gets caught in your eye? My answer is, do not remove it, cover the eye and get medical attention immediately. Removing it will do far greater damage. I did write an earlier blog on the removal of a hook from your skin. You might want to look back to that for details. It is different than in your eye.

Ok, so now you have pretty much everything ready to go. I tend to bring a few extra things just in case. My truck is equipped with ten ply tires to help combat the shale that is on the road of the North Maine Woods. I also have a spare that I bring on top of the spare already on the truck, as well as a floor jack and a piece of plywood to put the jack on. I recall one year driving out of the woods with my older son, and all of a sudden one of my tires went flat. Unfortunately, it was early mud season, and it was also raining and there was not an area in sight that was dry. It was nice to pull out the floor jack, put it on top of the piece of plywood and jack away with no worries about the jack sinking into the mud. I also carry a patch kit and portable air pump that runs off my vehicle's cigarette lighter. You just never know when you might get a flat 60 or 70 miles deep in the woods. Also, I have come across other folks that don’t have these items and they are really glad when you pull them out, fix them up and get them back on their way. Would you know how to remove a flat tire from your truck if it was stuck to the hub? Often times, you remove the lug nuts and try to pull the wheel off and it will not budge. No matter how hard you kick it or try to pry it away, it will not budge. The answer came to me from my dad who spent many years in the woods. He said all you have to do is loosen the lug nuts just a bit and drive the truck a very short distance. Nine times out of ten the wheel will loosen up and you can get it off. Believe me, it does work.

The truck is now packed and you are off. Hopefully you are going to have a great day of fishing. If nothing else, you are prepared for most anything you encounter. Remember, cell phones don’t work in the deep woods and you are virtually all alone unless you have a satellite phone or the new Delorme In-Reach technology. So, make your trip a safe one, enjoy your surroundings and remember keep the area safe and clean. The land belongs to people who graciously give us access. Let’s make sure we do everything we can to keep it that way.

It’s been some time since I have sat down at the keyboard and hammered out a new blog. Winter poses the biggest challenge to me, in that I spend time between cross country skiing and fly tying and the actual sport of fishing and hunting takes a back seat. I always watch, with anticipation when Punxsutawney Phil is pulled out of his hole, holding my breath that he will see his shadow and spring will mysteriously appear. Well, that did not happen this year and we had one of the coldest seasons on records, not to mention the snow we got. To add insult to injury, we received 16 inches of new snow this past weekend and are in for an additional 3 to 6 today. Not quite the spring I had hoped for.  However, I learned a long time ago that I can’t control the weather so I have to make the best of it. There is one thing that offers a sign that spring is just around the corner and that is the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club Sportsman’s show. The show is being held this weekend at the University of Maine Presque Isle Gentile Hall, and always offers some great exhibits, vendors and many sporting camp owners from all over, including Canada. The doors open Saturday, March 21 at 9am and runs until 5 and then again Sunday from 9 to 4. Admission is $5.00 and I bet you will be able to find something that really peaks your interest. Whether it be the need for a new fishing pole, paddles or that you just want to chat with the sporting camp owners about your next vacation. You can’t miss with this show. So, if you are in the area, make time to drop by and chat with the many folks who have a passion for the outdoors and want to share it. You won’t be disappointed. I added a link below for the club if you want to take a look at their web site.  So, hope to see you there and I will be back soon with more stories about TC and my adventures in the North Maine Woods.

www.pifg.org

It reminds me of Ghosts #63

Have you ever noticed that things don’t often remain the same? Have you been so sure of something that come to find out it does not happen when you finally focus on it? Well, that is what this story is about. I don’t have an explanation for it when it happens, but “baffling” would be the word I would use when it does occur.

I begin my story several weeks back when I was hunting for partridge in the North Maine Woods. During the last two weeks in October, as I was riding the road looking for the birds, I came upon two different areas where I spotted signs of deer. As I explored more, I even spotted some at each location. The first week, TC and I came face to face with a very nice doe standing in the road as we drove in. Now, I always determined that where there are does, there are bucks. So, I marked this area on my trusty PN-60 GPS so I would be able to come back to it at a later date. As I continued on, and at a different location, I came upon four deer in the road, again, all does, and again I concluded that where there are does, there are bucks also. So, I marked this location on my GPS and continued on. The following week, I revisited both locations again. As was the week before, while driving to the first marked location on my GPS, I saw a doe on the edge of the road standing motionless. I stopped the truck and watched her for what appeared to be five minutes. She was not spooked by my presence and all the while, she would look back into the firs on the edge of the road. I was not able to see what was there, but from her actions, I surmised that she was not alone. Well, see would walk a bit, come back to the same spot, look in the woods and then paw at the ground. She did this twice and finally she walked across the road to the other side. Once she was out of view, I saw a nice young deer come out of the firs, cross the road and follow her into the woods. Then the buck came across in a flash. I did get to see the massive body and eight points he was sporting before he vanished. You can bet I kept the marking on my GPS and with deer season opening the next weekend, I was sure to visit this spot.

I then decided that I would take a ride over to spot number two and check it out. As I got there, I noticed two deer running off the road with their white flag up, but I was not able to tell if they were does or bucks. Not to worry, they were still there and I would be back next Saturday.

Well on Friday night, the night before deer season opened, I was really excited and anxious to get to the two spots where I had seen the deer. My anticipation at seeing them again was high and I really felt I was going to have early success this year. I was so excited that I was not able to sleep that night with all kinds of notions going through my head, including my running my checklist of needed equipment for the big day ahead.  I had also made a plan that I would get up quite early and be at the first spot before daylight.

Saturday morning came and I finally decided that tossing and turning was not doing me any good, so I decided to get up at 3:30am and get my gear packed in the truck. I left home around 4:45am and made it to the six mile gate in record time. Ed was tending the gate this day and we had a good conversation before I left on my way. I got to spot number one in plenty of time to get ready before the sun came up. The weather was perfect with light winds and I knew a storm was coming that evening. I have always been told that deer are very good judges of weather and can feel an oncoming storm. They often tend to move prior to a storm and I was hopeful that would be the case. It did not take me long to get set up where I felt I had the best chance to see one and as the sun started to come up, the anticipation continued to build. There was an eerie silence that morning which added to the experience. After spending two hours, I was left scratching my head as no deer appeared. I stayed for one more hour and made a decision that I would leave this area and head on over to spot number two.

As I arrived there, I did some planning as to where I would go in and how far back I would go. This area had been harvested roughly two years ago and the skidder trails were still very prevalent and that is where I would begin. Once again, the eerie silence was deafening. Before I went in, I pulled out my Topo map and compass and got my bearings. Then I made my way into the cuttings. There is something about knowing that at any moment, you might see a deer either to the right or left or even in front of you and you have to be on your guard at all times. Not to mention, that I was very careful about making as little noise as I could while walking, so I was watching every step and at the same time kept my whit’s about me in the event that big buck would pop out in front of me. Well, for some time, I walked in that area and made my way over the hill to a place that had some green growth in it. This area was full of deer tracks and I spotted one nice set that made my heart pound. I decided that I would post up and see what came my way. Well, two hours later the wind had picked up, the trees were moving back and forth and the eerie silence of the woods was getting even more eerie. I spent the rest of the day in that area, but never saw a deer. As darkness began to take over, I knew it was time to leave and head back to my truck. When I finally got out and my truck was in sight, I caught myself scratching my head and wondering what had happened. How could the sighting of two weeks in a row end up with what had just occurred. Where did they go? And why was my deduction that when a storm is eminent, they will move come up so wrong? At the end of the day, these were all valid questions, to which I had no answers. It did bring up some new questions that I contemplated on my ride home. Is it luck or is it skill? I debated it and came to this conclusion, I think it is a combination of both and on this day, I had neither in my favor. It will, however, not stop me from repeating the same ritual the next time I am able to get out, and hopefully both skill and luck will be on my side. One can only hope.

The Bear Facts #62

Election Day is just around the corner, November 4 to be exact, and one of the biggest challenges facing Mainers freedoms is front and center on the ballot. Question 1 would ban the most effective manner in which we control our bear population and I felt that I should take a few moments to provide my final analysis on the matter. I am in no way an expert on this, but I have done some research to better educate myself and make an informed decision. It is true that I am a hunter and do believe in gun rights, however, I have always been taught that you only hunt for what you need and will eat, and not just for the sake of killing something needlessly. That being said, I also know that I have seen more signs of bear in the woods. They are almost like the Locke Ness Monster in that you know they are lurking out there, but you usually don’t get to see them. The fact that our wildlife biologists and the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department have calculated that there are more than 30,000 bears in the state causes me to be concerned, and going unchecked, the population is sure to grow and spread into more built up areas, which we are seeing signs of already. That will become an issue that will cause more bear, human encounters. Couple that with the fact that there will be more complaints that come in as a result, will only further tax the Maine Warden Service, who are already, in my estimation, under staffed. Why do I say that? From my seat, I seldom see a warden in the woods these days.

So, let’s take a look at some Bear facts.

Maine’s Bear population is estimated at over 30,000

Maine has one of the largest bear populations in the US

This referendum would effectively ban the most effective ways to control the population

93% of all bears harvested are done so using traps, hounds and bait

7% of all bears harvested are done by still hunting. (Walking in the woods and locating them)

Even though baiting, use of dogs and trapping account for 93% of the harvest, on average only 1 in 4 hunters are successful and hunters spend on average 15 days trying to harvest one bear.

All bear baiting sites must be cleaned up at the end of the hunt. Hunters are not allowed to leave food or anything else at their sites.

I hunt and fish and I know how hard it is to see a bear in the woods. Over the 46 years I have been hunting, I have never seen a bear while hunting. The only time I have seen them is when I am riding on the dirt roads and you only see them for a very short time because they tend to run as soon as they see something moving.

The other issue with this referendum is that the HSUS group is not from Maine and they have no idea what is best for our state, nor do they care. They have, at every crossing, tried to stifle the other side from giving you their perspective. As examples, I read that armed Maine Wardens were used to escort people who were scheduled to debate the yes on question one supporters. They did so, because they were receiving threats if they showed up to debate HSUS. They also determined that Mainers were listening to our biologists and Wardens about this election and as a result, filed a law suit to stop them from any further involvement in the debate. Thank goodness, the Maine Superior Court just ruled that their suit had no merit and sided in favor of the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Now, 

I also came across an article where they are criticizing the judge who ruled on the matter. Not cool.

We also need to look at the most recent acknowledgement by both the Portland Press Herald and the Morning Sentinel who have come out in favor of a NO vote on Question 1. This, they say, was done after a thorough analysis of the arguments on both sides.

The bottom line is that you have to weigh all the evidence and make the most informed decision you can. For me, I trust the people in our state to make decisions on these sorts of matters and I will be voting NO on November 4.

*** Information obtains from the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website

Got to see for myself #61

Each year when the leaves change from green to either, red orange or yellow, that serves as my cue to put my fishing gear away and bring out the shotgun in anticipation of partridge season. And each year I try to determine how the bird population will be by my frequent summer trips to the North Maine Woods, as well as asking those who spend time in the woods if they were seeing any birds.  Now, I must admit that the past couple of years should remind me that getting Intel on the subject does not always give me the right answer. If TC and my time in the woods this year counts for anything, it should show that I did not see many birds. Couple that with the conversations I have had with other folks in the woods that say the same thing, and you might conclude that the birds did not have a good winter and you could quickly form the opinion that the bird season is going to be a wash. But, if you are a hard core woodsman like me, you need to see it for yourself, and that is exactly what I did.

When October 1 came, I was invited to join twelve other people for a bird outing in the North Maine Woods. Our base camp for the three day excursion was going to be at Chandler Lake Camps. We all met there around noon and broke up in groups of two for an afternoon hunt. Jason and I headed out of the camp and made our way to a couple of old roads that had always served me well, and when we got there, it was clear that the intel I had gotten and the opinion I had formed was grossly incorrect. From one PM to 6 PM, Jason and I saw twenty four birds and got seven. Many were multiples where we saw two groups of four in a flock. When we got back to camp that evening, the stories from the other guys were equally as exciting, with many of them getting their limits. That evening, I sat there wondering what the next day would bring, and was this just a one-time thing.

The next morning, I was joined by Ryan. We traveled a different loop and Ryan had his limit before eleven am. We headed back to camp, primarily because of an equipment malfunction. See, I had just purchased a brand new Stoger over and under 20 gauge that had performed very well the day before, but would not fire on this day. Thank goodness I had brought another shotgun. Well, after lunch at the camp, we headed out again and by three pm, I had my limit. We were seeing birds everywhere. To make matters worse, after we had limited out, we made our way back to camp over another one of my favorite bird roads, and within twenty minutes, we had seen ten more birds.

When the day was over, we took a count, and out of thirteen guys, and over two days, we had seen over two hundred birds and had shot close to one hundred. Yes, the result was far from the Intel I had gathered during the summer. The bottom line is that I had to see for myself what the season was going to be like and it was far different than what I had anticipated. I could not have imagined that there would be so many birds. We also saw young birds that had yet to develop tail feathers, and we were told that there was a definite second hatch.

But, as you might know, what you see one day may not be the same the next, and that held true when TC and I went again on Saturday. Our travels that day took us through the Fish River checkpoint in Portage across to the Reality Road, then over to Jack Mountain and finally to the Pinkham Rd. During that time, we only saw three birds. So, the bottom line is things don’t always remain the same. If you think you have it down, don’t be so sure, because it can change in an instant. Hmm! I wonder what it will be like the next time we go out.

Photos courtesy of Sherilyn Morris