When some blogs just talked about opening day of fishing season, Robin Follette and I LIVED it! I drove four hours north the day before to hang out with Robin and go on a few adventures (those posts are coming, but here is a sneak peek). The biggest was to stand in the Stream in Grand Lake Stream on opening day and try our hand at fly fishing. We didn't really care about catching a fish but we were excited to see the groups of people that would be there and the excitement surrounding the beginning of fishing season. We met up with Brian Donaghy of Epic Adventures to help us with gear and guidance. When we pulled into the parkinglot, we saw Brian and only 4 or 5 other vehicles. This was not the crowded fishing...
It rained. Rained hard and the wind blew. It was anything but ideal for finding moose in the Maine woods. But Brian, Jenn and I knew that the weather was going to be clear and with some rain gear, we were off for an adventures. Last year, I was spoiled; beautiful calm weather and moose first thing in the morning. This year, our normal 4:30am start was pushed back to 10am. About an hour after we left, we were winding down dirt roads heading further into the woods. We pulled into an old skidder road, grabbed our cameras and were off. The sun had finally come out but the wind was still whipping through the trees and causing bursts of leaves to drop from their branches. Brian calling for moose We...
In search of our turkeys, we walked down this camp road. It was around noon and there were some great spots to sit and call from along the way. Right from the start we knew this was an animal haven! The tracks and scat were all over the place. Some of the tracks actually surprised us. A fresh bear track. Check out those claws. Two bear tracks. A better view of the palm of the paw. It was like Grand Central Station for turkey up and down both sides of the road. Turkey tracks and turkey scat. While we did not see any turkey that day, Brian did call in five Toms the next day. The great thing about hunting and being outdoors is that you never know what sort of adventures you will have during the...
I have been thinking about it since Friday. The gobbling that just got closer and closer, seeing the quick movement in the dense trees and brush just in front of me, that black band across the top of those dark brown feathers and his white head stretching above the blow downs to find that purring hen that he was after. I could hear the drumming and strutting as he got closer. Finally, there he was in front of me. He stepped out, his long neck leading his puffed out body into the slight clearing... The field where we started calling. Dad and I woke up a little before 2:30am in order to have breakfast and meet our guide, Brian for our turkey hunt. We got to these fields around 4:30am with just...
On Thursday night, before our big outing with Brian, Dad and I sighted in our new shotgun. We paced out 30 yards and started shooting at our make-shift turkey heads. Dad shooting at 30 yards. Dad's pattern. My pattern. My comment to Dad after I took two shots at this piece of paper: "As long as a turkey comes in from my left, I should be in good shape." Oh the irony! Dad and I were confident that as long as a turkey was within 30 yards, we would be in good shape. I worked on setting the bead in the middle of the gun so that it would not pull to the left. It was a new gun for us and long - 28 inches but it was comfortable and I was confident that I could shoot it. We went to bed around 8pm so that we...
Here we go! Turkey season has kicked off in Maine and as Dad and I are getting ready to head out with my friend Brian, I can not help but think of where we werea year ago. I wanted to shoot a turkey while I was pregnant so that I could say that I got both a deer and turkey while waddling around in the woods. It didn't happen but Dad and I learned a lot about this new critter that we were hunting, which is why I asked Brian to take us out for a day. We need to learn how close they need to be to us in order to take a successful shot and we need to learn how to get them to come to us. We were successful last year in having them call back to us, but we were not able to get them to come to us. I think (hope) that is...
After we went to find some Epic Moose, Brian, Robin and I went to have lunch at Grand Falls. It was a perfect Maine fall day. The sky was blue, the fall leaves were vibrant colors of orange and red and yellow and the Dead River was pristine. Brian made us partridge sandwiches with cranberries and walnuts and moose stew. We washed them down with a beer an soaked up the sun. We could not have picked a more perfect day! Spencer Stream joining the Dead River Spencer Stream Why I love Maine! The trail to Grand Falls Grand Falls Grand...
Here are a few more photos that I couldn't quite get to fit into my blog. Enjoy!!! Robin and Brian Brian was able to get urine from a bull moose that one of his clients shot the week before. This is straight moose pee! Walking into the choppin's Brian with a call in his pocket and camera set up Brian racking the trees to sound like a bull My first moose seen in the woods! He was a young bull but I would have shot him Checking out another spot Moose tracks! Fall...
