Have you ever looked up at the sky and marveled at how blue it was? There was not a cloud up there when Staci and I packed up our snowshoes and headed into the woods to look for sheds. The recent rain had made the snow unstable and we would break through the crust and sink with every step. It wasn't the best option, but we ended up on the snowmobile trail looking for active deer crossings. Wet holes had opened up and streams were roaring. It was a perfect day to be out in the woods. The rain had made some spots icy and some soft and water logged. We had to pick and chose where we walked and how fast we could go. I was surprised when we met three snowmobilers on the trail. They were...
No doubt that I have dropped the ball on posting my adventures here, but I have had a lot of fun happenings this year! Here is my quick recap: * Beaver trapping - with my uncle and friend Staci. * Honored as Sportsman of the Year from the New England Outdoor Writers Association. * Turkey hunting. * The Maine Moose lottery held in my hometown and my friend Bryan performed. * Mushroom foraging with Staci. * Going to the ribbon cutting of the Ezra Smith Wildlife Conservation area to honor my friend George. * Bear hunting with Staci and then going out with Bill Dereszewski and having Robin comes with us. * Deer hunting with Dad and Hubs. * Taking O out for his first sit in the new deer stand. * Seeing lots and lots of wildlife...
I had just called in for a radio interview when I saw something land in a tree across the yard. I could tell that it was larger and lighter than the birds that are usually around. I held the phone to my ear and answered a few questions while getting my camera out, sliding the screen door open and frantically trying to snap a photo and then show it Hubs so that he could take more photos while I went back to my interview. It was a beautiful Barred owl. It flew away after sitting there for more than 30 minutes and I didn't get a chance to see where it went. A few hours later as we were getting ready for bed, we heard two Barred owls calling back and forth, one was close to the house and the other was further...
We moved to a new house about a month ago. The second night that we were there, a doe came out from the woods. Since then, we have had three does hanging around, one of which was VERY pregnant the last time we saw her (I am hoping for twins!) They are out on the back lawn at least twice a week and one morning, I had a doe only a few yards from the house. When I threw open the curtains, she just looked at me and kept eating. If I draw a doe tag this fall, they are not necessarily safe but until hunting season arrives,, we will keep watching...
Every spring when the cows kick their yearlings out of their comfort zone, there are news reports of them showing up in the wrong places. This spring, it was near the kid's school. Friends had posted pictures of the moose but it wasn't until I took the littlest kiddo to the doctor that I saw the moose. Knowing O would love to see this, I drove home and swapped kids. I prepped him just in case the moose had moved on, but we were in luck! Aside from the fact that it was next to the interstate, the moose looked healthy with no signs of ticks or illness. The Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife got so many calls about this moose that wardens ended up tranquilizing the moose and moving...
For three days leading up to my turkey hunt, I woke up and looked at the clock to figure out how much earlier I would need to wake up to be at Staci's house on time. Aside from ticks, the worst part of turkey hunting is the early start time. The day of my hunt arrived and armed with my coffee, I drove to Staci's house to find some turkeys. Her husband, John, agreed to be our designated turkey caller. Deer ran through the woods off to our right and a partridge drummed continuously as we walked to our first spot. The world was waking up all around us but there were no turkeys to answer our calls, so we moved. I spotted the first birds of the morning, a tom fanned out with three hens (or two hens and a jake) so we...
Yearlings run. That was the caution that Randy Cross told Staci (MyMainelyGirlAdventures) and me as we met with the Maine bear crew to prepare to head into the woods. This particular den that we were going to had a 16 year old sow, who had had four cubs with her last year when they checked her den. There was the potential for four yearlings plus Mama in the den. I was a little giddy with the idea of so many bears! It is easy to brag about the bear crew. Aside from their decades of experience working with Maine’s bear population, they are a study in how team should work. They know their strengths and weaknesses and support one another to ensure that they have a plan and back up plans for every den...
As I climbed into the Sky Condo to start the 2017 hunting season, the top step broke off from the tree sending a chuck of wood to the ground and leaving the bulk of the rung hanging down to the next step. I lifted my gun off my shoulder and slid it onto the floor of the Sky Condo and them threw my backpack up. I got myself into the stand and looked down at the damage. We were going to have to replace a few rungs before the following week. And my silent entry into the woods was anything but. I sat there for a couple of hours and then headed for my stand in the woods to see if anything was walking through. I was cautious walking in and looked for any sign of brown. I made it around the corner when I...
I blame my friend Steve. I cautiously agreed to go with him and learn how to hunt them so that I could have some first-hand experience when I write. I would have never guessed that in agreeing to go with him, I would now look at August in a whole new way; it’s bear season! There are roughly 10,000 of us who buy our bear permits every year. Compared to the 180,000+ deer hunters and we basically have the woods to ourselves to hunt bear. Guess what non-bear hunters? You are missing out on one of the most exciting hunts you could possibly go on! And that should change. Why would you want to hunt bears? Easiest reason is management and keeping the population in check with the biological and social...
