BDN Maine Outdoors, Summer 2012

2 BDNMAINE OUTDOORS ● BANGORDAILYNEWS.COM ● SUMMER 2012

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Tales fromMaine’s Mighty KatahdinMaine’s great mountain pulls many back.

A Baxter Legacy Lives OnMemories of Kidney Pond Camps resonate with former visitors.

Cruise to an Offshore LighthouseConnect with Maine’s maritime history by visiiting one.

In Search of Wild TroutGreat fishing may well be a short hike away.

Camping with Kids? Play with Your Food!The joys (and tastes) of campfire cooking.

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ATVers ride where railroad trains once rumbledIntroducing children to the joys of fishingDefining the inconic Maine MooseFit to float: finding the right life jacket

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BDNMAINE OUTDOORS ● BANGORDAILYNEWS.COM ● SUMMER 2012 3

■ FROM THE EDITOR

The Bangor Daily Newsis pleased to presentthe second edition ofits newest custom pub-lication, BDN Maine

Outdoors, where you’ll findupdates for outdoors enthusiasts,ideas of what to do in the greatoutdoors, and where to goexplore Maine’s beauty, whetheralone or with family and friends.

A unique partnership fueledthe creation of BDN Maine Out-doors. Advertising supplementsare nothing new. This publica-tion is, in large part because itturns the typical formula forsimilar publications on its ear.Leaf through the pages andyou’ll likely notice three distinctsources of information. Thatwas intentional. First (and last),you’ll see entirely independentstories written by BDN Outdoorsstaffers. Closer to the center ofthe publication, on each side of a

four-page center package, you’llfind tales produced or commis-sioned by BDN advertising’s Cus-tom Publications division. Andthe content in the center packagewas generated and paid for byour anchor sponsor, the Sports-man’s Alliance of Maine.

In this second edition, we’veput a large focus on Maine’s larg-est, most majestic peak — MountKatahdin. You’ll also find fishtales, some great places to visitwhile exploring Maine’s coast,and tips to make the most ofyour hiking and camping experi-ences. And don’t forget, bearhunting season isn’t far awayand we’ve got a look at howthings are shaping up for the2012 season.

The next of this year’s fourscheduled BDN Maine Outdoorspublications are set to come outin September and December.Each will have timely informa-

tion to keep you snowshoeing,hiking, ATVing, and paddlingthrough the seasons as you hunt,fish, birdwatch, tromp throughthe woods, or simply pass thetime watching the waves roll inalong the rocky coast.

No matter how you found us —in your mailbox, on a newsstand,at the Maine Moose Lottery Fes-tival in Rangely, or at a WelcomeCenter along I-95 — we’re gladyou’ve got a copy of BDN MaineOutdoors in your hands andhope you’ll let us know if there’sanything you’d like to see uswrite about in future editions.

Also, don’t forget to checkin online at bangordailynews.com/outdoors regularly forupdates on what’s going onoutside your door.

Happy hunting, hiking,fishing, exploring — in otherwords, go enjoy the Maineoutdoors.

WELCOME OUTDOORS


■ INSIDE

PublisherRichard J. Warren

BDN Maine Outdoors

EditorAimee Thibodeau

Graphics EditorEric Zelz

WritersJohn Holyoke

Aislinn Sarnacki

PhotographersJohn Clarke Russ

Linda O’KresikGabor Degre

Robert Bukaty

Contributing PhotographerDave Small

BDN Maine Outdoors ExtraSpecial Adverstising Section

EditorBrian Swartz

Contributing WritersFrank Frost

Sheila GrantGerry Lavigne

Advertising DirectorSteve Martin

Advertising SalesJeff Orcutt

[email protected]

Creative ServicesBridgit CayerFaith Burgos

John KoladishMichele Prentice

To advertise in ournext edition, please callJeff Orcutt at207-990-8036Toll-free in Maine1-800-432-7964ext. 8036 or email

[email protected]

©2012 Bangor Daily News.All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part isprohibited without express written con-sent. Requests for permission tocopy, reprint, or duplicate anycontent should be directed to

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bangordailynews.com491 Main Street, Bangor, Maine 04401To subscribe call 207-990-8040

or toll-free in Maine 1-800-432-7964.

bangordailynews.com/outdoors

About the coverA day hiker takes in the view on theslopes of Mount Katahdin, eleva-tion 5,270, the tallest mountain inMaine. Katahdin Lake is seen in the

distance.PHOTO BY ROBERT F. BUKATY

Iwas 17 when I first hikedto Maine’s tallest summit,Baxter Peak on MountKatahdin, and time haswrapped the memory in a

cloudy husk. Bits and piecesremain clear – the taste of pea-nuts and chocolate, the unre-lenting summer sun, the mile-high summit of rosy, lichen-encrusted granite.

Since then, Maine’s greatmountain has pulled me backmany times. It’s a tradition.Each summer, my mother’s sideof the family, along withfriends that might as well befamily, rent an entire camp-ground in Baxter State Parkand erect a village of tents.

I single out my first ascent,because therein lies the makingof a tradition. None of themerry group feels obligated tohike, we do so with a thirst foradventure and challenge thatgnaws at us year round.

Summer 2005Early mornings breed short

sentences. With stiff joints andskin sodden with dew, wecrawled from our tents in theglow of sunrise and assembledunder a canvas canopy to forcedown breakfast and stuff ourdaypacks in near silence.

My uncle Bruce Jordan

checked supplies and steered usto the vehicles. The Baxter triptradition began with his familyof four in 1998, when my cousinEben Jordan was just 6 yearsold, my cousin Eve Jordan, 8.Since then, the tradition hasbranched outward, finally snag-ging up my mother, Joyce, andmyself.

A bumpy ride in a truck bedrattled me fully awake beforebeing dropped off with ourimpressive group (10-15 people)at Roaring Brook Campground.We embarked on Chimney PondTrail, a gradual climb morethan 3.3 miles to ChimneyPond, a pristine tarn cradled inthe arms of a mountain range.I remember watching the hikerin front of me – muddy bootsnavigating an increasinglysteep route. I remember think-ing, “This is harder than bas-ketball,” and that perhaps I hadgotten in over my head. Then Iexperienced the strange propul-

BY AISLINNSARNACKI, OUTDOORSSTAFFWRITER

PHOTO BY ROBERT F. BUKATY

The Pamola peak of Mount Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine’s Baxter State Park.

Maine’s greatmountain haspulled me backmany times.

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sion – family and friends aheadand behind, an energy pushingme ever higher.

A granola bar and swig ofwater later, we were on HelonTaylor, a narrow wooded trailthat climbs gradually to Pamo-la Peak, which at 4,919 feetabove sea level, guards theeastern end of the Great Basin.

Some peaks are meant forbrief visits only — a trium-phant whoop, a camera flashand a wave farewell. Pamola isone of those peaks. I’ve alwaysfelt that Pamola has a strangeaura about it — as if the peakis merely tolerating your pres-ence, and if you overstay yourwelcome, something other-worldly might befall you.

After a “no-horsing-around”lecture from Uncle Bruce, westepped onto Knife Edge, a nar-row 1.1-mile ridge that con-nects Pamola with its bigbrother, Baxter. My motherhiked behind me. Every oncein a while, she’d call out in thestrained voice of a worriedparent, reminding me to hikeslower, keep a hand on therocks, “stop jumping about likea gazelle.” For good reason –Knife Edge narrows at somepoints to just a yard in width,the sides plunging down forthousands of feet. I rememberbeing scared and thrilled at thesame time, my heart beatingfast but my legs steady.

We crept carefully to BaxterPeak, which has alwaysseemed the friendlier of thetwo peaks. At 5,226 feet, it isthe summit of the great moun-

tain, marked by an enormousstone cairn and a sign thatrangers swap out every 10years before the chiseled letter-ing becomes unreadable fromrelentless wind and hikerscompelled to leave their markon Maine’s highest point. Thisis where we snack and rest,huddled in nooks between jag-ged rocks.

The Tableland, a flat, boul-der-strewn plain, carpeted withstunted growth, led us to theSaddle Trail, where wedescended, scrambling downscree. My toes jammed painful-ly against the tips of my run-ning shoes (not having hikingboots so early in my outdoorendeavors). I paused several

times to tighten the laces, butit was no use. I cried silently aswe traversed 5.5 miles to theend. My toenails would laterturn purple and fall off.

Back at camp, the sore feetand insect bites didn’t matter. Itook out my custom long-sleeveT-shirt, courtesy of my AuntKerry and Uncle Bruce. On thefront of the shirt were two hik-ing boots and the slogan “Notall those who wander are lost.”On the back, several destina-tions within Baxter State Park,and beside each, a box to checkoff. With a magic marker, Ichecked off “Pamola Peak,”“Knife Edge” and “BaxterPeak” before pulling it on over


■ COVER STORY

Bruce and Kerry Jordan of Veazie ordered custom long-sleeveT-shirts for their group of family and friends that camp and hikeat Baxter State Park each year. The camping tradition began in1998, and the group has grown from four to about 25 people.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF AISLINN SARNACKI

George Eisworth (from left), Derek Whited, Eben Jordan, Elyse DeNeige, Sam Clapp, Eben Roubi-chaud, Eve Jordan, Aislinn Sarnacki and Derek Runnells sit on a rock near the entrance of BaxterState Park in August 2011 after hiking Mount Katahdin during their annual camping trip.


■ COVER STORY

my head.By the smoking fire, dead

weight in a flimsy camp chair, Ilaughed and ate burnt marsh-mallows, knowing I’d return thefollowing year, and the next, andthe next.

Sandy Sabaka of Hope submitted anabridged version of her journal entryfrom the last day of her thru-hike ofthe Appalachian Trail in 2002.

Oct. 13, 2002 — Friends hadgathered and come by ontheir way up, sure I would

be zooming past them shortly.But in the end, I caught up to noone and was only caught by C.He helped me up some of thelong reaches in the bouldersabove treeline. I cried with frus-tration at one point when Icouldn’t see a way up ‘I’ll be theonly thru-hiker to not summitKatahdin because it’s too hard.’My brother had stopped beforethe Tableland to wait for us. Thethree of us continued across thatrocky, flat stretch. The day wasclear up there, brilliant, and wewere able to see people on thesummit. I had wanted the lasthike to last forever, but now Iwanted the celebration to start. Ileft them behind as I hurriedtoward the top. I thought I had itunder control until I saw the A-framed sign, the stuff mydreams had been filled with formonths. Clint was just comingdown and caught me sobbing. Hegave me a hug — “It’s up there,waiting for you.” I nodded andcontinued up. The crowd startedcheering, I cried harder. It wasreally done. The sign was mine; Ihad to touch it.

Pictures were taken; I had

missed the group thru-hiker pic-ture in my non-haste to get there.Others were on their way down.I fumbled with my Springerstones and tucked them into thecairn with a blessing. Cham-pagne was uncorked; I tried toeat something. Strong hikerfriends were telling me theywere proud of me. Any one ofthem could do this or outdo meany day. I had just chosen tomake this my year, finally.

Slowly, people left the summit.It was a beautiful day, but theyhad been waiting for a while. Iknew I had to get down, andthere was weather coming in, sowith one last look at the sign, Iturned my back on it and foronce, hiked South on the AT,following the white blazes for 5more miles.

Sabaka plans to be married atKatahdin Stream CampgroundSeptember 2012, “in the shadowof the mountain.” Her fiancé is aBaxter State Park ranger whoSabaki met during one of thesummers she worked as a ridgerunner on the AT out of BaxterState Park. Read more of herthru-hike journal at trailjour-nals.com.

Jay Robinson of South Woodvilleremembers hiking Katahdin in2003 with his 81-year-old father,Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson.

I’ve climbed Katahdin 12 timesnow in my 56 years. But twomost memorable hikes, one in

2003 and another in 2007, will for-ever be etched as foremost in mymemory.

The first hike I mention, in2003, I had the honor of hikingthe mountain with my 81 yearsyoung dad, Wilmot “Wiggie” Rob-

inson. To so many, he was afriend and well known personali-ty in the outdoor arena ofMaine, but to me, he was just mydad.

Dad was in a party of hikersincluding Bill Irwin, the notedblind hiker who had previouslycompleted the entire Appala-chian Trail with his guide dog,Orient, in 1990, and then laterdocumented it in his book “BlindCourage.” Bill’s new dog, Colby,nobly served his master. Theirchosen route up was the 5.2 mileHunt Trail, also known as thefinal leg of the AppalachianTrail. For my ascent, I would beclimbing up via the Abol Trailand then onward along theTableland to the peak.

By 10:30 a.m. I had arrived acouple of hours before they did,but from several hikers who hadmet and passed his party, I wasreceiving a steady stream ofongoing reports of their where-abouts. Finally, along the openexpanse of the Tableland, per-haps 200 yards away, I couldmake out their slow but steadyprogress with Bill and his dog,Colby, leading the entourage. Asthey approached, with eachstride words alone here cannotexpress the sheer emotion well-ing up inside me. I watched withpride as my smiling 81-year-oldDear Ol’ Dad drew closer untilfinally that memorable momentwhen we embraced atop mightyKatahdin amid a ringingapplause from perhaps 50 peoplegathered at the peak. Of all themany memories we had sharedover the years in the great out-doors surrounding Katahdin’sshadow, this would certainlyrank among the top!

When it finally became time to

leave, my dad and I, togetherwith his friend and faithful com-panion Ray Boland began ourdescent down Abol Trail. Alongthe way, on that glorious, sun-splashed, late August day withhopes held high, my dad made avow to attempt another climb upKatahdin in four years, in his85th year of life on this earth. Inthat moment, I never doubtedhim in his will and determina-tion to succeed with that goal. Itwould have been the three of us— my 14-year-old son Michael,myself and Dad. What a memo-rable trip that certainly wouldhave been!

But, sadly, it was not to be, asmy dad passed on from thisearth of a heart attack shortlyafter his 85th birthday on June29, 2007. The early summer dayhad a beautiful, blue sky. He wasat his beloved camp with mymom tending to gardeningchores when God called himhome, in full view of the moun-tain he cherished so much.

In 2007, my son Michael andhis friend Zack made plans tohonor that commitment despitethe sad circumstances. In a larg-er sense, Michael and I bothknew that Grampy would still bealong with us in spirit on ourjourney. For one so dear, thatperson’s memory is never too faraway.

Tucked in my pack that day, ina very personal matter, I carriedalong a portion of my dad’sashes in a small container. Iplanned to scatter to the windthose contents, in his memory, tothe mountain he so loved andplayed a role in his life in Katah-din Country. But as I climbedthat day with each moment clos-er toward the top, my emotions

grew. Finally atop the mountain,I reached for the small containertucked away in my backpack. AsI closed my eyes and listened tothe wind, I held it in my handsfor the longest moment andwhispered a silent prayer. Icouldn’t do it. I just wasn’t readyto let go. Once again, my Dadand I made the trip back downour mountain.

Michael Brown, originally fromHampden and now living inBoston, relates his trip toChimney Pond on February 2011.

We were skiing into Chim-ney Pond last Februarya day behind three of

our good buddies. Arriving atdusk after hauling our sleds therequisite 16 miles to the base ofthe mountain, we headed intothe Ranger’s cabin to check inand settle our sleeping arrange-ments in a nearby lean-to. Hewas having what seemed to be avery serious phone conversationwith a search and rescue crew.When he hung up he said, “Gladyou guys could make it, wemight need your help hauling adead body or two off Pamola.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” wasthe thought in my head. Immedi-ately we thought of our threefriends who were attempting tosummit that day via Pamola’sFury.

We quickly cleared up that itwas not our friends, but rather agroup of students from the Uni-versity of Maine who had sum-mated via Helon Taylor from theRoaring Brook campsite. Themountain was pretty socked inwith 70-mph winds and high ava-lanche danger, not the best day tobe summiting anything. It turned

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANDY SABAKA

Sandy Sabakasummits Mount

Katahdin, finishing herthru-hike of the

Appalachian Trail onOct. 13, 2002. Shecelebrates at the

summit sign on BaxterPeak.

Mount Katahdin asseen from fromCaverly Pond.

◄ PAGE 5

out that the last of the four hikerswas blown off the trail. The nextday we summited Hamlin peakwhile watching a helicopter, air-plane, and ground crews work tofind the missing hiker. Arrivingback at the campsite in the earlyafternoon the Ranger remarked,“If we don’t find him by tonightthen he won’t make it.” The tem-peratures were expected to reachwell below 20 degrees with thewind chill.

Luckily, they found him thatafternoon and air-lifted him to thehospital. There were a few majormistakes that the group made thatled to their accident but none big-ger than forgetting to thank thesearch and rescue crew who savedhis life. In his interview after thefact, he recounted the survivaltactics he learned from watchingBear Grylls on television as thereasons for why he survived.What he didn’t say was that hadthere not serendipitously been asearch and rescue training groupalready in Baxter State Park thatday, he would be dead right now.

Mike Flynn of Ripley has hiked tothe summit of Katahdin 81 timesin the past 35 years. He relatessome of his amusing Katahdinexperiences.

One day, I was resting on topwhen I noticed a rainsquallheading this way from Che-

suncook. My friend and I packedup and headed down the HuntTrail. We were almost at the edgeof the Tableland when the rainstarted. There was an 18-inchopening at the bottom of a ledgewith a small chamber. We crawled

in, hauled our packs in and wait-ed for the squall to pass. We wereeating gorp [“good old raisins andpeanuts”] and conversing, whensome hikers passed by outside ofthe crack. They could hear ourvoices but couldn’t see anybody.One of them remarked that Pamo-la must be talking to them. Whenwe crawled out of the hole, wethanked Pamola for providing uswith the shelter.

Hoping for an early start, wewere sleeping in the back of mytruck at the gravel pit outside thepark. We had an unusual wake upalarm. We awoke to the sound oftapping on the hood of my truck.After a couple of minutes listen-ing to the tapping, I looked out thewindow. Standing in front of mytruck was a cow and calf moose.It was blackfly season and whenthe calf wagged its tail, it tappedon my hood. A unique alarm,indeed.

The rugged grandeur of themountain, with its towering cliffs,clear, cold running streams andhost of animals inhabiting itsslopes, makes Mt. Katahdin one ofmy favorite hiking destinations.

Dale Murray of Windham hasnever hiked Katahdin, but it haslong been a part of his life.

Ican’t remember when Katah-din entered my life. I havenever climbed it, never hunt-

ed or fished its flanks. I havenever even entered Baxter StatePark. The mountain was simplyalways there, ethereal, just beyondtrue comprehension. It was andremains mystic, spiritual.

In the 1950s, Katahdin was a

vague concept to me, but I knewit was important. A mile high!That in itself impressed a pre-teen, especially after Dad pointedout that laid on its side it wouldstretch from the high school toBreton’s Store. Back then fewfrom Greenville climbed themountain so there was little lorefor guidance. As a Boy Scoutwith a troop associated with theKatahdin Area Council, I didn’tconnect. Katahdin had nothingto do with my scouting adven-tures around Moosehead. Itsmeaning was as shrouded inmist as Katahdin itself often is.

I first saw Katahdin when myparents decided to visit theTweedie family at Rip Dam. Thedrive to the dam was quite differ-ent from today, though it is moresimilar since GNP stopped main-taining the roads. The rutted ridefrom Kokadjo and the endless treeline bored me. Then, somethingmagical occurred. Out of nowhereappeared a paved road, rightsmack dab in the middle of theforest! Elated, I perked up. Still, Iwas unprepared for what layahead. We rounded the cornerthat descends to river level, andthe mystic became real. I was awe-struck. Still am every time I see it.

Since that first time, I havecontemplated the mountain fromall directions. I often join mybrother in Fort Kent for fishingtrips and have explored everynorthbound route. I have viewedthe mountain’s backside fromthe Telos Road and marveled atits majestic southwestern vistafrom the Golden Road where itvirtually looms overhead. I haveembraced the majesty of its east-

ern panoply from the farm at theStacyville corner on Route 11,the northeastern vantage fromthe turnout off I-95 near Sher-man and the stunning view fromthe hill that descends into Sher-man Station. Always, to this day,I’ve marveled at its magnifi-cence. It remains a mystical,spiritual monolith.

Mary Margaret Colman, whoteaches in the Music Departmentat Rowan University in New Jersey,plans to retire in Maine in twoyears, and she has memories ofdoing trailwork on Katahdin.

My fondest memory ofMount Katahdin is backin the ‘90s when I used

to do annual volunteer workwith Lester Kenway. He was thehardest worker and most caringperson and experienced in everyway when it came to recon-structing the rugged trails ofMount Katahdin. In the mid-‘90s, a team of volunteers cuthuge rocks on the Hunt Trailand built up the two sets of rocksteps that exist there today.About one mile in on the HuntTrail, there was one particularrock that they hammered out tocreate 38 new rock steps on theHunt Trail. We worked in damp,cloudy, rainy weather for threedays in a row and stayed in vol-unteer cabins at KatahdinStream Campground.

When Lester was about toplace one huge “heart rock” inplace about 1-2 miles in on theHunt Trail, we all gatheredaround in a circle and watched

him place it. It stopped rainingat that moment, and we allclapped when it fell into place.

I told him I had a collectionof over 500 heart rocks that Icollected over the years, and hethought that was grand. I canstill “spot” that rock today onthe Hunt Trail that has “twosets” of rock steps. I believe thefirst set has 60 steps, and thesecond set of rock steps (about 2miles in on the trail) has 63 rocksteps that Lester built over athree-year period with manyvolunteers. It was grand towatch the progress.

And my most scary momentwas when I had to cross Katah-din Stream about 3 miles in onthe Hunt Trail to get batteriesfor Lester, who spoke with thevolunteers across the streamwith walkie talkies as we hoist-ed the rocks up from where wewere digging to carry them inthe hoisted boxes across thestream to the Hunt Trail.

Hikers walking on the Appa-lachian Trail would never knowthat so much work has gone intothese steps as they hurry to fin-ish their last few miles of theirspiritual hike from SpringerMountain in Georgia to the topof Mt. Katahdin. I will neverforget Lester’s yellow boots.We called him “The RubberDuckie.”

I worked with two friends,Marjorie Stratton (town manag-er of Vinalhaven, Maine) andMary Knowlton (retired fromUniversity of Maine HumanResources).


■ COVER STORY

PHOTO COURTESY OF JED PALMER

Michael Brown (from left) stands beside August Longino at Baxter Peak of MountKatahdin on Feb. 21, 2011. They hiked to the summit together with their friend Jed Palmer.

PAGE 8►

PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA DAVIDGE

Susan Hopp (left) and Donna Davidge pose on Baxter Peak, the summit of MountKatahdin in October 2010.


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Donna Sewall Davidge of Island-Falls relates what the naturalbeauty and history of Katahdinmeans to her and her family.

Mount Katahdin means the“Great One,” as theIndians called it. It rises

majestically as you view it fromthe scenic overlook on I-95 orfrom various points in IslandFalls, where Theodore Rooseveltstarted when he climbed it. Itmeans wilderness and wildlifeand, thanks to the vision of Mr.Baxter, it meant preserving it forMaine and its people.

When Theodore Rooseveltclimbed it, he was with my greatgrandfather William Sewall. Itmeans a lot to me to keep the tra-dition alive — of friendship thatcan be made in nature, whichdoesn’t judge you for what youhave or who you know. Naturetreats all equally.

Involved in the battle to keepthe wind turbines from harmingour wildlife and hilltops viewedfrom Mount Katahdin, I neverthought the day would come thatthe area is so jeopardized. Evenif [natural landscape] is ruinednearby (if a miracle happens, thepeople of Maine may wake upand rise up and say, “Please donot change the way of life we

have known all these years.”) themountain will remainunchanged, even as everythingaround it does not remain thesame. If [Katahdin] had a voice itmight cry out, “What are youdoing to the brothers and sistersI look out at every day? What isthe blasting and the machines ashigh as skyscrapers? What pur-pose will they make? How willthey serve my beautiful land andwoods?”

I climbed Katahdin 1999 andagain in 2010. The second time, Iwas with a guest who returnedto my great-grandfather’s homein Island Falls, where we hostpeople as he did. She was deter-mined to climb Katahdin. Shehad climbed mountains as faraway as Ecuador and lived inCalifornia. I always say SusanHopp made me go to the top. Itwas a glorious October day. I sohope and pray the next time shereturns we will have the sameviews, free of industrial windturbines that would ruin ourexperience of nature.

◄ PAGE 7

Mt. Katahdin meansthe “Great One,” asthe Indians called it.It rises majestically asyou view it from thescenic overlook on I-95.


■ FEATURE STORY

Why would HaroldColt, heir to the ColtFirearms legacy andfortune, with theworld at his feet,

chose to spend his entire sum-mers at one haunt in the Mainewoods? Why did governors, sena-tors, world-famous physicians,military leaders, and a host ofother dignitaries choose the samedestination for their retreats?And why did Percival Baxter, inhis late years and in compro-mised health, go there too for thelast of his outings in his name-sake park?

Those who know can’t get theanswer out fast enough: KidneyPond Camps.

To learn why such an honorroll of patrons would put theirbeloved, backwoods sanctum inthe Pantheon of Maine’s greatsporting camps of the 20th centu-ry requires talking to those whoknew it best.

“My father gave a free week asa wedding present to the son ordaughter of any patron,” saidSteve Norris, explaining some ofthe camp traditions that createdlifelong guests. “You also got afree week for catching the largestbrook trout of the season.”

The rustic, enchanting, wilder-ness outpost, known affectionate-ly as KPC to generations of visi-tors, was the last “private conces-sion” in Baxter to be closed bythe state, in 1987. For decades, itsclientele and its legend hadgrown under the management ofCharlie and Ruth Norris, of Dix-field, Maine, and then Steve andNancy Norris of Orrington.

Stephen Anderson of South

Portland recalled being broughtthere by his aunt in 1954. “We didnot get to go all the way by car.We were stopped by a stream andwere taken by horse-drawnwagon into the camps.” As anadult, Anderson returned withhis own family in the 1980s. “Lifeat Kidney Pond Camps was oneof grace, quiet, extraordinaryfood, company, and fly fishing,”he reminisced. “The clienteleincluded people of national andinternational prominence.”

Like most KPC clients, Ander-son fondly remembered Colt.“His off season travels took himto the far reaches of the world.He would share his slides fromthe Cairo Museum or describehow hieroglyphs were painted indark caves, or take the group on atour of the Maldives … greatstuff by generator in the middleof nowhere.”

In the early 1980’s, Jim and JanFowler of Easton, Mass., tooktheir two boys, aged 9 and 11, toKidney Pond. “Moose were seenin and around the camp almostevery day, and the jays and chip-munks would eat from, and some-times sit on your hand,” Fowlermused. We fished a differentpond every day, and the troutwere most accommodating. It isclear now that these early lifeexperiences had a lasting and life-molding effect on the lives of mychildren.”

Steve Norris, who met hisfuture wife, Nancy when shewaitressed for the camps, ranthem with her after his fathercontracted Alzheimer’s. “Therewere 10 trout ponds within hikingdistance, each one outfitted with

a canoe,” he recalled. “Each eve-ning, since I was a kid, Dad wouldsign you up for your choice ofponds the next day, and you usu-ally had it to yourself. Everyonecompared catches and stories inthe evening.”

While the rest of the sprawlingpark was accessible to the haleand able for hiking and sleepingout, Kidney Pond also accommo-dated guests, like Baxter himself,who needed only a convenienceor two to be able to enjoy rough-ing it. The closing of KPC as acommercial lease was, for many, asad chapter in Baxter history.When it became evident the state

would not renew the concessionlease, letters from generationsof Kidney Pond clientele floodedpark authority mail boxes.

Luckily, sad chapters don’talways come last. The modeland spirit of Kidney PondCamps was carried forward by

Steve and Nancy Norris whenthey opened The Pines Lodge onSysladobsis Lake in PenobscotCounty in 1992. Many from theKPC honor roll followed themthere to hear the echo of formertimes. They were not disap-pointed.

“[The Pines] continues a num-ber of the same elements of Bax-ter,” Jim Fowler says. “Like Bax-ter, many of the guests return thesame weeks each year, so friend-ships become very close.”

Stephen Anderson brought avan load of buddies to The Pinesthe first year it opened. “We had

the benefit of a warm welcomeand the reunification with a fewof the old KPC guests!” he said.

He added that it was a specialmoment the first time he heardthe dinner bell ringing from theporch of The Pines. He recog-nized the tone, and later discov-ered it was the bell from KidneyPond.

“Nothing can replace KPC,”Norris reflected. “But we derivedall we know about running acamp from Kidney Pond. It servedus well.”

Randy Spencer’s “Where CoolWaters Flow: Four Seasons with aMaster Maine Guide” won theNew England Outdoor WritersAssociation 2010 Book of the YearAward. He is a working guide,musician, and author. ContactRandy at www.randyspencer.com

BYRANDY SPENCER, SPECIAL TOBDNMAINEOUTDOORSPHOTOSCOURTESYOF STEVENORRIS

Memories ofKidney Pond

Camps resonatewith former visitors

BaxterLegacyA

LivesOn

Camp Laura was one of several at Kidney Pond Camps, a privatelyrun sporting camp in Baxter State Park. Operated for years by theNorris family, Kidney Pond Camps closed in 1987, leaving genera-tions of loyal visitors with just their vivid memories of the specialplace in the Maine woods.

With the snip of a yellowribbon on Sept. 21, 2010,outdoor recreationistsgained full access to the

87-mile Down East Sunrise Trail— and ATVers now ride wheretrains once rumbled.

Owned by the MaineDepartment of Transportation andmaintained by the MaineDepartment of Conservation, theDEST extends from WashingtonJunction in Hancock to AyersJunction on Route 214 inPembroke. The trail takes ATVersacross inland and coastallandscapes that reflect Maine’snatural beauty, from the SchoodicBog to the Narraguagus River tothe Machias River to Big Meadow.

The countryside’s so beautiful,ATVers must see it to believe it.

And many do.Open to outdoor recreationists

of all types, the DEST features ahard-packed gravel surface,redecked bridges, and sufficientsigns to steer ATVers in the rightdirection. The trail intersectscritical local trails, includingseveral that access interiorWashington County.

A four-wheeling excursion onthe DEST can encompass inlandwaterways, thick spruce-fit forests,tidal waterways (along the EastMachias and Machias rivers), widemeadows, and the inevitablebeaver lodge rising from a trailsideflowage. Watch for wildlife; birds

abound, and signs identify turtlenesting habitat near particularstreams. Deer, moose, black bear,and the occasional ottersometimes appear on or near thetrail.

Although the DEST crosses

Route 1 only once, multiple roadcrossings — public and private —exist along its length. Obey thestop signs: Traffic appears quicklyaround nearby curves.

Stay to the right on the trail.Thick woods obscure some curves;straying too far left could bedangerous.

Two ATVs can pass carefullyside by side on the DEST excepton the bridges. Be careful whenapproaching an oncoming ATVeror bicyclist where the trail crossesa wetland, as on the Schoodic Bog:One bump, and somebody’s in thedrink.

For folks wondering just wherethey are when riding the trail,signs identify municipalboundaries, and “mile markers”

tick off the miles from WashingtonJunction (just shy of Mile 2) toAyers Junction (about 3/8-milebeyond Mile 87). The reason thatWashington Junction is not Mile 0is that the Department ofConservation wants to extend the

DEST two miles west to HighStreet in Ellsworth.

Trail access is easy. For ATVersneeding to park a truck and trailer,adequate trailheads exist at:

• Washington Junction, locatedabout midway between HighStreet in Ellsworth and Route 1 inHancock. This trailhead canaccommodate many vehicles andhas a portable toilet;

• Route 182, just west of theFranklin Trading Post in Franklin;

• Route 183 in East Sullivan.This small trailhead lies beneath ashort, steep downslope, so becareful when entering or exiting;

• Route 193 in Cherryfield, justnorth of the Willey District Roadintersection;

• Tibbettstown Road in

Columbia Falls, just north of theRoute 1 intersection. This lot canhold three trucks, perhaps. Becareful when entering or exiting;

• Station Road in Jonesboro.Although isolated, this trailheadprovides good east-west access tothe DEST’s central section;

• Route 1 just east of theMachias Dike. Located across thehighway from Dunkin Donuts,this trailhead is popular withbicyclists and hikers;

• Station Road in East Machias,just east of the Machiasportbridge;

• On Willow Street in EastMachias, just behind Archibald’sStore;

• At Route 191 about 6½ milesnorth of East Machias;

• Just off the Milwaukee Road inDennysville. This trailhead lieswest of Route 86 and north of theDenny Rivers bridge;

• Ayers Junction, located onRoute 214 about 4 miles fromPembroke. There is a portabletoilet here.

For much of its length, theDown East Sunrise Trail runs farfrom population centers; servicesare spotty, so plan accordingly.Headed east from WashingtonJunction, ATVers can obtainservices at:

• The Franklin Trading Post(food and fuel), just off MileMarker 11. The rear parking lotwas expanded last year to handletrail traffic;

• North Street Café inCherryfield (food), located beside

10 BDNMAINE OUTDOORS EXTRA ● BANGORDAILYNEWS.COM ● SUMMER 2012

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Bangor Hydro is improving the electric system of the Downeast region through the DowneastReliability Project. This new 115 kV transmission line will enhance reliability and increase capacity tothe Downeast coastal area, and will benefit the region for many years.

A portion of the new line has been built along the Down East Sunrise Trail in a previously existingtransmission corridor. Extensive construction work was conducted last summer and fall, and theproject is now more than 70 percent complete. A small section of work along the trail in Columbia isexpected to be completed this summer.

Bangor Hydro and 3Phase Line Construction would like to thank the Down East Sunrise Trail Coalition,the Maine Department of Conservation, and all the users of the trail for working so cooperatively withus to get this work done.

The residents of coastal Hancock and Washington Counties will benefit from this new line by the endof 2012.

Bangor Hydro Electric Company(207) 947-2414 | 1-800-499-6600

www.bangorhydro.com

ATVers ridewhererailroadtrainsoncerumbledBYBRIANSWARTZ, ADVERTISINGSTAFF EDITOR

Two ATVs can pass carefully side by side on the

DEST except on the bridges. Be careful when

approaching an oncoming ATVer or bicyclist where

the trail crosses a wetland, as on the Schoodic Bog:

One bump, and somebody’s in the drink.

BDN MAINE OUTDOORS EXTRA PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZ

Headed eastbound near Mile Marker 70 on the Down East SunriseTrail in East Machias, an ATVer rides ahead of two bicyclists.

BDNMAINE OUTDOORS EXTRA ● BANGORDAILYNEWS.COM ● SUMMER 2012 11

BDN MAINE OUTDOORS EXTRA PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZ

Two ATVers riding on a “2-up” ATV head east on the Down East Sunrise Trail where it crosses the SchoodicBog beneath Schoodic Mountain.

the trail about halfway betweenMile Markers 29 and 30. Watch forthe sign and arrow;

• The Circle K (food and fuel)on Route 1 in Harrington. A signon the DEST directs ATVers onto alocal trail leading to this business;

• Main Street in Machias (food,fuel, and overnightaccommodations);

• Archibald’s Store (food andfuel), near Mile Marker 62 in EastMachias;

• At the Dodge Road stop signin Dennysville, signs direct ATVersto the Cobscook Bay Café (food),6.5 miles away on Route 1 inDennysville; the Whiting Store(food and fuel), 14 miles away onRoute 1 in Whiting; or McLeod’s

Variety (food and fuel), 27 milesaway on Route 9 in Baileyville;

• A bit farther east, a sign directsATVers to a local business withovernight cottages;

• From Ayers Junction, a localclub trail will bring ATVers to aRoute 1 store in Pembroke. Crossthe road and follow the oldrailroad bed east.

Someimportant lawstobeawareofwhileATVing inMaine:• A person under age 10 may not operate an ATV.• Those older than 10 but younger than 16 may

not operate an ATV on a public trail unless theyhave successfully completed a training courseapproved by the state. After completion of thecourse, those riders must still be accompaniedby an adult. Those who are older than 10 andyounger than 16 may operate an ATV withouttaking a training course if their operation takesplace on land where they live, or which is ownedor leased by that person’s parent, or is at atraining site approved by the Maine Departmentof Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

• A person may not operate an ATV or any othermotor vehicle other than a snowmobile on asnowmobile trail that is financed in whole or inpart by the Snowmobile Trail Fund, unless thatuse has been authorized by the landowner, orunless that use is necessitated by an emergency.

• There are no reciprocal registration privileges.A nonresident is required to register an ATV inMaine in order to operate it here.

• A person may not operate an ATV upon a

private road after having been forbidden to doso by the owner’s agent or a municipal official,either personally or by appropriately displayednotices.

• A person must bring an ATV to a complete stopbefore entering a public way.

• A person may not operate an ATV except at areasonable and prudent speed for theconditions.

• Persons operating ATVs upon the land ofanother shall stop and identify themselves uponthe request of the landowner or the landowner’sauthorized representative.

• Notwithstanding Title 29-A, section 2083, aperson under 18 years old may not operate anATV unless wearing protective headgear.

• Notwithstanding Title 29-A, section 2083, aperson may not carry a passenger under age 18on an ATV unless the passenger is wearingprotective headgear.

For a complete summary of Maine ATV laws, go tohttp://www.maine.gov/ifw/laws_rules/atvlaws.htm#age



Connect with Maine’s mari-time history by visiting anoffshore lighthouse thissummer.

And leave the driving — orrather, “skippering” — to an expe-rienced tour boat crew.

Like eider ducks swimmingalong a rock-bound shore, light-houses often “cluster” along theMaine coast, particularly nearports. For example, six lighthousesonce guarded the Portland Harborapproaches: Two Lights (with theWest Tower deactivated in 1924)and Portland Head Lighthouse inCape Elizabeth, Ram Island LedgeLighthouse near Cushing Island,and Spring Point Ledge Lighthouseand Breakwater Lighthouse (BugLight) in South Portland.

Other lighthouse clusters existoffshore — and on a fine Mainesummer day, no better pastimeexists than cruising the coast to seedifferent lighthouses. From Kitteryto Lubec, tour operators offer theperfect lighthouse cruise itinerary.

Prices vary with the cruise. Planon paying $20-$25 per person forshorter cruises and more per per-son for longer cruises. Alwaysbring a jacket when sailing inMaine’s cool coastal waters.• Kittery/Portsmouth: Board an

Isles of Shoals Steamship Companycruise and sail past PortsmouthHarbor Light in New Castle, N.H.;Whaleback Ledge Light in Kittery;

and White Island Lighthouse in theIsles of Shoals. Maine and NewHampshire split these islands,which are scenic rocky outcropsscattered across the sea 9 miles off-shore. For information, call (800)441-4620 or (603) 431-5500 visitislesofshoals.com.• York: Bigger ‘n Better Sport

Fishing offers a cruise that encom-passes remote Boone Island Light(the tallest Maine lighthouse),Cape Neddick Light in York,Whaleback Ledge Light, and WhiteIsland Light. For information, call(800) 526-8172 or (774) 200-3020or visit biggernbetter.com.• Ogunquit: Finestkind Sea

Cruises sails from Perkins Coveand offers, among other cruises, anexcursion past Cape NeddickLighthouse (aka Nubble Light) inYork. For information, call 646-5227 or visit finestkindcruises.com.• Portland: Several companies

based on the Portland waterfrontoffer harbor cruises that take pas-sengers past Bug Light and SpringPoint Ledge Light, and a few cruis-es add a Portland Head Light “sailby.” On a sunny day, all three light-houses are best viewed in themorning or late afternoon. Forinformation, visit http://directory.portlandmaine.com.• Bath: Located downriver from

Bath Iron Works, the Maine Mari-time Museum runs cruises alongthe Kennebec River. Passengers will

often see six lighthouses: delightfulDoubling Point Light, KennebecRiver Range Light, Squirrel PointLight, Perkins Island Light, andPond Island Light and the allegedlyhaunted Seguin Island Light, bothlocated near the river’s entrance.

Doubling Point Light and Squir-rel Point Light are also accessible

by land. For information, call 443-1316 or visit mainemaritimemuse-um.org.• Boothbay Harbor: Lighthouses

abound in local waters, and Cap’nFish’s Boat Trips tailors severalcruises for lighthouse aficionados.Typical cruises include nearbyBurnt Island Light or Ram IslandLight (best viewed from noon toearly evening on sunny days).

The three-hour Kennebec RiverLighthouse Cruise sails past BurntIsland Light, Cuckolds Light offSouthport, Seguin Island Light(some distance away), Pond Island

Light, Perkins Island Light, Squir-rel Point Light, Kennebec RiverRange Light, and Doubling PointLight. For information, call (207)633-6605 or visit boothbayboat-trips.com.• New Harbor: From this pictur-

esque village in Bristol, Hardy BoatCruises runs a one-hour round-trip cruise to Pemaquid PointLighthouse, which is also accessiblevia Route 130. Hardy Boat Cruisesalso offers a Puffin Cruise to East-ern Egg Rock in Muscongus Bay;on a clear day, passengers can seeFranklin Island Lighthouse to thenorth. For information, call (800)278-3346 or (207) 677-2026 or(800) 278-3346 or visit hardyboat.com.• Port Clyde: This quintessential

Maine fishing village lies at the tipof the St. George Peninsula. TheMonhegan Boat Co. offers aninteresting cruise that encompassesMarshall Point Lighthouse in PortClyde, Tenants Harbor Lighthouse(owned by artist Jamie Wyeth) offTenants Harbor, Whitehead IslandLighthouse at the southernentrance to the Mussel RidgeChannel, and Two Bush IslandLighthouse, a remote PenobscotBay outpost. En route to complet-ing the eastern leg of his cross-country run in “Forrest Gump,”actor Tom Hanks — or a reason-able facsimile — trotted onto thewalkway connecting the shore with

the 31-foot lighthouse at MarshallPoint. At Tenants Harbor Light, aresident occasionally fires a cannon— with a blank, of course — at thepassing tour boat. For information,call (207) 372-8848 or visit mon-heganboat.com.• Camden: Every vessel

approaching or departing CamdenHarbor must pass Curtis IslandLighthouse. Several windjammersand power boats offer cruises fromthis scenic harbor backdropped byMount Battie; the Betselma takespassengers past Curtis Island Lightand privately owned Indian IslandLight, located off Rockport. Forinformation, visit camdenmaineex-perience.com or camdenmaineva-cation.com.• Lincolnville: Catch the ferry

Margaret Chase Smith and crossWest Penobscot Bay to visit Grin-dle Point Lighthouse on Islesboro.Easily photographed as the ferryapproaches its terminal, the light-house houses the Sailor’s MemorialMuseum and stands adjacent tothe terminal.

For information about Islesboroferry service, call (207) 789-5611or visit maine.gov/mdot/msfs/islesboro.htm.• Deer Isle: Old Quarry Ocean

Adventures offers a seven-hourcruise that passes six lighthousesand stops at North Haven forlunch. The six lighthouses are:Robinson Point Light on Isle au

CRUISE TO OFFSHORE LIGHTHOUSESBYBRIANSWARTZ, ADVERTISINGSTAFF EDITOR

On a fine Maine

summer day, no better

pastime exists than

cruising the coast to see

different lighthouses.

Little River Lighthouse in Cutler BDN FILE PHOTO BY GABOR DEGRE



Haut, Saddleback Ledge Light,Brown’s Head Light on Vinalhaven,Goose Rocks Light in the FoxIsland Thorofare, Heron NeckLight, and Mark Island Light, awhite-painted tower guarding thewestern approaches to the DeerIsland Thorofare. For information,visit oldquarry.com, call (207) 367-8977, or email [email protected].• Bar Harbor: The Bar Harbor

Whale Watch Co. offers four light-house-related trips that sail fromthe company’s pier on West Street.

A 2¾-hour cruise sails dailyfrom late June to late October. Thistour provides unique views ofSand Beach and Thunder Hole andpasses the Little Cranberry IslandLifesaving Station and five light-houses: Baker Island, Bear Island,Egg Rock, Great Duck Island, andWinter Harbor.

A four-hour cruise takes passen-gers to explore Baker Island and itsremote lighthouse.

A 3½-4-hour cruise combines avisit to Petit Manan Island Light-house with an offshore whalewatch. The second-tallest light-house on the Maine coast, PetitManan Island Light guards a bird-breeding colony frequented bynesting puffins.

A 2-hour nature cruise exploresFrenchman Bay and takes passen-gers close to Egg Rock Lighthouse.

For information, call (207) 288-2386 or (888) 942-5374 or visitbarharborwhales.com.• Bar Harbor: Sea Venture Cus-

tom Boat Tours offers customizedtours to such lighthouses as BakerIsland Light, Bass Harbor HeadLight, Bear Island Light, Blue HillBay Light, Burnt Coat HarborLight (Swans Island), Egg RockLight, Great Duck Island Light

(near Frenchboro), Mark IslandLight, Petit Main Island Light,Pond Island Light, Prospect Har-bor Light, and Pumpkin IslandLight (Little Deer Isle). For infor-mation, call (207) 288-3355 or visitsvboattours.com.• Milbridge: Robertson Sea

Tours offer cruises that visit PondIsland Light in Narraguagus Bay,Nash Island Light in Pleasant Bay,and Petit Manan Island Light. Forinformation, call (207) 483-6110or (207) 461-7439 (cell), [email protected], orvisit http://robertsonseatours.com.• Cutler: Sailing from this scenic

Washington County fishing village,the Bold Coast Charter Companyoffers cruises to Machias SealIsland, home to nesting puffinsand a Canadian lighthouse. Everycruise passes Little River Light-house, which guards the CutlerHarbor approaches. For informa-tion, call (207) 259-4484, [email protected], or visit bold-coast.com.• Lubec: Located in Lubec are

the sparkplug-shaped Lubec Chan-nel Light and West Quoddy HeadLight with its distinctive barber-pole paint scheme. Nearby onCampobello Island are MulhollandPoint Light (deactivated) and EastQuoddy Head Light. All but theLubec Channel Light are accessibleby land, but visitors can reach EastQuoddy Head Light only at lowtide.

Cruise operators in Lubec andon Campobello Island offer dailyor customized tours that can visitlocal lighthouses. For tourist infor-mation, call (207) 733-2997 or(888) 347-9302, email [email protected], or visit visitlu-becmaine.com. or www.lubecme.govoffice2.com.



The next time you decide to getlost in the Maine woods, let some-one know where you plan to do so.

That way, searchers will have agood PLS — Place Last Seen —when they start looking for you.

“We average 485 searches a year”said Lt. Kevin Adam, head ofMaine Warden Service Region D inStrong. He also is the coordinatorfor the Incident ManagementTeam, which oversees many searchmissions across the state.

According to Adam, searchesrange from the high profile — suchas the recent successful search for12-year-old Micah Thomas inDresden — to a missing hunter toan overdue boater to an elderlyperson who wandered away fromhome. Many searches end positive-ly; some do not.

Staffed by some 15 membersdrawn from all over the state, theIncident Management Team givesstructure to managing situations

that range fromsearches to natu-ral disasters,Adam said.Assigned to dif-ferent sections —logistics, plan-ning, operations,etc. — teammembers coordi-nate the activitiesnecessary for resolving incidentsthat can be very large or very small,he said.

The Incident Management Teamhandles 15-20 searches a year.

“We direct the resources whereto search,” he said. “We’re like thefootball coach; we call the play, andthey execute the play.”

Various factors affect when theIMT responds to a missing-personreport.

“The local police departmentcould be called if it’s a missing per-son,” Adam explained. “If the per-

son is clearly in the woods, we[Maine Warden Service] are calledright away.”

He may immediately call out apartial or full Incident Manage-ment Team for searches involving amissing child or elderly person, orif there’s bad weather that endan-gers the missing person’s life. TheIncident Management Team sup-ports the local wardens anddepends on other teams within theWarden Service to assist in thesearch, Adam said, referring to thecanine team, which he oversees.

A search can involve many disci-plines, including the IMT, localpolice, wardens, divers, and dogsand their handlers, he said.Depending on the weather condi-tions, aircraft, ATVs, boats, andhelicopters also may be used.

According to Adam, IMT mem-bers utilize a vast database to deter-mine where to search. The starting

BYBRIANSWARTZ, ADVERTISINGSTAFF EDITOR

WardenServiceoffers tipsforstayingsafewhenlost in theMainewoods

WOODS PAGE 21►

Maryella Rawnsley, 74, is notyour typical grandmother. Sheloves to bird hunt, fly fish, bassfish, and fish for trout on andaround Moxie Lake.

Rawnsley is not only an avidoutdoorswoman, she is the matri-arch who holds the sprawlingHumphrey family traditions ofhunting and fishing together.When her twin granddaughters,Brittany and Danielle Humphrey,now 22, were just 10 years old,Rawnsley started sleepover huntingparties that included siblings,cousins and friends. A typical partyincluded a hearty hunter breakfastafter the morning sit, and big after-noon dinners with lots of fun andlaughter.

Rawnsley’s love for the outdoorshas touched three generations ofthe Humphrey family.

Lonnie and Pam Humphrey,parents of Brittany and Danielleand their 21-year-old brotherCody, have hunted and fished inMaine since childhood. Lonnie

Humphrey owns and operates ahotdog vending stand in Gray. Hespeaks fondly of his first Johnsonfishing pole and Daisy BB gun, andis proud of his family and their

deep roots in the outdoors.Pam Humphrey, 49, is an educa-

tion technician at Gray/NewGloucester schools and enjoys

ThreegenerationsofMaineoutdoorenthusiastsBYDAVID TRAHAN, CONTRIBUTINGWRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HUMPHREY FAMILY

Three generations of the Humphrey family, tied by matriarch MaryellaRawnsley, 74, are bound by family traditions of hunting and fishingtogether.

GENERATIONS PAGE 21►

LT. KEVIN ADAM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

By David Trahan, Executive Director

In less than six months our membership has increased by nearly 1,000 people, and the good will we have earned with our new emphasis on youth and family has earned us a new look from many sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts.Over the last month, Becky Morrell, SAM

offi ce manager, her husband Duncan, and their two children, Kelsey and Duncan Jr., have joined me at sportsman shows in Orono, Presque Isle, and Augusta, and the reception has been one of warmth and high hopes for our organization. During the shows we signed up 250 new

members and raised nearly $10,000 from raffl es and merchandise sales. None of this would have been possible without the many SAM volunteers that took precious time from their families and manned our booth. Thank you to all!

Unexpected visitorsWe were surprised by two high-

profi le visitors at the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show: Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, longtime friend of SAM who is seeking re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, and former governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Angus

King. He was the last governor to make a serious fi nancial commitment to the DIF&W, and his support of sportsmen always was appreciated.

New Tenant at the SAM Conference Center

We are excited to announce that the Maine Snowmobile Association has signed a long-term rental lease at our SAM Conference Center. SAM and the MSA have had a long and close relationship on issues such as public access, Roxanne Quimby’s national park proposal, and many other issues. We are elated that they will now share our building and look forward to them being a few steps down the hall.

Deer Management NetworkIn January, we held our fi rst deer

management network fundraiser and game supper. It was a terrifi c success.One of the network’s fi rst projects was

developing a responsible education program for feeding deer. Education materials appeared in 18 Agway stores, thanks to Nutrena representative Don Bibeau. The information also appeared in several outdoor publications and on our website. Next year’s goal is to have the

information in all stores in Maine that sell deer feed.Gerry Lavigne, retired state deer biologist,

has been busy developing several more pieces of the network. One exciting piece is a responsible approach to managing predation. He has been busy researching how other states manage coyotes and bear predation. By fall we should be ready to unveil several new initiatives we think will be very popular with sportsmen. Stay tuned!

Partnership updateWe have renewed our partnership with the

law fi rm Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios. Longtime friend and partner of SAM,

Robbins Lumber Co. of Searsmont donated 2,000 board feet of lumber for an outbuilding that we are now constructing on our Augusta property.The Kittery Trading Post has donated

another round of items for our raffl e, and we offer a special thanks to them for their commitment.Another new partner, Dick’s Sporting

Goods, has provided us with online coupons and discounts for our members. Visit sportsmansallianceofmaine.org and print all you want.

Board member moves onWe are sad to see that longtime board

member Bob Engelhardt has decided not to seek reappointment to the SAM board. Bob has long advocated for issues important to sportsmen, and his voice of reason will be missed. We wish him well.

June 13 Tribute to Service fi shing tournament scheduled

SAM, the International Brotherhood of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and Pine Grove Lodge are partnering on a Tribute to Service fi shing tournament on Messalonskee Lake in Belgrade on June 13. Twenty-fi ve boats and guides will take veterans and active duty servicemen and women for a day on the lake. The private catch-and-release tournament is free, and trophies will be awarded on an honor system. We are looking for veterans to fi sh in

our boats as well as volunteers. If you’re interested, please call Becky at 622-5503.

Electronic news

Good things are happening at the Sportsman’s Alliance of MaineGoo

Providing SAM News electronically will save SAM money on postage. If you would like to receive the SAM News by email, please, contact Becky Morrell: [email protected]



SAM Legislative UpdateSAM Legislative UpdateLEGISLATIVE REPORT

Successful SAM Legislative AgendaTwo very important SAM bills were

unanimously passed by the MaineLegislature. LD 1747, “An Act to ProhibitMunicipalities from Imposing Fees onIce-Fishing Shacks,” sponsored byRep. Mike Shaw, D-Standish, passedwithout opposition and was signed by thegovernor.This ill-conceived tax had the potential

to establish a precedent that pavedthe way for towns to establish fees onvirtually any outdoor activity. Throughthe hard work of Rep. Shaw and Rep.Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, we bannedsuch fees and also learned that MaineDepartment of Conservation was aboutto implement a similar fee. SAM initiatedan amendment to ban state agenciesfrom charging a fee on shacks, and italso was adopted.LD 1653, “An Act to Make Fisheries

and Wildlife Projects Eligible for TaxIncrement Financing,” is also a SAM billand was sponsored by Senate PresidentKevin Raye, R-Perry. It also passedwithout opposition. This legislation was one of several that

I have personally initiated as a legislator or as the SAM executive director that will help the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife fund critical fi sheries and wildlife projects.The legislation is meant to empower

individuals and community groups to fund investments in wildlife habitat, hatcheries, and other similar projects when local tax breaks are negotiated for energy and business development. For example, when a community

proposes a project such as a wind farm, state law allows towns to negotiate long-term fi nancial support for community projects, including water and sewer in lieu of property taxes. LD 1653 clarifi es that fi sheries and wildlife projects are eligible for long-term investment. This is great news for towns wanting to invest in deer and brook trout habitat.This legislation is one of four important

changes in state law that recently have occurred. The other three are:• A new law that allows DIF&W to

recoup costs associated with reviewing environmental permits. As our state develops alternative energy sources, agencies such as DIF&W and Marine Resources have provided countless hours of municipal permit review without reimbursement. That means that sportsman’s license fees have paid for

expenses that should have been paid for by private business. We initiated legislation to change the law, and it was successful.• The second change was legislation

creating tax credits for investment in fi sheries and wildlife projects. This new tax credit is designed to spur private-public partnerships in projects such as fi sh hatcheries and boat launches.• Last year, legislation was passed

establishing deer wintering habitat as a priority when purchasing or easing land under the Land for Maine’s Future Program.These four changes are good news for

sportsman, but two more important items still need to be addressed:• A new bond package for Land for

Maine’s Future. At press deadline, the Legislature was still considering bonds, and we will report on progress in the next SAM News.• Long-term funding for DIF&W. For

decades SAM has tried to address the nearly $5 million sportsman subsidies of general fund programs. During this session the problem was

again passed to the next Legislature. I had good discussions with Gov. Paul LePage and feel fairly comfortable we will see some help in the next session. Let’s hope I don’t regret that statement!

Several bills passed the Legislature and are still waiting for funding from the Appropriations Committee. These laws will only become effective if they are funded, and given the diffi cult budget times the odds that all these bills receive funding is highly unlikely. These bills are:• LD 213: “An Act to Provide Funding

for the Fish Stocking Program,” $500,000.• LD 372: “An Act to Reduce Deer

Predation.” This bill would allocate $100,000 for the next fi ve years to control predation of deer on public and private lands.• LD 637: “An Act to Increase the

Amount Tagging Agents Receive for Tagging Game.” Currently it costs $5 to tag a bear, deer, moose, or wild turkey, and agents can keep $1 for their effort. With the passage of this bill, agents can keep $2; the remainder is sent to DIF&W.Other bills passed by the Legislature• LD 1242: “An Act to Restore the Deer

Herd in Certain Wildlife Management Districts in Maine”This bill allows the Department of Inland

Fisheries and Wildlife to prohibit the feeding of deer if chronic wasting disease or the feeding of deer is causing a safety hazard for the public or the deer. It also directs the advisory council to convene a

stakeholders’ meeting annually in areas of the state where the herd need to be enhanced. Ideas will be shared with the department. Finally, the law calls for a voluntary $2 check-off on the hunting license, with the money used for deer-predation or deer-habitat improvement.• LD 1613: “An Act to Strengthen the

Relationship between Land Users and Landowners” This bill repeals the super-sport

certifi cate and replaces it with a broader and more inclusive landowner relations program.• LD 1785: “An Act to Repeal the

Requirement that Canadian Big Game or Wild Turkey Hunters be Accompanied by Guides Licensed in the State and to clarify the Laws Concerning the Civil Violation of Trespass by Motor Vehicle” The title of this bill is self-explanatory,

but was amended to stiffen the penalties for blocking a road to access and also creates a process to better track border use of hunting shacks.• LD 1849: “An Act to Protect

Landlocked Salmon Fisheries in Schoodic and Seboeis Lakes from Invasive Species” This bill prohibits the construction of

a fi sh way or fi sh bypass at the outlets of Schoodic and Seboeis Lakes to stop the progression of pike in the Penobscot watershed.

Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine board member Cheryl Timberlakecongratulates Alexis Moon of Jefferson for winning one of the eightfishing poles from Dick’s Sporting Goods raffled at the SAM booth

during the March 30-April 1 State of Maine Sportsman’s Show.

State of Maine Sportsman’s Show prize winners

George Sodergren of Jefferson won the Windham Weaponry .223 that wasraffled during the March 30-April 1 State of Maine Sportsman’s Show. Warren

Dyke and Windham Weaponry generously donated the rifle for the raffle.



Among the volunteers staffing theSportsman’s Alliance of Maine booth at theMarch 30-April 1 State of Maine Sportsman’sShow were David and Kim Sullivan. David isan officer with the International Association

of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

SAM wants to thank Local 6 for assistingwith the Sportsman’s Show and to thankKim Sullivan for working with the children

who stopped by the SAM booth.

SAM President Jim Gorman Jr. was among three of Gov. Paul LePage’s nominees to the Land for Maine’s Future Board of Directors. The other nominees were former legislator Don Marean, and Bill Vail, former commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. The legislature unanimously endorsed all three nominees.Marean, current LMF Board chair, was

renominated for another term. He is anchored to the land as a horse farmer, and that’s an important attribute for an LMF member. He’s also a very thoughtful leader and

works well with others — and it’s always helpful to have the perspective of a former legislator on this important board.Vail was an exceptional DIF&W

commissioner. He distinguished himself from all other commissioners when he resigned that position because he could not support his governor’s attempt to take $1 million from his department. That’s the kind of integrity Vail will bring to the LMF Board.Gorman is L.L. Bean’s great-grandson,

and of course, he’s an avid hunter and angler. He works at his family’s business. Gorman has served on SAM’s Board of Directors for 20 years, including two

lengthy stints as president. He is currently SAM’s president and is one of only two Directors to have served for the 18 years that I worked for the organization.While I grabbed

the limelight, Gorman always was there in the background providing excellent advice, displaying strong leadership of the board, and forging a collaborative relationship that allowed all of us to work together. We achieved a lot, and he deserves much of the credit.Maine has led the nation in land

conservation, and the LMF program is one key reason. Since it was created in 1987, LMF has conserved 550,000 acres, using an average of $4.78 million annually in state funding, for an average cost of just $113 per acre.A recent economic analysis by The

Trust for Public Land found that every $1 invested in land conservation through LMF returned an astonishing $11 in natural goods and services to the Maine economy — a that return increases every year.

SAM President named to Land for Maine’s Future Board

Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine205 Church Hill RoadAugusta, Maine 04330

Telephone: (207) 622-5503Fax: (207) 622-5596

EMAIL:[email protected]

WEBSITE:www.sportsmansallianceofmaine.org

Sportsman’s Alliance of MaineOfficers

President – Jim GormanVice PresidentClerk– Jim Hilly

Treasurer – Paul DavisDirectors

Doug AlexanderNick Archer

Cheryl TimberlakeJim Tobin

Matt DunlapErik Hart

Gerry LavigneStaff

David Trahan – Executive DirectorBecky Morrell – Operations Manager

The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM)is a non-profit corporation founded in 1975to promote conservation of Maine’s wildlife

resources and to be an advocatefor hunters, anglers, trappers and gun

owners throughout the state.

JIM GORMAN

State of MaineSportsman’s

Show Volunteers

Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine ExecutiveDirector David Trahan has decided to createa Saltwater Fishing Committee to addressissues facing Maine’s coastal anglers.He has asked me to head up the

committee. Currently we are forming agroup of perhaps five initial members, andexpect to meet regularly and on an as-needed basis.Our mission is to enhance the recreational

saltwater fishing experience in Maine. Wewill work to increase the health of our gameand food fish stocks, to eliminate anglingrestrictions that have little or no conservationbenefit, and to ensure a fair and equitableregulatory process that will include inputfrom sport fishermen.We also will promote recreational fishing in

order to maximize its social and economicbenefits.Maine’s saltwater fishermen are facing

several key challenges. One is a virtualclosure of the cod fishery in 2013. Gulfof Maine cod have been overfished fordecades, but tight regulations implementedfive years ago appeared to be doing the job

by allowing the population to rebuild.A new assessment, however, indicates

that cod are severely overfished, and thata 90 percent reduction in catch is needed.The SFC will work with regulators andencourage them to reassess using updatedmethodologies and assumptions.A cutback of this magnitude would be

disastrous to Maine’s offshore party andcharter boat industry and would impactcoastal tourism, so we need real confidencein the science.The recreational catch of winter flounder

has been slowly improving in Maine’s near-shore waters during the past few years, yeta 2008 assessment by the Atlantic StatesMarine Fisheries Commission indicated thatthe overall stock needed to be reduced by11 percent. The result was a reduction inthe length of Maine’s recreational flounderseason to three months, July throughSeptember.Now, however, a 2011 survey indicates

that winter flounder are actually in goodshape, so the entire allowable quota hasbeen doubled for 2012. Maine’s recreational

season should therefore be extended,something that has not yet taken place butthat the SFC will be working to implement.Striped bass, Maine’s most popular inshore

game fish, have been dwindling in numbersfor the past few years, especially in thenorthern reaches of their migration rangeeast of Casco Bay. Although the striperpopulation coast-wide is said to be healthy,the catch in Maine has dropped from 4million fish in 2006 to 142,000 fish in 2011.The SFC will stay on top of this issue

and encourage regulators in states wherecommercial striper fishing is permitted tocurtail the well-known illegal and wastefulpractices that are impacting the health of theoverall striped bass stock.The SFC will work towards eliminating

angling restrictions that have little or noconservation benefit. For years, Maine’sDepartment of Marine Resources haslayered on regulations that have stifled thegrowth of saltwater recreational fishing.Do we need a 24-inch minimum size on

cod in state waters, the same as in federalwaters? Do 29 species of fish need to be

prohibited in Sheepscot Bay in the spring?Do we need to have a recreational-fishing“spawning ban” on the possession of 14species in May and June in all state waters?Does a ban on fishing with bait-and-circlehooks really do much to protect striped basswhere flies and lures are permitted?The SFC will compile biological and catch

data to answer these questions and justifyits requests for appropriate, science-basedpublic access to our marine resources. We’llalso attempt to determine the economicbenefit of improving access and anglingsuccess.We intend to be watchdogs for the fishing

public and to use SAM’s clout to ensure thatanglers enjoy the best possible saltwaterfishing experience here in Maine.Barry Gibson, chairman of the SAM

Saltwater Fishing Committee, currentlyserves as the New England Director forthe Recreational Fishing Alliance, aschairman of the NEFMC’s RecreationalAdvisory Panel, and as vice president of theNortheast Charterboat Captains Association.

New SAM Saltwater Committee formedBy: Barry Gibson



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New DIF&W Fisheries GroupsThree new fi sheries groups have been

chosen to provide Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Commissioner Chandler Woodcock and his staff with advice — another signal that Woodcock is making fi sheries a strong focus of his tenure.Each group consists of activists who

have had a lot to say in the past about fi sh and wildlife issues and programs. Members of SAM’s Fishing Initiative Committee will serve on two of the three groups.The brook trout group includes: Gary

Corson of New Sharon, John Whalen of Canaan, Matt Libby of Ashland, Ted Koffman of Falmouth, Dan Tarkinson of Portland, Dave Allen of T8R11, and Bonnie Holding. The previous brook trout working group has been disbanded.Corson is a longtime member of the

Fishing Initiative Committee of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and the principal advocate for year-round fi shing. Whalen is a retired game warden who operates a smelt hatchery. Libby and his wife Ellen own the Orvis-endorsed Libby Camps on Millinocket Lake and is a former member of the Fish and Wildlife Advisory Council.The landlocked salmon group includes:

Dennis Smith of Mount Desert Island, Larry Farrington of Greenville, Larry Fiori of Kennebunk, Bruce Steeves of Raymond, Dennis Bolduc of Oakland, Tenley Bennett of Eagle Lake, and John Ouellette of Madawaska.Smith is a longtime member of SAM’s

Fishing Initiative Committee and former member of the Fish and Wildlife Advisory Council. Farrington is the president of the Moosehead Lakes Fisheries Coalition. Fiori is a longtime member of SAM’s Fishing Initiative Committee and leader of the Quality Salmon Program, a partnership between SAM and DIF&W.The bass group includes: Andy Wess of

Augusta, William Schwartz of Windham, Don Kleiner of Union, Carl Bois of Lovell, J.R. Mabee of Grand Lake Stream, and Ken Hoehlein of Trenton.

Dilly of an attackCharging that Maine legislators were,

“spending our time making it easier for people to become vigilantes,” Sen. Cynthia Dill, D-Cape Elizabeth, a candidate for the U.S. Senate this year, recently put gun owners and the National Rifl e Association right in her sights.In the process, Dill sharply criticized one

of her Democratic primary opponents, Matt Dunlap, who was a friend of Maine sportsmen and gun owners during his tenure in the Maine House of Representatives. Most recently Dunlap served as Maine’s secretary of state and even spent a brief time as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine in 2011. He is currently a member of SAM’s Board of Directors.In a March 30 Democratic candidate

debate, Dill challenged Dunlap about his support for and membership in the National Rifl e Association. In an April 4 press release, she continued to challenge Dunlap, quoting his March 30 response to her challenge, in which he said, “I would accept the fi nancial support of the National Rifl e Association.”“The prevalence of guns — particularly

the type that are modifi ed to fi re multiple rounds and outgun local law enforcement — is a problem in many areas of our country and is fair game for reasonable regulation,” Dill said in her April 4 statement.“The NRA… is a divisive group out

of step even with pro-gun Mainers. My campaign will not seek nor accept their support,” she trumpeted.

Deer feeding discouragedAre you feeding deer? Stop it!That’s what Maine’s Department of

Inland Fisheries and Wildlife would like you to do. The department contends that many deer feeders do more harm than good by providing food that’s not nutritious or placing the feed where deer must cross busy highways to get to it. Some deer feeding stations also draw coyotes for a feeding frenzy of their own.DIF&W has had no authority to stop

people from feeding deer, but it will have shortly. The Legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee gave its unanimous endorsement to a deer bill, LD 1242, sponsored by Washington County’s Rep. David Burns, R-Whiting. This bill gives the DIF&W authority to enact rules that prohibit the feeding of deer at any location if there is documented evidence of chronic wasting disease in the state.The agency’s new rules may also

prohibit or limit the feeding of deer when the department has reason to believe that the type or location of feed is creating a public safety hazard or having a detrimental impact on the deer.SAM also has teamed up with retailers

who sell deer feed, including Agway, to provide point-of-sale information with deer feeding guidelines. Those guidelines are also available on SAM’s website.

DIF&W reorganizesSame number of positions. No new

money. But the reorganization plan for Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife is a thoughtful restructuring that refl ects the priorities of the agency’s new leadership: Commissioner Chandler Woodcock and Deputy Commissioner Andrea Erskine.The reorganization leaves the agency

with the same number of positions, a few of which have been redefi ned: some tasks added, some eliminated.Among the most interesting changes,

the agency will now have three biologists, each focused specifi cally on deer, moose and bear.Lee Kantar, the agency’s deer biologist,

“assumed responsibility for moose as a favor to the department,” said Woodcock, who also announced that he offered Kantar his choice of species, and he took moose. A new deer biologist soon will be chosen.DIF&W also will dedicate a fi sheries

biologist to focus on cold water species: a brook trout and landlocked salmon specialist.John Boland had a large role the

reorganization and appears to have given a lot of thought to a better way to perform and supervise various fi sh and wildlife projects and functions.

Maine’s got 75,000 mooseMaine has a lot more moose than we

thought. Based on his new sampling techniques using Maine Forest Service helicopters and pilots and a “double counting” system, Maine’s top moose biologist Lee Kantar estimates the state’s moose population to be an astonishing 75,000.That’s 45,000 higher than the estimates

reported by the DIF&W up until 2007, when the department’s longtime moose biologist, Karen Morris, upped her estimate as she approached retirement.Morris stunned a 2007 moose working

group when she reported we might have as many as 60,000 moose, begging the question: Why aren’t we issuing more moose permits? Today, given Kantar’s new estimate, that question is sure to be raised again.In fact, Dr. Vaughn Anthony, a retired

national marine biologist from Boothbay and SAM’s representative on the 2007 working group, already has raised the question. Anthony notes that DIF&W will issue 3,800 moose hunting permits this year, representing 5 percent of the 75,000 moose in the woods. He says a population of 75,000 moose should allow an annual harvest of 8,000 to 14,000 animals.In 2010, DIF&W substantially increased

the number of moose permits, from 3,140 to 3,862. Unfortunately, that did not win back the many hunters who have given up on the moose lottery over the years.

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Reports from the fi eldBy: George Smith



By: Gerry Lavigne

Maine’s newest deer hunterThe arrival of the eastern coyote in the

Northeastern United States and Maritime Canada has had a profound impact on the wildlife ecology of the region. For 30 years (1975-2005), I served as

the deer management and research biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. During that tenure, we struggled to maintain viable populations of white-tailed deer in the face of major habitat changes and the presence of a new deer predator, the eastern coyote. After gray wolves died out during the

late 1800s in the Northeast, Maine lacked a canine predator that could effi ciently kill white-tailed deer. Wherever hunter access was good, deer populations could be held in check with our either-sex (buck or doe) hunting seasons. Where hunting access was poor, as in the big woods of northern and eastern Maine prior to the 1970s, deer populations were more diffi cult to manage.Between the 1880s and early 1960s,

deer in the northern half of Maine experienced several cycles of extreme abundance, followed by crashes to low numbers caused by over-browsing and subsequent starvation during severe winters. Since the 1960s, deer populations in the

northern half of Maine have been steadily declining, due to two additional mortality factors not present earlier: predation by coyotes and degradation of wintering habitat. Even in the more deer-friendly central and southern parts of Maine, deer mortality increased with the arrival of the coyote.Coyotes are not native to Maine or to

the Northeast. Into the vacuum created by the disappearance of gray wolves, coyotes began to migrate across the northern tier of Midwestern states and adjacent parts of Canada. Along the way they evidently interbred with remnant populations of wolves. Hence, eastern coyotes are mostly coyote but also part wolf, genetically, physically, and behaviorally. At 25 to 50 pounds, eastern coyotes are larger than their western cousins, their family groups tend to stay together longer during the year, and they are more effi cient deer predators.Mainers began encountering coyotes in

the 1950s, and coyotes existed statewide at peak numbers by the late 1970s. Southeastern Quebec got coyotes slightly earlier, while New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were colonized somewhat later.

Unlike the much larger gray wolf, coyotes thrive on smaller prey during part of the year in Maine. Being a mid-sized carnivore gives them a distinct survival advantage. They can effi ciently prey on mice, songbirds, turkeys, snowshoe hares, raccoons, beaver, fawn and adult deer, and pet cats and dogs if the opportunity arises. They also dine on fruits and carrion. Such fl exibility in acquiring its groceries enables the coyote to thrive almost anywhere in Maine.During the past 40 years, coyote

predation on deer has been researched extensively by state, provincial, and federal fi sh and wildlife agencies, as well as universities, here in the Northeast. There are two excellent reviews of coyote/deer research available. One is “Eastern Coyote: The Story of Its Success,” a 1995 book by Canadian wildlife biologist Gerry Parker. A 2008 scientifi c report (CFRU Research Report RR-08-02) was produced by wildlife biologists Pete Pekins and Matt Tarr for the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit at the University of Maine. It is a critical analysis of the winter ecology of deer in northern Maine deer wintering areas.It has been widely stated that coyotes

only kill old, weak, or sick deer, thus culling the herd of unfi t animals that would soon die anyway. Eastern coyotes do take any unfi t deer they encounter, but research has shown conclusively that they are also very capable of killing healthy deer under several, sometimes common, conditions.Coyotes can prey on any deer in deep

snow. A deer chased into two feet or more of snow soon fl ounders, and becomes dinner for coyotes regardless of its physical condition. Snow depths exceeding two feet are the norm in northern Maine for weeks on end. In central and southern Maine, deep snow occurs less frequently and for shorter duration, but it still enables coyotes to readily kill deer. Glare ice on lakes, ponds, and streams

also helps coyotes kill deer regardless of physical condition. Deer hooves offer little traction on glare ice; coyote claws do. Deer fall, cannot get back up, and become easy prey. Since nearly all Maine deer wintering areas occur along waterways, these conditions can be commonplace.The quality of deer wintering habitat

also infl uences coyote predation. Deer seek out dense, tall, mature evergreen forests in winter because the thick

overhead canopy shelters them from the wind, provides food, and reduces the snow depth underneath so effi ciently that it is typically half that in open areas or hardwood forests. Widespread tracts of mature evergreen forest allow wintering deer to create an extensive trail system that aids in both fi nding food and escaping predators.Disturbances that fragment these

forests, reduce their size, or excessively thin the canopy, result in deeper snow, reduced foraging ability, and higher losses to coyote predation and malnutrition.During the past 40 years, northern and

eastern Maine conifer forests have been extensively altered by spruce budworm infestations and by logging. Many forests that once sheltered deer can no longer do so. Others forests remain, but in less than optimum condition. A few forests still provide high quality deer yard habitat, but coyotes can kill some deer even here. Coyotes can hold deer numbers below what any habitat can sustain.Severe winters also greatly affect deer

survival. Long winters with prolonged cold and deep snow take their toll.Too often deer are losing a race against

time. All winter they subsist on poor quality foods and continually lose weight. Deep snow that restricts them to trails makes fi nding adequate food diffi cult.After 10 to 12 weeks of severe

nutritional deprivation, death by malnutrition becomes evident. Fawns and mature bucks are usually the fi rst to die; mature does are the most resilient. Losses to both malnutrition and coyote

predation inevitably increase during severe winters. Because coyotes can prey on healthy deer in deep snow, winter deer losses are typically higher when coyotes are present. In other words, deer losses to coyotes don’t merely replace starvation losses; to some degree they add to them.Coyotes also

sometimes kill adult deer during snow-free months. Some of this predation occurs in spring, when winter-weakened deer are moving onto summer range. Other

losses occur during summer and fall, when most deer should be in good physical condition. It is probable that cooperative hunting by two or more coyotes, another wolf-like trait, tips the scales in the coyotes’ favor.Eastern coyotes also target newborn

deer fawns, which are relatively defenseless and often occur in predictable habitats. Coyotes, along with black bears, bobcats, red fox, fi shers, and feral dogs, may collectively have a profound negative impact on fawn survival.Maine’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Department does not routinely estimate how many deer are lost annually to coyotes in Maine. That number undoubtedly varies, yet the addition of this new predator has defi nitely added to herd losses, not merely replaced others. In a 1995 report to the Maine

Legislature, I estimated that the statewide deer herd numbered about 200,000, and roughly 22,000 were lost to coyotes. Whenever a single mortality factor approaches 10 percent of the deer population, given all the other mortality that deer experience, deer managers need to take notice.

Gerry Lavigne, SAM board member, is a retired deer biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

point is the Place Last Seen, the sitewhere the missing individual waslast seen alive.

“We look at the terrain, come upwith a plan, segment the terrain,and assign search teams,” Adamsaid. The search teams, whichbelong to the Maine Association ofSearch and Rescue, consist of pro-fessional volunteers who are certi-fied and trained in search-and-res-cue techniques, he said.

Wardens enter the search infor-mation on a search team’s GPS.After the team completes a gridsearch, they download the datainto their mapping software. Inci-dent Management Team membersuse this data to map the progressof a search.

A grid search involves 10-12people, lined up shoulder to shoul-der about 5 yards apart to searchGPS-defined grids in quarter-mileincrements. Searchers run a com-pass bearing and stay aligned whilelooking for the missing person orfor clues as to which direction thatperson might have traveled. Suchclues include footprints, tobaccoproducts, and abandoned food andclothing items.

If searchers have a good PLS,there’s an increased chance of find-ing the missing person sooner,Adam said.

“Any time we have a searchwhere we don’t have a good PLS,we aren’t certain as to where weshould start looking,” he said.

Today, elderly people are oftenhealthier than in the past and gowalking further, Adam noted.Someone with Alzheimer’s ordementia may wander from a nor-mal route.

“At that point, it’s tough to findthat turn-out point where the per-son left a trail or a road,” Adamsaid.

The use of cell phones also helpsin finding many people who sud-denly realize they are lost, he said.A cell phone provider can conducta Phase 2 hit to place the locationof a caller close to where that per-son is standing.

Some steps that outdoor enthu-

siasts can take to help searchers:• Let a friend or relative know

where you are going, what you planto do, and when you plan toreturn.

“Have a plan and stick to it, evenif you’re fishing,” Adam said. “Callif you change your plans. Makesure someone knows where you’regoing to be.”

• Be prepared for the unexpect-ed. “Carry some light food, a spaceblanket, matches,” he said.

• Don’t overdo it. “Don’t [try to]do more than what you can physi-cally do,” Adam said.

• Think safety. Adam noted thathikers shouldn’t take shortcuts.

• “Wear a life jacket when you’rein a boat,” he said. “It only takes a

second, a rough wave hitting theboat, and someone is tossed over-board. A life jacket will keep youafloat.”

• Carry a whistle. “It’s a greatsound attractant. You can hear it along ways,” Adam said.

• “If you think you’re lost, find asopen a space as you can, build ashelter, and stay put,” he stressed.“We will come looking for you.Make our work easier by staying inone place.”

• If lost, call 9-1-1. “People don’t.They call a family member first,”Adam said. “If you don’t knowwhere you are, call 9-1-1. It mayrequire only a warden with your[cell phone-provided] GPS coordi-nates to walk in and find you.”



brook trout fishing and has shotmany deer as well as a 907-poundbull moose.

The twins are apples that havenot fallen far from the family tree.They both love to hunt deer whilebalancing professional careers. Thesisters graduated from the Univer-sity of Maine at Presque Isle wherethey were multi-sport athletesexcelling in soccer and softball.

Brittany Humphrey is employedat Bates College, and her sisterworks as a physical educationteacher at Medomak Valley MiddleSchool in Waldoboro. Brittany

Humphrey has shot 11 deer and abull moose, while Danielle Hum-phrey has taken nine deer — one abuck sporting 10 points andweighing 235 pounds. She alsobagged a nice bull moose when shewas 11 years old.

Cody Humphrey is a junior atthe University of Maine at PresqueIsle where he is a Mitchell Scholarand works as the assistant directorat the YMCA Otter Pond Camp.He has some catching up to do ifhe wants to compete with thehunting prowess of his two oldersisters, but he’s working on it

between classes. He has harvestedfour turkeys and nine deer, includ-ing a buck that he shot last year.

The hunting bug also has caughton with the Humphrey children’ssignificant others. Danielle Hum-phrey’s boyfriend, Tyler, shot hisfirst deer, an eight-pointer, whilehunting with the family. Her sis-ter’s boyfriend, Joe, is taking thehunter safety course this year so hecan hunt with the family. CodyHumphrey’s girlfriend, Emily, alsohunts and fishes with the group.

The traditions of hunting andfishing have deep roots in the fam-

ily’s three generations starting withRawnsley, a grandmother fromCumberland, who can take much

of the credit for the countlesshours of enjoyment that her familyhas experienced in the outdoors.

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Teaching a child to fish andteaching a child to love fishing arenot always the same thing. Younganglers must learn to bait a hook,cast, successfully hook a fish, andbring it to shore. But to really lovefishing, a child first has to learn tolove the outdoors by having funduring fishing forays.

“Fishing with children is not thesame as fishing with your buddies,”said Emily MacCabe, Maine Depart-ment of Inland Fisheries and Wild-life’s Hooked on Fishing coordina-tor. “The trip needs to be completelyabout them. Leave your fishingequipment at home so you canfocus solely on assisting them withtheir own.”

It’s best to stick to basics withfishing gear for young anglers, shesaid.

“I look for light-action rods thatare four-and-a-half to five feet inlength and have a small, closed-face,push-button reel, as these are moreaccommodating for small hands

and less likely to tangle,” said Mac-Cabe.

“Open-faced reels are a goodoption for a more experiencedyouth angler. My favorite setup for abeginner in the 8-to-16 age range isthe Zebco 22. It has a metal reelinstead of plastic. They are reason-ably priced, easy to find, and willlast a long time,” she said.

A first tackle box should includebobbers, non-lead weights, plain-shank barbless hooks in sizes 6 and8, and live bait, such as worms.

“This setup is great for fishing forcold and warmwater species, but Ihighly recommend starting out withwarmwater [fish] because they usu-ally provide a lot of action and canwithstand a little more handlingwhen releasing, which is commonfor beginner anglers,” MacCabe said.

“If they want to take a break, letthem,” said MacCabe. “Chase but-terflies and tadpoles, or splash in thewater. If they’re having fun in theoutdoors, then the trip is a success.”

Be sure to allow young anglers todo as much of the work as they arewilling or able to do themselves sothey learn the skills to eventuallyfish independently.

“Teach them how to put theworm on the hook, how to castproperly and accurately, and evenhow to handle their fish,” she said.“If they aren’t game right away,make sure you explain what you’redoing while they watch.”

Be sure to teach young anglers tolook around before each cast and to

always know where their hook is,she said, noting that it’s a good ideafor child and parent to wear eyeprotection (sunglasses will do) anda hat with a visor as additional safe-ty precautions. It’s also advisable tohave youngsters who are not strongswimmers wear a lifejacket whilestanding on shore.

Several waters statewide are man-aged specifically for young anglers,open for fishing only to those age 15and younger. Most youth-onlywaters are very accessible, and many

are stocked with trout. For a list ofyouth-only fishing waters, visitmaine.gov/ifw and select “Fishing,”then “Hooked on Fishing,” andfinally, the “Youth Fishing Ponds”link.

Several organizations offer youth-only or family-friendly fishingevents each year. Check with region-al MDIFW offices, local gun androd clubs, and with the Maine YouthFish and Game Association(maineyouthfishandgame.org) forscheduled events.

IntroducingchildrentoTHE JOYSOF FISHING

BY SHEILAGRANT, CONTRIBUTINGWRITER

BDN FILE PHOTO BY LINDA COAN O’KRESIK

Stanley Gomm, coordinator of Hooked on Fishing for the Bangor, Lincoln and Newport areas, helps JamieKnowles, 8, of Brewer get started for his day of angling at Mud Pond near Old Town.

Androscoggin County• Pettingill Park Pond, Auburn

Aroostook County• Aroostook River: From the CaribouDam, in Caribou, downstream to andincluding Otter Brook, including alltributaries in this section upstream tothe first highway bridge intersectingeach tributary: Children 12 years ofage or younger may fish from shorewith a single-baited hook and line.• Aroostook River: From HockenhullBrook in Fort Fairfield downstream toand including Pattee Brook, includingall tributaries in this section upstreamto the first highway bridge intersect-ing the tributary: Children 12 years ofage or younger may fish from shorewith a single-baited hook and line.Note: All salmon caught in any flow-ing water of the Aroostook RiverWatershed must be released alive atonce.• Hannington Pond, Reed Plantation• Mantle Lake, Presque Isle• Pearce Brook, Houlton• Rock Crusher Pond, Island Falls

Cumberland County• Aldens Pond, Gorham• Coffin Pond, Brunswick• Hinckley Pond, Lower, South Port-land• Stevens Brook, sometimes calledCemetery Brook, New Gloucester,From Church Rd. downstream toGloucester Hill Road.

Franklin County• Carrabassett River. From its conflu-ence with the West Branch of the Car-rabassett River to Rt. 146 crossing.• Haley Pond Outlet, Rangeley• Mill Pond on Muddy Brook, Indus-try. From the dam on the outlet ofClearwater Pond to the next damlocated below Route 43.• Pinnacle Pond, Kingfield• Toothaker Pond, Phillips• Wilson Stream, Wilton: From thefirst bridge downstream of WilsonLake, including the canal, to the third(Route 156) bridge downstream ofWilson Lake.

Hancock County• Pickerel Pond, T32 MD

Lincoln County• Quarry Pond, Waldoboro

Oxford County• Abbott Brook, Mexico• Aunt Hannah Brook, Dixfield: FromRt. 142 downstream to the confluencewith Webb River• Billy Brook, Brownfield: From con-fluence with Shepherd’s Riverupstream to the first bridge.• Magalloway River (many special reg-ulations apply)• Pennesseewasee (Norway) Lake Out-let, Norway. From the dam at MainStreet (Route 117) downstream to thedam at Route 26

Penobscot County• Cold Stream, Enfield: From the high-way bridge on State Route 188 inEnfield to the red markers by the oldhatchery fishway.• Giles Pond, Patten.• Jerry Pond and tributaries and outletto barrier dam, Millinocket• Johnny Mack Brook, Orono• Lincoln Kids Pond, Lincoln• Mattagodus Stream, south of Route 6

• Mill Stream (outlet of Little Was-sookeag Lake), Dexter. From the damon Little Wassookeag to the down-stream side of the Liberty StreetBridge• O’Roake Pond, Sherman.• Penobscot County ConservationAssociation Pond, Brewer• Rocky Brook, Lincoln• Round Pond, Little, Lincoln

Piscataquis County• Drummond Pond, Abbot• Dunham Brook (including KiwanisPark Pond), Dover-Foxcroft• Harris Pond (Milo Farm Pond),Milo

Sagadahoc County• Stephen E. Powell (Swan Island)Wildlife Management Area, Rich-mond

Somerset County• Hight Pond, SkowheganKennebec River: From the confluenceof Austin Stream to the Route 16bridge, Bingham/Concord Township.Persons under 16 years of age may use

worms as bait.Mill Stream, Embden, from the Emb-den Pond outlet to the Cross TownRoad bridge (minus the 200 foot zonefrom the hatchery).• Tibbetts Pond, Concord

Washington County• Foxhole Pond on headwaters ofGreat Falls Branch Brook, DebloisMeyers Pond, North and South,Columbia• Middle River, Marshfield, Machias.Below the bridge on the MarshfieldRoad downstream to the mouth ofSmelt Brook

York County• Leavitt Brook, Limerick, from theF.R. Carroll facility access road (DoleRidge Road) to the first downstreamdam.• Round Pond, Lyman• Wilcox Pond, Biddeford

For more in-depth rules and regulationsthat govern these waters, go to http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/regulations_seasons/kidsonlywaters.htm

Kids-only fishingopportunitiesaboundUnless otherwise stated, the following waters are only open to fishing by those under the age of 16:



BYGREG WESTRICH, CONTRIBUTINGWRITER

I’ve seen moose in odd places.High on Sunday River Whitecapa bull moose looked down atme from bog boards across a

granite bulge among stuntedspruce. Viewed from Mt. Katah-din’s Knife Edge, a cow moosestood in a shallow pond, high onthe mountain’s shoulder, sur-rounded by miles of impenetrablespruce. One afternoon, a cowmoose stood in the yard of aBradford dairy farm, watching thecars go by on Route 221.

There are an estimated 75,000moose in the state; despite seeingmoose in unusual places, what hassurprised me is how often I’vehiked or paddled through goodmoose habitat without seeing any.

Bull moose, in general, spendthe summer at higher elevationsthan cows. Food may be harder tofind up on a mountain — espe-cially aquatic vegetation — but it’soften cooler and less buggy. Themoose I saw on Sunday RiverWhitecap was probably more

interested in staying cool than infinding something to eat.

Cows generally stay lower inthe summer because calves can’twander far, and cow moose preferdenser vegetation for easy forag-ing and as cover. Nearly everybaby moose I’ve seen was standingin water. This may be because inthe summer about half a moose’sdiet consists of aquatic plants.These aren’t particularly nutri-tious, but are the animals’ primarysource of sodium.

Logically, then, the best sum-mer habitat for cows and calvesare low elevation areas with goodhardwood browse, lots of aquaticvegetation, and dense cover forhiding from predators. Bulls, ofcourse, need the salt in aquaticvegetation, but don’t need coverand can wander more to find whatthey need.

Moose tend to winter onsouth-facing slopes, especiallyamong regenerating hardwoods.They also like to be near large

softwood stands, which they useas refuge from deep snow. Also,with little else available, moose eatbalsam fir.

Good winter habitat acts like amoose magnet. For example, theAppalachian Trail across GulfHagas Mountain winds throughbrambles and low, bushy hard-woods and is covered by severalinches of moose scat from winter.Downslope in the Pleasant Rivervalley are numerous cutover areaswith good browse.

Moose are willing to travel sev-eral miles from their core rangefor salt, but their winter and sum-mer ranges are generally near eachother.

One of the “moosiest” placesI’ve paddled is the south end ofLobster Lake, in a large, alder-crowded bog. On the shoulder ofBig Spencer Mountain, just to thesouth, I regularly find evidenceof moose:

• Day beds near the old caretak-er’s cabin;

• Scat in the stream below thesteep climb to the summit;

• Prints in the game trail thatleaves the hiking trail and slabsaround the mountain. I suspectthat Lobster Lake and Big SpencerMountain are popular with moosebecause their proximity offersboth summer and winter habitats.

Most moose I’ve seen were onor near roads. Evidently, moosewould rather follow a road or hik-ing trail than find their waythrough the woods. Also, mooseseek out salt, and roads are a goodsource, especially in the monthswhen aquatic plants aren’t avail-able.

Seeing a moose along a roadjust isn’t the same as seeing onewhile paddling or hiking.

We carry around an iconic imageof moose in our heads: a bullmoose lifting its head out of apond, vegetation hanging from hisantlers as water drips from his faceand ears. There is a pond alongthe Golden Road with a view ofKatahdin. On any summer morn-ing there will be several photogra-phers with their tripods set up,waiting to capture just that image.

A moose is no less a moosewandering down a logging roadthan when feeding in a pond witha spectacular view of Katahdin.I try to value each moose for itsunique moose-ness. If we spendall our time holding out for theideal, the iconic, we miss a greatdeal that the north woodshas to offer.

DEFINING THE INCONIC MAINEMOOSE

BDN FILE PHOTO BY JULIA BAYLY


Fiveprimemoose-viewingareas inMaineBYBRIANSWARTZ, ADVERTISINGSTAFF EDITOR

Although moose live almosteverywhere in Maine, five particu-lar regions represent prime moose-encounter country:• The Rangeley Lakes: A moose

could appear anywhere in thisregion. Take the Dallas Hill Roadto Saddleback Ski Area, Route 16toward Stratton, or the SouthShore Road to Rangeley Lake StatePark, or venture onto the localwoods roads.• The Carrabassett Valley: Folks

bound for Carrabassett (canoeingand kayaking), Stratton (fishing onthe Dead River and Flagstaff Lake),and Sugarloaf (great golfing)should watch for moose any timeof day. Big bulls occasionally wan-der the Sugarloaf roads; beextremely careful when driving onRoute 27 after dark.• Moosehead Lake: Sometime

during the day, a moose will likelyappear at the moose wallow thatlies between Route 15 and theMaine Department of Transporta-tion maintenance facility in Shir-ley, 6 miles south of downtownGreenville. If vehicles are parkedon the west side of the highway,

pull over to see what the excite-ment’s all about.

To see moose elsewhere in theMoosehead Lake region, eitherdrive along the local roads — doget a detailed road map at theRoute 15 visitors’ center — or joinan official moose safari.• The Golden Road and Baxter

State Park: While cruising alongthe Golden Road toward AbolBridge, watch for moose at Com-pass Road (east) and River Pond(west) about 5 miles beyond thenarrows between Ambajejus andMillinocket Lakes.

Popular moose-watching sites inBaxter State Park include ElbowPond and Tracy Pond (accessed bythe same trail) and Sandy StreamPond.

Local outfitters offer moosesafaris by boat or vehicle.• Aroostook County’s Route 11

corridor: From Patten north toFort Kent, forest-managementpractices have created an idealenvironment for moose. Ask thelocal residents at stores and restau-rants where the best moose hauntsare located.

PHOTO BY DAVE SMALL, PHOTOSBYCHANCE

A young moose crosses a dirt road north of St. Croix Lake nearSmyrna Mills, Maine.


■ OUTDOOR LIFE

Not too long ago —within many of ourlifetimes — manyfolks geared up forboat rides by hauling

out lifejackets with two distinc-tive features: They were brightorange. And they were uncom-fortable.

Nowadays, a modern lifejacket— personal flotation device, orPFD is the en vogue term — neednot be orange. It need not beuncomfortable. And with a fewhelpful tips in mind, it’s easy tofit your youngster (and yourself)with a jacket that you’ll barelynotice … until it saves your life.

According to Maine law, allyoungsters age 10 or youngermust wear an approved personalflotation device any time theyboard a boat. Brad Ryder, theowner of Epic Sports in Bangor,said it’s a great practice for every-one older than 10 to emulate.

“I like to say, if they start outat a young age wearing a life jack-et, then they’ll carry right onthrough until they’re an adult,”Ryder said. “That’s kind of themessage that we try convey, as aretailer as well as with our pad-dle-safety program: Wear yourlifejacket.”

So, you need a lifejacket foryour child. How do you makesure it fits well? Ryder can help.

First, figure out how muchyour little tyke weighs. If your8-year-old weighs 60 pounds, andyour 12-year-old also weighs 60pounds, they’ll generally wearthe same size PFD. Weight is thekey determinant.

‘You start out with an infant[PFD], which goes from zero[pounds] up to, typically, 30pounds,” Ryder said. “And quitehonestly, we sell a few of those,but for the babies, unless the[parents] are determined to be onthe water, they’re staying onshore.”

The two other sizes of youthlifejackets, however, are hot sell-ers at Epic Sports. Larger PFDsfit either 30- to 50-pound kids, or50- to 90-pounders. If a childweighs more than 90 pounds,they’ll usually need an adultjacket.

Ryder said many of the 30- to50-pound jackets have an impor-tant feature to consider: A“crotch strap” stretches from theback of the jacket and clips in thefront, assuring that the PFDdoesn’t ride up when the child isin the water.

All youth jackets also featurestraps and buckles that areadjustable, so that a PFD can berefitted over the years to accom-modate growing children.

“With kids jackets, there issome adjustability, so that whenthey grow, the jacket can growwith them,” Ryder said.

And how do you fit a PFD? It’squite simple, really.

“Put it on [the child] and cinchit up,” Ryder said. “Snug is good,tight is uncomfortable. But itshould be snug. Then lift up onthe shoulder straps, and [the jack-et] shouldn’t move very much.Just slight movement is fine.”

If the jacket slides up too far, achild in the water might not ben-efit from the full flotation of thevest. Tighten straps and buckles,and tug the shoulder strapsagain. If you still have too muchslack after tightening as much asyou can, you may have to movedown a size.

Another key considerationcomes long after you’ve boughtthe PFD, Ryder said.

“Something that people ask usis, ‘Do lifejackets last indefinite-ly,” Ryder said.

The answer, of course, is “no.”Ryder said to keep an eye on

the fabric that covers a PFD. Ifthe dye starts to fade, that proba-

bly means the jacket has seensome wear. That’s not necessarilya big concern, Ryder said, butdoes signal that the jacket’s effec-tiveness may become an issue inthe future.

“”If this is starting to fade, it’sprobably showing some signs ofnot being as durable as it waswhen it was new,” he said. “Andof course, if you have any tearsor rips [in the fabric], you shouldjust replace it. it’s really a prettyinexpensive way to have safetyfor your kids.”

And when outfitting your chil-dren, it might not hurt to consid-er your furry, four-legged “kids,”too.

“We sell a surprising numberof PFDs for dogs,” Ryder said. “Itseemed natural for the little dogs,but we started carrying the big-ger sizes and we sell as many forthe big dogs as for the littledogs.”

Ryder said even water-lovingbreeds like Labrador retrievershave been fitted for PFDs. Thereasoning: It’s hard to haul alarge, soggy dog over the tran-som. Adding a handy handle orstrap to a PFD makes that jobmuch easier.

Ryder said one customer con-vinced him that outfitting a bigdog made good sense.

“[The customer said] ‘I don’thave a handle to grab onto. Icould grab him around the neckor maybe the tail, but having thatlifejacket on him gives me anoth-er handle to haul him over theside of the boat.’”

• Amazon Lights GardenIncense Sticks are a naturalsolution for keeping insects atbay. These 12 two-foot incensesticks is a highly concentratedmixture of citronella, Andiroba,rosemary and thyme. Each stickhas up to 2.5 hours of bug-freeburn time. Cost: $19.50.• ThermaCELL MosquitoRepellent Lanterns repels mos-

quitoes, black flies and no-see-ums. The lantern has a classiclook. Each unit comes with 12hours of protection, repellinginsects within a 225 square-footarea, and can be refilled. Thelantern, which runs on four AAbatteries, produces an ambientlight that adds a nice glow tothe area. Heat vaporizes therepellent, allowing it to rise into

the air. The repellent is allethrin,a copy of a repellent that natu-rally occurs in chrysanthemumflowers. For information aboutthe lanterns and personal repel-lent devices, visit thermacell.com. Lantern cost: $29.99. Refillcost: $6.99.• REPEL Citronella Candle is atraditional, inexpensive way torepel insects from your camp-ground. The candle burns up to20 hours. Cost: $ 6.75.• Coghlan’s Mosquito Coils

burn like incense but are madewith allethrin to repel mosquitosand other flying insects. Eachcoil burns for 6 hours or more.The stand for the coils is includ-ed. This solution only weighs4.23 ounces. Cost: $2.50.• Coleman Citronella CandleLantern burns and repelsinsects for up to 40 hours andwith a U-shaped metal handle, itis great for hanging or totingaround the campground.Cost: $11.

“In the wild, ticks have abehavior called ‘questing.’ Theyget on a blade of grass and holdonto it with their back six legs,and their two front legs are outthere, waving, looking for some-thing fuzzy to grab onto,” saidJames Dill, University of MaineCooperative Extension pest man-agement specialist.

Dill says that ticks were high inpopulation last year, and they’reeven worse this year, due to amild winter and a number ofother factors.

“The real problem started in2010 when we had an explosionof white-footed mouse, one of thehosts in the deer tick two-yearcycle,” he said. “Then in 2011, thenuts crop wasn’t very good so alot of mice died off and ticks werelooking for other hosts.”

Deer ticks carry Lyme disease,which they can pass on to theirhost. Each year, 40,000 cases ofthe disease are documented inthe U.S. alone, and the MaineCenter for Disease Control pre-dicts 2012 will be the worst yearyet for Lyme disease.

If you want to get a good ideaof how many ticks are on yourback lawn, drag a white blanketover the grass, especially wherethe lawn meets the woods. Tickswill cling to the blanket.

Insect repellent with 20-30percent DEET can help repel ticks,Dill said. But the most effectiveway of avoiding ticks is to wearlong pants and a long-sleeve shirtwhen outdoors, especially whenin the woods or fields.

“You can tuck your pantsinside your socks,” said Dill.“Don’t give them a chance to getdirectly onto your skin.”

He also suggests wearinglight-colored clothing so clingingticks are easier to see. Andalways check your body for ticksafter spending time outdoors. Ifyou do have a tick embedded inyour skin, grab it with tweezersclose to your skin and slowly pullit out.

“If you give it a yank, youmight leave mouthparts behindthat can give you an infection,”Dill said. “And never use nail pol-ish or a hot match or cigarette orsomething like that. They mightregurgitate.”

If you do find a tick on yourbody, it’s always a good idea tocall your doctor. You may needantibiotics.

For information about ticks, visitumaine.edu/ipm/ipddl/publications/5047e.

How to staytick-free

Tools for bug-free outdoor livingGOOD TO KNOW GOOD TO GO

GOOD TO KNOWGOOD TO GO

The MTI Allagash personalflotation device is state-of-the art, with hidden pocketsfor stowing items and adjust-able shoulders withreflective tape and dualside straps assuring anappropriate fit.

BY JOHNHOLYOKE, OUTDOORSSTAFFWRITER

Fit to floatGetting your kid into the right lifejacket is simple


■ FISHING

BY JOHNHOLYOKE, OUTDOORSSTAFFWRITER • PHOTOSCOURTESYOFDELORAREARDON

Great fishingMay well bea short hike away

Jeff Reardon won’t tell youexactly where he goes tocatch trout in Baxter StatePark — anglers arefamously secretive about

their favorite spots — but theman who serves as the directorof Trout Unlimited’s MaineBrook Trout Project will let youin on a fact that’s never beenmuch of a secret.

If you’re looking for a beauti-ful place to target wild or nativefish, you’re going to the rightplace.

“If you look at the chunks ofpublic land in Maine that havenative and wild brook trout pondson them … nothing else comes

close to Baxter,” Reardon said.In Reardon’s world, the terms

“wild” and “native” are not inter-changeable. Those words refer tothe most special, sought-afterfish: Those that are relativelyunsullied by years of hatcheryinfluence in the state. A pondwith “native” fish has never beenstocked. A pond with “wild” fishhas not been stocked in morethan 25 years.

Maine, as you may have heard,has more waters possessing wildand native brook trout than anystate in the lower 48. In fact, ithas been listed as the last realbastion of those prized denizensof clear, cool water.

And for more than threedecades, Reardon has made apoint of rediscovering the pondsand streams of Baxter State Parkon a yearly trip from his home insouthern Maine.

“I think we started going in ‘77and I’ve spent at least a four-daytrip, most years a week, in thepark almost every year since,”Reardon said. “We really try tofocus on going [at a specific timeof year], and it’s just one of thoseannual events for me: Hexes andBaxter in late June or early July.”

The hex hatch is a near-con-stant in the waters of BaxterState Park, according to Reardon.

He said that regardless of theweather that has prevailedthrough the spring and into earlysummer, the monstrous mayflieshatch sometime between May 26and July 7.

And Reardon will be there totake advantage of that predict-ability.

“When it’s good, both the num-ber of the insects and their sizeis just like nothing else inMaine,” Reardon said. “Andbecause there are so many[hexes] and because they’re a bigcheeseburger for the trout, ittends to bring pretty big fish tothe surface where you can catchthem on dry flies.”

But hexes aren’t the only gamein town when you’re talkingabout Baxter State Park. Thereare, after all, 23 ponds in the parkthat hold native brook trout.Another 13 hold wild fish. And if

you’re willing to do a little bit oftrekking, you can have yourself apretty amazing vacation withoutever stepping foot on the state’smost famous mountain.

“It’s a lot of water. It’s almostall good trout water. And with theexception of Matagamon [Lake],there are almost no competingspecies introduced anywhereinside the park,” Reardon said.“So it’s not just one or two goodtrout ponds. It’s a whole bigchunk of trout ponds that arevery much like they were when— take your pick — Thoreau, Per-

cival Baxter, whoever of ourancestors, fished up in that area.”

Reardon said that some of theponds qualify as relatively well-known, and relatively easy toaccess. He has no qualms aboutmentioning those sites by name:

Kidney, Daicey and South Branchponds, for instance, are home tocampgrounds and provide somefine fishing.

But deeper in the woods arethe special gems that Reardonwon’t name. Others know of

In search of wild trout:The Baxter experience

Fishing the ponds in BaxterState Park can be a breathtak-ing experience, as anglers cast

flies to native or wild brooktrout with mountains looming

in the background.

“It’s a lot of water.It’s almost all goodtrout water.”

JEFF REARDON


■ FISHING

them, park rangers will likelydiscuss them with curiousanglers, and park canoes areavailable at many.

Not surprisingly, the harderyou’re willing to work to get to apond, the more apt you are tohave yourself a special day offishing … if, that is, you canentice the finned residents toparticipate.

“There’s a handful of pondsthat you can drive to, but most ofthe ponds that I fish are accessi-ble with like a mile- to a 2-,2½-mile walk, which is enoughwalk to discourage the crowds,but not so much that it’s not stillan easy day trip,” Reardon said.“The other nice thing is the parkkeeps canoes on most of thoseponds, so you’re not having tohump a float tube or drag acanoe in.”

The system works like this:Sign up with a warden to reservethe canoe, get a key to unlock itwhen you get there, and carryyour own paddle and life jacketto fishing nirvana.

Again, Reardon won’t shareany secrets here, but he said thatin most cases you won’t need any.

“The main thing is, just go,”he said. “A lot of those ponds, thefishing is actually pretty easy. Goin late May, early June, if youcan stand the black flies, becausethen the fishing is really easy.The fish will be up on the sur-face, you’ll see them rise. Justcover them with a half-decent flyand you’ll probably take ‘em.”

Reardon says hornbergs, mud-dler minnows and grasshoppershave produced for him in thepast, and when the water warmsand the fish huddle in the coolerdepths, they can often be caughtby Alvin Theriault’s maple syrupfly, among others. And while thefishing will slow in July andAugust, Reardon said Septembercan also produce great fishing.

“There’s an awful lot of goodwater [in Baxter State Park],”Reardon said. “If what you wantto do is catch trout, there’s notmany better places to do it.”

And if what you want to do iscatch trout in a beautiful place,Baxter’s still the place to go, hesaid.

“The nice thing is, on a lot ofthose trails, you’re not just walk-ing to a canoe in the woods,”Reardon said. “You’re goingalong waterfalls. If you want tohike anything from little, lowmountains with good views ofKatahdin to climbing Katahdinitself while you’re in there, youcan do all that.

“There’s no question it’s aspecial place,” he concluded.“Percival Baxter got it right.”


■ WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

Randy Cross has spentmuch of his workinglife around bears. Hehas hauled them —tranquilized, if they’re

big enough — out of their dens.He has fitted them with radiocollars, tattooed identifyingnumbers on their inner lips, andtucked them back in their cozywinter quarters.

Still, the longtime MaineDepartment of Inland Fisheriesand Wildlife biologist, who over-sees the field crew during itsongoing bear research, says thatall those experiences don’t makeany difference when he sits in ablind and hunts the elusiveghosts of the woods.

“It’s like there’s somethingvery primal that’s tapped into,”Cross said. “I put my hands on alot of bears, and to see a free-ranging bear walking close tome shouldn’t be that big of athrill to me. I should be gettingbored of that. I’ve been doing itfor 30 years.”

Except, for Cross, not to men-tion thousands of other less-experienced bear hunters, closeencounters with those free-rang-ing bears is nothing but routine.

“The amount of adrenalinethat goes through my veins isnot under my control when I’mout hunting,” Cross said. “It’sreally hard to explain to peoplewho don’t hunt … there is athrill there, and it’s a basicinstinct, I think.”

And though some Mainersargue against either the bear-hunting tactics that are usedhere — baiting, trapping andhounds are all lawfully utilizedat time — biologists say thatculling bears from the popula-tion each year is an essentialpart of a management directivethat they did not set.

“As a department, we don’tchoose a target of how manybears we want in the state,”Cross pointed out. Instead, pub-lic working groups of variousinterested parties — some pro-

hunting, others against the prac-tice — to determine an optimumnumber of bears.

“Once that’s been sort ofdecided, or they come to somesort of agreement, [biologistsare] trained to accomplish thatpopulation goal set by that pub-lic working group,” Cross said.

Cross said that populationgoal is always less than the statecould hold, if every single habit-able space had bears in it. That’sbecause the public wouldn’tstand for such a high number ofbears.

“If you have enough of a nui-sance problem, there is a limit tohow much the public is willingto tolerate,” Cross said. “Some-where below [the maximum bio-logical holding capacity], wecome to a figure, and in order tostay at that figure, it doesrequire some rate of harvest.For us right now, it’s about 3,000[bears harvested per year], prob-ably a little bit more than that,to stabilize the population.”

Cross said hunters didn’treach that goal in 2011, and thatthe bear population hasincreased slightly each year forthe past five or six years. He saidhe and other biologists estimatethe state’s bear population atabout 30,000. That’s the highestlevel since the state started try-ing to estimate the bear popula-tion, he said, and much higherthan the level that existed whenland-clearing farmers saw thebears as a threat to their veryexistence in the late 1800s.

The largest black bear takenby a hunter in Maine weighed680 pounds, and many othersheavier than 400 pounds havebeen taken. Females tend to livelonger than males, primarilybecause hunters try to avoidshooting a sow with cubs, andsows have cubs every other yearbeginning when they’re 4 or 5years old.

Cross said the oldest bear thathas been fitted with a radio col-lar and monitored by the DIF&W

died just short of her 31st birth-day.

Cross estimated that in a busyyear of hunting, about 3,000bears are harvested when hunt-ers use bait to lure them close toa blind or stand. In addition,about 350 bears per year aretaken by hunters with hounds.In recent years, about 75 morebears are taken by trappers.

And during deer season,opportunistic hunters are alsoallowed to shoot bears. Crosssaid that number peaked at 500-600 bears in a year, but in recentyears peaks at about 150.

“Last year’s [overall] harvestwas low, maybe the lowest har-vest we’ve seen in several yearsnow, somewhere close to 2,400bears,” Cross said. “That alonecould mean that … the huntersfell about 1,000 bears short ofthe number of cubs entering thepopulation.”

One of the reasons that theharvest was so low: Naturalfoods were abundant, which ledto bears being less susceptibleto being baited. Cross said someof those food sources can’t pro-duce high-yield crops in consec-utive years, which would lead tothem denning — and preparingthemselves for hibernation bygorging themselves — earlier.That could work to hunters’advantages.

“That puts the bait hunt rightin the center of their increased[feeding], their almost crazyfeeding schedules,” Cross said. “

And for hunters, that wouldbe a welcome change from ayear ago.

BLACKBEARNECESSITIES

Bear hunting a keycomponent in management plan


PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA BATES, DIF&W

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlifebiologist Randy Cross poses with “Tank,” a 342-pound black bear that was sedated and releasedunharmed as part of the state’s ongoing researchproject on black bears.

BDN FILE PHOTO BY BRIDGIT BROWN

After being trapped by DIF&W biologists, a 246-pound female looks towards human visitors,June 14, 2010 in Township 36.


■ FEATURE

Reaching the summit ofmajestic Mount Katah-din, Maine’s highestpeak, is a great accom-plishment, but many peo-

ple would rather enjoy the wilder-ness closer to sea level, especiallyif they have small children in tow.Baxter State Park staff help fami-lies enjoy water and woods withinthe park through programs andcheap or free rental gear.

Baxter State Park is home tomore than 200 miles of trails, andmany of these footpaths are mucheasier than the steep routes up theridges of Katahdin.

“Some of the favorite hikestend to be the nature trails at Daic-ey Pond Campground, SouthBranch Pond Campground andRoaring Brook Campground,”Marcia Williamson, the park’sinterpretive specialist, wrote in anemail interview. “Also, the hike toBig and Little Niagara Falls alongthe Appalachian Trail out of Daic-ey Pond Campground is a great lit-tle hike for all ages. The terrain isgentle with opportunities to seeviews of Doubletop Mountain, thetwo waterfalls and an old Toll Damfrom the logging era, not to men-tion the smell of mayflowers in thespring.”

Several easy hikes lead toremote ponds, some of which havecanoes to be rented, along with lifejackets and paddles, for $1 per hour.

For adventurous families look-ing for a mountain view, William-son suggests Sentinel Mountainfrom Kidney Pond, a moderate

hike that takes about 5 hours.Horse Mountain

“In addition, many trails head-ing out from Trout Brook Farm inthe northern end of the park arevery accessible for families withyoung children,” she said.

To make exploring nature inthe park easier, park naturalistJean Hoekwater created NaturalistAdventure Packs containing binoc-ulars, books for identifying ani-mals and plants, dipping nets andbug boxes for families to rent forfree. The packs are available at thepark visitor center, MatagamonGate and all roadside ranger sta-tions within the park, thanks todonations made by Friends of Bax-ter State Park, an independent citi-zen group that helps support thepark.

For those interested in fishing,Maine residents under 16 years ofage and nonresidents under 12 canfish without a license within thepark. Make sure to ask the rangerswhich ponds and streams are flyfishing only or for spin castingrods. The use of live bait is prohib-ited in the park.

Some favorite swimming spotsare at Abol Pond, Daicey Pond,South Branch Pond, MatagamonLanding and Ledge Falls, a naturalwater slide on the NesowadnehunkStream north of Kidney PondCampground.

Hoekwater, the park’s naturalistfor more than 20 years, was instru-mental in putting together anarray of park summer programsfor groups enjoying the park.

There are programs Wednesdayevenings for all ages that rangefrom a talk with chief ranger BenWoodard to a star magic programwith a local amateur astronomer.And on Saturday mornings, chil-dren’s programs (usually for ages4-12) are typically held at DaiceyPond Campground, Kidney PondCampground or South BranchPond Campground. These activi-ties -- ranging from pond explora-tions with dip nets to learningabout trees through bark rubbing --are planned by Wilderness Educa-tor Interns, who work with theinformation and education divi-sion of the park.

The 2012 schedule of these pro-grams will be posted on the parkwebsite, baxterstateparkauthority.com, by the second week in June,and will be available at park head-quarters in Millinocket, the visitorcenter, gatehouses and on bulletinboards at each campground. Regis-tration is not required to attendprograms.

“Children can also become aBaxter State Park Junior Ranger bycompleting the Junior Ranger book-let activities, learning about Gover-nor Baxter’s gift of the park,” saidWilliamson. “Once they show aRanger their completed booklet,they earn their badge and can thenhelp us protect and preserve BaxterState Park and all the animals andplants that live in the park.”

Baxter State Park DirectorJensen Bissell contributed to thisarticle, along with Hoekwater andWilliamson.

Baxter abounds with activitiesfor children, families

BDN PHOTO BY LINDA COAN O’KRESIK


■ FOOD

BDN PHOTO BY LINDA COAN O’KRESIK

Ava O’Kresik, 6, cooks marshmallows to perfection with her dad Daryl O’Kresik while camping alongthe East Outlet north of Greenville in early May.

Camping with kids?Play with your food!


Afew years ago, as afamily camping triploomed, my (now) wifeand I began to panic.

We figured her threeyoung kids would have fun mostof the time. We also figured thatat other times, one or two mightend up bleeding, or arguing, orcreating a general nuisance thatmight get us evicted, tent and all,from our state park campsite.

They are, after all, kids.But our biggest fear had noth-

ing to do with conduct, or evic-tion, or even ravenous packs ofblood-thirsty raccoons (which wemay or may not have threatenedto unleash upon the kids, shouldthey misbehave).

No, our fear was much moremundane: How were we going toget three semi-picky eaters to

enjoy the suppers we’d prepareover a campfire or Colemanstove?

We needn’t have worried. Aftera few quick searches on theInternet, Karen and I ended upwith plenty of good ideas. Andafter the kids ate like hogs forthe entire trip (even the mostpicky, birdlike eater of thebunch), we realized an importantfact.

The kids ate enthusiasticallybecause they played importantroles in each evening’s meal. (It’shard, apparently, to sit down andsay, “I don’t care for this,” whenYOU were the one who decidedwhat you were going to eat).

Don’t want your kid too closeto the campfire? Don’t think theyknow the first thing about cook-ing? Don’t worry. Here are a few


■ FOOD

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sure-fire ideas that you can tin-ker with to meet your children’spreferences when you’re faraway from a kitchen or pizzajoint.

A quick disclaimer: None ofthese ideas is original. All areavailable in many forms on theInternet. All ill-fated attempts athumor, however, can be blamedon me.

Foil-wrap meals a hitOK. Here’s the deal. Even if

you’re a bozo when it comes tocooking outdoors, you can suc-ceed on a grand scale. The firstkey to your future success: Buya roll of tinfoil. Better yet, buyseveral.

Then build a campfire. Reduceit to cooking coals and get readyfor the magic to start.

If you’ve camped at all, youmay have cooked foil-wrappedmeals. If you have, you’ll surelyvouch for this magical meal-in-a-pouch. It’s quick. It’s easy. And(best of all, as I may have men-tioned already) if the kids hatewhat they’re eating, it’s THEIRfault.

They picked the ingredients.They filled their own pouches.And you? All you did was cut upingredients, handle the cookingchores, and (hopefully) pull eachpacket out of the coals beforethe contents were piles of smol-dering ashes.

According to “Art of Manli-ness,” a blog on all manly things,foil-pack cooking is remarkablyeasy.

The basic theory: Cut up somemeat, some veggies, or other keyingredients (along with somefavorite dry spices), wrap themup securely in tinfoil, and getcooking!

Among the tips offered at thatwebsite: Use heavy duty foil, ordouble-wrap your meals. Spray

some cooking spray on the cook-ing side of the foil. Put the meaton the bottom of the package.Raw, hard veggies take a longtime to cook, plan accordingly.Cook too long rather than tooshort. Flip. Flip. Flip again.Check progress once in awhileby opening your packet.

Then eat.We’ve done ground beef with

mushrooms, onions and pota-toes, but that’s just a start. “TheArt of Manliness” offers sugges-tions from Hamburger Veg-All,to Sausage and Eggs, Muffins inan Orange Shell, Apricot-glazePork Chops and ThanksgivingDinner.

All sound easy. All will work.And all you’ve got to rely on isyour ability to copy instructionsoff the Internet … or, if youwant to have more fun, yourimagination.

Who doesn’t like octopus?When we were planning our

trip, Karen happened upon a rec-ipe online that we thought wascool. And no, it did not reallyinvolve cooking an octopus.

Instead, it called for creatingoctopi out of hot dogs. Simple.Cool. With one problem.

None of her kids like hotdogs.

The question: Would they likehot dogs if they didn’t look likehot dogs? If, per chance, theylooked like octopi … or spiders… or whatever creepy-crawly wedecided they looked like?

They did.Again, this is a common

campfire food. Trails.com hasthis recipe (if you can call a hotdog on a stick a recipe), as wellas several other great sugges-tions that will keep the kidshappy.

Your instructions: Find a suit-able hot dog stick. Score the hot

dog twice (or more, if you’readventurous … the more stripsyou make, the more legs youroctopi gets) from one end, stop-ping about two-thirds of the waydown the dog. Put the hot dog onthe stick, inserting it into theunsliced third. Find campfire.Roast weenie. Laugh hystericallyas your hot dog’s “legs” curl dur-ing cooking.

Then plop the hot dog octopus(or spider) onto a plate, where itwill sit, staring at you. Add con-diments. Eat. Laugh. Enjoy.(Then, much later, realize thatyou don’t really like hot dogs).

More s’moresI know, I know. Everybody

knows how to make s’mores.Toast a marshmallow. Add a

chocolate bar and some grahamcrackers. Combine into a sand-wich. Eat until you’re ready toburst. Then have one more, forgood measure.

Easy.But the folks who put together

the Joy of Camping website havecome up with a number of waysto spice up the old reliables’more.

Some of their suggestions:Use Keebler Fudge Stripe cook-ies instead of graham crackers.The Hershey bar is no longerneeded. Chow down on whatthey call a “cookie s’more.”

Spread peanut butter on a tor-tilla, sprinkle with chocolatechips and an untoasted marsh-mallow. Roll up the tortilla, wrapit in tinfoil, and cook on a grillgrate for five minutes. You’vejust made a Mexican s’more.

Or build a “banana boats’more,” by slicing a banana —still in the peel — lengthwise(but not all the way through).Sprinkle in some chocolate chipsand mini marshmallows, wrap itin foil, and heat over the fire.

ISTOCK PHOTO

The campfire cooking classic, the s’more.

Documents

BDN Maine Outdoors, Summer 2012