Hunting 2011 – A Mixed Bag

First of all, I want to thank my new friends in West Virginia for a very enjoyable stay at their stomping grounds in the mountains.  Larry, Dave and Tom, your hospitality and around-the-fire, end-of-the-day companionship was fun and relaxation at its finest.  Jack, in addition to all of the preceding, your culinary skills in contributing to some great meals were greatly appreciated – and congratulations on that nice 8-point that finally rewarded your persistence.

Hunting camps can be one of the best aspects of the hunting experience and good companions are not easy to find and maintain.  I consider myself very fortunate to have met these gentlemen and to have had the benefit of their company.

West Virginia offers challenges both physical and mental that differ from the Maine hunting experience and I have yet to fill a permit.  I will have to borrow a page from Jack’s book and cultivate patience.  I did see some nice bucks, but not in a shooting environment; nevertheless, it is always a thrill to see deer at any time or place.  Understandably, Jack might not categorize the nighttime encounter between a buck and the side of his truck in that vein.  My opportunities have been limited and, to be frank, my tactics could stand improvement.  But hunting is not meant to be simple or easy and one needs to learn as you go.

But, on the whole, West Virginia continues to be a very positive experience and one that I will look forward to repeating.  Good friends, good food and beautiful surroundings.

I came home on Thanksgiving Day to find eight inches of heavy, wet snow on the ground.  I managed to spend an hour or so that evening taking limited stock of the evidence that the deer had left in my back lot.  There seemed to be plenty of traffic, including evidence of a mature back that I had been tracking and hoped to encounter.  Unfortunately, the next day would put an end to those dreams.

My wife had told me that late Wednesday afternoon, near the end of the snowstorm, two young men in a pickup truck had driven down our driveway to ask permission to chase a buck that they had just seen in our front field.  My property is long, narrow lot slightly less than 138 yards wide by a little more than one-half of a mile long with housing developments on either side and across the road on the front end.  Since it was late afternoon with darkness approaching and these folks were not known to my wife and also unfamiliar with the territory, she expressed reluctance to grant permission for them to pursue the deer.  They were polite enough, seemingly accepting the situation, and left.

It was not until Friday morning, when I resumed hunting my back acreage, that I discovered a bloody trail in the snow where a buck had been dragged out to an adjoining private road and loaded onto a pickup.  All of this activity had obviously designed to avoid any contact with my house or its residents.  Backtracking to the gut pile, I discovered that the buck’s genitals had been affixed to a nearby sapling.

From examining foot prints and talking with neighbors, I deduced that three men in two trucks had parked on the main road across from my front field, traveled through screening undergrowth to a point approximately 250 yards from my house and waited until the meandering buck came into view.  Three shots were fired, aimed back toward the main road and tangentially toward the vicinity of at least one bordering house.

To say that I am miffed is an understatement.  Here in Maine, state law clearly states that hunters are to ask permission to hunt private property.  This requirement was obviously circumnavigated by these “slob hunters”, the kind of individuals who are careless with their lanes of fire and uncaring of property owners’ rights and safety and disrespectful of the game that they are lucky enough to encounter – precisely the kind of people who are a small minority of hunters but give the rest of us a bad name.

I have never before posted my property, but next year signs will go up and I will be very limited in granting permission to locals who are ethical enough to ask.

At this point I do not have a feel for the numbers for the deer harvest.  I saw deer in my front field nearly every night, but they arrived well after dark and departed well before dawn.  The roller coaster weather, fluctuating from cold to unseasonably warm, probably will have contributed to keeping the numbers down.

There are partridge (grouse) around in small numbers.  Ducks are more limited that in previous years, even though the lakes, rivers and ponds have remained free of ice here in South-Central Maine.

So, not a productive season in the respect of game in the freezer.  But, in the way of enjoying time spent in the woods and on the streams and enjoying the company of some really nice people, my season ranks well on the plus side.

I am happy with those boons.

Maine Hunting Update

I have seen very few ducks up to this point.  The flight paths seem to have deviated from the coastal areas, at least in regard to ponds, lakes and rivers.  I have seen several flocks of geese numbering over thirty.

Partridge are sparse, probably due to the cold, wet spring which always cuts down the population because of its effects on hatchlings.

Maine seems to have a bumper crop of apples this year.  Last year I saw very few deer around my house and fields, but this year there seem to be at least a couple almost every night in the field between my house and the road and I recently saw five at one time.  They appear to be in good health and there is an abundance of food.  We had a four-inch accumulation of snow in late October, but it has now all melted.

So far I have yet to see a deer in the woods.  Our temperatures have been alternating between warm and cool, with lowest being in the mid-to-low twenties, with no prolonged cold periods.  This enables the deer to confine their traveling and feeding forays to the hours of darkness, heading for their sanctuaries before daylight and not wandering again until after dark.  Not helpful for hunters who prefer to stake out traveling paths leading to feeding areas.

Doe permits were greatly reduced this year.

There are deer around, but hunters are going to have to work harder than usual to encounter them.

 

The Maine Hunting Scene, 2011

Normally the weather pattern is invigorating this time of year here in Maine:  cool nights and crisp days, the brilliant foliage limned by the clear and fragrant air of fall.  However, after a promising beginning to September, the weather pattern reverted to the humid and wet disappointment that was June with stalled fronts preventing the arrival of more fall-like conditions.

Today was the opening of waterfowl and small game hunting throughout the state.  Any cool dampness in early summer is never good for the partridge population and this year is no exception.  I have seen few birds during my walks through the back lot.  So far, I have spied only a few small flocks of geese beginning their trek southward although the thin honking of their high-flying passage still evokes the familiar sadness-tinged longings that no doubt were felt by the ancient New Englanders down through the centuries.  A dozen or so ducks inhabit the farm pond just down the road, but the lakes and rivers show little or no sign of impending migration.

Once again, I have seen no new fawns in the front field.  The mineral block that I placed a few hundred feet into the woods has required replacement, but there is no indication of a lot of traffic in the area.  With so much food generally available, there is no need for deer to haunt the fields and the relatively warm nights inhibit their general movement.  The addition of a new, young, energetic dog to our family about a month ago may also have had an effect on browsing habits.

This appears to be another year of stasis, if not decline, for the Maine deer herd.  Although a fairly mild winter preceded this hunting season, new studies have indicated that over the past few years a series of heavy snowfalls and accompanying cold have taken a toll on the health of the deer herd in general.  To add to the woes, coyote and bear predation have wreaked havoc on the fawn population and a diminishing of available wintering habitat has occurred through careless forest management on the part of the big commercial landowners.  Northern and western sections of Maine, comprising approximately two-thirds of the state, are estimated to contain a deer population of less than five per square mile compared to twenty per square mile in the central and southern sections.

Adding to the reduction of the herd is widespread poaching and illegal killing of does during the open season.  This year, only twelve out of twenty-nine Wildlife Management Districts are allowing the distribution of any-deer permits.  Downeast Maine has not offered any-deer permits for nearly a decade and is one of the leading problem areas regarding wintering habitat degradation, poaching and predation.

Even though last year’s deer kill by hunters exceeded the 2009 totals by approximately 10%, the future of the herd does not look promising.  A newly formed Deer Task Force has recommended predator-control measures, filling game warden vacancies to allow greater focus on game violations, and improving the wintering habitat through more careful management of the land assets controlled by the corporate land owners.  The last fifteen years have shown increasing problems for the whitetail herd and the Task Force warns that if the situation is not turned around then the option of closing northern and western Maine to deer hunting will be a real possibility.

If there is a bright spot, it is that the black bear population seems to be holding steady.  Indeed, confrontations between bears and humans are on the increase with the recent disposal of a bear within the city limits of Portland highlighting the issue.

All in all, not a particularly promising beginning for hunting season here in Maine.  Nonetheless, I will be out looking for game, as will others.  It is tradition here in Maine and in many other places throughout America and that there is any wildlife at all to speak of is due in part to the contributions made by hunters toward conservation and management.

Maine Deer Harvest 2010 Report

Contrary to what I had expected, the reported number of deer harvested during the 2010 hunting season showed an increase of 11%.  The 2009 figure was the lowest in decades, with a total of 18,092.  In 2010, the total was 20,063, with a significant increase in the number of yearling bucks sporting multi-pointed antlers and a decrease in the percentage of antlerless deer taken.

Here in Southern Maine, most of the hunters that I spoke with had seen very few deer in the woods.  Usually, I have deer with youngsters grazing in my field from late August on, but 2010 was the first year in a long time that I did not have any sightings.

State biologists made note of the fact that the winter of 2009 was comparatively mild and after a couple of severe winters that was a helpful change.  The fall and early winter of 2010 was also notably warm and accumulating snow did not show up until January.  No doubt this allowed deer to remain under cover in the woods for a longer period of time and the food supply was better than in the past.

I have been putting out a small supply of pellets on my back lawn for the deer since late December and have had a group of 3-7 of them show up  on a regular basis.  They show no signs of malnutrition and with the snow pack melting at a rapid rate they are now beginning to nibble at the beginnings of green grass.

The future for deer in this area seems promising, even though we still have a coyote problem that shows no signs of dissipating.

Northern Maine, a couple of counties in the northeast coastal region and the western mountains region are a different story.  The recent severe winters of 2007 and 2008, diminishing availability and quality of deer wintering areas and increasing predation by both coyote and black bear had a devastating impact on the whitetail population and the statewide deer count is suspected to be below 200,000 for the first time in decades.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) is under a new Director and has developed a plan to address several issues.

1.  In order to survive Maine’s harsh winters, deer must have access to dense conifer forests, most of which are found on private land.  Efforts to identify deer wintering areas will be stepped up, combined with promoting the management of these areas through the cooperation of land owners who can benefit through “current use” tax incentives.

2.  Deer population management strategies will be expanded to include additional research designed to refine deer population models, increasing understanding of the interactions between deer, habitat and predation, the relationship between moose population management and the deer herd, and increasing law enforcement efforts to address illegal hunting including expanded penalties.

3.  Whitetail deer are particularly vulnerable to coyotes during the winter and the spring pupping season.  Newborn fawns in summer are a favorite target for both coyotes and black bears.  Strategies will include increased emphasis on coyote hunting, to include direction of coyote hunters to targeted areas and seeking general funds to achieve sustained coyote control.  Additional means to stabilize the black bear population will be considered.  Additional efforts will be made in continuing to lobby the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an Incidental Take Permit for Maine’s regulated trapping program.

4.  DIF&W intends to increase public involvement with deer herd planning and management through stepped-up information programs on how concerned individuals and groups can improve deer habitat and more actively publicizing the Department’s efforts and programs (and communicating their success) as they develop.

These are steps that are long overdue.  Hopefully it is not too late to begin to counteract the decline of Maine’s whitetail herd.

Maine Deer Herd, Update

I am still waiting for news on the 2010 deer harvest here in Maine.  My friend in Pennsylvania tells me that the harvests in his state, Maryland and West Virginia have all been reported as significantly lower than in 2009.

I began putting out some pellet food after the snow began and presently have seven deer showing up on a regular basis.  There is a doe with what appears to be two fawns from last summer and another doe with two yearlings.  Another regular is a large deer that probably is a buck, from the tracks.  They are not fat, but neither are they scrawny.  Hopefully the snow will melt in time to assure them spring feed when they need it the most.

They are definitely territorial when it comes to feeding patterns.

Not any input from up north that I have run across.

The Maine Deer Herd – 2010

Numbers for the deer harvest for 2009 were not good news.  A total of 18,045 deer were registered for that year, approximately 6% below of the projection made by the Maine State Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and far below the 28,000-plus average of the last decade.  At this point, I would expect the 2010 numbers to be even lower than those of last year.

I live in the southern part of Maine, in a semi-rural area approximately 20 miles up the coastline from Portland.  There are still a couple of active farms around Freeport and a fair amount of open land despite heavy development that has seen dozens of new houses built within a couple of miles’ radius of my modest 30 acres.

The hunting season has just recently closed here in Maine and this past year marked the fewest number of deer that I have ever seen in my small field over the late summer and early fall, let alone during active hunting around my property.  Normally, at least a couple of does with young ones can be seen in the field near my house in the early evenings, but not one pair was seen this year.  Extensive examination of my wooded property showed few tracks or other deer sign and only during the last couple of days have I spotted any indication of a rutting buck.  Hours spent in a tree stand in November produced only one sighting of a small doe.

Conversations with other active hunters in my area have yielded similar results.  Admittedly, this past November was both warm and unusually wet, conditions that limit the movement of deer during the daylight hours.  There was scarcely any snow statewide during hunting season, which made it even more difficult to determine deer movement.   Still, deer sightings around the state seem to be diminishing at a most troubling rate.

There are a number of possible contributing factors.  Two massive snowfall winters in ’07 and ’08 took a terrible toll on the herd.  Conditions were exacerbated by the cutting of old-growth forest areas that severely reduced sheltering areas for the herd during the worst of the winter weather.  Horror stories abound of discoveries of dozens of carcasses in areas where snow had built up to the point where the deer could no longer expand their foraging activities and starved in a group setting where their confinement also made it easy for coyotes to slaughter the naturally penned-in animals.

Ironically, some maintain that the attacks by nature lovers on the clear-cutting practices of the woodland owners resulted in the selective cutting of old-growth areas that provided shelter for the deer, leaving them more susceptible to weather and predation.  There can be little question but that even though clear cut areas provide new growth (and thereby food) for the deer, Maine must act immediately to ensure that enough sheltering habitat remains so that the herd can at least begin to stabilize.

A recent (2008) study by MDIFW postulates that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 coyotes in Maine.  Wildlife has suffered greatly because of this invasion.  It is now rare that you encounter rabbits, grouse, or other small game in my area and coyote predation upon farm animals and household pets has become intolerable.  Coyote sightings have become commonplace in and around Portland and other urban areas, indicating that the animals are beginning to lose their natural aversion to man.  It is only a matter of time before an incident of coyotes attacking a child occurs.  The creatures have no natural enemies in the wild here in Maine and attempts to limit their numbers through hunting have proved less than effective.  Trapping has been hamstrung by regulations to the point where it is no longer a factor in controlling these predators.

Another MDIFW report concludes that 30 % of the winter deer kill is the work of coyotes (equal to – or perhaps surpassing – the number killed by hunters).  Coyote population is increasing and the number of deer is decreasing.

Yet another predator who contributes to the decline of the deer herd is the black bear, whose diet frequently includes fawns.  Not surprisingly, the black bear population is also on the rise, as is the amount of their interaction with humans in both rural and semi-rural areas.

For the past several years, organizations such as the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and other concerned groups have been petitioning the state bureaucracy to take action to help rebuild the deer herd.  To this point, little has been achieved other than numerous studies and reports by state biologists and conservationists, despite workable solutions proposed by such experts as Gerry Lavigne, a wildlife biologist formerly employed by MDIFW.

I suspect that unless immediate and strenuous and effective action is taken by Maine authorities, the demise of the Maine deer herd is now underway.

“Mountain Momma” … For Sure

Still love that John Denver song, but I could not fully appreciate it until my recent visit to West Virginia.

An old and valued hunting companion has been after me for years to join him on his annual pilgrimage to the Mountain State and since he has faithfully accompanied me for many years on Maine hunting trips (making the long trek from his home in Pennsylvania), I thought that it was f time to accept his offer.

After an eleven hour trip down to Pennsylvania, I could really admire my buddy’s dedication to someday getting that big Maine buck he has pursued for so many years.  The trip to the West Virginia area where his hunting club is located was another three hours or so, but we finally settled into his camper that rests in a valley flanked by some impressive heights.  I would not realize just how intimidating these mountains could be until the next day when we fired up his ATV and took off on a scouting trip.

Western Maine has some mountains, but other than Mt. Katahdin at 5,270 feet and Sugarloaf Mountain a distant second at 1,295 feet, we have little to compare with the steep hills and mountains we traveled that day and during the remainder of our hunt.  The slopes proved to be a challenge for aging legs, but provided some magnificent views.

I soon came to miss the dirt logging roads and overgrown “tote roads” that crisscross Maine forests.  Other than a few ATV trails, most of the unpaved roads in our area were cut directly into the side of the mountains and rarely exceeded twenty feet in width – barely enough to accommodate my pickup truck and affording a somewhat disturbing view of precipitous drop offs of hundreds of feet.  Since the forest consisted of primarily maple and oak (with very minimal underbrush) the open view between trees magnified the distance to the bottom of these “hollows” that lined the mountain side.

There was certainly a varied terrain to deal with – from steep, to steeper, to “Oh, _ _ _ _!”

The scenery is ample cause for distraction.  Those open forests provide excellent views for spotting game, but of course provide equal opportunity for the game to spot you.  As a long-time “still hunter”, I soon realized that familiarity with the terrain and the travel and feeding habits of the deer was imperative since it became evident that my time-honored practice of sneaking around and hoping to surprise the quarry put me at a disadvantage in these surroundings.  Nope, better to find the right spot and wait for movement on the part of the deer.

‘Course I still had to deal with the steep inclines to get to “Point A”.

I saw deer on a daily basis although only a couple were sighted during legal shooting hours.  This was a pleasant change after several years of hunting in Maine’s northern areas without seeing any deer in the woods.  The other hunters around our campsite were notably disgruntled over the few deer sighted during several days of hunting and they assured me that for the opening days of the West Virginia season there were not many shots being heard.

Still, there were a couple of respectable eight-pointers brought into camp along with a few five and six-point bucks.  The weather was unseasonably warm, with early week midday temperatures nearing seventy after frost on the ground in the morning.

I had the privilege of being introduced to some of the most friendly, courteous folks I have ever met.  A small group of friends and relatives from the Martinsburg, West Virginia area were set up next to us and I deeply enjoyed the excellent meals and companionship that these gentlemen offered.  My sincere gratitude is extended to Larry, Tom, Jack, Dave and Jimmy for making my stay a wonderful experience and for their generosity in extending their knowledge of the local area – and, of course, for their deep fund of hunting lore (hunting camp tales, eh?).

A wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, provided by my Pennsylvania pardner’s wife at their home capped off a truly memorable trip, even though we brought back no venison.  The experiences and the fine company are mostly what hunting trips are about.

However one can certainly appreciate the warmth and familiarity of home after a long trip and, best of all, being back with the most important person in my life.

Support Your Local Coyotes?

A neighbor of mine is attempting to continue the family farm tradition.  His is a small operation, centered around less than a score of beef cattle.

A couple of days ago, he asked me to attend a meeting at the local library, featuring a “conservationist biologist” who presented a program sponsored by Project Coyote (http://www.projectcoyote.com).  My neighbor has lost two calves and a mature cow  (in the process of giving birth) to a local pack of coyotes during the past year or so and is stymied as to how to deal with the problem.  He was determined to gin up some interest in attending this presentation – both to insure that farmers and hunters were represented and hoping to perhaps pick up some pointers as to how to deal with these invasive predators.

The middle-aged lady who presented the lecture was passionate about her subject and her graphic material was professionally prepared.  It was obvious from the beginning, however, that her intent was not to inform, but to disseminate a specific point of view loaded with half-truths and downright fabrications that would have left the late political scientist, author, and “historian” Howard Zinn green with envy.

She lost no time in informing us that:

Europeans coming to the United States in the 1500′s were “terrified” of the endless forests and wilderness since there were no comparable environments left in Europe by then.

The wilderness was then populated by native Americans and predators, the latter keeping the environment in perfect ecological balance by regulating the growth of native species.

The invaders quickly transformed the land by introducing domestic animals, robbing the natural inhabitants of their freedom and rights and quickly spreading coast-to-coast while boisterously slaughtering native Americans and predators (along with the buffalo) to the point of extinction.

Their actions left us, their descendants, with only a “legacy of killing”.

All propaganda is only effective if sprinkled with grains of truth and the lecturer made sure to include the laudable efforts of Teddy Roosevelt and other pioneer conservationists that resulted in saving many native species from absolute extinction and preserving the beauty of our country for future generations.

Then she truly warmed to her main subject, the “abuse” that the coyote has endured through the centuries, despite its cleverness, its “positive” role as a policing predator, and the reverence shown by native Americans toward its “healing powers” (complete with a sketch picturing a coyote supposedly “licking the wounds” of an injured warrior while protecting him until help could arrive).

The audience of approximately 15 – 20 people sat patiently through another hour of rhapsodizing over the coyote’s virtues, although the farmer/outdoorsman/concerned citizen component (about half of the group) grew increasingly restive.

When it came time for Q&A, this segment immediately pointed out that coyotes were not native to Maine (the earliest determined coyote discovered was in 1937) and that frequent sightings did not begin occurring until the 1960′s.  They referred to studies placing the current coyote population as between 15,000 to 20,000 animals, despite determined efforts to slow or reduce the explosive growth of a predator that menaces the Maine deer herd, innumerable small animals, household pets, and farm animals.

It was pointed out that coyotes are now frequently seen not only in housing developments and outlying towns, but also in Maine’s cities.  One attendee from a small town described how, in broad daylight,  a coyote had passed with a few feet of his young son before attacking and carrying off a fowl from his dooryard.  A farmer told of losing a 600-pound steer to a pack of coyotes and hunters recounted numerous slaughters by coyotes of deer herds constrained to deer yards by heavy winter snows.

It seemed obvious by now, and the point was made, that the coyote in Maine has become an invasive species and is larger by almost a third than the western breeds (interbreeding with Canadian wolves and/or domestic and feral dogs is suspected).

Not surprisingly, the lecturer’s response was that the blame lies on people, who draw the wild predators to their locations when they don’t secure their garbage, or employ “guard animals” to protect their pets and domestic stock, or (worse still) feed the coyotes because they are “cute”.  Good propaganda; there is some truth to these accusations.  Less than pleasing was her insistence that we “must learn to respect and coexist with the coyote”

The evening ended with the “anti” group leaving in high disgust and a few people lingering to bill and coo with the lecturer.

To me, it was a perfect example of a condescending and patronizing “professional”, using corrupted and mislabeled “scientific” findings, postulating an elitist and impotent answer to what has become not just a problem, but an increasing danger.

Sure Could Use A Little Good News …..

Topping the list ….. the low temperature here in mid-coast Maine this morning was fifty degrees and the humidity is negligible.  A big sigh of relief, since I have a terraced lawn to mow today.

My son who lives in New York called me earlier in the week with the exciting news that he is soon to be employed at a startup restaurant with an enticing menu.  My wife and I look forward to the opportunity to check this out when we make a brief visit to New York City so that we can attend a performance by my son’s theater group that will be presented as part of NYC’s prestigious Fringe Festival.

My younger son, who lives in the Boston area, recently informed us that he has found a new apartment with a minimal expenditure of effort.  His Heavy Metal band has just recently released their first full-length CD and is attracting increased recognition and interest throughout the Northeast.

The raspberry and blackberry crops seem better than usual this year and there has been a mixture of sunshine and rain that has resulted in a good harvest of locally grown vegetables.

There may be at least one opportunity for new jobs as a result of an aircraft manufacturer planning to set up shop at the soon-to-be-deactivated Brunswick Naval Air Station complex.

During the early morning hours, I have recently been awakened by the whistling sound of female whitetail deer calling for their fawns in the heavy growth bordering the creek that runs near my bedroom windows.

There has actually been a sizable gaggle of goslings (Canadian Geese) inhabiting a nearby farmer’s pond that has nearly reached maturity this year, thanks to an aggressive thinning of the local coyote pack that has wreaked havoc on both local wildlife and farmers’ cattle for the past several years.  This should also be good news for the local deer herd.

My new squirrel-proof bird feeder works.  Blue jays, in particular, are messy feeders, so the squirrels and chipmunks can still benefit from the overflow.

The Maine tourist season, while not spectacular, has not been a bust.  The streets of downtown Freeport, Maine have shown decent crowds and Turnpike traffic is reportedly up over last year.  My wife works for an international retail corporation and she reports that hiring is up slightly and there are a couple of new stores slated to open.

There are, of course, plenty of news stories (local, national and international) that would provide just cause for frustration and disgruntlement, but I have resolutely refrained from including any reference to them in today’s post.

The goldenrod is blooming early this year, a reminder that fall, my favorite time of year, is not that far away.  There are also early signs that this may be a signal election year and this, perhaps, is the best news of all.

A Weekend for Maine Sportsmen

More often than not it is a good thing that most of the Maine Sportsmen’s Show’s events are held inside the Augusta Civic Center -  early April in Maine being predominantly cool and wet.  Last Saturday, however, proved to be the exception as the bright sunshine and temperatures in the high sixties provided a welcome glimpse of warm days to come.  Actually, the attendance seemed a bit lower than in years past, perhaps due to the lure of good weather.

Still, there was much to enjoy with excellent wildlife art, photography and taxidermy exhibits complementing displays of outdoor gear, ATV’s, boats, and guide services .  One of the most effective advertising displays that I saw was a lone man wandering through the crowd with a sleeping 7-week-old chocolate Lab puppy in his arms, snuggled against his neck.  That sight brought a smile to many faces (including mine) and his response to the many admirers who stopped to gently stroke the little dog was, “I’ve got five more just like him at home”.

Dogs of varying breeds were in abundance and besides participating in demonstrations of many skills were an integral part of the attendees moving through the cavernous building.  Interestingly enough, they seemed to get along with each other just fine – which perhaps was more than could be said for a number of candidates for Maine’s Governor who were also there to “exhibit their wares”.

For some years now I have spent a few hours helping man the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine booth and the constant stream of attendees has proved a great source of interest (and sometimes amusement) for me.  Young and old, short and tall, lean and well-padded, fishermen, trappers, hunters, backpackers, gregarious and reserved – all share a passion for the outdoors and for the many opportunities that the forests, lakes and coastline of  Maine provide.

During the three days of the show one can find seminars and demonstrations covering everything from fly fishing to field dog training, provided by experts on loan from such outdoor-experience giants such as L.L. Bean and Cabela’s , along with guide services from Maine and Canada promising the “trip of a lifetime”.

There is also the fun of many raffles for weapons and gear, along with the chance to purchase home-made gourmet salsa, fudge and other exotics such as ostrich jerky.

I was able to gain a little more perspective on the condition of the Maine deer herd after talking with guides, wardens, and fellow hunters.  There was general agreement that the population had suffered greatly over the winters of ’07-’08 and ’08-’09, but very few that I spoke with told me that they had encountered areas where there were no signs of deer activity although they admitted that they had done more walking with less success than in years past.  My friends from Jackman, close to the Canadian border, reported that there were still significant numbers of deer clustered in and around the tiny town this spring, migrating to where they knew there might be the potential for additional food.  This past winter has been unusually mild for Maine, with far less snow, and that will hopefully provide some relief and a chance to rebuild for the beleaguered animals.

The lower third of the State has seen the least depletion, while the sections north and west of Augusta have been hardest hit.  There is greatly increased interest and participation in coyote hunting and that should have a positive effect.  Hopefully, at least a couple of mild winters will help to balance the books.

A beautiful day, an enjoyable show and the joy of having lunch with my best friend and companion (my wife of 27 years).  Can’t expect better.