TUCKER RIDGE OUTDOORS

Autumn hunting in Maine can’t be beat

This time of year there is a lot going on for the Maine hunter. Black bear is still open, archery season for deer is open and firearm season is right around the corner. Ruffed grouse, wild turkey and snowshoe hare are all open right now too.

Some of the folks who were lucky enough to pull a moose permit start their hunts in some southern zones on Halloween and fox opened a few days ago. Coyote, red squirrel and woodchuck are open year round!

If that’s not enough, waterfowl opportunities are in full swing with Canada goose and ducks open right now as well. With all of these seasons coming together to create the perfect storm, what’s a busy hunter to do? Multitask.

I love to hunt. I want to take advantage of every season I can and in Maine, that makes for an action packed autumn. Trying to find the time to do it all is the trick. However, when you find the method that works for you and implement your plan, it’s pure treat. Here are some of the methods I use to help maximize my time afield.

Grouping overlapping seasons

Put together a multi-species hunt plan that takes advantage of habitat, tactics and firearm type similarities. When going out for partridge for example, I may choose to hunt with a 20 gauge over under shotgun. The habitat I will hunt grouse likely will hold both red and gray squirrels as well. Snowshoe hare also share some of the same habitat. Just moving a couple hundred yards into the wood line here or down an overgrown skidder trail there opens up the hunting area and with it, opportunity.

Another example is when the 12 gauge shotguns need their walks. My Remington 1100 magnum semi-auto is great for turkey, goose or coyote. Again, I choose habitat like a field edge to set up. I can break up a flock of turkeys, sneak into my set up and start calling. Sometimes the turkey comes in, sometimes it’s a hungry coyote. Keeping turkey loads and coyote loads handy helps me to be prepared for either situation. I must sound like a wounded turkey at times because coyotes come in more than I anticipate!

I can also prepare a decoy flock ahead of time and switch over to non toxic shot for Canada goose, all with same gun, habitat and set up.

Some of my favorite multi-species hunt plans are:

Deer, Bear, Coyote
Fox, Coyote, Bobcat
Grouse, Snowshoe Hare, Squirrel
Turkey, Coyote, Canada Goose
Ducks, Geese, Grouse

Hunt, Scout, Hunt

The hunt, scout, hunt method is something I like to do when certain seasons are approaching and you need to start your preseason scouting. Deer, for example, takes a lot of preseason planning, especially if you hunt in the north like me with no chance of an any deer permit.

As deer season approaches I’m usually moving into areas that I need to scout and focus my time there. While grouse hunting, I’m identifying and rechecking known game trails for deer sign. I also choose which locations I’m going to place trail cams and pick locations for tree stands.

After I set the cams, I run a “cam line” like a trapper does his trap line. Now though, I’m still hunting, hoping to catch a bear off guard while tuning up on my stalking skills in the woods. I can also hunt fat gray squirrels on the hardwood ridges where I’m looking for deer around oak trees dropping acorns.

When setting up in riparian edges for ducks, I keep an eye out for fur bearer sign. If you are good at identifying tracks, passing this info along to a local trapper may be repaid in spades with information he’s gleaned on his trap line. Now that is multi-multitasking right there!

Prioritize peak times

For obvious reasons, there are better times than others to use these methods. That is where prioritizing peak season times is important. When the bear over bait season begins, that area is off limits. My focus is on the bear, the squirrels can wait. Likewise, after opening day of firearm season on deer, my grouse gun doesn’t go anywhere near a tree stand area.

That doesn’t mean I can’t implement one of my hunt plans, it just means that I adjust my hunt. I’m still okay to walk a logging road that sees routine ATV traffic, hunting grouse or turkey. The deer are used to the traffic, it’s normal to them, as is the partridge hunting. They will not stand for me tromping near a bedding area though.

Just keep in mind which type of hunting pressures are common for different species and when, then prioritize the peak hunting times like bear over bait and the rut for cervid hunters.

With a little planning and a whole lot of studying, autumn hunting in Maine simply can’t be beat.

How to put more grouse in the bag this month

By now most bird hunters have made their way into the logging roads and field edges in pursuit of that ever elusive, fighter jet of a game bird, the ruffed grouse. Similarly, most have found we are a bit rusty at wing shooting and have had our serving of humble pie. Getting back to these basics will help you put more birds in your bag.

Continue reading “How to put more grouse in the bag this month”

5 reasons why the proposed Katahdin region national monument is a bad idea

The proposed national monument in the Katahdin region east of Baxter State Park is a bad idea. It’s bad for sportsmen, bad for recreation, bad for timber and bad for Maine. Here are my top 5 reasons to back it up.

1. Federal land use restrictions

There are many differences when hunting on federal land such as national parks & preserves. The use of firearm and ammunition type is strictly regulated. What may be legal under Maine state law as outlined in the Maine Hunting & Trapping Summary we are all familiar with doesn’t mesh with federal restrictions.

This will result in much confusion and may result in making law abiding citizens into criminals by unwittingly stepping across the state land border onto federal lands with federally prohibited equipment.

Federal lands come under the authority of U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, with their own set of laws, rules and penalties.

2. Access and control

Removing the timber industry’s ability to operate freely and without crushing regulation will only further cripple Maine’s economy. While proponents of this monument initiative have said big timber is the cause of the state’s mill closures, I’d bet more heavily on the cost of doing business in the United States and Maine in particular.

There is simply nothing the federal government does that the private sector can’t do better and more efficiently. Case in point: Who delivers the best value and service, UPS or the United States Postal Service?

President Obama’s administrative ideology dictates that the elite and power brokers in government know better than we do about how to manage our own affairs. We are simply put, not smart enough to take care of ourselves, our property and our communities. It appears Roxanne Quimby shares this mentality judging by her remarks in Forbes magazine regarding the citizens of Maine, the Katahdin region in particular.

By allowing federal control over Maine lands, we relinquish some of the deeply held beliefs and character traits Mainers are known for: Autonomy, Leadership and Independence.

3. Empty promises

“If you like your insurance, you can keep it” may be one of the more famous broken promises made by the federal government and President Obama but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The government has made promise after promise about the economy, jobs and transparency. It has made good on none of them. How can we in good faith trust their word regarding this national monument? How can we believe the promises made regarding eminent domain and the future of these lands?

It’s easy to proclaim job creation and economic prosperity, but it’s a whole other ball of wax to actually implement them. If history is our judge, the past ten years have been an abject failure.

The Katahdin region’s success lies within Maine, not outside of it. Only we have a truly vested interest in our resources, communities and lifestyle.

4. We reap what we sow

Make no mistake about it, this proposed monument will eventually be transformed into a national park. After that happens, the woods and lands east of Baxter State Park will never be the same. The federal government can’t meet it’s financial obligations now. How on earth do they expect to fund and maintain another national park?

They can’t and they won’t. This park will sink low on the priority list and will become a gated memory operated by a skeletal staff of federal employees, lost to Mainers for the foreseeable future. But then again, that was the goal all along wasn’t it?

5. It’s all about the legacy

“Conservation” is a term widely thrown around to justify the gobbling up of land by government. Nonprofit organizations such as Ms. Quimby’s Elliotsville Plantation act as co-conspirators in removing land from public use and putting it under government control. Elliotsville Plantation isn’t just doing this in Maine either. The same ploy has occurred in Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Montana.

According to The Washington Post, President Obama has seized more than 260 million acres of public land during his presidency, more than any previous president. This was made possible by foundations such as Ms. Quimby’s.

For all of her hard work in wresting control of public lands unto the federal government, Ms. Quimby was rewarded with an appointment to the National Park Foundation board of directors in 2010.

It seems to me this proposed “national monument” is more about conserving a legacy than it is about what is good for Maine.

It’s wheeler time! Here are some trails already open and tips to get you started

With winter behind us and mud season not nearly as sloppy as it usually is, the time to roll out your ATV and hit the trails is here!

Opportunities for ATV riding throughout Maine have exploded in recent years with many folks, clubs and government organizations coming together to promote this fast growing hobby.

Here’s a trail rundown and some tips to get you started this “wheeler” season…

Where to ride

The Department of Conservation and Forestry provided us with a current list of State ATV trails now open:

Southern Bangor & Aroostook Trail
Androscoggin Riverlands (Turner)
Down East Sunrise Trail (DEST)
Four Seasons Adventure Trail (Newport to Dover)
LaGrange Rail Trail
Mt Blue State Park (Weld)
Summerhaven/Tyler Pond Trail System
Whistle Stop Trail (Jay to Farmington)

Also of note, many ATV clubs in southern and Down East Maine have opened roughly half of the private land trail systems. This early in the season, be on the lookout for trails still in a state of repair and always respect landowner wishes and closures.

In addition to State trails and private club maintained trails, many Public Reserved Land road systems are open to ATV operation. Roads marked with a shared use sign are open to ATV travel, while the regular ATV trail sign denotes designated ATV trail systems.

Designated ATV Trail Sign, Source: Maine.gov

Generally, Wildlife Management District roads operated by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are open to ATV use as well.

TIP: Roads and trails that are gated and closed may mean that route is off limits to motorized traffic. Just because you can squeeze around a locked gate on your wheeler doesn’t mean you should. The landowner has closed the gate for a reason, typically because motorized traffic will result in ruts and damage to an environment not ready for traffic. When in doubt, leave that trail out.

How to ride

Treading lightly and leaving a small footprint helps preserve trail access for future enthusiasts. Try to avoid wheel spin and creating a “rooster tail” when turning and climbing. Sure it may look like fun, but the abuse the trail takes isn’t worth it.

When cresting a hill or sight lines are poor…slow down! If you can’t see what’s on the other side of the trail neither can the rider coming at you. Also, use care when crossing water. Try to use designated fording points on trails.

Some do’s and don’ts of ATV operation:

Do come to a complete stop when entering a public roadway
Do yield right of way to all other vehicular traffic on public ways
Do carry your registration certificate (Your stickers are not enough)
Don’t operate your ATV within 200 feet of a dwelling, hospital, nursing home or church
Don’t operate your ATV on snowmobile trails financed by the Snowmobile Trail Fund unless authorized to do so
Don’t ride in croplands, pastureland or orchards

TIP: Maine Game Wardens conduct registration and safety checks on trails. If signaled by a Game Warden, safely bring your ATV to a stop and let the Game Warden approach you. Follow any directions given and cooperate to expedite the inspection. Failing to stop may result in criminal prosecution, fines and arrest. Similarly, you must stop and identify yourself at the request of a private landowner or their agent.

Be safe and have fun!

Riding responsibly will ensure a memorable trip enjoying the Maine outdoors. Never mix alcohol and riding. The same penalties apply for operating under the influence when riding ATV’s.

If you encounter horses on the trail, common courtesy is to pull off to the side of the trail, turn off your ATV’s engine, remove your helmet and speak. The horse will recognize you as human and hopefully allay any fears. Always move slowly and with caution around horses and pack animals.

Wear appropriate safety gear and know your limits. Also, be aware of time, fuel and your energy level so you don’t end up stranded. Having a well planned route and ample resources will make your ride much more enjoyable.

TIP: Fill out and leave a trip plan with a family member. Include your expected route, time of return, all members of the party and any other pertinent information rescuers may need if you become lost or unable to return. Examples include medical conditions or prescription medicine use.

Resources

Find ATV licensing info here.

Find ATV laws and regulations here.

Contact info:

ATV Program
Bureau of Parks and Lands
22 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0022
(207) 287-2751
Within Maine: 1-888-386-3288

To get a copy of the Maine ATV Trails Map, call the number above and provide your name, postal address and phone number.

Happy trails!

Why Maine is a true sportsman’s paradise

Opening day of the Spring Gobbler season found a way to sneak up on me this year. Usually, I’m well planned and have my spots scouted and prepared. My gear is sorted through, deer hunting equipment replaced with turkey tools. My slate call is well roughed up and some practice calling has already taken place. This year though, none of that happened. To my surprise however, my procrastination set me up for a day that was a prime example of why Maine is truly the sportsman’s paradise.

Opening Day Eve

Sometimes you just have to go with what you’ve got.

I find myself running around the shop looking for gear. Where is my thermal seat? Where is my slate? Aha, at least my turkey loads are in the right spot. That makes me think; did I clean and check the seals & rings on my 1100? They are notorious for fouling and causing failure to eject malfunctions. Nope, don’t think I did. I’ll have to strip it down right quick and get it squared away.

Now that my equipment is mostly squared away, not that there is such a thing as mostly squared away (it either is or isn’t), I move on to logistics. Where is my doggone license? The last time I saw it was the end of the snow shoe hare season.

That’s right, it’s in my tackle box. When the opening day of fishing was bumped up, I started tossing lines soonest. I proceed to print off an extra copy for that monster gobbler’s leg I planned on shooting in a show of astoundingly high expectations – and quite unreasonable ones at that.

Over the past month I’ve spotted turkey at various locations: in corn field edges up north, crossing the tar road from a hay field to the south, and even had a gobbler calling to my rooster on the east side of the ridge inside the wood line. Did I make further recon trips to exploit these sightings and pick sites to hunker down? Nope, you can add that fail to my report card.

A quick call to my buddy Jake (no kidding, turkey story and his name is Jake) who is a highly experienced turkey hunter, helps me put together a ragged patchwork of ideas that somewhat resembles a strategy. Jake recommends edges of grassy fields with the weather we are expected to see in the morning – overcast skies and light rain. The field across the road is a great place to start.

By now it’s getting late and dawn comes early this time of year. Sometimes you just have to go with what you’ve got.

The hunt

Slowly I slip back into the zone all hunters know. The easy and peaceful feeling of being surrounded by nature, of being part of the environment, not merely in it.

As dawn breaks and the silence of the woods is broken by the sounds of wildlife, I find myself a little fidgety. It amazes me how just being out of the woods for a month has let a little rust build up. I need to consciously remind myself not to make sudden movements and to stifle coughs.

Slowly I slip back into the zone all hunters know. The easy and peaceful feeling of being surrounded by nature, of being part of the environment, not merely in it. Per Jake’s advice, I’m not calling too heavily. Mostly I’m using clucks and purrs and my slate call is cooperating for the most part. After an hour of no activity, and not even a response from a hen, I decide to move.

My second spot is on the east side of the ridge where I heard the gobbler last week. I pick a spot where a network of logging trails come together and provide a nice little clearing. There is turkey sign around so I hunker down and after a half hour or so, I began calling.

A shadowy outline with a sudden burst of speed 25 yards to my front and moving left startles me. The coyote is long gone by the time I get the gun up. I guess I sounded plenty enough like a turkey, but when he picked up my scent or saw me first, he took off like a rocket. Missed opportunity there. Now I’m hunting turkey and coyote. With #4 shot turkey loads in my 3 inch magnum Remington 1100, I’m good to go.

Spot three is further south down the ridge along a nice hardwood stand. Good habitat and I’m familiar with it having hunted hares there just a month ago. There was sign there then and I’m hoping this will be the spot.

As I move through a field of immature spruce and fir on my way to the hardwood ridge spur I’ve picked out, a flurry of thumps stops me in my tracks. Looking down under the trees ahead I see three snow shoe hare frozen in place. They are already back to brown, having shed their winter camouflage. I smile and tell them to have a nice day, see you next year and with a twitch of my foot they scamper off. Boy, they were some nice sized hare too.

The hardwood stand is just as void as my first two spots and I’ve not heard a single turkey, hen or gobbler all day. Until I’m heading back to the ATV that is. I stop and listen; faintly, I can hear a gobbler to my south and west on the other side of the ridge.

Hunting or scouting?

I can’t help but hear Foghorn Leghorn in my head telling me “Focus boy! I says focus!”

I stick the four wheeler in the treeline and head down the west side of the ridge line. As I pass the spot I shot my buck last season, I cut a trail of fresh moose tracks. Judging by the size and imprints, it’s either a cow of a juvenile bull. Either way, it makes my pulse quicken.

Now I’m scouting for moose season, reinforcing my hare hunting spots, looking out for the coyote target of opportunity and oh yeah, hunting turkey. I can’t help but hear Foghorn Leghorn in my head telling me “Focus boy! I says focus!”

I set up further down the ridge where there is abundant sign, both moose and turkey. Another half hour of on and off calling with no takers goes by and I realize my heart just isn’t into it today. It’s probably reflecting in my calling. My head is wrapped up in all of the sign and game I’ve run across today and I’m already making plans for the upcoming seasons.

When I get back to the truck and get my equipment stowed away, I have an epiphany. My day isn’t over just yet. It has warmed a little and the rain never really fell any heavier than a light drizzle or quick shower. My rod and tackle box are in the truck and I’m only a couple miles from a couple of nice fishing spots.

As I watch the Rooster Tail slowly spin through the water, hoping to entice a nice fat brook trout, I can’t help but wonder where that gobbler I heard earlier went to. Maybe, just maybe, after I fish these three spots, I’ll head over to the southern edge of the ridge and see what I can see.

Why Maine’s silent majority must make their stand, again.

Once again, Maine’s citizen ballot initiative process is being corrupted by outside influences. The state chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, a spin off of the former New York City billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety lobby, saw it’s anti-gun proposal LD 1662 clear the final hurdle last week in anticipation of getting on the November general election ballot. The Maine Senate followed the House of Representatives in postponing indefinitely the initiative, clearing the way for voters to decide whether or not to force law abiding gun owners to submit to further scrutiny when transferring a firearm privately.

Bloomberg’s big city politics have no business in Maine

Make no mistake, this initiative isn’t about keeping people safe or stopping criminals from acquiring firearms. It can’t be. Those laws are already on the books. In Maine, as it is throughout the country, it already is illegal to knowingly transfer a firearm to a prohibited person. Similarly, a person that is prohibited who buys, owns or possesses a firearm is committing a felony. Even attempting to buy a gun when prohibited is a crime.

What this initiative is really about is control, conformity and ego. Bloomberg, like many of his elitist cohorts, feel the need to control what others eat, drink and buy. When intelligent, responsible people refuse to conform, the full weight of the billionaire’s war chest comes to bear in the form of litigation and intimidation. Bloomberg’s successes in denying citizens their constitutional rights in numerous weak-willed liberal strongholds have served well to inflate his ego.

One thing you’ll never hear discussed are the failures of big city style gun control. States with the most restrictive gun laws on the books are repeatedly the leaders in violent crime. This is a fact, not conjecture. The number of violent crimes committed with guns in states like Maine and Texas pale in comparison to states such as California and Illinois. Which states, by promising to keep guns out of the hands of criminals by oppressing the rights of it’s citizens, continue to watch their violent crime rate soar? It isn’t Maine or Texas, I assure you.

Maine’s sportsmen and gun owners will prevail

All politics are local. Under this initiative, if I want to add my neighbor’s lawfully owned hunting rifle to my lawfully owned collection, we both must travel 3 towns away to the nearest FFL dealer to complete the transaction. Did I mention the reason he’s selling the rifle is due to the fact he has medical issues, has limited mobility and can’t hunt anymore? My neighbor barely leaves the ridge; driving is a challenge for him.

Metaphors aside, I can give another reason this proposed law is a bad idea. It’s just plain wrong. If supporters of this initiative really want to curb violent crime in their community, they should hold the officials they have elected and appointed to account.

Criminals are continually emboldened by the lax enforcement of existing laws. Before you go blaming law enforcement for this, consider who is largely in charge of policy in urban enclaves. How does adding another burdensome law prevent criminals, who by definition do not obey the law, from acquiring firearms? It will not. They will still use the same means as they used before.

Just as the ill conceived bear baiting referendum was forced on Maine from out of state crusaders, this initiative too will be a failure. Gun owners are sick and tired of repeated assaults on their rights by radical left wing extremists. Mainers are not blind to the fact that this proposed law is nothing more than another attempt at social engineering conformity, wrapped in the cloak of “public safety”.

In the end, only one question remains. Will Maine lead, or will we follow?

Maine’s state flag and seal proclaim “Dirigo”. Routinely translated to “I Lead”, this statement captures the spirit, vigor and fierce independence that generations of Mainers are proudly known for.

It also begs the question: Will Maine lead in November, striking down another attempt by outsiders to influence our unique and special heritage, or will we simply fall in line like so many other states and be led by the nose by interests that have no concept of why we can proudly declare, “Welcome to Maine – The way life should be”?

Think blogging is all about writing? Think again.

When I first kicked around the idea of pitching a blog idea to the Bangor Daily News I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what I was getting into. Writing a blog about the things that I love like the outdoors, hunting and fishing seemed like a walk in the park compared to traditional print article and feature submissions. Boy was I wrong!

The Pitch – getting heard

The pitch page on BDN lays out the process in a simple and understandable manner. Along with basic contact information, I needed to have a solid idea of what I was going to write about and be able to summarize that idea in a few sentences. I needed a title and a one sentence tagline as well.

Then, I moved on to the meat and potatoes of the matter. I needed three post (article) ideas and had to determine what categories the blog will fit into.

Because my blog is about my life on Tucker Ridge and living a lifestyle of rugged individualism, the post ideas came easily enough. My ideas were simply narratives of the “How” and “Why” we live remotely on the ridge.

I figured to write for my audience the same way I would retell the story of a deer hunt to a buddy in camp or how I made my back cut too deep on a big pine, tearing up a brand new chainsaw as the tree twisted on me and came back the wrong way. I had plenty to tell.

The category selection came naturally as well; I’m an outdoorsman in northeastern Penobscot County who is an avid fisherman, hunter and hobby farmer; Outdoors. Penobscot. Done.

Next, I had to commit to publishing regularly. That meant writing for this blog regularly, in addition to other freelance writing projects I’m already committed to such as feature submissions to outdoors and hunting publications. As I noted earlier, I figured I had plenty to tell and there is never a shortage of topics when you are an outdoors writer.

Finally, I needed to provide a biography and detail my previous experience writing for the public. This was the toughest part for me, as I’m not naturally inclined to toot my own horn. Starting with my rural upbringing and reinforced throughout my military career, braggarts were frowned upon and boasting was still considered a character flaw. Remember, pride goeth before the fall.

Despite deeply ingrained values and belief systems, I pushed through it. Several weeks later I received an email from BDN’s Audience & User Experience Manager welcoming me into the fold of the BDN Maine blog network.

All I had to do now was write. Right? Wrong.

Posting – behind the scenes

What makes a post? When a reader visits a blog and clicks on a story of interest to them, they are presented with a finished product typically comprised of the headline, body text, images, captions and links. What you see is the culmination of the research that went into the text, images that bring a visual component to the story and references that help flesh out the article.

Here is this post in my editor. Note the toolbar on top for images and links and the social media connections at right. Categories & tag sections are also on the right.

Along with the traditional components of an article, a post page also uses widgets for readers to share the article or follow the writer via social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and more. Furthermore, a comments section for readers and subscription form are usually provided as well.

How much of this content do you think the writer of the blog is involved in? If you guessed all of it, you’re right.

I admit, I was truly ignorant of what goes into producing a blog. I was prepared for the researching and writing, but didn’t fully grasp the nature of writing for the internet and how it differs from print. The backend of the publishing site needs to be populated with profile info, social media handles and a thorough inspection of plugins to understand how it all works takes quite a bit of time. Here’s a look at some of my major oversights.

Headlines – attracting interest

Blogs use headlines, not titles. The headline is so important that it can determine whether 50 or 50,000 people read your post. I’ve learned to use a headline analyzer to check for word balance, length analysis and Google Search previews. Yes, I’m serious, a lot of us do this.

Headlines are also critical in the decision making process the digital content editors use when looking for material for the BDN homepage and feature sections. You can find all of the active blogs on the BDN Maine Blog Network page, but if a writer wants an article to make it into the news sections, it better have a good headline.

Images – make it pretty

For reasons I can not explain, I had a deluded fantasy that a crack team of image gurus would be matching images to my words in some secret room in the BDN building. Not so much.

BDN blog writers do not have access to staff photographers, nor do we have access to stock or file photos. If I want my article to shine with crisp, clean images, I need to source them.

Sometimes that means I’m an amateur photographer and sometimes that means I’m scouring the web for royalty and copyright free images, photos or art. Due to the strengthening of copyright and fair use law in the internet age, the days of copy and pasting any image you like on the internet are long gone; and rightfully so.

As with headlines, my featured image must be an eye grabber if I want the digital content editors to consider it for the news sections.

Social media – gotta do it

As you may have guessed, I’m not a huge social media guy. I don’t hate technology, I just don’t like it very much. While the thought of pronouncing to the world every thought, feeling and food dish I’ve ever tasted disturbs me, it’s hard to argue the promotional benefits social media platforms can provide. Afterall, I do want folks to read my blog.

In the email I received welcoming me to the BDN, there was a lot of information and suggestions regarding promoting my blog, social media, pages, tweets and Google groups. All of it was good information and very helpful.

But I’m here to tell you, creating accounts with similar usernames, linking those accounts through the publishing platform, making plugins function and trying to create a unified web presence is no small task, especially if you’re over 40. It nearly killed me.

Promotion – being visible

Another delusion I had was the self promoting blog. I figured I’d write the article, hit the publish button and the world would see it. You see, bangordailynews.com gets over 9 million page views a month, making it the leading news source and most widely read online newspaper in Maine.

Sharing memes like this help promote my blog

But just being there isn’t enough. I now actively promote every article through Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Additionally, I try to develop interest by sharing photos, video and memes related to the outdoors and my blog.

Spending the time to create promotional material is well worth the interest it garners & helps interact with readers on social media platforms.

Am I glad I did it?

Absolutely. Writing for the internet, and blogging in particular, is turning out to be a rich, rewarding experience for me. The ability to engage with readers in ways not possible in print is what makes writing a blog so unique.

That said, please comment below on which of the above memes is your favorite, and if you have any questions about Life on the Ridge, submit those as well!

Thanks for reading all of us on the BDN Maine Blog Network. We write for you.

Want to hunt on Sundays? Here’s how to do it.

Just because the whitetail and moose seasons have long passed us by, it doesn’t mean hunters still can’t hear the call of the wild and feel a yearning for the Maine woods.

For a lot of us, small game takes center stage this time of year, but with vacation time used up, Saturdays become the only day to get afield. If you want to spend all weekend in the woods, here’s how to do it…

As we turn the page on the new year, so do we turn our focus to new hunting opportunities. Snowshoe hare, fox, bobcat & red squirrel are my pursuits when the deer rifle gets tucked away until next season and coyote are always on my radar. However, unlike my home state of Pennsylvania, in Maine we cannot hunt any game or this elusive predator on Sunday.

So what’s an outdoorsman to do when the need to breathe that crisp, fresh air and find that very special solitude that only the Maine woods can provide?

I hunt horns. Literally.

Hunt (huhnt) : to search for; seek; endeavor to obtain or find (often followed by up or out)

Antler shed hunting is a great way to spend a Sunday long after the tree stands have come down and the ground blinds have been packed away, waiting for the spring gobbler season. Everything we love about big game hunting applies equally to shed hunting. The preparation, scouting, tracking and hopefully, the harvest, are what makes a hunt. Not necessarily the quarry we seek.

Do your preparation and scouting on Saturday as you pursue small game, noting tracks, overlapping habitats and any areas of special interest. On Sunday, leave your gun in the cabinet and enjoy a slow walk in the woods, following tracks to your harvest.

An added bonus to hunting sheds is the ability to get family members not normally involved in hunting, a chance to spend time together, strengthen bonds and rediscover the wonders the Maine woods provide us.

The best time to hunt for antler sheds is after the rut, or mating season. Dwindling levels of testosterone cause the base of antlers, called the pedicel, to dissolve and eventually, the antler falls off. Deer and moose both need to recover after the exertion of the rut and conserve energy in the coming winter months. Shedding antlers allows much needed calcium to be absorbed by the recovering buck or bull, not travelling northward to keep feeding those racks. Typically, the key window for shed dropping is late November through January.

Bedding areas, along fence lines, edges of fields and funnels are all great spots to find sheds.

hunter-67002_960_720 — Looking for sheds while hunting small game doubles your opportunity

Where do you hunt for dropped sheds? The simple answer is to go where the deer and moose are.

If you’ve been out scouting and tracking all season, you’ll have a pretty good idea of where the travel corridors and feeding areas are. If you are not a big game hunter, fret not.

Simply identifying obstacles that can catch an antler as the animal moves through an area will get you started. Bedding areas, along fence lines, edges of fields and funnels are all great spots to find sheds. Look for antlers where deer or moose move into or out of a wood line; the branches of trees can pull at antlers, dislodging them. Fences and other obstacles that deer have to jump over can cause loose antlers to accede to gravity.

Look for blowdowns that provide concealment

Perhaps one of the most overlooked locations to find sheds are in bedding areas. These spots are the hardest to find for non hunters and only slightly easier for the seasoned outdoorsman. They are secluded for a reason.

Bucks and bulls need to feel secure when they let their guard down, so bedding areas typically are well off the beaten path. Look for big blowdowns that provide concealment, especially on high ground.

20160118_105717 — Notice the outline of the back and the rear leg imprint

As winter sets in and the snow begins to pile up, bedding areas will become easier to find. The depression made in the snow and the tracks leading in and out will be highly visible. Keep in mind that buck tracks are more square than doe tracks, with very pronounced dew claw imprints.

A dog’s sense of smell is said to be a thousand times more sensitive than that of humans. In fact, a dog has more than 220 million olfactory receptors in it’s nose.

Hunting with a dog will vastly improve your shed harvest success rate. A dog’s sense of smell is said to be a thousand times more sensitive than that of a humans. In fact, a dog has more than 220 million olfactory receptors in it’s nose.

Chuck following a deer trail into the wood line

Having a hunting dog, or even a specific breed of dog, isn’t a requirement. You’ll train your dog just as you would train for fetching. For this reason, retrievers are the popular choice for shed hunting dogs. They are eager to please, love the exercise and by their very definition, are good retrievers. My yellow lab Chuck is currently in training and he loves it. Here are some training tips.

Start by tossing a shed or shed training dummy for your dog to bring back to you. Stay consistent in your commands such as, “Get the shed” or “Find the shed”. Whatever works for you will work for your dog if you stay consistent.

Next, move on to placing the shed in the yard so it’s visible to your dog. Give your commands and have your dog retrieve it. Make sure to praise and reward your dog for every successful retrieve.

The final step is placing the shed in a hidden location such as a wood line and having your dog hunt it up. Again, praise and reward are key components here. Your dog needs to understand that by finding and retrieving the antler shed, he’s doing what you are asking of him. That makes him happy.

A lot of professional dog trainers recommend using a soft antler shed dummy trainer. I do too. If you use a real shed in the beginning, there is a chance a tine may poke your dog and may cause him to become “shed shy”. It’s much better to start out using the trainer and introduce a real shed, if available, during the final training step. The kit we use is from Dog Bone Hunter and you can read more about it here.

Moose and whitetail antler sheds make great decorations…

Now that you’ve harvested your moose or whitetail sheds, what are you going to do with them? Undoubtedly, a pair of bull moose antler sheds are the top prize; surely you have a place ready for them over the garage door or in your camp!

Moose and whitetail antler sheds make great decorations, are often used in tooling and knife handle applications and rustic furniture design. Make a whitetail rack chandelier, dresser drawer or cabinet pulls, coat rack or accent pieces. The uses are as unlimited as your imagination.

If using antler sheds as decorative pieces just isn’t your style, there is also a lucrative market for fresh sheds. Typical rates for fresh sheds vary from $11 to $15 a pound. Websites such as mainemooseantlers.com and allagashguideservice.com both actively purchase sheds. Sporting publications like Northwoods Sporting Journal and The Maine Sportsman are also a good source for advertisers seeking to buy antler sheds.

So on the next Sunday that you are feeling the call of the outdoors or are looking for new ways to the enjoy the Maine woods, give antler shed hunting a try. No license is required and you can set your own pace.

With so many ways to hunt for sheds, it’s a sure fire way to keep you connected to nature when the pace of your hunting season slows, but your desire doesn’t.

How to make the best summer sausage with venison

Many outdoorsman love preparing game as much as they do hunting it. I am one of them. Moira and I try to seek out new recipes and ideas to give us variety on the dinner table. Perhaps more importantly, I’m always on the lookout for the best snack ideas. I love snacks!

Enter my most recent endeavor, the venison & pork summer sausage. Sliced into thin wafers and served with a spicy hot mustard or wasabi, it will forever change any venison shy family members or friends.

As a beginner to making any kind of sausage, I decided to go with a kit that provides the casings, cure and seasonings. After much deliberation I chose the summer sausage/bologna kit in Hunter’s Blend from Hi Mountain Seasonings. This kit is a pretty good value and is relatively simple to prepare. It makes 10 3 lb sausages roughly 2″ in diameter. That’s whopping 30 lbs of delicious. Obviously, we make one at a time!

A good electric meat grinder with stuffing capabilities is a BIG plus here. I know some old school folks swear by a quality made hand grinder, and I agree with their points to a degree. But the fact is, when you start feeding the ground meat into the casing, you need to move with a purpose. Starting and stopping too much won’t help to properly fill a big summer sausage casing evenly. The meat needs to stay very cold or it will start clogging the grinder. This is where the speed of an electric unit comes into play.

Besides a grinder and stuffer (or a combo unit like we use), you’ll need the following:

2 plastic* mixing bowls – 1 for the grinding output and 1 for mixing your cure & seasoning in
Small bowl or tray to soak the casing in (Warm water for an hour before stuffing)
2 1/4 lbs venison and 1 lb of pork (We used short ribs that were on sale)
The kit above.

Tips: Do not use metal bowls for the ground meat or mixing. I use a little over 3 lbs of meat because you need 3 lbs IN the casing. The extra gives you wiggle room and enough left over in the stuffing tube and grinder. We pull it out after and make a patty out of it.

The kit came with very detailed instructions and was easy to understand. I’ll just give you the long and short of it here…

We started by feeding cubes of venison and pork through the grinder, aiming for a 2:1 ratio. After all the meat was ground, we mix the correct amount of cure and seasonings in the second bowl. Next we sprinkled the ground meat with the mix and added some ice water. Thoroughly mix by hand for a few minutes and you’re ready to get stuffing.

Remember, this is where you have to keep moving. That meat needs to stay cold. I push the casing all the way onto the stuffing funnel and hold in place with my left hand. This is a big casing compared to traditional breakfast or sandwich links. You just have to get a feel for how much is filling the casing and use you hand to help move it down while slowly letting the casing off the tube.

Fill the hopper with the ground meat and make sure you removed the grinding plate and installed the stuffing plate, if equipped. If not, just use the coarsest grinding plate on hand.

Hit the switch and keep that hopper full. DO use an implement to push meat down the hopper chute. DO NOT use your fingers to push it in. You will be tempted to and you will be sorry!

Keep working the casing slowly off the stuffing tube as it fills. Use your hand like you were using an icing funnel on a cake and fill in the casing. Don’t worry about the grinder backing up. It will keep pushing harder than you think. If it does back up and stop feeding, use the reverse switch to clear the jam and resume. If this occurs frequently, the meat is too warm. Stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to chill it and resume.

When the casing is nearly full, leave about an inch open on the end. Tie this off using string. Don’t worry too much about getting super tight. It’s only job is to keep the meat from coming out, but the mixture is stuffed well and won’t. Plus, you’ll need to slide in a meat thermometer here so you don’t have to puncture the casing. If you have a high speed internal temp sensing doohickey of a thermometer, disregard. And…I’m jealous!

Put the sausage in the fridge to cure overnight. When you remove it the next day, bring it to room temperature for an hour or so before cooking or smoking. We cook ours, so I’ll go that route here.

Line the bottom rack of the oven in foil to catch any drippings and lay the sausage on the top rack with the thermometer installed. I cook it at 200 deg until the internal temperature reaches 160 deg. This will take about 2 hours or so. When it’s ready, remove from the oven and rest. The casing should be very hot to the touch. After it can be handled, refrigerate overnight. It is ready the next day.

We cut ours into thirds. One goes into the fridge for snacking on and two go in the freezer as backups. Serve on a the cutting board in slices with your favorite condiment. As I mentioned earlier, spicy brown mustard and wasabi mustards are my favorites, but a horseradish would serve well here too. Enjoy!

The Christmas hare

Christmas morning 2015 was certainly a gift. The unseasonable temps made it feel like we were back in Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful, bright morning and the air was clean and crisp. When I first met the day, the thermometer on the front porch read 32 degrees. A far cry from the norms of single digits expected this time of year.

I stoked the wood stove, then added a few logs. Moira brought her tea and a cup of coffee for me, and we settled by the tree. Our dogs Chuck and CJ were already settled, having the experience of Christmas past and knowing what was wrapped in some of those packages. You see, our dogs open their gifts themselves, with the term “open” used liberally.

After the exchanging of gifts and the calls made to family and friends wishing all a Merry Christmas, I cast an eye toward Moira and asked, “We still on?”

“You betcha!” came the reply. With only a week left, my grouse season wasn’t over just yet.

Moira grabbed her gear and ushered CJ, our Beagle, out to the Jeep. When I grabbed the 20 gauge from the gun cabinet and my vest, our Yellow Labrador Chuck needed no ushering of any sort. He knew what that meant.

We had only recently started bringing Chuck out into the woods to flush ruffed grouse for me. His enthusiasm certainly made up for his lack of experience, as I had three times more flushes in a day than I had hunting alone. These hunts were intended to be an introduction for Chuck and just to have fun. We all could get out, get some fresh air, exercise and hopefully put some grouse in the freezer as a bonus.

What a perfect way to spend a beautiful Christmas morning in Maine.

We parked at the head of a logging road I had some luck at previously and got geared up. CJ on the leash because when that ‘ol girl gets her nose down, she suddenly becomes deaf and gets out too far. Moira isn’t having that.

We moved down the trail with the sun in our eyes, Chuck working the edges like he knows what he’s doing. I suspect he does somewhat, he hails from hunting bloodlines. We just never put him under the gun back in Pennsylvania. Limited opportunities as they were.

As we climbed a hill, approaching the entrance to a clear cut on my right, I asked Moira to hold back with CJ. I knew this was prime habitat and had flushed birds there before. Chuck and I moved up into the clear cut and I put him to the right side of me, ahead about 5 yards.

“Where the birds at?” I asked him. He bee-lined to the edge of some bramble near a log and the air exploded with the unmistakable beat of “Thunder Chicken” wings.

A big male grouse was airborne and moving from my right to left, flying low. I brought the gun up, but didn’t have a shot. Remember my inexperienced bird dog? He was jumping through the air nipping after that bird. We’ll have to work on that.

The bird cleared Chuck then did what ruffed grouse do. He hit the afterburners and like a fighter jet, made a hard right turn toward the safety of the tree line. I snapped a shot off, but knew I was behind him. Those are some fast birds.

Moira and CJ joined us in the clear cut and we formed a plan. Knowing grouse fly to safety in about a hundred yards or so, we decided to move up through the cut the rest of the way, check for any more hanging tight, then try to flush the bird again. I saw where he went and knew another skidder trail was behind the treeline.

We reached the skidder trail and once again Moira held CJ back while Chuck and I advanced. “Where the birds at Chuck?” I asked him. Once again, he turned right into the edge of the treeline off the trail and flushed that bird a second time! This time I got a shot off quickly, but that bird got into the thick stuff in the blink of an eye. I knew I was ahead of him this time, but it was pretty thick in there. Chuck and I went in to investigate.

“Find the bird. Find the bird, Chuck.” We quartered the area, but didn’t find a bird. I wasn’t too surprised, I didn’t hear the tell tale sound of the bird down “Whump” when they hit the deck. Nevertheless, I was proud of Chuck. He had a great morning. He was getting bored standing still in the woods while I marked the spot for future reference, so I sent him back out to Moira on the trail.

As I put my phone back in my vest, I saw a flash to my right front. Was that the belly of my grouse? Was it just some snow falling from an overloaded spruce?

Nope! It was a fast moving snowshoe hare that decided it was “Go time”. I brought up the gun, got in front and touched it off. The hare disappeared and I walked in after it.

I came out to the trail grinning. Moira asked, “Did you get that grouse?” I replied, “I got something!”

“You got a snowshoe? It’s beautiful!” said Moira. And it was. A big beautiful male. The dogs were excited and so were we. What a way to cap off a great morning hunt.

I learned something new that Christmas morning. Always be prepared for an unexpected gift in the Maine woods.