TUCKER RIDGE OUTDOORS

Beware of the Canada Mountain Bob-Lynx Lion

“I looked right out of this window…he was right down there at the bottom of that field. It wasn’t no coyote and it was for darn sure no house cat. It was way too big!”

My neighbor down the ridge swore she saw one of Maine’s elusive mountain lions on the edge of her property as dusk was setting in. She proceeded to tell me, with arms spread nearly four feet apart, that “its tail was this long!”

I gently asked her, “You understand that cougars have been extirpated from Maine for some time, right? That’s IFW’s position, anyhow.”

“This was a mountain lion…and I know what I saw!” The conversation then veered off into the night her husband heard a sasquatch bellowing behind their trailer home down the ridge towards the cedar bog.

All joking aside, more and more Mainers are reporting sightings of mountain lions. Are they really here? Some folks emphatically say yes. While the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife does not officially recognize a mountain lion population in Maine, recent stories on BDN should make even the harshest of skeptics think twice.

Do I think cougars are prowling the forests of Maine? I don’t really know. What I do know is that they were once here and habitat in the north and east is prime territory for a mountain lion population. That is about the sum of my opinion. I do agree however with some skeptics who demand to see proof. In the day of widespread trail camera usage I’d expect to see at least one photo – just one, anywhere in the state.

I use numerous trail cameras at all of my coyote bait sites – there are quite a few along Tucker Ridge. There is one less than 500 yards from my neighbor’s alleged sighting. I have coyotes, bobcat and once in a blue moon, the occasional lynx. If these predators are lured in to the bait site, why does the cougar pass it up?

As I noted earlier, I do not have a steadfast opinion on whether mountain lions exist in Maine, but I know from experience that a lot of folks cannot distinguish a bobcat from a lynx even at close distances. Identifying a cougar at 300 yards in failing light is a wholly different matter. Even the sighting of a long tail could be askew in that type of visibility. If you are a hunter, you know what I mean. I’ve seen a bear turn into a rock at daybreak and a buck materialize into a small cedar stand as dawn approached. I figured now was a good time for a quick primer on bobcats, Canada lynx and mountain lions.

Bobcats

Bobcats are the smallest of the three averaging 20-30 pounds in Maine with short tails about 5-6 inches long. The underside of the tail is white with a black spot at the tip. The bobcat has slightly tufted ears and longer fur on the face called a “ruff”. Their overall color can be reddish, greyish or brownish with the underside and chin being a lighter color. Black spots are common on the legs and undersides while younger cats may display spots over their entire body. Bobcats have relatively short legs.

Canada lynx

Lynx have long legs, a solid black-tipped tail and pronounced ear tufts

Canada lynx are similar in size to bobcats but their big, long legs contribute to the perception of them being larger. Lynx have distinctly large, heavily furred feet. In winter they sport gray fur with faint spotting and will appear reddish in summer with a much shorter coat. The black ear tufts on lynx are much more pronounced and the tail tip is solid black, unlike a bobcat with the white underside.

Mountain Lion

Also known as cougars, mountain lions are far larger than lynx and bobcats averaging nearly three feet in height at the shoulders and seven to eight feet in length from nose to tail. The mountain lions coat is typically a tawny shade with a light colored underside and chin. Cubs will display spotting and ringed tails. As cougars grow into adulthood they lose all spotting. Juveniles can be recognized by spotting only visible on the rear flanks. The head appears round with erect ears. There are no ear tufts or face ruff present. Mountain lions can resemble domestic short haired cats, albeit very large ones.

As I think about how to close this article, I find myself gazing out my office window at the tree line rolling down the east side of Tucker Ridge. It is dusk and the dense mixed forest is shrinking into the shadows. What I see between a thick stand of fir and spruce causes me to jump up and grab my binoculars off of the gun cabinet. I put the binos right up to the window pane and I can’t believe my eyes!

Wait…nope. It’s just a stump.

How sportsmen pay the way for wildlife management

When Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Regional Biologist Mark Caron pulled into my dooryard, I was processing the front quarters of the buck I had taken a few days earlier. As he got out of his truck and grabbed his gear, I jokingly remarked that it sure took him long enough. I ribbed him because the last time he was here I didn’t even have the deer out of the truck and hanging on the gambrel before he showed up to take a tooth sample. He must have stopped at the tagging station to check the registrations right after I left.

Mark cracked a smile and I pointed him to the rear of my shop where the cape was located to take this year’s sample tooth.

One of the reasons I look forward to Mark’s visits is because of the wealth of information our wildlife biologists can share with us. They are eager to answer questions and having a one on one discussion is a rare opportunity. Another reason is that he always brings me a current copy of the Wildlife Division Research & Management Report.

The yearly report contains a lot of useful and interesting information regarding wildlife research, assessment and management strategies and techniques. It also lays out hunting and trapping harvest numbers by species with summaries and prospects for the coming seasons.

The report isn’t just for the sportsman however; it is stuffed with non-game animal and bird information too. Topics such as habitat, fauna and species needing the greatest conservation efforts are widely discussed.

What caught my attention in this year’s report was the effort made to educate the general public about how the department is funded and the costs associated with MDIFW’s mission. Wildlife Division Director Judy Camuso notes in her welcome letter, “…the majority (74%) of Maine residents do not understand how the Department is funded, with many residents believing the Department is funded entirely through general state tax dollars.”

Camuso adds, “The reality is that approximately 90% of the annual MDIFW budget comes from sportsman dollars.”

Endangered and Threatened Species Coordinator Charlie Todd explains how most staff salaries, administrative costs and operations of MDIFW’s Bureau of Resource Management are funded by sportsmen through the collection of federal excise taxes on sporting equipment.

In Fiscal Year 2017, the Pittman-Robertson Act and the Dingell-Johnson Act accounted for a combined $9.6 million in funding earmarked for Maine’s management of mammals, birds and fisheries. Every purchase of a firearm, box of ammunition and piece of archery equipment to name a few, is what generates this revenue. Todd notes that both of these funding mechanisms are federal cost sharing programs and require 25% in state matching dollars, which he adds,”…MDIFW derives solely from license revenues.”

Todd summarizes what hunters, trappers and fishermen have known and proclaimed all along, that license sales compromise the core funding for state wildlife agencies. He added, “The saying that ‘sportsmen are the original conservationists’ certainly rings true for program funding.”

If you are interested in learning more about how MDIFW operates and what they do, you can find the report on the Departments’ website or by clicking here.

Flying with Firearms

As sit down to write this month’s column, I find myself sitting in a hotel room in the Lone Star state, 2195 miles from my home in northeast Maine; the opening of the small game and partridge seasons well under way. I was trapping for bear and my fall turkey tag has yet to be filled. It is the second week of October and when I left Maine, the foliage was a riot of reds, oranges and yellows. Here in southern Texas it’s just hot.

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The Big Miss

The time we have all been waiting for is finally here. All of our early scouting is complete. Rub lines, scrapes and bedding areas have been identified and a hunt plan is in place. Tree stands are up and blinds are popped. Our rifles are cleaned and oiled, ready for the 2017 deer firearm season debut. A few of us put some rounds on paper to check our zero, many of us have not. We figured it this way; the rifle has been in the cabinet, protected since last year. It hasn’t been dropped or knocked about and we know we are a darned good shot, right? Why bother? Let me relate a story to you about a hunter in bear camp this year and the biggest bear he never shot.

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Want to bag a big buck on opening day? Hunt like an owl.

For many hunters, taking a mature 200 pound plus whitetail buck is a lifetime achievement. Big mature bucks are wily and love to prove it to you all season long. If you know there is a bruiser cruising the woods near your stand but can never put eyes on him, take a few tips from one of the fiercest hunters in the woods – the Great Horned Owl.

If you hunt the Maine woods chances are you’ve heard the call of the Great Horned Owl. I hear these magnificent birds routinely as I creep into the tree line under the cover of darkness and even sometimes as I watch the sun set through the mixed hardwoods, across the ridge from my spot deep in the woodland hollow. A lot can be learned from nature – especially from a natural predator.

Belong

If you don’t spend a lot of time in the woods before deer season, you are bound to go through an acclimation process. It is a form of detox from the hustle of the everyday world. The quicker you put thoughts of chores and upcoming obligations out of your mind, the quicker you will find peace and the awareness that comes with it. Think of it as hunting yoga.

When squirrels scamper by you without a second glance and the blue jays remain silent, you are relaxed and in the zone. Much like the owl perched on high, be observant of everything and a part of the environment – not an intruder in it. I’ve seen more deer, some passing within feet of my stand, when I achieve this mental state and far less when I bring the outside world in with me.

Be still

Owls define patience. They can sit on their perch watching the forest floor for hours without moving. When they do need to move their head to scan different avenues, they do it slowly and deliberately. So should you.

Any necessary movement made on stand should be minimized. Does that itch really need to be scratched again or are you just fidgeting? When moving your hands, bring them slowly towards your body and up towards your head. Keep the smallest profile you possibly can.

Deer aren’t very good at picking up detail at a distance but they are very keen at noticing movement. Big bucks are the wariest of deer and even the slightest movement can send them bounding over the ridge long before you see them.

Be true

When the owl swoops down on its prey, it is with a precision strike. Waiting for the proper presentation can make all the difference when taking your shot. A clear broadside shot to the vitals will ensure a quick, ethical kill. Pulling the trigger before you have a clear path to the vitals can lead to a wounded and lost animal. Buck fever is nothing to be ashamed of but must be controlled to the very best of your ability. Not many hunters can honestly say their heart doesn’t pound like a jackhammer when a big 10 point buck steps into the open.

What you do next will determine whether you have the hunting tale of a lifetime or an empty cartridge with nothing to show for it. Don’t let your eagerness get the best of you. Put the thoughts of how heavy the buck is or how you will get the mount done out of your mind. Stay calm. Stay focused.

Like the Great Horned Owl, patiently wait for your quarry to be in the best possible position and when the moment comes – strike.

3 things you should never enter the Maine woods without

When I first began studying in earnest to become a Registered Maine Guide, my mentor probed my knowledge of the outdoors and experience level. He knew I was an Army veteran with a lot of time logged in the field but noted that guiding clients in the big woods of Maine had its own set of rules and norms. The most important question he had for me was, “What are the three things a guide should always carry?” Here are the answers and why.

Compass

Never before has the outdoors enthusiast had at their disposal the vast array of electronic gadgets to aid navigation during outdoor pursuits. Smart phones, handheld GPS, Google maps and all of the applications and software available today may cause some to think a good old fashioned magnetic compass is antiquated technology. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While electronic navigation devices are certainly handy, some more powerful than the equipment I used while on active duty years ago, they are still prone to failure from time to time. Batteries die, screens crack, applications freeze and clear sight lines to satellites lost. You can drop your compass in the mud during a rain storm with heavily overcast skies without worry. You simply pick it up, wipe it off and keep going. I actually carry two – a Cammenga lensatic compass for navigating and a Silva with clear baseplate for plotting and map work.

Knife

A good knife’s versatility is frequently underrated. The style you choose is not as important as the tasks you should be able to perform with it. Choose a quality knife with either a locking or fixed blade capable of cutting small saplings, skinning and preparing game, notching poles, cutting rope and whittling tinder to name a few.

Some knives with heavy, fixed blades are even capable of acting as a wedge for splitting camp firewood.

With the right knife, you can cover our most basic human needs – food, fire and shelter. You will be able build a pole and bough shelter, fabricate bedding, create tinder, cut kindling for a fire and take, clean and cook game or fish in the event you are lost and need to overnight in the woods.

Fire starter

There are all sorts of modern fire starting tools available today. Many are friction or striker based. The key for these types of devices is to know how to properly use them. If you are the casual adventurer you may find the required learning curve bothersome.

Disposable lighters are a great tool to have on hand but remember they are fallible too. The striker wheel can break off, the flint can wear out and the casing may crack. A viable alternative is the trusty strike anywhere matchstick.

A handful of matchsticks sealed individually in wax for weather proofing will never let you down. A great storage option is to use two spent shotgun shells as your carrying container. Put the matchsticks in an empty 20 gauge shell and slide an empty 12 gauge shell over it from the other end.

Adding cotton balls treated with petroleum jelly in a second shell container or two will provide you with instant kindling that will burn for 2-3 minutes.

Your compass, knife and fire starter should easily fit on your belt or in the pockets of your jacket and pants. While they may not be the only things you carry as you venture outdoors, they should always be the first things you carry in our big Maine woods.

Gunning for Grouse

This month bird hunters are making their way into the logging roads and field edges in pursuit of that ever elusive, fighter jet of a game bird – the ruffed grouse. Getting back to these basics will help you put more birds in your bag.

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Bear Gun Chest Rigs

We talk a lot about the most effective gun choices when it comes to hunting the Maine black bear. We also talk a lot about calibers and specific rifle action types. The hardiest of us talk about pistols and revolvers best equipped to match the black ghost of the Maine woods. One thing we don’t often hear about is handgun holster choice when hunting bear. Whether you are a guide that has the misfortune of surprising an angry sow with cubs during a bait refill run or a hound hunter slogging through bog after bog, having the right holster and the ability to ‘clear leather’ quickly and neatly is important.

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.300 Blackout for deer

I’ll be honest, when my client Doug told me he was considering using an AR-15 for his son Will’s Youth Day deer hunt last October I was somewhat skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge AR fan. I learned to shoot in the military with one and have owned a few ever since. My 20 inch Stag Arms Mil-Spec model is one of my favorite guns.

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Stand and Fight

On April 19, 1775 British troops marched on Concord, Massachusetts with orders to seize American colonists’ weapons and ammunition. The day ended with the first shots fired of the American Revolution and the catalyst that birthed the greatest nation the world had ever seen. It also marked the very beginning of the fight over gun control in America.

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