The month of June holds innumerable opportunities for the outdoorsman. Most notably for me is the hot bass fishing action that can be found in lakes and rivers throughout Vacationland. I have spent quite a few days on my deer stand in November day dreaming about monster June smallmouth, planning the casts and lures I’d use to put those lunkers hiding in the weeds in my boat.
Pattern that shotgun
Spring wild turkey season is upon us. Most states in New England open the first week of May with lucky Massachusetts hunters already in the woods calling toms. Leading up to the spring turkey season, my mailbox starts overflowing with catalogs from outfitters and hunting gear suppliers offering the newest in gadgets, guns and ammunition I need to ensure a successful gobbler hunt. Here is one thing I know for sure: there is no amount of technology that can take the place of a well-placed shot from a properly patterned shotgun.
3 common mistakes turkey hunters make and how to avoid them
You have been out at dawn and dusk for days, using a locator call to make the big toms gobble and give away their roosting trees. Countless miles have been logged walking field edges and tote roads looking for turkey sign like scratches, dusting sites and tracks. You may even be lucky enough to have a breeding flock patterned.
After all, this isn’t your first rodeo. You are a seasoned hunter and have put in the time and preseason scouting to ensure a great opening day for spring wild turkey. But as we all know, there is something about North America’s largest game bird that makes even the savviest of hunters lose their mind when that first gobble booms across the ridge line on a crisp spring morning.
Here is a look at some common rookie mistakes to avoid the morning of the spring opener.
Don’t be late
If you aren’t an early riser by nature, you should make darn sure you have enough alarm clocks to shake you out of bed early enough on the morning of your hunt. Rushing through the woods, bleary eyed and sleepy, to make it to your hunt site in time is just plain not good.
Not good for safety, not good for stealth and most importantly, not good for other hunters who did get up on time and are nestled away waiting for legal light. Don’t be this guy.
Be still
You can get away with a minor shift when on stand hunting whitetail deer. Maybe, just maybe…you could get away with a twitch when scouring a stand of white cedar that you expect a bruiser black bear to emerge from. You most definitely will not escape the discerning eye of a wild turkey.
The vision of a wild turkey is their most finely tuned sense and their hearing is about twice as good as yours. Resist the urge to scratch your chin or adjust your seat pad every ten minutes.
My hunting buddy Harley can plant himself in his tree stand during deer season well before light, not move the entire day during frigid temperatures and not come down until after dark. That is the kind of discipline it takes to bag a trophy gobbler.
All of the preparations made and the expectations leading up to this morning can make the most seasoned hunter a little fidgety. Do your best to conceal any movement and if a turkey is near, wait until its head is hidden behind a tree, rock or other object to block his vision and your position.
Be a turkey
One of the biggest and most common mistakes turkey hunters make is calling too much. Sometimes the excitement of hearing an old tom’s gobble shattering the stillness of the woods can really get the adrenaline flowing.
If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself working that slate call like a DJ at a turntable. I concede it takes a lot of discipline to not over call when you are on a hot gobbler, but the fact of the matter is this: Turkeys simply do not vocalize like that.
Think of it this way. If a real wild turkey was making as much racket as you are, predators would pinpoint them in no time flat. Gobblers will realize something is wrong and the jig will be up.
Try to restrict your calling to a minimum and do it naturally. For example, don’t make purrs and clucks that simulate a contented hen feeding before fly down happens in the morning. A gobbler will nail you in an instant. Turkeys don’t feed in trees.
Mimic turkey sounds as they occur naturally: Fly down cackle, yelps and clucks and finally purrs.
Wild turkey hunting is arguably one of the toughest challenges in the sporting world. With movement discipline, practiced turkey calling and plenty of planning, you should be well on your way to bagging a beard-dragging monster gobbler this spring.
Maine’s Spring Wild Turkey season opens May 1st.
Upgrade your 700
The Remington 700 is arguably one of the most prolific hunting rifles ever made. Introduced in 1962, the 700 has made its way into untold numbers of gun safes, climbed countless tree stands and has logged as many miles in the woods as your average skidder in northern Maine. While it is hard to quantify how many whitetail deer have seen the business end of the Remington 700, it is safe to say it is a whole bunch; scientifically speaking.
How Obamacare cost this rural Maine nurse her job
Julie is a 10-year health care veteran who has worked in various hospitals throughout New England. Seeking a better future for her children and an environment suitable to raise her family, she finally had the opportunity to work at a small regional hospital in rural Maine and settled there. She felt she was finally home. Then Obamacare came along and her career came to an abrupt halt.
I came across Julie’s story online and reached out to her. She had a lot to say about the Affordable Care Act and the effects it has had on the ability of small town health care facilities to balance expenses and remain viable.
In deference to fears of professional retaliation for sharing her opinions, I agreed to keep her identity and location private. Julie is not her real name. Here is what she had to say.
Given notice
When she received the news, Julie was understandably upset. She loved her job and thought of her co-workers as family. But as the influx of people seeking treatment without insurance or the ability to pay out of pocket grew, the hospital she worked for had no choice but to cut costs. Julie was one of those costs.
Julie says it was a direct result of Obamacare. She lives outside of a very small town without much in the way of economic opportunity. Like many poor rural towns, drug abuse and unemployment have become commonplace. High paying jobs with benefits are not. She makes a very simple and compelling argument:
“In theory, giving healthcare to everyone sounds great, but it doesn’t work. People can’t afford it.”
She adds, “When they can’t afford it, they don’t get it and when they get sick, they come to the hospital.” What happens if the person can’t pay?
“Nothing.” The hospital is left holding the bag.
Carrying the government burden
“The government says we have to treat everyone, but we don’t get reimbursed for that care like we used to,” said Julie. “No business can survive when they are paid 65% of the cost of their services. Small hospitals can’t survive. They will close down, and then there won’t be a place for the ill to go.”
Mandating what a business must do and for what price, is about as un-American as it gets. There is a word for it and I can assure you it has never been associated with American values or ideology. When a government interferes with the free market economy, the results are disastrous.
If you think single-payer nationalized healthcare is the answer, you are dead wrong. Ask a veteran how that kind of healthcare model is working out at VA hospitals.
Why so many on the left are convinced that government involvement in healthcare is a good idea is baffling.
All politics are local
I didn’t ask Julie about her politics and if that had any role in her position on Obamacare. I didn’t need to. It would not have mattered if she has ‘D’ or ‘R’ after her name on the voter rolls; her personal experience with the consequences of Obamacare wouldn’t have been any different.
“I don’t pretend to know anything about politics, but I will vote for anyone who gets rid of Obamacare” she said. That is stinging rebuke of the Affordable Care Act, especially from someone who works within its confines.
When I asked Julie if she had the opportunity to speak to lawmakers about healthcare reform, promised changes or the outright repeal of the ACA, the foremost thought on her mind was reducing the amount of “forced charity care” hospitals must comply with at their own expense.
She wants to be clear though, “It’s a difficult question…someone shouldn’t feel like if they are dying, they won’t get any help. But, if (the hospital) is expected to care for everyone (without insurance) we should be reimbursed for that.”
The future
While Republicans continue to stumble about trying to cobble together a sound replacement for the Affordable Care Act, workers in the healthcare industry are once again faced with uncertainty about their future and the role government will play in their livelihood, security and ability to treat their patients.
The good news is that Julie is working again. Whether that is a testament to the uniquely American ability to overcome obstacles put in their way or the healthcare industry’s resilience in the burden placed on them is hard to say.
When I asked Julie how she feels about the future of healthcare considering the changed political landscape she said, “I am optimistic.” She qualifies that statement though, adding, “…because I think it couldn’t get much worse.”
I hope Julie is right.
Maine Moose Permit Lottery opens: Here are 5 tips for your first hunt
The chance for a hunt of a lifetime is once again upon us. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has announced the opening of the 2017 Maine Moose Lottery application process. This year the proposed allocation of 2,140 tags break down like this – 1,815 Bull-only, 220 Antlerless-only and 105 Any-moose permits. Here are some tips to help make it your lucky year.
Where to apply to hunt
With 1,560 of the 2,140 permits allocated in Wildlife Management Districts 1-8, selecting from these districts will greatly enhance your chance of hearing your name read aloud in Caribou on June 17. These areas are also where the majority of trophy class bulls are.
If the crown of Maine is too far for you to manage, WMD’s 9-11 and 19 offer you the next best opportunity.
Consider hiring a Registered Guide
Unlike the firearm season on deer which lasts roughly a month long, moose seasons come and go in a flash. Having the ability to quickly locate moose is the biggest challenge of a five day hunt. This is especially important if hunting in a district you are not familiar with. Having the assistance and knowledge of a local guide can greatly increase your ability to fill your tag.
While guide services come in all varieties, from full blown sporting lodges to one-man bands, the thing they all have in common is the desire and ability to put clients in a position to make a shot. You can find them in The Northwoods Sporting Journal, The Maine Sportsman and at the Maine Professional Guides Association website. A call to the local game tagging station where you plan to hunt is also a great source for a local guide.
Put a hunt plan together
If you decide to hire a guide, a lot of the hunt plan details will probably be arranged for you. If you decide to do it yourself, try to start formulating a hunt plan as early as possible. Aside from designating a subpermittee and alternate, you’ll need to answer some questions.
Will you be commuting to your hunt site every day or do you plan on lodging for the week? Do you have the proper equipment for your hunt? If so, is it serviceable?
Lodging facilities can fill up quick during the moose hunt. Also, the wrong time to find out your rifle has a bad firing pin is when you pull the trigger on a bull moose with a 48 inch spread!
Do you have any medical needs that need to be addressed before your hunt? Do you know where the nearest medical facility is located near your hunt location?
Make sure you are physically able to hunt. If you are a disabled hunter, make sure those of your party understand your limitations and how to assist you when needed. Having a spare prescription for any medicine needed is a good idea too.
Know how to get help if you need it. Find out where the nearest hospital and law enforcement agency is located and keep the phone numbers for the nearest Game Warden and State Police dispatch office handy.
Do you have maps of the area and a functioning compass? Do you know how to use them? GPS units and smartphones are great tools, but they are electronic devices that can fail. Knowing the cardinal directions and basic terrain features can go a long way in keeping on track.
Leaving an itinerary with a family member or friend detailing where you plan to hunt, how long you plan on being in the field every day and who to contact in case of an emergency is important. Also, having a hunt roster of everyone in the party with emergency contact information and any known medical issues is a big plus if the unforeseen arises.
Know the laws & rules
In addition to general hunting laws, make sure to get familiar with additional rules for moose hunting. Common infractions hunters make include shooting from a roadway, discharging a firearm within 100 yards of a building (without permission) and keeping a loaded firearm in/on a vehicle.
A common method used in moose hunting is ‘road hunting’ in search of bulls. Be aware, you must be 10 feet off of a bituminous or concrete treated roadway to legally shoot. Farm buildings and structures have the same restrictions as a residence under the 100 yard rule. Keeping a loaded magazine separate from a semi-automatic rifle in a vehicle is okay, but leaning a loaded rifle against an ATV is not.
New for this year during the Oct 23-28 antlerless moose hunt season, hunters in WMD’s 1-4 and 19 “must present the ovaries and/or reproductive tract at the first open registration station. The milk sack (udder) shall be left attached to the carcass.”
One article of hunter orange clothing must be worn until the season overlaps with deer firearm season, when two articles (hat and clothing) must be worn.
Be prepared for the post hunt
Congratulations! You have a 900 lb. bull moose on the ground and a lifetime of memories are being made at this very moment. Don’t let one of them be your inability to get that moose out of the woods.
The method you use or the plan you have to get your moose out of the field and home doesn’t matter too much…as long as you have a plan. I’ve seen all kinds of methods employed, from swing out engine hoists to trailers with come-alongs. My favorite though is the old pickup truck bed liner trick.
Another consideration is the difference in the field care/dressing of moose as opposed to deer. The weather is typically warmer during the Moose hunt and this means you’ll need to move quickly and efficiently to keep your moose meat from spoiling.
Having pre-assigned tasks within the hunting party will make the process go more smoothly.
It’s a good idea to have a taxidermist ready for you beforehand if you are planning a mount and if not preparing the moose yourself, having a game processor lined up is solid planning.
The deadline to submit an online moose permit application is May 15. The drawing for the 2017 Maine Moose permit lottery at Caribou Parks and Recreation is June 17.
Good luck!
Take two Trumps and call me in the morning
Like it or not, that is the prescription the American voters wrote in November 2016. Depending on the course of action both parties take over the next four years, it may be refilled in November 2020.
When far-left Democrats awoke the morning after Donald Trump’s election as the 45th President of the United States of America, many were reaching out to each other for some form of relief and comfort.
What happened last night? Did what I think happened really happen? I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.
The eight-year long wild and carefree socialist rave had finally come to an abrupt, sobering end and the hangover was crushing. If you think conservatives were cheering and striking up the band, you’re wrong.
A long four years
Not a single day has gone by since the election without one media outlet or another lecturing us about the dangers and perceived threat of Donald Trump. Network news stories make bold, blanket statements about how ‘the American people’ feel and the need to ‘resist’.
Most of the prominent daily newspapers run several anti-Trump related stories on a routine basis. The opinion sections are littered with half-truths at best and flat out lies at worst. This is a stark contrast to media coverage of the last president. Mind you, this is all in service of the American people.
This media mantra begs the question: Who do you think elected Donald Trump?
As I alluded to earlier, conservatives were not the driving force behind Trump’s victory. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who won the Republican caucus in Maine, was a much more conservative-friendly candidate. On the other side of the spectrum, we know Senator Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton supporters most likely did not vote for Trump.
Who does that leave? The good old-fashioned apolitical American working class – that’s who.
Americans flocked to Trump for a bevy of reasons. They were sick and tired of career politicians lying to them, angry at both parties for their failure to keep promises and most importantly, they believed in a need to toss a proverbial hand grenade into the huddle of political corruption in Washington D.C.
So, while progressive Democrats were apoplectic and the media was frothing on ‘the day after’, I was simply resigned. It is going to be a long four years.
Trumped again?
Fast forward to election year 2020. Much as it did during the presidency of George W. Bush, the media has kept up a constant barrage of attacks on President Trump. Some of these he deserves, most he does not. Democrat leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer never miss an opportunity to preen for the camera and the networks oblige them.
When Trump wears a brown belt with black shoes, calls for impeachment sound across The National Mall from Democrats in Congress who pledge to not let this heinous transgression against the American people go unanswered.
Republicans still haven’t mended the rift between conservatives championing a limited government, traditional values platform and establishment types who can’t win an election no matter how much they compromise their principles to appease the left.
The Democrat wish list of presidential contenders include Nancy Pelosi, Andrew Cuomo, Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Obama and anyone else who can possibly get any further left.
The Republicans never got behind the de facto leader of their party, The President, having spent four years bickering about whose fault it was that Trump was elected in the first place. The establishment offers Mitt Romney (again) in an unprecedented primary challenge of a sitting president.
Once again, the American people are disillusioned, party affiliations mean nothing and Donald Trump is re-elected.
For every cause, an effect
I believe both Republicans and Democrats have abandoned their core beliefs and party ideology over the past few decades. The only thing that seems to matter anymore is getting elected.
Democrats have swung far to the left of what most Americans are comfortable with. Republicans have forgotten what they stand for and act as if they are scared of their own shadow. What both parties have in common though is the inability to tell it straight to the American people – to make an honest argument for their beliefs regardless of how it may play in the polls.
The media’s precious role of watchdog has been reduced in many cases to that of a lapdog. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the American voter. Getting back to reporting more than opining will go a long way to restoring the integrity of modern journalism – and the willingness of the American people to believe them.
If either political party or the media hopes to regain the trust of the American people they need to start with being honest about what they stand for. Voters and viewers will either like what they say or not. That is the very core of what elections are about; not misrepresenting your views in public while making opposite claims in the private halls of government.
A two-term Trump presidency could be a very real effect caused by the very people who so vigorously oppose him.
Maine’s ice out vigil begins and how you can help
When I checked my email inbox and saw the message from The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry titled “Maine Lake Ice Out Dates Updated” I just about swooned. While I’m sure ice fishermen would disagree, I look forward to this yearly event that signifies the coming of spring. More importantly, I yearn for the approach of the open water fishing season and the pursuit of my favorite spring and summer pastime – bass fishing.Continue reading “Maine’s ice out vigil begins and how you can help”
Snowshoe Shotguns
Shotgunning for snowshoe hare keeps all of my focus this time of year. The flash of white contrasting against the emerald green of spruce and fir thickets gets my heart pumping every time I kick one out. Much the same as grouse hunting in the fall, the surprise of the flush and fast moving game makes for an exciting hunt.
Should we teach gun safety education in Maine public schools?
Mainers love their guns. Our state’s heritage is steeped in firearm tradition. With a rich history of big game pursuits in the north to pheasant hunting in the south or the growing interest in shooting sports statewide, guns are a big part of life in the Pine Tree state.
Along with the widespread ownership and use of guns comes responsibility; for our safety, the safety of others and most importantly, the safety of our children.
According to a 1997 report by the National Institute of Justice, there were over 200 million guns owned by Americans. It is a safe bet to say that the number has increased significantly in the past 20 years. The National Rifle Association Education and Training Division estimates that firearms can be found in half of American households.
In Maine, I’d guess the percentage is even higher. These statistics indicate that many children, especially Maine’s youth, will come into contact with firearms one way or the other.
That contact may be as innocuous as seeing Grandpa’s solid oak gun cabinet displaying a lifetime’s collection of fine Italian shotguns. It could also be while playing at a friends home whose parents aren’t as vigilant about firearm safety as they should be.
Whether kids grow up in a firearm household or visit family and friends who may own guns, it’s safe to say that at least half of the children in America will at least see a gun during their childhood.
Our kids are taught about stranger danger, fire drills and more in school. Why not gun safety?
The NRA’s Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program is perfectly suited to this task. The curriculum is designed for teachers, parents and civic organizations to teach kids four basic concepts: “Stop! Don’t Touch. Run Away. Tell A Grown-Up.”
The gun accident prevention program, developed in 1988 by a diverse team of educators, school administrators, urban housing safety officials, law enforcement, clinical psychologists and firearm safety experts, makes no judgement about firearms or their use. It’s sole purpose is to keep kids safe if they have an unexpected encounter with a gun.
The instructor guides for the program were developed by Dr. Lisa Monroe, an Early Childhood Curriculum Specialist at the University of Oklahoma.
“A teacher knows their students best. And they can look at the curriculum and decide what activities would best fit their group of students. So it’s not necessarily a canned curriculum that you must do X, Y and Z. It gives teachers the autonomy and flexibility to choose what they know to be best for their particular group of students,” said Monroe.
Much the same as swimming pools, matches and electrical outlets, the focus is on behavior surrounding a potential hazard. No guns are used in the program and the NRA’s name does not appear on any of the curriculum.
One mom had this to say about the methodology of the program, “It’s the gun equivalent of Stop, Drop and Roll. My kids can recite it.”
The Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program is designed for Pre-K though fourth grade students and all course materials are free. While the program is offered by the NRA Education and Training Division, you do not have to be an NRA certified instructor to teach it. It can be taught by teachers, police officers, civic groups, parents or anyone else willing to study and prepare the course.
Dr. Monroe has some advice for those who may have reservations, “I would say to a superintendent or school administrator that this program is absolutely appropriate for their schools and their children because it’s about safety.”
Gun politics aside, this is an issue that everyone should support. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It is not a conservative or liberal issue. It is not a rural northern or urban southern issue. It’s a child safety issue.
If we can save just one child’s life, isn’t it worth doing?