Judging by the content of the December issue of The Maine Sportsman, the twelfth month of the year is a great time to be active outdoors.
Deer, ducks, grouse, rabbits, pickerel and perch all get heavy coverage this month, with special focus on ice fishing and snowmobiling.
In fact, our snowmobiling special coverage may surprise you because it talks about how windmills and snowmobile trails combined make for exciting winter riding.
But … as they say in the TV infomercials … wait, there’s more!
Our gun writer Col. J.C. Allard has crafted a column all about a very special handgun that may also surprise you. And our nature writer Tom Seymour offers up a fact-filled wildlife column on snowshoe hares.
Truly, the amount of useful information in this issue is endless. The Fly Box gives you the details on what makes the Wulff such an effective dry fly and Publisher Jon Lund talks about the days of yore when hunting was so much simpler and a rifle could be purchased for $5.
Days are shorter now, meaning time spent indoors is longer. Spending some of that time reading the pages of The Maine Sportsman is both fun and educational. Check it out for yourself!
Posted on Monday, November 21st, 2011 by Maine Sportsman Categories:General
In November 2010, an unseasonably warm Saturday with virtually no wind, this writer decided not to deer-hunt and bicycled for several hours, often on wooded, undeveloped roads around the Belgrade Lakes Region. It was the last really warm day for the sport in 2010.
During this long pedal covering 60-plus-miles, 30 bicyclists caught my eye, give or take one or two bikes. In that long jaunt, I passed one hunting vehicle parked beside the road. One! In fact, it was the only parked vehicle, and it had an empty firearms case folded on the front seat, proving it was a hunter, probably a hunter after deer.
Maine is a-changing!
Astute observers notice a point on Maine bulletin boards dedicated to angling. In the past several years, more and more impressive sized salmonids show up on these boards, indicating that Maine anglers are learning how to catch November trophies after the spawn.
Some anglers have learned how to present egg imitations, and others find the right baitfish and even match-the-hatch choices to put a bend in the rod. They’re learning particulars about the sport, as the photos show.
These changes are huge compared to a few years ago when deer hunting dominated the month, and the only real serious alternatives to whitetails was second-season duck hunting. Most of us can count the number of November waterfowl hunters we know with fingers of one hand.
Meanwhile, guys like The Maine Sportsman columnist Tom Seymour concentrate on pollock off docks in Maine harbors or hit other species that folks seldom target.
Hikers get out, particularly on Sundays, and they find mushrooms, tender roots and young potherbs for meals. On and on it goes as outdoors types plunge into the woods and onto the water before winter begins and such sports as ice-fishing, snowmobiling and skiing vie for attention.
If snowfall is light in at least the first two or three weeks of November in the bottom third of the state, hikers get out in places such as Camden Hills State Park in Camden. Kennebec River Rail Trail from Augusta to Gardiner, Bradbury Mountain State Park or any place with blazed trails.
In the North Country, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing might start if enough snow falls, and snow sleds dominate winters in Maine now. Our winter economy up north would die without these motorized gadgets.
Gardens still produce Brussels sprouts, spinach and other greens that tolerate frigid temperatures.
What a month for the outdoors that November makes for those who love the Maine woods in all the seasons.
If you suspect there might be a lot of articles about deer hunting in the November issue of The Maine Sportsman, you’ve got that right. But superb where-to, how-to information on whitetails is just the start of this month’s issue offers.
For example, November’s Maine Wildlife column focuses on tommycod, a small salt water fish that swims up Maine rivers about the same time smelt do for spawning. Did you know tommycod are excellent eating?
Stripers, crappies, trout and bass are more fishy topics you’ll find in the November issue, so there’s plenty of good reading for anglers.
We’ve put in a pile of extras in this issue, including a big game grand slam and lots of other trophy photos.
So, while we focus on Maine’s number one game animal in the month of November, when most of us are out there trying to put deer steaks into the freezer, we give plenty of coverage to the many other great activities available to sportsmen during the eleventh month of the year.
So grab a copy of the latest issue of The Maine Sportsman, find a comfortable chair and settle down for hours of great outdoor reading.
Posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 by Maine Sportsman Categories:General
Just about every hunting sport happens in October– upland birds, waterfowl, deer, bear, moose, turkey, raccoon, rabbit, gray squirrel, fox and coyote – and angling still attracts legions after salmonids and bass. If that isn’t enough, we can trap muskrat and canines in early seasons and also bear.
Deer ranks as the favorite hunting quarry for most sportsmen, but ruffed grouse hold second place – and not a distant second, either. Pa’tridge huntin’ is popular in Maine!
Bears interest still hunters, houndsmen and folks on stand beside trails or feeding spots. Lucky folks with moose permits can shoot the world’s largest deer. Turkeys provide such a quality hunt that this bird draws in a serious group, as do waterfowl, woodcock, raccoon, rabbit, fox and coyote.
Trout and salmon can keep the feedbag on until mid-October, depending on latitude and elevation, and many of us live for fly rodding this month in blazingly colorful landscapes.
Bass have their followers, and maybe a day will come when bass anglers outnumber salmonid aficionados.
Folks love to canoe trip, backpack and car camp now that pesky, biting bugs have subsided and hills have turned to yellows, reds and golds. Hiking also picks up in this cooling month, and folks love to walk up trails into mountains that offer scenery in all directions.
Photographers shoot landscapes now, thanks to golden, sweet light, and wildlife photographers target critters and more critters.
Vehicle campers, canoe trippers and backpackers brave enough for frigid nights beneath the stars camp out in this colorful month and enjoy seclusion. Hikers, bicyclists and joggers get out now, too, loving the cool days.
Soon snow will cover the landscape, but that’s okay. Winter offers delights, too, but October just has it all.
If you expect the October issue of The Maine Sportsman to be full of deer hunting information, then you won’t be disappointed. Our regional columns are full of specifics about where to find whitetails, along with plenty of how-to advice. We also have two special deer hunting features, one about tracking big woods bucks, and another detailing the much higher deer densities found in the southern half of the state.
But we haven’t neglected those who love to fish in the fall either. You’ll find excellent information about stripers, brookies, browns, landlocks and bass in this issue, all provided by writers who really know Maine fishing
Now, add to that mix all the great extras you find in each issue such as the tide table, sunrise/sunset times, cartoons, fly of the month and plenty more.
It’s for sure October is a busy time for sportsmen, but if you can find some time to spend with this month’s issue of The Maine Sportsman, you’re bound to find something that helps you have more fun in the great outdoors.
Posted on Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 by Maine Sportsman Categories:General
