Maine’s Muzzleloader Season – Rich Tradition; Modern Rifles
Maine’s muzzleloader season is an interesting mix of old and new, and The Maine Sportsman celebrates this hunting opportunity with the December issue, starting with the cover photo by Stacy Belanger of a massive 8-point buck standing in the snow (and leaving tracks!). But first, here are some details about muzzleloading:
Maine’s six-day statewide season opens Monday November 28, while those in WMDs 12, 13, 15-18, 20 – 26 and 29 (generally, the southern half of the state, plus off-shore islands) get a second week, ending December 10. A separate muzzleloader permit is required, except for those holding a junior hunting license or a senior (age 70+) lifetime license.
On the inside pages, our writers share their knowledge and expertise about the sport, including the ways in which technology has changed this final whitetail season of the year. George Saliba starts things off with “Three Reasons to Consider a Muzzleloader in Maine.”
Hal Blood (“Big Woods World”) continues the theme, describing how he transitioned from a percussion cap/black powder model he assembled from a kit, to a “smoke pole” equipped with a scope that used Pyrodex powder, and finally to two different rifles that use shotgun primers and that can be opened at the breech end for easy cleaning.
And Joe Saltalamachia completes the triad with his piece, titled “My Love/Hate Relationship with Muzzleloaders.”
With winter comes snow and ice – and to us, that means snowmobiling and ice fishing! We follow Todd Corayer all the way from New England to Minnesota (motto: “Ice fishing is not an activity – it’s a culture”), where he successfully pursues walleyes using Maine lures – specifically, jigs from Al’s Goldfish of Eliot, Maine, in a special section titled“Walleyes Through More than Three Feet of Minnesota Ice.”
And as for snowmobiles – for many riders, there is a need for speed, and in a feature titled “Off to the Races,” our contributing writer Steve Carpenteri previews speed contest scheduled this winter in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
All this, plus letters to the editor, world-class cartoons, and the best jokes from the middle of Middle Dam to the center of Centerville.
And an important request – do you (or does someone you know) have old issues of The Maine Sportsman? We started publishing in 1971, more than 50 years ago. Search your attic and closet, and let us know!
So grab your muzzleloader, hunt hard, then kick back, take a break and enjoy the December issue of The Sportsman, cover to cover.
Questions? Contact the editor at Will@MaineSportsman.com or the office manager at Carol@MaineSportsman.com. See you outside!
Will Lund, Editor
The Maine Sportsman magazine
