Moose and Upland Game Dominate Hunting Scene
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Maine has more moose than any state other than Alaska. Our state’s wildlife biologists estimate a population here of between 60,000 and 70,000 animals.
Each year, fewer than 3,000 lucky hunters (out of 50,000 applicants) are selected for permits.
Calling with mouth calls and recorded sounds; raking the branches with paddles to mimic bull antlers – it’s a sport that excites the soul, while bringing a much-needed financial boost to areas such as Washington, Somerset and Aroostook Counties.
The best way to hunt moose is with members of your own family, and when the permit-holder is your recently-widowed mother, it makes for quite a story. Read “Mom’s Moose” by Steve Vose, starting on page 19 of the October issue of The Maine Sportsman magazine.
For those hunters who missed out on a moose permit, and for those who were successful early in the week, it’s upland game season this month, with well-trained dogs assisting in the pursuit of grouse, woodcock and pheasant. Tom Seymour leads off the discussion in his Moosehead Report (“Bird Hunting Tops Agenda,” page 49), while Jim Lemieux (“Downeast Bird Hunting on the Upswing,” page 51), Tom Roth (Sebago, page 64) and William Clunie (Bird-Dogging in Rangeley with Gene Bahr, page 71) carry the theme across the width and breadth of our state.
George Smith (page 16) offers up a poignant story of changes in brook trout fishing brought on by development, while story-teller extraordinaire Warden Lt. Bill Allen (Ret.) weighs in with another true tale, this one about efforts to rescue a moose from a deep quarry in Rockland (page 41).
Special sections abound, as Steve Carpenteri returns to the Sportsman after an absence of several years, and covers the world of motorized sports, including how to rig up your ATV for hunting (page 33), and pre-season snowmobile maintenance (page 37).
The regular firearms season for whitetails is nearly here, and in celebration we feature newcomer Nate Grove on proper stand placement (page 26), as well our monthly “Big Woods World” column by Nick Campagna and Hal Blood (page 31).
All this and ducks, geese, our latest youth writing contest winner, long-distance (1,200 yards long!) target shooting, shotgun patterning and more, in this 80-page (biggest in Maine!) tribute to all those from here and away who hunt, fish, ATV, snowmobile and otherwise take full advantage of Maine’s outdoors.
We hope you enjoy reading the October issue as much as our columnists and editorial staff enjoyed assembling it.
If you’ve got something to say, write us a short letter to the editor (providing photos, if you’ve got them), and email everything to Will@MaineSportsman.com.
Give us a call at 207-622-4242, and talk with office manager, Linda. Look for us in your local store. Subscribe or renew your subscription, either on the phone or by clicking here. Keep in touch as a Facebook friend.
And thanks once again this month to our informed readers, to our many distribution outlets and to our loyal advertisers.
Will Lund, editor
Will@MaineSportsman.com
Augusta, Maine
