Striped Bass, Bear and Moose!
If you manage a bait shop, what do you do on your day off? If you’re Zachary Spring, manager of Saco Bay Tackle, you go fishing! The results speak for
themselves, as we feature Zach and this 43”, 40-lb. trophy, caught May 22, 2026, on this month’s cover.
Did you make it to Acton, Maine on June 20 for the Moose Lottery? It was a well-run, family-friendly event. If your name (or your buddy’s name) was drawn, start prepping for the hunt by reading Jeff LaCourse’s special section, “Beating the Odds at the Moose Lottery” (p. 24) in which the author not only details how his family lucked into three different permits, but also how he’s fabricating a moose rifle from scratch for his daughter to use in this fall’s hunt.
More moose coverage is provided by Staci Warren (p. 23), who reminds successful permit recipients that a moose is Step #1 in a hunter’s 4-step process toward earning a coveted membership in the Grand Slam patch club.
You want bears? Nate Fenderson offers up “Choosing a Guide, and Selecting your Equipment” (p. 21). Nate, a master ME and NH guide himself, tells readers the questions to ask, to ensure that a guide’s skills and experience match the needs of the hunter.
ATVers get a “two-fer” this month, with Steve Carpenteri contributing “Maine’s Best ATV Rides” (p. 17), while new writer Jake Mowry tells riders what they need to bring for repairs and rescue if things don’t turn out as planned, with “Emergency Kits for Riding ATVs in the Back Country” (p. 19).
And speaking of new writers, statistician Troy Frye turns his attention this month to the harvest results of Maine’s ultra-successful turkey stocking program, in his Almanac submission titled “A Brief, Stunning History of Maine Turkey Hunting” (p. 13).
And for fans of vintage classics, we offer tributes to the venerable Herter’s catalog (see Jon’s Jottings, p. 8) and to the Leatherman multitool (Tidewater Tales, p. 58).
All this, plus saltwater fishing, dry-fly fishing, kayaking, a new Raging Hunter 350 “hand cannon” pistol, nesting ducks, hunting dogs, and the best cartoons north of Westbrook and south of Easton.
Once again this month, we hope we’ve met our goal of exceeding your expectations. Write us at Will@MaineSportsman.com with questions or comments. Enjoy!
