Millinocket Moose

I woke my son up at 1:40 in the morning so that we could be in Millinocket by 4 AM. I have made it a point this year to take advantage of local Maine guides who are struggling because of the cancellations from out-of-state hunters and anglers. Many guides and outfitters have great discounts on trips and as a local, I am happy to take advantage! We had been in quarantine for 12 weeks at that point and it was leading up to my son’s birthday. So at 4am, we met up with Paul Sannicandro of Moose Woods Guide Service to go on a moose safari.

The weather called for rain but we were determined to find a few moose before the storms rolled in. With bug spray, binoculars, cameras and face masks, we headed out on the Golden Road to find some moose. We didn’t have to go far before Paul spotted a young bull. Excitedly and quietly, we hiked close to the edge of the pond to get a better view. The sun was just starting to crest the trees and illuminate the snow on the peak of Katahdin. It was one of those moments that makes you take a deep breath and just be grateful - even amid the swarm of mosquitos.

Paul helped my son snap a few pictures with his camera and let him try out his moose call. When the bull didn’t respond, Paul assured him that it was because the moose couldn’t hear him. We watched the bull eat and wade through the water. My son asked a lot of questions and talked about the outdoors, things he learned from Wild Kratts and how he had perfected his moose call. Paul was fantastic and made sure to keep the conversation going with a very talkative (almost) seven-year-old. He commented on and appreciated his love of the outdoors and willingness to get up in the middle of the night to come and look for moose.

We went to two different ponds and each time there was a larger bull moose that was closer to where we were. My son snapped more photos. We were able to get some great pictures and watch an amazing sunrise. We were the only people on the road. We saw waterfalls, parts of the Appalachian trail, signs for Baxter State Park and were able to talk about hunting and fishing and the importance of people seeing these natural places.

The rain began to move in mid-morning and we decided to end our adventure a little early. After being up for almost nine hours, a nap was in store. As we said our goodbyes, Paul handed my son a biography of Theodore Roosevelt, wished him a happy birthday and told him to keep exploring the wild places.

We need more guys like Paul. We need to support and promote the work that they do and continue to nurture the love of the outdoors in the next generation. It was a fantastic trip filled with great stories, bull moose and a breathtaking landscape. We can not wait to go back.

Where are the women?

This week, my interview with Steve at The Maine Outdoorsman went live. Steve said yesterday 200 people hit his site viewing over 500 pages. That is a lot of people reading about little ole me and hunting. Why? When I think of women who are in the general public's eye and hunt, I can think of 2 - Country singer Miranda Lambert and Sarah Palin. Why only two? Why is the female hunter such a fascinating thing? (I should probably note that I do not have cable so any and all female hunters on the hunting stations are lost to me. I'll keep it to the general public because that's what I am familiar with.) People/media were fascinated by the fact that they could get footage of Palin and her gun, shooting (and gutting) animals but I feel like the nostalgia would be lost if they had the same footage of McCain. Lambert and her hubby Blake Shelton tweet photos of their kills, and comment on what/where they are hunting. I only know this because I follow both. That's it....

So much to celebrate - let's give away stuff!

As you know from my last post, this month I am celebrating the one year anniversary of this blog, 10 years of hunting with my Dad and a milestone birthday. In honor of all three, I want to give away some great Maine stuff to all of you! Rules: 1. Leave a comment 2. On Oct 28 (my big bday), Dad will pick a number and the corresponding post will win. What will you win? A big basket of great Maine and outdoor things! Such as: fly fishing flies, blueberry something, Maine maple syrup, apple butter (to be made by me on Tuesday), something related to deer hunting and a couple of great books signed by local authors. (Pictures will be posted when I am back at a computer). So thank you for your support and for helping my celebrate such a great month!!

So much for respectable stand placement

Dad has hunted on the land that houses the Sky Condo for the better part of his life. About six years ago, we built the SC and started hunting there full time. At that time, there were no other hunters near by. A few years ago, a hunter bought a bordering piece of property, re-did the old camp that was there and brought his buddies along. We haven't had a lot of incidents with them (trespassing last year, putting pink ribbon on my tree seat and lying to us when we asked them what they shot - a search through the list at the tagging station said an 8-point buck). Two years ago, Dad bought a piece of land that is separated from the Sky Condo property by a powerline and a driveway that is privately owned by our hunting neighbor. The land was bought in May and once October came, our neighbor put a treestand up along the edge of the powerline, facing our new piece of property and right next to our traveling path. We were cautious from that point ...

and a strong cup of coffee

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