BDN Maine Outdoors: Fall 2012

2 BDN MAINE OUTDOORS BANGORDAILYNEWS.COM FALL 2012

UPDATE

PublisherRichard J. Warren

BDN Maine Outdoors

EditorAimee Thibodeau

Graphics EditorEric Zelz

WritersJohn Holyoke

Aislinn Sarnacki

PhotographersGabor DegreJohn Holyoke

Aislinn Sarnacki

Contributing PhotographerMark PicardR.W. Estela

BDN Maine Outdoors ExtraSpecial Advertising Section

EditorBrian Swartz

Advertising DirectorTowle Tompkins

Advertising SalesJeff Orcutt

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Michele Prentice

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About the coverSurrounded by the stunning Autumn

colors on a small Maine pond, this large dominant bull moose investigates a

smaller and younger cow moose during the rut, or breeding season.

PHOTO BY MARK PICARD

Before the Great Works Dam removal began on June 11, the Penobscot River upstream of the century-plus old

obstruction was fl at, murky and calm.

According to Laura Rose Day, executive director of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust, that impoundment had none of the qualities that make rivers special, and also lacked the qualities that make lakes such vital parts of an ecosystem.

As of mid-August, that stretch of the river has changed drastically as crews continue work to remove the dam from the Penobscot by the time winter rolls around.

The Great Works Dam removal is the fi rst to go as part of the landmark Penobscot River Restoration Project. In coming years the Veazie Dam will also be removed, and a dam in Howland will be bypassed, allowing sea-run fi sheries access to more than 1,000 miles of upstream habitat that has been closed to their predecessors for more than 100 years.

The river right now looks like a river fl owing through, Rose Day said. Before the restoration work started, if you walked to the shoreline above the dam, the water was basically fl at, kind of this dark water that was uniform throughout.

Rose Day explained that impoundments above dams are typically not well oxygenated and do not have diverse habitat. That was the case above the Great Works Dam.

Now, if you go down there,

theres more shoreline, of course,because the water level has dropped. Were still in progress right now so it isnt like it will be when were fi nished, but you can see the main channel of the river fl owing through. You can see that there will be rapids. You can see where there are natural areas where there are rocks and boulders.

In addition, Rose Day said workers uncovered a remnant dam that runs parallel to the shoreline and was likely used to sort logs before the Great Works Dam existed, and boom islands that had been under water.

This area, of course, had scores of dams in it. Of course we think of the one big dam, but over the course of centuries, Im not even sure we know how manydams there have been, she said.

Rose Day said that Veazie will take center stage in 2013, and the permits the Penobscot River Restoration Trust has secured allow the group to begin work on the Veazie Dam on July 15 of next year after the typical peak of salmon returns on the river.

As of mid-August, however, Rose Day was focusing her attention on the stretch of river above Great Works, where a lot of work, including relocating mussels, has been taking place.

I think over the last couple of weeks, its gone from looking like it has for the last more than a century, with a free-fl owing river below and a fl at slack-water above the dam, to looking like theriver that used to fl ow through this site, she said.

Crews work to remove the Great Works Dam in Bradley.BDN PHOTO BY GABOR DEGRE

BY JOHN HOLYOKE, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER

Great Works dam removal reveals a

new old river

The site of the Great

Works Dam in Old Town and

Bradley on Aug. 12, 2012

PHOTO COURTESY OF R.W. ESTELA

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FALL 2012 BANGORDAILYNEWS.COM BDN MAINE OUTDOORS 3

INSIDE

IN THIS ISSUE 04 Moose Tales Floating moose, wrecked trailers can foul up a perfectly good hunt

07 Paul Doiron Profi le Maine author gaining traction with wilderness mysteries

11 S.A.M. Newsletter Hear whats new at the Sportsmans Alliance of Maine

16 Maine Camp Traditions For hunting, fi shing or just relaxing, Maines sporting camps enjoy rich tradition

19 Stuff It! Taxidermist John Dykstra talks about his trade

20 Deer: By the Numbers A look at Maines annual deer season

22 Leaf Peepin Get off the roads to see some of the best foliage Maine has to offer 22

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COVER STORY

Moose hunters live (and sometimes suffer) by the same saying, which is shared at permit lotteries and hunting camps year after year: Once you shoot the moose, the fun is over.

The reason: When you walk up to a freshly shot critter that might weigh as much as 1,200 pounds (800 is more typical), youll quickly learn that a few things arent going to happen.

Like, for instance, youre not going to muckle onto the mooses antlers with your bare hands and haul it back to your truck, as you might a deer. And if your moose decided to take its last breath in, say, a lake, or a pond, or a mud hole, or (this is a good one) the ocean, its up to you the hunter or your faithful pack-mule pals,

to fi gure out what to do next.My brother-in-law is a perfect

example of the moose-hunt Murphys Law that seems to exist for some people. Years ago, after heading out on his fi rst moose hunt, he and his hunting buddy quickly dispatched a moose. They fi eld-dressed it where it lay, and got it up onto their trailer in no time fl at.

Then, as they prepared to drive out of the woods, they lurched into a hole and the trailers tongue bent severely making a simple process into a much more complicated one.

Some hours later, after hammering the trailer back into shape, they emerged from the woods with their moose. It was full dark. They were tired. And they had a hunting story theyll never forget.

Here, then, are a few unconventional moose tales. Some came from readers. A couple are my own, from our BDN fi les. And all illustrate that theres no telling what will happen when you head into the Maine woods in search of moose or onto the ocean in search of lobsters.

Since youre probably confused by that last bit, lets start with the lobsters.

Marthas brine-soaked moose

Back in 2002 (in my fi rst piece as the BDNs offi cial outdoor columnist), I shared the story of Martha Jordan of Machia-sport, a 48-year-old teacher and tour-boat operator who regularly took customers out on her 34-foot lobster boat during the summer

months.One day, Martha and her clients

got a big surprise: They found a dead moose fl oating in the Atlantic.

I know, I know. This isnt your typical moose-hunting story. But Jordan was a hunter, and had always wanted to go on a moose hunt. She hadnt, to that point, because shed never had her named drawn in the state-run permit lottery.

Then she got lucky, and the moose came to her.

At fi rst, she thought the fl oating moose was a seal. Then, when she realized what it was, she pulled alongside the carcass and began checking it for freshness by pulling at tufts of hair on its back.

When they start to decay, those hair follicles will start to loosen and you can pull out the hair, she

explained at the time. But they were all tight. I said, I bet this is a fresh, drowned moose!

It was. And with some help from her clients, she tied her up short to the boat and hauled it back to port, at 4 knots. A game warden met Jordan at the dock and they fi eld-dressed her prize right on the shore.

In the subsequent weeks, she enjoyed the tasty meat that she had salvaged.

MOOSE TALES ABOUNDin Maine WoodsBY JOHN HOLYOKE, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER

Its the best thing Ive ever eaten. Its like a cow of the forest.

MARTHA JORDAN

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COVER STORY

Its the best thing Ive ever eaten. It tastes like Angus beef, except it doesnt have the fat to it, she said. Its like a cow of the forest.

Or, in that case, cow of the ocean.

Its like surf and turf, all in the same meal, Jordan said.

Have trouble? Call Gary

Fourteen years ago, Gary Cameron of Caribou realized that there was money to be made in bailing out unprepared or unlucky moose hunters.

Thats why he started his business, Moose Retrieval Service, which specializes in extracting the burly critters from the worst of situations.

I dont get the easy ones, and the ones I extricate from the woods

are usually because of hunter error or simply Murphys Law, Cameron wrote in an email. Ive fl oated a few moose across beaver dams and farm ponds. I never claimed to be overly intelligent in fi nding a challenge in pullout out a 700-pound animal, but theres some humor to be found in almost every one Ive done.

Cameron started out with a diesel compact tractor with a front-loader bucket. Now, he uses a six-wheel amphibious Argo vehicle with a 3,000-pound winch, and travels all over the north country, helping moose hunters in need.

Ive often thought about writing a book about some of my escapades and likely will still do it, given a stormy day in mid-winter with nothing else to do, he wrote.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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Do rocks have hair?

A BDN reader who offered her tale as simply M.E.B. from Deer Isle, ratted out her nephew, R.B., and his buddy, Scott, who had an eventful hunting trip that both still talk about.

The pals, both lobster fi sherman on the coast, headed north one September when the weather was unseasonably hot, and found their moose on the third day of the season.

They both fi re at the same time, and the bull takes off down throughthe woods, M.E.B. wrote in an email. They follow the trail, plain as day, about 100 yards and into the river.

The moose was gone. It was getting dark. And they adjourned to camp, sure that theyd lost the moose.

The next day, another 70-degree September scorcher, the pals headed back to the river.

R.B. was looking across the river through his scope. He says Hey, Scott. Do rocks have hair? The moose had made it up over the bank and dropped. R.B. could see its back sticking up above the bushes, R.E.B. wrote.

After some further misfortune including launching the roped-up moose into the river while trying to haul it back across, and the two lobstermen paddling different directions in the same canoe after changing their plan they successfully fi eld-dressed the moose and took it to Ashland with minimal meat lost due to spoilage.

It sounds more like an African safari than a moose hunt, M.E.B. concluded.

Ever troll a moose?

In another tale from the archives, guide Dan LaPointe of Masardis and Beech-Nut Camps told a doozy back in 2002, after a couple of sports ended up in the soup.

Well, lets clarify: The moose ended up in the soup, after it ran 30 yards, down a steep embankment, and splashed into a pond.

The simplest method of retrieval,LaPointe decided, was to fl oat the critter across a 600-yard pond.

Which is perfectly fi ne, if youre sure that moose fl oat. LaPointe wasnt.

We werent really sure if the moose was going to fl oat, because Ive never fl oated a moose across a lake with a boat before, LaPointe said at the time.

Luckily for the guide and his clients, the moose trolled along just fi ne, and was safely hauled out of the water on the other side of the pond.

And the sports? Well, they had a few more days to kill before they were expected back in Massachusetts. LaPointe had a boat.

And they were going fi shing.

FROM PAGE 5


FEATURE STORY

Lightning strikes more than twice for

When Paul Doiron graduated from college, he looked to the west and saw a land of opportunity for a guy who knew his way around the written word (and who, by the way, had just earned an Ivy League degree from Yale).

It didnt take him long to discover how much he had left to learn.

After I graduated, I went to Hollywood. My goal was to become a screenwriter, Doiron said. I spent a really miserable year in Hollywood and came back with my tail between my legs, and sort of fell back in love with the state of Maine at that point.

Still, Doiron, who grew up in Scarborough and graduated from Cheverus High in Portland, wasnt sure he was going to stay in his home state.

I think I thought I was going to leave, but a couple of things happened. One was, I was struck by lightning while I was camping with some friends Memorial Day weekend, 1988, Doiron said.

That episode was terrifying, Doiron said. He and two friends were camping (illegally, he admits) in western Maines Grafton Notch State Park. A tree was struck. Doiron was burned. And one of his pals was seriously injured.

But when I survived it, and my friend survived it, thank God, people told me, Well, you want to be a writer. Finally you have something to write about. Doiron said.

Doiron submitted a non-fi ction piece to Down East magazine, his fi rst published work. And he kept on writing.

Now, more than 20 years later, Doiron is the editor and chief of Down East. And in recent years, hes also been introduced as author Paul Doiron, since the 2010 release of his fi rst novel, The Poachers Son, and subsequent novels called Trespasser and Bad Little Falls.

All three novels are part of the Mike Bowditch series of mysteries, and all focus on the adventures of a Bowditch, a Maine game warden. The fi rst, The Poachers Son, was nominated for an Edgar Award as best fi rst novel, has sold more than 20,000 print copies, and has been

translated into nine languages. Trespasser sold even better and spent a week on the American Booksellers Association best-seller list. Bad Little Falls hit bookstores in August.

Doiron said when he headed to Hollywood as a fresh college graduate, he fi gured things were going pretty well. He landed a few meetings, including a memorable one with a major player in the fi lm industry. Then he learned how the game worked.

I had an interview with Disney and the moment that I sat down on the couch, it seemed like it was going to be great, Doiron said. They offered me 20 different kinds of bottled water out in the reception area, which was very posh and expensive.

And then you go and you sit down at a couch and youre instantly being grilled about stuff that youve written and you realize that the people that are interviewing you never even read the things you had submitted, he said. Theyre just somebody in some chain.

In Hollywood, Doiron worked in a bookstore. He did temp jobs. He moved furniture. Then, humbled, he came home.

But I think living out of state was a good thing for me, because when I did come back to Maine and Ive lived in Boston as well it helped remind me what it is about this place thats so special. I dont think I could do my current job at Down East if I didnt really believe that Maine is one of the best places in the world to live.

And Doiron said running a magazine that serves as the states top cheerleader (as well as a chronicler of some of the seedier sides of Maine) fi ts in perfectly with

his new career.Im in love with Maine, and the

interesting thing about my life is I get to celebrate the state in one regard with the magazine, and everything that I know about Maine that doesnt really belong in Down East goes into my books, Doiron said.

Doiron admits that dreaming up The Poachers Son and the Mike Bowditch series wasnt an easy process. For years, he spent too much time trying to cater his writing to an ideal that he thought readers would latch onto. That approach failed.

Like a lot of aspiring writers, you have your eye on the best-seller list and you dream of being of course, any Mainer, any Maine kid growing up thinks of Stephen King, right? but that wasnt working for me, Doiron said. I wasnt writing horror, but I was writing things that I thought would be commercial, and not getting anywhere with that.

Then Doiron decided to change his approach.

Finally one day I said to myself, Im going to sit down and write the book that I want to read, but I cant fi nd it anywhere else. And I dont care if this book ever gets published. Im just going to do it for myself, Doiron said.

Armed with that new mindset, Doiron started working. An item that appeared in Down East a rogue bear was eating midcoast pigs, until a game warden ended the bears reign of terror served as a seed. Mornings and weekends, he wrote. And eventually, The Poachers Son had taken shape.

[The bear incident] got me sort of thinking about Maine game wardens and I became more and more interested in their work, Doiron said. I had this idea of sort of writing that incident from the perspective of a young warden. And thats kind of how it started.

In his books, Doiron explores the various Maines there are far more than two and has set one novel in the western mountains, one along the midcoast, and one in Washington County. Each book takes place during a different month, which means that if Doiron keeps on churning out a book a year, hell fi nish the series after 12 books, in 2022.

Paul Doiron

Paul Doiron, author of Bad Little Falls and two other Mike Bowditch thrillers, poses for a photo at the headquarters of Down East magazine in Rockport, where he is editor and chief.

BDN PHOTO BY JOHN HOLYOKE

At least 12, Doiron clarifi es with a laugh.

His readers have faith that the series will keep intriguing them, and his publishers have shown faith as well: He recently signed a new two-book deal with Minotaur, a division of MacMillan, and Doiron said Minotaur has expended a lot of money and effort selling him as an author, and his books.

[They] just promoted me to the ends of the earth. It was really fantastic, he said.

Doiron also said that hes keeping an eye on the big screen, and is confi dent that The Poachers Son will eventually end up being made as a movie. He and his fi lm agent are being cautious as they fi eld offers, however.

Weve gotten approached about movie offers, but were waiting for the right deal for that, Doiron said. We want to have a fi lmmaker, a producer, who has a commitment to making the movie, because a lot of books get optioned and then nothing ever happens to them. We really want to see this become an excellent movie. So I think that will eventually happen.

And of the character who has intrigued and exasperated readers (and, likely, the author himself):

Mike, when you meet him in the fi rst book, he is very reckless, hes self-destructive, hes a loner, hes very intelligent, but hes a little arrogant and self-righteous as well, Doirion explained. I think he has a very big heart. I think thats his redeeming quality, is that he wants to be a good man, and understands that hes not, yet, and

that hes troubled.And does that remind the author

of anyone? No. Not really. But it does remind the authors wife of someone close to her.

Ive always thought he represents aspects of my personality but is not in any way similar to me, Doiron said. However, once I was trying to describe the character my wife was there to some people over dinner. I was going on and saying, hes self-righteous and this sort of thing, and my wife got exasperated and said, Hes like Paul, if [Paul] was 24 years old and a game warden.

Doirion said he was shocked, because he never saw himself that way. But he admitted his wife had a point.

Over the coming years, Doiron expects Mike Bowditch to continue to lurch forward toward becoming the man he can become. Sometimes hell make great leaps. Other times, hell struggle and step backward.

And eventually, the author knowsthat somewhere in the Maine woods, lightning will strike again.

Thats how he started this journey, you see.

I dont think [Mike] will get struck by lightning, but I think sooner or later, I have to write aboutthe experience of getting struck by lightning, Doiron said. Whether its a non-fi ction book or somehow becomes part of this series, I dont know. But it changed my life.

Finally one day I said to myself,

Im going to sit down and write the book

that I want to read.

PAUL DOIRON


Watch the videobangordailynews.com/outdoors


SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Supporters extend Moosehead Lake Region ATV trails

Antique duck decoys sought by collectors

Before mass-produced plastic ducks became a hunters standbys, decoys were carved from wood. But what were originally necessary tools have become more than that as works of art prized by collectors.

I think the reason theyre so widely collected is theyre a unique North American folk art, said Zac Cote, assistant auction manager and gallery manager for Maryland-based decoy auctioneers Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter. The majority of them were not made for the mantle; they were made as a tool to hunt with.

With antique decoys, condition is vital, but more so is identifying the carver. Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter holds the world record for an auctioned decoy: in 2007, a red-breasted merganser hen by renowned Massachusetts carver Lothrop Holmes, circa 1890, sold for $856,000 not bad for a decoy that probably cost a dollar way back when.

Holmes is widely considered a premier decoy carver, but he wasnt prolifi c; as such, his carvings, mostly done between 1860 and his death in 1899, are very rare. A recent merganser hen/drake pair sold in 2003 for $394,500, less than half the price of the near-mint hen.

This was one of the fi nest

examples, Cote said of the carving. Its a beautiful piece of sculpture. It shows movement, and its a really good depiction of that species, both in the carving and the paint.

Decoys became commonplace in the 1860s, but their usage is ancient. In 1911, two miners hired to harvest bat guano from Lovelock Cave in Nevada uncovered Native American artifacts, including 11 decoys dating back 2,500 years.

Decoys are used by hunters to lure ducks within shotgun range as those ducks look to fl ock up with others. In Maine, duck season takes place in the fall, and in some cases into early winter. Season dates are set after the establishment of a federal framework that state offi cials follow for the migratory birds.

The heyday of wood-carved decoys ranged from the 1860s until the 1940s. Serious collecting began in the 1930s, but exploded in the early 1970s. Collectors were as interested in meeting and getting to know the carvers as they were owning the pieces. By the early 1970s, when one decoy sold at auction for $10,000, this niche became serious business.

In New England, another big name in carving is A. Elmer Crowell of East Harwich, Mass. Crowells carvings, primarily of

shorebirds and waterfowl, are known for their intricate, detailed paint schemes. In the old days, hunters often repaired paint jobs on simpler decoys themselves greatly devaluing them today but Crowells work was so detailed that hunters often didnt try.

Thats good news for sellers. Weve sold fi ve of his carvings

for over half a million dollars each, Cote said.

For Maine carvers, you cant beat the work of Gus Wilson, who Benjamin Gaylord called Maines Elmer Crowell in his book North

American Decoys. Wilson, formerly a lighthouse keeper on Monhegan Island, later transferred to South Portland before dying in 1950. Unlike Holmes, Wilson was very prolifi c, adjusting his style throughout his life.

He never used patterns, so each one is different, said Cote. He was a folk artist... each one was individually made, different than all the others. Nobody else from the state carved as many different head positions and different [types] showing movement.

So if you have old Grandpas old

duck decoys kicking around in the garage, they might be worth quite a bit of money. But the carvers never signed their work they werent treating them like pieces of art, after all so it takes an expert to identify them. Cote said auction houses like Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter, which specializein decoys, are just the places to check.

Maines one of the places you can still fi nd stuff, he said.

To learn more about carved decoys, visit www.GuyetteAndSchmidt.com.

BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICK, ADVERTISING STAFF WRITER

A preening red-breasted merganser by Gus Wilson. It sold at auction for $150,200.PHOTO COURTESY OF GUYETTE, SCHMIDT & DEETER

BY BRIAN SWARTZ, ADVERTISING STAFF EDITOR

Some day patient ATVers may fi nally get there from here anywhere in the Moosehead Lake Region. Meanwhile, they are enjoying an excellent trail system that already connects many regional destinations, including Seboomook, a location long denied to four-wheelers.

Jennifer Mills remembers the fi rst day that ATVers rumbled into the Pittston Farm yard: July 30, 2009. Their arrival on a new Seboomook trail represented a dream for Mills and her husband, Robert, who had purchased the 44-acre wilderness farm in 2005.

The ATVers bridged a [business] gap for us, from June

through about the end of October, depending on the weather, Jennifer Mills said.

For ATVers, the Pittston Farm trail meant they were now so close and yet so far from fulfi lling the dream of an ATV trail encircling Moosehead Lake. State offi cials and local ATV clubs support the concept, said Scott Ramsay, director of the Off-Road Vehicle Unit, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.

Obstacles exist to connecting Seboomook and Kokadjo, so for now state offi cials want to lay out a year-round ATV and snowmobile trail connection

between Greenville and Kokadjo, Ramsay said.

Theres quite a trail network there in Kokadjo, from which ATV trails extend south to Prong Pond (more than halfway to Greenville), east to the Nahmakanta Public Reserved Unit, and west to Kineo, he said. The next key component is connecting to the Greenville trails.

Many Greenville business owners and the recreation people in the area support the proposed trail, Ramsay noted. Were working with Plum Creek and other landowners to fi nd a suitable route from Prong Pond to

Greenville.Hopefully in the near future

they will fi gure out a route that works for everybody, he said.

Trails already connect Greenville with Shirley, The Forks, and Rockwood, from which other trails extend to Jackman and the 40,583-acre Seboomook Public Reserved Unit.

Its a beautiful place to ride, Ramsay said, referring to the Moosehead Lake Region.

As with ATV trail creation elsewhere in the Moosehead Lake Region, building a trail to Seboomook involved negotiations with local landowners, including North Maine Woods Inc. Pittston

Farm lay north of the Twenty-Mile Gate operated by the North Maine Woods, a land-management company that bans ATVs from its extensive acreage and also bans trailers on its roads because its a hazard to log trucks, said Brian Bronson, the ATV program recreational, safety, and vehicle coordinator with the Off-Road Vehicle Unit.

The ban also kept Seboomook campowners from towing boats to their property.

North Maine Woods was very understanding about the recreational opportunities

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10



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available in the Seboomook Unit, Bronson said. Under an agreement signed by the involved parties, North Maine Woods relocated its gate to the old forestry building just beyond the South Branch of the Penobscot River, he indicated.

Drawing partially upon ATV program funding, the state spent $160,000 to move the NMW gate, build a new Maine Forest Service building nearby, and build the Seboomook trail.

Part of it was [on] existing roads, including some abandoned logging roads, Bronson said. Crews brushed out some overgrown roads, replaced old culverts, and excavated the trail in places where no road existed.

The trail construction took place on state and Plum Creek land, Bronson indicated. Its some tough terrain up there, he said. State employees, volunteers from the Pittston Farm Recreation Club, and a road contractor worked on the trail.

The last seven miles is an intermediate trail, meaning its a little more diffi cult to maneuver, Mills said. The trail is 60 inches wide, the state-sanctioned width.

Bronson cautioned that the entire [Seboomook] unit is not open to ATVs. They have to stay only on the designated trail system.

Plum Creek was wonderful to work with, Mills said. We went directly from Plum Creek land to Maine Public Reserved land and then directly to our property.

Before the gates relocation, people traveling to Pittston Farm or Seboomook paid a NMW gate fee to reach either destination. The gate fee was a problem for our business, Mills said. We knew we had to have the ATV business here because of the revenues.

She believes that while ATVs are not as [big a business as] snowmobiling now down the road, theyre going to be.

One of the fastest-growing outdoor recreation markets is ATV riding, Ramsay said. Most of the [Moosehead Lake Region] communities and businesses have seen the benefi ts of snowmobiling. They are set up for tourism.

Now the ATVers are arriving. It extends the season for all these businesses. ATVers are spending

money in those towns, he said.Effective July 30, 2009,

recreationists started towing ATV trailers as far as Pittston Farm and boat trailers as far as Northwest Cove in the Seboomook Public Reserved Unit. Pittston Farm quickly geared up as a destination location for ATVers, who will not yet arriving in droves, are coming nonetheless, Mills said.

Depending on the economy and the price of gas, were probably seeing 350-400 ATVers a year right now, she estimated. We sell them gas, we sell them food, [and] lodging as well. An ATV option offered by Pittston Farm includes fi shing opportunities involving a canoe or kayak provided by the Mills.

Bronson rode an ATV to Pittston Farm one day last year and heard that the numbers were somewhere around 38 or 40 machines that had ridden in that day.

Were on the ATV map, Jennifer Mills said, referring to the Maine ATV Trail Map. Its a 50-mile recreation trail that we have now that is open to ATVers, horse riders, mountain bikers, hikers, and snowmobilers.

FROM PAGE 8



SAM Legislative report: upcoming electionsBy David Trahan, Executive Director We have received and rated legislative

candidates seeking national and state offi ce. Candidates fi lled out questionnaires on a wide range of topics important to our membership, including gun control, Roxanne Quimbys proposal to create a national park, and funding for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.In light of the answers we received, I

am particularly concerned there will be a major push for new gun control laws because of the sad and tragic shooting in Colorado.Many candidates are uniformed about of

our existing gun regulations, particularly semi-automatic rifl es. We have a lot of work to do educating the public and legislative candidates about the difference between automatic and semi-automatic between automatic and semi-automatic fi rearms. In the coming weeks, we will send out

the results and endorsements in a special mailer and also post them on our website.

legislative issues.This fund has been dormant, but

we have decided to reactivate it. We are soliciting donations to defend our traditions of hunting and gun ownership. To contribute, please, make out checks in any amount to SAM PAC and mail it to 205 Church Hill Rd., Suite 1, Augusta, ME 04330.

Land for Maines Future on the ballot in November

On Election Day, Maine voters will consider a $5 million bond that would provide funds to the Land for Maines Future Board to make strategic investments in conserving Maines working forests, farms, waterfronts, and deer habitat. I urge you to vote in favor of this bond, Question 3, on your ballot.The Land for Maines Future program is The Land for Maine s Future program is

one of the states most popular programs. Voters overwhelmingly passed bonds in 1987, 1999, 2005, 2007, and 2010 by two-to-one margins. For more than two

forests, waterfronts for commercial fi shing opportunities, and key tourism and recreation sites all across Maine.Since its inception some 25 years ago,

nearly 200 projects have been completed statewide, ensuring that more than 500,000 acres of land remains open to the public for hunting, fi shing, hiking, and other outdoor recreation activities.The bond before voters in November

addresses one of Maines most pressing conservation issue: the states struggling deer herd. The white-tailed deer has been an important driver of Maines rural economy for more than a century. Generations of Maine hunters and wildlife watchers, as well as thousands of nonresidents, have depended on Maines deer populations for outdoor-based recreation.recreation.Today, there are fewer hunters, far

fewer deer to enjoy, and the northern half of Maine is struggling economically. If passed, this bond will for the fi rst time

countless other wildlife species in the northern half of Maine. This is a win for our rural economy, our wildlife resources and our sportsmen.

Legislation for next sessionWe have already introduced SAM

legislation for next session. Rep. Mike Shaw, D-Standish, has

sponsored a bill to give the Commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife the rule-making authority to change the date of open water fi shing. Given the early ice out and warm springs of recent years, we think this is a move that could help rural economies and get fi shermen on the water earlier. Rep. Ellie Espling, R-New Gloucester,

has introduced a bill banning municipalities from charging fees for municipalities from charging fees for hunting and fi shing. Recently, several towns in the Manchester region began charging a fee and requiring a permit for archers to hunt in their town in the special



The case for predation management for improving deer survivalBy Gerry LavigneWhite-tailed deer populations in Maine

crashed following two brutally hard winters in 2008 and 2009. The decline was particularly severe in the northern half of the state, where deer populations had already been dropping for three decades.To address the deer problem, the Maine

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is implementing a comprehensive plan to improve deer survival that is intended to address all forms of deer mortality. The plan can be found at mefi shwildlife.com Maines Game Plan for Deer.The plan includes addressing the

negative impacts of coyote predation on deer survival.The arrival of eastern coyotes in Maine

since the 1960s has created an added since the 1960s has created an added mortality burden on deer. Statewide, coyotes annually remove about 10 percent of the deer population.By the early 1980s, DIF&W was already

During the past three decades, hunters have borne the brunt of offsetting higher natural losses among deer. On average, hunters in deer-friendly central and southern Maine have had their doe and fawn harvests cut by at least one-third, compared to pre-coyote times. In eastern and northern Maine, antlerless deer hunting is no longer allowed during most years. And at best, doe harvests are but a tiny fraction of what had formerly been sustainable.From a deer-management perspective,

there really are two Maines. In central and southern Maine, overall deer mortality is lower, fawn survival is higher, and deer populations are more resilient to changes in mortality, as when the occasional severe winter occurs.In this region, deer populations In this region, deer populations

consistently respond to deliberate changes in the hunter harvest of does and fawns. Deer populations vary greatly depending on hunting access, but range

square mile in many areas. During the pre-coyote, pre-spruce budworm era, deer density in the same region often exceeded 10 to 20 deer per square mile.Moving northern and eastern Maine

deer populations to a positive trajectory will require a sharp reduction of non-hunting mortality. Clearly, predation management needs to be implemented, along with wintering habitat management and hunter management.The precipitous decline of Maines

white-tailed deer population has been accompanied by a proportionate loss of hunting opportunity and the economic benefi ts that hunting and wildlife watching bring to the states rural economy. During the past three decades, deer harvests have been curtailed by several hundred thousand deer to offset several hundred thousand deer to offset higher natural losses.After decades of lost opportunity,

hunters and non-hunters alike are wondering if deer losses can be lessened

by DIF&W and the Sportsmans Alliance of Maine. As the effort gets off the ground, it may prove to be an interesting experiment.For a long time, hunters have

accommodated the coyote. Eastern coyotes are a valuable, but underutilized, renewable fur-bearing resource. Coyotes are challenging to hunt, and more hunters are pursuing them.Increased hunting and trapping

pressure prior to winter may temporarily reduce coyote abundance. As a result, a diminished presence of coyotes on the winter landscape may allow deer populations in the northern half of the state to become sustainable and economically viable, for the benefi t of the people who work and recreate there.Time will tell. Time will tell. Gerry Lavigne, SAM board member,

is a retired deer biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and is SAMs consultant on deer-

Sportsmans Alliance of Maine205 Church Hill Road, Suite 1

Augusta, Maine 04330Telephone: (207) 623-4589

EMAIL:[email protected]

WEBSITE:www.sportsmansallianceofmaine.org

Sportsmans Alliance of MaineOFFICERS:

President Jim GormanVice President Cheryl Timberlake

Clerk Jim HillyTreasurer Paul Davis

DIRECTORS:Nick ArcherJim Tobin

Matt DunlapErik Hart

Gerry LavigneAmos Eno

Thom WatsonSTAFF:

David Trahan Executive DirectorBecky Morrell Operations Manager

The Sportsmans Alliance of Maine (SAM) is a non-profi t corporation founded in 1975 to promote conservation of Maines wildlife resources and to be an advocate for hunt-

ers, anglers, trappers and gun owners throughout the state.

SAM News is a publication of theSportsmans Alliance of Maine.It is published 6 times per year.

Meetings of the SAM board of directors are held on the second Wednesday

of the month at 5:00 PM at the SAM Conference Center in Augusta, Maine.

All editorial inquiries should be directed to the address listed above.

Expanded shooting range opportunitiesThe Maine Department Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will partner

with the Sportsmans Alliance of Maine to expand opportunities for shooting sports across the state. The DIF&W plans to invest funds provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to offer more opportunity for the public to participate in shooting sports.

The days of using a local gravel pit to sight in a rifl e or shotgun are over, said John Boland, DIF&W director of resource management. Suburban sprawl, safety concerns, and evolving landowner attitudes are limiting shooting sport opportunities. This partnership will provide more opportunities for the public.

Currently, DIF&W is compiling an inventory of Maines existing shooting ranges. The department and SAM will then develop a database of Maines ranges, which would include their locations, the

opportunities provided, costs, public accessibility and other pertinent information. This inventory will be used to determine how to best utilize funding to increase shooting opportunities.

SAM is excited to be a partner in this venture. Providing more opportunities for the public to get involved with Maines traditional outdoor sports helps both SAM and DIF&W, said David Trahan, SAM executive director.

A committee of yet-to-be-determined members will assess this information and make recommendations for improvements or additions to existing shooting ranges in Maine.

John Boland is the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife director of resource management.



Order More Tickets! Yes, I want more tickets for this great raffl e.Im sending you the 6 tickets above, and I need an additional _________ tickets. ($5 each, 3 for $10, 6 for $20) Ive enclosed a total of $________.

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Maine camps share rich heritage with guestsBY DEBRA BELL, ADVERTISING STAFF WRITER

Just ask Christine Howe about her favorite camping story, and the co-owner of Spencer

Pond Camps in East Middlesex Township on Moosehead Lake will talk about Europe, a busy executive, and a family transformation.

That executive, Howe explained, came from Europe to Spencer Pond for 10 days with his wife and children.

[He] arrived tense and with a grim face, she said. The fi rst three days ... they tried to do every possible activity within an hour radius, from whitewater rafting, to a trip up Moosehead on the [steamer] Katahdin, hiking, kayaking, moose watching, fi shing, etc.

By the end of the week they were all preparing meals together, and days were spent relaxing, talking, swimming in the pond, watching the birds from the porch, or reading to one another and playing games, Howe said.

When he left, he thanked us with tears in his eyes. He said he didnt think his family had ever connected on that level in their day-to-day life, and this experience was one they would

always treasure and pull from in the future to keep their family together when daily pressures pulled them apart, she said.

Stories like that are not unusual to the families who run Maines wilderness camps. In fact, thats part of the allure of the family business.

The other part? The pure joy of introducing guests to Maines natural wonders.

Howe and her husband, Dana Black, operate Spencer Pond Camps while balancing full-time careers at Bank of America and lobstering respectively. Previously, her grandparents, Anne and Chick Howe, owned the camps for 40 years and operated them for 25 years. Christine Howe and Dana Black are registered Maine Guides, following in the footsteps of camp founder Mose Duty and Anne Howe.

Established in 1901, the camp has roots in the William Tell Hunting Club and the Maine Guide tradition. Howes grandparents assisted in writing the exam that must be passed in order to become a Registered Maine Guide. Today, Howe family tradition exposes children, parents, and others to unplugged Maine.

The focus here is on families, Howe said. [We are] teaching children and adults how to connect with nature through self-guided experiences and are fostering an environment where all our welcome, from the

avid sportsman to the extreme ecotourist.

Family is also a common focus at Libby Sporting Camp in Ashland. The camp, founded in 1890 by Charles Cushing Libby, is now in its fourth and fi fth generation of ownership with the sixth generation helping out. Guests may not come by train, canoe, or horse and wagon anymore, but the camps goal is the same: showcase Maine

Late afternoon sunlight brightens the exterior of a cabin at Libby Camps in Ashland.PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBBY CAMPS

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPENCER POND CAMPS

A little boy fi shes from a fl oat at a Moosehead Lake Region sporting camp.

A canoeist paddles toward the dock after a scenic sunset on Katahdin Lake.PHOTO BY BRIDGET BESAW

People enjoy the seclusion and the chance to be together as a family without the real world for a few days.

CHRISTINE HOWE



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and the simple pleasures of the outdoors. In 2010, the Libby family was named the Maine Tourism Associations Hall of Fame award winner.

We are maintaining the wilderness family-centered tradition, said Ellen Libby. We dont claim to be a resort and dont want to be. We want to know our guests by name and

fi nd out a little bit about them during their stay.

People enjoy the seclusion and the chance to be together as a family without the real world for a few days to rejuvenate in the great north woods, or as most folks call it: Gods country, Ellen Libby said.

From Gods country to Maines largest state park Baxter State Park another heritage camping experience is found at Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps. Established in the mid-1880s, the camp is still privately owned and only accessible by hiking or skiing to it or by fl oat plane. The camp is owned by Charles Fitzgerald; camp operators Holly and Bryce Hamilton are registered Maine Guides.

Probably the most important thing about the heritage of the camps is that they are the last of their type, Holly Hamilton said. With no vehicular access, you have to work to get in here just as you would have with most camps years ago.

Once you arrive, you truly feel you have stepped back to a different time. Percival Baxter stayed here on his fi rst trip to climb the mountain (Katahdin) in 1921. This was the trip when he decided to try and create the park, she said.

According to Hamilton, the land is owned by the state, and the camps lease the land from the Baxter State Park Authority. The park itself is a draw, but Hamilton noted that the ability for families to spend time together is a greater attraction.

Thats the point, after all, Howe said. Running the camps is a labor of love, she explained. We are fortunate to be here to share it with our children and other families.

Once you arrive, you truly feel you have stepped back to a different time.

HOLLY HAMILTON

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FEATURE

A talk with John Dykstra of Northland Taxidermy

If it means something, its worth putting on the wall

BY AISLINN SARNACKI, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER

Northland Taxidermy has provided hunters with lifelike game mounts for more than 30 years. In the woods of Alton, the shops owner John Dykstra stays busy with fi sh scales and bear hides year round, and he has passed on his knowledge to his son, Dan Dykstra (now an accom-plished fi sh mount painter) and former apprentice Rachel Rounds, a licensed taxidermist and full-time employee at Northland Taxidermy as of last year.

Mid-August, at the cusp of bear hunting season, Dykstra stepped away from his bait sites and worktable to answer a few questions about his business and the art of taxidermy in Maine.

BDN: How old were you when you created your fi rst mount and what was it?

John Dykstra: It was probably a chipmunk or something a chipmunk or a pigeon or something like that. I was probably 10, 12.

BDN: So what got you into taxider-my at such a young age?

Dykstra: When I got something with the BB gun, I wanted to preserve it. My father had always hunted, and he had different mounts around, so knew about taxidermy but couldnt do anything myself, as far as having somebody else do it. I always worked with my hands a lot, anyway. Ive been told Im fairly artistic, I guess. I dunno. Ill leave it somebody else to judge that, but yeah. [My father] had old mailorder taxidermy lessons that I dug out and read through and [I] started out doing it the old school way.

BDN: What is the range of animals you mount and do you have a specialty?

Dykstra: We do about anything anybody wants to bring through the door thats legal. There are some things that people would like to have done hawks and owls and we have the permits

to do those, if they have to have the permits to keep them. But the most common things are deer, bear, moose, the typical Maine game animals. But we do other things, too. We did a cape buffalo for a fella from Glenburn. He went over to Africa, a safari, and brought back a cape buffalo. It might be the only one we ever do. Weve done mountain lions and caribou, elk, stuff thats not native to Maine. As long as weve got good reference, we can do a good job for somebody.

BDN: So do you have any idea how many animals youve mounted over the years? Dykstra: Not for sure, but we do somewhere in the vicinity of 300-400 pieces a year. Weve had years when weve done over 100 deer heads, over 100 bears, but with the deer population being down and the economy tending to cut into the bear hunting bear hunting is a really expensive proposition even if you do it yourself. It costs a lot of time and bait and the price of fuel. People cant afford it like they could a couple of years ago. So we dont have the volume right now that we had. And theres been some competition, too. Some new guys have popped up, and the pies only so big. We get our share of it, but wouldnt mind having some more.

BDN: What has changed in the taxidermy world recently? Dykstra: The biggest changes is more openness with the stuff thats available. Back prior, say in the 70s or before that, taxidermists tended to keep all the secrets to themselves. If they had a good way of doing it, they werent going to tell anybody else. Now, some of the nationally-known taxidermists have been affi liated with some of the supply companies and they get paid to tell people how to do different things. And new materials and mannequins that come out, the supply companies want you to know how to use them, so provide a lot of how-to stuff. So its more open, the exchange of information. Theres forums online, too, if you have a problem with something,

you can get on taxidermy.net, I think it is, and talk to other taxidermists.

BDN: What are some old techniques in taxidermy that wont change? Dykstra: Youve still got to skin them. Youve still got to scrape the fat and meat and sew and turn the ears out. The preparation is no different now really than it was hundreds of years ago. The animal still has to be skinned, the ears, lips turned, the fl esh salted or tanned, preserved in some fashion that way, the basics, the initial steps are the same. The whole goal all along is to re-create a critter that was actually living and breathing at one time.

BDN: What has changed you think with all the conservation efforts and catch and release? Dykstra: Most people still want their fi sh. They want the real head. They dont want the fake head. We can use artifi cial heads, especially on salmon or cold-water fi sh, but most of the mounts we do are real skin mounts with the real head Ive had a few cases where people have caught something -- either they caught it and didnt mount it when they had it or they caught a fi sh in a catch and release water -- then we can order a fi berglass reproduction. Its not going to be that exact fi sh, but its going to be close.

BDN: What is a frequent mistake people make when they bring in an animal? Dykstra: Usually they make a mistake when theyre skinning them. Fish, if they gut it, thats not usually a good thing because when we skin a fi sh, its usually going to go on the wall, so well make the cut on the backside so the seam wont show. If they gut it, then weve got to fi x that Animals, deer especially, when theyre skinning them for a shoulder mount, they cut them wrong If they skin the critter, I usually recommend they bring in the whole hide so that if its cut wrong, at least weve got all the pieces.

BDN: Whats the strangest creature youve mounted? Dykstra: Well, Ive done a few strange ones. Ive done a gecko more than once. Done a few pets cats and dogs. Im not about to do my own cat and dog, but doing someone elses dog that I dont know personally, thats alright.

BDN: How often do you get taxidermy requests for pets? Dykstra: We get several calls a year about it. I dont know the animal personally. I mean, the cat or dog has personal expressions that if you dont know, you cant create that. [The customers] have to have a good reference for me to even attempt to do it. [Pet mounts] are much more expensive than say a coyote or bobcat because they dont make commercial mannequins for dogs and cats, pets. And no matter how good a job I do, its still not going to be alive. Its just an empty shell and the rest of them is missing. But we can make them look quite well.

BDN: What is about taxidermy that keeps you interested?

Dykstra: The variety. Youre not doing exactly the same thing all the time. When youre doing deer heads,youre doing one after another and that can get tedious; but then, if you get tired of doing deer heads, you can work on some fi sh, a bear or something else. For me, Ive always been fascinated with wildlife anyway. The original creator did the best job. I just try to recreate that so somebody can put on the wall so they have those memories to fall back on. Thats something when somebody mounts something like a deer everybody thinks about mounting a big deer. Well, it doesnt have to be big, it just has to mean something to you. A kids fi rst deer might be a doe or a button horn or something like that, but it meant something to that kid, or adult, whoever it was. If it means something, its worth putting on the wall.

For information about Northland Taxidermy, visit northlandtaxidermyshop.com. To search an extensive, but incomplete, list of the many taxidermists in Maine, visit themainehuntingguide.com/taxidermy.html.

John Dykstra, owner of Northland Taxidermy in Alton, mounts a small black bear for a client on Aug. 14, 2012, on the cusp of bear hunting season in Maine.

BDN PHOTO BY AISLINN SARNACKI

Watch the videobangordailynews.com/outdoors

1985: 100 percent of state restricted to antlered bucks only for all or part of season.


FEATURE

DEER SEASON TIMELINE

1986: Any-deer permit system implemented.

1900 1920 1940

1910:Record-setting Hill Gould Buck taken in Grand Lake Stream.

1919: Maine residents required to purchase a hunting license for the fi rst time. The cost for the lifetime license: 10 cents. 84,333 residents bought one. A total of 2,755 non-resident hunters bought licenses for $15 each. 1947:

Woods closed from Oct. 17 until Nov. 12 because of a fi re ban.

1959: A modern record 41,735 deer are tagged.

1971: Season shortened by a week on an emergency basis.

1986: Maines any-deer permit system goes into effect, with 13,860 permits issued.

2009: Just 18,092 deer are tagged, the lowest total since 1934.

2011: In response to two severe winters in a row, the number of any-deer permits is cut from 56,012 in 2010 to 26,390.

1960 1980 2000

1983: Approximately 25 percent of state limited to antlered bucks only.

1984: Approximately 50 percent of state limited to antlered bucks only.

SOURCE: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, BDN archives

THINKSTOCKPHOTO

COMPILED BY JOHN HOLYOKE, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER

During the past 400 years, ever-changing patterns of mans use of the land, predation, climate cycles, and disturbances such as fi re, wind and fl ood have created conditions which either favored or precluded healthy populations of deer in Maine. When Europeans fi rst colonized Maine, white-tails occurred only in the mid and south coastal part of the state; moose and caribou occupied the vast interior forests of the time. During the next two centuries, the climate moderated, forests were logged and/or cleared, and major predators such as the wolf were extirpated. By the late 1800s, deer had colonized all Maine towns. During this time, deer abundance often followed cycles of extreme abundance to scarcity, depending on the amount of re-growth after logging, or after wildfi re or insect defoliation opened the forest fl oor to sunlight. These events never occurred at the same time throughout the state. Hence deer abundance was always (and remains) patchy, depending on local conditions.Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife on the Internet. 2012. Aug. 27, 2012.


FEATURE

A whitetail deer bounds across the Scarborough Marsh in Scarborough, Maine in June of 2012. BDN PHOTO BY ROBERT F. BUKATY

Deer tagged, by year

1986: 207,000

1987: 199,000

1988: 229,000

1989: 226,000

1990: 198,000

1991: 220,000

1992: 215,000

1993: 217,000

1994: 208,000

1995: 234,000

1996: 256,000

1997: 255,000

1998: 292,000

1999: 331,000

2000: 292,000

2001: 241,000

2002: 259,000

2003: 230,000

2004: 226,000

2005: 194,000

2006: 219,000

2007: 247,000

2008: 199,000

2009: no data

2010: no data

2011: no data

2012: no data

Maine deer population (estimate), by year

100,000 200,000 300,000(population estimated after completion of hunting season)

1986: 13,860

1987: 35,861

1988: 44,977

1989: 56,241

1990: 46,441

1991: 42,252

1992: 50,035

1993: 44,906

1994: 33,020

1995: 29,886

1996: 34,492

1997: 41,976

1998: 43,826

1999: 53,231

2000: 69,715

2001: 54,406

2002: 76,989

2003: 72,600

2004: 75,800

2005: 70,725

2006: 67,725

2007: 66,275

2008: 51,850

2009: 45,385

2010: 48,825

2011: 26,390

2012: 34,160

Any-deer permits issued, by year

10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000

1986: no data

1987: no data

1988: no data

1989: no data

1990: no data

1991: no data

1992: no data

1993: no data

1994: no data

1995: 209,254

1996: 207,236

1997: 203,495

1998: 203,284

1999: 204,202

2000: 205,190

2001: 203,609

2002: 205,926

2003: 208,857

2004: 206,021

2005: 203,717

2006: 204,236

2007: 204,129

2008: 202,493

2009: 200,327

2010: no data

2011: no data

2012: no data

Big game hunting licenses sold, by year

200,000 210,000 220,000

*1947: woods closed Oct. 17-Nov. 12, because of fi re ban

*1971: last week of season statewide closed on emergency basis

SOURCE: Compiled from the most recent information available from Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

*1983: approximately 25 percent of state limited to antlered bucks only

*1984: approximately 50 percent of state limited to antlered bucks only

*1985: 100 percent of state restricted to antlered bucks only for all or part of season

*1986: any-deer permit system implemented


FEATURE

ofMountains

foliagefunS

ome folks have the whole Maine leaf-peeping game down to a science.

Some drive to their favorite leafy spots often near a hill or a hiking trail dismount, and head to a scenic overlook to ooh and ahh over the scenery.

Others drive a familiar route thats sure to show off all the autumn hues that the Maine woods are famous for.

If youre looking for some not-so-traditional leaf-peeping options this fall, here are a few mountain-oriented options, courtesy of Sunday River and Sugarloaf resorts.

Some of the suggestions will involve activities that may be new to you. Some may not. But one things certain: The foliage in the Maine mountains is so spectacular, youre sure to see plenty of it just getting to Newry or Carrabassett Valley.

And then, the adventures can truly start.

Ethan Austin, the communications manager at Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, said there are several great ways to enjoy the foliage at the resort. One of the best and one that many might not think of fi rst is to pick up your clubs and participate in a traditional summer activity in the fall.

Conditions are at their best at the Sugarloaf Golf Club and the views are simply spectacular (and the bugs have all gone away), Austin said in an email. This year our rates are reduced to just $59 for

18 holes due to some ongoing construction, so its a great opportunity to check out what the course is all about.

Golf not your thing? Well, youre in luck: Sugarloaf also offers scenic lift rides every Saturday and Sunday throughout the fall.

[The lift rides] offer some of the best foliage views in the state, particularly on the ride down, Austin wrote. Lift rides are just $12, or $10 for those who are season ski pass holders.

Want something more active? Grab a bike.

Mountain biking has really taken off here over the past few summers, thanks to the Carrabassett [New England Mountain Bike Association] group, and with the cool temps and great views of fall, its an incredible time to come check it out, Austin wrote. Best of all, its completely free.

And if youre up for some more intense adventure, Sugarloaf s got that covered, too.

Obviously, the Appalachian Trail is right in our backyard here, and fall is my absolute favorite time of year to hike cooler temps, spectacular views, and great sleeping weather if youre overnighting it, Austin wrote. And again, completely free.

Sunday River in Newry also offers plenty of great foliage-watching options.

Darcy Morse, the director of communications at the resort, offered up fi ve adventures that would be fun even if the foliage

wasnt spectacular which it will be.

Scenic lift rides are offered Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. By using the hybrid Chondola lift, guests can choose to ride to the top of North Peak in an open-air six-person chair, or inside an eight-person gondola cabin. Once atop the mountain, more than 12 miles of hiking and geocaching trails. Lift rides are $12 for adults, $8 for those age 6-12, and free for those 5 and younger or 80 and older.

Zipline tours are offered Thursdays through Sundays at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Reservations are encouraged (call 800-543-2754); the cost is $49 per person.

A nine-hole disc golf course was opened during the summer,and players are guaranteed a breathtaking course come fall. The course is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.; access to the course is $5 for a nine-hole round; disc rental is another 45.

Traditional golfers may want to hit Sunday River Golf Club, which is open seven days a week.

The Sunday River Bike Park can utilize the Chondola service to access the top of North Peak and some of the 30 trails that stretch over 20 miles.Bike rentals are $80, while park tickets cost $29 for those 13 and older and $18 for those age 12 and younger.

...some of the best foliage views in the state.

ETHAN AUSTIN


Visitors enjoy a scenic chair lift ride on Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley, a fun way to see the Maine fall foliage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUGARLOAF

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNDAY RIVERZipline tours at Sunday River, Maine.


FEATURE

JD Irving107956

Libby Camps107982

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Wilsons on Moosehead107966

Mark Picard 123456Colorful fall hikes Ferry Beach State Park, 95 Bayview Rd., SacoDiffi culty: Easy, wheelchair accessible.What youll see: This park is home to tupelo or black gum trees, which are uncommon in Maine and turn a bright crimson in the fall. All trails in the park are wheelchair accessible, including the wide boardwalk that winds through the marsh. Dont forget to visit the beautiful white sand beach. A wheelchair that can travel on to the beach is available onsite for visitor use if needed.Best time: The black gum trees usually reach peak coloration in late September and early October.Fee: $4 for adult Maine residents; $6 for adult non-residents; $2 for seniors; $1 for children 5-11 years old; free for children younger than 5.Pets: Permitted on the trails with a leash; not permitted on the beach.Information: Call 283-0067.

Schoodic Mountain, Donnell Pond Management Unit, near SullivanDiffi culty: Moderate. 2.4 miles round trip.Directions: From U.S. Route 1 in Sullivan, turn onto ME Route 183 (Tunk Lake Road) and proceed about 4.5 miles. Take a left onto the gravel Schoodic Beach Road (it is marked by a Donnell Pond Public Lands sign). Follow the Schoodic Beach Road for 2.3 miles to the end, where there is a parking area.What youll see: The summit of Schoodic Mountain provides a breathtaking view of the surrounding woodland, lakes and Acadia National Park across Frenchmans Bay.Best time: Typically, the peak of foliage in this area is experienced mid-October.Fee: Free.Pets: Permitted.Information: Call 941-4412.

Saint John Valley Heritage Trail, Fort Kent to Saint FrancisDiffi culty: Easy-Moderate, depending on how far you walk. This trail is 16.9 miles long.Directions: To reach the Saint Francis trailhead, take Route 161 to Sunset Drive. Parking is on the left, just past the church. The Fort Kent trailhead is behind the Citgo station on Market Street, while State Route 161 is lined with access points. In the town of Wheelock, the trail crosses to the north side of 161. This section offers the best views of villages and farms in New Brunswick.What youll see: The crushed-stone trail, which runs along the former Fish River Railroad and skirts the Saint John River, offers views of northern Maine and Canadian forests, farmlands and wetlands. This trail is also open to horses, ATVs and bicycles (as well as skis, dog sleds and snowmobiles in the winter).Best time: Last week in September.Fee: Free.Pets: Permitted.Information: Call 287-4957.

For more ideas and foliage reports once the season begins, visit mainefoliage.com, Maines offi cial fall foliage website.


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Documents

BDN Maine Outdoors: Fall 2012