Just North of Ordinary

One Year Already...

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 13:45:00 +0000

I was talking with some frineds and realized I was at my one year mark, for this blog. I have reread some of my posts and what I found was interesting. I used to have to "try" to remember, read my journals, or ask "do you remember what we did". I now can just go through my posts to remember what what happened, who it happened with, and the part I like the best, see the pictorial representation of each and every event.

Special thank s to Rapid and Tony for talking me into this, Steve C., Bryce, Erin, Onyx and Jerry D. for agreeing to be part of this, and all my friends and family for putting up with this. It truly has been a fantastic year. To see more about the past year, and stories from it, see my older posts. Enjoy and stay stuned for the year to come.

Here is a few of my favorite pics from last year:

Alaska

Duckhunting

The boys and their harvest

The hardest working and most serious one of the group Onyx

Changing Tree Stands

This is the tree!!!

What a picture....thank you baby!!!!

Thank you to all...

Turkey Hunting/Scouting of Days Gone By

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:30:00 +0000

A repost...dedicated to the approaching season..

Here are a couple of my daughter's (at age ten, eight years ago) first bird, one with just her, and the other with her and my wife:

Now for just a few with my friends and fellow Turkey Hunters:

Steve and one of many we have harvested...

Chip with the bird that got us in trouble with his brother, his brother was going to take him out the next day...oops

My hunting buddy Bill and his son. After taking this monster, while sitting in a folding chair, behind a wood pile in .... sorry can't give this one away.

My buddy and friend Bryce (bfd) with his first Tom...shot at 530am...the bird just flew out of the roost and into our decoy set...no really

Here is Chip with another bird along with my buddy Russ, nice double...

I called in most of these birds and have many on video being harvested. Thanks to my wife Jo, who for the first five plus, years of turkey hunting together, did most of our video coverage...

Thank you, Baby

Just a couple of photos to demonstrate a portion of what we have seen over the past 15 years:

This is the first nest I had seen, my wife and I were hunting when a turkey flew out from under the brush, we went over to check and this is what we saw

One day while Steve and I were out scouting this group of birds caught our eye, so we stopped

Then we noticed these two fighting, Steve said "I bet I can I can get right up to them before they notice". He made it to within about 8 yards before they noticed it was truly amazing, notice the birds at the right.

Here are are a couple of pictures, of the birds fighting, that I particularly like.

Now if I can just add to these pictures, this year, that would be fantastic...

Bring on are the BIRDS!!!!!

SADD

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:29:00 +0000

Steve C. with a nice Brown

It is hard to believe that on Wednesday March 27^th I will have been at this for one year. Looking through my notes, journals and blogs I came to realize that a couple of things have not changed during the past year: The importance of my family and friends and my inability to maintain focus on the session at hand.

My family and friends are very supportive of my addiction to the outdoors and the time this addiction takes from them. My favorite outdoor activities become more special when I am joined by my family and friends.

As the ice slowly disappears from the lakes and ponds my thoughts wonder; to the upcoming open water fishing session as well as turkey session. We are still making plans for ice fishing through the month of March and yet I am anticipating the water levels of brooks here in Maine are going to be perfect for April 1^st, due to the lack of snow this winter. On April 18^th I leave Maine for a trip to Lake Ontario with my buddy Steve C., his son, and my Dad. Our plan is to catch brown trout, lake trout, and Coho salmon. We will enjoy two eight hour days of fishing, a multitude of stories, and most of all each other’s company.

This weekend has both days scheduled for ice fishing and planning for this spring trip to New York. However, somewhere in the outer fringes of my mind I cannot help but think of the brook fishing that will be available to us for 17 days prior to the trip. If the ice lets out early on the ponds we might even get some spring pike fishing in. As I stated before, I have a problem with focusing on the season at hand. It is SADD, Seasonal Attention Deficit Disorder.

As outdoorsmen we must keep in mind that while enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer it is so much more rewarding when these adventures involve family and friends.

Stay Focused My Friends….

Superstition…it’s real!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:16:00 +0000

I spent my first four trips of 2013 on the ice watching others catch fish, run for flags, and have an overall productive time. As I sat wondering what was going on I noticed ice had formed on my new Carhartt bib overalls.

My wife and daughters had decided that my old ones, they are only 25 years old, had served their purpose and it was time to move on to a new pair. My old reliable bibs are tan and have a few (hundred) stains on them, they are ripped, and worn, and very comfortable. The new set they purchased for me are black, new, no stains, and not very comfortable.

I came to the realization that this was the issue; I was not wearing my trusty old bibs but the brand new ones. When I had this discussion with my wife she laughed and said, “I did not know you were superstitious” I answered “I am not, but facts are facts… no stains, no flags, no fish”. We did a little more bantering back and forth about the subject and then let it rest, however, I had already made up my mind that I would wear my old bibs in Island Falls to prove my point.

I found my old bibs in the corner all rolled up and alone. I gathered them up and put them in my pack basket along with other essential gear for the trip. As we traveled the four hours to our destination I replayed the conversation I had had with my wife over and over again, could this really be superstition? That afternoon upon arrival I donned the new pair and headed for the ice to get the last hour of the day in. Much to everyone surprise, except mine, I did not even get a flag…I knew it!!! It had to be the bibs. As I left the ice, I thought about the next day and the fact that my new pair of bibs, most likely, had seen their last day of ice fishing.

Our first full day of fishing was Thursday and with the wind chill registering -40 we decided to fish in front of the cabin for the day. I, wearing my old faithful bibs, looked at the day on a more promising note than the prior afternoon. Within minutes I knew I was right, it was all about the bibs. Flag after flag produced brook trout after brook trout and a salmon or two. Here we go…this is the way I remember fishing, the comfort of my bibs surrounding from the rigors of the weather and flags “just a poppin’”. I emailed my wife that evening about the difference in fishing attributed to the bibs, she reluctantly agreed with my assessment of the situation with a chuckle, which I know was accompanied by that smirk that only she has J.

As the week progressed my hypothesis was becoming more and more apparent as to its reliability. The rest of the trip provided example after example of this and supplying stories to be told and fish to be eaten. I rest my case...it is not a superstition...IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BIBS….

Ice Fishing Season Set to Start Jan.13...for me

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:57:00 +0000

While illness very rarely comes to visit me, this December it came with a vengeance. Starting December 28^th an lasting until January 6^thI was unable to do much of anything, let alone get some ice fishing in. I have been slowly healing and now have my focus set on ice fishing this coming Sunday with family and friends. In preparation for this event I have selected a few pictures, from the last couple of years, to share with and motivate anglers of the frozen tundra:

As the sun rises on my 2013 season I could not resist showing one of my favorite sunrises...

This is one of the largest salmon A & A caught in 2011

My buddy B, with one of the largest brook trout I have seen come through the ice.

Here is a couple of happy, happy, happy guys (S & S) with a couple of toothy critters

known as Northern Pike.

Stay tuned for more pictures, videos, tall tales, and blackberry brandy from the 20123 season.

Play hard and play safe!!!!!

Checking Ice Conditions

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 03:31:00 +0000

Checking the ice prior to a snow storm is vital to safe and productive season. My wife and I decided, due to the impending storm, to check the ice conditions on a few lakes and ponds throughout the State today. There was a couple in particular that we wanted to check for opening day and a couple that were on the way. After a quick breakfast we headed out.

Our first stop was McGrath (pronounced: McGraw) pond on Oakland, I was not surprised to see people already fishing the pond, I was however surprised to see the number of people fishing. The was 3 inches of black ice out quite a distance from shore and 4 inches of white ice (a mix of snow and ice) near the shore. While still not the ideal thickness, some die hard ice fishermen decided it was enough. We talked with the people fishing and found that fish were being caught and good times were being had by all.

Our next stop was a pond in Smithfield, North Pond. The pond was skimmed over with ice, but just barely. This makes for unsafe conditions, especially with the snow storm coming. Snow is an insulator and doesn’t allow ice to form as fast in cold weather. Snow also hides the condition of the ice from those trying to get onto the pond. North pond is a pond that people get on, historically, in late November or early December; due to its shallow depth and lack of current it is one of the first ponds in our region that freezes solid early. Having any amount of snow on the ice will make this a very dangerous place to be. All the fishermen, that fish this pond, will expect the ice to safe, as it normally is, but will need to really take their time going on the ice this year.

The next pond we wanted to see was located in…wait one second…I can’t name this pond…this is a secret spot…we use this as a January 1^st back up…if Embden pond is unsafe, we go here…@rabidoutdoors knows, as do my closest friends…anyway this next pond had ducks swimming in it, needless to say, not very safe, unless, of course, you are a duck.

Our last stop was in the small town of Liberty. Lake St. George had more open water than ice and to to this off the area of access that we have used for the past 25 years is now posted with “No Trespassing” signs. There is a public boat launch at the other end of the lake, so there is access to the lake, but it quite a distance down the lake from where we usually fish.

While I am sure we will find safe ice by January first, the conditions we found were alarming considering that snow is sure to obscure the true ice conditions on many ponds and lakes here in this great State. Please watch yourselves as you gain access to these waterways and enjoy the season and all it has to offer.

Ice Safety

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:21:00 +0000

In light of the recent teen death here in Maine, due to unsafe ice condition, I thought it would be a good time to pull together a few thoughts and guidelines, about ice strength and ice safety, from throughout the U.S. The first thing I noticed as I read article after article and web site after web site was; no matter the State each have a guideline of two inches or less stay off the ice. Each State I researched maintained that their guidelines are specific for “new, clear, solid ice”.

Here in Maine our Warden Service is known for maintaining the safety of the outdoorsmen throughout the entire year, but we also know that they are the busiest during the next couple of weeks, due to ice conditions. The Maine Warden Service has a web site dedicated to informing residents and non-residents as to the safest ways in which to enjoy this State in all four of its seasons.

Maine Guidelines, for ice safety, are similar to that of the States I researched however, have the closest relation with Minnesota. Here are the Guidelines in Maine taken from: http://www.maine.gov/ifw/warden_service/safety.html

Ice Safety:

General Ice Thickness Guidelines - For New, Clear Ice Only:

2" or less - STAY OFF
4" May allow Ice fishing or other activities on foot
5" often allows for Snowmobile or ATV travel
8" - 12" of good ice with supports most Cars or small pickups
12" - 15" will likely hold a Medium sized truck.

Remember that these thicknesses are merely guidelines for new, clear, solid ice. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe.

This is the standard most ice fishermen, trappers, and ATV/snowmobilers use. It is also necessary to remember that a spring fed pond may have 4 inches of ice in some places while only having 2 inches or less over the springs that feed the pond. Inlets and outlets of a pond also will vary greatly in ice thickness due to currents that are present. The above link also has a section called: What if someone else falls in?” I would recommend reading this in its entirety, to everyone.

I have been on the ice my entire life and enjoyed the ice fishing the most. My Father taught me at an early age ice is never the same day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute. He told me to watch the ice during the day, see it change in color, watch for pressure ridges, and most of all it was important to watch where I was walking. Early and late seasons on the ice one encounters holes that have not frozen back in, which for the most part are bigger than the day they were original cut. Participating in the outdoors, for every season, requires one to do a little homework to ensure a safe and memorable experience.

Take time to be informed, educated and safe. Enjoying the outdoors is great, but coming home to your family is paramount.

A quick revisit to 2012's Ice Fishing Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:36:00 +0000

With ice fishing season just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit some of the events from the 2012 excursions. Here is just a glimps of what happened last year....Enjoy!!!

Meet my friend Duckman the Ice Fishing Ninja

Also meet the Rabidoutdoorsman the manly man on the icy lake.

Lastly check out the ice fishing trailer.

For all other movies check out http://downeastduckhunter.blogspot.com/

Opening Day for Deer -Gun

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:05:00 +0000

I started to prepare for the gun season on deer opener in August of this year. Preparations included reviewing maps for the hunting area, talking with hunting buddies and putting trail cameras out in strategic places within said hunting area. After about two weeks we went in to crab pictures from the trail cameras and found that the deer had moved to other areas as I stated in the Last Minute Changes blog entry.

After rechecking the trail cameras we found that our decision to move the stands to be a good one. We had pictures of deer again but more importantly most were during the legal shooting hours.

With everything falling into place, all my gear packed, and the rifles sighted in I decided it was time to go to bed for a good night’s rest…I was like a kid on Christmas morning, no sleep, and continuously looking at the clock, 11pm…12am…1am…2am…ok enough. I just got up and rechecked all my gear. I made coffee and started packing the truck. I could not believe how warm it was, 50 degrees and misting.

I was going to arrive at Steve’s earlier than we had planned to meet, so I was planning to wait in the truck until he was up. As I pulled in to the driveway I noticed he was already up, guess we both were a little excited. After a quick conversation and putting our safety harnesses on, we headed down to the hunting area. We stopped at our “separating spot” for few seconds. After complaining about the 50 degree weather and the amount of mist/fog we were now enveloped in and well wishes, we headed toward our stands. Remember my post about changing stand locations, we made these changes in day-light, it was now pitch black and foggy my head lamp was reflecting back from the fog at about three feet. Needless to say, finding my new strand location was difficult; in fact I did not find my stand. I knew I was close due to the flags that I followed but as I walked the mist/fog got thicker and the heat coming of my body only added to the uselessness of my head lamp, visibility was now 1 foot.

I looked at my watch and saw it was already 6:20 am, only 17 minutes to legal time…I peered frantically into the fog to no avail…with the last flag I found still within sight I decided to clear an area of leaves and stay on the deck for morning…at least until the fog cleared. 6:25…6:28…6:32…6:37, finally I loaded my rifle and leaned against a tree next to the area I cleared out and began my wait. At around 6:42 I thought I heard a crunch near my right side…looking over I saw a deer with its head down feeding. Due the IFW mishap with Super Pack license holder’s antlerless deer tags…I had to be sure it was a buck. As the deer moved closer…about twenty yards away he finally picked up his head and displayed to me his points.

I had already made up my mind that if I could tag out early I would. I wanted to be able to go with my wife and video tape her as she hunts. I picked up my gun…turned…and fired, to my disbelief he ran off with his tail down. At that range I expected him to drop right in his tracks. Steve called me on the radio and asked if that was me, when I told him yes he said he would come right over. I told him to hold tight while I followed up my shot. As I walked around I only saw white hair, I could not believe it…twenty yards away and I shot under him…no way…BANG…a gun went off nearby I called Steve to let him know it was not me that fired, he calmly stated “I know, it was me, I just shot your four pointer”.

As we checked out the deer I saw only one hole and was still of the opinion that I had under shot the deer. We then rolled the deer over…two holes…I had hit him…but why did he run the 80 yards to Steve’s stand. Upon closer inspection I had hit him behind the front shoulder, but because he was walking toward me when I shot I broke two ribs, went through his stomach, exited through the belly and went into his hind leg. That is where all the white hair came from. While my shot placement was alright I made a rookie mistake and did not stop the deer. While pulling the deer out of the woods, Steve received a text from our friends hunting just down the street. They had shot an eight pointer around the same time as the Steve shot the four.

We ended up taking both deer in my truck to be tagged. The 8 weighed 175 and the 4 weighed 130. So while opening day did not go as planned we still had quite an adventure. The good news is, there is deer is the freezer and Steve and I have yet another story to share with friends and family, most especially our grand kids.

Thank you Steve for another first in our hunting expeditions… teaming up on the same deer.

Sighting in Rifles for Deer Season 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:45:00 +0000

Sighting in Rifles for Deer Season 2012

We had decided that on Sunday October 21 we would sight in our rifles for the upcoming deer season.

With gun season just around the corner we decided to put lead to target to ensure the “one shot one kill” method of hunting. First up was Jo, with her Browning 308 SS Stalker Number II, she set up in the sled adjusting up-down and left-right until she had the view she wanted through her scope…

here is the result!!!!

Then it was Steve’s turn, with his CVA 300 Win Mag, after a few shots he decided he was good to go.

After everyone else was set, it was my turn. My Remington model 700, 300 Ultra Mag was about to bark…

It took three rounds for me to be “happy, happy, happy.”-Phil Robinson

With everyone ready we picked up and started telling stories from years past with our excitement building for stories to come...

The 2012 Duck Season Opener, as I remember it…

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:45:00 +0000

The season started with Diesel, Rabid and me meeting at Rabid’s house the night prior to the opener with the hopes of swapping stories and getting gear ready for the hunt. Onyx seemed to understand the reason for Diesel and me showing up, apparent by the body-wag going on.

Opening morning found three out of four of us ready to go, Diesel, Onyx and myself…Rabid appeared to be very “tired” and seemed to have a hard time gathering himself for the hunt. After a coffee or three he seemed to be better. Diesel and I headed to the garage to get ready for the quick trip to the honey-hole.

The morning started with great promise as there were numerous ducks flying in and out of the puddle with just minutes to go to legal time. The first borage landed four dusks in the water and we were off and running. Onyx in her true fashion gathered the ducks and brought them to us. Using two mojos we had them turning and cupping from many directions.

When the day was done, at ten am we had six ducks to take in and a lot of stories to tell.

What a great opener!!! Rabid and Onyx, thank you for the opportunity to start the season with such success. Diesel, thank you for the memories and the stories we now have for Duck Season 2012. Those stories and the rest of our duck hunting pictures to come....

Last Minute Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Last Minute Changes

As the gun season for deer approaches, here in Maine, I look to my game cameras for advice. After setting stands, along with game cameras, earlier this year we have review the pictures captured to ensure we have everything placed just right in the hunting area. As time progressed the deer seemed to move away from our stands. In a last ditch effort we moved our stands Sunday morning, due to the impending rain Sunday night, to get back into the areas the deer are now roaming. We relocated two stands and checked on the shooting lanes in two stands. We also set our game cameras with the two new sets which we will check periodically over the next couple of weeks. Everything is now ready for the season to begin and we are more confident with new stand placement.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, most of our homework is performed at the dining room table with a topographical map and compass. This, along with our trail cameras, helps narrow down the area in which deer move during legal to hunting hours. With all this in mind we headed in to make our changes...

Heading in to take care of business

Jo having a snack

New Trail Camera position

Just a couploe of tree huggers

Steve cleaning shooting lanes around his stand

Heading out from our stands to get to Jo's stand

Making the final ajustments to Jo's Stand

When our day was complete, two stands were relocated, along with two trail cameras, and all four stands had shooting lanes cleared out. Not bad for one day. We are looking forward to the rifle season starting, October 27th....let you know how it goes.

Alaskan Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Our vacation was amazing and consisted of an average of 700 pictures a day. The hardest part of the whole trip was deciding which pictures to share….

We started the vacation with a day in Vancouver followed by a seven day cruise of Alaska. We stopped at three ports and cruised Glacier Bay for two days as well as a day in the College Fjord for a day. The cruise ended in Whittier with a shuttle bus delivering us to the Anchorage Airport where we rented the car. We stayed at a B&B, The Highland Glen, for four days. We made a day trip to Denali to visit a friend and see the sights. We also spent time at the Alaska Zoo, the Seven Glacier Resort, Earth Quake Park, and had the freshest Alaskan king crab ever. Putting this vacation into words is incredibly hard to do. Here are just a few pictures to show a glimpse of what we saw.

Vancouver:

Jo and I enjoying Vancouver Breweries

Vancouver as we sail away.

Ketchikan:

Jo welcoming all to the great town of Ketchikan

Ketchikan Harbor taken from the deck of the ship

Just a couple of Salmon...the streams were loaded =)

Juneau:

Just a little fog

This scene made us laugh...we are in the world famous Red Dog Saloon

Getting ready for our helicopter trip to the Glacier

One of over 200 pictures of the flight to the Glacier

Jo and I standing on the Mendell

Glacier

Our helicopter, the Mendell Glacier and a waterfall...the magnitude of this is very hard to explain

Proving we are not afraid of a little crack in the ice....

Jo and I getting our first taste of the freshest water ever...and was it cold!!!!

These salmon fillets had just been processed...WOW was it good!!! FYI-All you can eat =)

This waterfall was just up the trail; from the salmon back and next to an old mine.

There are so many pictures it really is hard to put this together. I will add pictures and stories later of the rest of the trip. Our trip lasted 17 days, this pictures show only the first 6 days of the journey....

Stay tuned....

Alaska...Just North of ExtraOrdinary

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 01:40:00 +0000

We have returned from our trip to Alaska which included a seven day cruise and four days in Anchorage. My wife journaled our trip, with the use of her journal and pictures I will be able to tell our story. Stay tuned...Here are just a few pics. to wet your appetite.

Mountain Goats and Glaciers taken from the helicopter

Panoramic view from Glacier

Jo and I on the Glacier

A hole cut in the Glacier from the melt...amazing color

Attention Maine Atlerless Deer Permit Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:37:00 +0000

Just a quick note about antlerless deer permits.

On September 7^th the Maine Inlands fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) had their drawing for antlerless deer permits and on September 8^th I checked and was excited to see that not only did I have the permit I wanted Wildlife Management District (WMD) 16 for my tag but I was lucky enough to get a permit with my super pack license for WMD 15, (which I have never hunted before. I checked many of my friend’s names to see if permits had been acquired and called them to let them know. Yesterday I went back to the site to write my permit numbers down and found that I no longer had a permit listed for WMD16. Confused called the Augusta office of IFW and much to my dismay found that there had been an error and all hunters were to only receive one permit. I asked why I did not get my first choice of WMD 16 and the answer I received is mind boggling.

The permit I received for buying a super pack hunting license outweighs the choice for my district. In other words they choose to drop my hunting area and give me an area I have never hunted. So the homework begins…

All hunters that received both should go back and check, at

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/

you no longer have the regular permit, only your super pack.

Just a heads up

Buddy

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:41:00 +0000

Today is a hard day indeed. I just set up the appointment that will take our family pet, my friend and hunting partner of 12 years. He has loved by my daughters and wife, my stepson and his wife,their daughter (our Granddaughter) and both Grandsons. He will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

Here is his more serious side

This is my good side

Chillin' with mom

We will all miss you my friend

Love Dad, Mom, and all the kids

Expanded Season-September 8th

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:29:00 +0000

With the start of expanded season just 9 days away, my thoughts change to “am I prepared”. I have been practicing with my bow off and on since April, at distances of 20 to 50 yards. My groups, of six arrows, at 50 have been slightly off leaving arrows just on the outer edge of a 9” by 7” piece of cardboard, but from 40 yards in I have been shooting groups of 4” or better. So 40 yards it is….

All my gear is scent free, haviing been washed in scent away and hung on the line outside. Backpack had all my gear packed in it, my safety harness a must!!! My release, calls, scent, snacks, and of course range finder are all ready to go.

Steve and I have retrieved our first SD cards from the trail cameras and are very encouraged by the pictures. On September 8^th we will be in our stands prior to sun up remembering what we learned in practice and what we saw in pictures. These next 11 days might drag a long, however the day will be here soon enough. Check back on the 9^th of September for a few stories, and hopefully some pictures.

Here are just a few more pictures not put up on the last blog:

Trail Camera Results

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 14:40:00 +0000

As I promised, here are just a few of the 78 pictures we got on the trail cameras ENJOY:

As you can imagine we are pretty pumped knowing it is only two weeks away!!!

Expanded Archery Season

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:27:00 +0000

Watching the weather this time of year is a ritual for me. I am looking for at least a two day forecast of thunderstorms or heavy rain. The reason you ask…it is time to set game cameras. Most of the homework for our hunting area has been completed with the help of topographical maps, map compasses, and land owner knowledge. The final step for the season is to fine tune the area where our tree stands will be hung. The use of game cameras has increased our success both in seeing and in harvesting our objective…the allusive white tail.

Two nights ago, while watching the weather, we received the long awaited news…storms for the next three days!!! With a quick call to Steve, who just happened to be trying to call me at the same time because of the news, we made a plan to hang the cameras in our area last night. My next call was to the landowners. While we already have permission, I call before we set foot on the property each time. The call is not required, I am told every time I call, but very much appreciated. It is important to maintain and build your relationship with landowners…always mention how much you appreciate their generosity and for goodness sakes if they do decide to stop hunting on their property thank them for the years they have allowed and maintain contact, the result may surprise you…I digress…

We like to have a couple days of rain to wash as much scent away as we can after hanging cameras. Two or three days will do just fine. In two weeks we will start looking at the weather again to discern the opportune time to retrieve the information, photos and video, from the cameras and set stands. This is an event that neither of take lightly, we both know the importance of being scent free, doing homework, and most of all establishing the landowner-hunter relationship

While discussing the upcoming hunting season we talked about opening day. This discussion is one of the main reasons for today’s post. If you were to look at the 2011-2012 hunting regulations book, the paper copy, you will see that the season opens Monday, September 10. It is important to note that this date is for the 2011 season, not 2012. The season actually opens Saturday September 8 for this year. The link to the information is:

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/

Just as reminder for those that gun hunt as well and are looking for the antlerless deer tag, August 15 2012 by 11:59pm is the online deadline to apply.

Enjoy your seasons…which ever they may be.

Too Funny

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:39:00 +0000

My wife found this, I just had to share

Maine's Scenic Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:54:00 +0000

As with most Mainers, my family is are aware of what the State has to offer. Also, as with most of us, there seems to be little time to enjoy what Maine has to offer. With that in mind, my family set aside Sunday to take in Coos Canyon, Map 18 C5 in the Gazetteer by DeLorme, in Byron along the Swift River and Angel Falls Map 18 B4.

The Swift River is a 26.7-mile-long (43.0 km) river in western Maine. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows to the Kennebec River near its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean. The Swift River rises in Franklin County at the outlet of Swift River Pond, a small water body southeast of the Rangeley Lakes. The river flows south into Oxford County through the towns of Byron, Roxbury, and Mexico, ending at the Androscoggin River at the town boundary between Mexico and Rumford, and flowing through the downtown of the combined urban area formed by the two towns. Angel Falls is a 90-foot (27 m) waterfall on Mountain Brook in Township D – northwest of Houghton – in the White Mountains of Franklin County, Maine. Angel Falls is a set of plunging tiers totaling 90 feet (27 m) in height, and with surrounding cliffs of 115 feet (35 m) in height. Flowing out of a 25-foot-wide gap (7.6 m) in the cliff, it is thought by many to be the tallest waterfall in Maine, tied for height with Moxie Falls, though this is not the case; as Katahdin Falls, also in Maine, is some 710 feet (220 m) taller. Angel Falls is so named as, when the water flow is right, the falls appear as an angel (Taken from Wikipedia 2012).

Here is write up I found online by Kim Know Beckius.

Gold Rush

Pan for Gold in Maine's Coos Canyon

By Kim Knox Beckius, About.com Guide

Coos Canyon, carved by Maine's Swift River, is a prime place to pan for gold.

Last Updated: April 30, 2012

I know that people really find gold in Coos Canyon, located along Route 17 in Byron, Maine. How, you ask? Well, I thumbed through the pages of "The Big Nugget Book."

Coos Canyon is a scenic, rocky gorge carved through bedrock by the Swift River. The Swift River is one of more than a half dozen streams and rivers in Maine known to harbor deposits of gold. According to the Maine Department of Conservation's Gold Fact Sheet, "Gold occurs in several geologic environments in Maine: in bedrock, in sediments that were eroded from bedrock by glaciers, and in stream deposits derived from either of these sources."

Anyone who finds a gold nugget weighing three grains or more is eligible to have his or her photo included in "The Big Nugget Book," a photo album displayed across the street from Coos Canyon at the Coos Canyon Rock & Gift Shop, where you can rent gold panning equipment (though a perforated pie plate from home will work fine, too). "The Big Nugget Book" is filled with smiling faces of prospectors of all ages proudly displaying their gold haul.

While fame may come from finding a three-grain nugget, fortune will not come as easily. After all, a grain is equal to just 0.0648 grams. However, the Coos Canyon Rock & Gift Shop sells a variety of vials and pendants in which you can display your sparkling flakes of pure gold, a true treasure from Maine.

If you're going...

Location: Coos Canyon is located in the town of Byron, Maine, on Route 17. It will come up on your right as you're headed toward Rangeley on Route 17 West.

Admission: There is free parking available at the Coos Canyon site, and there is no charge to visit the scenic spot or to wade into the water to try your luck panning for gold.

Pan for Gold: Bring your own panning equipment, or rent gear and take a quick lesson in panning at the Coos Canyon Rock & Gift Shop, located at 472 Swift River Road, across Route 17 from Coos Canyon. As of 2012, the price to rent a pan and classifying screen is $2 per day, with a $5 refundable deposit required.

Camp Nearby: Coos Canyon Cabins and Campground, 207-364-3880, rents gold panning gear at the camp store and offers cabin rentals and campsites for tents, campers and RVs.

Here are a few photos from our trip to Coos Canyon:

Here are a few from Angel Falls just north of Coos Canyon:

The family: Wife Jo, Youngest daughter Kelsey, and the one and only Buddy the owner of us all.

Here is our first sight of the falls...

A little pose from Kels ( I made her do this, she made me say that)

I have added only six of the 730 pictures taken, if you do not have time, you really should make time to see and enjoy what this wonderful State Of Maine has to offer.

Special Olympics Summer Games 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:52:00 +0000

Special Olympics

My wife and I started a journey together about 15 years ago. At first it was spending a Saturday in June in Orono, at the University of Maine, cheering on a few gentlemen we know as they competed in their individual events at the Summer Games for the Special Olympics. This included cheering, helping, talking with them, and most importantly to them…taking pictures.

Over the years our roles have changed from spectators to coaches for two of these gentlemen. Three years ago one of the gentlemen decided to stop going, but we still coach one of these gentlemen and every year, starting at the closing ceremonies he begins his count down to the next year’s events.

My wife, both daughters, my grandson Ryder, and my father and step-mother all go. I cannot even imagian what our lives woulod be like without this great event.

Here is a picture of my Dad with one of the atheletes at the games:

If you have not had the opportunity to go to an Olympic event my suggestion is do not miss your next chance. It is truly the most inspirational and life changing event one could and should experience.

Here is a video link I believe you will enjoy, I know I did!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y9k-U67FNg

Pig Roast 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Our Saturday found us up and moving at 4:30 am and heading to Rodney’s for our annual pig roast. This is not just any pig roast it is, at this point, a tradition and has been for over 25 years. The last 17 years has been at Rodney’s. This has become a time for us to get together see how much our families have grown and share what has happened since the previous year. While we do have familiar faces year after year, it is nice to see new faces as we continue to grow as a friends and family. This year would be no exception.

I arrived at Rodney’s at 5:00 am, and we began preparations for the pig. Adding bags of charcoal to each side of our roaster and soaking them with lighter fluid is always the first of many steps.

Here is look at the roaster as well as the temperature gauge after just 20 minutes:

By 6:15 the pig was wrapped in chicken wire and setting in the roaster. We then rotate the pig a quarter turn every…so many minutes (trade secret). After 5 hours the pig is ready for injections as well as basting with our secret recipe. After 6 ½ hours, the pig is done top perfection!!!

Here is a few pictures...just to tease.

We fed around 60 people and had a great day of horseshoes, hanging out, and enjoying the pig!!!

Fishing On A Pond in North America

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:10:00 +0000

When I was asked what I wanted for Father’s Day, it only took a second for me to answer the question,

GO FISHING!!!!

Steve, John and I decided to do a full day for trout in a secret pond in North America. Fly fishing for brook trout is not only fun but a necessity for the three of us. I set my alarm clock for 4:00 am, it was not needed. My eyes opened at 3:30 am Saturday, in anticipation for the day, so I climbed out of bed to get the day started. After a shower and quick review of the gear packed I headed to Steve’s to pick both him and John up to get the trek started. Travel time would be our nemesis for this trip, taking close to 12 hours just in travel time (round trip).

Our drive started out at 5:45 am. Conversations of expectations and outcomes were abundant during this time as well jokes, stories and standard conversations that are abound in all fishing trips. Just after 10am, we arrived at our first destination. We quickly unloaded gear and distributed through out canoe for our next leg. We crossed the pond, to predetermined destination; in record time…we then pulled the canoe up on shore and secured it to a tree. Taking our gear out of the canoe took some time as we discussed what needed to be packed in and what could stay. Checking and rechecking our gear concluded with a nod from each of us, in turn, noting we were ready for the next leg.

The trail was long and steep, but with every step we knew we getting closer to our target. We were about half way there when we took a quick break for water and a well deserved rest having changed altitude by about 200 feet in just minutes. While we were having our break Steve assured both John and me that the fishing would be well worth our efforts, he having fished two times prior to today.

The pond was all that Steve had promised us, as for beauty and size. A closer look of the pond allowed us to see that the trout were already rising. Steve had access to a boat that was chained to one of the trees on shore which would afford us the transportation around the pond needed for a successful day.

After two cast of a secret fly onto the surface of this secret pond I had a hit…here we go. John was the first to get on the board with about a 11 inch brooky,

then Steve, then John, then Steve, then Steve again, then John…anyone see a pattern yet. They were catching fish one after the other, all in the 9 to 11 inch range and I was still scoreless. It was, or at least seemed to be, a long while before I made the board with a brook trout of my own. After that monkey was of my back, it seemed we three could not stop catching the trout!!!! It was truly amazing as to the number of fish we caught. We did release all but a few fish. We each were able to bring home a trout over 14 inches in length; Steve was also able to add a trout, 12 inches long to his aggregate.

Here are a couple more pictures:

All though there are no pictures of Steve, yet, I will grab them from my camera and add them later, along with a video or two.

Thank you Steve for capturing our day.

Tribute to my Father (Part III)

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Wood) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:30:00 +0000

I emptied and reloaded my father’s shotgun three times, nine shots, no ducks. He kept encouraging me, explaining how to swing shot (not lead) and how to lead, stating it was ultimately up to me. The next group of ducks that came into our decoy spread were not so lucky…remembering my Dad’s words as I brought the gun to my shoulder…”Start the bead of the barrel on their tail feathers, swing the barrel toward their head, as the head gets buried in the bead, pull the trigger while continuing the swing”

BOOM…as the smoked cleared, to my astonishment, a duck fell from the sky and into the water…

I was hooked!!!

I have spent most of the rest of my life duck and goose hunting; honing the art of calling and creating blinds, as well as presenting my decoys in many variations (but I always count on that ‘C’ pattern I learned on that first hunt), with an intensity that would make most assume I am an addict.

My Father taught me this and many lessons on safety, hunting and fishing. I learned from his experience and brought forward his lessons to my two daughters. The tradition of hunting fishing is strong with my family, my hope is to have my daughters teach their children, but if time eludes them, Bumpa (that’s me) along with his Dad, Grampa, are ready, willing and able to teach the next generation of sportsman and sportswomen in our family.

Dad, you gave me time and patience, you taught me about the outdoors, and you taught me the importance of each piece contained in hunting and fishing…all in hopes that I would enjoy them.

Little did you know how much I would come to love them. Thank you for all you have shared, all you will share, and most of all thank you for the memories…

I love you Dad….Happy Father’s Day