Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Wildlife Quiz - Togue

The Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) also known as Togue, Laker, Grey Trout, and Mackinaw exists as a freshwater game fish inhabiting freshwater lakes throughout northern North America. A fish species native to Maine waters, a Lake Trout prefer to inhabit deep, cold, oxygen-rich waters.
A slow-growing fish species, Lake Trout populations can be heavily damaged by overfishing, as such IF&W biologists closely monitored Lake Trout populations in Maine lakes. Maine anglers normally catch Lake Trout averaging between 18 to 24 inches and weighing 2 to 4 pounds. Occasionally a fortunate angler will land a behemoth fish exceeding 15 pounds. Beech Hill Pond in Ellsworth currently stands as the birthplace of the state record Lake Trout, a 31 pounds 8 ounces monster caught by Hollis Grindle in 1958.
Lake Trout possess muted black to gray colored bodies overlaid with light spots. This dark pattern gets progressively lighter down the side of the fish, finally turning white on the fish’s belly. The back of the Lake Trout sports a darkly colored dorsal and adipose fin while the pelvic fins are orange with white edging. The Lake Trout’s tail or caudal fin is forked, easily distinguishing it from of its relative the “square tailed” brook trout.
Opportunistic feeders, Lake Trout, prey on a wide variety of species including alewives, rainbow smelt, crustaceans, insects and even small birds and mammals.
Lake Trout spawn in the fall returning each year to the same spawning area. Young Lake Trout (fry) hatch from the egg and hide in the gravel substrate until early spring when they emerge and begin searching for food. If able to successfully avoid predators, Lake Trout may live to exceed 25 years. Lake Trout can breed with Brook Trout to birth a "Splake". This can occur naturally but more commonly occurs in hatcheries where Lake Trout eggs are fertilized with brook trout sperm.

Questions
  1. By what other names is the Lake Trout known?
  2. Is the Lake Trout native to Maine waters?
  3. What kind of environment do Lake Trout need to flourish?
  4. What is the average sized Lake Trout caught by Maine anglers?
  5. How big was the largest Lake Trout caught in Maine?
  6. What do Lake Trout eat?
  7. How old can Lake Trout live?
  8. What is a “splake”?
Answers

  1. The Lake Trout is also know by the names, Togue, Laker, Grey Trout, and Mackinaw.
  2. Yes, the Lake Trout is native to Maine waters?
  3. Lake Trout need deep, cold, oxygen-rich waters to flourish.
  4. Maine anglers normally catch Lake Trout averaging between 18 to 24 inches and weighing 2 to 4 pounds.
  5. The largest Lake Trout caught in Maine 31 pounds 8 ounces.
  6. Lake Trout eat a wide variety of species including alewives, rainbow smelt, crustaceans, insects and even small birds and mammals.
  7. Lake Trout can live to 25 years of age.
  8. A “Splake” is a fish resulting in the cross breeding of a Lake Trout and a Brook Trout.

Monday, January 16, 2017

A Swing and a Miss

 A Maine grand slam consists of harvesting each of Maine’s large game animals (Turkey, Moose, Bear and Deer) within a single hunting season and the pinnacle sporting achievement. For me, the possibility to achieve this dream became a reality, when I was drawn in the 2015 moose lottery for a bull tag in zone 2. At the time of the drawing, I had already shot my spring turkey with a bow and so was excited with the prospects of what was sure to be a VERY exciting hunting season.
Immediately after returning home form the lottery, I began researching bear guides and after considerable thought, finally settled on an outfitter in the Millinockett area. The bear hunt occurred during the first week of the season and was truly everything I had hoped it would be. I was served great food, treated to fantastic lodging, lead by a knowledgeable guide and joined by several other sports of truly the finest quality. The hunt was exciting and I had two perfect opportunities to shoot bears on Monday and Thursday evenings. Both bears, however, weighted around 125 pounds and while considered “average” sized bear, they were below my personal expectations and so I passed on shooting.
Over the next several weeks of bear season, I was invited by other guides, who had heard of my plight, to hunt over their baits. These hunts yielded no results but even as the season began to come to a close, I still remained hopeful right down to last night I had available, before heading off on my moose hunt the last week of September. The final evening was sweltering hot, and with little wind, the aroma of fermented doughnuts hung heavy in the air, offering a perpetual assault on my olfactory senses. I was sitting in a folding camp chair about 25 yards from the bait site in a small cluster of spruce trees in an area bordered by a large cedar swamp. A maze of bear trails intersected the bait site from numerous directions, making it a guessing game determining what direction a bear would approach the bait. Old washed-out tracks indicated a monstrous bruin had visited the site but after 3 days of hunting, no additional clue of his existence could be found. I still persisted and on the final night was rewarded by what is perhaps one of the most amazing events in my hunting career.
Late in the afternoon of the final day, as the sun started to dip below the horizon, I noted movement in the woods directly over my right-hand shoulder. Slowly turning my head, I could see that it was a bear, a BIG bear at about 40 yards, slowly approaching the bait. Being a right handed shooter, I was in a position where the muzzle of my .30-06 was in exactly the opposite direction of the approaching bruin. I knew, that considering a bears impressive speed, the option of quickly turning, shooting and placing an ethical shot into Mr. Bear were likely zero. My only option was to have the massive bear walk by me as he made his way to the bait. With what was painful slowness, the bear creeped into the bait site, his nose pointed high in the air constantly tasting the air to ensure it was safe. I figured that at any moment, the bear would bolt but instead he just kept coming. Amazed I watched the bear close the distance, 20 yards, 10 yards, 15 feet . . . finally the bear, which I judged to be close to 400 pounds, walked down the trail and by me at 9 feet as I sat on the ground in my camp chair! My adrenaline hitting critical, I struggled to keep my breathing under control and my heart rate from red lining but was rapidly losing the battle. As the bear edged by me, the wind swirled and I noted an immediate change in the bruin’s demeanor and I knew the jig was up. He stopped, took one final hesitated step and bolted into the woods like his tail was on fire, ending my bear hunting for 2015.
After my bear troubles, the rest of the “grand slam” went like clock work, as I managed to shoot my moose, a 750 pound, 13 pointer with a 51 inch spread, exactly 30 minutes into the first day. The beast even landed on the road and within a few hours my brother, father and I had removed the moose from the woods, tagged it and delivered it to the butchers and by noon were sitting on the deck, at our cabin at Red River Camps, enjoying an ice cold beverage.
My deer hunt also ended without incident, as I shot a 110 pound doe with my bow during mid October. After tracking the deer for several weeks using a game camera, I noted that she always walked by my deer stand, every three to four days, always in the evening, about an hour before last light. I went out and sat in my stand for the last three hours on the evening of the third day and encountered only squirrels but on the fourth day, like clock work, the doe walked right by my stand on her regular schedule. I drew back and fired a Rage expandable that impaled her behind the forward shoulder and dropped her only 10 yards from where she was initially hit.

I still think occasionally about my choice to pass on those two bear, but ultimately, if I had to do it all over again I would still have passed the second time. My close encounter would not have been possible had I pulled that trigger early in bear season and while I didn’t harvest that monstrous animal, being that close in its presence was well beyond the word amazing.  While it would have been a great accomplishment to have completed the “grand slam”, it was still an amazing hunting season and one that I will cherish for all time. Like I have said many times before, hunting is only about 10% about the killing the other 90% is about the time spent with family, friends, spending time afield enjoying Mother Nature and the frequent quiet, moments of self-reflection.

Friday, January 13, 2017

Scent Control Kills More Coyotes

Author's son "The Wildman" with his first coyote
Scent Control Kills More Coyotes
A coyote appeared suddenly, 50 yards downwind of my position. The wily dog weaved between spruce trees, offering me no shot opportunity. With the distance closing fast, I knew at any moment he would pick up my scent and the jig would be up. Fortunately, he kept coming and at just 10 yards, he suddenly stopped, finally smelling something that just wasn’t right. At that precise moment, my rifle cracked, and a single .223 round put that coyote down for good. I am not absolutely sure what happened that day; maybe that particular coyote wasn’t exactly the smartest of his breed. Instead, however, what I would like to believe is that I would not have shot that coyote had I not take extensive measures to control my scent.
I believe that many times when hunters fail to succeed in shooting coyotes, they simply have not taken the proper measures need to adequately control their scent profile. When the stakes are high and we are chasing whitetails, it is easy to invest the time and energy required to control our scent. When hunting coyotes however, maintaining that same level of discipline can be difficult. Scent control is not rocket science and even a basic level of scent control, when hunting coyotes, will often go a long way in allowing hunters to put more fur on the ground. No-scent soaps and deodorants are effective but should be used each day 3-4 days before hunting to ensure that residual smells from scented shampoos and body washes are eliminated. Also, wear hunting clothes no more than two outings before rewashing in no-scent laundry soap, drying and then storing in sealed plastic bags with spruce or pine boughs. Done right, more coyotes will see their last Maine winter.
            Hunting coyotes is practically a sport in Down East, almost as exciting as the high school basket ball tournaments. To get in on the action, use the Stud Mill road to access a massive road network, providing access to thousands of miles of prime coyote hunting opportunities. One of my personal favorite spots is located in and around Cranberry Mountain (DeLorme’s The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (MAG), Map 35 E2) and Lower Sabao Lake (Map 35, D1, E1) both of these areas hold enough song dogs to make any hunter happy.

Ice Fishing
West Grand (Map 35, B-3, B-4) exists as a hugely successful salmon fishery, standing as one of the premier salmon lakes in Maine. The lake’s 14,340 acres and 128 ft watery depths provide excellent habitat for salmon, perhaps one of the most consistent salmon fisheries in eastern Maine. The lake provides superb habitat for coldwater sport fish, yielding trophy sized togue and salmon every season. Currently, the lake is being managed by Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) to produce a high percentage of 2-pound salmon. Salmon caught by ice anglers typically range from 17 to 19-inches with the chance to pull up a larger trophy fish always a possibility. In years, boasting high smelt population densities, between 40-50% of the salmon harvested weigh 2 pounds or greater.
Show me a map of West Grand Lake and it would be difficult to indicate a specific spot where I have fished and not caught many fine salmon. Whitney Cove, the Throughfare, Hardwood Island, Pineo Point and many, many other locations are great choices for catching old silversides through the ice. Anglers targeting salmon will encounter more success if they bring smelts. While salmon will bite shiners, a much larger degree of success will be managed by those willing to invest a little more expense and effort and use smelts. If unaccustomed to using this baitfish, know they are notoriously difficult to keep alive. Bait buckets equipped with small aerators will increase the chances of keeping bait actively swimming all day long.
West Grand Lake should not be trifled with any time of year but especially during the winter. Those wishing to fish its icy depths need to have a backup plan should weather turn nasty. This plan should include extra layers of clothing, food, fire starting materials and being sure to leave an itinerary with someone should you not arrive back home by a specified time.
Snowmobile Riding
My idea of the perfect snowmobile ride includes a maximum of about 50 miles of trail done at around 10-20 miles an hour. At this speed, a rider is able to fully appreciate his or her surrounding and enjoy the beautiful scenery that the Maine winter offers. Often, I see riders flying down trails and across lakes at such unsafe speeds, it has me wondering why they appear to be in such a big hurry. It isn’t that I am an old fossil; it’s simply that I enjoy taking things slow. When I ride, I like to take my time and enjoy the moments spent outside, I stop to talk to ice fishermen, other snowmobile riders, cross country skiers and have even been known to stop at a store to get a snack and drink piping hot cocoa.
            If looking for a slow ride with plenty of beauty and nice places to stop for hot drinks and an afternoon snacks, I suggest taking a ride on the Sunrise Trail (http://sunrisetrail.org) from Machias (Map 26, C-3) to Dennysville (Map 27, A-1) or Cherryfield (Map 25, D-2). This scenic trail passes through some beautiful country and can be accessed by parking at the causeway in Machias. While the scenery is spectacular, even more fun is stopping after a long afternoon of riding at Helen’s Restaurant in Machias for a hot cup of coffee and a slice of one of their delicious pies.  



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