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Maine Trout Ponds

By Jonah Paris     Maine is dotted with many small trout ponds. These remote waters are protected by dense walls of softwoods. They are places where “crowded” is another party fishing the opposite shore, and where the country, and the trout, still remain wild. The gravel roads might push back in a little further … Continued

Small Trout Runs

By Al Raychard When I was a kid there was a small brook that cut through the property of my childhood home. Until I got my driving license and could explore more distant fishing holes, I spent a lot of time drowning worms in its tea-colored pools. It’s where I cut my teeth as an … Continued

Maine Man Mauled by Grizzly

By V. Paul Reynolds “Climbing over the logjam, I spotted two cubs on the other side of the river. From the brush I heard the huffing sound. Then I saw her, the sow. From 20 yards she was coming at me, huffing and growling – a full charge.” Hamish Stevenson, a native from Mt Desert … Continued

SBRs: Time to Purchase

By John Floyd Knocking clay birds out of the sky on a sunny afternoon is great fun. Plinking a dueling tree with a .22LR pistol is too. But nothing beats sending freedom pellets down range through a suppressed, semi-automatic short-barreled rifle; colloquially known as an SBR. And if you really needed one, there is yet … Continued

The Conversion

BY V. Paul Reynolds Ice fishing? Why would you want to do that? The north wind comes blowing in across the lake and bites into your cheeks. You are cold all the time, frozen fingers are your reward for baiting the hook and rebaiting the hook. You just get a promising ice hole going and … Continued

The Best Big Game Calibers

kellyapr By Tom Kelly The ammo/shooting industry thrives on new caliber offerings and the latest wonder bullet that has heat- seeking capabilities and scans for 10- point bucks. Many of these claims actually sell products. Marketing does in fact work. There are, however, some tried and true calibers that still do the job and are … Continued

To Catch a Poacher

By Kale O’Leary I first began writing articles for the Northwoods Sporting Journal in 2020. Over the years I have written a variety of articles covering the work of Wardens in the North Woods. My goal has always been to give a “behind the scene” look into the work and job that I am so … Continued

March: The Second February

BY Mike Maynard “April is the cruelest month…” – T.S. Eliot   March. If only it were that simple. There isn’t much to recommend the month; it’s a mistake. March is a cold and empty nothingness; a malignant iceberg in the sea of winter. The kindest thing I can say about it is that it’s … Continued

Mastering the Turkey Hunt

By Stu Bristol One of my early wild turkey hunting mentors, Ben Rogers Lee warned me, “It’s not good enough to just sound like a wild turkey. You must become one.” From that day forward I adopted the slogan, “Turkey hunters are play actors; the turkey woods their stage.” Secondly, he repeated, “Turkeys will teach … Continued

Brush Gun Stories

“I shot where the deer had surely been, And bark came flying—oak, not venison.” -Old Woodsman’s Couplet By V. Paul Reynolds When, during camp debates about good deer rifle calibers, somebody always says,” Yea, that .35 Remington is one helluva brush gun!” What does that really mean? Of course, that the round is big enough … Continued

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