Fields Bay Outfitters, a great opportunity for local sportsmen

Leo and Brian at the show

This past January at the Yankee Sportsman's Classic, I spent quite a bit of time talking with Brian Bouchard and Leo LaBonte.  Brian is the owner of Fields Bay Outfitters and Leo is both a guide and an award winning decoy carver.

I will state up front that I am not a duck or goose hunter.  My friends will state that I am not a deer hunter either, but the difference is that I do hunt deer...just not well.  I have never hunted ducks or geese.  In fact, I have never really wanted to hunt them.  It was my understanding that you hunted ducks and geese in the worst weather and I couldn't imagine having to shell (pun intended) out all the money for decoys and gear.

I had approached Brian at his booth to ask him a couple questions I had about duck and goose hunting.  One question led to another and Friday's questions led into Saturday's questions.  Both Brian and Leo were very helpful and I am intrigued with the Fields Bay Outfitters' business model.  Who knows, maybe I'll try waterfowling after all.

Let's start with waterfowling.  Fields Bay Outfitters targets local sportsmen wanting to try waterfowling, but who don't want to go out and invest the money in all that they'd need - boat/canoe, insulated waders, a dozen or so decoys, etc. (new Lab puppy, training, chewed shoes and furniture, new hardwood floors and bathroom to bribe wife...that's another story).

Most local guides are looking for out-of-state clients to take hunting and fishing.  Out-of-state clients aren't likely to return to hunt or fish a guide's local productive spots on their own like local clients might.  Fields Bay Outfitters hunts on leased land where they hold exclusive rights.  They can provide their local clients great hunting opportunities without the worry of returning non-paying hunters ruining productive spots for future clients.  Fields Bay Outfitters provides local sportsmen with a perfect opportunity to "test drive" waterfowling at very reasonable rates.  They also have a "no shoot, no pay" policy.  If a client doesn't have an opportunity to shoot at any ducks or geese, then the client does not pay.  Note that this is not a "no hit, no pay" policy, so, sadly for some, poor shooting is not rewarded.

Another interesting aspect of hunting with Fields Bay Outfitters is that most of their waterfowl hunts are conducted over hand-carved decoys.  Most of these decoys are carved by Leo.  The decoys are functional works of art.  Leo's decoys have each time they were hunted over written on the bottom.  They decoys are for sale and make a wonderful souvenir of your hunt (particularly if you are taking your one of your daughters, say Katie or Maddie, on their first hunt).

Leo's carved Brant on right

Speaking of decoys....  While I've never hunted ducks or geese, even I have a decoy or two in my house.  My first decoy was inherited from my pépère (grandfather).  Others were acquired later.  I understand from Brian and Leo that collecting decoys can become an obsession.  Brian even has his mom and aunt on the look-out for decoys at garage sales.

Leo blames his father-in-law (a decoy collector) for getting him interested in decoys.  Whether this is true or not, it makes for an effective come back to your wife's complaints.  "Well, if it wasn't for your father, I would have never started collecting decoys.  So blame him."

I was very impressed with Leo's decoy painting.  It showed great attention to detail.  I asked Leo about how he went about learning to paint decoys.  Leo said he has spent countless hours trying different techniques to get the painted feather texture just right.  His feather color is determined by painting on actual feathers to match the colors perfectly.

While I've focused on waterfowling, Fields Bay Outfitters also offers turkey and predator hunts.  Information about hunts, as well as contact information, is found on their web site, http://www.fieldsbayoutfitters.com/.

Brian in photo taken with iPhone

As I've mentioned previously, I'm a gadget guy.  I asked Brian what gadget he found to be most useful in the field.  iPhone was his immediate reply.  He uses his iPhone to get wind and weather information, to access social media, to take pictures, and to scan credit cards.  He then told me of a picture of him that was taken up in Canada using an iPhone that was a final contender in a photo contest (left).  This photo and many others can be found on the Fields Bay Outfitters' web site.

I am definitely planning a hunt with Brian and Leo in 2013.  It's just up to Katie and Maddie to pass a hunter safety course and get their hunting licenses.  I understand that there is even a paternal figure in their life, that writes a blog, whose first name begins with K, who will finance this endeavor.  And what young lady doesn't look great in camo?

Call me Bushnell

Back in the mists of time, the ancients would sometimes change their names following some momentous event - Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader, "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away."  In the bible, God would occasionally change a person's name (and who'd argue) - Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter.  This custom continues in modern times.  For example, it is still customary for those elected to the Papacy to take a name, other than their birth name, to signify their reign as Supreme Pontiff.  Following receipt of a Bushnell® HD 8MP Trophy Cam from the Public Relations Manager at Bushnell, I briefly considered changing my name to Bushnell.  In the end, while receiving the trail camera was a momentous event, I thought changing my name would be confusing - to friends, to family, to me...to Cabela's®.

One of the more enjoyable aspects of writing for the Mountain Gazette and my blog is that I occasionally am able to try products from various manufacturers.  This past week I received a new Bushnell®  HD 8MP Trophy Cam to run through its paces for 2013.  I'm looking forward to testing its features and being able to add many pictures I otherwise wouldn't be able to capture to my blog.

The only downside I see is that the Bushnell®  HD Trail Cam may reveal that there really are a ton of big bucks all around me...under my nose!  I'm willing to take the chance.

rarely seen wife in kitchen

I hope to get the camera set up and mounted this weekend.  It would have come in handy when the girls were back in high school and my wife and I were out of town for the weekend.  I did once tell the girls that I had mounted several game cameras focused on the house right before Karen and I left for the weekend.  How do you spell PARANOID?  (It was not a real question, but if my mom uses "paranoid" in "Words with Friends" any time soon, I'll suspect she read this post.)

As you can see from the picture, I've progressed to setting up the camera.  It has more features than I'd normally ever use.  However, in the interest of being a good reviewer, I'll go through all the features in the upcoming months.  (I'm glad I have the Bushnell®  HD Trophy Cam for a year...it may take that long.)

Bob Howe, Registered Maine Master Guide and Houndsman

I met Bob Howe at the Yankee Sportsman's Classic back in January.  Bob is Registered Maine Master Guide, the owner of Pine Grove Lodge,  and was a seminar speaker on hunting snowshoe rabbit (hare) and coyotes.  Bob starts his seminars by stating that he "just does this for a living, but doesn't have all the answers."  He may not have all the answers, but I haven't thought of the questions that he can't answer.  Of course, being mildly ADD, I couldn't get past the fact that Bob has a kennel of 27 beagles. That's more than two baker's dozen (in Vermont donut speak)!

Bob (right) at Yankee Sportsman's Classic

Hunting snowshoe hare and hunting coyotes goes together.  Shooting coyotes protects the hare and deer populations and gives Bob's guests something to do at night when they aren't hunting hare.  Who'd want to stay all cooped up lying in a soft bed in a comfortably warm lodge in the middle of a Maine winter when you could be out most of the night sitting in a blind (portable heater provided) hunting coyotes?  Apparently quite a few people, at least for one night.

From what I understand, there are no wolves in Maine.  Some "sports" have a difficult time telling the difference.  One sure way to tell the difference is that if you shoot a wolf it results in a fine of several thousand dollars.  If you shoot a coyote, no problem.  It stands to reason that there are no wolves in Maine.

Coyote pelts go for $25-$45 a pelt depending upon color and quality.  If you are interested in keeping or selling the pelt use a smaller caliber rifle.

Bob in the North Woods

Bob has his guests hunt coyotes over bait - most often part of a cow carcass.  Bob has tried baiting with an entire cow carcass, but has better luck with front or rear shoulders.  Coyotes hunt in family groups and will continuing hitting the same bait as long as the dominant male keeps going back.  If the dominant male is shot, the rest of the group will move on.  Bob said some of the coyotes get pretty smart and will circle around and check the blinds to see if they are occupied before going to the bait.  (Safety tips:  wear warm boots and never have a frozen cow carcass dropped into the bed of your pickup truck.)

Ever since he was a teenager, Bob has enjoyed taking older folks out hunting and fishing.  Bob told me of the time a local retirement home called to ask if he could take one of their 92-year old residents fishing.  The staff told Bob that all this man talked about was going fishing.  Bob called the man's daughter to get permission.  With permission secured, Bob executed his plan.  Bob showed up in the man's room to tell the 92-year old that they were breaking him out.  The old guy asked where they were going and Bob told him fishing.  Bob said the man was so excited, but very concerned that the staff would catch them (of course they already knew).  Bob said they were prepared  for that and wrapped a poncho around the man and put a big Mexican hat on his head.  And off they wheeled the man to go fishing!  With their escape secured, they enjoyed a day fishing from Bob's pontoon boat.

Bob has formalized his program of offering outdoor experiences to deserving people through his Pine Grove Program.  (There will be more information on the Pine Grove Program in a post this coming week.)

Let's talk snowshoe hare hunting with dogs...beagles...lots and lots of beagles.  Bob has 27 beagles.  Twenty-six females and one lucky male.  It isn't that the females have better noses, it's that Bob thinks they focus better - mostly because they aren't marking every tree and snowbank or peeing on each other.  Having two male dogs, Bob's viewpoint seems pretty valid.

Bob thinks that March is the best time of year to hunt snowshoes.  The hare are starting to congregate in anticipation of breeding.

Bob hunts a couple dogs at a time in a cover, often setting down several groups of dogs to cover a larger area.   Bob is clearly fond of his dogs.  He breeds them specifically for hunting hare.  Bob hunts some of his older dogs just an hour or so because they love to hunt and hate being left behind.  He keeps his senior pack members long into their retirement.  Bob commented that it's the only right thing to do since they helped him to earn a living.  The covers Bob hunts are named after deceased members of his beagle pack.

Asked about the noise of 27 beagles around his lodge, Bob responded that they don't hardly make a sound if you run them 9 miles a day.  Bob has a local retiree run his pack about 9 miles a day along the logging roads.  He swims the dogs next to his boat in the summer if it gets hot.

I appreciate Bob taking the time to talk with me.  I'm hoping to make it up to his lodge next March to hunt snowshoes and coyotes...and to pick up some stories of hunting and fishing in Maine.

Mountain Gazette, February 7, 2013 Edition, page 10

Off-Season Scouting

Deer season and partridge season are over so it seems appropriate thatthoughts should turn to next year. Do you hunt the same spots again or strikeout and look for some new, and hopefully more productive, locales? Your answerwill likely depend upon your past success. However, even if you’ve enjoyed success, there are no guarantees nextseason. Land may be logged off, posted, or otherwise altered to the determentof your hunting. It is always good to have an eye open for new areas.

Scouting new areas, like hunting gear, has evolved over time. That beingsaid, what may still be the best way to find new hunting ground is through therecommendations of friends. While a friend may not cough up his prime spot, hemay be happy to have some company hunting some very productive spots.

For those without the right kind of friends, all is not lost.There are several tools available to help locate potential hunting areas. Oneof the best places to start is by looking at DeLorme's Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer. The Gazetteer covers the entirestate and shows primary roads, back roads, dirt roads, trails, and Federal andState land, all in 1:100,000 (1” = 1.6 miles) detail, with contour lines at 100foot intervals. Start by searching for relatively large green areas with few orno roads.

You can help refine your search using Google Earth. GoogleEarth is Google's free satellite image application that covers most of the habitableearth. Because Google Earth images are updated fairly regularly, Google Earthis a great tool for showing areas that may have been opened up by logging aswell as logged-over areas are recovering. Google Earth provides latitude andlongitude information to input into your GPS, as well as shows roads, points ofinterest, and some topographic information. Having latitude and longitudeinformation allows you to input possible waypoint information into your GPS sothese points of interest are easier to find when you are in the woods.

While contour lines are not available on Google Earth,topological information is available. The quickest way to determine the contourof the land is to tilt your view of the Google Earth map so that you arelooking at the features from a side view, rather than the default top-downview. The name of mountains and hills will appear in the tilted map view. Aleft -click of your mouse on a hill icon will pull up an elevation profile of ahill or mountain. This profile provides information on highest elevation andprovides a relief map (which can be changed to reflect different approachdirections). Another way to get topological information is to use Google Earthpath tool. By selecting the “add path” tool in the icon menu bar at the top ofyour computer screen, you can plot out a specific path through the woods. 

Another resource to hunters is the Vermont Association ofSnow Travelers (VAST) trail maps. VAST maps can be useful for finding accesstrails to hunting areas you have located and want to explore. Snow mobileaccess does not equate to hunting access in several respects. First, many areasare not accessible until the ground is firmly frozen. Second, some VAST trailsrun through land that is posted against hunting. 

Physical scouting has always been an integral part of mostsuccessful hunts. Only boots on the ground will determine whether the land isposted, whether permission is required to access an otherwise huntable area, orwhether your electronic field work is accurate. There is no better time thanwinter to scout. A cover of snow makes access by snowshoe or cross-countryskiing possible. You can enjoy time with non-hunting friends and scout at thesame time–talk about a win-win. The lack of cover allows for a quick assessmentof the overall terrain. Scouting also keeps you in shape and out of troubleuntil opening day.

A copy of the Mountain Gazette

[Update: I just read an article by Jerome Richard in the Northwoods Sporting Journal, March 2013, pp. 4 and 23, where the author shot a nice buck using only Google Earth for scouting. It is an interesting story about applying the technology about which I wrote.]

Ken Hammel (Preacher) of Mountain Hollow Game Calls

Ken Hammel and deer (not from VT)

Ken Hammel is the owner of Mountain Hollow Game Calls.  He is called "Preacher" by some, because he is also a preacher...as in real preacher, from a pulpit preacher.  His preaching skills are evident when Ken speaks to fellow sportsmen.  He is also refreshingly candid when recounting his own outdoor adventures.*

I had the opportunity of meeting and speaking with Ken Hammel during the Yankee Sportsman's Classic, January 18th through 20th, where Ken was both a seminar speaker and a vendor.  Ken's seminar topic was "Trophy Whitetail Calling Tactics."  While his company sells a variety of products, including deer grunt tubes, deer scents and lures, and de-scenting soaps, Ken's presentation focused on rattling for deer.  Ken's talk was definitely focused on helping hunters rather than selling product.

The major take-away from Ken's presentation was that if you hunt in the Northeast, you need to rattle for at least a half hour.  Rattle for about three minutes, then wait and listen...repeat.  Ken suggests continuing rattling because it may take time for a buck to locate the source of sound, especially with hilly topography.

During his presentation, he mentioned that some hunters cut off the brow tines on their rattling antlers so they don't hit their thumbs when rattling.  Ken, however, is a firm believer in keeping as much antler as possible to make the most noise, an occasional thumb whack, notwithstanding.  I don't think that using too much antler mass or too-long brow tines are much of an issue for local hunters using Vermont deer antlers.

Other deer-hunting tips and facts include:

• The best time of day to rattle is between 10 AM and 2 PM - which is when I expected it would be the worst time;
• Ken's own success rate with rattling is about one time in fifty;
• Grunting and rattling is better than just rattling alone (a second person is helpful);
• Rattling has been more successful for Ken when done on the ground, rather than from a tree stand;
• Ninety percent of the time Ken looks for a spot with the best visibility (where he can see furthest) and doesn't worry about wind direction (since he doesn't know where the deer is coming from anyway);
• The best day to take a Boone and Crockett buck is on November 11th; 5 days, plus or minus, are best days for success;
• The best week for rattling success is the second week in November;
• Bucks grunt while fighting; and
• A doe rarely comes to a buck call, but will usually respond to a doe call.

Ken at the VT show

Ken's company, Mountain Hollow Game Calls, is just over 30 years old.  The company was originally started by Ronnie Johnson and was taken over by Ken when Ronnie left. Ken says they produce about 10,000 calls a month.  He is assisted in his business by many people, including about 10 family members, such as his mom, who assembles the lanyards.  His late father had also assisted in making the lanyards.

When I asked Ken what he likes most about his business he said he likes designing and building the calls.  He describes Mountain Hollow Game Calls as a very friendly company that likes teaching people.  They have a Pro Staff of about 40 and want to teach you to be successful.  From talking with Ken and listening to him talk with people he knew at the show, it seems that Ken also enjoys a fair amount of hunting.  Ken said the least enjoyable part of the job was selling.

Ken said he attends 14 to 16 sportsmen shows a year, the largest of which is the show in Harrisburg, PA (recently cancelled due to a vendor boycott following the promoter's ban of modern sporting rifles).  While he sells his products through stores and on the internet, Ken says that the best deals he offers are at shows.

I asked Ken what was one of the coolest product he sold and he said it was Mountain Hollow Game Calls Barred Owl call.  The call is used for turkey hunting.  What?  Before sunlight, you can use the call to locate roosting turkeys, because the turkeys will answer the owl call, but would be wary of a turkey call at that time of day.  This allows the hunter to best position himself to call turkeys at daylight.  (I was won over and bought an owl call - not because I hunt turkeys, but because we have many barred owls.  Let's just say that my owl call sounded nothing like Ken's owl call.  My call works great if your objective is to have an English Setter launch himself at you every time you practice it.)

I want to thank Ken for taking the time to talk with me and answer my questions.  Ken is an interesting guy with great company...and a seemingly very tolerant wife.  If, during the night, you hear a sick sounding Barred owl followed by a dog's howl, don't be alarmed, it's probably just me.

*After hearing some of Ken's stories I would love to meet his wife.  As I mentioned above, Ken is refreshingly candid.  He asks the audience if anyone has ever been lost in the woods.  A few honest men raise their hands.  Ken volunteers that he's been lost.  In fact, he adds, over 200 men were once out looking for him.  His wife said he could never hunt again...that didn't work.  My favorite story came when we were discussing using mouth calls - the diaphragm-type calls that fit in your mouth.  Ken said that the first time he tried one of these calls (remember, these are a staple sale of his company) he gagged and threw up.  Once again, his wife said, you aren't doing that again...and, once again, that didn't work.  Ken says he can now keep several of the calls in his mouth at the same time and just rotate them as needed.  When I comment on what a great story this is, Ken quickly points out that it is impossible to actually choke on any of the mouth calls.