Welcome to Dusty's Blog
Hunting, fishing, hiking, photography, making webpages, going to camp, cutting wood, filming wildlife, bout sums it up. My biggest project right now is my hunting website:
www.TheMaineHuntingGuide.com
Hope you enjoy the pictures and videos, comments are welcome.
Thanks Dusty
Bear Hunting 8-30-10
Bear hunting opener, no luck. What a hot day for hunting, but we stuck it out. Got there before noon and set up our tree stands then went and did a little scouting. We walked further down the powerline and did some checking, found fresh sign and probably should have gone back there, but we stuck with the original plan. It was to hot to do much scouting so we jumped in the truck and did some "AC" hunting. They have gradded the Stud Mill Rd so the going wasn't as rough as the weekend before. Not many other hunters out and about but we did see a few trucks and three loads of logs on our two hour cruise. Then went back to the stands. I tried a scent stick, "12 miles of dead fish", but I didn't find it all that stinky. I wouldn't recommend using it in camp to "set the mood" and your dog would probably like to roll on it, but the wind wasn't right for using it. The wind was from our left to the right from in front us, so that was to our advantage. I even tried a little calling. Your suppose to call for an hour, to keep the bears attention if they're comming. Fifteen minutes was as long as I could keep it up with the mouth call. Then I used the electronic call, but it's not as loud, so I didn't call for the whole hour. We stuck it out for the three and a half hours, a long time to sit especially for a twelve year old. Well at least a long time to sit without a game controller in his hands. End of the day we packed it up with no bear and started our 100 mile ride back to camp. I don't care what the conditions are for hunting, I enjoy every minute. But to help eleviate the boredom twelve year olds experience and make it as enjoyable, I think I'm going to invent a tree stand with a game console.
Down East 8-22-10
Scouting for bear Down East. No luck today, nothing wanted it's picture taken, well just me. Oh well, can't see them everytime. Hopefully they will be here when it counts.
Down East 8-15-10
I've been pretty lucky seeing bear, hopfully they'll be around come hunting season. This guy was out there just before 5 pm, the one from the 7th was out at 3.
Bear Scouting 8-7-10
Went looking for a bear and found one. I was in my favorite area off the Stud Mill Rd, and have gotten video of bear twice this year (see May 15th). I was checking the elder berries, which are about a third ripened and abundant, but I wasn't seeing any bear signs. I was working the powerline like I would if I was hunting, with the wind in my face, and crested a hill onto a flat grassy area. The grass was kinda tall so I stepped up onto a large rock at the woodline and this bear was right out in front of me about 40 yards. He didn't see me until he got about 15 yards from me.
Down East 7-31-10
Scouting for bear Down East. The elder berries are starting to ripen. And the bears are liking it.
The proof is in the pudding, so to speak.
Didn't get much scouting in. These pics are from the first side road I checked out. When I turned around at the end I cut a tire on a rock and had the change it. It's fairly remote so I drove straight out on the donut spare. I'm going to start carring an extra tire when I go down there. It sucks having something like that ruin your plans.
Upta Camp 7-24-10
Relaxing weekend, well for the most part. Evenings are nice here at camp, mornings too. Have a little landscaping project I will work on, weather permitting. May cut some wood sunday and monday, gotta get going on that. I usually only work a couple hours, pick at it. I'll start taking vacation when bear season starts aug. 30, can cut wood in the a.m. hunt in the p.m.
Let me define "relaxing weekend": Sunday morning dug out stumps beside the camp, cut wood in the afternoon. Oh well, wouldn't do it if I didn't want too.
Fishing Travel Pond 7-16-10
Out fished again! Stephen caught 8 I caught 2. We went to Travel Pond for the first time. It's a quarter mile from the house, I've never fished it because I didn't think it held many fish. But I was wrong. Didn't catch any really big ones but enough action to make it fun.
Climbed Katahdin 7-8-10
Jamie, Stephen, (sons) Michael, Jesse (grandsons) and I climbed Katahdin. We went up Cathedrial Trail and down The Saddle. Glad I got some good shots because it may be the last time I do that, what a workout.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Matthew Dancing 6-27-10
Matthew (grandson) had a great time, as did we all, at Nick and Mallory's wedding reception.
Eagle 6-11-10
Here's a young eagle being harrassed by a bunch of bluejays. I was going fishing on Togus Pond near Augusta when I heard a commotion in a tree beside the road. Apparenly they didn't like him sitting in their tree.
Shooting Skeet 5-29-10
Stephen, Jamie, Jesse and I shot skeet today. Stephen and Jesse did well for their first time at it. I think Jesse would be more comfortable with a 410 than a 20 gauge. Stephen hit a number of clays. We went through a box and a quarter of targets and about 200 rounds of ammo. Always a fun time.
Sunset 5-22-10
Sunset on a little pond Downeast.
I was scouting for bear. Had my cameras at the ready but no luck. The bear didn't cooperate this time. Lots of fresh moose tracks in this area.
Partridge Update 5-18-10
Originally I photographed this nest on 4-26 and there were seven eggs. A few days later I was back and there were ten. I didn't notice when I took the picture today but it appears there are a couple eggs with chips missing. It could just be something on the shell, I'm not sure. I'll check back in a few days. Maybe I can be quieter next time and not spook the hen and get some video. Today she went into her distress dance to try to lure me away, I'd love to tape that.
Maine Black Bear 5-15-10
Went for a ride down the Stud Mill Rd this afternoon to my favorite bear hunting site. Got lucky and had a nice one come out for some pictures. Stephen and I were turkey hunting this morning in the back yard. Had one circle around us just below the bank so he couldn't get a shot.
Tom Turkey Napping 5-10-10
This Tom doesn't realize it's turkey hunting season, but maybe he realizes it's afternoon and he is safe till morning. I went for a walk today. Took my fishing pole, cameras and a 38 (covering all the bases). Caught a couple chubs, no trout, filmed ospree in a tree and in a nest and didn't shoot nothing. I'm happy with the zoom on my new camera the clarity could be better, i'll have to use it more before I judge.
Turkey Hunting - Update 5-8-10
Stephen left with Steph and Chelsea headed for Woolwich, 10 minutes later these two big toms and two hens come to the bird feeder 10 feet from the house. Well at least we know they're still around.
Turkey Hunting 5-8-10
Stephen and I got up this morning, sat in the blind in the backyard and called turkey or tried to. Had no luck, although one had been roosting about 50 yards out in front of us and flew down about 6:00. Probably a hen. We have had turkey here all winter and the toms had been struting around last week. But they seem to have disapeared lately.
The Woodlot 5-7-10
Went up to Swanville today, Dad's back is bothering him, he had wanted to mow the lawn be put it off to rest. Mom was doing well. I brought her a silk flower arrangment for Mother's Day. Figured that would last her longer and it really does look nice. I went up to the woodlot and worked on "the pile". Cut for a couple hours then quit for lunch. Dad had made a seafood chowder yuumm. Got home and set up a blind in the back yard so I can take Stephen turkey hunting in the morning, we won't have to go far. Then came to work so I can rest :)
Ducktrap River 4-29-10
Went to Lincolnville today and walked along Ducktrap River. It's fly fishing only but I was only carring my camera, hoping to get a wildlife shot or two, the wildlife wasn't cooperating. I did scare up an Eagle that was sitting on a tree across the river, but he had heard me before I saw him, so no pic. I did find a few fiddleheads and cooked them up with my lunch, yummy.
Signs of Spring 4-26-10
A partridge nearly jumped me out of my skin when I walked past her clutch of eggs. I sure sign of spring. It won't be long before these hatch.
My Bear 9-2009
My second Maine Black Bear, this one taken in WMD 19. While scouting for Stephen's moose hunt, I was seeing lots of bear sign. So I started hanging around in the evenings (preseason) to see what I could see. Two Videos of the bears on Aug 22,09. This bear was the 10th bear I had seen, most were preseason.
Stephen's Moose 2009
One happy hunter, not bad for his first kill at age eleven. 740lb Bull with a 43in spread taken in WMD 19. Trophy of a lifetime. I did a lot of preseason scouting but didn't find a really good area for calling. So we ended up driving lots of miles searching and it finally paid off on thursday of that week.