Memories of camp highlight season

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The state’s most determined deer hunters are still in the woods this week, taking advantage of a pile of snow in their efforts to finally fill their tags.

Others, like me, have already packed it in for the season. As I told you last week, I am – again – deer-less.

But as I also told you, I had a great time, learned a lot more things to avoid and will be a better hunter next fall.

Better. But good enough? Who knows.

I received an e-mail from a kindred spirit last week, in which the avid hunter told me about how his deer season went.

Here’s part of what Greg Monk, who works out of Baileyville, had to say.

“The article on ‘got your deer yet?’ gave me a chuckle,” Monk wrote. “For years as the youngest at camp, getting wood, water and dish duties, I amazed myself on how we managed to get up early, eat and get out in the bush and swamps, getting back to camp wet and tired and hungry. Oh, what a downfall if we did not get the tag filled.

“Well, the young one is the oldest at camp now, with the young ones doing what I described. I cannot wait to get to the camp with the boys and my buddy, who has gone to camp with me for 40 years.

“I guess things change over the years, as I sit and recall the good old days,” he wrote. “It would be great if the tag was filled, but the perfect hunting camp is the few days of the year where you can go with your son and best friend, talking of the past years and some of the unwise things we’d done. Visitors stopping by around suppertime (always enough stuff). And the Friday night when all come to visit and help finish up what’s left of the supplies.

“Saturday morning is packing up and hunting on the way home, discussing how quick the week went, and the next year.

“Hunting camp is many things to us all, memories of those no longer with us, food, drink and good friends to share it with,” Monk wrote.

“Oh. Did I mention that we did not tag out?” he concluded.

All of which reinforces what I already knew: Filling my tag will be a wonderful occasion, should it ever happen.

But judging a day … or week … or season of hunting by such a finite measuring stick would be a serious mistake indeed.

To early for ice-fishing talk?

If weather forecasters are correct, by the time you read this you’ll probably agree that chatting about ice fishing this morning doesn’t seem like much of a stretch.

In fact, while traveling from Bangor to Brewer on Sunday, before the storm hit, the Penobscot River was already clogged with ice.

So let’s talk about hard-water fishing for a moment.

In particular, if you’re looking for a couple of “destination derbies” this winter, I’ve got a couple of options for you.

A new derby on this year’s schedule will be held on Moosehead Lake, according to Bob Hamer of the Moosehead Lake Chamber of Commerce.

I caught up with Hamer last week, and he and other organizers are excited about their fledgling event – The Moosehead Lake Togue Ice Fishing Derby with Ricky Craven – which will be held on Jan. 26-27.

Craven, the former NASCAR Winston Cup driver from Newburgh, will do some meeting-and-greeting during the tourney, but organizers have made one thing clear to him: They want him to have fun and to fish with his family during the event.

The only species to be accepted at weigh stations will be lake trout, also called “togue.” Prizes for the three largest togue will be $1,500, $750 and $375. All registered fish will entered into drawings from the daily prize pool.

The weekend after that, folks up in St. Agatha will hold their third annual Long Lake Ice Fishing Derby.

This year’s event runs Feb. 2-3, and organizers have tinkered with the event again this year.

Anglers can fish on Long, Cross, Square and Eagle lakes, as they could last year. In addition, St. Froid Lake has been opened for derby participants this year.

I’ve attended the first two editions of this monster derby and have had a great time on both occasions.

The folks of the St. John Valley are always eager to welcome visitors, and after you’ve spent a few days enjoying that hospitality, you’ll never feel like a stranger in northern Maine again.

The derby is sponsored by the town of St. Agatha and the Black Bear Rod & Gun Club.

Headquarters for the derby will again be the Long Lake Sporting Club in Sinclair, and if you’re going to participate in the derby, why not splurge a bit at the Sporting Club? My suggestion: Go for the lobster. The critters they’ll bring to your table are big enough that you’ll think twice about swimming in the ocean next summer.

The prize pool has increased to $5,000, and hundreds of anglers are sure to take part. For more information, contact derby chairman Paul Bernier at 543-7305 or pbernier@ainop.com.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.