Upta Camp

Shawn | October 22, 2008 in Journal | Comments (0)

Tags: East Branch, East Millinocket, Hunting, Hunting Camp, Maine, partridge hunting, Penobscot, Sherman

Twilight Fireworks

Yep. Spent the weekend up home at the hunting camp for the annual Partidge hunting trip. It was just as I hoped and expected, as it always is, a refreshing disconnect. And a reconnect with nature and family and my best friend Clay who works to much and lives too damn far away!

Hunting camp is clean and beautiful as ever. Besides a little trouble with the propane heater on the first night, all ran smoothly. It was a pretty chilly weekend, well, four days rather. I was home from Wednesday night until Sunday afternoon. All were nice and sunny except Thursday, which, compared to the forecasts was pretty nice, just drizzling and gray. Leaves were just past peak and falling in a steady yellow rain.

Sunday morning, out the front door

Flooding was pretty severe this past spring and the East Branch being one of the largest drainages in the Northeast, it washed out a lot of vital areas that limited our access to favorite hunting grounds. Whetstone bridge was washed out so badly on either side that on Saturday, Clay and I had to take the Interstate out to Sherman and enter the Sherman Lumber Company Rd from the mill. The extent of the cutting up there was dissappointing to see once we got there too. Around camp has grown in nicely now, I hope it stays that way for a while.

Leaves were still falling but most of the brush and undergrowth was still very alive so it made picking birds out difficult. Flushed a lot, they spooked pretty easy. No flocks either, all singles. Saw probably 15 or so in 3 days, in varying times of the day. Actually had our best luck in mid afternoon on the two nice days! I personally only got 3 the whole trip which is kinda dissappointing but it’s not all about that anyway.

Disturbing lack of squirrels this year, maybe saw 5 all weekend! Saw a Fisher for the first time which was cool. Maybe the two correllate! Saw a few deer, a spruce partridge, and

Ryan at Camp

my brother saw a bear. My uncles talked about the 8 bald eagles and a turkey vulture they’ve seen in Medway near where someone had cleaned their moose or something (?), that’d be cool to see!

My newfound allergies were in full swing after the first night and ramped up a little as we switched to the wood stove from the ill-functioning propane heater. I toughed it out and didn’t let it ruin my mood though at times I felt pretty exhausted from lack of deep sleep. My diet, having been recently changed to the betterment of my finicky lower GI tract, was turned on its ear with generous portions of pasta and bacon & egg breakfasts every morning. The outhouse on a cold October night is an eye opener I’m here to tell ya!