Robin

Thanks, Yes, he moved from Ct two years ago, as did I. He's been putting in for many years. His son (resident)shot a bull 2 years ago, his daughter (resident) drew a tag 4 years ago and they got skunked, his son's wife (my daughter, resident) drew a tag 7 years ago and my son was the co-permittee and he shot the moose.

This year my son in laws dad pulled a bull moose tag in Maine's zone 4, second season (Oct 11-16th). I joined my sil, my grandson, sil's dad (permittee) and sil's brother (subpermittee) where theyhunted around Baker Lake, Maine. They hired a guide as this was a new zone for them, the dad is older and he figured this might be his last shot. We set up camp on Friday, hunters and guide scouted and saw 4 bulls in 2 days. Unfortunatley, the weather turned, it got hot (75 deg.) and that was the last they saw till Friday morning at daybreak. It was a 100 yard free hand shot (.300 win mag) that set the bull on his haunches and the son's follow up shot put him down. While the moose was not a large one, it was a decent harvest and the hunters where happy. It was quickly gutted, loaded on a trailer and stuffed with ice. We broke camp fast and after a 3 hour logging road drive we hit Mllinocket, Maine for some more ice. The butcher was skinning it out that evening. He mentioned he had to throw out a complete moose because of the heat and time it took to get it to the butcher. Everyday my son in law, his 11 year old son Jake and myself went bird hunting. Nothing better than watching your grandson get his limit 3 times. Joe, guide and son Dan My 11 year old grandson Jake with one of many and his ss 20 gauge New "White Duck" tent fit 5 guys on cots with room for one more. My small wall tent, veteran of many ADK canoe in deer camps, I'm closing in on 100 nights in it. Son in law Jay with son Jake grilling grouse breasts with bacon and onions

Hi Again, My son came up here to Maine from Connecticut for a visit this past weekend and we got to talking about hunting. One thing led to another and we decided to team up next fall for a canoe in deer camp at Lows Lake, first week of the northern zone rifle. He will be a big help portaging the gear around the upper dam, something I'm unable to do anymore. My new to me big Chestnut Cruiser canoe will handle the gear and Lows winds with no problem. He is now self employed and has plenty of free time come hunting season, that was never the case in the past. He's a good hunter, he scores consistently every year in Connecticut. While the chances of success can be slim there, it won't be for lack of effort. I have also done some modifications to my small wall tent recently, moving the stove jack to the back center of the tent so now two cots can fit nicely inside, with still enough room for two guys. The cots break down easily for plenty of room for two around the wood stove for evening libations. Even though I have most of my gear ready, it will be fun fine tuning for next years hunt. It's good to be back! Here's a 6 day trip I took last October to the North Maine Woods, no hunting and fishing was closed, just camped up there solo.

Thanks for all the kind words. There's no place like the NY ADK's, sitting in the big woods was so peaceful, paddling my canoe to and from hunting areas on Lows was always rewarding in it's self. It doesn't get any better than this.

Hi Again, Just an update, we moved to Maine to be near our daughter and family, I have made a couple of trips up to the North Maine Woods car camping in some remote ponds. Im planning on going one more time with my wall tent in a week or so. No hunting, just hanging out around the tent and paddling a new to me canoe I just finished, a 16' Chestnut Cruiser. Lows Lake is a 7 hour driver now for me, and I would do it opening week of rifle if I could get my gear up around that upper dam at Lows, legs just wont have it. I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable season, I'll be checking in. Cheers, Robin

It's been a while since I have logged into HuntingNY and I just wanted to stop by and say Hello. Some might remember my previous posts about my canoe in wall tent deer camps up at Lows Lake. I did that 5 times, made a few videos and they where well received . I never did shoot a deer there, I tried but age had kinda slowed me down and just getting out there was rewarding enough. I'm lucky to have two sons who provide me with all the venison I want, which I eat once a week year round. Life thru me a couple of curve balls in recent years, I was diagnosed with bladder and prostrate cancer due to exposer to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The VA has done a great job of getting that all cleared up, but the radiation caused me to lose a lot of strength in my hamstrings, climbing a stairs is an ordeal, portaging my gear and setting up camp would be too much for me now. Hunting is pretty much a thing of the past. Besides the update and saying Hi, I want to remind all that getting your PSA checked yearly is really important, had the VA not checked mine regularly I would not be here today. I also would like to remind folks to get out there while you can, I'm glad I did. I'll include a few pics of my camp and a link to some videos. Good Luck this year and stay safe. Youtube channel, my last trip-

One more solo canoe trip to northern Ontario, crown land, overgrown portages, walleys at the bottom of every swift, moose, woodland caribou, bears, all who never see humans, campsites that haven't been used in many years. Just one more chance.

Thanks grampy, appreciate the atta boys. A guy from down south was buying a wood canvas canoe up in Maine and wanted some information about what to look for. We got to talking, one thing led to another and he ended up staying at my house on his way home. He had a guitar in his truck and he offered me some CD's of his and his friends music, all acoustic. I like it too, I have lots for future trips.

If you research NY State Forest Rangers they can be very helpful.

I'm no real wood worker, but that doesn't stop me from knocking stuff together. I recently built a couple of wannigans (or storage boxes) for a friend and a Grandson. If you have seen my videos of my canoe in deer hunts at Lows Lake over in the Big Woods section of this forum, you will see how much I use and enjoy mine. So here's a video to help pass these cold days. Thanks

Thanks Steve, I like the Lows Lake/Bog River Flow area. A canoe is best for getting you into some really wild country up at the western end of Lows Lake. Otherwise, one idea is to park at the lower dam canoe access for Lows Lake and follow the trail that leads to Trout Pond. From there you might pick up trails that lead up towards the RR tracks which will put you into some remote country.

Thanks, all of my trips have been solo, as far west as Woodland Caribou PP and some crown land 100 miles north of rt 11 in western Ontario east to LaVerendrye in Quebec and a lot in between. It was too warm to hunt at Lows but even if it was cold my age/health has caught up to me. I'm planning a base camp canoe trip next spring without any portages, on a remote lake in western Ontario where the fishing is good and the firewood plenty.

Thanks. A guy here in Norfolk, Ct., Schuyler Thomson, restores wc canoes, he taught me alot. He used to race with a narrow 18' wood canvas canoe on the Housatonic River. Him and his partner would show up with penny loafers, pressed khakis, white ss shirts with a tie and fool everyone as they where really strong paddlers and that narrow 18'er was really fast , They won their class often. Where did you paddle in Canada? Temagami?

Again, not much of a hunt what with the temps in the 70's but here's a video of my 6 days in camp

I'm back from 6 days into Lows Lake. I had a great time, the weather was very warm and I had a big wind storm for 24 hrs at least (50mph gusts) but all in all a good trip. I did hunt a little, but the temps really where too warm imo to harvest a deer and save the meat considering how long it would have taken to get it to a locker or iced down. Temps went up into the 70's with bright sun shine. I left Connecticut very early on Friday, drove to Tupper Lk and picked up my license, then had my canoe and gear ready by 11 am. I made the portage in an hour but it was a 12 miles paddle in a head wind. I was setting up just at dusk, dead tired. It took me a couple of days to recover, my legs where shot from pushing all the gear uphill at the upper dam. But sitting around camp up there is not a bad thing. I ate well and just kicked back till I regained my strength. I actually sat in the woods in a tee shirt it was so warm. No worry, the whole experience was great, lots of fond memories again. There's a canoe in there lots of gear, I use it all. Coffee's on, Brats, the plan was to eat some then and save some for a cold lunch up on Tomar Mt. Oh well, I ate the rest the next day in camp while looking at Tomar Mt off in the distance. sorry, a blurry selfie sitting out in the woods moose rub, again lots of moose sigh, 6' high listening to an early morning moose grunting off in the area of Tomar Mt drying out my canoe, slab bacon and coffee looking at Tomar Lows Lake

I'm getting my gear ready and packed, nothing new, same old stuff. I had planned on going in this Thursday but the weather calls for 15-16 mph winds which will really kick up old Lows Lake, coming right out of the west. So it's Friday I'm going in, less wind they say. I'm ok with the mild temps, I really enjoy sitting in the woods if I'm not cold. I have an area I'm going to hunt that is new to me this year, a small stream with beaver dams. I'll keep in sight of the water and move in without a worry of getting turned around and being late for dinner. Well heck, I'm the cook so what ever time I show up back at camp is ok I guess.I keep telling myself to hunt a little harder than I have in years past, but just being back in the big woods is so good I just kinda soak it all in and enjoy myself and don't put pressure on myself. (it's also good to have a couple of sons who always manage to provide me with a fat doe here at home every year)

Thanks for the kind words.

The canoe weighs about 63 lbs, it's a wood canvas Chestnut Chum. Chestnut went out of business in the late 70's iirc but they made a lot of Chums 15' by 32" at the gunnels. I went to Nova Scotia to buy this one, but they do come up on Craigslist now and then.

Gettin' ready for my trip up to Lows Lake for opening week of deer season. I figure I'll paddle in on Thursday, the 19th but that all depends on the weather/wind, I can afford to be flexible. I'll bring my wall tent/wood stove again and maybe even some store bought wood for security. I'm pumped like most of us are this time of year, can't wait. I recently did a small canoe trip to Quebec with an old French Canadian(78 yo) friend, he calls me sonny even though I'm 69. HaHa Here's a video of the trip

SOLD Thanks for the interest I sold the canoe

Weight is about 65lbs, maybe less. The paint is too fresh to put it in a sling under my deer scale. As far as gear goes, it will haul 2 adults with a weeks camping gear...unless they bring the kitchen sink.

Just finished restoring this 1965 Old Town OTCA 16' AA wood canvas canoe. All original wood, no replacement ribs or plank. AA means it's the top of the line in this model, mahogany gunnels, oak inwales with oak seats, new #10 canvas with 4 coats of Interlux Brightside Sea green paint. Interior received Interlux 90 varnish. Hull is smooth and like new. I use wood canvas canoes every year when I hunt the first week of NZ at Lows Lake in the ADK's. They are much tougher than folks think and after years of hard use they can be brought back to like new condition with easy to learn skills. Canoe is locted in nw Connecticut, about an hour and 15 mins from Albany, NY (Norfolk, Connecticut, 06058) $1900

Nice story beautiful deer, much respect

Thanks. LL Bean bot are great, sorry if my post was too log winded or preaching. Just wanted to share my own experience and hope it came over ok.

"So are you very familiar with the land? I'm assuming you have been going there long enough that you know the land/terrain pretty good. your not winging it are you?" I always state that I don't hunt that hard in my OP, so yes, I'm probably winging it by some folks standards. I respect the big woods and don't push myself when hunting it. I'm solo, 8 hours paddle from my truck and 2 out of the 4 years I never saw another party on the lake so help is a long way off. I'm 68, in good shape for my age but I play it safe. Unless I have an obvious landmark, like keeping the lake visible or a stream bed to follow I don't penetrate deeply into the woods. I carry a SPOT, a compass and maps, along with a few safety items but still hunt cautiously. I really don't know much about the lay of the land like I know the woods I hunt here at home, I would be very wary of following a track for any distance from areas I'm familiar with. "How do you pack the wood stove and all the other goods? Food? Clothing? Utensils? Canoe? etc? even though you pack light I'm sure there is a decent amount of essentials that need to come." When I purchased that tent it was an 8'x10' by 6'6" high. The interior frame weighed a ton (conduit). The stove was 12"x12"x24". That was a good outfit for car camping but not for a solo canoe in deer hunt like I wanted. So I cut and sewed the tent to 7'x6' by 54", made an interior frame from closet pole using the conduit frame metal angle kit (6 pieces), cut the stove down to 12"x8' high by 16" deep and went from 5" pipe to 4" stove pipe. You really need an interior frame for super fast set up. Trying to find suitable poles in the woods is not an option in the ADK's unless you cut live trees which is not allowed. The stove pipe fits inside the stove for travel and the stove legs fold up for travel. I sleep without heat so I really don't need alot of firewood, just for mornings and evenings. I bring only two sets of clothes, wool set and cotton set, along with two sets of long johns, and 4 sets of socks, a heavy sweater a heavy rain jacket, 3 sets of gloves and some hats. Bean boots and a pair of hiking boots. My clothes are transported in Duluth Canoe Packs with plastic liners from DP. You can dry wet stuff by the wood stove. I bring a cot ($100 Byer from Maine cot) it's bulky but has held up well on uneven ground. Those lightweight low to ground cots don't hold up well from what I have heard. A Thermorest pad on your cot is essential to keep the cold under your cot from sapping heat from your sleeping system. I have an old down sleeping bag with two fleece liners, one inside the bag, one for a pillow unless it gets really cold, then it goes inside also, all this goes in the Duluth Packs, waterproofed with those plastic liners for sure. I bring a wannigan box with all my "stuff" inside, bread, eggs, Knore pasta, utensils (fork spoon spatula) pancakes, bannock mix, 4 or 5 small canned vegs, peanut butter and bagels. 2 candles, extra head lamps. TP, toothpaste, handiwipes, cold handle frying pan, coffee pot, small dish and bowls. I pack my frozen meat in a soft sided cooler bag enough for a week, steak, hot dogs brats sausage, smoked bacon, and I hang it in a tree when away from camp, not so much bears, more to protect from the mice. I bring an old fold down buck saw from Schmidt Pack Saw and an old Snow and Neally Hudson Bay ax. Last year I had an 18' Old Town Guide (wood canvas) canoe but I sold that and this year I got the whole outfit into a 15' Chestnut Chum (wood canvas) canoe. Next year I should be bringing a 18' Chestnut Cruiser (wood canvas) that I am restoring just for this use. My son has expressed interest in joining me (I think to keep the wife worry free..haha) , he's a good hunter and should fit right in.Sorry this was so long winded but hopefully it will help anyone interested in this type of hunting.