A 57-year-old Orrington man died on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 in an ATV incident while out scouting for deer in his favorite hunting area in preparation for the upcoming season.

Dion Seymour Jr., 57, of Orrington was reported missing at 9 p.m. Thursday, and was last seen by his wife 12 hours earlier. She notified the Maine Warden Service when he failed to return home.

A Maine State Police trooper found Mr. Seymour’s vehicle parked on Old County Way off Winkumpaugh Road in Ellsworth.

Seven Game Wardens searched the area and trails using ATVs, and located Mr. Seymour just before midnight on a steep trail with a granite ledge. Mr. Seymour apparently rolled his ATV and it landed on him, according to Maine Warden Service Sgt. Kevin Adam.

Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the incident.

Mr. Seymour’s family has been notified.

The Maine Warden Service was assisted by the Maine State Police, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Ellsworth Fire Department.

A 44-year-old Baileyville woman was seriously hurt at approximately 8 p.m. Thursday when an ATV she was riding – and which was being driven by an 8-year-old girl – apparently went into reverse and went down an embankment at an Alexander gravel pit.

The incident is under investigation.

Pam Landry, 44, of Baileyville, was the passenger in a 2008 Polaris RZR (Razor) near the top of an embankment when, according to the juvenile driver, the ATV “unexpectedly” went into reverse, according to Maine Warden Service Game Warden Joe Gardner. The change in gear caused the vehicle to lurch into reverse and travel at a fast rate of speed a distance of 100 feet as it went down a 30-foot drop.

The gravel pit is located at the end of Wapsaconhagon Road, which is off Route 9, in Alexander.

The ATV rolled over the top of an 8- to 10-foot high boulder and came to rest upside down on Mrs. Landry, who was ejected from the vehicle. She was transported to Calais Regional Hospital by Baileyville/Downeast EMS, and then transported by LifeFlight to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where she was listed in serious condition.

The juvenile was wearing a helmet and was seat-buckled into the vehicle, Gardner said. “Those actions likely saved her life,” Gardner said. Landry was not wearing a helmet or a seatbelt.

Mrs. Landry’s husband, Ernest, was driving a separate ATV and witnessed the incident. He called 9-1-1.

Maine State Police Officer Jason Fowler and Washington County Sheriff’s Officer Shawn Donohue assisted at the scene.

A 79-year-old Gorham man died Tuesday night a short period of time after he was involved in an ATV incident in Standish.

Roland J. Levesque, 79, of Gorham was driving an ATV at a slow rate of speed down a rocky hill between Boundary and Middle roads in Standish after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30. He was in an area called Nature’s Way, and on a trail that in the winter is used by snowmobilers. The part of the trail where the incident occurred has experienced erosion because of all of the recent rains.

Mr. Levesque was traveling with a friend, Andrew Wheeler of Gorham, who assisted Mr. Levesque at the scene and who called rescue personnel at approximately 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Mr. Levesque was conscious when he was transported to Maine Medical Center, but died a short time later.

The incident is under investigation by the Maine Warden Service.

The Maine Warden Service is investigating an ATV accident that occurred at approximately 8:15 a.m. today on a private road in New Vineyard.

A 65-year-old woman was seriously hurt in the incident, and was transported by LifeFlight to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

No other information is available at this time.

Posted by Tom Remington

It all makes little sense to me. Maine, like just about every other state in the Union is looking at ways to cut the budget and Maine’s Gov. John Baldacci insists on targeting the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. At least 90% of the budget is paid for through license fees and reimbursed taxes paid through Pittman-Robertson. Only recently did the Maine legislature cough up any money to assist MDIFW. Budget constraints on the Department have come mostly due to the demands placed on it for services outside fish and game (oh, sorry! Fish and Wildlife. That changed a few years back), yet those taking advantage of those services pay little or nothing.

Now Gov. Baldacci is seeking a license fee increase and he seems determined to either get the increase or merge the fish and wildlife into one huge natural resources entity, of which nobody wants to see. An article by Kevin Miller of the Bangor Daily News says that Baldacci is threatening sportsmen to either accept the fee increase or he’ll merge the departments.

Baldacci spokesman David Farmer stressed that the consolidation proposal is being put forward as an alternative to higher user fees. If the sporting community can live with the fee increases, then the consolidation proposal goes nowhere,

Sure sounds like a threat to me.

Generally speaking sportsmen are content to pay reasonable fee increases when they can see value for their dollar. What’s getting really old is paying extra for the license in order to pay for things that have nothing to do with hunting, fishing and trapping. Maine has to find a way to make up the shortfall by collecting fees from those who use and don’t pay, admittedly a difficult task.

I can assure you though that consolidating departments and morphing Inland Fisheries and Wildlife into a huge natural resources kind of department would be the biggest mistake Maine could make. Just look around at the states who have. First and foremost, it saves no money but more importantly two things happen.

One, fish and game doesn’t get the attention it needs. Monies are moved around and license fees continue to escalate in order to pay for more non-game activities and services. This results in the second problem. Time and again when talking with other sportsmen in other states and even looking at surveys taken, one of the biggest complaints by sportsmen who have stopped buying a license is that they feel they have no say anymore with fish and game.

Where once sportsmen organized into clubs in order to have input into the management of game no longer exists to the same degree. Ask any sportsman and they’ll not give a real positive impression of their own fish and game departments. On top of that bury the fish and wildlife into a huge, bureaucratic nightmare of a “superagency” and what little confidence left gets further eroded to efforts of futility, devaluing the experience and rendering a license purchase a waste of time and money.

Maine Senator David Trahan, (R) Waldoboro, who sits on the Fish and Wildlife Committee says he wants people to know “Over my dead body”.

“I’m not interested in having this discussion about consolidating these agencies into one,” said Sen. Dave Trahan, R-Waldoboro, a member of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee. “I just want people to know that. My position is ‘Over my dead body.’”

George Smith, Executive Director for the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, says he opposes both of the governor’s proposals.

SAM’s executive director, George Smith, has promised to fight both proposals to increase fees or merge the agencies. Smith and other several other speakers said the state needs to find a way to get kayakers, hikers and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts to help pay for the services that game wardens and DIF&W biologists provide.

The chairman of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, Bruce Bryant (D) Oxford, also thinks Maine has to find ways to get those utilizing services to pay to play.

Sportsmen complain about the fee increases. Others don’t because they enjoy the benefits bought and paid for by the sportsmen and yet these same free loaders are making much of the demand for bigger and better services.

There is one thing that is certain. We can get mad at the governor. We can berate the fish and game department but if we don’t stop placing demands for more and bigger, how can we expect to keep fees down? Granted our departments have to hold the line on spending but at the same time we need to stop demanding.

Tom Remington

A 52-year-old Poland man snowmobiling on Hogan Pond in Oxford died Wednesday night when he left a trail and drove underneath a camp’s porch.

Brent Howe, 52, was riding ahead of two other sleds when the incident occurred at approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr. Howe was wearing a helmet. Speed may have been a factor, according to Maine Warden Service Game Warden Jeremy Judd.

The Maine Warden Service Forensic Team is investigating the incident.

Hogan Pond is located between routes 26 and 121 and next to a stretch of Rabbit Valley Road in Oxford.

Mr. Howe’s death is the fourth snowmobile-related fatality this season.

Posted by Tom Remington

Some may think making a statement that there’s more to hunting than hunting and killing game is a cop out because of lack of success. Well, to each his own and while I might agree that in some cases that statement may hold water, I find as I get older there are just as many fascinating things to find in the outdoors than only game animals to fill my freezer.

My trip north to Maine this fall was a last minute affair. I had resolved not to go because I felt spending the money right now wouldn’t be wise but after discovering one of my hunting buddies had recently moved near me here in Florida, we talked ourselves into sharing expenses.

Last winter in Maine the severe weather and record-breaking deep snow took a sizable toll on the whitetail deer herds in Maine – some areas more than others and in some instances the winter couldn’t kill what wasn’t there to kill, that’s how bad some areas are as far as deer populations go.

Needless to say, the area where our hunting camp is located saw its share of deep snow and took its toll on the deer. I spoke with one Maine Warden who was part of the team the flew over our area to evaluate the winter severity. He described it as a blood bath.

But that wouldn’t hinder the curious and those eager to be “out in it”.

One day dawned bright and sunny. Temperatures that day topped out around 60 degrees, some 20-plus degrees above average for November in Maine. Three of us opted for a long ATV ride to an area we hunted years ago to assess the conditions now.

In this area nearly 30 years ago, logging operations virtually wiped out the excellent hunting. Now, as the forests begin to replenish themselves, signs of deer returning to the area were encouraging.

The trip was long and I followed behind the two camp’s elder members, combined with well over a century of hunting in this region.

Two friends, having spent nearly 55 years together hunting from the family hunting camp, share a ride toward the old hunting grounds. One passenger knows his limits and doesn’t carry a gun anymore but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying the outdoors with friends.

When hunters take the time to look around, it is amazing the things they can find in the woods. Of course different areas of the country offer a variety of discoveries for the curious. In New England, often times when you think you are hunting in “wilderness” area, you discover that not that many years ago hearty settlers braved the elements and survived the challenges that confronted them as real frontiersmen.

As we poked our way along old woods roads, we stopped for a brief moment as we heard chatter on the radios that was coming from a fellow hunter. We were surprised to discover that one of the hunters had made his way to the top of a mountain, I would guess was in the area of 3 miles from us in a straight line. From our vantage point it was a clear and straight shot for radio communications to the top of the mountain. The radios we all carried generally wouldn’t carry communications beyond a few hundred yards while mired deep in the dense forests of Maine.

I sat quietly astride my ATV basking in the wonderment of healing sunshine on my face and shoulders, glad to be alive, thrilled to be fortunate enough as a free human granted that freedom from God. Was there anything more pleasant than the instance I was immersed?

As I looked around, I recalled that in years past the area where we now sat on our modern machinery exposed astounding views toward the west. After the logging operations had cleared the landscape, from the very spot we sat, one could easily view toward the west and suck up the beauty of the Presidential Mountain Range in New Hampshire – Mt. Washington, Jefferson and Adams. It occurred to me that that view was now blocked by the rapidly growing young growth of maples, birch, poplar and dogwood trees.

My hunting partners ahead of me continued a conversation with the guy high on the mountain who was sharing about the spectacular views he was experiencing. I began to look around from where I sat.

To my left I spied what appeared to be an old metal pan filled with glass. Curiosity yanked me hard from the comfort of my padded and warm seat. I had to find out what it was.

It was, in fact, an old gray metal pan, perhaps 4 inches deep and filled with pieces of old glass and bottles. I glanced around some more and much to my surprise I discovered an old cellar hole.

For readers not familiar with New England and in particular Maine, finding old cellar holes that once supported the homesteads of the brave who came before us, is quite common. Often when it was decided where the home would sit, along with sheds, carriage houses and barns, the excruciating work began to clear the land. This involved saving the rocks to use for walling up a foundation.

In the picture above, you can see the fine work that was done to create a cellar hole and walls that remain still standing after as many as 200-250 years. Near the center of the cellar hole, you can see what appears to be a square pile of stones with small trees growing up from the center of the pile. This is the remains of the base of the main fireplace used in the home. Many times these fireplaces were Dutch ovens designed to provide heat to the house and for cooking and baking purposes. This basement structure of rocks would not only support the massive weight of a fireplace and chimney but oftentimes was designed as a root cellar to store foods like potatoes, carrots, beets and a variety of other vegetables grown in the garden on site.

I had passed this location many, many times in the 36 years of hunting this area and this is the first time I had realized this even existed. The things you see when you stop and look around.

As I explored the setting, it was easy to see the seemingly endless rows of gorgeous stone walls built as a way to separate pastures, gardens, animals and also a place to put the massive amount of stones laying atop the ground and what got unearthed by the settlers.

It is difficult to see from the above picture of the cellar hole but the area around the cellar was raised up, built up with soil and more rocks to level the ground. Out from what was probably the front of the house, which faced the west, and the south-facing end of the house, the ground was built out nearly 10-12 feet and raised up as high as 5 feet. Puzzling to me was a hand-dug well right beside the house but built up onto the raised part of the landscape. It sat only about 4 feet from the retaining wall.

These old hand-dug and crafted wells are a work of art and ingenuity. This particular well looked to be about 10-12 feet deep. The original depth is hard to determine as I couldn’t tell how much the well had filled in with debris over the years. I was told that the size of the hole in the ground that was dug to build such a well was massive considering the end result. I would guess that a well of this depth probably saw a hole at the surface at least 25-30 feet across. Stones were used and laid in such a way as to ensure they would stay in place and slowly filled in around. This process continued until the stones, which could be as much as 4 or 5 feet out around the opening of the well, reached the top of the ground. As you can probably see from the picture, the well still had water in it.

After spending a substantial amount of time rummaging around the old cellar hole and of course searching for a dump site, we moved on. Dump sites were common somewhere near the house. Oftentimes valuable treasures can be unearthed from these sites – such things as old bottles and cans that collectors will pay handsomely for.

Just a short ways down the road, we stopped, still hoping to find that elusive dump site. We didn’t find THE dumping grounds but we did discover this 1937 International Harvester truck body, or what’s left of it.

We checked it out and discovered the motor was still in it, complete with distributor, generator, starter and coil. We wondered aloud if a clever mechanic could get it running again.

We did plan to do some hunting on this trip but we were just having way too much fun. As the two in front of me headed out, I glanced over my left shoulder and glowing vibrantly in the midday sun, was one tree that appeared reluctant to shed its golden leaves.

I turned around and drove up behind the tree so I could get this picture. During the peak of the foliage season, Maine sports a variety of colors from the multiple species of hardwoods. This maple variety seemed unwilling to undress for the winter.

We spent most of the rest of the day making short hunting trips. My two partners would usually sit together in a strategic place while I made a swing through the woods hoping to scare up some game. All I managed was to scare off a flock of about eight wild turkeys.

We knew the afternoon sun was sinking low in the western sky and the air was beginning to reveal a bite of chill. One last road to explore and a visit to the end to check on the status of a beaver dam. The beaver had been busy. As we explored about taking pictures and admiring the size of the beaver house on the south end of the pond, I spotted some interesting foliage.

The bushes, meshed with various species of vines, didn’t seem all that interesting until a close examination of the smaller parts revealed an interesting picture.

The background sky was still bright enough that as I approached the bush, I saw an “alien” face staring straight at me.

What a day. A day that is as memorable as sighting a big buck or any other species of game. There is more to hunting than bagging game, although I wouldn’t give that up for the world. Next time you’re out, if the hunting of game doesn’t seem to be rewarding, take a look around. You might be thrilled to discover what’s around you.

Tom Remington

HARTLAND – Two people from Massachusetts were seriously injured in an ATV incident at approximately 3 p.m. Saturday (July 19) in Hartland, according to the Maine Warden Service.

Heather Gould, 20, was riding on a 4-wheel All-Terrain Vehicle being driven by Doug Surette, 22, on what’s called Sappi Road in Hartland when they approached a corner that gradually goes to the left, said Game Warden Aaron Cross. Both are Massachusetts residents. Their hometowns are unknown at this time.

“They missed the turn, drove into the slash and ended up about 40 yards off the trail,” Cross said. “There wasn’t even any skid marks. They just went into the woods.”

Neither Ms. Gould nor Mr. Surette were wearing a helmet, Cross said. Driving too fast for conditions and alcohol were factors in the incident, he said.

Mr. Surette was transported by LifeFlight to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Ms. Gould was transported to Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield. Both suffered head and other injuries.

“Luckily there injuries are not life threatening,” Warden Cross said. “They’re lucky to be alive.”

Warden Cross said Mr. Surette was cited for operating under the influence of alcohol.

The Maine Warden Service was assisted by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

CARIBOU – A 28-year-old woman from New York was injured in an ATV accident at approximately noon today in the Caribou area.

Nicole Pone, of Albany, N.Y., was traveling with two others on three separate ATVs on the multi-use trail from Caribou to New Sweden when she hit a mud puddle and flipped her vehicle at least twice, according to Game Warden Ed Christie of the Maine Warden Service.

“She broke her right ankle,” Christie said. “It’s a pretty serious injury that could require surgery.”

Ms. Pone is visiting Maine with Gerald Tardiff and his son, Gerry, both of Albany, N.Y. They were not injured.

According to Warden Christie, Ms. Pone was not wearing a helmet. She was transported to Cary Medical Center in Caribou, and then to Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle.

The accident remains under investigation.

Posted by Tom Remington

From the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife:

ROXBURY, Maine – Two members of a New Hampshire family believe it’s a miracle that they survived a fall into the ice on their snowmobiles late Friday night.

The Morancy family of Dover, N.H., was traveling from Arrowhead, N.H., to Upton after filling their snowmobiles with gas at approximately 10 p.m. Friday (March 7) when white-out conditions arose on Umbagog Lake, according to Maine Warden Service Sgt. Richard Mills.

“The family is familiar with the area having logged more than 5,000 miles on their snowmobiles this winter,” Sgt. Mills said. “But the weather outmatched their expertise.”

Albert Morancy, who was celebrating his 46th birthday Friday, was on the lead snowmobile with his 12-year-old daughter, Haley, and his wife, Linda, on separate sleds behind him when the storm kicked up. Believing they were going in the right direction, Mr. Morancy decided to drive parallel to the shoreline in an effort to be safe.

“They ended up in the totally opposite direction,” Sgt. Mills said.

What they couldn’t see, according to Sgt. Mills, was that they were approaching open water where the Rapid River pours into the Umbagog Lake. Mr. Morancy fell through thin ice and into the water. Haley, noticing that her father had fallen through, sprung from her snowmobile as it broke into the water. She fell in but landed close enough to the ice to easily get out of the water, Sgt. Mills said.

Mrs. Morancy did not go through the ice.

From the ice, Mrs. Morancy and her daughter shouted encouragements to Mr. Morancy to get out. He started to struggle and his family became frantic.

After several minutes, Mr. Morancy turned over onto his back to rest in the water, he told Sgt. Mills. His family, however, believed he was too tired to continue.

“You can just imagine what they were feeling,” Sgt. Mills said.

Unwilling to give up, Mrs. Morancy took off her snowsuit and threw one end of it to her husband. Mr. Morancy grabbed hold of it, and Mrs. Morancy and Haley pulled him out of the water.

“He was extremely lucky that he got out,” Sgt. Mills said. “It’s a miracle. Just talking to him you can tell that Mr. Morancy appreciates that he survived because of a miracle.”

With two people experiencing hypothermic symptoms, the family got onboard Mrs. Morancy’s snowmobile and started out in search of help. They traveled eight miles before they saw lights on at a camp owned by Marie and Ray Chabot on Carey Road in Roxbury.

The Chabots brought the three family members into their home, gave them dry clothes, warm food and offered them a place to sleep. They called the Maine Warden Service at approximately 11:30 p.m. to report the snowmobile accident, informing Sgt. Mills that the family went through the ice, was able to get out and not in need of medical assistance.

“The Chabots told me that the Morancys would be spending the night and that they were feeling better,” Sgt. Mills said.

Sgt. Mills said he was able to locate the Morancys’ snowmobile tracks at approximately 5 a.m. and saw where the sleds went into the water.

“Mr. Morancy’s helmet was still floating on top of the water,” Sgt. Mills said.

Arrangements are being made to get the two snowmobiles out of the water.

The Maine Warden Service is warning people to be aware that ice is thinning on Maine’s lakes and ponds. Contributing to the thinning is runoff from melting snow, this weekend’s heavy rains and warmer temperatures.

Wardens are reminding snowmobilers to not drive near outlets because of open water there, to use caution in inlets and coves because of melting ice, and to ride at a reasonable speed in order to have ample time to stop if they come upon a hole in the ice.

Posted by Tom Remington

Mary at The SledChix Blog wants to know if the high price of gas and the rising cost of other goods and services is putting a damper on your plans to be outdoors this winter. Mary’s focus is mostly on snowmobiling and she has extended an invitation to everyone to stop over to her site and discuss what’s going on. Maybe there’s someone whose shoulder you can cry on or better yet, figure out a way to get your riding in despite the rising costs.

Follow this link to The SledChix Blog.

Tom Remington

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Warden Service is investigating numerous snowmobile/ATV accidents, including one fatality, which occurred over the weekend.

On Friday, Jan. 4, Christopher P. Jackson, 23, of Kennebunk was killed when he tried to avoid a gate on a shared trail in Sanford. Mr. Jackson attempted to make a hard right turn as he approached the gate, fell off the sled as it rolled to the left, and hit his head on the gate. He was pronounced dead on the scene. He was to celebrate his 24th birthday on Jan. 17.

On Saturday, Jan. 5, a snowmobiler carrying a girl as a passenger hit an Ornville-area man who was trying to get out of his way, according to Warden Rick Clowry, who is investigating the incident.

Steve Rideout, 36, attempted to ditch his snowmobile on one side of ITS 87 just north of Bingham when the unknown snowmobiler came upon him at a high rate of speed. The unknown snowmobiler, once he realized that Mr. Rideout was there, also tried to move his sled but allegedly hit Mr. Rideout. The girl fell off the snowmobile but did not appear to be injured, according to Mr. Rideout’s friend, who also was out sledding and witnessed the accident.

The unknown snowmobiler and his wife, who was following on another snowmobile, stopped to check on Mr. Rideout’s condition. Mr. Rideout suffered a broken shoulder and was spitting up blood. An ambulance was called, and the unknown snowmobiler, his wife and the girl said they would follow to greet the ambulance at a site about a mile down the trail. Mr. Rideout’s friend carried Mr. Rideout to the ambulance, and the unknown snowmobiler said he would drive the friend back to the scene to get his sled afterwards.

The unknown snowmobiler, his wife and the girl, did not show at the ambulance. The snowmobiler was driving a Rev Chassis, which is a new black and yellow Ski Doo, the girl was wearing a white snowmobile suit, and the wife said she was a school nurse, according to the witness.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Maine State Police at 1-800-482-0730.

Also on Saturday, a 23-year-old male snowmobiling on Great Pond in Cape Elizabeth crashed his sled. He suffered a fractured leg.

On Sunday, Jan. 6, a Garland teenager suffered a severe leg injury when he was trying to help his friend remove snow from his snowmobile’s tracks. Brandon Blanchette, either 18 or 19 years old, was transported by Dexter Rescue to the Dexter Airport and then was airlifted by LifeFlight to Eastern Maine Medical Center. His condition is unknown.

Mr. Blanchette was sledding with a friend near Pullen Road in Dexter when the friend complained that snow was bogging down the machine’s tracks, according to Warden Durwood Humphrey. The pair stopped, and with the studded tracks still running they picked up the sled in an attempt to spin off the snow. Mr. Blanchette was holding the front end, and he slipped and fell underneath the snowmobile.

At approximately 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Daniel Jameson, 17, of Windham, was injured when he hit a snow-covered rock in a shallow part of Little Sebago Lake. Mr. Jameson apparently was driving between 50 and 65 miles per hour across the lake when he hit the rock. The impact sent Mr. Jameson and his sled more than 30 yards into the air, according to Warden Jason Luce. Mr. Jameson suffered multiple broken bones and was transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland.

On Sunday, a 43-year-old woman, who was a passenger on a snowmobile driven by a 40-year-old man, told Wardens in Buxton that the pair hit a bump while riding and that she was experiencing back pain. She had at least three broken ribs and other injuries, according to Warden Luce. The incident remains under investigation.

On Sunday, a 16-year-old Newport male was hurt when the ATV he was on flipped in his parents’ driveway. The teen was taken to a Waterville hospital. His condition is unknown.

Posted by Tom Remington