http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/index/ en info@oxbowlodge.com Copyright 2008 2008-07-01T15:50:00-05:00 http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/new_moose_video/ http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/new_moose_video/#When:15:50:00Z New Moose Video Covers 10 Hunts By Doug Gilmore Jun 29, 2008 - 7:18:41 AM Many hunting videos on the market today follow a similar theme and are very predictable in nature. One is almost always assured of watching the “hunting celebrity” harvest a big whitetail or elk, sometimes with seemingly little effort. A new video is on the market, however, and it is truly different. No big names in this product, just ordinary people and extraordinary adventures. Answer the Call is the newest release from Wildlife Interactive and Bullet Digital and features 10 moose hunts in Northern Maine. This 90 minute video includes a mix of archery, muzzleloader, and rifle hunts from the 2006 Maine Moose season. Filmed and produced professionally, the footage captures hunters guided by top Maine guides David Hentosh (Smoldering Lake Outfitters) and Tom Aasbow (Oxbow Lodge). While watching the video you will notice the terrain is not all that different than one might find in Canada or Alaska and the moose, though smaller in size than the Yukon variety, are still large with some very big, record book animals taken. The video features eight harvested bulls measuring over 50 inches and two monster bulls over 65” are also taken. As a matter of fact, overall moose success rates in Maine are nearly 90% statewide and almost 100% with these two outfitters. The moose hunts combine calling and spot and stalk and the up close footage of moose is spectacular. Bonus footage at the end of the DVD featuring additional hunts is just as amazing and helps to make Answer the Call a must have for anyone’s hunting video library. The video is sponsored in part by Crimson Talon Broadheads, Leupold, and Thompson Center Arms. A portion of each video sale goes to supporting Kicking Bear. Do yourself a favor and check out this new video. It will change the way you think about hunting in Maine and I guarantee you will find yourself applying for tags next year. For more information on Answer the Call or to purchase the video visit their website at http://www.bogdonkey.com. You can watch a promo clip on their website that will get your heart pumping. For more information on Kicking Bear visit http://www.kickingbear.org. 2008-07-01T15:50:00-05:00 http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/oxbow_lodge_buys_out_another_competitor/ http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/oxbow_lodge_buys_out_another_competitor/#When:18:43:00Z OXBOW LODGE AQUIRES MORE HUNTING AREA In our never ending quest for improving our services we were able to buy out an adjoining competitor allowing the expansion of our bear hunting area.  We were very fortunate to have been presented the opportunity to purchase one of the hunting outfitters that had currently bordered some of our bear hunting area. The acquisition of this business will effectively allow us to expand our hunting area and have the ability to further enhance the hunting experience for our clients with more hunting locations and at the same time taking some pressure off of the territory we have historically hunted for our Maine baited bear hunts as well as our moose, deer and upland hunting. This buyout will accomplish a few different goals. One will allow us to spread our hunters out with even better chance for success. Secondly, will allow us to manage our area to its fullest potential and third, keep our area in one continuous area without competition from other outfitters. This new area is expected to produce very well for it was hunted very little in the past 3 years. We expect that this will effectively increase overall success on both quantity as well as quality on our already successful bear hunt. I look forward to spending some time in this new area allowing us to expand on other hunting opportunities as well. During the spring and summer I will be actively covering every part of this hunting area and anticipate that along with new bear sites we will have plenty of new places to hunt during our Maine deer hunting, moose hunting and ruffed grouse hunting seasons. Just another step in the never ending goal to continue to be the most successful and the most respected hunting outfitter in Maine. Oxbow News 2008-03-24T18:43:00-05:00 http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/guides_entry_march_09/ http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/guides_entry_march_09/#When:18:39:00Z 183 inches of snow and counting; 31 sub-zero nights, the coldest a frosty minus 37, and more inclement weather in the forecast. We’re certainly happy that it is now spring here in northern Maine and that the effects of Global Warming have taken hold! A warm hello to all from The Oxbow Lodge and, yes, we’re accustomed to real winter in this country but this one has been a challenge for all of us. It most certainly has been a challenge for wildlife, the deer in particular. So how have the whitetails fared and what are the prospects for the upcoming season? By early December it was already apparent that this could be an old fashioned winter, one with prodigious amounts of snow and cold temperatures. So we undertook an aggressive winter feeding program at the onset and believe that our efforts will pay off. As of this date we have approximately 100 deer here in Oxbow making the rounds to our feeders on a regular basis. And the good news is that they appear to be in remarkably healthy condition as a result of our efforts, combined with some favorable snow pack. Favorable snow pack occurs when a strong supportive crust is present enabling the deer to reach browse that would otherwise be unavailable. So as long as we have a gradual melting of the snow cover, and the long range forecast suggests that this will likely be the case, we believe that our whitetails will come out of this winter better than previously anticipated. Coyote number s are definitely down and can be attributed to the fact that Tom and others in town trapped or otherwise reduced the population by over 40 animals last winter. Will there be winter deer kill? Yes, we always have winter mortality here in the North Country and losses this year may be somewhat greater than normal but not, in our opinion, catastrophic. Here is something to get both our past and future deer hunting clients excited about the prospects for the coming season. We have 6 large bucks coming to our feeding stations regularly and they have been doing so all winter. I got a good look at several of them before they shed their headgear and I can tell you they are some impressive animals. One is an 11 point with kickers and a split brow tine and I would estimate him to be 150-160 Boone and Crockett. Another is a nice heavy 8 point that will certainly be even better this coming fall. We have two other bucks that we estimate are 250 pounds or more live weight right now (despite the tough winter) and while we did not see them until after they had shed antlers, there is no doubt that they have the size and age to develop impressive racks over the course of the coming spring and summer. We have photos and video of these deer and hope to have them available for you to see on our website in the near future. That’s a brief summary from one man’s perspective. Life is short. Book that hunt with Oxbow Lodge soon and we guarantee a good, honest effort, a first class experience and a good time! Jim Bernardin Registered Maine Guide Oxbow Lodge Oxbow News 2008-03-24T18:39:00-05:00 http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/oxbow_lodge_news_letter/ http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/oxbow_lodge_news_letter/#When:17:39:00Z It’s hard to believe that it has been another year since the last newsletter. It’s even harder to believe that we just completed our best season in 8 years. Every year we seem to do a little better than the previous. We harvested some of our biggest animals to date. Inside this newsletter you will read about Jeff Mangold’s 500 lb. bear, Kurtis Artzers 68 1/2” moose and a number of others.  Our bear season was terrific. The average sizes of our bears continue to rise. Oxbow Lodge 2003 News Letter: It’s hard to believe that it has been another year since the last newsletter. It’s even harder to believe that we just completed our best season in 8 years. Every year we seem to do a little better than the previous. We harvested some of our biggest animals to date. Inside this newsletter you will read about Jeff Mangold’s 500 lb. bear, Kurtis Artzers 68 1/2” moose and a number of others.  Our bear season was terrific. The average sizes of our bears continue to rise. The moose hunt was again successful but not without some hard hunting. As you will see I was even fortunate enough to draw a moose tag and even more fortunate to harvest a beautiful bull. The deer season really tested our guiding skills with less than adequate weather conditions during most weeks but overall ending up a good season.  Much has gone on during the past year. I recently bought another bear hunting operation, we are expanding on our upland hunts as well as our shooting preserve (I even bought a new English Pointer from some of the best bloodlines in the country), and we are under attack from the anti hunting group the Humane Society of the United States. They are using the Democratic process and the ballot box to eliminate bear hunting in Maine. This will go to vote in November of 2004. It is possible that the 2004 season will be the last year that we will be able to bear hunt with bait or hounds in Maine. The next year will be very busy as we are preparing our newly acquired bear hunting operation.  We will be in for the fight of our lives with the anti’s. The shooting preserve will take some work as well as training our new puppy. Not to mention the improvements that will be made to the lodge. I look forward to hearing from all of you throughout the year. Tom Largest animals in the state at Oxbow Lodge The 2003 season produced some better than average animals for us. Kurtis Artzer from KS harvested one of the widest spread moose ever recorded in Maine while hunting with us. Jeff Mangold may have gotten the biggest bow killed bear of the year in the state weighing in at 500 pounds. The moose I was fortunate enough to get is the largest bow killed moose to date in Maine during the 2003 season (#12 all time). We also would have had one of the heaviest moose if we did not have to quarter the animal to get him out.  It is more than coincidence that we continually harvest some of the largest animals in the state each year. Hard work and dedication are the reason that we can boast about the number of animals that are submitted into the record books each year that were harvested at Oxbow Lodge. Much of our work is completed before the hunter ever arrives. Bear Season The 2003 season was one of our best. We harvested more bears than ever and the sizes of the animals were well above average. We harvested a few over 400 lbs including a 500lb giant that was arrowed by Oxbow Lodge veteran Jeff Mangold, all of which was captured on video. The first couple of days of the third week were a little slow with only a couple of bears being shot. GT Warogin from PA was taking some ridicule for passing up what he figured to be a 200lb+ bruin two days in a row. What he did not tell anyone is that he heard another bear in the area which he figured to be larger than the one he had been watching. His hunch paid off. He shot a beautiful bear that tipped the scales at just shy of 400 lbs that sported a white chevron on its chest. Our first bear of the season was taken by lodge veteran Don Smith. After a short wait on “his” stand during the first day of his hunt a bear came in early and he decided that it was big enough for him and was drawing his bow back when the animal took off past his stand. Still at full draw and looking back at the bait site he was shocked to see a larger bear standing where the other was seconds before. His bear weighed 320lbs and will be large enough for the Maine record books. One of the most asked questions when I speak to prospective customers is success rate. In my opinion there are many variables involved with the answer to this question. It all depends on how you judge your success. We have a policy here at Oxbow Lodge......no sows with cubs or cubs. We also promote the harvest of larger bears. I guess that’s why we sighted 142 bears and harvested 36. With our methods of baiting you will be able to judge the size of the bear you will be shooting at. Many choose to wait for a larger animal. With the size of the bears we continue to harvest I would have to say that our quality not quantity policy is starting to pay off. Not only are we shooting larger bears but more of them.  During this past season we had 63 hunters during a 4 week season.  There were 36 bears harvested with another 10 being shot at. A total of 142 bears were sighted by hunters while on stand. Multiple bears harvested made the Maine record books as well as being large enough to qualify for Pope and Young. Moose 2003 Even with warm temps during our first week of moose hunting and post rut conditions during our second week we were able to fill all tags on our guided hunts. We were not into as many moose as in the past in zone 6 and after speaking to some of my competitors we did as well if not better than most in this zone. We had no trouble finding moose in zone 5 during both seasons. Not all moose were the 50” bull we strive to get but we managed to get a few real good ones.  There will be 550 more permits issued in zones 6, 3 and 11 due to moose/ vehicle collisions. This will really test our skills next year in these areas due to the added hunting pressure. They will keep zone 5 for “quality” management.  We harvested a moose during the Oct. season with one of the widest spreads ever recorded in Maine. Kurtis Artzer from KS told guide Don Whipple that he wanted a moose that was bigger than the 50”bull his father got in 1999 (also guided by Don). Holding true to his word he had passed on multiple bulls before seeing the one he wanted. The bull has a 68 1/2” spread and 20 points. The 909 lb. moose was more than the Kansas native expected to get. Kurtis’s brother is waiting to draw a tag and told Don that he was not going to be too picky as long as it is bigger than his younger brothers!  Oxbow deer hunting veteran Billy Higgins drew his first moose tag for the Sept season and had opportunity throughout the week and ended up with a beautiful 850lb 19 point bull on Friday morning. Very few people put in more effort than Bruce Conner from NY and guide George Gray. Bruce wanted a bull moose with his bow. With less than adequate hunting conditions and only one opportunity at a young bull at less than 10 yards in 4 days he decided to take his rifle. Friday morning he had his zone 6 moose. Friday was also the luck day for Harry Spiker and his father. After hunting hard all week with guide Bill Johnson in zone 6 he had the opportunity to harvest a 43” bull. They hunted in an area that has always produced very well for us. They could see over 20 moose rubs from one of the ground blinds and the area looked like a cattle pasture. After 4 days with little results they unwillingly left the area to try their luck elsewhere only to find them returning in anticipation of the large bulls that were seen and videotaped by Bill.  About an hour before dark Harry had his moose.  Fellow Mainer Earl Holdsworth harvested a bull that made the SCI record book on the third day of his hunt with guide Boyd Tibbets.  I was fortunate to have drawn a moose tag myself this year. I had it in my mind that I was going to try for a big one or go without. I also would not shoot one unless it was with my bow. Many made the statement that the pressure was on me...quite the contrary I had no pressure on me at all. I was out there to enjoy myself. I knew if I did not connect it would not be for lack of trying.  I teamed up with fellow guide Dave Hentosh who would film the hunt to promote a new broad head (Crimson Talon) that he is involved with. We had good luck for the first couple of days seeing 9 bulls 4 of which were less than 20 yards. We called in a decent 40 something inch 14 point bull two days in a row but not being the one we wanted I passed on him. On Wed afternoon we decided to go after a bull I watched the week before. He was in an area with no road access. An hour before dark we got a reply to our calling and 30 minutes later he was 25 yards in front of me. The bull gross scored 173 P&Y points and will be #12 all time archery killed moose in Maine if I decide to enter him. I am thankful that I was able to hunt for myself for a change.....I almost forgot how much I enjoyed it.  Shooting Preserve and upland hunts We will be expanding our hunting opportunities with our shooting preserve as well as grouse and woodcock. I had been in the market for a pointing dog from good bloodlines and my choice of breed would be an English Pointer. After some research I visited with Gary Malzone from Indian Creek Kennels in Hardyston NJ. I was invited down to see his dogs in action at his shooting preserve last May. It was evident that the passion that Gary had for his dogs was unmatched by any dog handler that I have ever met. After spending the day with him and his dogs I decided that I wanted a puppy out of his grouse lines. Indian Creek Cali would be the dam and Movelles Chewy the sire. These dogs are from Elhew grouse lines. The parents of these dogs account for 19 championships including 13 national championships as well as a National Grand Champion (Movelles Gypsy). “Oxbow Joe” was born on July 18 and is now part of the family. I was impressed with what I saw at the preserve on liberated birds and I was equally impressed with his dogs when he brought our dog up this past October. After watching Cali work the grouse and woodcock covers I was assured that I had made the right decision on bloodlines. I look forward to working with “Joe” this year and after what I witnessed I will more than likely be guiding some of you with him next season at just over a year old! Deer Hunting ‘03 The most prevalent factor during any hunting trip is the weather with Maine being no exception. The first few weeks of the season proved to be very warm and windy, neither of which would be my choice for good hunting. We did manage to get some real nice deer and opportunities at a few real wall hangers. The muzzle loading season provided a little snow with below zero temperature which made hunting difficult.  We worked harder this year to find deer than any other in the past and the shot opportunity with our guided hunters proved that our efforts were rewarded (in most cases anyway). We had a total of 21 guided hunters during our 5 week season eleven of which had opportunity at racked bucks. We were able to hang six of them on the game pole. Of the six that were harvested there were three 8 points a nine and two eleven point bucks.  Our total sightings of deer were down considerably from last year but the amount of bucks sighted was higher. We encountered a lot of BIG deer sign this year and even getting a crack at a couple of them. The balance of buck to doe sightings was about equal.  We saw just as many bucks as we did doe with some weeks having many more bucks being sighted. It is not too often you are able to find the quality deer that we have on land that is open to the public. The land is so vast and with no concentrated food sources the deer are very difficult to pattern. That is why we spend countless hours setting up stands and finding the “right” spots for our hunters. Each year proves to be a new learning experience with having to find new area because the hot spots we found last year may be void of deer this season. Bear Hunting under attack The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has circulated petitions for a citizen’s initiative that would ban hunting of bear with bait and dogs as well as bear trapping. The initiative question will be on the state referendum ballot in November of 2004. HSUS is the most aggressive and best-funded national anti hunting antitrapping organization, with an annual budget in excess of $50million. It has been successful in a number of similar referenda in other states, including Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Massachusetts. This is the groups first effort at initiating a referendum vote in Maine. Make no mistake about it we may loose our right to bear hunt in the no so distant future. We do have some things that are in our favor. Our newly appointed Governor John Baldacci has pledged that his Fish and Wildlife Dept. will do everything possible to defeat the HSUS initiative. With the backing of many well respected organizations the HSUS will be in for a battle they will not soon forget. The Maine Professional Guides association has pledged $100,000 towards the battle as well as many other donations from other groups. The landowners and timber companies have voiced their concern and are backing us. George Smith from the Sportsmans Alliance of Maine is leading this coalition and I could not be more pleased with his efforts.  As far as we are concerned it will be business as usual. We have been taking deposits for the 2005 season already with the assumption that we will not lose in November. If the voters of Maine decided that we were no longer able to hunt bears we will either return deposits or apply it to another hunt at Oxbow Lodge. I am confident that we will win this but it will not be without a huge effort on our part. Oxbow Lodge buys out competitor Last winter I was presented with an opportunity to purchase another guide service. Ivan Porter (Porters Guide Service) approached me to purchase his guide service and equipment. He has been in the bear hunting industry for over 30 years and he figured at 74 years old it was time to pass on his business. I feel very fortunate to purchase this very well known outfit and will start to utilize it this upcoming season. The purchase will more than triple our hunting area. It is located north of the Lodge in an area known for its bear population.  It is my intent to offer a few different options for the hunter, from the all inclusive Lodge hunt to the do it yourself drop camp. We look forward to hunting this new area and anticipate great success. Future Plans This year will be a very busy one for us. I will be building new tree stands for our newly acquired hunting area this winter. The preparation for the upcoming seasons will be one of our busiest with our new outpost bear hunt as well as establishing our shooting preserve. Any major construction projects at the lodge will more than likely be put on hold until the following year. The lists of projects seem to grow every year but I look forward to completing them all. We are always looking for ways to improve our operation and facilities. One major project that is in the works will be a game processing building. Although the “skinning shed” works fine we plan on constructing this in the next couple of years.  We updated our game room with a new hand crafted slate pool table and new television, as well as adding the modern convenience of satellite TV. Oxbow Lodge Staff Bill Johnson- Since his retirement from the State Police we have had the pleasure of having Bill on our staff. Bill is a certified scuba instructor, an Inland Fisheries and Wildlife outdoor safety instructor and a cold weather survival instructor. Bills dedication and knowledge as well as his attention to details bring strong assets to Oxbow Lodge.  Bill truly loves the outdoors and during the off seasons you are likely to find him in the woods preparing for the upcoming hunts.  Donald Whipple- Don comes from long time family of guides. Having worked in the woods and guiding most of his life his knowledge of the area is unsurpassed. He makes his living in the woods with guiding and trapping. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated guide on our staff. Having harvested his share of big bucks, including a monster Boone and Crockett 10 pt., Don brings a wealth of knowledge of the area as well as the dedication that is needed as a successful guide. Terry Collins- Terry has been with us for the past four years. Terry guides for us during the bear season. He is a certified trapping instructor. Spending his life working in the woods and his passion for the black bear brings strong qualities that we feel fortunate to have on our staff. Terry is a logger by trade and other than August and September (bear season) lives with his wife Kandy in Davenport, NY. Boyd Tibbetts- Boyd lives in Ashland and works for Pinkam Mill. He is known as one of the best archery guides in the area. His specialty is archery hunting for moose. He has the bragging rites to have guided hunters that harvested the #5 and #7 Pope and Young moose in the state. During the off season you are likely to find him paddling a dead water looking for the next moose to make the record-books. Dan Glidden- Dan is a fairly new addition to our staff. Being a retired game warden from the area and having his guides’ license for 40 years Dan brings a wealth of knowledge of the area that we are fortunate to have. He is also Maine’s representative for the national trappers association.  You will find Dan spending his time trapping when he is not guiding. Dan lives in the neighboring town of Masardis with his wife. George Gray- George has been guiding for us for some time now. He spends half of the year living in Alaska only to return each fall to guide moose and deer hunters. Those of you that have been here remember the two locked bucks that were mounted in the dining room that were found by George. When he is not guiding you are likely find him hanging in a tree somewhere working at his tree trimming service. Kitchen Staff- Those of you that have been here know the work that goes into the kitchen and the lodge by this dedicated staff. Tracey along with Donna Provencher, Joan Johnson and Ann Currier do a great job at feeding everyone and keeping the place neat and clean. You will be assured wonderfully prepared meals throughout your stay and if anyone leaves the table hungry no one is to blame but themselves. In Memory of Carl L Sherman Jr. 1929-2003 On December 29th 2003 we lost an employee and dear friend. We are sad to tell you that Carl Sherman passed away after a battle with cancer. I can tell you first hand that he will be very much missed by everyone here. Many of you will remember his quick wit and classic one- liners. Those of you that were fortunate to have known him know that we considered him one of the family and will forever be in our hearts.  Oxbow News 2008-02-08T17:39:00-05:00 http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/go_north_for_big_bruins_northern_maine_that_is/ http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/go_north_for_big_bruins_northern_maine_that_is/#When:16:21:00Z IN THE BEGINNING My trip up to Oxbow Lodge in Northern Maine started out pretty much the way it always has these past four years, eager anticipation for a bear hunt that no one could predict the outcome of, and if any body could predict, would you really want to know before it all had a chance to unfold.  To me the pre-hunt preparations, the reading of hunting articles and magazines and the thoughts of opening day in the woods in pursuit of game with bow and arrow is just as much a part of my rituals as the hunt itself.  Go North for Big Bruins - Northern Maine That is (a personal account of my 2003 big bear hunt) By Jeff Mangold IN THE BEGINNING My trip up to Oxbow Lodge in Northern Maine started out pretty much the way it always has these past four years, eager anticipation for a bear hunt that no one could predict the outcome of, and if any body could predict, would you really want to know before it all had a chance to unfold.  To me the pre-hunt preparations, the reading of hunting articles and magazines and the thoughts of opening day in the woods in pursuit of game with bow and arrow is just as much a part of my rituals as the hunt itself.  This year I was planning on making my northerly migration alone. My bow hunting partner and best buddy of 9 years, Steve Napiorski (I refer to him as MARINE, he is a Semper Fi from some years back), was unable to join me due to recent conflicts at his work place.  Late summer I received a call from my wife’s cousin and occasional hunting companion Dave Lowe and he inquired as to weather I was heading up to Maine this year.  I replied “of course”.  He went on to say that he was interested in going north and would be bringing along and older friend of his Victor for the hunt of a lifetime.  Dave has hunted the Oxbow Lodge before, having harvested a nice 300lb boar his first year in camp.  After all, I am always up for company on a hunting trip and the annual bear hunt at the Oxbow Lodge Outfitters can accommodate a variety of hunting ages and weapons of choice. WE’RE HERE Our drive north seemed to pass quickly as we enjoyed the increase in beautiful scenery as time passed.  I never seem to mind longer drives when I’m going hunting or vacationing.  As we traveled north up through Maine, Mount Katadin appeared on the horizon.  This beautiful mountain welcomes visitors to northern Maine and all that is beautiful in this rustic northern land. Viewing this mountain and the changing colors of the fall foliage as we head north has become a realization point for me, knowing that oxbow lodge is not too far off and the hunt is soon to begin. We arrived at the lodge on Sunday morning a bit earlier than what is the noontime scheduled arrival for hunters.  As I walked into the kitchen I was greeted with a handshake a hug and a very fond “hello it’s great to see you again” welcome from both Tom Aasbo and his wife Tracey, owners of the lodge.  I reintroduced Dave Lowe (this is his second trip in three years) and his hunting companion Victor, a 72 year old gentleman who was just beside himself with excitement at the thought of bear hunting. We chatted briefly and then proceeded through the ritual of getting our room assignment and a friendly reminder that the traditional prime rib ‘welcome hunters’ supper was promptly at 6pm this evening followed by our rules and information talks. SETTLING IN As we unpacked and settled in other hunters began to drift into the lodge eager with excitement. There was talk of the upcoming weeklong opportunity to witness the great black bear in his own northern Maine woodland surroundings and hopefully be one of the fortunate hunters to be successful this coming week.  Having been to the lodge to bear hunt three previous years, I was familiar with Tom and Tracey’s crew as well as the lodge so I began introducing myself and showing people around in more detail as Tom and Tracey welcomed in the continuing flow of guests.  I had already made my rounds earlier to see what changes had been made to the lodge because I know Tom and Tracey are always upgrading the lodge to make things as professional and comfortable as possible for their guests.  This is truly a top-notch place. There is a game room with pool table, card table and plenty of photos to glance at.  There is a new custom deck out back graced with a large hot tub for the guests and a bow range out back complete with stands like the ones you would hunt from, ready for use.  The gun range is just a couple miles down the road and the Aroostic River just a short walk down the road or through the woods.  This year I had taken what has become my traditional walk to the creek and I had a bald eagle fly over my head following the river as he fished just 50 feet above the water.  It is quite common to see moose during your visit both bulls and cows.  This is truly a relaxing hunt and vacation all in one, I guess it is that unique combination of quality relaxation, quality hunting and quality people that brings me and so many others back year after year.  LETS EAT Before you know it suppertime has arrived and everyone is given their first taste of the oxbow hospitality. After an enjoyable prime rib meal with homemade deserts, it is time to settle in and listen to Tom make his speech of what to expect at the lodge and how things will work for everyone during their weeklong hunting experience.  The house staff is introduced as well as the very capable guide staff and there is even an officer from the Maine hunting and fisheries department (Tom Ward), on hand to field any questions you might have.  The air is thick with excitement and majestic bear mounts surround us as well as other wildlife mounts, many of which Tom has taken himself with his bow and arrow.  The atmosphere of the lodge, particularly the large dinning area is one of an old comfortable Adirondack lodge with huge hand made tables, comfortable lounging chairs and couches and even a large rocking chair surrounded by elk, caribou and trophy deer mounts.  Even though I have been in this situation three previous years Sunday evening is still contagious with excitement and just full of smiling hunter faces as we all jest about large bears and what we all think is going to happen out there.  By this time it is obvious to many hunters that I am a regular and I begin to field questions from new lodge hunters on their first bear hunt or on their first Maine bear hunt.  “Have you ever been up to Canada for black bear?” “Have you ever gotten a bear before and what did you use as your weapon of choice?” Well each year these seem to be two typical and recurring questions and I am pleased to discuss them both.  I tell them that “Yes I have been to Canada for black bear and while Canada has its merits you just can’t beat Maine USA for black bear action and you can’t top the accommodations you receive here at Oxbow both a field and at the lodge.” I go on to tell them of my two bad Canada experiences bear hunting and insist that I much prefer to spend my time and money in the USA.  “Yes I am also fortunate enough to have harvested a black bear my second year up to Oxbow.  I took a nice 175lb sow and she made for very exciting bow hunt and a beautiful rug.” As the night passes on we talk about many other things as though we all were hunting buddies for years now and this was just another one of our many trips together.  To me the camaraderie and common goals of the hunt is something I also enjoy so much on my trips, it makes the whole trip experience worthwhile.  As the clock turns toward midnight we all begin to slowly head to our rooms for a good nights rest knowing that so far everything is good and well in bear camp.  DAY 1 Morning brings a full bounty of breakfast items and the hunters now familiar with last evening’s ritual of forming a line. Helping themselves to the buffet style food provided the line becomes a place of jokes and tales as the week progresses.  The feeding frenzy of the hunters is a great time to talk and meet new folks as Tom and guide staff join right in and eat with the hunter’s daily.  Questions about the area, previous hunts, bear trivia, and just plain talk is a normal activity for all the hunters in the dining area. Finally the time to hunt was upon us all.  After the noontime dinner, all the hunters went to their rooms to change for the hunt.  As the hunters filtered outside and around the trucks that would eventually take them to their stands, Tom gave guiding assignments to the staff.  As we all loaded up into our rides there were echoes of “good luck”, “shoot a big one”, “don’t fall asleep in your stand”.  We were off.  My guide was a gentleman named Don.  Don was a native Mainerd and was a true veteran when it came to guiding in the Northern Maine Woods.  I would be hunting in a well-established stand location about a 20 minute drive from the Lodge.  After the first day Dave and I were allowed to drive in ourselves.  We were hunting in the same general area about two miles or so apart.  I was bow hunting and Dave chose a 44-magnum Smith and Wesson as his firearm for this hunt.  The first day was uneventful for me, but Dave had a couple of neat sightings but choose not to harvest on the first day.  As the evening drew to an end and the daylight faded my first hunt was over.  A fantastic hunt even though I had not seem a bear. As we wound down the road toward the lodge we chuckled about many things that had happened that day and anticipation of seeing some bear hanging on the game pole was almost to much to wait on.  As we pulled up to the lodge we could see the light out back by the game pole was on.  This could only mean one thing; someone shot a bear this evening.  As I recall there were two dandy bears taken that evening, both around the 200lb mark.  One with a muzzleloader and one with a rifle.  We had several bow hunters in camp this week, as a matter fact it was almost a 50/50 split.  None of the bow hunters had a shot but there were several more bears seen this evening. DAY 2 On the second day I had still not seen a bear.  This was unusual for me, as I have come to almost expect to see the black bruin on my daily outings as in the past.  This just goes to show you that nothing is automatic and that the black bear is indeed an elusive and cautious animal. I studied each and every twig, branch and shadow in front of me as the hours ticked by.  My area was active with many signs of bear visitation, scat was visible as were a series of trees sporting the unmistakable marking of a bruins claws.  Even though it is only my second day on stand, I have come to know this area very well.  It is amazing just how well a hunter can familiarize himself with a hunting setup in such a short time.  As I sit and listen to the wilderness around me I can’t help but let my mind wonder and ponder many thoughts of the wild north.  The woods are full of activity and sounds but just as quickly as those sounds come, silence, I mean true and utter silence and solitude fill your every sense and surroundings.  If you are fortunate enough you are paid visits from some of the local animal species from coyote to grouse, to hare and perhaps even a moose as well as many of the areas bird species.  As the daylight fades on yet another day, once again I carry with me the feeling of satisfaction, I am at peace with myself and the beautiful surroundings.  I make my way to the truck and pick up Dave.  Yes Dave has been visited by bears again.  He says the bears were different today than yesterday, a Sow and cubs.  Dave goes on to explain how much he enjoyed his visitors and we talk of the video footage he took of the bears.  We were both eager to get back to the lodge to view the tape and to see if the game pole had any action this evening.  As we pulled into camp, once again the light in the back by the game pole was on.  This could mean only one thing; yes another bear or two must be hanging.  One of the bow hunters in camp had arrowed a fine sow that weighed in at over 225lb.  He had a smile on his face that literally went from ear to ear, he was surely proud of his shot and his trophy and he had every reason to be.  This was his first bear and to take it with his bow was just that much more special.  One of the other hunting parties were still out as the evening went on.  This meant that either they were getting bears out of the thick north Maine woods, tracking one or the truck broke down.  Well we were all glad to hear that the truck was just fine and that the radio dispatch came through saying that they were headed back to camp with two more bears.  Upon arrival the hunters that had already arrived were eagerly gathered around the game pole waiting for the bears to arrive like a group of kids waiting for the ice cream truck to come down the street.  Finally headlights broke the horizon of the roadway and shouts of “hear they come”, “make room” rang out from the group of giddy hunters.  We were all excited for the group almost as if we had taken the bears ourselves.  The truck backed in and what came into view were a couple of fine bruins.  One sow weighing in at 185lb and a boar weighing in at close to 300lb.  What a perfect end to a perfect evening in northern Maine. DAY 3 The sun rose on the third day and it was a comfortable 50 degrees.  Everyone made their way through the morning breakfast ritual and afterwards I went out back to shoot.  There were a few other bow hunters shooting as I joined them.  The arrows were flying true today and everything seemed effortless.  Today I would shoot much longer than usual, time just whisked by as I created several different shot cinereous within the range area.  After practice I got ready for the upcoming hunt, checking my gear and cloths.  Dinner had come and passed and again we were in the truck heading toward our appointment with what we all hoped was Mr. Black Bear.  I dropped off Dave and proceeded onto my stand as I did the previous two days.  I pulled over to park sooner than normal. Today I would park just a little further away from my hunting setup, I would make a longer trek to the wooded logging road as I gathered my gear.  Today my walk in was about a ½ mile, as I wanted a little more space between the truck and my wooded hunting area.  The stand setup was 70 yards in off of a logging road, which had not been used for quite some time.  They air was still, not a breeze to be found.  The sun was out yet it was very comfortable.  I eased into my stand even slower than my usual slow pace.  Looking listening and being extra careful not to even step on a twig to alert what I hoped would be a big bear in my area.  After all the spot was perfect, the sign was there and we were in northern Maine for black bear.  As I ascended my stand I did not make a peep.  I got set and the ritual of waiting and observing began.  By 5PM or so I was visited by a very large sow and two cubs.  I would guess this sow at about 225lb or better.  Her coat was thick and shining and black as shoe polish as the sun danced through the canopy above.  Her cubs were energetic and full of that playfulness that youngsters have. They too had a full and beautiful coat.  I had plenty of time to watch and learn as they interacted with each other and the cubs wrestled with each other for the sow’s attention.  I became quite comfortable with them not more than 17 yards away, and the best thing was they had absolutely no idea I was there watching them perched 12 foot up in my stand.  The air was still and the occasional breeze was carrying their sent to me.  I heard a snap to my rear, all at once the sow came to a still pose, ears up and forward in my direction.  I immediately thought she winded me.  A quick check of the air and I knew it was not me she was alerted by.  She took two steps in my direction and stood straight up on her back legs.  He nose, ears and eyes were busy scanning and searching the area behind me to my right.  I could see nor hear a thing.  My heart was racing and the adrenaline was rushing through my body.  I thought “YES” this is what it is all about, that feeling, that anticipation of what is about to unfold.  Then just as suddenly as she stood, she went back down on all fours, turned toward her cubs and made a sound.  At that point the two cubs scattered but the sow remained.  With bow in hand I was ready for what ever was about to happen. I waited on the edge of my stand seat, heart still pounding yet in full control of myself.  It seemed like forever but it was only a minute or so, suddenly the cubs returned as quickly as they had left.  All was calm now and the sow was back in control of her cubs.  Time passed, it was now about 5:45PM and the bears were still about 17 yards away.  I was getting fatigued at having to stay so still now.  Just then as my mind was wondering another snap broke the relative silence of the moment.  The sow once again stood tall on her hind legs.  She was looking even more intently than the first time.  She stood for about 15 seconds and them back to all fours.  The sow moved to her cubs and they all froze and listened.  Their heads turned off to my right as they looked and their ears were moving, searching for sounds, sounds of oncoming danger.  All at once the sow turned, signaled and they all broke out in a dead run through the woods and thickets.  I could hear them as they crashed through the woods and through what was apparently some body of water.  Excitement grew to a climax as I could only think of what had made them leave in such a panic.  It had to be a big boar, I thought to myself.  I knew it was not another hunter or any other person for that matter, so it had to be a boar.  A sow with cubs does not react that way unless it is a dominant bear in the area.  I waited with bow in hand until my hand began to cramp up.  An hour had passed and I had not moved an inch, but no sign or sound of anything.  The woods were as quiet as any woods have ever been.  You could hear every little scurry of red squirrels and dropping of twigs and nuts as they climbed and performed their ariel acrobatics off in the distance.  I treated every sound as if it were my prey.  Still nothing. I was tuned into my surroundings like I had been on many occasions while hunting.  The evening was perfect, the air was still and I was ready with every part of my hunting body.  It was now ten after seven and the light was fading fast. I could not stop thinking that perhaps this was an opportunity missed, did I do something wrong or was it simple fate that I would not view a bruin this evening.  I raised my bow deliberately and quietly to check if I could still see my TruGlo sight pin.  “Yes” I said to myself.  I was not moving from this spot until I could not see to shoot.  There were literally only a few minutes of shooting light left when I heard a slight brushing sound and then a single snap ahead to my left.  I stared into the fading light searching for movement.  There it was movement, black movement in front of me to my left.  A head appeared behind some green leaves about 15 yards in front of me.  The bruin was moving in slowly and very deliberately with an ere of cautiousness.  “A bear” I thought.  “A bears head”.  As the head became more visible in the fleeting light I could tell it was a nice bear and definitely a shooter.  I slowly began to raise my bow from my lap.  Just as I started to move the black bruin glanced in my direction.  I froze immediately, thinking not to worry, stay calm, stay still and wait.  Wait, I can’t wait too much longer the light was fading fast.  He took another step and I began to raise the bow again.  As the front of his shoulder appeared he stopped once again and looked in my direction. Again I froze.  My arms were in midstream of getting my bow into shooting position and I wasn’t about to give this bruin an inch of movement to catch me on.  After what seemed an eternity, he looked forward again and began to move broadside in front of me.  I will always remember this moment, as the bruin stepped into full view I was instantly amazed and in awe of the massive belly as it nearly dragged along the ground.  As soon as he turned his head away from me I continued to raise my bow to final position and drew back all at once.  Everything seemed perfect and almost in slow motion.  I recall it vividly as I write this story; it was one continuous motion of raising and drawing back my Martin Altitude bow.  I quickly and automatically found the pin and the target as I released the arrow.  My Beman ICS Hunter shaft tipped with a Montec G5 broadhead left the string and quickly entered the bear’s lung area.  It looked and sounded like a solid hit and even a pass through shot.  The bear jetted off immediately upon impact and crashed through the now darkened thick poplar and pinewoods.  I froze yet it was hard to contain my emotions as I listened to every sound that the forest would feed my ears.  Just as quickly as the bear bolted off across the forest floor the sounds stopped.  I listened even more intently but no death moan, no more charging through the woods, nothing but silence again.  After several minutes had passed it was now very dark.  I pulled my flashlight from my pack and gathered my gear for the walk out to the truck.  My walk back was one of mixed emotions.  I had captured the entire hunting event on videotape and I had to look at it.  I stopped and watched the tape and saw that it appeared to be a good hit but perhaps a little bit towards the back.  It was difficult on the tape under the low light conditions to see if the bear was actually quartering away at all or not.  I watched it several more times and was pretty positive that it was indeed a lethal hit.  I could not clear my mind of the possibility that this bruin might go off a long distance and be very difficult to find in the thick north Maine woods.  After all I was used to searching out my own shot game in woods that I knew very well and had hunted for years but this was not the case here.  The shot looked solid and pretty well placed but I found it hard to believe that I had just shot at such an awesome creature.  We as hunters dream of truly magnificent encounters with such trophy animals and when it happens it doesn’t seem real.  Well this was certainly real and it was a good shot I thought.  As I returned to the lodge to find my guide, he was still out gathering other hunters.  Terry, one of the other guide staff had just rolled in and was in the kitchen talking with Tracey.  I walked in and looked over at the two of them and could hardly speak.  Terry asked what had happened, “did you get anything tonight”. I replied, “yes”, with a grin, but said I was unsure of just how lethal the hit was and that it was a big bear.  Without hesitation Terry said, “Lets go get him”.  At that, we were off.  Myself, Terry and Dave climbed into the truck and headed back to the location where I had hunted.  As we entered the woods Terry went first and Dave and I marked the way in with ribbon tape.  About half way through the search my guide Don showed up and joined in.  The blood trail was sparse as we carefully navigated the dark forest with our flashlights.  About forty yards out from the shot sight the blood sign had not shown much improvement.  Now as I tripped along through the woods, so many thoughts were racing through my head.  Was it a good shot?  Was this bear going to be one of those that never gets found?  I can’t believe we are not seeing a much better blood trail.  It was evident by the blood that we did find that the shot was a pass through.  Just then Terry and Don hollered out “hear we go”.  I shouted, “Did you find him”?  “NO, but the blood sign is much better now”.  Then another shout.  “Here we go, he can’t be far now”.  The sign was spread all over the forest floor; this is where he finally slowed down.  I raced up through the forest knocking branches aside and pushing through thickets.  Wow I thought to myself, this was more like it. The sign was everywhere and I was excited.  Just then both guides hollered out “here he is, oh my gosh he’s huge”.  I ran again toward the voices and pushed through some cedar thickets, oh my gosh, he was huge.  I was so excited and so many emotions were running through my body.  I quickly slid down beside him and laid his large head upon my lap and smiled.  “Well I said, I told you he was a good one”.  Terry exclaimed “I guess he’s a good one he has to be 400lb I’d guess, what do you think Don”.  Don replied “oh yeah, I’d say even 450 of so, either way were not pulling him out with just the four of us”.  Dave poked through the trees and couldn’t believe his eyes.  At that, we all admired the huge bruin for a while then headed back to the trucks to get help.  It was hard to leave him for a while but I knew soon he would be back at the lodge with us all.  It took hours to retrieve the big bruin from the thick Maine forest but it was an experience I wish all dedicated hunters could experience.  The shot turned out to be perfect.  The arrow entered the bruin near the back of the lungs and quartered forward to exit about 6 inches behind the opposite shoulder.  Ultimately it took nine of us to retrieve this bruin from the great north Maine woods.  He weighed in at 502lb live weight and green scored the skull at just under 20 inches.  This was truly a hunt I will never ever forget and will certainly cherish forever. For those interested in a Northern Maine hunt at the Oxbow Lodge you can call Tom & Tracey at (207)435-6140 Oxbow News 2008-02-07T16:21:00-05:00 http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/oxbow_lodge_renovates_and_expands_historical_building_in_northern_maine/ http://www.oxbowlodge.com/index-blog.php/site/oxbow_lodge_renovates_and_expands_historical_building_in_northern_maine/#When:16:14:00Z ME, Oxbow – Oxbow Lodge is a premier lodging and hunting facility located in the town of Oxbow Maine, Aroostook County.  The Oxbow lodge has been providing quality hunting retreats and outdoor adventures for over a century.  The lodge is proud to announce that they have completed a major renovation effort of this historical landmark.  “Our goal is to provide the best quality experience for our customers in both our facilities and the services we offer” said owner Tom Aasbo. ME, Oxbow – Oxbow Lodge is a premier lodging and hunting facility located in the town of Oxbow Maine, Aroostook County.  The Oxbow lodge has been providing quality hunting retreats and outdoor adventures for over a century.  The lodge is proud to announce that they have completed a major renovation effort of this historical landmark.  “Our goal is to provide the best quality experience for our customers in both our facilities and the services we offer” said owner Tom Aasbo. Oxbow Loge owner and proprietor Tom Aasbo said “we have been growing our business for bear, deer and moose hunting since buying the lodge in the mid 1990s”.  “One of our goals has always been to be the best at what we do”.  “Part of that plan has been to renovate and expand the lodge to create an unmatched place in Maine.” The past year has been a busy year for the lodge as they have renovated a good majority of the accommodations.  New and improved bathrooms, updated bedrooms, expansion of the dining hall and a facelift to the outside of the structure have all been part of this year’s transformation. Standing in the foyer overlooking the addition of two large fireplaces Oxbow Lodge client Rob Jones said “words cannot simply describe the changes and feelings I have looking over this magnificent transformation.” “It is truly the story book picture of what a hunting lodge should be.” The Oxbow Lodge will continue to update and improve other areas as executing to the plan of “becoming the best hunting lodge in the North East” said Mr. Tom Aasbo. Oxbow News 2008-02-07T16:14:00-05:00