If you watched the video of the mallard drake I posted a while ago you know that I have a penned mallard hen for training purposes that has caught the eye of a mallard drake. He has spent his time between the ponds near her pen and outside her pen or his new perch....on top of the quonset hut near her pen. He has brought several friends to the ponds, both hens and other drakes. At one point there were three other drakes with him. They all take off - she calls them back and the one mallard will turn and come back.

April 26th was the date of our first NSCA registered sporting clays shoot of the year. We had great weather- the mud had dried out enough and we where ahead of the black flies so you can't ask for more than that. Forty one shooters enjoyed the 100 target main course and the stations that made up the 50 target sub gauge course. Quite a few also went thru a second time for re-entry target scores and some just for fun.
Congratulations to Earle Glidden of Gorham took top honors by winning the tie breaker with a 95 over Henry Trial of Argyle.  Top subgauge score went to Frank Sabo of Massachusetts with a 46.

We also have the Hunter class for those shooters that are not NSCA resgistered and don't care about which class they are in. Our top Hunter class shooter for the main event was Brent Sirios of Kennebunk.
For complete results go to www.silvertonsportingranch.com and click on the "shoot results" page.
Our next shoot will be the Maine State Sporting Clays Championship June 27-29. For those looking to improve their scores we will have shooting lessons and a target reading clinic with Bob Mastroianni of Break Point Management Shooting School on June 7 & 8.

Saturdya, April 26th was the youth turkey day in Maine and our deer guide, Richard Gurney took his 11 year old daughter out hunting. They didn't get an early start but that didn't seem to matter.
After spotting the tom in the distance, Richard told Andrea their best chance would be to stalk the bird. They started crawling on the ground until they were within shooting range. It was 40 yards but Andrea made a good shot, although part of a spur was shot off in the process.
Here's the stats: 24.6 lbs - 9.5" beard - Spurs 1.5" and 7/8". The bird ranks 4th in Maine for weight.
Way to go Andrea!!!  She took a jake last year so she's on a roll.

There has been a mallard drake hanging around for the past week- he's fallen for a penned raise hen. He's been very persistant and sometimes brings another hen or drake with him.

I found this and thought it was too funny..........
http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/thegunshots/2008/04/10-reasons-men.html

I went out late yesterday afternoon and took these pics- it really shows the melting going on....
but as an added bonus by the time I got back to the lodge it was dusk and there was a woodcock in the field. I know others have said they have heard them last week but this was my first of the year.

    The last few days have finally started to feel like spring. I was out early the other morning and the birds were chirping, there were deer in the field behind the little barn, a wood duck had been tempted by the calls of the mallard hens in the pen and the turkeys were answering the calls of the pheasant roosters.. okay they were a little confused by actually the pheasant make great locator calls. 
    As I have driven around from Waterville to Skowhegan the last few days I can't help but notice that we have far more snow in the fields ...<< MORE >>

    The last Sportsman Show in Maine was last weekend hosted by the Presque Isle Fish and Game Association.
This is a show that everyone looks forward to. The hospitality is typical of  "the County" - very friendly and easy going. This was our 6th show- we've been in MA, NH and ME and there are several of the exhibitors that have been at the same show as us and we've gotten to know them as good friends now. One couple, Don and Linda Boisvert of Bloodfinder of NH are a great example. Don and Linda have been promoting their product, ...<< MORE >>

I receive an email almost daily from a gentleman, Paul Cr, in northern Maine who is an incredible photographer caputuring all aspects of life in northern Maine both human and otherwise.  He sent out these photos from a trip he took with Maine's Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Department  biologists on a bear monitoring trip. According to Paul the  bears are wearing tracking devices and are tracked by air then the coordinates are given to the biologists who snowmobile/ shoes into where the dens are. They dig out the snow, tranqulize the bear, remove her and the cubs. They do a health ...<< MORE >>

March can be a tough month in Maine.....especially this winter when we've had so much snow- cabin fever hits an all time high. Sportsmans Shows provide an outlet, a chance to dream of future hunts, talk to outfitters, purchase beef jerky, fishing gear and more.
This year the Maine State Sportsmans Show is March 28-30 at the Augusta Civic Center. You can meet the folks from some of the great conservation organizations such as National Wild Turkey Federation, Trout Unlimited, The Maine Bowhunter Association,. ATV Maine willbe there will free ATV rides for the kids. There will ...<< MORE >>