No matter the season, Paul Laney finds plenty of ways to keep busy in his adopted hometown of Grand Lake Stream.
Whether he’s guiding anglers and bear hunters or tending his own trap line, Laney spends most of the year outdoors. This time of year, he’s bobcat hunting. And the affable Registered Maine Guide checked in earlier this week to share a milestone.
“[Tuesday] was a very special day,” Laney wrote in an e-mail. “This morning my client Pete Gamache harvested a 30-pound tom in a small deer yard.”
Laney hunts with his hounds, and three — Lilly, Sadie and Suzie — were in on Gamache’s kill.
“That was number 199 for Suzie,” Laney explained.
And Suzie wasn’t done.
“Around 11 a.m. we cut another track and let Suzie, Sadie and Bella go in quest for number 200,” Laney wrote. “A couple hours later, Suzie made history with the help of her two young friends.”
Laney says a single dog reaching 200 kills in a career is quite impressive.
“Anyone who knows much about bobcat hunting knows what it takes to reach 100 kills,” Laney wrote. “Suzie accomplished that milestone at five years old. She turned 10 years old in June and is still going strong. Who knows where it will end? But I do know there will never be another hound like Suzie.”
Congratulations to Suzie [and Paul] for the hard-earned milestone.
Outdoor writers to sign
If you still have to find an outdoor gift or two for your favorite outdoors enthusiast, you may want to stop by Van Raymond Outfitters in Brewer on Dec. 18.
Van Raymond will host four local authors, who will be on hand to chat and sign their books beginning at 10 a.m.
Randy Spencer, author of “Where Cool Waters Flow,” V. Paul Reynolds (“A Maine Deer Hunter’s Logbook”), Kevin Tracewski (“A Fisherman’s Guide to Maine”) and Bob Leeman (“Fly Fishing Maine Rivers, Brooks and Streams”) will appear at the signing.
I’ve read all four books and enjoyed them all. Spencer’s first book was one of my favorites of the year, in fact. The multitalented guide transports the reader to the woods and waters of Grand Lake Stream through his precise prose —close your eyes and you’ll swear you can smell the pine needles and feel the breeze whipping off West Grand Lake.
If you’re unfamiliar with Brewer, Van Raymond’s is on South Main Street less than a half-mile south of the I-395 bridge over the Penobscot River.
Greenland Point asks for help
The Greenland Point Center in Princeton has a rich tradition of providing conservation education to the state’s children. Over the years thousands of young campers have spent a week at Greenland Point, and those visits have helped spark lifelong passions for the outdoors.
Now the folks at Greenland Point are asking for your help.
The center is a nonprofit organization and is in the midst of its annual fundraising drive. Since taking over operations at the facility five years ago, Greenland Point Center has become one of the top suppliers of DIF&W safety certifications and regularly stages Hooked on Fishing programs.
Its mission: “To promote healthy lifestyles and environmental stewardship by providing all children and adults, including those with disabilities, with a natural setting and programs that teach outdoor skills, leadership, ethics and alternatives to substance abuse.”
So, how can you help? I’m glad you asked.
GPC is seeking grant writers, corporate sponsors and members of the public — like you — who would like to help them out. If you’re interested, you can go to www.greelandpoint.com for more information or send e-mail to greenlandpoint@myfairpoint.net.
Sugarloaf has the snow
Sugarloaf employees weren’t overly enthusiastic when they saw the weather report earlier this week. Ethan Austin, the resort’s communications director, said in an e-mail that predictions weren’t calling for much of a storm.
“When we arrived at the mountain on Monday morning, light snow was falling and the forecasts were calling for about two to four inches throughout the day,” Austin wrote. “When 2 p.m. rolled around and we had six inches on the ground with snow still falling, we had a feeling the forecasts might be off.”
Austin said the steady snow just kept drifting down.
“By Tuesday morning snow had piled up to eight inches here at the base and a full 12 at the top of the Quad [chair lift], and we had our first full-fledged powder day of the year,” Austin wrote.
As of Friday afternoon, Sugarloaf skiers were enjoying a base of 10-28 inches of snow and were skiing on 28 trails. In all, skiers had access to 131 acres and 12 miles of terrain. Today two more trails are scheduled to be opened.
jholyoke@bangordailynews.com
990-8214
