Remington Model 17 @ Libby Camps
 

Just returned yesterday from a week long successful hunt at Libby Camp on the shoreline at Millinocket Lake in upstate Maine. People attending were Stevie Hodges, Billy Janelle, Steve's good friend Bud, and myself.

We stayed in a large cabin separate from the other cabins reserved for people with the meal plan and guide service. I hear the food at the main lodge was outstanding but I think we did pretty well ourselves for the week. Each person at our cabin was responsible for a meal for each night. Bud made a delicious beef stew slowly simmered in the crock pot. Billy made a tortellini stew a recipe that had just the right amount of spice but was very good that his daughter gave him. Stevie brought a shepherd pie that satisfied everyone’s hungry appetite after a long day's hunt. I made for breakfast egg McMuffins, Finnish oven pancake (Pannukakku), French toast with Challah bread covered with Edgar Spencer’s Connecticut Maple syrup, and for dinner a lasagna all made from scratch. Friday night was “left over night” which I think was the best dinner of the whole week. After each meal that night we sat and shared hunting adventures for the day over some “amber liquid” on the rocks, cold beer, and some Grouse harvested that day. There were lots of laughs too.

Couldn’t ask for better weather for the week. Each day was sunny but a little bit on the warm side especially on Wednesday that reached temps close to mid 70’s. By the end of the week the temperatures lowered to the low 60’s. Cover was very thick with mostly all the leaves hanging on and it was a dry season in upstate Maine so we focused on finding bird cover close to wet spots, Alders, streams, and hiking old logging tote roads. Finding them is the key and with that we relied on man’s best friend, the dog, and in our case Star, Cody, Parker, and Cali.

Each day someone from our group got a bird. The dogs did very well and there where were lots of flushes. Some birds held but most they were runners that can give the dog and the hunter fits. I paired up with Billy for the week and Cali did an outstanding job working just over the shoulder of the tote road about 25 yards in. When she was on point one of us would enter woods while the other would stay on the road in case the bird flushed out on to the road. Our best day Billy got three Grouse and a Woodcock and I got two Grouse.

Billy and I both brought our Remington Model 17’s. We both brought doubles but each morning we just kept reaching again for these light and trim 20 gauges. They point beautifully and a delight to carry. Bill’s gun is a 1930 17B Special grade and I had the 1923 vintage UMC/Remington standard grade. Each has a solid rib and weighs six pounds on the nose. With the warm weather and hiking all those trails one can understand why we used the Remington Model 17.

Below are a few pictures from the week. I wish I took more though.

We give Libby Camps FIVE stars and recommend it to everyone to check them out.

If you go be cautious of double loaded logging tractor trailers barreling down fast on Pinkham Road and big bad moose……..

Enjoy

Frank

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looks like ya ll had a mighty fine hunt and them are some mighty fine looking pump guns and fine dos to boot...i love to hear these stories and see pictures of guns and dogs and the scenery.. i feel like i was on the hunt too...charlie

We had a great week!!! Could not have been more fun. Ate grouse h'orderves every night cooked up by Chef Billy..................mmmmmgood:) As Frankie said we ate like kings at every meal, had great weather and a beautiful camp. Libby Camps I behind the North Maine Woods Oxbow Gate and as such is somewhat limited access. Bud and I deer hunted the area in the fall of '83 and '84, and boy have things changed since then. I will add a few more picks of grouse and tired dogs.

Frank: Libby Camps is the best great pictures and the memories of my trip come flooding back. Pictures of my Lucy and me at Libby a couple years back. Lucy has the eyes of a crazed hunter, she loves the life of a bird dog. Craig

Frank, you really got my adrenalin flowing with those pics. I will be leaving on Wed Oct 18th for the UP and will not come back until Nov 4th. Imagine 2+ weeks of hard hunting--I start early and finish late ., Nice Britt, Bill and beautiful setters Steve. I have shot SC with Frank, Bill, Steve, and Bud
before, and they are a great group of guys.
I put my 2 female setter pups on birds yesterday for the first time, and man you should have seen the lights come one in their little heads when they hit that first bird scent--I hope to get them out again tomorrow. I shot a hundred rounds with the 20 ga hammer gun today and another 100 with the 4E Ithaca 16. I'm getting psyched up to go. Post more pics if you have them

Harold - check out the performance of your ex- A grade Fox 20 on VA quail last Saturday. It's the lower gun in the picture. Tom says its a keeper! Best, Kevin

hey, I recognize that gun. Glad your brother Tom likes it--and apparently is shooting it well. It is set up for a lefty like your brother, and I just couldn't shoot it very well. That money didn't last very long, as I turned it into Edgar's 16 ga O frame Quality O hammer gun, a beauty. I always hate to sell a gun , but glad it is working out well for Tom, those factory cyl/cyl chokes are perfect for quail over point. I have a 16 A grade Fox that is a keeper--I'll show you next time I see you. Let's hope everyone has a great hunting season.
Harold

Now that my house is done, and if you go next year can I go?? looks like you guys had a great time! I know you did because I know all of you and you are great bunch of guys !! scott :)

Scott, congrats on finishing your new house, and of course you know you are ALWAYS invited, Steve

Seeing those slide action shotguns brought back a lot of good memories. Thanks for posting.