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Maine offers hundreds of lodges across the state that cater to hunters. They offer anything from housekeeping cabins to the full service three meals a day hospitality. One that comes to mind (for those that like the really fancy route) is King and Bartlett. They own 34,000 acres with something like 17 ponds and lakes. They are the high end of hunting in Maine.

There are countless other smaller camps and lodges as well. The Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website is a good place to check out as it has links to other sources.

For someone in Maine to be able to receive money for guiding, they must first be licensed as a Registered Maine Guide. This requires both written and oral tests as well as an interview before the license is granted. The applicants must demonstrate proficiency in map and compass reading, survival skills and understand the laws as well as know a thing or two about hunting before they are allowed to guide. It's quite an extensive process but the goal is to assure that people can count on an enjoyable and safe time in the Maine woods and waterways.




Ellen Lonergan As for me, I got my first Springer 20 years ago. Roxy never got to hunt as much as she deserved as we lived in Eastern MA at the time so I took a brief journey into the world of show Springers (some would call it the dark side). Once I moved to Maine, where the best grouse hunting imaginable is literally a quick walk out my back door, I got another field bred dog. My current Springer population gives me three dogs to hunt with and I'll have a pup out of this litter for field trialing, hunt tests and hunting. As a veterinary technician I am fortunate to have a work schedule which permits me to hunt a minimum of four days a week and so my dogs have had the opportunity to teach me quite a lot about grouse and woodcock.

I was attracted to Springers in the first place because of our mutual fascination with swampy places and the beauty I see in the combination of the find, the flush and the retrieve. There is no better dog than a Springer for the dense, sometimes impenetrable covers of Maine, places impossible for a big retriever to get into or a pointing dog person to flush game out of. And with the abundance of waterfowl and snowshoe hare, a Springer has a chance to use all of its abilities. There is nothing more rewarding and enjoyable than to be able to take a walk with one dog, one gun and a handful of shells and bring home grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hares and ducks. Who but a spaniel can do that?

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