Staff Writer
Hunting is a family affair, with vacations planned around the various seasons, be it moose, deer, bird or bear.
Such was the case for three lucky families during the first week of the official moose hunting season, which began Sept. 28.
Joseph Staples, of Swans Island, made the trek to Aroostook County with his family, including his wife, son-in-law Kevin Walker, Kevin’s wife Serena and their two sons, Shepard Walker, 7, and Marshall Walker, 9 — also of Swans Island. Staples and his family have had quite the luck, with each adult already having one moose apiece to their credit. But his luck continued to hold this year, with both he and his wife winning permits in the annual drawing.
And as luck would have it, Staples didn’t have to wait long to take a near-record bull the first day of the season.
“I got one seven years ago. It weighed 900 lbs. This one weighs 1,020,” said Staples, as he helped his grandsons strap the animal to a flat trailer after the animal was weighed at Ben’s Trading Post in Presque Isle.
Staples isn’t your typical hunter. He prefers a more unique weapon than your run-of-the-mill rifle.
“I used a black powder muzzle loader,” Staples explained.
His son-in-law said the kids are looking forward to the day they can hunt like grampy and daddy.
“Marshall will be old enough next year,” said Kevin Walker.
Walker said they’d seen the bull the day before, when they were scouting the area.
“We got him in Presque Isle, right where we’d spotted him before,” Walker said.
Walker said he thought his father-in-law planned to have the head or antlers mounted.
The family tradition of hunting held true for Brian McQuarrie and his nephew, John McQuarrie, as the two ventured to Hainesville Sept. 30 to try their luck. As the day wore on, it looked like luck might not be in the cards for them, but at about 4:40 p.m., that all changed when Brian took down an 881 lb. bull.
“His antlers had 21 and one-half points, with a spread of 49 inches across,” said McQuarrie. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get it out of the woods until about noon the next day.”
McQuarrie said the moose had been “uncooperative and ran further down into a cutting. After we got it, we took it to Mac’s Trading Post in Houlton to be weighed.”
“I’d like to thank my nephew for putting me down as a sub-permittee and giving me this opportunity,” said McQuarrie.
Don Saucier, of Presque Isle, combined hunting efforts with his brother, Joe Saucier, getting a bull on Sept. 28 in Presque Isle.
“We went hunting Monday and he got a bull weighing a little over 700 lbs. Once it’s cut, we’ll divide it in three between family members, giving us each about 180 lbs.,” said Saucier.
As fall progresses, more families will head to the woods, looking for ever-elusive wildlife, while enjoying time spent with loved ones and the memories that will last long after the rifle’s been cleaned, the wild game is consumed and the dishes washed and put away.
Photo courtesy of Brian McQuarrie
STORYTELLING for the McQuarrie family will focus this fall on how Brian McQuarrie, at right, got this bull moose, while hunting with nephew John McQuarrie, at left, during a trip to Hainesville during the first week of moose season.
