On the hunt for much-needed family time
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Being a firefighter and a father can be a difficult mix, with family time often taking a back seat to one’s profession. But for a local group of hunting enthusiasts, they’ve found a way to use their off time from the fire department to combine a love of turkey hunting and hours spent teaching their children about the sport.
Photos courtesy of Scott Cyr
ADAM RIDER, below, and daughter Rebecca Rider, above, show off the turkeys they got while hunting this spring. 
Several members of the Presque Isle Fire Department, along with a few friends, have made a tradition of taking part in the spring turkey hunting season in Knox County.
“We’ve been doing it for years. A year or two into it we started bringing our kids — who were old enough to hunt — with us. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with our children,” said Scott Cyr, of Fort Fairfield, who took two of his kids on the downstate venture at the beginning of the spring turkey season. “Riley and Jake went hunting. We didn’t get anything but saw several.”
Cyr said he’s met a lot of people from all over the state and Canada during these trips.
“We met up with a group from Nova Scotia. Youth day kicked off the season on Saturday, April 27, with parents able to hunt by that Monday,” he said.
Cyr said he’s just one of several in his group who regularly take their children on the annual trip.
“Tony Robichaud (PIFD firefighter) took his daughter, Bailey, a few years ago. Adam Rider (PIFD firefighter) has taken his daughter, Rebecca, the past two years, and his son, Kyle, has gone the past four years — got one nearly every year,” said Cyr.
“Vince Baldwin took his son, Joshua, for the second or third year this year. Josh had opportunities this year but it didn’t work out. The birds were too far away. Vince has taken his daughter, Jessica, in the past,” continued Cyr.
He said there are plenty of young kids hunting turkey with their dads.
“It’s worked out pretty well and makes for a good adventure,” said Cyr. “Jason Brewer’s daughter is going next year. Scott Michaud took his boy last year.”
SCOTT CYR, of Fort Fairfield, is pictured with the turkey he got during spring turkey-hunting season. 
Although he didn’t go the first year, Cyr said he quickly became a part of the regular group.
“It started with Jim (Barber), Tony, Jason and Adam and maybe a couple others. Beginning the following year and continuing since, we’ve rented a cabin — usually get it for a month. We all chip in and any of us can use it for hunting, etc,” Cyr said. “The core group’s been Adam, Tony, Jason and I but every year we add on. Some have only gone one year, others repeatedly.”
Cyr said once the birds are tagged and registered, they have to be taken care of right away.
“We typically remove the breast meat; some pluck the bird and keep it whole. We have tried a variety of cooking methods over the years such as baking, deep frying, etc.,” said Cyr, noting, “wild turkey are much different than domestic in the fact that the leg meat is very tough and unless ground up into burger’s, it’s virtually inedible. So we determined the best method is to breast-out the bird.”
Hunters also submit a foot to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, for research purposes.
Baldwin said he’s been hunting as part of the group for about five years.
“I went last year, the year before and a couple years prior. This year was my first Tom and the second turkey I’ve gotten. My kids have gone — got to take a shot. This year Josh took a shot but the bird got away,” said Baldwin.
Baldwin’s children — 13-year-old Josh and 15-year-old Jess — have been hunting since they were each 10.
“It’s a good opportunity to be with my children. I get to spend quality time with my kids,” said Baldwin, a PIFD firefighter.
VINCE BALDWIN, of Presque Isle, shows off his 22-pound turkey he got while hunting downstate this spring. 
He said he and Rider took their kids hunting the first day of the season.
“It was Youth Day. I went with Josh, while Adam took Rebecca and Kyle. Rebecca got one that morning. We went back for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; I got mine on Thursday,” he said.
Unlike the others who planned to dine on their take, Baldwin said he had other plans for his 22-pound bird.
“I’m getting mine full-mounted and stuffed. I hunted in the woods, not the fields, so it’s an older bird,” said Baldwin.
Rider said this was the second year hunting for his daughter, Rebecca.
“I took both kids down. Kyle’s 15, Rebecca’s 11. It’s a great experience to be able to hunt with your kids. Being able to introduce them to hunting is really a great opportunity to teach them sportsmanship, safety,” said Rider.
“But sharing time with our children is the most valuable part of these trips,” said Rider.
Also taking part in this year’s festivities were fellow hunters Perrin Ellis and Nate Allen.
Cyr said the hunts have improved over the years as the turkey population increases.
“The first couple years there were a few birds shot but not everyone got a bird. We’ve worked and learned together on what works, what doesn’t — where the birds are and aren’t,” said Cyr.
The group even has a name, according to Cyr.
“A few years back while sitting around the campfire we talked about coming up with a name for the group. The name ‘Aroostook County Turkey Slayers’ was mentioned (A.C.T.S. for short) and seemed to stick. Shortly after, we named Jim our unofficial president,” said Cyr.
The group has harvested several birds since the beginning but Cyr said it’s become “much more than that.”
“It’s a chance for all of us to ‘get away’ and have an enjoyable week of hunting, fishing or just taking in the scenery. A typical day at camp usually starts at 3 a.m., in the field by 3:45 a.m. and hunt until noon. We head back to camp for lunch, then some take a nap, some may go fishing, and some may just hang out and enjoy the weather over a game of cribbage,” said Cyr.
By the end of the week, he said everyone’s body has had enough and it’s time to head home.
What started as a way to relax and leave the stress of work behind has evolved into a tradition that is now moving to the next generation.
“Most of our kids are getting to be of hunting age now and many are starting to hunt, so we’re passing on our long-standing tradition,” said Cyr.
