Being the fourth generation to live and earn a living in the outdoors in Maine, the state is dear to my heart. Logging runs in our veins. Logging was a way of life on both sides of my family. The Moore side logged along the shores of the Chesuncook Lake and worked on the river drive on the West Branch of the Penobscot. My father worked the drive the last two years until it’s end in 1972. He then went to work running skidder for Great Northern Paper Company. He met my mom at Telos camps, where she scaled logs.

Summers were spent in the North Maine Woods, camping, fishing, hunting, gardening and foraging in the outdoors were a wave of life. Work ethic was taught at a young age. We had chickens, canned and froze our own veggies, and foraged foods.

In fall the focus turned to hunting processing wild game. Much character was built while working on the firewood pile. Baked beans, red hotdogs, coleslaw, biscuits, and sour mustard pickles were on the menu every Saturday night. This is the rural Maine I grew up in, and I continue to live the “old Maine” lifestyle to this day.

Chesuncook Village was first settled in the 1840s as an outpost to support logging in the area. It was originally larger pieces of land than the current lot sizes today. The area supported farms, fields, livestock, and men for logging. There were many large structures for logging, large barns, cook shacks, blacksmith shops, and many other buildings. Access was only by boat or horses and old tote roads at that time. Henry David Thoreau made three trips through the area in the 1850s lead by drive boss John Ross. The Penobscot lumber Company was one of the most famous river driving companies in the country. It made Penobscot Bay and Bangor the timber capital of the world. Prior to the building of Ripogenus Dam in 1916, Gero Island was also attached to the mainland and had many farms on it. From the early 1900s to the 1950s Chesuncook Village had many hotels and guides.

Today the village is mostly privately-owned seasonal camps. Access today is by boat, plane, or over a very rough and bumpy road. In the summer of 2018, a friend asked me to come to Chesuncook Village and look at some work. The man who used to take care of the lawns and do work had become to do so. I saw there was a need for a resident handyman and lawn care service. I sold my house and moved north. Six years later, Chesuncook Property Maintenance is doing very well. I take great pride in the work of mowing, vegetation management, and keeping the village neat and tidy. Many camps are only visited a few weeks a year, so there is plenty of work.

A favorite past time of mine is fishing Chesuncook lake and the surrounding region. The sunrise and sunsets can be spectacular overlooking Mount Katahdin or the West branch of the Penobscot River. The lake and river are rapidly becoming a premier salmon fishery after many years of decline. Other tributaries offer fine fishing as well. The region also offers many small remote trout ponds. I typically fish from April til the end of September on the open water. Target species include brook trout, salmon, white perch, cusk, and splake. On the open water, my preferred method is flyfishing. I usually use streamers on sinking line early, when the water is cold. Later in the season, I switch to dry flies as the water warms. In the heat of summer, I target white perch with small jigs.

Ice fishing makes up the majority of the fishing I do. This is mainly because I have more downtime in the winter. It is truly enjoyable to get up with the sun, drill and set fire tip-ups, and fish till after dark. For salmon, I usually just set just under the ice with a shiner. At dusk, I drop the lines down to the bottom for cusk. The lines must be checked once an hour by law. Perch typically are in the mid-range of the water column this time of the year. The region truly has something to offer all anglers with amazing views all around.

Fall in Maine is one of my favorite times of the year. The hot summer heat makes way top cool nights and crisp days. The smell of wood smoke and gun smoke are both in the air. The leaves turn a beautiful array of vibrant colors and the birds starts their migration. It is a time to enjoy the bounty of the seasons’ harvests. September brings good cold water fishing again. Bear hunting season had been underway. Moose, grouse, and deer hunting are all there to loo forward to. Blast and cusk weekend at the end of September are always a good time. Hunting partridge with my trusty cocker spaniel, Sadie Mae, are always some of my best memories. Woodcock and rabbits are also good tablefare this time of year.

Anytime from mid-October this far north, I have seen snow come. Some years it is much later though. I always get ready early as to not to get caught with my pants down as they say. It has not been easy carving out a life in the North Maine Woods. Simple tasks like going to town for groceries are a twelve-hour event. It is sixty miles to Millinocket or Greenville to get supplies. I usually go about once a month. As I adapt and grow to life in the woods you find yourself always finding better ways of doing things, I have put in solar power, have a gas stove, and refrigerator to keep food cold. Water is carried from a spring to cook and drink. I always say, “I have running water, I just have to run down and get it”. Rainwater is collected in season to irrigate the garden and shower.

I recently decided to get a Maine Guide license to expand the property management business. I will be operating as Chesuncook Gide Service. Snowmobile tours are my primary focus this winter. I plan to add lodging, ice fishing, open water fishing, hunting, shuttles, and canoe camping trips next year. You can find me on Facebook by searching John Moore II, on YouTube as Chesuncook Guide Service, or email me at JohnMooreII@hotmail.com