Hunting traditions and long lasting friendships’ what can be better

    Hunting season will soon be upon us. It is just like the countdown to Christmas for the true hunters and even the not so serious ones. These hunting adventures become traditions for many.
    For instance, to Joe Inman, a former librarian who shuffled the books at Ricker College, Cary Library and Houlton High School, it means T3/R3. The hunting camp in Haynesville he owns with friends, called The Bogan because it sits near a dead water.
Inman prefers to hunt birds, but going to camp during deer season is a rite of passage.
“Fifty years I have been hunting and been lucky,” he said, “I haven’t shot a deer.”
Inman has shared a camp for many years with his cousin, the late Charles Upton and former Houlton alumni, Steve Rich of Florida and Richard Denton of Massachusetts.
It seems that just a few years ago the four would be up before daylight to strike out for the ridge to watch the sun rise in hopes to catch the sight of a whitetail. Now, the boys try to get up by 10. They head out for an hour and come back for a nap. The most important thing now is eating.
Denton, living in Massachusetts learned that his neighbor, Ronnie Marshall also had a camp in Haynesville. Marshall had graduated from Ricker College and while there, had participated in a January course. This was a shorter term and students sometimes participated in unique courses. Marshall spent the entire time in a camp on the West Branch of the Mattawamkeag.
This course was probably designated as Camp 101, but Marshall loved it so much he later built a camp for himself there in the woods. He returns every year on Veteran’s Day weekend and the hunters at The Bogan share meals back and forth.
“One year Marshall brought 27 lobsters,” said Inman. “Now the menu of choice is bean-hole beans. He also found four recliners at a special sale and now each ‘director’ has their own.”
Through the years each of the original group has introduced their own children, nieces, nephews, friends and now grandchildren to camp life. They have even celebrated Thanksgiving and other significant occasions deep in the northern Maine woods. Their spring trips to camp mean fishing, canoeing, long walks and picking fiddleheads.
Denton brought his children to camp and taught them orienteering, the art of using a compass. They have also learned to play cribbage, card games and always make a trip or two to the Houlton Farms Dairy Bar.
Inman’s son Hal grew up loving the woods and canoeing the river. Now living in Windham, with children of his own, he visits as often as possible, carrying on the tradition.
Inman attributes a great hunting story to fellow Ricker faculty member Art Wittine. During their Ricker College days they took one of the students who had a hunting dog out on B Road. They hunted for awhile and then the student went back to the truck with the dog. Wittine and Inman continued on, but lost their way. They finally came out to a road, but it didn’t look at all familiar. Lucky for them a taxi went by and still luckier was the fact that it came back. They flagged it down and described to the driver where they had left their vehicle. Luck was still with them, as the driver knew exactly the location they were describing. Arriving back at their truck, the two never admitted to the student they had been lost, but led him to believe that was what they always did; hunt one way and get a ride back.
When the Dean of Students, Howard Bowman heard about the adventure, he made a sign for Inman that said, “My name is Joe Inman, if lost please call …”
As the campers return to their special place in the woods this year they will recall their good times and share memories of two who will be missing. They will bid a final farewell to Upton and to Marshall’s father, who have gone to the hunting ground beyond, but their memories will live on in the stories that will continue to be part of the camping tradition.