Monday, April 13, 2009

Millard Wardwell: a Maine Trapper


Heading toward Stonington along back roads Friday afternoon, I spotted a garage laden with fourteen pairs of antlers and an American Flag. I asked my dad to stop and grabbed my Canon to take a better look. While framing the shot through my view finder, I heard a deep voice with a a Maine accent as thick as maple syrup pipe up, "There used to be a lot more of those (white-tailed deer) around here before the coyotes got out of control."

Startled, I looked over to the deck and spotted a man sitting in a chair wearing a camouflage shirt drinking and cup of coffee. I walked over to the deck and started talking about the one thing that I knew the American flag wearing sportsman would like to talk about, guns. "What did you get those caribou with?" I chimed.

The man's eyes lit up and he opened up in the way only an isolated backwoodsman can. We struck up a conversation that lasted forty five minutes and ranged from the current prices of martin pelts, Maine hunting and trapping legislation, and ethanol's effect on his truck's MPG.

Millard Wardwell has lived in Penobscot Maine for the last eighty years. His sister lives across the street. His three sons live within a 10 minute walk and his daughter lives on the adjoining property across the field. For thirty eight years Millard worked the night shift at the local paper mill. This left him to spend his days enjoying the Maine outdoors. Millard loves his LL Bean Real Tree shirt and Wrangler International jeans.

His Lacrosse Safety Toe Rubber Boots work in the mud and snow.

Millard served in the US Navy following VJ Day on a converted Destroyer sweeping for mines in the South Pacific.

Millard's well-loved Leatherman PST II. He has used it for the last fifteen years.

Millard showed us his trapping gear, including a demonstration of a Conibear 120, but that is another post.

Here are some more links,
The Man Behind Wardwell's Nuisance Animal Removal (Picasa),
A Pipe, a Remington Shotgun, and Man Named Butch (ART).

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

They must be handing those hats out for free all over Vacationland. It's the exactly same one I wrote about in the Quoddy piece. This is the most wonderful post! Every time, you knock it down.

Joe said...

...the belt is what I zeroed in on. This generation always has quality belts...the heirloom kind that they have worn for many many years...almost without fail. great read.

Foster Huntington said...

quality leather, Millard had the look down. he is a real American.
Foster

A TIME TO GET said...

thanks for making all of our photos on all of our sites look like SHIT once again. very good stuff fh, very good stuff.

Foster Huntington said...

thanks nick, glad you like Millard.

tons of land said...

fantastic post. you magically create a sense for exactly the downeast maine simplicity that i am craving these days. and it's great how you have no hesitance to step into these characters lives. keep it up - i'm hooked.

greenjeans said...

Co-sign on everything said above. It's one thing to have good writing or good pictures. But both? Not really fair Mr. Huntington...

Foster Huntington said...

thanks greenjeans im flattered by your words : )
Foster

Enzo AGC said...

You are quickly becoming my most anticipated post of each day. Keep it up Foster.

Isaac Buie said...

Abolutely impressive Foster.

viagra online said...

wow almost full equipment haha I remember the sentence because when we we're to make a little trip we say ok take the full equipmente and go, anwyay I want that future for me too, when I get old go far far and live in a little house on the mountain and finish my life there, haha thanks for sharing, excellent post oh and I love the boots =3