Our sons, Bill and Bruce, and their cousins and friends have been hunting from our camp for 20 years and in Vermont for years before that. This year (2005), 12-yearold Reid (Bruce’s son) was here on Maine’s Youth Day for his first hunt.

Up and out early… but the morning’s hunt produced no deer. Back at camp for a bite to eat, talk turned to birds, primarily the Pileated Woodpecker that we had never seen but had been on the lookout for a sighting for years.

Shortly after Bruce and Reid went out for the late afternoon hunt, a pileated woodpecker appeared right outside our sliders —pounding away at a big pine tree, woodchips flying everywhere. He was truly a magnificent creature. Bill got down on his hands and knees and crept over to be able to see the handsome bird without scaring it away. He didn’t stick around for long but we knew he represented a good omen for the novice hunter’s success.

Sure enough, as darkness fell, Bruce’s truck arrived back at camp with Reid’s first deer. Father and son were sky-high excited, giddy with adrenalin and knowledge of a job well done.

After telling our daughter, Laurie, about the woodpecker, and the good omen, she said, “You know that was the spirit of Sip Peters.”

Sip had passed away a few years ago. He was a policeman in Mashpee, Mass., a dedicated hunter and member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe. He had many hunting stories to tell and was a friend to young and old. He would have been proud of Reid — though he would have found a teasing way of telling him so. His spirit still lingers at hunting camps.

2008 — An update on our no-so-novice hunter:

Reid’s elders have tried for 20 years to secure a moose permit for hunting season —no luck. This year, they put Reid’s name in for the drawing. Guess who got a moose permit?

The hunt became quite an occasion with three generations of McIntyre hunters celebrating Reid’s bagging of a 650-pound bull.

With our friend, Clay Tranten, a Maine Guide, and due diligence from Bruce and Reid, the hunt was a great success. Papa Bill, Bruce, Reid and Uncle Billy were all able to celebrate together. Reid used “Papa’s Parker Hale” rifle. He used it once again on Oct. 25, 2008, Youth Day, as he scored again with a nice doe.

Reid has gone from a boy of 12 to a tall, handsome, smart personality-plus young man of 16. We are all proud of him!

Elizabeth McIntyre is a resident of Gilman Pond, North New Portland and Osterville Cape Cod, Mass. She is a “loon counter” with 20 years of log entries who has many “pond” stories like this one.