LOCALadk Magazine

Fall 2016 LOCALadk Magazine 58 LOCALadk the scream of a panther or howl of a wolf. Another well-known guide of this time was Apollos Paul Smith. A gifted hunter and natural host, Smith built Hunter's Camp—a men's only, two-sto- ry bunkhouse with a barrel of whiskey clients could partake in with a communal dipper. The camp was widely successful and he relocated to the shores of Lower Saint Regis Lake and expanded his guiding services to also include a hotel and an industry built around it. As more people sought out the "wilderness" and it's bounty, de- bate began over the techniques to harvest animals and the rate at which they should be harvested. For example, once-bountiful moose and beaver populations were completed depleted from some areas in the Adirondacks. Forest and Stream warned its readers, "This grand region is becoming yearly less and less like its old self and a few more years will witness its entire destruc- tion from a sportsman's and nature-lover's point of view." In 1926, hunters were required to purchase hunting licenses and the deer season was cut down to one month. Though, the area certainly did not see a complete destruction of the deer popula- tion and in 1954, an annual record 10,192 deer were harvested in the Adirondacks. The front door pushes open and Bobby Loucks shakes his jacket before hanging it above the wood stove. "They didn't say any- thing about this on WGY," he says in reference to the rain. He leans against the door frame and folds his arms across his chest. Loucks started coming to Camp Wesley with his father Robert Loucks in 1978 at the age of fifteen. From Cherry Valley, N.Y., he prefers hunting in the North Country because of the rugged landscape. "I really loved the woods when I was a kid, so I'd go out every chance I got," he explains. "The woods are thicker and the weather's unpredictable and harsher. It's good to know map and compass out here." Most of the hunters that come to Camp Wes- ley reside outside the Blue Line and refer to the Adirondacks as "up north." Chad Thompson and Brett Adams, college students at SUNY Cobleskill and Hudson Valley come north every chance they get. The two began hunting together as young boys. Men- tored by his grandfather, Robert Loucks and uncle Bobby Loucks, Thompson was first taught gun safety, then given target practice lessons. Much of hunting is learned by walking in the footsteps of a hunter. Over a breakfast of eggs and toast, Thompson and Adams talk about the appeals of hunting in the Adirondacks. "You can walk for miles and not see a road," Thompson says. "And you don't usually run into anyone else." Over the years, hunting in New York has decreased as a sport, though that's hard to tell driving into the Adirondacks along Route 10. Trucks are pulled off every few 100 yards and local diners are packed during the breakfast rush. Weekends at Camp Wesley typically look like a Friday night arrival, an early Saturday morning and full day of hunting followed by dinner at Pine Lake Lodge and a game of cards. On Sundays, some pack up and go home, while others gear up for another full day in the woods. On this particular Sunday, Loucks scouts the map and confers with Todd Jewell about which hunt they should pursue. Loucks and Jewell have been hunting together since they were young men and were both mentored by their fathers, Robert Loucks and Danny Jewell. Yesterday, the hunters put in a full day and covered 8.3 miles without any success. "We got exercise," Loucks jokes. "Lets go for Buckhorn Mountain," Jewell says. "It's a good rainy day hunt." The men nod and begin switching camp shoes for hunt- ing boots. Radios are pulled from chargers and rifles from the rack that sits at the end of the dining room table. They climb into trucks and drive north towards Piseco. At the Northville-Placid

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