Carol and Mert Buzzell are registered Maine guides who live in Hartford and own an outfitter and guide service in western Maine. Over 20 years ago the Buzzell’s built the camp of their dreams in Lang Township, which is not far from Rangeley and Eustis, and since then they’ve added two cabins they rent out to outdoor and hunting enthusiasts.

Their guide service business, Langtown Outfitters and Guide Service, includes deer, moose and bear hunting services and women’s weekend getaways with guided kayaking, canoeing, forest walking and campfire cuisine.

Names: Carol and Mert Buzzell

Ages: Carol, 57, Mert, 59. They have two adult children, Jayson and Alyson, and five grandchildren.

Hometown: Hartford

Occupations: Carol is the town clerk for Canton; Mert is a utilities locator for Centerline Utility Services.

When did you first become interested in hunting and what created your interest? After building our dream cabin in 1998, spending time in the western Maine woods and waters, I took the hunter safety course with my 13-year-old daughter, which then led to getting my archery and trapping licenses. I love the outdoors and attended my first of several BOW (Becoming an Outdoors-Woman) weekends for women sponsored by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. These women’s weekends made such a difference in my life that I wanted to host a weekend similar but on a much smaller scale and more personalized. My goal was to teach women how to hunt and provide for their families with healthy organic meat. I took the registered Maine guide preparation class from Maine’s Outdoor Learning Center and passed the extremely complex guides test in 2015. Mert has been hunting since age 16 and got his Maine guide’s license in 2013.

Do both of you guide the men’s and women’s groups? Yes, we both guide men and women. I usually guide the women’s hunts for partridge, deer and turkey. Mert guides bear and deer, and we guide moose together. I teach the women’s weekends, but Mert is here as camp cook and for his muscles when needed.

Tell us about the first time you killed your first large game. What was that experience like? This wasn’t my first big game but it was the most memorable. We left camp early on a crisp November morning and were heading out hunting. There was a big buck that was standing in the field and it took off and went into the woods. I noticed the buck was standing in the woods starring at me from behind some downed trees. He and I had a stare down for a few minutes, which seemed like an eternity. I wasn’t sure if I could make a good clean shot because he was straight on but I could see his antlers, neck and chest. I pulled the trigger of my Ruger 243 rifle and he took off running. I was hoping I made a good shot. We followed his tracks about 100 yards and found him in the bushes. Very exciting moment! I shot a 222-pound, 10-point buck, which earned me my “Biggest Buck Club” patch.

Do you have your own personal hunting or fishing adventure story to tell us about? Mert, our daughter, Alyson, and her husband, Randy, were cruising for moose early and heading to a clear cut to do some calling when they came upon two bulls fighting in a grown-up old wood landing about seven miles in. They snuck up on them. Aly had her moose permit and she aimed at the biggest one and shot her Ruger 7 mm 08. Down it went! Dropped right in its tracks. The other smaller moose didn’t know what to do. It hung around for at least 20 minutes next to the downed moose. Was he wondering if he “won” the battle to this huge moose? The smaller one finally took off into the woods. It was the perfect retrieval scenario. We were able to back the trailer right up to it. In the last 21 moose hunts, this was the easiest we’ve had. A beautiful 798-pound bull moose with a 47-inch antler spread. We always give thanks to any and all animals we dispatch. This moose fed the family many delicious meals.

You have women’s weekend getaways listed on your website. What do those tend to be like? Who usually leads those and what do most women like to do on their getaways? Women like to learn a new skill in a comfortable environment with other like-minded women. You come as strangers and leave as friends! It’s a fun, laid-back, relaxing but exhilarating weekend as we connect to nature. Langtown Outfitters plans one Women’s Wilderness Weekend a year with set workshops and classes. We also offer a “Friends Fun Adventure” Weekend where up to 10 friends can choose their own classes and adventures from the list of activities we offer.

Do you enjoy eating game meat? Do you have a favorite way of cooking it or a favorite recipe? One of our favorites meals is deer or moose steak, pan fried with butter, garlic and onions. We use the burger in everything that calls for beef hamburger (meatloaf, chop suey, shepherd’s pie, meatballs, cheeseburger soup, etc.). It’s more nutritious and better for you. Currently we have four freezers filled with moose, bear, deer and salmon.

Do you and Mert like to hunt and fish together? Who has more experience? Yes, most of the time we hunt and fish together except muzzleloading deer season. That week is Mert’s time to be able to hunt without guiding anyone and he usually has a camp full of guy friends that week. So I opt to stay home and work instead! Even after being married almost 40 years, we still enjoy each other’s company!

What do you enjoy most about spending time in nature? What’s not to love about nature? I sit in my tree stand and watch a spider spin a web, watch the squirrels scurrying around gathering nuts and jumping from tree to tree as they chatter because I am near. I love the sparkle of the dew on the dying grasses, the warmth of the sunrise peaking though the trees, the smell of dead leaves on the forest floor or listening to the honk of the geese as they fly across the sky heading for warmer climate, or the beauty of being hugged by the surrounding snow-capped mountains around us. Nature is our way of grounding to the earth and leaving our daily stress behind.

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