Wardens find bird hunters after a night in the woods

SHIRLEY — On Oct. 5 at 5 a.m. game wardens were notified of two overdue hunters. Carl Ponkala, 70, from Monson, and Nicholas Erickson, 25, from Shirley, had left Shirley in a grey Honda CRV the previous afternoon and had not returned home.

Information indicated the hunters may have taken the Clouse Allen Road toward Bald Mountain. Several game wardens responded to the area after receiving the call and at 7 a.m. the missing vehicle was located off the Clouse Allen Road with no one around it. While game wardens were at this location, Carrier Timberlands tractor trailer driver John Morrell stopped and dropped off the hunters after locating them along the road.

Ponkala and Erickson reported that they had gone in a section of woods to hunt for grouse and had gotten turned around. The pair located another road through the woods and were able to build a fire to help them through the night. They were cold, but uninjured.

The Maine Warden Service asks hunters to remember the following safety tips. Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. Stick to that plan or notify the responsible person if you change plans. Have a map of the area you are hunting and use in conjunction with a good compass or GPS.

Carry a survival kit to include matches or a lighter, survival blanket, some high energy snacks and any other packable items you feel are important.

Do not rely on cell phone coverage as an emergency plan. There are many areas of Maine that have poor to no cell phone coverage. Purchase a satellite communicator that can do email and track your position at the same time.