Posted inLocal Sports

Elusive brown trout still fascinate devout fishermen

If splake are viewed by Maine sportsmen as the Rodney Dangerfield of Maine’s sport fishery, then brown trout might be deemed the Willie Loman of the Maine sport fish family. (Liked, but not well liked). Not in my mind, though. Brown trout have always held a fascination for me, even though I have not caught […]

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Incidental take permit on lynx not needed

With respect to Maine’s federally protected Canada lynx, there is suddenly good news and bad news. The good news is — or was — that the feds finally, after 6 years of outlandish dithering, recently granted the state an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) on lynx. Basically, the ITP is a binding agreement between the state […]

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Posted inLocal Sports

Outdoors in Maine: The lead ammo debate

In fashionable circles, including segments of the sportsman community, the debate about banning lead ammunition altogether is picking up a good head of steam. An article recently in the Northwoods Sporting Journal by Mark McCollough addressed the lead ammunition issue. McCollough, who is a federal wildlife biologist as well as a hunter, wrote: “I am […]

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Checking your backtrack just as important to us bipods

The New Year is almost always a welcomed event. The slate is clean. As we look ahead, it’s a lot like a field of virgin snow. As we move on, the tracks we leave will take us to unseen ground. This is especially sweet for outdoor people who have an affinity for exploration, for finding […]

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Without the three ‘Ps’, good luck bagging a deer

The more I hunt deer the more I understand one thing: Most of the time in the deer woods, a hunter who practices the three “Ps” will, over the years, bag the most deer. Patience, perseverance and persistence, these makeup the deer hunter’s critical triad. Without these, any successes that you have will be mostly […]

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‘Tis the season for shopping for the outdoorsmen

Sportsmen love their toys. Of course, they prefer to consider these toys as indispensable tools for the outdoors. Sometimes the best gift one can give an outdoorsman is a tool or device that he might not either think to buy for himself or feel comfortable buying. For example, my mother-in-law always had an uncanny knack […]

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Taking the offensive to protect hunters’ rights

Now that we have been successful for the second time in defeating the bear referendum, we can go about our business. Our opposition, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), has gotten the message and will move on to more fertile soil. Right? Wrong on both counts. We cannot afford to let down our […]

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Outdoors in Maine: Dealing with wounded deer

Most deer hunters will sooner or later in their hunting careers wound a deer and not recover it. It happens. The causes differ. A rushed shot. Buck fever. A gun with an inadequate caliber. A bullet’s impact or trajectory compromised by a tree limb. Often, particularly with inexperienced hunters, shots at a deer are taken […]