In the Maine bear referendum battle for public opinion, the first volley has been fired. Saturday, Aug. 9, the Augusta Civic Center was the gathering place for what was perhaps the biggest fund-raising event in the annals of Maine’s hunting and outdoor sporting community. The Save Maine’s Bear Hunt Super Banquet was just that […]
outdoors
Posted inLocal Sports
No sense grousing over this shifty game bird
The old saw goes something like this. “What’s the difference between a grouse and a partridge?” Answer: ” A partridge is shot on the ground. A grouse is shot in the air.” Whether you call it a grouse or a partridge, this is a very special, coveted game bird made so by its profound wariness […]
advertisement
Posted inLocal Sports
Time to get into hunt to bag bear referendum
Maine’s annual bear hunt begins Aug. 25 and goes until Sept. 20. If the past is prologue, more than 10,000 hunters will harvest between 2,500 and 3,000 of Maine’s bear population, which exceeds 30,000. As state biologists point out, this fall’s “take” of black bears isn’t sufficient to stem Maine’s expanding bear population. Yet, thanks […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Outdoors in Maine: Start thinking about those any-deer permits
It always pays to plan ahead even in deer hunting. It seems a long way off, and whether you are a bow hunter or a gun hunter, the frosty mornings will be here before you know it. Step one is to remind yourself that the deadline for submitting your application for the drawing of […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Moving to the beat when it comes to hunting deer
Serious deer hunters are always “in school.” In an effort to better understand our quarry and get into a deer’s head, we never stop seeking information about deer behavior. In this regard two of my favorite reference books on whitetail facts are, in this order, “Whitetail Savvy” by Dr. Leonard Lee Rue III and Hunting […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Outdoors in Maine: Campfires can be magical
Campfires are a magical thing. It’s a rare outdoorsperson who doesn’t find something restful and pleasing about a crackling fire that dances about and licks at the cool night air. The fire warms your body and soul, and lights the faces of your campmates who share stories and good memories of other times and other […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Outdoors in Maine: Right to hunt subject to public opinion
As a wise sage once said, the only thing constant is change. Take hunting, or the right to hunt. It may be part of our American cultural heritage, but in a democracy it can be taken away. The upcoming bear referendum is a perfect example. People with enough money and strong convictions can take away […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Stepping back into the past with his sons worth the trip
You can’t go home again. In his novel by the same name, author Thomas Wolfe advanced the idea that any attempt to relive our youthful memories will always fail. Perhaps, but isn’t it worth trying once in awhile? In the most northern reaches of Maine’s North Woods, there is a small remote trout pond that […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Outdoors in Maine: ‘Retriever’ a special fly
Trust me on this. I am not one to jump to the conclusion that a fly is a “killer fly” just because it happens to bring me a few fish to the boat. In fact, in all the years of writing about fishing, only a couple of flies that I can recall got any of […]
Posted inMaine
Did you get a moose-hunting permit?
At 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will release the names of more than 3,000 hunters who won the drawing for moose-hunting licenses in 2014. SunJournal.com will have a searchable database of hunters with permits and information on the moose-hunting season at SunJournal.com/2014/MooseLottery.