Ticks in northern Maine? It was not so long ago that Mainers north of Augusta worried about as much about ticks as they did timber rattlers. But today ticks, having hitchhiked their way northward, are here in this part of Maine. You’ll find them on your dog and, if you spend any time in the […]
outdoors
Posted inLocal Sports
This streamer fly is no Flashabou in the pan
As every fly fisherman knows, the fly does matter. Oh, there are those rare days when a trout will hit a lug wrench, if you can get it to float. But most of the time you have to either match the hatch with your feathered offering, or present to the fish an attractor pattern that […]
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Outdoors in Maine: The old red canoe
As I recall it was about 10 years ago when state regulators were having a hissy fit about people permanently stashing their old canoes along the shores of Maine’s remote wild trout ponds. I suppose they had a point, though the sight of old canoes chained to trees next to a pond’s put-in never gave me […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Outdoors in Maine: Encouraging numbers from the deer harvest
This month, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIF&W) released its numbers on deer and moose. There is some good news. Last fall’s deer harvest was up 15 percent over the previous fall. This marks the third consecutive year that Maine’s deer harvest has increased. We must keep the numbers in perspective, however. […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Collins must stand up and be counted on bear referendum
Although the facts by themselves clearly speak in opposition to the upcoming fall bear referendum and its goal of closing down bear hunting, there is an undeniable, underlying emotional component. Political outcomes can be unpredictable when voters are misled by dramatic emotional appeals. So in the weeks ahead, the challenge for those opposed to the […]
Posted inEntertainment, sj-web
Outdoor film festival focuses on Maine adventures
AUGUSTA — The Maine Outdoor Film Festival will feature 11 outdoor films and shorts with Maine roots when it comes to Augusta. Organizers say the May 16 event features outdoor films by Mainers, about Mainers. The event — now in its second year — begins at 6:30 p.m. at Cony High School in Augusta. The […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Taking down a turkey worth getting into the hunt
“Gobble, gobble, gobble.” The hair stood up on the back of my neck the first time I heard a wild turkey. We were scouting the hardwoods of Western Massachusetts at dusk. The air was still and a bright spring sun had just settled beneath the hills near a pipeline in Granville. Responding to my owl […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine hunters increase deer kills in 2013
AUGUSTA — A government agency says hunters in Maine bagged 15 percent more deer in 2013 over the previous year. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said Friday that 24,795 deer killed by hunters in 2013 was an increase over 21,552 in 2012. It’s the third consecutive year there’s been an increase. The […]
Posted inLocal Sports
Outdoors: Story of a shell game played to excess
When it comes to the surreal realm of American gun control politics, the adage “truth is stranger than fiction” really applies. Just when you think that you’ve heard it all, something even more utterly outrageous pops into the news headlines. In the nation’s capital, (which has for a long time been the epicenter of the […]
Posted inLocal Sports
A women’s place is outside and in the woods, too
When my wife Diane retired from teaching in 1999 and asked me to “bring her along” as a Maine deer hunter, I, and our two deer hunting sons, thought that was great! She took to it easily, and has become a capable hunter who has put meat on the table many times. Although Diane’s late-in-life […]