If you are a Maine bowhunter or recreational archer, fasten your seat belt! You are not gonna believe this. Among the assortment of new sportsmen-related state laws that got squeezed through under the public radar was LD 540, which, I predict, is destined to live in infamy, at least among the bowhunting communtity. Language in […]
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Posted inLocal Sports
Outdoors in Maine: Maine’s bear hunt
Maine’s annual bear hunt began this year on August 26 and runs through November 30. It is legal to hunt bears over bait this year from August 29 to September 21. Houndsmen may hunt bear with dogs from September 9 to November 1. Trappers can harvest a bear in September and October. Maine has a […]
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Little bird told him to hunt up north
October can be the month of months, when it comes to spending time in the Maine woods. Frosty mornings, crisp clear skies, a warming afternoon sun and a backdrop of bright fall colors are October’s trademark, and part of the attraction for the fall bird gunner. For the sportsmen who is blessed with a well-trained […]
Posted inNational Sports
Extracting a moose can be like moving a mountain
A number of first-time moose hunters have emailed me queries with some good questions, especially those dealing with what I call the Great Moose Extraction. Getting the moose out of the woods, after it is down, as the man said, ain’t no easy thing. The logistical challenge of getting the meat from the woods to […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Any-deer rules revised to attract young hunters
As a rule most of us — even those who try to stay informed — learn about new state laws after the fact. It’s the nature of the beast. If you quit your job and became a total recluse holed up in a cave with nothing but an I-Pad, a year’s supply of energy bars, […]
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A couple of Quimby zingers are real eye-openers
Hold the phone! Stop the tape! Roxanne Quimby is doing what? She — or at least the organization that represents her and her vast land holdings — is opening 40,000 acres of her Maine woodlands to hunting this fall! That’s right. According to Quimby’s son, Lucas St. Clair, who heads up Elliotsville Plantation, Inc., in […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Last gun dog slips away after horrifying incident
The huge, bear-like dog came out of nowhere. It pounced upon Sally and clamped its big jaws around her throat grinding her into the dirt. My 15-year old, frail English Setter kicked and yelped in pain as the St. Bernard shook her like a rag doll. I yelled and kicked at Sally’s attacker. I felt […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Two books to battle the summer doldrums
Summer, especially during the August doldrums, is a good time to kick back with a good book. For any outdoor-minded person, here are two new books, written by Maine authors, that I have thoroughly enjoyed. The first is “Massacre Pond” by Paul Doiron. (Minotaur Books, $24.95). The editor of Downeast magazine, Doiron is a relatively […]
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Outdoors in Maine: A few short casts
Maine’s deer hunting season seems a long way off. The dog days of summer haven’t even started yet. But those of us who enjoy Maine’s traditional pursuit of the wily whitetail have already begun thinking about frosty mornings in the deer woods. There is some early good news for deer hunters, too. Deer reportedly are […]
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Outdoors in Maine: No consensus solution to waterproofing conundrum
Staying dry in unrelenting wet weather is easier said than done. It surely isn’t as easy as it sounds in the outdoor clothing catalogs. A camper, hunter, or angler who finds himself wet clear through to the skin is no longer having any fun. One of my shortcomings as an outdoorsman has been making poor […]