Sportsmen and sportswomen love their toys. Of course, they prefer to consider these toys as indispensable tools for the outdoors. Sometimes the best gift one can give to an outdoorsman is a tool or device that he might not either think to buy for himself or feel comfortable buying. For example, my late mother-in-law always […]
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Posted inLocal Sports, sj-web
Outdoors in Maine: Lost hunters will get help, but need to help themselves first
There was a time during Maine’s November deer hunt when it was not uncommon for Maine Game Wardens to have three or four missing hunters in one day! In his new book, “Gary Dumond Remembers —Warden Pilots,” retired Maine warden pilot Gary Dumond recalls, “One day, Jack McPhee and I were the only two pilots […]
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Outdoors in Maine: University of Maine will start testing ticks for disease
Ten years ago, few outdoor folks in this neck of the woods gave ticks a second thought. Not so today. Most of us who spend time outdoors have had encounters with deer ticks, the bad ones, or know someone with Lyme disease. Recently, University of Maine professor Jim Dill, a tick expert, appeared as a […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Officials issue emergency regulations to prevent CWD in deer
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIF&W) announced on Oct. 11 the issuance of emergency rules to protect Maine’s deer and moose populations. MDIF&W advised that a captive deer in neighboring Quebec was found to be infected with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). In other states, especially in the West, CWD has infected elk […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Deer camps create a fellowship that's tough to match
It’s only one five-letter word followed by an exclamation point, but most military air crewmen hope they never hear it or have to say it: “Eject! Eject! Eject!” The next sounds heard by Capt. Vernon Burke and 2nd Lt. Leroy Vestar most likely were the rush of fast-moving air and the welcome pop of a […]
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Outdoors in Maine: 'Too much country, too short a life' for hunters
Sooner or later in our lives, most of us contemplate our own mortality. Those of us who really love the deer woods tend to use the number of deer seasons left as yardstick of our days. It is said, though, that most deer hunters go through stages, and tend to lose their ardor for the […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Looking at local candidates' views on gun
As a rule, my editors prefer that the Maine outdoor beat steers clear of politics. And they are right, most of the time. But when the body politic begins trifling with our Second Amendment rights, should an outdoor writer just walk away? Tough to do because gun rights and taking a gun to the woods […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Breaking down Maine's gun laws
When it comes to the legality of openly carrying a handgun in Maine, or concealing that handgun, questions abound. When is it legal to carry a loaded, concealed handgun? Is a permit required? Is there a legal distinction between so-called open carry and concealed carry? How do you get a permit? What if you are […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Getting a downed moose out his the hard part
The biggest eye-opener for most first-time moose hunters is after the animal is down. This is when the real work begins. As we all know, moose are large critters, very large, and getting a 1,000-pound carcass out of a tangled clear cut to the nearest accessible road can be a tall order. During the first […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Crossbows gaining respect, being used more
Although crossbows have never held a lot of appeal for me, I have hunted with a borrowed crossbow in the deer-rich state of Maryland. For me, it just seems awkward to carry while still hunting, and it doesn’t have the visual appeal of conventional longbows, recurves or compound bows. As a hunting device, it is […]