For me, Maine bogs have always held an allure. It may be the deer hunter in me. The buck of my dreams is always seen in a bog, ghosting its way silently on the mossy ground, weaving slowly between gnarled old cedar trees and grey, weathered deadfall. There is a dusting of snow underfoot. The […]
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An enlightening look at Maine’s sporting camp legacy
Mt. Vernon outdoor writer and outdoorsman George Smith has yet another new book. It’s called Maine Sporting Camps. Published by Downeast Books, this 222-page book was one of those that has just been waiting to be done — a niche filler, and a good one at that. Although others in the past have documented Maine’s […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Tick season is here. Here are some tips
It didn’t used to be, but in many parts of Maine now, deer ticks are a reality. It’s spring and time to think about the outdoors and proper protection against ticks. Maine had 1,171 cases of Lyme disease reported in 2015. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and time to consider a tick-prevention strategy. In […]
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Outdoors in Maine: PCCA tops among many conservation organizations
Organizations come in all sizes and a variety of names: Fish & Game Clubs, Rod & Gun Clubs, Sportman’s Associations, Angler’s Alliance, you name it. And they can be found all over New England, and the country for that matter, in little hamlets and even big cities. They have been around for years. They are […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Safety tips for hunting turkeys
In most Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs), spring turkey hunting in Maine begins a half hour before sunrise on May 2. There is a special Youth Day that is held April 30th. There is probably no better way to introduce a youngster to hunting than in the turkey woods. For adult or youngster, the primitive sound […]
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Have gun, will fix it: Gunsmith Morrison the real McCoy
It is easy to say that someone’s passing marks the end of an era. Truly, though, the passing last month of Bradford gunsmith, Bill Morrison, at age 94, without a doubt marks the closing chapter of his unique breed of craftsman. When it came to guns, repairing them, creating them, and appreciating them, Morrison was, […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Over-cooking can spoil great wild meat
Let me be blunt: When it comes to eating out, I am a cynical curmudgeon who prefers my own or my wife’s great cooking. Frequent patronizing of restaurants is my idea of an obligatory chore. My wife is convinced that my jaded view of restaurants is grounded in the fact that I am close with […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Tales of the spring turkey hunt
If you have never tried matching your wits with a spring gobbler you don’t know what you are missing. A typical hunt for longbeards goes something like this: Opening day of Maine’s turkey season. Shuffling out of the sack at 3:30 a.m., I eat a quick breakfast and drive to a spot I know. After […]
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Sportsmen lost a good friend when Justice Scalia died
It could not have come at a worse time — the sudden death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. When it comes to the Second Amendment — gun rights — Scalia was the best friend we sportsmen had. With 10 months left in his presidency, Barack Obama will now attempt to replace the conservative […]
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Outdoors in Maine: New junior hunting law in effect
When it comes to junior hunters and hunting safety, I am old school. A former certified hunting safety instructor and father of two sons who were brought up with guns, my boys were indoctrinated early and often in all of the protocols of safe gun handling and safe hunting practices. (Each of them, at my […]