Truth be known, the bloom is off the rose for me when it comes to upland bird hunting. It just isn’t the same when your favorite gun dog is no longer of this earth. But my memory still works, and the intense pleasure of breathing cool fall air against a color-coated autumn backdrop, while watching […]
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Outdoors in Maine: The pre-baiting issue in deer hunting
Maine outdoor writer Steve Carpenteri, in a recent article in the Northwoods Sporting Journal, posed a number of questions related to the baiting of deer by hunters. He then answered those questions in an informative and useful way. While many states allow the hunting of deer over unnatural bait, including neighboring New Hampshire, Maine is […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Even hunters find joy in birdwatching
For some reason, there is a popular misconception that anyone who hunts — say a grouse hunter who kills and eats a game bird — would not also be a bird watcher. Not necessarily so. Hunting and bird watching are not mutually exclusive. Take me, for example. Like most dedicated hunters, I hunt partly because I am […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Maine coyotes aren't any more wolf than they've ever been
As former Maine deer biologist, Gerry Lavigne reported recently in the SAM News that there has been a flurry of media coverage — with stories on TV and in print — purporting that Maine’s Eastern coyote is getting larger and taking on more wolf-like characteristics. Is it true? Is our coyote, which started showing up […]
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Outdoors in maine: Deer permits on the rise
For Maine deer hunters who plan ahead, the is the time of year to submit your applications for the annual drawing of any-deer (doe) permits. Statewide this year, the Department of Fish and Wildlife will issue about 66,000 any-deer permits. This is 20,000 more doe permits than were issued in 2016 — a 45 percent increase. […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Legendary Guide Award not receiving the attention it deserves
In 2009, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in conjunction with the Maine Professional Guide’s Association (MPGA), did a wonderful thing. They created the Wiggie Robinson Legendary Guide Award. As was fitting, Robinson was the first recipient (posthumously) of his namesake award. The idea was to select annually a deserving Registered Maine Guide for […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Fishing during Hex hatches is a special experience
This article first appeared in “The Maine Angler’s Logbook” by the author. A Hex, or if your Latin is good, a Hexagenia limbata, is a bomber-size Mayfly that shows up on Maine trout ponds in mid-summer, usually early July. For a trout, they are a turkey dinner with all the fixin’s — a chance to […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Only so many does to go around
This is the time of year when Maine’s whitetail deer population begins to recover from a long hard winter. After surviving on reserve fats, twigs and lichen, and whatever else they can find in their wintering areas, the spring “greenup” is the deer’s salvation. Not far from where we live on the lake, the rain-soaked […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Hodgepodge Hornberg produces heavenly results
In case you didn’t know, a Hornberg is a commonplace artificial fly used by some trout addicts to seduce their prey. Once a “go-to” fly in any fly box, it is less used today by upscale fly fishers — especially the elite sophisticates of the fly fishing community. Some that I have shared a stream […]
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Outdoors in Maine: Food for thought this graduation season
This is the month that eager, full-of- hope young adults graduate from institutions of learning. Whether high school or college, these graduates are always subjected to one final round of advice from a commencement speaker before they toss their hats in the air and bolt for the door. To tell you the truth, I have […]