Posted inLocal Sports

Outdoors in Maine: The Thissell Pond restoration continues

Thissell Pond in Piscataquis County (T5R11) has been getting a lot of attention lately ­ from anglers and fisheries biologists. It is a trout pond and a Maine sport fishery with a somewhat checkered but interesting fisheries management history. Not surprisingly, this small body of water (141 acres), according to biologist Tim Obrey, boasts “some […]

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Eats: Maine guides offer a taste of the great outdoors

“When I was a kid, my life’s goal was to be a Maine guide,” says Jeff McEvoy, and he’s been at it now for 32 years. In further fulfillment of that dream, McEvoy has owned the 100-plus-year-old Weatherby’s Maine Hunting and Fishing Lodge, a sporting camp in Grand Lake Stream Plantation, for the past 12 […]

Posted inLocal Sports

Outdoors in Maine: First volley in bear referendum struck

In the Maine bear referendum battle for public opinion, the first volley has been fired. Saturday, Aug. 9, the Augusta Civic Center was the gathering place for what was perhaps the biggest fund-raising event in the annals of Maine’s hunting and outdoor sporting community. The Save Maine’s Bear Hunt Super Banquet was just that ­ […]

Posted inLocal Sports

No sense grousing over this shifty game bird

The old saw goes something like this. “What’s the difference between a grouse and a partridge?” Answer: ” A partridge is shot on the ground. A grouse is shot in the air.” Whether you call it a grouse or a partridge, this is a very special, coveted game bird made so by its profound wariness […]

Posted inLocal Sports

Time to get into hunt to bag bear referendum

Maine’s annual bear hunt begins Aug. 25 and goes until Sept. 20. If the past is prologue, more than 10,000 hunters will harvest between 2,500 and 3,000 of Maine’s bear population, which exceeds 30,000. As state biologists point out, this fall’s “take” of black bears isn’t sufficient to stem Maine’s expanding bear population. Yet, thanks […]

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Moving to the beat when it comes to hunting deer

Serious deer hunters are always “in school.” In an effort to better understand our quarry and get into a deer’s head, we never stop seeking information about deer behavior. In this regard two of my favorite reference books on whitetail facts are, in this order, “Whitetail Savvy” by Dr. Leonard Lee Rue III and Hunting […]

Posted inLocal Sports

Outdoors in Maine: Campfires can be magical

Campfires are a magical thing. It’s a rare outdoorsperson who doesn’t find something restful and pleasing about a crackling fire that dances about and licks at the cool night air. The fire warms your body and soul, and lights the faces of your campmates who share stories and good memories of other times and other […]

Posted inLocal Sports

Outdoors in Maine: Right to hunt subject to public opinion

As a wise sage once said, the only thing constant is change. Take hunting, or the right to hunt. It may be part of our American cultural heritage, but in a democracy it can be taken away. The upcoming bear referendum is a perfect example. People with enough money and strong convictions can take away […]