Outdoors

Published
March 27, 2011

Hiking: Get in gear with new gadgets

Early spring is a great time to dig through your gear stash, to empty out those bins and boxes, duffels and ditties, and get stuff organized, cleaned up, repaired and ready to go for the big hiking season ahead. Sorting through all your equipment is not only a cathartic exercise, it’s also sure to give […]
Published
March 20, 2011

Outdoors Calendar

Pine Tree State Sportsmen Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, at Sukee Arena in Winslow. Admission is $7 for adults, $2 for youths 7-12, and free for children 6 and under. Spring Wildlands Walk, celebrate the vernal equinox with a hike starting at 1 p.m. today in the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands in Orland. […]
Published
March 20, 2011

Allen Afield: Deer scouting in early spring makes sense

In late March, nearly 30 years ago, at the annual State of Maine Sportsman’s Show, I met Val Marquez of Shapleigh, who immediately impressed me as a deer hunter. Through the winter and early spring, Marquez was scouting deer around his home while people like me were thinking about open-water fishing, fishing and more fishing. […]
Published
March 20, 2011

Deirdre Fleming: New bill to protect rights of owners worries land users

The tradition of using private land in Maine to hunt, fish and access the state’s waterways is long-standing. It dates back more than a century to the time before fish and game laws were established. But sportsmen fear that tradition could be threatened by a bill that requires all outdoors folks to get permission from […]
Published
March 20, 2011

Outdoors Dispatches

AUGUSTA Teachers invited to learn about migratory birds Thanks to a grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund in support of educating teachers and students about migratory birds and their conservation, Viles Arboretum is offering a free workshop for teachers on April 8. The workshop, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., is designed to help […]

Published
March 20, 2011

Snowmobiling: Trail survey aims at maximizing use of funds

The Maine Snowmobile Association and the University of Maine School of Economics have developed a web-based survey to solicit information on trail issues. Professor Stephen Reiling, who has worked previously on snowmobile economic-impact studies, sent out an invitation and instructions to participate in the survey to club trailmasters and presidents and project directors. “The Snowmobile […]
Published
March 20, 2011

Trail & Error: Curling (and ice you do it on) surprisingly hard

People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. People in brick houses who have neighbors with a lot of expensive windows probably shouldn’t throw stones either. And while that sage advice can help guide a noble life, it doesn’t translate well down at the curling club, where throwing stones at houses is not only an acceptable […]
Published
March 20, 2011

Paddling: Early kayakers get front-row view of seasonal change

That mysterious snow-covered mound in our backyard finally revealed its treasures with the recent melting. We found our sea kayaks! Paddling season is officially here. Early spring kayaking isn’t for everybody, but if you are an experienced paddler, and have the proper clothing and gear and an eye for changing weather conditions, this is a […]
Published
March 20, 2011

Making it reel

Tying talent earns Selene Dumaine her growing renown, but it's her drive and passion that give her a shot at being Maine's new queen of the flies.
Published
March 20, 2011

Birding: New addition to the heralds of spring: the turkey vulture

A half-century ago, birders eagerly awaited the first of the spring migrants into Maine in March. The arrival of red-winged blackbirds, common grackles and American woodcock served as harbingers of spring. Now we have added turkey vulture to that list of early migrants. Turkey vultures are easy to identify in the air, as they soar […]

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