Leeman’s the name October 9, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine Maine fishing writer Bob Leeman, alias “Mr. Trout,” has decided to put away his pen. Leeman has been writing a fishing column for the Northwoods Sporting Journal for almost two decades. His debut as an outdoor writer was a half-century ago, he recalls, when he started writing an outdoor column called “Wildlife Corner” for a …
Bush pilot envy September 27, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine Grandiose delusions are not unknown to me. As a young man, the challenges of a Navy carrier pilot appealed to me — until I joined the Navy and saw how inherently dangerous it is to land a jet aircraft on the pitching deck of an aircraft carrier on a dark and stormy night. No thank …
The Penobscot Fly Fishers September 20, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine This month the Penobscot Fly Fishers celebrated its 20th anniversary. The Bangor area fishing club held a banquet for members and guests at a local events center. Following dinner and a social hour, the group’s president, Ed Dailide, offered some opening remarks. Charter members of the organization were recognized as well as past presidents. The …
Heavy weather September 13, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine How does that saying go? “Fool me once shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.” Why is it that some of us never learn from our mistakes? In my book “Backtrack,” chapter four is titled “The Lightning Thing.” Here is an excerpt: “A few years ago, in early September, I tried to outrun …
Fall game bird outlook September 6, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine 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 …
The bird watchers August 23, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine 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 …
Missing: Maine’s deer man August 16, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine Make no mistake about it. When it comes to Maine’s most important wildlife game species, our whitetail deer are at the very top of the list. There are a number of reasons, not the least of which is the enormous impact that deer have on Maine’s overall economy, as well as the budget and income …
The Maine “Coywolf” ploy August 9, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine As former Maine deer biologist Gerry Lavigne reported recently in the SAM News, there has been a flurry of media coverage purporting that Maine’s eastern coyote is getting larger and taking on more wolf-like characteristics. On TV, “Bill Green’s Outdoors” featured a segment and the Portland Press Herald carried a story by Diedre Fleming. Is …
Deer: The pre-baiting issue August 3, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine 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 …
Moose hunt preparation August 2, 2017 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine Question: What’s more exciting than winning a million dollars in Powerball? Answer: Winning a moose hunting permit in the Maine Moose Lottery. If you are one of the lucky 2,080 moose permit winners for 2017, a word to the wise: plan ahead for your fall hunt. I mean really plan ahead. Because a Maine moose …
