The deer numbers June 6, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine “Hey, Paul, you’ve got to be kidding me! It’s March and you guys still don’t have the tally on last fall’s deer kill?” asked the New England outdoor editor of a national sporting magazine. That scolding took place more than 20 years ago, when I was press officer for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries …
The black bear problem May 30, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine “Paul, come downstairs quick,” Diane half-whispered and half-yelled at me. Standing in the shadows of the half-light by the kitchen window, she was pointing out by the bird feeder. A large black bear was standing on all fours not 15 feet from the sliding glass door on which it had slathered its drool the night …
Bye-bye “Boy” Scouts May 23, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine In the twilight of my life, the Boy Scouts of America — its teachings, its values and the fun of it all –—still evoke a warm glow in my overflowing storehouse of special memories. Everything about the Scouting experience left me the better for it. We wore the uniform proudly, as we did the merit …
The Second Amendment May 16, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine If you have followed national issues at all, you may have learned somewhere along the way that even the hallowed U.S. Supreme Court justices are not immune to all of the foibles, personal biases and character flaws that are the hallmark of the human condition. It is for this reason that our way of life …
Veazie Salmon Club arises May 9, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine In the 1980s and early 1990s, in May and June, you could catch a fresh run Atlantic salmon on the Penobscot River. And you could play your king of game fish within eyeshot of downtown Bangor. As a result, salmon clubs popped up along the riverbanks like ostrich ferns. Those were heady times. Then the …
UMO: Wellspring of promise May 2, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine The New England Outdoor Writers Association (NEOWA) is a large group of outdoor writers and photographers that promotes wildlife conservation and professionalism in outdoor communication. Each year, NEOWA awards significant scholarships to a wildlife major from all six of New England’s land grant universities. The hope is that these wildlife majors will go on to …
Wheaton named Legendary Maine Guide April 25, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine In 2009, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in conjunction with the Maine Professional Guides Association (MPGA), did a wonderful thing. They created the Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award. It was fitting that Robinson was the first (posthumous) recipient of his namesake award. The idea was to select annually a deserving registered …
The boat life April 18, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine The sun-drenched Florida Keys, with cobalt skies, swaying palm fronds and gliding pelicans, got under my skin more than 40 years ago. As a Maine naval reservist, official orders sent me down there more than once for a two-week training tour at the Key West Naval Air Station. Later on my daughter married a Keys-born …
Lefty’s legacy lives on April 11, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine What is it about a well-cast fly line that furls out gently across a quiet trout pond or a roiling river? Done properly it is a graceful ballet. There is a rhythm that can mesmerize not only the angler, but the onlooker as well. And when the softly whispering line finishes its furling roll, and …
Reed Pond charr restored April 4, 2018 by V. Paul Reynolds on Outdoors in Maine The American Fisheries Society recently presented the fisheries division of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIF&W) with a national award for cutting-edge work in the restoration of the native Arctic charr to Big Reed Pond in Piscataquis County. Although the project was the work of many biologists and funded by a wide …
