Outdoors

Published
December 12, 2010

Deirdre Fleming: A season of big bucks has varied explanations

This fall many of the bucks rolling into tagging stations statewide broke that much-desired benchmark of 200 pounds. Before deer season ended Saturday with the conclusion of the muzzleloading hunt, the big buck buzz filled many tagging stations. “If they drove by and saw the deer in the back of the truck, they’d stop and […]
Published
December 12, 2010

Allen Afield: Nifty gift ideas for those who ride, fish, read

A recent bicycle crash gave me a dynamite idea for a gift to include on a holiday wish list, perfect for bikers as well as for skiers, ice anglers, snowmobilers or anyone who loves the Maine outdoors in winter and wants protection from falls and frigid temperatures. (Before going any further, though, allow me to […]
Published
December 12, 2010

Hunting: Figuring pros, cons of antler restrictions

When giving public presentations on deer hunting, one of the more common questions I encounter is “How do you feel about antler restrictions?” For reasons too numerous and varied to list, I usually don’t answer right away, instead providing some background information first. For those unfamiliar with them, antler restrictions are minimum-size or point parameters […]
Published
December 12, 2010

Outdoors Calendar

Portland Trails benefit night, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Flatbread Company on Portland’s waterfront. Flatbread donates $3 for each large pizza (phone orders count too). Portland Trails staff and board members will be on hand to answer questions about the trails, upcoming events and projects. South Portland Land Trust annual meeting, for members and supporters, […]
Published
December 5, 2010

Skiing in Maine: Anticipation builds to the rush of first day back

I don’t know about you, but the first day back on skis every year for me is a glorious combination of the heart-pounding walk down the stairs on childhood Christmas mornings, my first single-engine airplane solo flight 40 years ago, the realization that I’m at the dawn of another winter of fun, and the satisfaction […]

Published
December 5, 2010

Allen Afield: Tracking in early snow thrills young and old naturalists

Early December offers even the most casual observer a perfect opportunity to unravel stories told in shallow snow cover. It’s my favorite time of year in central Maine’s woods, as exciting as opening day of a hunting season. The snow may deepen later in the month, but it often settles or crusts and subsequent storms […]
Published
December 5, 2010

Hunting: Why antlers draw so much attention

Antlers. What is it about them that so fascinates us? I’m not sure, but I’m also not alone in recognizing the phenomenon. In fact, a friend of mine, Dave Samuel (and more significantly, his publisher), decided it was a worthy enough subject for an entire book, “Whitetail Racks,” which he recently co-authored with Bob Zaiglin. […]
Published
December 5, 2010

Hiking: Bald Pate trails lead to crown of trust’s holdings

Amble over the delightful paths on Bald Pate Mountain in South Bridgton and you’ll be rewarded with fine views from the craggy summit. Through the trees you can see out over the steep southern escarpment to Peabody Pond and the pretty countryside. The mountaintop is more wooded than you might expect, given that “bald” is […]
Published
December 5, 2010

Deirdre Fleming: From a life of good stories, Maine skiing legend will share some

John Christie has been involved in Maine’s ski industry since ski areas here took shape, either in the forefront as a ski mountain manager, or in the background embracing the sport as author, ski museum director and alpine enthusiast. At age 73, he’s known to ski three mountains in a day. His connections to the […]
Published
December 5, 2010

Mark Latti: Landlocked salmon get a little help with spawning

Finning in 40-degree water in a sheltered, concrete raceway certainly doesn’t evoke images of gravity-defying salmon, vaulting skyward as they leapfrog from pool to pool in search of their ancestral spawning grounds. Still, landlocked salmon are here in the Jordan River in Raymond to spawn, just like their Atlantic brethren who populate rivers with more […]

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