Outdoors

Published
October 3, 2010

Allen Afield: Hunters use terrain to their advantage

Some folks call it a “finger” or “peninsula” when describing a highland that runs from a ridge into wetland thickets of swale, black and speckled alder and leatherleaf, ever so typical terrain in Maine. When standing water collects in lowlands, common in wet years, deer love to bed down in these natural wildlife sanctuaries. Humans […]
Published
October 3, 2010

Birding: Butterfly seeker tells stories of Big Year

The concept of the Big Year has a long history in birding. During a Big Year, a birder seeks to identify as many birds as possible in an area of interest. That area might be a county, a favorite patch of birding habitat, a state or even a continent. The first well publicized Big Year […]
Published
October 3, 2010

Outdoors Calendar

Kennebec Messalonskee Trails Hike and Mushroom Hunt, 1 p.m. today, Messalonskee Stream Trail, Kennedy Memorial Drive, Oakland. Local mushrooming experts will lead a hike and give tips on collecting edible mushrooms. Please bring a brown paper bag for gathering. People of all ages welcome; held rain or shine. No charge but donations will be accepted. […]
Published
October 3, 2010

Outdoors Dispatches

JEFFERSON Hidden Valley fills today with open house activities An open house at Hidden Valley Nature Center on Egypt Road begins at 10 a.m. today with a bird walk led by birding experts and a talk on feeding birds in winter (suggested donation $5). All-day activities include self-guided tours of the extensive trails, games for […]
Published
October 3, 2010

Deirdre Fleming: Hut and trail group adapts to concerns about wildlife

Maine Huts & Trails’ grand opening of its third hut will take place next weekend beside the chatter of Grand Falls on the Dead River. That’s fitting, because there has been a lot of chatter the past two years about this leg of the massive, 180-mile, 12-hut wilderness project. The Grand Falls Hut originally was […]

Published
October 3, 2010

Hunting: Learning the language of deer

Communication is often a key element to successful hunting. The process of turkey hunting is based largely on vocal communication. We try to call the birds by sounding like one of their own. And if you get good at it, you can be a fairly successful turkey hunter. Many folks try to do the same […]
Published
October 3, 2010

Biking: New Sebago to Sea segment perfect for fall riding

With Maine’s cycling season winding down, early October might seem like unfortunate timing to cut the ribbon on a new biking trail. But after waiting since mid-2007 to see this dream realized, the members of the Sebago to the Sea Trail Coalition weren’t willing to wait for next season. Yesterday’s ceremony at Otter Ponds in […]
Published
October 3, 2010

Stronghold for brookies

Maine is the king of wild brook trout waters in the Northeast, and the Roach River may be the most majestic of all. This fall, biologists in the Moosehead region are taking steps to keep it that way. <br /><br /> Regional biologists with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are catching wild brook trout in the river and affixing radio transmitters to them to track where they go in Moosehead Lake, which the Roach drains into from the east. The same was done on the Socatean Stream on the west side of Moosehead Lake last year.
Published
September 26, 2010

Boating: A few fall outings, then boaters find ways to keep dreams afloat

It’s inevitable. Kids are back at school, temperatures are dropping and the sun is rising later and setting earlier with each passing day. Some Maine boaters will continue to cruise the coast and explore Maine’s lakes and ponds well into October. While boating during fall might require a few extra layers of clothing, it can […]
Published
September 26, 2010

Allen Afield: Enjoy fishing now, before it gets sparse

October’s trout and salmon can offer feast or famine action in Maine, so anglers may enjoy nonstop, rod-bending days or may endure several outings in a row with zero catches. The good news thrills anglers in the know, though: Late September and the first two weeks of October often produce the “feasts.” Then, when salmonids […]

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