Monthly Archives: March 2015

Mother Nature wins round two: Weekend canoe races postponed again

Dale Cross has been keeping a close eye on the St. George River lately, hoping for some warm spring weather that will help a winter’s worth of ice, allowing him to stage the season’s first canoe race. On Tuesday, Cross — who serves as race director for both the St. George and Passagassawakeag river races […]

Ellsworth student wins Maine title in Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest

An Ellsworth High School student had his drawing selected as Best in Show during a statewide competition to crown Maine’s winner of the 2015 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest last week. Kyle Lima’s drawing of a northern pintail was chosen from among 473 entries in the contest; His winning drawing will now be including […]

Our Maine Heritage: Legends of outdoor writing gather for a meal

If you’re an outdoor writer in this state — which I’m very fortunate to be — it won’t take long before someone starts talking about the trailblazers who preceded you. The names are nearly mythical: Just saying one of those names aloud elicits a response. Mention the BDN’s own Bud Leavitt and I can hear […]

Fed, then dead: N.H. supplemental feeding kills 12 deer; Maine deer also at risk

A news release from New Hampshire Fish and Game unveiled a harsh reality earlier this week, and Maine’s top deer biologist said the practice that left 12 deer dead — supplemental feeding by well-intentioned animal-lovers — takes its toll on this state’s deer as well. According to state officials in New Hampshire, a dozen deer […]

All ice, no water: St. George canoe race postponed one week

Longtime race director Dale Cross is trying to get the course for the St. George River Race ready. He’s really trying. In fact, he was on the river Friday. On foot. And that doesn’t bode well for the 36th edition of the race, which was scheduled to be held on Saturday. The race is the […]

Our Maine Heritage — “Remember that huge striper I caught?”

Sometimes, it’s the unexpected catches that make for the most memorable fishing trips. Doubt it? Just look at the grin on Sidney A. Johnson’s face in this photo culled from the BDN archives. Sidney was a man who didn’t intend on hauling in a 36-pound striper on that mid-winter day, some 57 years ago. But […]

Fight back against winter: Dream of warmer things!

A snowstorm every three days through the month of February? Fine. We’re in Maine. Below freezing temps in early March? Ditto. But here we are, on the cusp of spring as I write this, and it’s still 15 degrees out. And the wind is blowing. And there’s 3 feet of snow on my lawn. Enough […]

Maine Warden Service looking for new recruits

When Dan Menard applied to become an Maine Game Warden back in the early 1990s, the Warden Service was typically inundated with applicants. The year he successfully made it through the process, 1,700 others applied for the chance to become wardens. “They hired 10, and I think I was number 10,” Menard said. Now a […]

L.L. Bean’s Spring Fishing Weekend on tap

For the past 25 years, the folks at L.L. Bean have celebrated the imminent (although often delayed) change of seasons and warmer weather with their Spring Fishing Weekend. If you’re among those anglers who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of open water, do yourself a favor: Ignore the weather reports that call for even more […]

Hogged stones, hacks, and icy tumbles: A novice curler’s diary

Many years ago, I fashioned myself as a pretty serious athlete (if, that is, you define “serious” as “getting mad whenever you lose”). It didn’t take long before I realized, however, that my chances of making it to the Olympics were pretty slim (If, that is, you define “slim” as “nonexistent.) But every time the […]