At 2 pm today, DIF&W Commissioner Judy Camuso will present her new budget to the legislature’s Appropriations Committee. Yesterday, Judy briefed the IFW Committee on the budget, focused on changes and increases. She covered everything from purchases of snowmobiles and ATVs to lots of improvements in the Warden Service. More money is proposed for everything […]
With two fully scheduled days ahead, Thursday afternoon was my last opportunity to hunt deer in 2012. It had been a fabulous hunting season for me: a moose hunt with my friends the Pineau clan, another great week of hunting pheasants in North Dakota with an awesome group of guys, an upland bird hunt on […]
The legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee always has a bunch of interesting bills and issues to debate. Yesterday was typical, with issues ranging from ATVs to handguns to deer and turkey hunts. Here’s what happened. Two bills that would limit the size of ATVs allowed on trails were heard. One bill would also increase […]
A turkey bill that I collaborated with the sponsor on is scheduled for a public hearing on Monday, March 25. The bill is sponsored by Senator Shenna Bellows and I’m very grateful to her for doing that. I’m hoping some of you will be there to support this bill. Turkeys have become a nuisance all […]
The Wickies is wicked good. Author Frank Anthony’s novel is a compelling read, with lots of good and bad, laughter and tragedy, murder and mayhem. Every time I figured everything was going to turn out well, another tragedy struck. Yes, this is a page-turner. The good guys are boyhood friends and include two handicapped kids. […]
Nine years after the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine began advocating for a sportsman’s license plate, the plates were finally approved by the legislature and ready for purchase in 2008. I hope you have these plates on your vehicles. Fifty percent of the money is dedicated to fish hatcheries, 25% to landowner relations, 15% to development […]
The Land Conservation Task Force has issued a lot of really good recommendations. While their recommendation of a major bond issue to revitalize the Land for Maine’s Future got most of the news coverage, there are lots of other recommendations that are equally important. The Task Force was led by David Trahan of the Sportsman’s […]
Several interesting issues were debated yesterday by the legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee. Public hearings were held on 5 bills and work sessions on 2 bills. Work Sessions LD 881 would allow the holder of a super pack license who obtains an antlerless deer permit to also participate in an antlerless deer permit lottery. […]
Good news! You can now test ticks here in Maine. I want to thank Maine Woodland Owners for publicizing this in their March newsletter. I am going to share that information with you today. A new in-state service that tests ticks for pathogens is available at the Tick Lab, housed within UMaine’s new Diagnostic and […]
The title of Richard Judy’s fascinating novel, Thru – An Appalachian Trail Love Story – does hint at part of the story, but there’s a lot more to this intriguing book, published by the Appalachian Trail Museum, which receives all the proceeds from book sales. Judy lives in Georgia, so I was surprised when I […]
