The 1983 referendum initiated by a group trying to stop Maine’s new moose hunting season was contentious and hard-fought. Here’s a look back at it in a Sun Journal news story by reporter Joe O’Connor. Moose-kill Issue Draws Foes Face to Face, October 6, 1983. “Is the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife trying to […]
Last year Down East Books published my book, Maine Sporting Camps, a bit of history, lots of information about each camp, and great stories from longtime guests and customers. One of my favorite stories came from Dick Mosher, a master guide for 54 years. I had a fascinating telephone conversation with Dick, and he followed […]
One of the best things about writing my book about Maine Sporting Camps is the connections I’ve made with sporting camp owners and others who value history. One connection came from Bill Geller, who retired in 2010 from the University of Maine at Farmington. Bill wrote, “Your relatively recent book on Maine sporting camps seems […]
A collaboration between the Maine State Museum and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine promises a fascinating evening on May 20 in Augusta. They have created a historic documentary about sportsmen and the Maine Sporting Camp tradition, which will be seen in a 3D historic experience. Here’s the announcement that includes information on how to reserve […]
My book, titled Maine Sporting Camps, was published in May, with my hope that it will encourage readers to visit sporting camps on a regular basis for the very best outdoor experiences. On Wednesday night, November 16, at 6:30 pm, I’ll be talking about the book and the history of our sporting camps at […]
Looks back to see where we’ve been can be every bit as fascinating as looks forward to where we’re headed. Maybe that’s why I enjoy books about history. Dale Potter-Clark and Charles L Day, Jr. have given us a fascinating a look, in their book Summer Resorts and Kids’ Camps, back to the “good old […]
If you haven’t seen this yet, the good news is that you have until March of 2017. The Maine State Museum in Augusta is featuring an awesome exhibit titled: “Inventors and Sportsmen: Maine Gunsmiths in the 1800s” celebrating generations of Maine gunsmiths and illustrating the inventiveness, artistry, and craftsmanship that they brought to the early […]
My Dad, Ezra Smith, was a prolific writer of letters to the editor. After he died, I found every letter he’d ever written to our local newspaper, in files by decade. What a treasure! He once wrote a letter to the editor about the outhouse at our camp on Nesowadnehunk Lake just outside the western […]
George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.
