Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Posted on Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 by Maine Sportsman
Is Maine having trouble with deer numbers in the northern and eastern parts of the state? Sure is.
Are there still plenty of big bucks roaming the hills and valleys of the Pine Tree State? Absolutely!
That’s a fact you will learn by checking out the February issue of The Maine Sportsman. In this issue you will find a listing of all the bucks weighing over 200 pounds that were registered in the Biggest Bucks in Maine Club for 2011, along with photos and information about the 10 biggest bucks of the year.
If that doesn’t satisfy your hunter to see trophy bucks, the photos of deer with huge racks that are scattered throughout the issue should do the trick.
Naturally, that’s just the beginning of the offerings in the February issue. For example, we are offering up a special article on the best boats for trolling in Maine waters. And the regional columnists are giving you a boatload of expert advice about where to catch trout, salmon and togue.
All the great usual features are there too including a challenging wildlife quiz and a huge Almanac section that is crammed full of tips and information to help you enjoy the great outdoors.
Sure, it’s plenty cold outdoors in Maine during February, but that’s all the more reason for you to sit back in a nice warm spot and enjoy all the great reading this issue of The Maine Sportsman has to offer.
Categories: General
Posted on Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 by Maine Sportsman
January is prime time for ice fishing derbies in Maine and when it comes to covering these exciting events, nobody does it better than The Maine Sportsman. This month’s issue brings you all the details on the seven biggest and best derbies in the state, including how you can get in on the action to win great derby prizes.
Of course, it’s not enough just to tell you about the derbies. You also need the inside scoop on where and how to catch the big ones; fish that will win the top prizes. That’s where our writers have delivered the goods, proving you with information to make you a contender.
Maybe you don’t ice fish, but would like some information to make you more production during next year’s open water season. We’ve got you covered there too. For example, our fly fishing section features article explaining how stripping really big flies super fast pays off with strikes from jumbo striped bass.
Plus, there are plenty of times in January when the weather is too cold or it’s too dark to head outdoors; a perfect time to do some reading. That’s when you’ll really enjoy the January issue because we’ve packed it full of great reading … everything from book reviews to how to tie a Bead Head Prince Nymph and my favorite of the month, Joe Salty’s Big Game column on wild game recipes!
Categories: General
Posted on Monday, November 21st, 2011 by Maine Sportsman
Judging by the content of the December issue of The Maine Sportsman, the twelfth month of the year is a great time to be active outdoors.
Deer, ducks, grouse, rabbits, pickerel and perch all get heavy coverage this month, with special focus on ice fishing and snowmobiling.
In fact, our snowmobiling special coverage may surprise you because it talks about how windmills and snowmobile trails combined make for exciting winter riding.
But … as they say in the TV infomercials … wait, there’s more!
Our gun writer Col. J.C. Allard has crafted a column all about a very special handgun that may also surprise you. And our nature writer Tom Seymour offers up a fact-filled wildlife column on snowshoe hares.
Truly, the amount of useful information in this issue is endless. The Fly Box gives you the details on what makes the Wulff such an effective dry fly and Publisher Jon Lund talks about the days of yore when hunting was so much simpler and a rifle could be purchased for $5.
Days are shorter now, meaning time spent indoors is longer. Spending some of that time reading the pages of The Maine Sportsman is both fun and educational. Check it out for yourself!
Categories: General
Posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 by Maine Sportsman
Maine’s A-Changing:
Bicycling Vs. Deer Hunting
In November 2010, an unseasonably warm Saturday with virtually no wind, this writer decided not to deer-hunt and bicycled for several hours, often on wooded, undeveloped roads around the Belgrade Lakes Region. It was the last really warm day for the sport in 2010.
During this long pedal covering 60-plus-miles, 30 bicyclists caught my eye, give or take one or two bikes. In that long jaunt, I passed one hunting vehicle parked beside the road. One! In fact, it was the only parked vehicle, and it had an empty firearms case folded on the front seat, proving it was a hunter, probably a hunter after deer.
Maine is a-changing!
Astute observers notice a point on Maine bulletin boards dedicated to angling. In the past several years, more and more impressive sized salmonids show up on these boards, indicating that Maine anglers are learning how to catch November trophies after the spawn.
Some anglers have learned how to present egg imitations, and others find the right baitfish and even match-the-hatch choices to put a bend in the rod. They’re learning particulars about the sport, as the photos show.
These changes are huge compared to a few years ago when deer hunting dominated the month, and the only real serious alternatives to whitetails was second-season duck hunting. Most of us can count the number of November waterfowl hunters we know with fingers of one hand.
Meanwhile, guys like The Maine Sportsman columnist Tom Seymour concentrate on pollock off docks in Maine harbors or hit other species that folks seldom target.
Hikers get out, particularly on Sundays, and they find mushrooms, tender roots and young potherbs for meals. On and on it goes as outdoors types plunge into the woods and onto the water before winter begins and such sports as ice-fishing, snowmobiling and skiing vie for attention.
If snowfall is light in at least the first two or three weeks of November in the bottom third of the state, hikers get out in places such as Camden Hills State Park in Camden. Kennebec River Rail Trail from Augusta to Gardiner, Bradbury Mountain State Park or any place with blazed trails.
In the North Country, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing might start if enough snow falls, and snow sleds dominate winters in Maine now. Our winter economy up north would die without these motorized gadgets.
Gardens still produce Brussels sprouts, spinach and other greens that tolerate frigid temperatures.
What a month for the outdoors that November makes for those who love the Maine woods in all the seasons.
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Categories: Almanac, General
Posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 by Maine Sportsman
If you suspect there might be a lot of articles about deer hunting in the November issue of The Maine Sportsman, you’ve got that right. But superb where-to, how-to information on whitetails is just the start of this month’s issue offers.
For example, November’s Maine Wildlife column focuses on tommycod, a small salt water fish that swims up Maine rivers about the same time smelt do for spawning. Did you know tommycod are excellent eating?
Stripers, crappies, trout and bass are more fishy topics you’ll find in the November issue, so there’s plenty of good reading for anglers.
We’ve put in a pile of extras in this issue, including a big game grand slam and lots of other trophy photos.
So, while we focus on Maine’s number one game animal in the month of November, when most of us are out there trying to put deer steaks into the freezer, we give plenty of coverage to the many other great activities available to sportsmen during the eleventh month of the year.
So grab a copy of the latest issue of The Maine Sportsman, find a comfortable chair and settle down for hours of great outdoor reading.
Categories: General
Is Maine having trouble with deer numbers in the northern and eastern parts of the state? Sure is.