Blog Showcase Image: 

Senator Saviello Sponsors My Turkey Bill

I often hunt on the land of a blueberry farm owner who is plagued by turkeys and deer. It’s really nice to be welcomed onto someone else’s land, and I’ve found that turkeys, in particular, are opening up a lot of private land to hunters.

My Dad and I have shot turkeys on the lawn of a Fayette homeowner, and I shot one once on my front lawn during the fall either-sex season. The spring season is the best and most exciting because you can call in the males. In the fall, it’s simply stalk and shoot.

Unfortunately, Maine has lost half of its turkey hunters in the last six years, despite the fact the state offers the best turkey hunting in the nation. Our seasons, bag limits, rules, and fees have reduced the number of Maine turkey hunters, even as our population of turkeys skyrockets.

Blog Showcase Image: 

There's been a lot of talk about my recent speech to the annual banquet of the Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence. A Maine Sunday Telegram column by Bill Nemitz, accessed in the "In The News" section of this website, spread the speech far and wide, and generated comments both positive and negative.

Here is the entire speech, so you can make your own judgements.

Good evening. PAUSE. I bet you are wondering what I’m going to say. I wondered that too, when Dr. McAphee called to invite me to speak at your annual banquet and fundraiser.

Getting him to issue the invitation was clever, because I could not say to no to Dr. McAphee. I have tremendous respect and admiration for him. I did hesitate, but after quite a bit of discussion, agreed to speak.

Blog Showcase Image: 

The Maine Conservation Voters, the political arm of the Maine Conservation Alliance and the only state environmental group that endorses political candidates, and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, whose endorsements have always been highly sought and valued by candidates, got very different results in the 2012 election.

SAM took a step backward, endorsing less than half the group’s usual number of candidates and abandoning its history of nonpartisanship. The group’s endorsements heavily favored Republican candidates, a bad decision in a year when Democrats regained control of both the House and Senate.

The Maine Conservation Voters made a better bet, although that group’s long-standing bias toward Democrats continues to irritate Republican legislators and leaders and has prevented the group from broadening its appeal and standing beyond the state’s environmental activists.

Blog Showcase Image: 

Offering beautifully decorated rooms in an historic building, attentive service, and a wonderful dining experience, the Captain Daniel Stone Inn and its No. 10 Water restaurant in Brunswick is a perfect 24-hour get-away experience – but we liked it so much we stayed the whole weekend!

Read More.

Blog Showcase Image: 

Our friend Jim Pinfold said South Portland’s Taj has “the best Indian food in Maine.” He spends a lot of time in India so he should know. And Jim was soooo right! For an appetizer, we spent two hours at the Portland Art Museum, enthralled by the Winslow Homer exhibit.

Read More.

Blog Showcase Image: 

I’ll be unable to post new pieces on my website, including in this Outdoor News Blog, this week (November 12-16), although the website will still be online and available to you.

My webmaster will be updating my software and making several important changes and additions to the website. I’ll begin telling you about my new services and initiatives next week.

This week, I will be posting news reports in my Outdoor News Blog on the website of the Bangor Daily News.

There is a lot of news ahead. I’m working on a preview of the issues I expect will dominate the outdoor agenda at the upcoming 2013 legislative session, which actually begins in early December.

Blog Showcase Image: 

We set aside our policy of not visiting new restaurants, when so many of you recommended that we try Waterville’s 18 Below. You were sooo right! We loved the creative and tasty food, superb service, and gorgeous dining room.

Read More.