and a strong cup of coffee

I had no idea who she was. I was stuck watching the bike racing, some volleyball, maybe a little swimming and gymnastics. I would have had the TV on the entire time if the TV station had skeet shooting on. Especially since Kim Rhode became the 5th individual of all time to win a medal in 5 consecutive Olympics. And she won them shooting a gun! She is my new hero. I have never shot skeet. I have never tried. But, Dad and I have decided that I am much better in a stand, 16 feet up a tree than I am on the ground. Perfect example: 3 years ago, I drew a doe permit. Dad and I decided that I would stand against a large tree in the woods while he went into a small chopping to see if he could jump any deer that, in turn, would run towards me. I had plenty of visibility from where I was, so I stood and waited. I waited maybe 15 minutes. Maybe. I heard the snap of the branch and the thunder of running. And I saw two beautiful does run out of the clearing and right past me. I actu...

(From left, John Ford, me, Paul Fournier) Thank you to all who listened, called in, tweet'd and left me questions for the show! We had a blast and you can listen to it here . I swapped some great stories with these guys and they were so gracious and kind - they even gave me a copy of their book and signed it for me. Yes - I geeked out! I have said it before and I will say it again - hunters/fishers/outdoors people are the best people around!

There is nothing appealing about hunting turtles to me. In my mind, they are kinda cute, are worth getting out of the car to move them across the road and fall into a category of acceptable pet should any future kids want to have one. At a family gathering this weekend, I got on the subject of hunting Snappers with my Uncle who has been hunting them in Massachusetts and selling them in Maryland. When I asked him why he doesn’t hunt in Maine, he said because it was illegal to do so if he want to sell them. When you catch them in Maine, you also need to kill them immediately and if you know anything about turtles (which I did not), they do not keep in a cooler of ice like a dead fish will. While he has had turtle soup, my Uncle said that he would not eat it on a regular basis, “You know how fish absorb mercury and the chemicals in the water? Turtles are in the water a lot longer, they live longer, so they have the ability to absorb more of that into their system.” He totally sold...

This is my second blog. Check it out, let me know what I am missing or what I should add to it. And again, THANK YOU!

...Right? I was approached last week about blogging for a major newspaper here in Maine. So once I figure things out, I will let you know what the link is so you can join the conversation with others across the State plus all of you who are regular readers. But... don't worry! This is going to remain my primary blog and the stories I post on the second blog will be copies of posts from here. Keep the ideas and comments coming and hopefully we can continue to have some great conversation about deer, hunting and the outdoors. We just might be able to pick up a few more readers along the way. And, THANK YOU!!!! every comment, every tweet and every reader has helped build my little blog into something that other people think is cool. I can only imagine where it will go from here (besides some place in the woods).

When Maine's Governor LePage signed new legislation that gave Inland Fisheries and Wildlife an additional $100,000 for their predator control program, I wanted to follow up with Mr. Woodcock on how this money will truly impact the program and the State. How do you see this additional money helping IFW this year? We had a plan to target critical deer yards around the State (These are in areas D, E, F, G, C) . This additional money will help us by providing another funding source. There are 10 locations covering about 1000 acres that are our top priority. With this additional funding, we are able to increase our efforts without worrying about stretching the budget too thin. We can expand the number of people who can participate and regulate the hours put into this. It really needs to be an ongoing effort in order to sustain itself. Last year, we started the program in November and with the additional funds, we can start it this year around September 1st. It is only one y...

Hello All, I am producing a show and interviewing John Ford and Paul J. Fournier about their time as Maine Guides/Wardens. I want your questions... what do you want to know? You have until July 20th to post them here! Then listen to Maine Calling to see if we ask it. I will post the link to the show when it gets closer. Thanks ~E