and a strong cup of coffee

A few weeks ago, I sat down with the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Chandler Woodcock to talk about the increase in moose and doe permits across the State and what it means for sportswomen (and men) this upcoming hunting season.  Q: The number of moose permits has been released for 2013 and they have increased since last year (from 3,725 to 4155).  What's changed? A: Our biologist, Lee Kantar has been working tirelessly to get an accurate moose count.  He has gone up in a helicopter and used some new technology to get accurate numbers of moose around Maine.  The majority of the increases will be seen north of Bangor and we looked at each WMD individually to make sure we are carefully monitoring the harvest.  Greenville and Rangeley are both hunting and viewing areas for moose, so we have limitations on how many permits are issued in those areas.  We also have areas in the State that have come to us and asked us not to increas...

(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!

A few weeks ago, I got my hands on an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times (thank you Steel!) that talked about the need for armed guards to protect the poaching of wildlife throughout the world, specifically in parts of Asia and Africa. The author, Elizabeth Bennett from the Wildlife Conservation Society describes these places as having seen a significant decrease in poaching once the armed guards were present. The call to action was clear; the more armed guards there are, the more animals will be saved. Clearly, it is the only way to protect them, right? As I read the article, Joan Root flooded into my mind. One of the best books I have read is " Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa " By Mark Seal. This woman worked her entire life to protect and advocate for the conservation of animals in Africa. There are so many people like her and books about the efforts being made to protect the animals that are in critical danger of being killed off: tig...