The following article is written by Guest Blogger Mike Clifford of Heartland Outdoorsman.

Zumbo, Global Warming, Iraq and a New Chair

As someone who spends way too much time on the computer, I can’t help but feel there is a tremendous groundswell out there to make changes on this boulder we call Earth. Our Second Amendment rights are being fiercely protected by millions of sportsmen and women on thousands of message boards and blogs across this great country of ours. The outrage surrounding the whole “Jim Zumbo” issue is proof of this. Global Warming and “the environment” are topics that are sure to get us to break out of our shells and stand up for a cause. What message board or blog doesn’t instantly come alive whenever these topics are started?

Our brothers and sisters will defend freedom the world over in 2007 while we pontificate the next course of action that America should make by faithfully banging away on our keyboards. Politics is always sure to perk people up, no matter their interests or hobbies.

Did I just see a dirty word make its way into a post on the Black Bear blog?

Let me clarify….

I was recently bestowed with an award at the state level in my home state of Illinois:

Lt. Governor Pat Quinn’s “2006 Environmental Hero Award”. That’s the wording on the plaque that is attached to the wall over my computer. Upon my arrival at home after receiving this, my wife gave the customary “congratulations!” greeting and proceeded to bust out laughing as she took the plaque from my hand. “Does this mean that I’m married to a closet environmentalist?” or something close to that is all I heard in my haste to get to the computer. Staunchly conservative that she is, it shouldn’t have surprised me. I couldn’t help but wonder if there really is a difference in terms whenever we strive to honor people for their efforts, or if one is considered acceptable in sporting circles, while the other is just too filthy to toss around with reckless abandon.

Would it be perceived differently if it was called the “2006 Conservation Award”? I’m guessing it might. Perhaps it comes from the mindset that many of us have from too many hours spent indoors at our desks and not enough time spent actually
enjoying our “outdoors environment”, no matter where it might exist. At any rate, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of preserving our natural resources and have found perhaps one of the most important tools available today to achieve success in our efforts.

This HomeMedics Shiatsu massage chair thingy is a wonderful addition to my new computer desk chair. Can’t figure out how I ever got anything done without it. Ah yes, life is good indeed.

Speaking of filthy language…..

The Spring Edition of the free Heartland Outdoorsman eMagazine is being sent out this week to our subscribers. I have to apologize in advance for the column near the bottom. Somehow, no one here read it in advance, and we had no idea what was in it until it was too late as it was already sent to the host. I have always promised not to have *much* bad language in the Heartland Outdoorsman eMagazine, and have heavily edited the columns until this issue … and there it was … pool-hall language as big as sin, on the very back page. I would like to encourage all of you to not read that column, especially the ladies. Actually, if you get right down to it, we never intended the Heartland Outdoorsman eMagazine for lady readers anyway. It was my intention to allow only men to subscribe, but we were threatened with lawsuits and had to open it up to everyone, just like they had to do with that big golf club back east. Anyway, the spring issue is here- www.heartlandoutdoorsman.com

The following article is written by Guest Blogger Steve Tweedie, Sales and Marketing Director of Maine Vue Optics.

Choosing Your Scope

Choosing a scope for a firearm is one of the most important components of any shooting sport. Many target shooters have told me that the scope makes the gun, and in many ways I believe this to be true. I’ve heard several old-fashion hunters say that open sights are king, and that scopes aren’t reliable, or quick enough to use when hunting in the thick stuff, or tracking deer. This may have been true many years ago, but with the technology available in optics now, open sights may be more of a hindrance than a reliable advantage.

The most important thing when choosing a scope is deciding on what type of scope you want because there are plenty to choose from. There are two things to consider when deciding. First, you want a scope that will compliment the guns capabilities. Second, you need to determine your style of hunting, the terrain you hunt, and your average shot range. The variable powered scope has become the most popular model of scopes because it offers different magnification ranges from 1x to way more than you need power. The variable powered 3-9x’s and 2-7x’s, are the best selling scope in the Northeast because they offer magnification ranges sufficient from 10 yards to 300 yards.

Steve Tweedie
Maine Vue Optics

The following message is brought to us by the Realtree Team on Guest Bloggers Weekend.

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It’s great to have the chance to touch base with you, and Realtree is very excited about 2007. As some of you may know, we launched two new patterns this year (AP and APG). Please visit www.realtree.com to learn more about our new patterns and visit your local retailer to see what you think of them.

We hope everyone in Maine has a great spring and has the chance to get out and chase a few turkeys. If you have the opportunity, take a child hunting and fishing with you, so they can enjoy the great outdoors as well. And if you are fortunate enough to take a gobbler this spring, don’t forget to post your photos in our Trophy Den. — Team Realtree

The following article is written by Guest Blogger Chris Cobbett of Northwoods Adventures TV. Northwoods Adventures with Nate and Chris airs throughout the week on the Sportsman’s Channel. Chris is also the Author of the Northwoods Adventures TV Blog.

Spring Bear Fever

As I write this column, it is early March here in Maine. The ice fishing is turning on, the sounds of hounds chasing rabbits is in the air, and cabin fever is setting in. Now is the time of year that Maine hunters start thinking about chasing the black ghost of the north. Black bears are one of my favorite spring animals to hunt and to observe in the wild. To motivate you to get out on those hot June days and check sites, I thought I would share a story of a bear hunt that just happened three springs ago.

In June, My two partners and myself took the Northwoods Adventures production team to Canada of three weeks of spring bear hunting. None of us had ever hunted bear in the spring. The only thing we knew that the rut was on and the coats are much thicker. Long story short, I put a good bear to tape, but Nate Fenderson put a real monster to bed.

It was the second week of the hunt and we were at a new camp. Our host was Dale Clarke of Knoxford Lodge in northern New Brunswick. Dale had invited us up and was really hoping the Northwoods Adventures crew could put it together. Dale runs a first class operation and had really done his homework. His sites were clean and well put together. He baits with a combination of pastries, grease, and beaver. Dale is a trapper by trade and this allows him access to the prized beaver. These small dam builders are candy to bears and a goods attractant for larger bears. His choice of bait, and dedication to baiting every day, left Nate and I with the feeling that something good was going to happen.

The first day of the hunt was fairly typical. Nate was on stand at 4 p.m. Bears are most active the few hours before dark. Unlike deer that seem to appear only on the edge of dark, the average bear can appear anytime in the afternoon. The Black bear is lees concerned with light and more with temperature. As the temp drops, the bears will start to move. Temperature would concern you too if you were stuck in a fur coat in June. On this day it cooled around 7 p.m. (sunset is at 10 p.m.), and as luck would have it a bear came in. It was a smaller female and Dale had said to hold out for a good bear. It was only the first night so Nate passed.

That night at camp Dale told Nate he was please he elected to pass on the 150-lb bear because ole pumpkin head was in the area. We asked, “what is a pumpkin head.” Dale explained that for years people had been seeing a 400lb bear in the area. The bear was plump with a big fat pumpkin head on him. Dale said he had seen the track on that bait and was sure it was him. Several people had hunted that stand and no one had seen the giant. Nate and I smiled and jested “he is living on borrowed time.”

The next day on stand would be one we would not soon forget. As we approach the site we notice that another bear had hit after Nate left the night before. The barrel was tipped completely over and the beaver in the tree was gone. Hopes were high as we ascended our trees. Nate was set back about 22 yards from the barrel as he was hunting with a bow. And I was 13 yards to his left with the camera. One reason I think we are successful is because we listen to the woods on stand. No reading a book, just watch woods TV and acting like tree bark. As 7 p.m. approached, Nate and I saw a shape coming through the woods from behind the site. It was pumpkin head for sure. It looked like an oil drum with feet. The bear proved his wits by circling the site and viewing it from the high ground in the rear. Unfortunately, his observation deck was right under Nate’s stand. As the bear circled for a second time Nate could see the bear behind the stand to shoot, but I could not see to film. The bear would have to come to the barrel. As the bruin emerged from the thick cover on final approach to the barrel, Nate whispered “all he needs to do is give me that front shoulder.” The bear took two more steps and Nate let his muzzy fly. The shot was perfect and the 400lb monster fell in 45 yards.

I knew Nate was excited. His voice was two octaves higher as he tried to relive the hunt to Dale back at camp. Dale was happy, pumpkin head was down and it was taken as a result of his hard work .

Spring is not just for Turkey hunting. We are again headed to New Brunswick this spring, if you would like to join us, give me a call 207-527-2114 or drop me an e-mail to chriscobbett@hotmail.com

Here are a few of our 2006 spring bears:

Chris Cobbett

Nate Fenderson

The following article is written by Guest Blogger Bill Anderson, Author of Muskoka Outdoors.

That’s Not a Shadow!

Sitting low in my father’s canoe, I watched the surface of the glassy water break with each paddle strokes. I had no idea that this adventure would end with one of the most amazing things I have ever seen!

It was the first time my father had ever taken me fishing into Algonquin Park. I would like to tell you where, but I know dad likes to keep a few secrets from our website visitors. It adds to the mystery anyway. We hit a lake that is easily accessible for a day trip in Algonquin Park. I was young enough to be new to fishing, but old enough to work a fishing reel. It was an old (new at the time) Diawa closed face reel with a big black casting button.

The weather was perfect. The water was calm. The fishing was on!

At some point during the day I noticed (we noticed) something strange in a small bay on the lake. It looked like large shadows on the water surface. This notion quickly changed when the shadows appeared to be moving and changing directions with random patterns. The shadows were not in ‘sync’ with shadows cast by the trees moving in the wind. We paddled closer into the bay to indulge our curiosity.

“Dad that isn’t a shadow! It’s schooling fish!”

The shadowy mass was a large school of Lake Trout swimming in the bay. I can still hear the scurry for our fishing rods. It was surreal. We could see the trout reacting (or not reacting) to our lures. I think I watched more than I fished. I jigged a bit with my williams wobbler but I was in awe of what I was seeing. The water was very clear. It was easy to make out the trout body features and colors against the rocky bottom. I don’t even remember if we even caught any fish. It didn’t matter.

I was hooked. That sight on that day still lingers every time I visit Algonquin Park. We have been back to that lake and its magical bay, but the trout were not there waiting for us.

They are out there. Somewhere in the deep.

When we pulled ourselves away from the bay and returned home, I remember two things:

* The bay of schooling fish

* The sensation of water mirages and a rocking canoe

The third thing was lost from my memory as sleep quickly took over and evening shadows overtook my room.

Bill Anderson
Muskoka Outdoors

The following article is written by Guest Blogger Marshall MacFarlane, Author of Desert Rat.

“Go West, Young Man”

I was born and raised in New Brunswick, 15 minutes from the Maine border. In my twenties, I married a gal from Houlton, and moved across. I lived there for over five years. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t hold, but my love of Maine did. Although I have lived in Arizona for almost ten years, I consider myself a Mainer, more so than an Arizonan. I say that, knowing that I am not, nor would I ever have been, a real Mainer – or “Mainah”, depending on who you ask. It was made abundantly clear to me, in a nice way, that I could live in Maine for 50 years, but would always be “from away”. That’s OK – it doesn’t dampen my memories, nor my connection, to that great State.

I adored my wife’s family. Good people all the way around. To this day, I am sad that when the marriage ended, so did my connection to her family. Great folks, that treated me like one of their own. Even better, they were hunters and fisher-folks as well. They had a hunting camp in Haynesville, and a “cottage” on the lake near Danforth. I loved the lake cottage in the summer, and boy, did my father in law like to chase landlocked salmon in the spring. I remember a lot of hours sitting in the boat, trolling streamers in hopes that we’d soon be seeing a flash of silver. The best, though, was the camp in Haynesville. The deer camp. My father in law gave me free use of that camp, and I think I used it more than anybody. Summer or winter, spring or fall – it was the perfect place. Nestled along the banks of the Mattawamkeag, it was less than a 40-minute drive from home. It served as the base for deer camp every year, when for a week or two, it was filled to the gunwales with friends and family members. We even had a “ladies night” where a big feed was put on and we were joined by the wives and girlfriends. This camp was a one-room affair, with an outhouse not to far away. We drew water from a spring nearby – thankfully, in an opposite direction as the outhouse! I used that camp a lot. It was the perfect place to go crash for a day. Quiet and peaceful. A place to go and read, or a place to go and think. I remember that place like I was there yesterday.

Eventually, I rode out life’s twists and turns, and landed quite unexpectedly – in Arizona. I still have the Maine connection. Although my wife has been here long enough to consider herself an Arizonan, she hails from Lewiston, and all of her family is back in that part of the country. I still love to hunt, but boy, are things different here. First off, there are more species to hunt and fish here, than anyone “from away” could ever imagine.Elk, antelope, bison, bighorn sheep, mule deer, Coues deer, javelina, bear, mountain lion, and a bunch of small game species. Even waterfowl are hunted here. For fish, there is a tremendous diversity of species including northern pike, arctic grayling, striped bass, walleye, trout and more!

I have pretty much had to “re-learn” how to hunt. Whereas Maine is known for its “big woods”, Arizona has a lot of “big open”. Glassing is the name of the game here, and the hunters that don’t carry good optics are few and far between. Draws are a fact of life to the Arizona hunter. Over the counter tags are available for mountain lions, bears (in certain seasons) and archery deer. All of the remaining big game species have tags awarded on a “draw-only” basis, and the odds are getting lower and lower each year. Heat is an obvious challenge with many fall hunting days exceeding the hundred-degree mark, and even winter days topping out at 50-60 degrees. If you like a change of scenery, Arizona is a great state! The southern half is desert, and the northern half is forest, not too much different from Maine. They get snow too in the north, and lots of it! A 6-hour drive will have you cross more types of geography than you would ever dream of.

I think my biggest misconception was the “desert”. When people imagine the desert, they imagine the Sahara. The Sonoran desert is a vast, beautiful and interesting ecosystem. It is alive with flora and fauna. Sights and sounds and colors and smells that you would never imagine. I love roaming “the desert”. Everything is interesting, out there. I’m still learning, but certainly don’t regret my move here. I’m glad that it is “so different” from where I’m from.

Due to a variety of reasons, its been a long time since I ventured back to that part of the country. I do miss it though, and hope to retire “back there”. I’m not sure whether I will retire to Maine or New Brunswick – I just don’t know. Honestly, I am leaning Maine. Even if I’ll always be “from away”, I think it might be where I’d like to live out my last years. Enjoy what you have.

Haynesville (Maine) Buck – 1993
Bio – Marshall MacFarlane was born and raised in New Brunswick. He has also lived in Maine and Arizona. He’s a past columnist with the Maritime Sportsman, and past Asst Editor with the Arizona Outdoorsman. Marshall has been a freelance writer since 1984 and is a member of the Western Outdoor Writers (WOW). He lives in Queen Creek,AZ with his wife Karole and daughter Mikaela. He is a project manager with an Electrical Engineering and Testing firm.

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I have always been a supporter of term limits for politicians at every level of government, from the White House all the way down to the small town selectman who represents as few as a hand full of people. I believe this for a number of reasons but one of my favorites is because I am a firm believer in people. Even though this is a challenging thought, I do think that there are many, many good and intelligent people in this country who can do as good or better job than the career politicians. If this were true, they wouldn’t be doing much of the slimy and deceitful tactics to pull in someone’s vote or to boost public opinion polls.

Last night I was watching a program on television. I won’t say which one but the discussion was about Jim Webb, the Virginia pundit whose loyal aide was arrested for trying to get a gun, belonging to Webb, into Webb’s office area, supposedly unknowingly. As we all know, Washington, D.C. has an all out ban on guns and it literally takes an act of Congress to get permitted – hypocrisy and another story.

During the discussion, some reporters were suggesting that Webb may have deliberately staged this event in order to boost his public opinion ratings among Second Amendment constituents in his home state of Virginia. I really hope this is not the case. I would like the fact that Webb would challenge his Constitutional rights to keep and bear arms but not at the expense of his loyal friend and aide, unless of course they were both in on the plot.

Either way, it appears that Webb’s accounting of how it happened and his aide’s accounting don’t agree, leaving all us wondering about the credibility of the man.

Tom Remington

It’s currently 4:29 a.m. and I didn’t get much sleep at all last night. Just one of those things. My transportation arrives at 5:00 this morning for the airport. Just wanted to remind everyone that the Black Bear Blog has a host of exciting guest bloggers who will provide you will some great stuff. I’m excited to see what they give us.

Not sure how much, if any, my schedule and such permits me to get online but if I can and have the time, I’ll give you some updates of my trip.

Please support my guests and let them know you are reading. Thanks. See you bright and early next Tuesday morning.

Tom Remington

Wisconsin has an Earn-A-Buck program that is implemented in 21 hunting zones. This program is one started by the Wisconsin DNR in an effort to reduce deer numbers and help control the spread of chronic wasting disease. Essentially, this means that before a hunter can take a legal buck, they must first bag a doe. This program will be expanded into a total of 35 hunting zones for next season.

Tom Remington

Sister Toldjah has information about the efforts of Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson to restore American’s Second Amendment rights in Washington, D.C. following the recent decision by a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling declaring the gun ban in the District was unconstitutional.

Tom Remington