AUGUSTA – Spring wild turkey hunting season is upon us with a significant change in the spring bag limit.

The regular season for spring wild turkey hunting opens on Monday, May 3, and ends on Saturday, June 5. This will be a full five-week season for all turkey permit holders.

A new regulation regarding the spring bag limit goes into effect this year. An initial permit for $20 will allow turkey hunters to take only one bearded wild turkey in the spring and a wild turkey of either sex in the fall. A second permit for $20 can be purchased anytime after the purchase of the first permit that would allow for the harvest of another bearded wild turkey in the spring only.

Youth Day will be held on Saturday, May 1. Kids ages 10-15 with a junior hunting license are allowed to hunt on this day with adult supervision. Youths will be allowed to take up to two (2) bearded wild turkeys during the spring season without any additional permit fees.

The Wildlife Management Districts open for spring wild turkey hunting are 7, 10-18 and 20-26.

Hunters must have a valid spring wild turkey permit and a valid Maine big game hunting license in order to hunt wild turkey. Licenses and permits are available at IF&W’s Augusta headquarters, at licensing agents statewide, and at www.mefishwildlife.com.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife urges hunters to review the following safety tips:

Ø Never try to stalk a gobbling turkey. Your chances of getting close are poor, and you may be sneaking up on another hunter.

Ø Avoid hunting the same gobbler as your hunting companion or other hunters. Pick a different area to hunt.

Ø Stick with hen calls. A gobbler call is intended for special situations and might attract other hunters.

Ø Don’t be patriotic. Avoid red, white or blue. A tom turkey’s head has similar colors.

Ø Avoid unnecessary movement. This could alert turkeys and attract hunters.

Ø Don’t hide so well that you impair your field of vision

Ø Wrap your turkey in some blaze orange cloth for the hike back to the car.

Ø Always sit with your back against a tree trunk, big log or a boulder that is wider than your body. This protects you from being accidentally struck by pellets fired from behind you.

Ø If you use a decoy, place it on the far side of a tree trunk or a rock so you can see the birds approaching from all directions, but cannot actually see the decoy. This prevents you from being directly in the line of fire should another hunter mistakenly shoot at your decoy.

Ø Never shoot unless you’re absolutely sure of your target. Since only turkeys with beards are legal during the spring season, lack of positive identification could result in shooting an illegal bird, or worse, another hunter.

Ø Consider wearing hunter orange while moving from set-up to set-up. Take it off when you are in position.

Eric York of Damariscotta, Maine caught a record-setting yellow perch on Damariscotta Lake on Feb. 28, 2010.

The fish was weighed 1.73 pounds and was weighed on a certified scale at Yellow Front Grocery in Damariscotta. The record was confirmed by Maine Warden Service Game Warden Joe Lefebvre.

The previous state record was caught by Chad Mostats of Portland on Worthley Pond in East Peru in August 1989. It weighed 1 pound, 10 ounces (1.625 pounds).

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Sportsman newspaper, which is edited by avid outdoorsman and TV personality Harry Vanderweide, jointly announce new records. The publication has maintained the state record book for more than 30 years.

According to Vanderweide, this is the seventh state fishing record set in the past three years. That is more new records in a three-year period than any other three-year period since the records have been kept.

Editor’s Note: This is the second part of an article by Blaine Cardilli I published here recently containing the same title. Please follow this link to Part I of “God Has A Sign And It Reads: “Gone Huntin’”.

Last week I wrote an article titled, “God Has A Sign And It Reads: Gone Huntin’”. If you haven’t read it, scroll down this website and find it. It seems to be generating some talk so I thought, why not continue the discussion in a “Part II”. In the first article, I laid the basic ground work for hunting having a Biblically supported background, and I introduced you briefly to “Mountain-Man Outdoor Ministries”. In this installment, I’ll elaborate a bit more on why I believe hunting has a base in scripture, why I believe God wants, (and needs), to get involved on a more personal level with hunters, and what I plan to do about it. Hold on to your seats because I’m going to both challenge myself to take on a bold new ministry, challenge you to not only read these articles but open your camps up to a radical new outdoor preacher, and challenge the Anti-Hunters who are trying to use God and the Bible against us. You might just want to sit down for this one.

The Redneck Preacher Revealed

A few years ago, while I was in the process of trying to outline and develop this ministry, I was talking with a friend about my concerns. One thing I wanted to do was keep hunting and keep doing my pro staff work, yet try to bring God’s word into the mix in a way that wasn’t too “confrontational”. The other thing that scared me was the thought that some might think me a “Bible-thumper”, or worse, a hypocrite, because I was known to swear once in awhile plus I enjoyed a beer and a shot of good whiskey on occasion. Still do. Of course, I know the scriptural background to alcohol and drinking while many others don’t, and believe me when I say that topic is a whole bible study in itself. And before you condemn me, you might want to talk to me about it first, because the hype has been strictly religious and unwarranted. If you combine scripture with a little common sense, you’ll find out you don’t have a leg to stand on with that argument. Anyway, by the time the conversation was finished I had decided I had no other choice but to just “be me” and go with the flow, repercussions and all, and my friend wondered out loud how a redneck could become a preacher. I liked the concept and it stuck.

From that point on, I took it before God in prayer and made a deal with him; If he’d allow me to be myself without putting on airs, I’d do my best to make myself…and His Word….available to my fellow sportsmen; folks like me who love God but just don’t have the time to go to church. It soon became clear that the place to combine both my passion for hunting and my love for God was the all-American Redneck Hunting Camp. And you know what? I found out that God never intended for me to be anyone other than myself all along. Now, to those who have asked about my “credentials” and why I feel I’m uniquely qualified to actually teach christian studies, considering I’m so off-the-wall and edgy, here’s the skinny.

I’ve been a christian since age 10 but it wasn’t until 1991 that I rededicated my life to Christ and really started studying. I joined a local non-denominational church near my home, (I like non-denominational because I’m under no particular administration…which is how it should be, by the way), and I was baptized in September 1994. Between 1991 and 2010 I have logged somewhere between 35,000 and 36,000 hours of Bible studies and comprehensive research into the scriptures. That period includes a stint at a Bible college near my home where I took a 13-week course on “Understanding God”, a 12-week course on “Hermeneutics & Exegesis”, (go ahead…look it up), a 12-week course on “Theology & Church Doctrine”, an 8-week course on the “Art of Preaching and Teaching”, an 8-week course on “Discipleship” and one on “Apologetics”. It includes many hours spent in libraries doing exhaustive research on additional topics of interest ranging from crucifixion to Jewish history and culture. On top of that, I have conducted and/or been a part of men’s study groups, have put in more than a few hours of “pulpit time” helping my pastor, and served what I like to call ten years of “on the job training”. I say that because I was the only christian on a construction crew made up entirely of Jehovah’s Witnesses for 10 years. Believe me when I say, every single day was an in depth Bible study program. Seriously…I took my Bible to work everyday and we discussed issues constantly while we worked. Do that for awhile and then come see me. That’s an education in itself.

And the thing about me is that I have finally learned to accept who I am and what my unique calling is. I know I’m far from perfect; I get mad and swear once in awhile, and I enjoy a cold beer with my friends while we’re sitting around a summer campfire. I’ve always been appalled at the constant religious bickering and everyone insisting God has chosen their ministry as the only one he will accept, all others be damned. Excuse me but that’s a huge load of bull. When I present my case to someone with a topic of interest, we examine the whole context, not just a line or two, and after I’ve explained the true meanings of the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic words in their original texts, I give counsel on what I feel it means, but in the end the issues are ultimately between you and God. It’s not my place to force any of my own opinions onto you. To do anything else would be legalistic, unless it’s a simple matter of someone clearly trying to exploit accepted Christian doctrines. That, I would oppose.

I’ve learned to let the ridicule and disdain from others roll off my back. I speak my mind and I tell the truth about the Gospel…the whole truth, not just the rhetoric that pleases a stubborn and religiously-strict society full of stuffed shirts and pompous asses. I’m here to reach a class of people who have literally become a class unto themselves…the Sportsmen and Hunters of this great country who aren’t afraid to open their camps and their hearts; A people proud to be American, proud to be redneck, and proud to defend both their country and their God. These are my friends, my co-workers, and my companions and it’s time someone with a Bible background stood in the gap with them and for them; someone able to bring God to the playing field in a way all will be able to understand.

Hunters Making A United Stand

It has been my experience that hunters and sportsmen in this country truly share a deep-seated love for family, tradition, for country, and especially for God. Go into any hunting camp from the deep South, to the Midwest, to the extreme Northeast and you’ll find the same type of people; open, honest, friendly, all-American, and God-fearing. And it doesn’t matter who we are “back in the world” either. When they get to Huntin’ Camp, the camos go on, the guns and bows come out, the beer coolers get filled, and I swear I see a literal change come across every hunters face, usually within the first 30 minutes. The stress vanishes once the talking starts, and the worry-wrinkles, made apparent through time and age, deepen now, but from laughter instead of fear. I can almost hear the twang of each man’s inner “good old boy” coming out, too, and you know what that is? It’s the camaraderie that only comes from spending time in Hunt Camp…or Fish Camp, or wherever we choose to leave the world’s chaos and problems behind. It defines who we really are…….Rednecks to the end, every one of us.

I mentioned in my previous article that hunters & fishermen usually share a common sense of guilt when they take a Sunday off to head out into the woods or hit the lakes, when they or their families feel they should be in church. Some feel they’re in God’s true church every time they enter the woods or traverse the waters, and for most, a hunting or fishing camp is a place they can share a true spiritual experience, comparable to none found inside any four-walled building. I agree with them, which is why I plan on trekking across America every chance I get, so I can experience it with them and add strength to their convictions. The upside, for all of us, is that when I’m in camp with them, I can solidify their experience and ease that guilt, because I’m bringing a touch of God, (not religion), directly into their midst.

Do you know how many hunters get turned off by the arguments, rhetoric, and back-stabbing found in modern society? A lot. You know how many hunters have walked away from church in general because of all the bickering and legalism that abounds between them? Do you know how many are appalled at the extent the Anti’s are using God and the Bible against them now, and how some folks actually believe the lie? It’s no wonder hunters would rather plead their case for finding God in a tree-stand or in a ground blind somewhere deep in the woods. I don’t blame them. And I suspect much of the need to get away and experience “Hunting Camp” is rooted in the fact that sportsmen find a sense of true peace in worshiping God there. There’s acceptance, camaraderie, brotherhood, and best of all, no guilt.

Now imagine if you will, and I’m speaking to hunters and fishermen right now, you were told a preacher was coming to camp this week. Lie to yourselves all you want but I’ll tell you what your first reactions would probably be.

“Oh no….a Preacher? Coming here? Crap! That means hide the beer, try not to swear, and be someone I’m not until he’s gone.”

And in that vision you see a small meek individual, not impressive in frame or body by any means, who walks in, lays his shiny black Bible on the counter, and starts out with, “Shall we pray for each other, my brothers?” Every sentence is followed up with an “Amen” and whether you want to or not, you find yourself drawn into the falsehood of acting in a way you think he wants you to act. That would suck because I’ve been there. Now don’t get me wrong, I know some mighty fine outdoor preachers who don’t fit that bill either. I’m just saying.

Now imagine another preacher comes to camp. He walks in wearing a cut-off camo shirt not unlike Larry the Cable Guy, torn blue jeans, and a black leather cowboy hat with shades. He sets his ice cooler on the floor next to his camp chair, cracks open a Coor’s Light, and lays a really, really worn out tattered old Bible on the table next to him. He leans back, hands behind his head, puts his feet up and says, “So….you guys gonna talk all day about old hunting stories or are we gonna start making some new ones this afternoon?” He takes a haul off his beer, looks you straight in the eye, and immediately you feel at ease, thinking “Hey…this guy might be alright”. Ummm….in case you haven’t figured it out yet, that would be me.

Nothing changes when this Preacher comes to camp, I can assure you, and you certainly don’t want to be changing who you are for me. When I’m there, it’ll be me and a cameraman because we’ll be filming almost everything in hopes of laying down footage that someone’s going to want to see, either for an existing outdoor show or simply as a matter of personal record. No prank is too big and none too small, and all I’ll be is myself…which will be plenty. Want some spiritual advice? I can give it. Want to tell me why you hate “religion”? I can take it. I guarantee if nothing else, the spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood will be even stronger with me around. Why? Because I’m called to be there and nothing happens without a reason. I firmly believe that. The bottom line is that you need God just as much as he needs you, and with me, you not only get a fellow redneck, down to earth and a little rough around the edges, but one who can share the Word with power and authority and maybe even be able to help you find answers to some of your deepest questions. Plus my sense of humor is awesome, it really is!

The second reason I’ll be traveling to hunting camps will be to share a special hunt or trip with a special individual from time to time. Perhaps this person, young or old, has been battling cancer. Perhaps he or she has been crippled or incapacitated in some way that has made hunting almost an impossible chore without help from others. Or maybe the focus will be on a child whose life has been touched by tragedy. Maybe it’s a son whose father lost his life serving this great country in Iraq or Afghanistan, and this trip is for him because his dad had promised to take him turkey hunting when he returned….but he never came back.

The point is, we’ll all be together in that camp because we all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves…something life-changing. I think that’s what Hunting Camp is all about anyway, at least on some level. And I’m also here to provide assistance to already established organizations geared to help in circumstances such as these, but the reality is there are far more people waiting in line than there are organizations able to help, so whatever I can do, believe me I will. Time is of the utmost importance to these people. Time we should never ever take for granted because some are dying before ever getting the chance to live their dream. Every single hunt with an extraordinary individual battling against the odds leaves us teary-eyed, thankful and inspired to do more. That’s what I want to be a part of.

I’ve been a hunter and outdoorsman for almost 40 years, an outdoor writer and columnist for twelve, and been in the professional end of the hunting industry itself since 2002. I have made friends in the form of outdoor celebrities and personalities, and even outfitters and guides, and if I can come up with a plan to bring people together all in one place to make a special hunt happen for someone less fortunate than myself, I’m in. The plus side is I can give counsel and spiritual strength to the families and hunters involved, help solidify connections between organizations and families once the hunt is over, and if needed, I can even help call in turkeys or deer, right to the gun if no one else is available. And whatever happens, it will all be laid down on video because for some, memories will be all they have to hold on to.

A Challenge to Celebrity Hunters & Sponsors To Get Involved

Obviously, for this ministry to be successful, I need to generate money so I can help foot the bills necessary to make each hunt and trip happen….and I want to make a lot of these special hunts happen. Not only do I wish to use my connections between industry personnel and outfitters to get some basic hunts set up, there’s travel expenses to and from the hunting camp for the families to be considered, as well as other costs which unfortunately include maintaining this ministry and allowing it to expand and grow. But, and I can’t stress this enough, one thing I will never ever do is ask any man for money. It’s not scriptural to beg for funds when one trusts in God to make things happen. That, my friend, is called “faith”, and it’s a very powerful force. No, you don’t use people to get money; you use money to get people. I heard that somewhere and I liked it! This is not a religion I preach either. It’s a relationship. You’ll go far once you understand what that means. I intend to make this outdoor ministry flourish and be a blessing to everyone it touches and I have the assurance of the apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians chapter 9 that if I sow spiritual seed among you, it is my right to receive a material blessing from it as well. He goes on to say that Jesus commanded that anyone who preaches the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. I can only put myself out there in faith, and trust God to open the financial doors necessary to allow me to make this a full-time venture. Time will tell.

In the meantime, if you or anyone you know wishes to help me in any way, please contact me. If you’re an outfitter wishing to donate a hunt package, I need to hear from you and what you have to offer. If you’re a company willing to sponsor us with some much needed gear, I need to hear from you. We need basic equipment and camouflage clothing so we can outfit any special guests that ask for our help, and in return I will openly endorse each sponsor willing to provide it, and will do so publicly. If you’re a reader who feels you’re led to help in some other way, get a hold of me. And if you’re in the outdoor television or radio business and you’d like to have me on your show or in your camp as a guest, I’m available for appearances and interviews. Wanna spice up hunting camp with something extra like a men’s outreach or study group? Drop me a line, I’m ready and eager to be a part of it. Maybe you just want to kick back with a fellow sportsman who just happens to be a redneck preacher, and toss around a few spiritual ideas while sipping on a cold frosty one. I can do that, too.

Fortunately, the publicity goes both ways; I need your national outlets and venues to spotlight “Mountain-Man Outdoor Ministries” and get it embedded into the public eye, and any camp or sponsor willing to host us or help us will reap not only national recognition for their roles but more importantly, the satisfaction of knowing you made a public stand against those who would tear us down, while at the same time helping to get the Word out. And trust me, God will know and remember what each of you have done. I welcome any and all sponsors willing to give what they can for this cause, and one thing we’d really like to secure is a new truck that we can letter up with the ministry name and logo, along with all sponsors logos. So if you know of a dealership willing to provide us with one, simply for use, travel and advertising, I’d be much obliged to hear from you.

Why Hunting Camp Embraces Every Man’s Spirit

You know, for me, there’s nothing more gratifying than walking down a moonlit trail at 3:30am, on my way to a pre-designated turkey-hunting spot, hundreds of yards from nowhere. By moonlight I place my decoys out and then nestle into the darkness of a secluded stone wall on the edge of a blueberry field here in Maine. With my back resting comfortably against a huge old oak, I await the stirrings of life. Within an hour the birds begin serenading the dawn and the first gobbles echo across the valley; music to my starving ears. As the mist rolls across the blueberry barren, knee-high and ghostly in the early light, I see the forms of several deer appear on the opposite woodline, silently moving their way back to bed. As the distant gobbles continue to announce that the dawn has indeed arrived, two Barred Owls resonate their familiar cadence of “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all”. As I close my eyes and open them again, relishing this moment and thanking my God for it, I see a lone coyote trotting a hundred yards away, on his own little mission and oblivious to my presence. It is here that I, the Redneck Preacher feel closest to my Creator, and I know I am not alone. You feel it, too. That strange pull and the same sense of peace. Why? What is it and who can explain it? This is what I can share with you in Hunt Camp and this what I have to offer…

Over a crackling campfire on a calm clear evening I would ask you to consider the many passages of scripture relating to this spiritual connection we share out here. I would put you at ease and remind you that in Psalm 50 God said that every bird, every creature, and the cattle on a thousand hills belong to him. I would remind you that in Job chapters 38 and 39, almost everything you feel or relate to as an outdoorsman is explained, from the forming of the ice on a lake, to the breath of the wind against your face, to the birth of a fawn in the wild. And let us not forget that in Genesis God gave us the responsibility of conserving and managing all His natural resources, of which hunting and fishing are merely tools of the trade for the responsible Christian outdoorsman. Who was it that said “rise, kill, and eat” to Peter in Acts chapter 10? Was it a man? No, it was God.

When you’re in Hunt Camp, why do you think you feel such tremendous peace and camaraderie, and such a spiritual bond with God? I’ll tell you why. Because in Psalm 84 we find the true nature of God’s presence and of his church explained in outdoor terms we can understand. For in that passage it says that out in the woods even the swallow and the sparrows have found a home, and a place to raise their young…a place near the altar of God. For the hunter, no other place of worship can compete with the solitude of having your back against a tree in the spring turkey woods or the joyous laughter of good friends in Camp. And God is aware that hunters have been misunderstood, persecuted, mistreated and even attacked for their traditions and values. The sad part is that many are now using the Bible against you; Against us. Well, rest assured I know more than enough to stand in the gap with you publicly, privately, or both, and I’m outspoken enough not to care what others think. They want to bring God into the equation to condemn us? Guess what…I’m going to prove they picked the wrong argument this time. The Redneck Preacher is here to make a stand alongside all the other brave outdoor warriors who have already laid it all on the line to make a stand for America and the right to hunt. I believe I’m in very good company and Uncle Ted was certainly right; When we’re experiencing Hunt Camp each and every season, putting meat on the table for our families and friends, and honoring our God, we truly are enjoying the Spirit…….of that which is Wild. Hey Uncle Ted, give me a call, brother!

(Blaine Cardilli is a freelance outdoor writer and christian speaker who enjoys the prospect of sharing his faith in God with hunters & sportsmen in churches and hunting camps across the country. If you’d like to learn more about “Mountain-Man Outdoor Ministries”, would like to discuss hunting, the Bible, or both, or would like to invite Blaine into your camp or on your radio or television show, he can be reached at the following: www.facebook.com/theredneckpreacher or at indianwd@hotmail.com)

The Aroostook County Conservation Association and many other volunteers worked tirelessly to gather thousands of signatures to put on a petition that requested that Governor John Baldacci of Maine take immediate action to stop the seeming decimation of the whitetail deer herd that’s taking place in Northern, Eastern and portions of Western Maine. In the absence of Maine Rep. Bernard Ayotte (Caswell), the petition was delivered to the governor by Maine Rep. Peter Edgecomb (Caribou) back in February.

According to a letter composed by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Deputy Commissioner, Paul Jacques, and dated April 2, 2010, Rep. Bernard Ayotte composed a letter to the department on March 8, 2010 seeking an update as to the status of the State’s application for an Incidental Take Permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as it would pertain to trapping in Canada Lynx designated critical habitat. Jacques’ response was varied, covering a plethora of items he lists as all the things his department is doing to stave off the continued destruction of Maine’s whitetail deer herd. Time and space prohibits addressing all issues but I would like to take the time to clarify at least one item that seems to always get left out of discussions. To do this requires some brief history.

In 2006, an organization called the Animal Protection Institute (API) filed a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), (API v. Martin), claiming essentially that the allowance of trapping in Canada lynx designated critical habitat areas was causing undue harm against the lynx and was a violation of the Endangered Species Act. (This lawsuit and others followed after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reversed a decision and declared the lynx an endangered species in portions of Maine and at the same time defining protected areas of habitat.)

On October 4, 2007 a Consent Decree was reached through the court between MDIFW and API. That decree put limitations on trapping in lynx habitat areas.

The Decree required the Commissioner to impose restrictions on trapping in WMDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11

Keep in mind that the Consent Degree applies to the Wildlife Management Districts (WMD) listed above. In addition to certain restrictions on leg-hold traps, cage traps and killer traps in the ten named zones, the decree banned snaring.

The Commissioner “shall not permit the use of snares for any purpose other than to catch beaver and bear unless and until the [DIFW] obtains an Incidental Take Permit [(ITP) ] explicitly authorizing additional uses of snares.”

It should be noted here that according to the information I have gathered in the past, the Maine Legislature, under the recommendation of the MDIFW Commissioner, Roland “Danny” Martin, banned snaring out of fear that more lawsuits would be brought against the state. I should also like to note the obvious, that should the Maine Legislature so desire, they can overturn or even modify that ban to accommodate efforts by the MDIFW to reduce predator kills on deer and protect the species as they are so mandated to do by law.

Getting back to the letter from Deputy Commissioner Jacques to Rep. Bernard Ayotte, Jacgues makes the following assertion:

Also, and this is important, the first lynx-trapping lawsuit was settled by a Consent Decree in Federal Court that included a ban on snares. The Consent Decree has to remain in place until a recreational trapping ITP is obtained by the slate. This Department does not, therefore, have the authority to restart the snaring program at this time without violating a Federal Court order.

This statement is not entirely true and could be very misleading. Yes, I believe that, as I stated, the Maine Legislature has banned snaring. Under the circumstances of what most Maine sportsmen would classify an emergency situation, if that same sentiment were shared by the MDIFW leadership, they would request that this ban be lifted in the WMDs not designated as lynx critical habitat, being those ten zones named in the court ordered and approved Consent Decree.

If you look at the map of Maine, you’ll see all the Wildlife Management Districts as designated by the MDIFW. I have placed a large “X” over the ten WMDs listed by the Maine court as protected Canada lynx habitat where snaring is banned at least until MDIFW obtains an Incidental Take Permit. MIDFW Deputy Commissioner Jacques states that snaring is banned by court order and that’s not wholly true. The Consent Decree designates only WMDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11. Certainly those WMDs have severely diminished whitetail deer herds but so does WMDs 7, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, and most of 28. These are WMDs in Eastern and Western Maine that suffer from serious deer mortality.

One would think that if the MDIFW had any inclination at all that coyotes and other large predators were having any negative effect on the deer herd, a request would go out to the Maine Legislature seeking a modification to the ban on snaring. We can only assume they don’t think predation is a problem and continue to rely heavily on loss of habitat and Al Gore’s theories on global warming as the only culprits that are destroying Maine’s deer herd.

So now to the Incidental Take Permit. The 2007 Consent Decree prohibited the Commissioner to authorize snaring in WMDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, until such time as MDIFW obtained this illusive ITP. Even after Judge John A. Woodcock’s ruling in Animal Welfare Institute v. Roland D. Martin, the court ruled that any incidental taking of Canada lynx was not having any affect on the preservation of the Canada lynx. Nothing from the Consent Decree changed and in AWI v. Martin, Judge Woodcock refreshed our memories of the Consent Decree of 2007.

IF&W acted swiftly and on December 4, 2008, the Department adopted an emergency rule imposing further limitations on the manner in which Conibear traps could be legally set in Wildlife Management Districts 1 – 11

And the Animal Welfare Institute clarifies any confusion about whether all of Maine or only designated lynx habitat had been banned from snaring or using “killer” traps, by specifically soliciting the court to include WMD 7 with the other ten WMDs listed.

Following the hearing, AWI expressly asked for injunctive relief that would “(1) prohibit the use of leghold traps on land in the identified lynx WMDs as well as in WMD 7 where . . . lynx have been identified as present and have been trapped.

October 4, 2007, a Consent Decree was issued and MDIFW was told that snares and killer-type traps could not be used in Canada lynx habitat areas “until the [DIFW] obtains an Incidental Take Permit [(ITP) ] explicitly authorizing additional uses of snares.” It’s now April 19, 2010 and Maine appears no closer to obtaining an ITP than it did on October 5, 2007. How long does it take and what kind of serious effort is Maine putting into obtaining this permit?

It is my opinion that MDIFW doesn’t care whether they get a permit or not. It is my opinion the MDIFW does not see predators as any kind of problem that has had but the slightest of negative effects on the whitetail deer herd. All their money is riding on Al Gore and dumping the blame on landowners for cutting trees they own.

How many telephone calls has Roland Martin, MDIFW Commissioner, made to the USFWS pleading his case that Maine has a serious deer shortage problem? Has MDIFW ever heard of or considered utilization of the Endangered Species Act 10j rule? The 10j rule was put in place to make sure that at the cost of trying to protect one species we didn’t extirpate another.

Round and round she goes. Where she stops, nobody knows. If Lady Luck shines on MDIFW, their bets on global warming will pay off and the whitetail deer population in Northern, Eastern and Western Maine will magically reappear.

Tom Remington

The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance in co-operation with Trout Unlimited will host a free family fishing festival on Saturday, June 5. The festival will be held at Angevine Park on the North Road in Bethel, from 9 am to 2 pm, rain or shine. Free casting workshops and fly-tying instruction will be available throughout the day.

Local Maine guides and members of the Mollyockett Chapter of Trout Unlimited will teach the workshops. Instruction will include both spin casting and fly casting for older youth and parents. Maine’s Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program will supply complimentary rods and reels for use at the festival.

Families can practice newly learned casting skills in the one acre pond and are welcome to take home their catch. The pond will be stocked with trout courtesy of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Each young angler will receive a mini-tackle box complete with bobber, sinkers and hook courtesy of the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance.

Kids can learn how to tie flies with materials provided by local outfitters and fly shops. Children will be able to take home their hand-tied flies.

Families participating in the event will be eligible for door prizes from local outfitters and businesses as well as L.L. Bean and Kittery Trading Post. The Bethel Fire Dept. will host a barbecue of hotdogs and hamburgers, chips, and drinks and families are welcome to bring a pack lunch.

The weekend of June 5 and 6 is a free fishing weekend in Maine. Resident and Non-resident freshwater fishing licenses are waived each day.

The Family Fishing Festival is one many nationwide events that provide families with an opportunity to have fun on the water. The events are promoted by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (www.rbff.org). For those families wishing to stay overnight and fish or canoe the Androscoggin River on Sunday, special family packages are available for the weekend at local lodging establishments.

For information on the Family Fishing Festival, contact the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance at 207-824-3694, fish@upperandro.com or www.upperandro.com

“God Has a Sign And It Reads: Gone Huntin – Part II“, is now available for reading.

Okay, before you go into a tizzy and start screaming “blasphemy” or some other nonsense, give me a chance to explain the title. Believe me, it’s warranted. Many people in this country have fought long and hard to remove God from the docket, but I’m here to tell you, he’s alive and well, and rooted deep inside the hearts of a lot of American sportsmen.

Did you know that in Genesis, Chapter 9, God commissioned man with the job of wildlife management? He did. Did you know that Nimrod and Esau were very skilled hunters who hit the woods and fields with bows and arrows harvesting wild game for food? They were. Did you know that deer, antelope and other wild game were the chosen foods, even before man started eating domesticated meat? Read Deuteronomy Chapter 12. Did you know in Proverbs 12:27 it says that a lazy man neglects to roast his game, but the substance, (the meat taken through hunting), of the diligent man is considered precious? Well, it is. How about in Acts Chapter 10 where God himself commanded the apostle Peter to “rise, kill and eat” when he was hungry…and the passage spoke specifically about animals?

Yup…it’s all in there. The list of scriptures goes on and on my friend. And don’t even start about fishing. Jesus and several of the apostles were fishermen; some of whom even cast “lines” for fish, as well as nets. It was Jesus himself in John Chapter 21 who broiled some fish over a campfire for breakfast, and you outdoors-folk will also be glad to know that an occasional beer or glass of wine is not anti-biblical, no matter what you thought you heard. That’s right, I said it and I can back it all up.

So what’s with the title of this article? Why would it say that God has…’Gone Huntin’”? It’s because I’m bringing him into any and every hunting camp that will personally invite us both in, that’s why.

Not Just Inside Four walls

I’m a hunter, born and bred, and I’ve fished since the age of seven. I’ve got more outdoor stories inside me than you can shake a stick at, and yes, I was raised like most country boys, with a good Mama and a strong Christian background.

However, sad as it may seem, many outdoorsmen today, myself included, have little time for the standard church ceremonies. And I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, and I’m certainly not blaming anyone. Most of my friends are what I affectionately call “modern rednecks”, and that’s a good thing. The guys and gals I know, who love to share hunting and fishing stories over an open fire-pit in the summertime, are also God-fearing, red-blooded Americans, and very proud of it! They work extremely hard…often six days a week or more, they love their families, and any time off they may get, is spent out in the woods and fields or on the water, with family and friends in tow.

Unfortunately, many of us only get the traditional Sunday off as a day of rest, and though we firmly love God…and our pastors…we find it difficult at best to squeeze in a mid-day or evening service that could potentially be spent in camp or on the lake. Obviously, I need to stress that anytime we, as individuals, can make the time to go to church, we should. Our families need the support and so do the countless pastors who strive hard to keep us spiritually fed and “on track”. However, there are a myriad of sportsmen across the country who simply feel they don’t have time on Sunday, and who instead, go “out there”, all the while just trying to enjoy themselves after a hard week, yet still feeling a sense of guilt about it. And that’s where I come in…

Spiritual ‘Road Trips’

About two years ago, I was struggling as a concrete contractor, (self-employed), and found myself working long, hard hours, often six and seven days a week, just to keep the jobs moving. I found that there was little time for church anymore, and with my spiritual upbringing, I was guilt-ridden, especially if I tried to squeeze in a few days for spring turkey hunting or fall deer hunting. In time, I messed up my back and found I couldn’t do the strenuous work anymore so I quit…and immediately found myself unemployed and practically starving. The up side was that my situation drove me back to the books and most importantly, my Bible, and after many months of contemplating where my life was headed, I made the decision to bring both my faith and my outdoor passions, together. The only thing I didn’t want to do was change who I was and become some stuffy old Bible-thumper, knocking on people’s doors and shoving “God” down everyone’s throats. One day it came to me that I didn’t have to change, and ‘Mountain-Man Outdoor Ministries’ was born.

I won’t bore you with details but suffice it to say I’m a redneck, a hunter, a fisherman, and an outdoorsman, and I just happen to like sharing my faith when I can. What better way to do that than to just “be me”, and preach the Word, redneck attitude and all, through which I have also been appropriately referred to as “The Redneck Preacher”. Funny how God works sometimes, isn’t it? We are developing outreaches and programs designed to help kids, and are very interested in working to help set-up special hunts and trips for special people, (any age, disabled or incapacitated beyond their means), who are unable to enjoy hunting on their own anymore.

I’d like to think that the many friends and contacts I’ve made in the professional outdoor industry would be willing to help me in this venture by donating trips, hunts, and much needed gear. If you or anyone you know, wishes to become an active partner in this ministry, please contact me. I am available for interviews, discussions, and studies, and would love to be invited into your hunting camp this season! There’s no better way for me to share my faith than to visit hunting camps across America, share some campfires with redneck sportsmen just like me, hunt and fish with them, and, in effect, bring God straight into the heart of the American Hunting Camp.

I just wonder how many invitations I’ll actually get! You think Waddell and The Nuge could stand the extra excitement in camp? A Redneck Preacher with a Bible in one hand, a rifle or shotgun in the other, and a turkey call hanging out the side of my mouth. Hmmmm….I dunno… Let’s praise God, pass the ammo, and find out. And did I warn you I’d be bringing a camera and cameraman along for the ride? I didn’t? Uh oh…

(Blaine Cardilli is a freelance outdoor writer, industry prostaffer, and seminar speaker on hunting; He also enjoys teaching christian studies to rednecks & sportsmen, and has been referred to as The Redneck Preacher. He can be reached on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theredneckpreacher)

PORTLAND, ME – Fly Fishing in Maine (FFIM) is proud to present screenings of “The Good Life – Tall Tails from the East”, a fly fishing feature film produced by Maine native Carter Davidson. The event, hosted by FFIM, will be at the Frontier Cafe and Cinema in Brunswick on April 15, at two separate showtimes of 6:00pm and 7:30pm.

This is the 3rd full-length feature from Gray Ghost Productions, with last year’s “East by Northeast” exciting angling audiences with amazing footage from all over Maine, New Hampshire and beyond. This year’s film tours the better part of the East from Labrador to the Florida Keys and everything in-between. Hitch a ride in the flying Beaver with Luke Gray in search of huge Eastern Brook Trout and enormous Northerns. Check out the alluring saltwater for Stripers in the north or toothy monsters of the southern latitudes. From Peacock Bass to Landlock Salmon, from urban pools teeming with silver Shad to remote runs with glorious trout and a dash of the occasional Stonefly hatch, this film is proof that the good life is never too far away.

The Frontier is a stunning intimate venue located in the Ft. Andros complex, with excellent food and a unique collection of beverages. FFIM’s Dan Tarkinson adds, “The Frontier has quickly become somewhat of a favorite in the Maine Fly Fishing community. We’ve held several events there now, and the crowd and ambience of the theater have always gelled so well. We’re very pumped to be able to showcase the film-making talents of Carter Davidson and the Gray Ghost Productions crew at such a fine establishment”.

Due to limited capacity, we strongly recommend ordering your tickets in advance, by either purchasing online with a credit card at
http://www.flyfishinginmaine.org/thegoodlife/, or by calling the theater at (207)-725-5222.

The event festivities will also include several door prizes for each screening, as well as the chance at some larger fund-raising raffles, including a 2-person Pontoon Boat to be raffled off at the annual FFIM Conclave in June.

All proceeds from this event and the raffles will go to the FFIM Grassroots Grant fund. FFIM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Past recipients of FFIM Grassroots Grants have included Trout Unlimited, Casting For Recovery, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and many more. Among the beneficiaries this year is the Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited, providing them with a grant for their “5-in-5″ Southern Maine pond reclamation program.

For more information about Fly Fishing in Maine, please visit our website at http://www.flyfishinginmaine.org/

For more information about “The Good Life”, including the trailer and where you can purchase a DVD copy, visit their website at http://www.ggpfilms.com/

I have written at length about the dire predicament that exists in Northern and Eastern Maine with the whitetail deer herd. The general consensus is that there are three main factors – weather, habitat and predation. I dug around and put together population and harvest numbers for the past dozen years. These I’ve put to graphs so readers can get a better sense of the decline. Unlike the “climategate” scandal, where participants have been accused of “hiding the decline”, nobody is trying to hide the decline in deer population and harvest. The argument is what has caused it and what is being done about it?

Before you examine the graphs below, let me explain a couple things. Bear in mind that the data used is for population estimates and harvest numbers statewide. The whitetail deer crisis is for Northern Maine and Eastern Maine, comprising perhaps as much as two-thirds or more of the total state land mass. From information and accounts given, it appears the deer population and harvest figures for Central and Southern Maine remain steady or even growing in some places. I just did not have available data to plot out deer population estimates for the Northern and Eastern Wildlife Management Districts.

With the figures available and keeping in perspective that in Southern and Central areas the deer herd is stable, it’s easy to see that Northern and Eastern Maine deer herds are essentially non existent.

The first graph plots Maine’s estimated, post-hunt deer population beginning in 1998 and ending in 2008. The 2009 estimated, post-hunt deer population figure has not been made available to the public as of yet. At least that I am aware of at this time.

The Y-axis reveals the estimated deer population with a peak of 331,000 occurring in 1999 and a low in 2008 of 199,600. The years are displayed in the X-axis.

Maine Estimated Post-Hunt Deer Populations, 1998-2008

The second graph illustrates the deer harvest numbers for the years 1998-2009. Unlike the deer population which is estimated, the harvest numbers are actual shot and registered deer (required by law). The Y-axis shows the harvest numbers, with a peak occurring in 2002 or 38,153 and a low just this past hunting season of 18,045.

You can do your own calculating if you wish to guess what the post-hunt deer population for this year will be. Each season the harvest becomes a percentage of the total population. Of course there are many things we don’t know, some of which are hunter participation, weather factors that keep hunters in doors, mortality rates other than hunting, etc.

Using a 11-year average of the percentage of harvest based on estimated populations, it’s feasible that this year’s post-hunt statewide estimated deer population could be as low as 150,000.

Maine’s Deer Harvest Numbers for Years, 1998-2009

Tom Remington

I’m sure I will be chastised for daring to suggest that the majority of the Maine Warden Service should be funded by general tax dollars rather than by license fees paid by Maine’s outdoor sportsmen. This isn’t a commentary on how well the Maine Warden Service does its job or how necessary or not the functions that they take on are. I take no issue with the head of the Maine Warden Service, Col. Joel Wilkinson or anyone in his staff. No, really! Some of my best friends are Maine Wardens (I just had to get that in there.)

Regardless that I have taken the time to clarify what I’m not trying to do, I will be demonized because I’m suggesting a different method of funding a Maine law enforcement agency, that has grown beyond “game wardens”, to a point where enforcing game laws is not the main function of this agency, or so it appears to me. Because I oppose how the department is funded, I will be accused of having a bone to pick with the Maine Warden Service or some other ridiculous notion. Let’s get beyond that.

I reader sent me a link to an article that appeared this morning in the Kennebec Journal. The piece was about efforts undertaken by two members of the Maine Warden Service to police illegal dumping by morons on private property. Illegal dumping can be an issue in some areas and especially with strict guidelines for refuse disposal and fees attached with it. But again, this is not the issue here for me. The issue is, why are my hunting and fishing license fees being used to pay the salaries of two or more agents of the Maine Warden Service to police private property in hopes of catching the idiots who are dumping garbage there?

The article has one of the Wardens explaining it this way.

“What concerns me is, as this keeps shaping up, owners of the land will post the property so there will be loss of access for people to use it for recreation,”

That’s a commendable concern but it still doesn’t answer my question. The same sentiment could probably be found in nearly every community throughout Maine. I should also point out at this time that the article continues informing readers about the efforts underway, many through volunteers, to clean up old dump sites and better monitor areas that seem prone to illegal dumping. These efforts should be commended.

The Maine Warden Service is part of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. There once was a day when the wardens took care of poachers, checked sportsmen for licenses and enforced the fish and game laws. A visit to the website of the Warden Service and we quickly see this is not the case any longer.

Col. Wilkinson writes that things have changed in the 128 years the Maine Warden Service has been operational. He also says that “demands from the public” have increased the Service’s responsibilities. Who could disagree? The problem is, the general public, and through the State Legislature, have dumped all these demands on the Service without providing the funding to do the job. As a result, they have sucked the money out of fish and wildlife funds, license fees, etc., and wildlife management has suffered while Game Wardens are out chasing down people ignorant and uncaring enough to get rid of their garbage on private land.

In the “Mission” of the Maine Warden Service we begin to get a picture of just how the responsibilities have grown from enforcement of “fish and game” to the “protection and conservation of Maine’s natural resources” and “public safety”. Here’s a list of many of those responsibilities.

1. Search and Rescue (More than 350 search and rescue missions each year.)
2. Fish and Wildlife law enforcement
3. Recreational Vehicle law enforcement
4. Policing the Whitewater rafting industry
5. Investigation and enforcement of environmental laws

This is a broad overview and upon examination of the written purpose and function of the Service, their responsibilities are so broad they could pretty much include everything.

But probably most or all of these functions require somebody’s oversight and perhaps the Maine Warden Service is the best group to do it. But search and rescue, recreational vehicle law enforcement, patrolling dump sites, investigation of environmental law infractions and policing the whitewater rafting industry should not be paid for through fees collected by hunters, fishermen and trappers. Losing those fees are directly responsible for the loss of quality fish and game management. At a time when Maine is facing a serious whitetail deer management crisis (yes, it is a crisis) it kicks you in the guts when you read that two game wardens are spending their time monitoring a dump site. As important as it is to stop the dumping and to bring those responsible to justice, this law enforcement activity has to be paid for through general taxation.

For those who have read me before, you know where I stand on how to fund the Maine Department of Fish and Wildlife. If you would like to read more specifics, start at this link and also follow the related links at the bottom of the page.

There are some advocating that things should remain being run the way they are only that funding be shared between license and registration fees and a percentage of tax dollars. Gov. Baldacci has tried unsuccessfully to create a super department cramming fish and game, conservation and other departments all into one. I oppose both these formulas and advocate a complete restructuring of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, moving all non game programs into the Department of Conservation and/or Law Enforcement and pay for dump site monitoring, for example, through general tax money. Fish and game would be pared back to what should be their function and that’s managing the state’s fish and game. Perhaps, just perhaps, Maine wouldn’t be faced with an extirpation of whitetail deer in the northern half of the state.

Tom Remington

At the time of this writing, it’s the end of March, 2010, and turkey season is about 5 weeks away! It’s a time of excitement for most turkey hunters, as we dig out all the gear, unpack the decoys, and play with our calls. For me, turkey hunting has become a passion and there’s nothing I’d rather do than watch the spring woods wake up at dawn, with my back against a nice big tree. Maine is still relatively new as far as turkey hunting goes, and it seems like only yesterday when we were given our first chance to go chase the wily gobbler. Actually, my area, (the Midcoast region of Maine), didn’t open up to public hunting until 1996 and though many seemed interested, few hunters were successful those first couple years.

I didn’t take an interest until 1998 but back then we were under a lottery system for tags. Sadly, I wasn’t chosen the first few times I entered but that didn’t stop me from hitting the woods to see what all the fuss was about, and I simply traded my weapon for a set of calls and a good pair of optics. The turkey population was sparse in the early days and to hear a distant gobble made my heart race and my blood boil as I took off running through the woods, hoping to get close enough to watch and observe. Having no turkey hunting experience whatsoever, I literally had to learn by trial and error, and one thing that really helped me was to watch them at any and every opportunity, studying their habits, calls, and flock interactions. I even learned enough to become involved in calling in turkeys for friends who were fortunate enough to secure a tag in the beginning when I had none, and so no season afield ever went to waste in my book.

Suffice it to say I’ve come a long way since my initial start in 1998, and the past 12 years have seen a lot of fine-tuning on my part. One of the many things I’ve had to struggle with is the use of decoys and decoy set-ups on turkeys. Like I said, it’s been trial and error mostly, but by trying new strategies each season, I’ve learned what works for me and what doesn’t. Now mind you, nothing is guaranteed in turkey hunting, and no set-up is by any means fool-proof, but if you use a little common sense and Yankee ingenuity, decoys can greatly enhance a hunters spring success.

The ‘Three-Phases’ of Decoy Use

Many times, during the early days of my toying with decoys, there were accepted scenarios already abroad, such as using a single hen, or the infamous ‘love triangle’ approach, in which two jake decoys were placed, (a passive model and an aggressive model), in conjunction with the hen. Unfortunately, the triangle, though it worked well for two back-to-back seasons, abruptly stopped producing for me. In fact, many times the decoys seemed to spook the turkeys, a problem many turkey hunters today still argue about. I won’t forget the first time it happened to me either. I was being filmed for a DVD series and things were looking pretty good. We had struck a gobbler and my calls had managed to lure him some 350-400 yards, through a small patch of woods, across a brook, and up a steep hill, and as the producer readied the big camera for the final scene, the gobbler hung up when he stepped over a stone wall and saw the decoys. He had been gobbling at every call and coming on a string but on looking back, it was the aggressive jake that shut him up and made him run. As soon as he saw it he went the other way…in a hurry!

For me…and through 3-4 seasons of experimentation in which I had nothing to lose…I discovered what I’ve come to call the “3-phases” of decoy use during the spring season. Here in the extreme northeast, our turkeys start to gobble and strut generally in or around the end of March, and active breeding commences in April. Biologists claim that, on average, a hen could pretty much have a full clutch of eggs laid by May 1st, however many factors come into play that could cause these averages to fluctuate. That being said, here is what I, personally, consider to be the best decoy arrangements and when to implement them.

Since our season opens around May 1st and runs for five consecutive weeks, ending the first week in June, I find that putting out a strutting decoy, (and I prefer a tom over a jake), works best for the first week and a half, to two weeks, depending on conditions. This works especially well if used in conjunction with a sitting or breeding-hen decoy, placed nearby. About 2-3 weeks into the season, I’ll swap out the strutter decoy for a standing jake and a standing hen…or even two. As the fourth and fifth weeks come along, I’ll often switch to just a few hens, and depending on the way the breeding season has taken shape, I might only use one.

The reasoning is fairly simple. At the onset of the season, toms and jakes are ready for action and ready to breed; dominance and territorial urges, coupled with the need to mate are strong and so a strutting decoy over a sitting hen often ignites raging jealousy, amidst toms and jakes alike. A boss gobbler who sees a strutter over a hen in his domain will absolutely not tolerate it, and will oftentimes come to the set-up at a full run. If left to see what happens, the boss tom usually tries to fight the decoy before trying to breed the sitting hen.

As the season hits about half way, many toms and jakes have been in so many battles they’re about wore-out, and many times a strutting decoy will scare off a subordinate tom, who just doesn’t have it in him to fight what appears to be another boss gobbler. That’s why switching to a passive jake and a standing hen works well, because the combination of both, especially with a jake who isn’t showing aggression, often allows a sense of security for another tom, even a subordinate, to come in and investigate without the fear of being immediately run off. As to the final week or weeks of the season, I’ve seen incoming toms freeze-up and hang back, even in full strut, if I have a jake decoy near my hen(s). That’s when I switch to only hens in standing or feeding positions. The afore-mentioned hunt in which the gobbler hung up at my decoys happened at the end of the season, and when I had an aggressive jake decoy in the mix.

The scenarios are far from foolproof, as I mentioned earlier, but for me this is what I have found to be a fairly reliable series of set-ups. And of course, with weather conditions and flock sizes, population fluctuations and other contributing factors, the timing could be off a few days either way as to when to switch-out my decoys. But… I’ll know when it’s time merely by watching how the turkeys react. And as to explanations concerning aggressive and passive jakes, keep this in mind… A passive jake will have less red coloration in the head and neck, being almost blue or white. This not only signifies submission, but a breeding attitude as well. An aggressive jake will have a full or mostly red color about the head and neck, and this is, as us rednecks would put it, is a sign he ain’t gonna put up with much from an approaching intruder.

Hopefully, this will give you the confidence you need in trying new decoy strategies this season. Decoys can play a major role in the success or failure of a turkey hunt, and only by experimentation can one become familiar with what to do and what not to do. Good luck in the coming weeks and above all, be safe! Carry your decoys well-concealed in a vest or bag, and when possible consider using a blaze orange hat when transporting both decoys or your harvested turkey.

(Blaine Cardilli is a freelance outdoor writer from Warren, Maine, and is currently on Prostaff with Hunters Specialties and Ameristep Quality Hunting; Blaine is also the vice president of the Midcoast Maine Chapter of the NWTF. He enjoys conducting spring & fall seminars on deer and turkey hunting)