Here we are about half way done with deer season. It has been an exciting one, seen does, tons of sign from the bucks. I have yet to find a buck to read the script where he is supposed to enter stage right yet, but, it’s only a matter of time. Yesterday was one of those moments that the non-hunter will never understand why we love this so much. Shortly after four as the birds became quiet, the backwoods swamp I was sitting on grew darker, and it was just one of those moments that you didn’t want to end. I sat right up until legal time and unloaded my 30-30. Used my flashlight to find my way out to the trail and back home. I am also growing with excitement as I will be heading to Vermont on the 18th to do some hunting/filming for a tv show I am crew member for. Will be spending those days into Northwoods Outdoor Adventures, located in West Topsham, Vermont. Was out there for bear season back in September and have been itching to go back since. Well, supposed to rain this afternoon, temperatures are rising so we need to get out there this morning and see what will happen. Good luck hunting and most of all have fun!!!!

Here we are just over a week into our Maine 2010 firearms season for that elusive whitetail deer. The season has started off great as I had a few friends throughout the first week come up to hunt with me. Although no one tagged out we had a great time. We have seen does almost each time out and will be back at it tomorrow. I am hunting an old familiar spot but this year there seems to be quite a rebound in deer and sign. I have seen more scrapes and rubs then I have ever seen. It would be a real fair statement to say the buck to doe ratio where I am hunting is real good. Everyone that see a deer or shot one from this past Saturday said the buck was chasing doe. It appears to be a tad early this year but that was predicted and expected due to what we have seen. This week should be a real good chance to tag out. Get out there and put your time in, find the does, hunt the food sources and eventually you will have a buck cross your paths, then, shoot straight and the work begins…Good luck.

Well, I know that up here in Maine we certainly have it milder then the majority of other places across this country.  I probably have no right to complain, but I’m going to.  It sure is the dog days of summer.  When you sit here and sweat like your porting a canoe a mile it’s just plain miserable.  I hate to push summer on for those who love the heat and enjoy boating, swimming or whatever other summertime event you participate in.   Although, I am longing for that cold morning sitting in a tree stand.  That time is quickly approaching us.  We have the drawing of the antlerless deer permit coming up on us quickly.  Of course there are  alot less tags out there this year(which is something that I will go into and state my opinion on tomorrow).  I have been in the woods doing some scouting and am currently looking for a couple new tree stands as one of the spots I frequently hunt had a major cutting done in it this past winter/spring.  Well, I hope you are all staying cool and for those who hate the heat as much as I do….think about that opening morning sitting in your deer stand with teeth chattering.

Well after quite some time I am back.  This time to stay.  Due to career changes and different things going on, I needed to step back and get things in order.  That has all been accomplished and I am back with new ideas, plans and look forward to reconnecting with all of you and making new contacts. 

Bear with me as I get familiar with the new layout and take a day or so to get my feet underneath me.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I sit here and think to myself that I am the richest man alive.  No, I do not have loads of money in my bank account.  Or a great mansion, nice cars or all the toys that I would desire.  However, I do sit here with the my wife and son.  I had a great day with my family.  I have the great assurance of Heaven my home.  I live probably the greatest part of the country for an outdoor enthusiasts. 

I also want to thank everyone who stops in and checks out my blog.  I wish you all a great holiday season.

Mike Huckabee was recently named among the top 25 in this list.  Alongside names like Ted Nugent and the Cabela brothers.  Huckabee is currently the governor of Arkansas, where he has served for several years now.

We are a long ways off from election day and I am certainly a ways off from making a decision of who I want to be the next leader of our country.  With that said candidate Huckabee gets a positive check for all of his great work in preserving and promoting hunting, fishing and the great outdoors.

Hello again all. I am back with the Skinny Moose gang blogging again. I am excited and glad to be back and things here at the homefront have settled down, which will allow me sometime to get on here and devote the time needed to blog again.

There has been a lot happening that I will catch everyone up on over the next few days/weeks. I am in the midst of deer season right now and have not had much luck. I guess due to the warm weather and late rut activity.

Check back as I will be  filling you in on what’s been going on and current news as well.

LL Bean is in the preliminary stages of making an outdoor theme park.  The park would be located about a mile from the main store in Freeport, Maine.  The company already owns the 700 acres that the park would sit on.  The park would offer hotels, restaurants, and activities for outdoor enthusiasts.  You will find no log flumes, roller coasters, or carnival rides.  The plan is to have rock climbing walls, ponds to “try” out equipment, and other outdoor activities that will attract customers to their site.  Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops already have an inside the store kind of deal for this idea.

You can read further into more details here.

I recently received a message from my friend Marshall over at Desert Rat.  Marshall recently wrote a posts covering the severity of the issues that come along with illegal immigrants.  Whether you think they should be able to come over here or not you must see the devastation they are causing to our land.  I am certain we all can agree that that aspect of this needs to stop.  Whether you hunt, fish, hike, bike, or are for saving the land, I am sure you would support something being done about this.

I know we are up here in the northeast part of the country and this is not our hunting ground, this is not in our backyard, and I know how folks up this way can be, “unless it effects us, who cares”.  My belief is outdoor enthusiasts need to join together as we are a BIG club.  The big thing is good hunting ground is diminishing, we as outdoorsmen already face enough of this without illegal activities coming into play with it.

Recently here in Maine we had the Wildlife Alliance of Maine and the Humane Society attempt to ban recreational trapping of bear through bill LD1635.  Thankfully the Joint Standing Committee, House, and Senate all chose to oppose this bill.  Those who oppose trapping have promised to bring this back in referendum form.  So, the Maine people will once again be able to vote on the issue of bear trapping.  I say again because if you remember this same group under a different name back in 2004 attempted to ban bear trapping, baiting of bear, and hunting bear with hounds.  They have gained more support, money, and strategically put into play a way to get there foot in the door to take away bear trapping.  Of course we have to realize they will not stop there.  These groups will not be happy until they have completely taken away all trapping, hunting, fishing, and whatever other activity they don’t “agree” with.

One of the main tactics these groups use is to say that the act of trapping is “barbaric”.  They put the image of the old steel traps in our minds.  While the fact is that the trappers of Maine compromised with these groups a couple years back and agreed to ban the “steel traps”.  These have been replaced with snares that are and have been used by game departments to manage nuisance bears for sometime now.

The problem is the majority of Maine residents still have the pictures of the steel traps in their mind.  Of course, those who oppose trapping will use this to their advantage.  When they show bear trapping footage, pictures, and videos it will be traps that look enormous and super dangerous.  While in fact that is not the case.  These snares are a very humane way of trapping these animals.  If these groups did not think this then why didn’t they go for the use of “nuisance” bear trapping as well.

This is the old type traps.  This is what they will show.  This is what they say are barbaric and cause the animals great suffering and pain.  They are also counting on people being uninformed that the Maine Trappers Association and other trappers here in Maine compromised in order to keep hold of this great tradition.

These are what in fact are used.  I have seen bears caught in these traps both on the lower leg, upper leg, and paw.  There was no damage to the leg.  The animals were not suffering and in horrible pain as they want you to believe.  This is a practice that has been going on by inland fisheries and wildlife department for many years in order to manage and move nuisance animals.  I recently came across a picture on the mass wildlife page that shows a bear caught in a snare trap.  This was trapped by the department of wildlife due to being a nuisance.  You can see how the animal is not in immense pain.

I will be covering different aspects of trapping, bear trapping, and these anti-trapping groups.  I feel it is very important that people be educated on their tactics.  They are counting on people not knowing ALL the facts about this great Maine tradition.