Monthly Archives: August 2012

Tie Me Wallaby Down Boys

You’ll have to tie me wallaby down boys – if you want to keep him. Officials at Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife decided to allow Michelle Charette and her family of Island Falls to keep their wallaby, with severe restrictions. Michelle ran afoul of the law by accepting the gift of a wallaby, […]

Conservation Voters Endorsements Skew to Democrats

While many groups representing sportsmen and environmentalists sit on the electoral sidelines, the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) and Maine Conservation Voters (MCV) are two powerhouses in this year’s election. Their endorsements influence many voters well beyond their members. Both groups include a nonprofit organization and a political action committee. SAM’s candidate endorsements won’t be […]

The Battle Against Invasive Fish

 It’s a battle we’ve been losing for decades, as illegally introduced invasive fish species have been spread throughout the state, while concerned anglers and Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife could find no way to stop them or the idiots who spread them from water to water. On August 16, the Sportsman’s Alliance of […]

DIF&W May Invest in Gun Ranges

A dramatic increase in federal funds has Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife looking at the possibility of investing in the state’s gun ranges and purchasing more wildlife habitat. And they need your help. This story begins with the election of President Barak Obama, an event that sent the sales of firearms through the […]

Crappie Messages on Invasive Fish Species

  In what may be a watershed (literally) event, the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine on August 16 will host a meeting on invasive fish species. I plan to attend, participate, and write about this important event. And I’ve just posted a preview of the event in the Outdoor News blog on my website: www.georgesmithmaine.com. The mixed […]

Smelter Gets Bagged by Game Warden

When does a one-quart bag hold more than one quart? Apparently, when it is used to hold a quart of smelts. Of course, that depends on the warden who checks your limit of smelts. For two decades I’ve been expressing concern about the inconsistency of enforcement of some fish and game laws. Sportsmen need to […]

Great Summer Reads by Maine Authors

You may be an obsessive reader like me, toting books to your deer stand, reading the newspaper in your turkey blind. Or you may be a casual reader who borrows a couple of novels from the local library for summer vacation reading. No matter where you fall on the reader scale, you’re probably going to […]