Your last gift from Paul Fournier is ready to pick up.

Paul Fournier’s last gift to us, completed just before he died last August, is ready for you. Paul’s cover photo for Birds of a Feather is just one of the astonishing things this wonderful man accomplished in his life – a life lived outdoors.

I am very grateful that he had time to finish this book, published by Islandport Press in Yarmouth, because it’s a testament to all he learned, loved, and lived. Paul’s previous book, Tales from Misery Ridge, was entertaining as well as award winning.

There are more tales in Birds of a Feather, but most importantly, he has also left us with a lot of wisdom – wisdom he gained as a guide, bush pilot, sporting camp owner, TV program producer, photographer, outdoor writer, and information officer for Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Always, everywhere, he was outdoors, leading the life, capturing it in photos, videos, and words.

Thankfully, Paul leaves us with some important lessons. For example, he tells us about the expensive effort to overcome the illegal and unfortunate introduction of bait fish in Big Reed Pond, to restore Arctic char in one of the few remaining places these fish could still be found.

Some chapters offer insight and information on our favorite outdoor critters. I loved the chapter on “Superior Scents: The mysterious gift of smell in the animal kingdom.” You won’t believe it!

Paul also tackles controversial topics, such as the presence of cougars in our state. One of his stories shocked me, about a western Maine sporting camp that, back in the day, refused to accept Jews as clients. I’ve been at that camp!

He also spills the real – and sad – story of that young mother wearing and waving white gloves, who was shot and killed in the woods behind her house by a hunter in Penobscot County who thought he was seeing the white tail of a fleeing deer. After that hunter was acquitted of the charges, the legislature changed the law to make it clear that a hunter must see the entire deer before shooting.

Paul’s tribute to Landlocked salmon reminded me of how special – and often unappreciated – this native cold water fish is today in Maine. Anglers seem content to catch 12 to 14 inch hatchery salmon, a sad commentary on our diminished expectations.

Having taken more than a few members of the news media into the woods and on the waters for their outdoor stories, I really enjoyed “Frenzy in the Woods: The Media Goes Hunting.” In my experience, taking a reporter on a hunt guarantees you’ll see nothing. In fact, I took a news reporter turkey hunting yesterday for a radio news story. And you guessed it. We didn’t see any turkeys! It was the first time this month that we didn’t find them.

The final section of this book is titled, “For the Love of God’s Country.” Paul’s love of our state is lasting, humbling, exhilarating, and something – thanks to Birds of a Feather – we will appreciate for many many years to come.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Islandport Press, www.islandportpress.com, info@islandportpress.com, 207-846-3344.

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.