Category Archives: Outdoor Rec.

Did you know American bitterns are surprisingly strong swimmers?

American bittern

I stopped at a small marsh in Springfield Friday morning. I’d seen Canada geese there and wanted to take a few photos. An acquaintance was there and we talked a few minutes about other birds she’d seen. I sat down to watch the geese, two of them, hoping that if I stayed still for a […]

Ten things I plan to do in 2015

tomah stream

Thanks to my fellow BDN bloggers and their support during my time of healing (end drama here) I have ideas of what to write here. It’s hard to blog about what I’m doing outdoors when I’m not doing anything – including indoors. Here are ten things I want to do this year as scribbled on […]

Politics, Hunting, and Sunrise on Democrat Ridge

Surise on Democrat Ridge

The television was spewing hateful political ads and bad news when Steve turned it on this morning. I wasn’t long in turning it off. Facebook wasn’t much better. I’m sick to death of all this trash talk. It seems like there’s no getting away from hate and discontent in today’s connected world, and Tuesday can’t […]

Getting Reacquainted & Outdoors Fitness

Hi! Remember me? “How vain it is to sit down to write, when you have not stood up to live.” Henry David Thoreau I’ve been away from this blog for a while. I have been living so much I’ve barely written a word in months. We fished a lot this summer. I caught the biggest […]

A testy bull moose at Sandy Stream Pond

Bull moose at Sandy Stream Pond, Baxter State Park

My sister Melissa called to invite me to hike in Baxter State Park. The weather was going to be perfect so we made a date to meet early Thursday morning. Snapping turtles are on the move. We saw five or six along the way, none willing to move out of the road at anything other […]

Gear Review: Mosquitno Wrist Bands and Spots

Mosquitno Spots

Mosquitno Wrist Bands and Spots Black fly and mosquito season overlap in Maine. Black fly season starts just about the time the brook trout start to bite. It’s poor timing. Black flies are enough to keep even dedicated anglers away from the water. I went out as prepared as possible with a Mosquitno Band on […]

Because Dad taught me to fish

Bob "Ski" Olesky, Dow Air Force Base, 1961

In honor of my dad, Bob “Ski” Olesky, with thanks for the many lessons I learned because he taught me to fish. Dad taught me how to fish. I think we must have started the day after we came home from the Philippines because I don’t remember not fishing. He gave me a small pole, […]

The soaking wet broad-winged hawk

The rain isn’t giving us a break over here in northern Washington County and I don’t do well with being housebound. “Want to go for a ride,” I asked Steve and Taylor. We rode out to Loon Bay on the St. Croix. I hoped to see moose but we didn’t. We stopped along the way […]

Banding woodcock with biologists and students

One of my favorite parts of spring is the Woodcock Singing Ground Survey Steve and I have been a part of for more than a decade. We added the Lambert Lake route this year, and our most interesting event happened on that route. Being an avid turkey hunter, I was excited to hear commotion in […]

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman is offering a Spring Mini Session

The Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program is co-sponsored by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and the Friends of Maine BOW. Becoming an Outdoors-Woman means becoming more competent, more confident and more aware. Becoming an Outdoors-Woman in Maine is accepting registrations for the 2014 Spring Mini. It will be held on Sunday, May 18 […]

Opening day of fly-fishing in Grand Lake Stream

Dedication. And passion. It takes dedication and passion to go out into two feet of snow, wind blowing, 26*, and cast a line into roaring water. Today is the opening day of fly-fishing and approximately two dozen fly-fishermen braved this April Fool’s Day weather to fish in Grand Lake Stream. If you are in one […]

Lifetime licenses are an investment in the future

Lifetime hunting and fishing licenses.

Lauren Cormier blogs over at Oh, Honestly!  She’s guest blogging with me today after purchasing lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for her sons (Her daughter isn’t quite two yet but will have hers in plenty of time.). Thanks, Lauren! I love to hear about kids who love the outdoors. By Lauren Cormier I grew up […]

The Eagles of Maggurewock Marsh

The American Bald eagles of Magurrewock Marsh in Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Baring can be seen in their nesting area on Rt 1 nearly year round. When I stopped to take these photos on March 21 or 22 neither were on the nest. I pushed the lens to its max on a gray day […]

Life in the Woods: Bald Eagle

Bald eagles are a wonderful sight…most of the time. When one is perched high in a tree and glancing at my ducks and chickens I get a bit concerned. Our English shepherd spent a couple of hours in the pen with the birds this afternoon to keep them safe.

There’s finally some action at the bird feeders!

Finally! After months of not having the usual winter birds at the feeding stations the snow buntings appeared yesterday. When I see them they’re up the road in the huge field or in a clearing on Democrat Ridge. As I understand it, they prefer open space to forest. A flash of white caught my eye […]

Maine Bear Hunting Referendum: hunting with Bob Tigro

This is an incredible story. Refill your coffee and get comfortable. You’ll be drawn in quickly. This is Bob Tigro’s story of bear and coyote hunting at Oxbow Lodge in Oxbow. What do coyotes have to do with hunting bears with bait, snares and hounds? If it weren’t for bear hunting Bob wouldn’t have made […]