During the busy holiday season, the BDN Outdoors has been busy writing about a variety of critters, from lynx to tufted titmouse. It’s still unclear whether it’ll be a white Christmas here in Bangor, but we have our fingers crossed. Both John Holyoke and I enjoy the snow, and we’re gearing up to ski, snowshoe and engage in some competitive tobogganing. (Yes, we’re doing that again this year.) But in the meantime, we’ll trudge through the mud and rain looking for more critter stories, I guess. Here are a few we’ve come up with lately.
— Aislinn Sarnacki
Maine wildlife agency spent $31,000 to defeat bear hunting referendum
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spent at least $31,000 on campaign materials, television ads, debate coaching and staff time to fight Question 1, the citizen initiative to ban bear baiting, trapping and hounding in Maine. The spending was detailed in internal agency documents and invoices recently released to the Bangor Daily News under the Maine Freedom of Access Act.
New lynx estimate will help Maine, federal wildlife agencies deal with trapping concerns
When state wildlife officials petitioned to allow trapping for fisher and pine marten in areas where threatened Canada lynx live, they were required to formulate a plan that would minimize the chances of lynx being accidentally captured in those traps. That petition was approved in November.
However, on Monday, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife ordered the halt of all above-ground trapping in the northern half of the state in response to the death of two Canada lynx that were killed in traps this fall.
Blog log
Act Out with Aislinn: 1-minute hike: Birch Mountain Ledges, Peaks-Kenny State Park
Looking for a place to snowshoe, ski or fish this winter? Check out Peaks-Kenny State Park. The gate may be closed, but the trails are open for people to explore, and Sebec Lake is full of trout and salmon.
Out There: $100 for a Grand Lake Stream camp? You bet … if you’re lucky
Always wanted a camp in one of Maine’s premiere outdoor playgrounds? Well, here’s your chance: The Grand Lake Stream Guides Association is raffling off a camp worth about $50,000. The camp is on owned — not leased — land, and the lot is about an acre in size. Tickets are available for $100, and the drawing is set for Dec. 31. Happy New Year to the winner!
George’s Outdoor News: Correcting PETA’s myths about deer hunting
On Friday morning, Nov. 18, 2011, I nearly choked on my breakfast cereal when I opened my morning newspaper and saw, spread all across the top of the OpEd page, a diatribe against deer hunters by Paula Moore of PETA, a radical national animal rights organization.
Given the fact that Maine sportsmen just spent more than $2.5 million to defeat a ballot initiative from another national group, the Humane Society of the United States, perhaps this column, originally published in 2011, will be of interest.
On the horizon
The air will come alive with the sound of snowmobiles in January, as East Coast Snowcross kicks off its 2015 schedule with a stop at Bass Park in Bangor. John will tell you all about plans for the event, which is being presented by the Eastern Maine Community College Foundation.
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