With all of the digging out finally completed, Mainers will likely be ready to start thinking warmer thoughts this weekend. Luckily, the Penobscot County Conservation Association has just the thing on tap for antsy outdoors folk.
It’s showtime, and the 80th edition of the Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show will take over the New Balance Field House, Memorial Gym and Stanley Wallace Pool at the University of Maine in Orono from Friday through Sunday.
Show hours: Friday 4 p.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets are $8 for those age 12 and older; a weekend pass is available for $12.
As usual, the BDN will have a booth where we’ll be happy to chat with readers and accept entries in our 16th annual Win a Drift Boat Trip Contest. Our own Aislinn Sarnacki will join me at the booth from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday; if you want to see her, that’s when you should plan on stopping by.
Each year the show presents all kinds of interesting seminars and presentations, and visitors often stop by our booth and ask if we have any suggestions on what they ought to check out. The truth is, that all depends on what day you show up; presentations differ from day to day. You can get your hands on a complete list of those presentations here.
But here’s a bit more guidance: A brief list of the presentations I’d love to check out, if I weren’t stuck at the BDN booth for 23 straight hours.
— Go see Aislinn! C’mon — You thought I was going to suggest something else as my first pick? Nonsense. She’ll be talking about Family Friendly Hikes in Maine Sunday at noon, and will have some copies of her book (not coincidentally titled “Family Friendly Hikes in Maine”) that she’d be glad to sign for you.
— Who doesn’t love owls? Nobody, that’s who … or hoo … except for those cute little mice that the owls tend to pick off and gobble up … but that’s another story. Trust me, your kids won’t want to miss the live owls presentation that Grayson Richmond of Birdsacre Sanctuary will put on. There are two time slots planned for Saturday. Richmond and the owls will be on stage at 11:45 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Go see this show. You’ll be glad you did.
— Want to know what’s new at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife? Got a question for one of the DIF&W’s top bosses? Stop by and bend Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody’s ear at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Or heck, show up an hour early, watch the owls, and stay to hear Peabody’s question and answer session.
— You love dogs. I love dogs. Let’s learn about dogs. The PCCA has a few cool options for dog-lovers this year, and you might want to check these programs out. First, if you’re a fan of North Woods Law, you might have heard of Maine Game Warden Alan Curtis. He’ll be on stage at 5 p.m. on Saturday to demonstrate K-9 operations. He’ll be followed at 5:45 p.m. by a versatile hunting dogs demonstration by the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association. (NAVDA also has stage shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. on Sunday).
— The Guns Up Hunting Retriever Club will also put on a demonstration on stage at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, and at 11:45 a.m., 4:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the pool. They’ll wrap up their show at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, also in the pool.
— One of my favorite Maine guides is Captain Pete Douvarjo of Eggemoggin Guide Service, and he’ll be on hand to talk about offshore fishing for Tuna and Shark at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday. Don’t miss it. He’s quite a character, and full of great information.
— Birds? Check. Bears? Check. Deer? Check. If you’re a Maine hunter, you might want to check out one (or all three) of these Saturday seminars. First, Erik Blomberg of the University of Maine will talk about Maine’s upland game birds and the research that his institution is conducting. His classroom talk will take place at 12:30 p.m.
— Later in the day, at 5:45 p.m., Randy Cross of the DIF&W will present a talk titled “Down in the dens with Maine’s Black Bears.” I’ve interviewed Cross dozens of times, and trust me: You don’t want to miss this presentation. And finally, the DIF&W’s new deer biologist, Nathan Bieber, will talk about the state’s any-deer permit system and might mention some future changes during his 6:30 p.m. presentation.
And finally, if none of these options sound like much fun, do what us show regulars do: Go buy some ice cream and beef jerky and have yourself a feast.
John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.com or 990-8214. Follow him on Twitter: @JohnHolyoke
