Monthly Archives: December 2011

Biologist earned his retirement pub tour

One of the gripes you hear in this line of work goes something like this: “Newspapers (or TV stations, or bloggers) spend too much time covering bad news. We want good news.” The people who say such things truly believe that’s what they want. I’m convinced of that. But the fact remains, “Dog doesn’t bite […]

Maine licenses are on sale … all you have to do is remember to carry one

Over the past several years, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has made it remarkably simple to purchase your hunting and fishing licenses on the Internet. That’s a very good thing. Most of the time. And after I tell you how you can get your hands on next year’s licenses today, I’ll let […]

Sugarloaf’s new chair lift up and running; good riddance to Spillway

On Saturday, officials at the Sugarloaf resort celebrated the opening of their new Skyline Quad, a four-person chairlift that replaced the Spillway East and West chairs. As you may remember an accident on Spillway injured several skiers, last year. That lift was removed during the off-season. And this bigger, better, faster chair is now in […]

Coyotes not a factor in incidental take discussions

For years, the question cropped up regularly at meetings of sportsmen and sportswomen around the state, and for years, then-commissioner Roland “Danny” Martin of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife offered similar responses. The question: When is the state going to restart its coyote-snaring program? And the answer: Not before the state receives […]

And now a word from our readers: Check these salmon photos

Bangor Daily News readers often send me comments and suggestions. Luckily, most are even repeatable. They also send me photos. Cool photos. Photos that make you say, “I wish I was there to see that.” That was the case in late November, when Peter Stone of Enfield emailed me a pair of pictures that nearly […]

Bangor a winter wonderland? Tell us something we don’t know

I’m a Bangor guy. Well, to be more precise, I’m a Brewer guy who got lost and ended up on the wrong side of the river. Either way, this is my home. I’m proud to be from here … and to remain here. And when some national magazine or website or pundit singles out Bangor […]

Incidental take permit sessions on tap this week

Sorry for the repetition, but it’s time to say the magic words again: Incidental take permit. As I mentioned a few Out There posts again, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for just such a permit, which would authorize the incidental take of Canada […]

Back Pain 101, or how to injure yourself while putting on your pants

For 47 years (save one humbling incident a decade ago), I was was among those fortunate folks who had only a passing acquaintance with back pain. Friends, relatives and co-workers have complained about various back ailments for years. I always tried to tell them I understood, that, as a former president might have said, “I […]

I’m now on Twitter. One question: What’s a smart phone?

Honestly, I’m not as technologically limited as the headline suggests. Really, I’m not. Heck, wasn’t it me who told a techno-neanderthal co-worker that he’d be better off embracing the laptop generation instead of sending his old Radio Shack TRS-80s back to our in-house computer repair shop? Didn’t I say, “Look. I know it still works. […]

Holden fly shop and learning center opens

For years, Don Corey has hosted regular fly tying and rod-building sessions at his Holden home. Friends and members of the club he belongs to — the Penobscot Fly Fishers — showed up, greeted Corey’s wife, Diane, and tromped down into the basement, where they’d spend a couple of hours learning new skills and … […]