Featured Articles

By Kale O’Leary I first began writing articles for the Northwoods Sporting Journal in 2020. Over the years I have written a variety of articles covering the work of Wardens in the North Woods. My goal has always been to give a “behind the scene” look into the work and job that I am so … Continued

BY Mike Maynard “April is the cruelest month…” – T.S. Eliot   March. If only it were that simple. There isn’t much to recommend the month; it’s a mistake. March is a cold and empty nothingness; a malignant iceberg in the sea of winter. The kindest thing I can say about it is that it’s … Continued

By Stu Bristol One of my early wild turkey hunting mentors, Ben Rogers Lee warned me, “It’s not good enough to just sound like a wild turkey. You must become one.” From that day forward I adopted the slogan, “Turkey hunters are play actors; the turkey woods their stage.” Secondly, he repeated, “Turkeys will teach … Continued

“I shot where the deer had surely been, And bark came flying—oak, not venison.” -Old Woodsman’s Couplet By V. Paul Reynolds When, during camp debates about good deer rifle calibers, somebody always says,” Yea, that .35 Remington is one helluva brush gun!” What does that really mean? Of course, that the round is big enough … Continued

By Gerry Lavigne People who sponsor and participate in coyote contests do so believing they can improve deer survival by reducing coyote populations. But can they? Research in Maine has demonstrated that predation by coyotes can negatively impact deer populations, particularly in the northern half of the state. Venison is a large portion of coyote … Continued

BY V. Paul Reynolds In Maine, a state with widely varying winter weather patterns, the deer survival equation is both simple and complex. Weather always rules. Snow depths. Protracted cold snaps. Deer wintering areas and timing of the spring green up all play a pivotal role. There are adjustments that wildlife managers and policy makers … Continued

Backshelfjan w jpeg Warden Pilots: A Special Breed Dufault didn’t have to fly. Conditions were almost impossible with poor visibility and a low overcast. In cases like this, it is the warden pilot’s call. He knows the risks and nobody, including his bosses, ever second guesses a warden pilot’s decision to stay on the ground … Continued

By V. Paul Reynolds Plaintiffs supported by the International Order of Theodore Roosevelt have sued the Maine Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in Augusta’s superior court to open all of Maine’s public waters to everyone and end the State’s practice of reserving Maine’s best fishing spots for fly fisherman only. The plaintiffs, represented by … Continued

BY Jonah Paris Just as the sport of fly fishing has its internal cohorts, like the “dry-or-die” purists, the “it’s not a bobber – it’s an indicator” crew, and the dedicated “meat-only” streamer-chuckers, ice fishermen in Maine organize themselves into exclusive groups. Hardcore cuskers and muskie-junkies are a strange and secretive bunch, often keeping to … Continued

By Mike Maynard So, I learned a new word the other day. Slobberknocker. As in, “Boys! There’s some jeezly big slobberknockers out there!” Does colloquial County-speak get any better than that? I don’t think so. I was introduced to the word while trying to nail down the story of the biggest buck ever killed in … Continued