December marks the beginning of the winter solstice for us in the northern hemisphere. This year that will happen at 6:12 a.m. Dec. 21. That also marks the end of the Mayan calendar, which will just start another cycle. It will flip over to a new baktun that day as it does every 144,000 days, or about 400 years. No astronomical catastrophe will occur like an asteroid or comet hitting the Earth.

Perhaps this winter will be the winter of the grosbeaks. In the last column, I wrote about the irruption of evening grosbeaks into central and southern Maine. Sightings continue throughout the state. Many people are seeing evening grosbeaks at their feeders for the first time in a decade or more.

It’s official. A year after some of Maine’s avid trout fishermen rolled out the state’s only fly fishing show, they’re committed to make it an annual event.

It’s official. A year after some of Maine’s avid trout fishermen rolled out the state’s only fly fishing show, they’re committed to make it an annual event.

There’s an old saying that you should be careful what you wish for because it might come true. Climbing into my stand on a balmy West Virginia morning I was wishing for cooler temperatures. It was already in the 60s and forecasted to nudge 80 later in the day — hardly good weather for deer hunting. I went out just the same, and was rewarded with a nice doe.

The Upper Damariscotta River Region is one of immense natural beauty, a scenic landscape of bays and islands, salt marshes and mudflats, rivers and streams. Bordered by hills, fields, and forests, the Damariscotta River is a nutrient-rich tidal estuary that is home to a diverse array of marine life, birds and animals.

The first thing I noticed crossing the New Hampshire line on my return to Maine was that the landscape had gone all Wyeth in my absence: Gray and moody — and harsh.

Ask the people you know how they prefer to hunt deer. I’d venture to guess most hunt from a stand, whether an elevated platform or merely a favorite stump. Next you’ll find the walkers, folks who prefer to move through the forest intent on intercepting an unsuspecting deer. It’s a low percentage option, but a fairly popular one, particularly among more casual hunters.

The coastal community around Camden lost a great friend and outdoor ambassador earlier this month when Jeff Kuller was killed by a falling tree on Nov. 4. He left behind a unique recreation area and an appreciative ski community, as well as a wife and two children.