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Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife Conservation

Dec 2016 19

United, we win.

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 2 Comments | 4 min read

United, we win. The more involved you get with something, the more frustrated you can become when priorities shift, you see behind that iron curtain and you lose sight of what’s important and made you get involved in the first place. It’s hard to get reenergized and motivated sometimes, especially when there are so many divides. I have been partly amused and partly disheartened to read articles that my fellow outdoor writers have written about how they miss the ‘good ole days’ of hunting when women were home with the kids and not out in the woods. I hate to break it to you, but women are the only way that the next generation of hunters are going to take to the woods. WE are teaching our children why it is so important to...

Jan 2016 29

If you want me to write for you

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 2 Comments | 3 min read

I started writing here in 2009 and have steadily watched the number of folks, like yourself, who read my blog, grow. It has been fantastic to hear from you in emails, read your comments and see you liking the Facebook page. It is my responsibility to you that I have a blog that you want to come and read. Writing is based on relationships and shared experiences and connecting with one another and I take that seriously when I post. Writing is not my full-time job. It's not even my second full-time job (mom) or third on my list of priorities (I sit on a few boards and committees) but I love it and that is why I do it. I have had the privilege of writing for Downeast Magazine and I have my monthly column in the Northwoods...

Nov 2015 2

The Right to Hunt

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 1 min read

I recently wrote an article for The Liberty Project on the right to hunt and the legislative bill in Wisconsin that would prohibit people (anti-hunters) from harassing hunters on public land. Check out the article here and let me know what your thoughts are!

Oct 2015 19

The joys of owning land

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 4 Comments | 2 min read

How does the saying go? Good fences make good neighbors? If that's the case, what do posted signs make? Two posted signs and a property marker tied onto the tree After a few incidents last year, Dad and I spent Saturday putting up posted signs around the piece of property. It is kinda of sad to think about the changes over the past few years and how it used to not be an issue: people knew who owned what pieces of land and who hunted on them. There was a respect for owners and when they said no to hunting, it was respected. Last year, I was yelled at while sitting in my tree seat, we had people walking along the edge of our property and our neighbor had hunters that he did not know, sit in his blind and...

Sep 2015 11

No more skulls

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 4 min read

I have bad luck with skulls. It started with my bear and will end with my coyote because I have learned which taxidermists (and butchers) are not worth the convenience. I shot a 457lb bear last October and went with my guide to bring it to the butcher. I had decided that I wanted the skull saved and would have the hide made into a rug. I didn’t have the room or the desire for a mount. The butcher got his knives out and began hacking away at the bear. I watched but didn’t really know what I was looking at. He hooked the bear by its hind legs, lifting it off the ground and started peeling away the hide. It seemed to come off quickly and my guide made sure that he kept the paws intact with pads and...

Jan 2015 8

Me and My Land

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 4 min read

The Maine legislature begins its next session soon and while there are a bunch of wildlife bills being put forward to help keep Maine's wildlife safe and healthy, each year there is one argument that is heard over and over and over again - the desire for Sunday hunting in Maine. The law has been on the books since the 1800's and there have been bills to try and get it over turned but nothing has worked. Many people think that the law is outdated, needs to be changed and is costing Maine revenue from hunters who would come here to hunt. Here are the most common arguments heard for it: 1. People who work Monday-Friday only have Saturday to hunt 2. If you own the land, why can't you hunt on it whenever you want? I sat in a meeting...

Nov 2014 13

Joining the movement of the National Deer Alliance

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 2 min read

What happens when you tag out in the first 30 minutes of deer season? You get bored and are done hunting. Hubby and Dad both needed to be elsewhere last weekend so we stayed out of the woods. This weekend though, I am going into the woods. I will bring my camera and play photographer but I may also bring my gun and look for some coyotes. We know they are around - we saw a ton of high traffic areas in the snow recently. The issue of coyotes came up recently in a weekly newsletter from the National Deer Alliance. The NDA is a new organization that was started by hunters and managers at the North American Whitetail Summit. The goal of the group is to get all deer hunters involved and talking about the...

Oct 2014 6

Why Judy Camuso is good for Maine’s wildlife

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation, Women Who Hunt | 0 Comments | 7 min read

After being in the audience of thetownhall debate on changing the way the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) manages our bear populations, I was determined to interview Judy Camuso. It was Judy's knowledge, passion and drive that came through during the debate that had me and supporters in the crowd, fired up about our work helping to educate and encourage more people to Vote NO on 1. I sat down with Judy to talk about her career, Maine's wildlife and of course, bears. Photo courtesy of J. Camuso from a Portland Press Herald article What made you want to get involved in wildlife? I grew up outside. My mom had six kids and we were always outside. I loved animals from the time I was young. I went to...

Jul 2014 16

Of Place

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 2 min read

My Sky Condo A recent piece in "Trout" by Tom Reed talked about place and what it means to have that one place where you can retreat to and forget all of your worries. It got me thinking about my place. Tom writes, "it is your place. We all have them. Places of heart home, places where we feel centered and right in the world... At that moment when you were there, you were all there." When I was little, I would sit by the stream heading out from the pond behind our house. I could sit and just listen to the birds, the stream gurgle over the rocks and watch the clouds bounce across the blue sky. It was peaceful and calming. When I hunt now, I can zen out pretty well. It may take me a week to get comfortable but after that, my 5-6 hour...

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Dec 2016 19

United, we win.

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 2 Comments | 4 min read

United, we win. The more involved you get with something, the more frustrated you can become when priorities shift, you see behind that iron curtain and you lose sight of what’s important and made you get involved in the first place. It’s hard to get reenergized and motivated sometimes, especially when there are so many divides. I have been partly amused and partly disheartened to read articles that my fellow outdoor writers have written about how they miss the ‘good ole days’ of hunting when women were home with the kids and not out in the woods. I hate to break it to you, but women are the only way that the next generation of hunters are going to take to the woods. WE are teaching our children why it is so important to...

Jan 2016 29

If you want me to write for you

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 2 Comments | 3 min read

I started writing here in 2009 and have steadily watched the number of folks, like yourself, who read my blog, grow. It has been fantastic to hear from you in emails, read your comments and see you liking the Facebook page. It is my responsibility to you that I have a blog that you want to come and read. Writing is based on relationships and shared experiences and connecting with one another and I take that seriously when I post. Writing is not my full-time job. It's not even my second full-time job (mom) or third on my list of priorities (I sit on a few boards and committees) but I love it and that is why I do it. I have had the privilege of writing for Downeast Magazine and I have my monthly column in the Northwoods...

Nov 2015 2

The Right to Hunt

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 1 min read

I recently wrote an article for The Liberty Project on the right to hunt and the legislative bill in Wisconsin that would prohibit people (anti-hunters) from harassing hunters on public land. Check out the article here and let me know what your thoughts are!

Oct 2015 19

The joys of owning land

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 4 Comments | 2 min read

How does the saying go? Good fences make good neighbors? If that's the case, what do posted signs make? Two posted signs and a property marker tied onto the tree After a few incidents last year, Dad and I spent Saturday putting up posted signs around the piece of property. It is kinda of sad to think about the changes over the past few years and how it used to not be an issue: people knew who owned what pieces of land and who hunted on them. There was a respect for owners and when they said no to hunting, it was respected. Last year, I was yelled at while sitting in my tree seat, we had people walking along the edge of our property and our neighbor had hunters that he did not know, sit in his blind and...

Sep 2015 11

No more skulls

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 4 min read

I have bad luck with skulls. It started with my bear and will end with my coyote because I have learned which taxidermists (and butchers) are not worth the convenience. I shot a 457lb bear last October and went with my guide to bring it to the butcher. I had decided that I wanted the skull saved and would have the hide made into a rug. I didn’t have the room or the desire for a mount. The butcher got his knives out and began hacking away at the bear. I watched but didn’t really know what I was looking at. He hooked the bear by its hind legs, lifting it off the ground and started peeling away the hide. It seemed to come off quickly and my guide made sure that he kept the paws intact with pads and...

Jan 2015 8

Me and My Land

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 4 min read

The Maine legislature begins its next session soon and while there are a bunch of wildlife bills being put forward to help keep Maine's wildlife safe and healthy, each year there is one argument that is heard over and over and over again - the desire for Sunday hunting in Maine. The law has been on the books since the 1800's and there have been bills to try and get it over turned but nothing has worked. Many people think that the law is outdated, needs to be changed and is costing Maine revenue from hunters who would come here to hunt. Here are the most common arguments heard for it: 1. People who work Monday-Friday only have Saturday to hunt 2. If you own the land, why can't you hunt on it whenever you want? I sat in a meeting...

Nov 2014 13

Joining the movement of the National Deer Alliance

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 2 min read

What happens when you tag out in the first 30 minutes of deer season? You get bored and are done hunting. Hubby and Dad both needed to be elsewhere last weekend so we stayed out of the woods. This weekend though, I am going into the woods. I will bring my camera and play photographer but I may also bring my gun and look for some coyotes. We know they are around - we saw a ton of high traffic areas in the snow recently. The issue of coyotes came up recently in a weekly newsletter from the National Deer Alliance. The NDA is a new organization that was started by hunters and managers at the North American Whitetail Summit. The goal of the group is to get all deer hunters involved and talking about the...

Oct 2014 6

Why Judy Camuso is good for Maine’s wildlife

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation, Women Who Hunt | 0 Comments | 7 min read

After being in the audience of thetownhall debate on changing the way the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) manages our bear populations, I was determined to interview Judy Camuso. It was Judy's knowledge, passion and drive that came through during the debate that had me and supporters in the crowd, fired up about our work helping to educate and encourage more people to Vote NO on 1. I sat down with Judy to talk about her career, Maine's wildlife and of course, bears. Photo courtesy of J. Camuso from a Portland Press Herald article What made you want to get involved in wildlife? I grew up outside. My mom had six kids and we were always outside. I loved animals from the time I was young. I went to...

Jul 2014 16

Of Place

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 2 min read

My Sky Condo A recent piece in "Trout" by Tom Reed talked about place and what it means to have that one place where you can retreat to and forget all of your worries. It got me thinking about my place. Tom writes, "it is your place. We all have them. Places of heart home, places where we feel centered and right in the world... At that moment when you were there, you were all there." When I was little, I would sit by the stream heading out from the pond behind our house. I could sit and just listen to the birds, the stream gurgle over the rocks and watch the clouds bounce across the blue sky. It was peaceful and calming. When I hunt now, I can zen out pretty well. It may take me a week to get comfortable but after that, my 5-6 hour...

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Enjoy these Wildlife Conservation articles

Dec 2016 19

United, we win.

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 2 Comments | 4 min read

United, we win. The more involved you get with something, the more frustrated you can become when priorities shift, you see behind that iron curtain and you lose sight of what’s important and made you get involved in the first place. It’s hard to get reenergized and motivated sometimes, especially when there are so many divides. I have been partly amused and partly disheartened to read articles that my fellow outdoor writers have written about how they miss the ‘good ole days’ of hunting when women were home with the kids and not out in the woods. I hate to break it to you, but women are the only way that the next generation of hunters are going to take to the woods. WE are teaching our children why it is so important to...

Jan 2016 29

If you want me to write for you

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 2 Comments | 3 min read

I started writing here in 2009 and have steadily watched the number of folks, like yourself, who read my blog, grow. It has been fantastic to hear from you in emails, read your comments and see you liking the Facebook page. It is my responsibility to you that I have a blog that you want to come and read. Writing is based on relationships and shared experiences and connecting with one another and I take that seriously when I post. Writing is not my full-time job. It's not even my second full-time job (mom) or third on my list of priorities (I sit on a few boards and committees) but I love it and that is why I do it. I have had the privilege of writing for Downeast Magazine and I have my monthly column in the Northwoods...

Nov 2015 2

The Right to Hunt

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 1 min read

I recently wrote an article for The Liberty Project on the right to hunt and the legislative bill in Wisconsin that would prohibit people (anti-hunters) from harassing hunters on public land. Check out the article here and let me know what your thoughts are!

Oct 2015 19

The joys of owning land

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 4 Comments | 2 min read

How does the saying go? Good fences make good neighbors? If that's the case, what do posted signs make? Two posted signs and a property marker tied onto the tree After a few incidents last year, Dad and I spent Saturday putting up posted signs around the piece of property. It is kinda of sad to think about the changes over the past few years and how it used to not be an issue: people knew who owned what pieces of land and who hunted on them. There was a respect for owners and when they said no to hunting, it was respected. Last year, I was yelled at while sitting in my tree seat, we had people walking along the edge of our property and our neighbor had hunters that he did not know, sit in his blind and...

Sep 2015 11

No more skulls

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 4 min read

I have bad luck with skulls. It started with my bear and will end with my coyote because I have learned which taxidermists (and butchers) are not worth the convenience. I shot a 457lb bear last October and went with my guide to bring it to the butcher. I had decided that I wanted the skull saved and would have the hide made into a rug. I didn’t have the room or the desire for a mount. The butcher got his knives out and began hacking away at the bear. I watched but didn’t really know what I was looking at. He hooked the bear by its hind legs, lifting it off the ground and started peeling away the hide. It seemed to come off quickly and my guide made sure that he kept the paws intact with pads and...

Jan 2015 8

Me and My Land

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 4 min read

The Maine legislature begins its next session soon and while there are a bunch of wildlife bills being put forward to help keep Maine's wildlife safe and healthy, each year there is one argument that is heard over and over and over again - the desire for Sunday hunting in Maine. The law has been on the books since the 1800's and there have been bills to try and get it over turned but nothing has worked. Many people think that the law is outdated, needs to be changed and is costing Maine revenue from hunters who would come here to hunt. Here are the most common arguments heard for it: 1. People who work Monday-Friday only have Saturday to hunt 2. If you own the land, why can't you hunt on it whenever you want? I sat in a meeting...

Nov 2014 13

Joining the movement of the National Deer Alliance

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 2 min read

What happens when you tag out in the first 30 minutes of deer season? You get bored and are done hunting. Hubby and Dad both needed to be elsewhere last weekend so we stayed out of the woods. This weekend though, I am going into the woods. I will bring my camera and play photographer but I may also bring my gun and look for some coyotes. We know they are around - we saw a ton of high traffic areas in the snow recently. The issue of coyotes came up recently in a weekly newsletter from the National Deer Alliance. The NDA is a new organization that was started by hunters and managers at the North American Whitetail Summit. The goal of the group is to get all deer hunters involved and talking about the...

Oct 2014 6

Why Judy Camuso is good for Maine’s wildlife

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation, Women Who Hunt | 0 Comments | 7 min read

After being in the audience of thetownhall debate on changing the way the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) manages our bear populations, I was determined to interview Judy Camuso. It was Judy's knowledge, passion and drive that came through during the debate that had me and supporters in the crowd, fired up about our work helping to educate and encourage more people to Vote NO on 1. I sat down with Judy to talk about her career, Maine's wildlife and of course, bears. Photo courtesy of J. Camuso from a Portland Press Herald article What made you want to get involved in wildlife? I grew up outside. My mom had six kids and we were always outside. I loved animals from the time I was young. I went to...

Jul 2014 16

Of Place

By Erin M | Wildlife Conservation | 0 Comments | 2 min read

My Sky Condo A recent piece in "Trout" by Tom Reed talked about place and what it means to have that one place where you can retreat to and forget all of your worries. It got me thinking about my place. Tom writes, "it is your place. We all have them. Places of heart home, places where we feel centered and right in the world... At that moment when you were there, you were all there." When I was little, I would sit by the stream heading out from the pond behind our house. I could sit and just listen to the birds, the stream gurgle over the rocks and watch the clouds bounce across the blue sky. It was peaceful and calming. When I hunt now, I can zen out pretty well. It may take me a week to get comfortable but after that, my 5-6 hour...

Show Me More Articles