While searching through emails and the internet this morning I came upon an article that caught my eye.

Maine is the only remaining State in the country that allows trapping of bears. There is currently a bill(LD1635) that is before the state of Maine. The Wildlife Alliance of Maine is once again attempting to ban trapping bear in Maine. If you remember back a couple years ago they went for the whole deal. They wanted to ban trapping bear, the use of bait to hunt bear, and the use of dogs in order to hunt bear. This time they are back to focus on one aspect. If you believe that is where they will stop you are wrong.

Over this weekend I was talking with Tom over at the Black Bear Blog about this topic. So when I came upon this article I sent the link to him. Tom had already been up and about this morning and had covered the story on his Black Bear Blog. Tom does a fabulous job describing this issue in great detail. To read what Tom has to say go to the Black Bear Blog.

It is high time we stand up for these activities we love. We can no longer take for granted that they will be around forever. No matter what your opinion on trapping is, which I realize is a controversial subject even amongst outdoor enthusiasts, it is time to have our voice be heard. The anti’s are getting their voices heard. They will not stop with banning the trapping of bear. They will not stop until there is no hunting or trapping allowed. Oh yeah, don’t forget the fishing aspect that we love too. I know I am not going to sit back and let them take away things I love and traditions without my voice being heard. I want my son at my age to have the same choices I have when it comes to hunting, fishing, and trapping.

Yesterday we had a fun quiz here at Outdoors With Norm. Well the answer to the question is:

1. Wild Turkeys
2. Crows
3. Woodchucks
4. Coyotes
5. Red Squirrels
6. Porcupines

We will have follow up quizzes that will challenge you soon.

Here we are staring directly into the face of Spring here in Maine. Open water fishing is upon us. Rabbit season is at an end. Soon the flowers will be blooming and grass growing.

So as we look into Spring season how many of you can answer this question:

What are the six species that are open to hunting during Spring here in Maine?

Let me know your answers. This is open to all. Six opportunities here in the Spring, who said Maine is boring.

Answer will be given tomorrow.

Well kids here are some more animals signs for you. Let’s see if you can tell me what the sign is first of all. Secondly, tell me what Maine animal(s) this sign(s) come from.

Let me know your answers and age.

click on pictures to enlarge

While walking through the woods today with my son I brought my camera in hopes of catching some tracks in the snow. I did manage to get some prints that I thought would be fun to bring to Kids Corner and see if anyone could guess what animal left there prints in the snow.

This animal I had seen a few days back crossing through close to the house. The snow has melted making this very hard to tell what left its mark close to the house. Take a guess and let me know what you think.

Take a guess at this critter?

This is a animal that I am sure each of you have seen.

Ok here is the last one:

If you have any guesses let me know. If you need a hint or more information contact me. Let’s see how many people we can trick.

If you are not familiar with the Maine Conservation School take the time to check out what great opportunities they have to offer a variety of ages.

During the summer months when the kids need some structure due to being “bored” on their break. Take a look at sending them to this great place. They will meet lots of new friends, have a blast, and learn some great skills based on outdoor activities.

They have a variety of programs ranging from Junior Explorer(ages 8 and 9) to teacher workshops for adults. They are broke up into weeks that focus on such things as conservation camp, primitive skills camps, archery, fishing, water adventure, junior Maine woodsman, and junior Maine guide programs.

Take a look at this school in further detail. Maybe you can fit a week or more in to teach your kid one of these factors of the outdoors that he or she may be interested in.

They have scholarships available for people that need them.

A great place for your kid to spend a week swimming, paddling, hiking, exploring wildlife, archery, ropes courses, fishing, learning survival skills, hunter safety, orienteering, and many more options.

Outdoor Youth Adventures is putting on a coloring contest for our youngsters. You can find the current picture that you have to color and send into:

Top Brass
C/O Coloring Contest
P.O. Box 209
Starkville, MS 39760

The winner will get a full set of youth adventure coloring books.

Parents you can go to the site and print off the current picture. This will be a great opportunity for your kid to become active. Give them a chance at winning a great prize. It is never a bad thing to keep our little guys and gals busy especially during this cold snap.

Today in Kids Corner I want to talk about the Black Bear. Here are some interesting facts about the Maine Black Bear.

The black bear is the smallest of all the other North American bears.
Maine has approximately 22,000 black bears that call Maine home.
Bears prefer to be in vast land filled with firs. They can however adjust with man.
They can run up to 25 miles per hour.
They are great climbers.
Male bears (boars) weigh between 250 and 600 pounds and stand 5 to 6 feet high.
Female bears (sows) weight between 100 to 400 pounds and stand 4 to 5 feet high.
Black bears communicate to each other through a series of grunts.
Bears very seldom kill their food source. They use their keen sense of smell to locate food such as berries, vegetation, corn, and honey.
Bears find a den and hibernate during the winter months. Bears do leave their dens on occasions.
Baby bears are born in January weighing less than a pound. Half of these babies will not survive until they are two years old. If they do survive until their second birthday the survival rate jumps up to 90 percent.

We are certainly lucky to have a such a pristine animal that lives in our backyards.

Have you ever seen a bear in the wild? They are very weary of people and seldom make themselves known to people that are around.

The Belknap County Sportsman’s Club’s held their annual kids fishing derby this past Sunday. What a great opportunity for these kids to get outdoors, get some clean fresh air, and memories that will last a lifetime.

I love to find stories such as this one on Fosters Online.

The first thing that I wanted to do through the kids corner section of Outdoors With Norm is focus on one of our greatest animals present in our part of the World. This also happens to be my favorite animal to hunt. The Whitetail Deer. So lets take a look at some information about the Whitetail Deer.

The Whitetail is found throughout all of the New England Region. The vast forest of our land provides great cover, shelter, and food supplies needed for them to survive.
They get their name from having a whitetail. When scared they will lift their tail which is white underneath.
Deer are most active at night. It is safer for them to move at night. Most predators are asleep during this time.
Deer never sleep in the same bed twice. They choose to move around and bed in different areas because they are afraid that predators will become attracted to their scent and waiting for them to return the next night.
Deer only sleep for short periods of time as they are cautious animals and feel the need to be alert always.
Deer are social animals. They do however break into groups of females and males for most of the year. Males during the fall season are often seen with females(does). The male (bucks) will often travel alone during this time also.
Deer love to eat grasses, fruits, and nuts.
Deer seldom will be seen by watering holes because the food they eat contains the majority of water they need. Especially during the Spring time when things are consistently wet with rain or dew.
Deer eat mostly during dawn and dusk.
Deer also move around while they are feeding.
Deer always uses the wind in its favor to smell danger or possible danger approaching them.
Majority of baby deer (fawns) are born in May.
The buck Whitetail will shed his antlers each year and grow new ones.
Baby deer (fawns) have spots until while they are young.

The Whitetail deer are very pretty animals. They are great fun to watch grazing along the edges of fields during the Spring time as green grasses sprout up.

Outdoors with Norm is going to start a piece of our blog designated for kids. This will focus on fun events that kids can do at home, educational pieces that they will find interesting, and a place to let parents and kids know about events that may pertain to them.

I am in hopes that the kids will find this to be a fun place to come and learn. A place that as adults we can introduce a love and passion for kids to become involved in wildlife, hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors.

Keep your eyes open for this upcoming section. If you have ideas or suggestions please let me know what you would like to see. A place to share stories about your outdoor adventures with your kids. You can contact me @ outdoorswithnorm@gmail.com