Maine

Maine extends gray squirrel hunting season

Published

12 months ago

April 11, 2025

Maine extends gray squirrel hunting season

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife expanded the hunting season for gray squirrels by a month and shifted youth waterfowl hunting dates in the north zone to start and end a week later than last year.

The bounty of food, including acorns, in the last few years has helped the gray squirrel population increase to a point that the department felt the hunting season could be expanded, especially in southern and central Maine. It will be held from the last Saturday in September through the end of January.

The season has in past years ended on Dec. 31.

Hunting of small mammals and birds is more appealing to new hunters and youths than big game hunting, according to the department’s basis statement for the rule change. It also aligns Maine’s gray squirrel season with other New England states.

“The one-month season extension would maintain healthy gray squirrel populations, avoid the time of year when females are rearing their young, and allow additional time to hunt outside of the popular big game seasons,” the department said.

Several people expressed support for the change through emails and a Facebook page focused on small game, according to testimony from Ed Stubbs.

Bag limits will remain the same at four daily and eight in the hunter’s possession at one time.

The eight members of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council who attended a meeting on March 18 voted unanimously to approve the expansion. A public hearing was held on March 6, where there was no opposition.

The season change does not affect hunting gray squirrels by falconry. That season will remain from the last Saturday in September through Feb. 28.

There is no open trapping season for gray squirrels.

In a second rule change, the department altered the dates for migratory bird seasons to comply with the 2025 calendar. Most moved by just one day, except for north zone youth waterfowl season, which will shift a week later this year from Sept. 14-Dec. 7 to Sept. 20-Dec. 13.

A long-tailed duck. Credit: Courtesy of Dave Small

For other migratory bird seasons, it was simply a day shift. For example, woodcock season was Sept. 28-Nov. 19 in 2024 and will be Sept. 27-Nov. 18 this year.

Most migratory waterfowl bag limits are the same, except the number of pintail ducks has increased from one to three daily, and those on black ducks, scaup, scoters, eiders, coots and mergansers have special exceptions to the daily bag limit of six ducks.

Be sure to check on the specific bag limits and zone restrictions in the migratory game bird laws. They can be found here.

Hunters also were warned to be aware of avian influenza. It has been found in southern and midcoast Maine in particular. There are no confirmed cases in the Bangor area. State upland biologist Kelsey Sullivan said during the public hearing that hunters should be diligent about processing meat and cleaning.

A wood duck. Credit: Courtesy of Dave Small

The migratory game bird rules are revised to implement the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the framework for them is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The public hearing was held March 4, and included a presentation on the migratory game bird populations.

The changes were approved on April 9 without opposition.

All changes for the gray squirrel and migratory game bird hunts will go into effect on April 14.

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Maine

Maine Maple Sunday Weekend draws visitors to 100-plus sugarhouses statewide

Published

4 minutes ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Maine Maple Sunday Weekend draws visitors to 100-plus sugarhouses statewide

The smell of sap and the taste of fresh syrup drew crowds to sugarhouses across Maine as the state celebrated the 43rd annual Maine Maple Sunday Weekend.

More than 100 sugarhouses statewide took part in this year’s event. At Balsam Ridge Christmas Tree Farm in Raymond, visitors got a firsthand look at how Maine sap is turned into maple syrup.

“So far we’ve had a great time, we have enjoyed all the maple treats,” said Doug Noe, a Portland resident.

Balsam Ridge Farm owner Dewey Lloy walked visitors through the process, explaining how sap moves through the evaporator. “Most of the evaporation is going to occur here in the back pan which is the evaporator pan and its going to come to the front pans which are syrup pans and now its becoming maple syrup at this point,” Lloy said.

Lloy said the farm plans to produce more than 300 gallons of syrup this year and expects more than a thousand visitors this weekend.

“It’s always nice to see the young and old and everybody that is just excited to get out and sample soon syrups and get stocked up on some syrup,” Lloy said.

Visitors sampled maple treats while listening to live music and exploring the Christmas tree farm.

Maine Maple Sunday weekend

“They always have great music and food and there’s always nice people to come see,” said Sam Menzel, an Oxford resident.

According to the Maine Maple Producers Association, Maine produces more than 575,000 gallons of maple syrup each year from more than 2 million maple tree taps across the state. As the state’s official sweetener, maple syrup remains a tradition that brings people back year after year.

“Its grown so much in the last years and its amazing to see how well their doing and i love to come support,” Menzel said.

Maine Maple Sunday festivities will continue across the state tomorrow.

For more information click here

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Maine

Maine Food & Dining News: Waldoboro, Bowdoinham, Bangor, Lincolnville, Damariscotta, Veazie, Deer Isle, Camden, Shapleigh, Sanford, Upton, Freeport, Scarborough – Portland Food Map

Published

12 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Maine Food & Dining News: Waldoboro, Bowdoinham, Bangor, Lincolnville, Damariscotta, Veazie, Deer Isle, Camden, Shapleigh, Sanford, Upton, Freeport, Scarborough – Portland Food Map

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

Day Boat Cafe (website, facebook, instagram) in Waldoboro (above left) had their grand opening on Wednesday. Located at 17 Friendship Road in the town center, Day Boat is the creation of Anna Hymanson and Kelsey Woodworth. Their menu includes options like a pork with broccolini sandwich, panzanella salad and clam chowder. They also have prepared foods to go. The space features a 13-seat lunch counter, two window booths, and a large community table in an open kitchen concept. Outdoor seating will also be available as the weather warms. Day Boat will be open Wednesday through Friday, 10 am – 6 pm, and Saturday/Sunday 10 am – 4 pm.
Chef Nate Fenn is joining with Logan and Ashleigh Feeney in their relaunch of the Bowdoinham Country Store (above right). The Feeney bought the store last year and have been renovating the building. They’re hoping to launch BCS in May addressing the needs of the community with a neighborhood market and serving as a gathering space with a menu of snacks, pizza, sandwiches and prepared food to go. Later in the summer they hope to expand the seating area and launch a restaurant that will be open for dinner Thursday through Saturday. Fenn is currently the chef at Table Bar in Gardiner. He began his career at Flatlanders Pub in Greenville and has worked at Spring Creek BBQ in Monson and elsewhere in the state. The store is located at 54 River Road near the town center.
The Waldoboro Inn (instagram) has announced their summer plans and kicked of a novel crowdfunding campaign to help in the build out of their kitchen and expansion of their bar program. Starting on May 30th, Finocchi (instagram) will be operating Trattoria Finocchi at the inn on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays throughout the summer. The Finocchi project “focuses on the story & magic of food as they queer Italian and Italian-American traditions.” They plan to grow some produce at the Inn as well as source ingredients from Landsmith Farm & Commons. You can buy tickets for the crowdfunding campaign/raffle on the TWI website. Ticket prices are aligned with prize packages, and in a unique twist even losing ticket win some type of prize. For example the winner at the $50 level gets a dinner for two, and the remaining ticket holders get a free drink at the inn’s wine bar.
The Bangor Daily News has published an article about Rasa, an Indian restaurant being launched in Bangor by Sai Guntaka from Taj and his uncle Obul Reddy. The restaurant is scheduled to open March 29th.
Cellardoor Winery took home an award from the International Wine Competition for their 2024 Late Harvest Frontenac Blanc.
Salt + Pepper Social in Newcastle is holding 3-course plant-based dinner on May 2nd.
A new pizza food truck called Colonel’s Canteen (facebook) is under development. They plan to operate at the Korean Dad space in Veazie and at events in the Bangor/Brewer area.
The Pilgrim’s Inn on Deer Isle has rebranded as The Ark. The restaurant at the inn was on the New York Times “50 best places in America right now” restaurant list in 2025.
The Crooked Spoon is holding a pop-up dinner at The Norumbega in Camden on March 28th.
Meet York County has published a field report from Bob’s Ugly Bagels in Shapleigh., and Biddo Foodies has published a field report from Fern Leaf Bakery in Saco.
The Sanford Springvale News has published a profile of Bob Rizk, the chef and owner of The Rialto in Sanford.
The Bethel Citizen reports that the Upton Village Store is under new ownership. “They will sell groceries, prepared food and Maine souvenirs year-round. The store will also offer live bait, small camping supplies and check stations for wild game and furs.”
The Press Herald reports that Maine Beer Company in Freeport is planning an 11,000 sq ft expansion that will enable them to double their production capacity to 100,000 barrels a year.
As reported last Sunday, Vince Maniaci and Jill Dutton have announced they’ll be closing their Scarborough market and cheese shop, The Cheese Iron

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

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Maine

Washington County student wins Maine State Spelling Bee

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Washington County student wins Maine State Spelling Bee

Tristan Singh spells the word stratosphere correctly to win the Maine State Spelling Bee at Bowdoin College in Brunswick on Saturday. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)

BRUNSWICK — A eighth grade student from Washington County returned for a second crack at the Maine State Spelling Bee Saturday and booked a ticket to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. He’s also headed somewhere else special — his school’s spring dance.

“It feels really awesome, especially since I made the biggest bet on winning,” winner Tristan Singh said following the bee. “There’s a spring dance coming up at my school next week, and I said I would only (go) if I won.”

Singh, a student at Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School in Machias, beat out 13 other spellers from all over the state at Bowdoin College and took the final prize with the word “stratosphere.” Each student had won bees at the school and county level to win a spot at the state competition.

The bee, which was presented by the Maine Trust for Local News, went on for 18 rounds. It came down to Singh and the student representing Androscoggin County, Turner Elementary School sixth grader Grace Morris.

Spectators were biting their nails as Morris and Singh went back and forth spelling words for six rounds.

Benjamin Ho, a seventh grader at Gorham Middle School, contemplates the spelling of a word during the Maine State Spelling Bee at Bowdoin College in Brunswick on Saturday. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)

At round 14, Singh misspelled “cognizant,” giving Morris the chance to win. Then, Morris misspelled “millennial” — sending the final two into more rounds until a misspelling of “philosophize” ultimately took Morris out of contention.

The heated competition was all in good fun as spellers high-fived each other on stage and celebrated each others’ wins.

“We ended up chatting a lot, (and) cheering each other on,” said sixth grader Harmony Hoyt, the speller from Aroostook County.

And families in the audience were waiting with congratulatory hugs no matter their students’ place in the standings.

Judges Lily Jordan, left and Glenn Jordan listen as Mason Booker, a fifth grader at SeDoMoCha Middle School in Dover-Foxcroft, spells a word during the Maine State Spelling Bee at Bowdoin College in Brunswick on Saturday. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)

“(We’re) so proud of him. He’s worked really hard; he’s done a lot of hours of studying,” said Elizabeth Singh, Tristan’s mom.

Three members of a spelling bee family and the president of Thomas College made up the judging team for the state bee. For each word, students could ask the judges for its definition, origin, part of speech and to use it in a sentence.

Lily Jordan, of San Francisco, returned to her home state to judge this year’s bee after winning it twice as a middle schooler. Her dad, Glenn Jordan, a retired Press Herald sports writer, and her mom, Nancy Jordan, the lead content developer at National Geographic Learning, were also at the judges’ table. Meanwhile, their dog, Webster — like the dictionary — took a nap under the table.

“It almost feels like being a kid again, and feeling the nervousness of the moment, but it’s a lot of fun,” Lily Jordan said.

Jeannine Uzzi, the president of Thomas College, served as the word pronouncer Saturday, a role she’s been coming back to for more than 15 years.

Olivia Bart, a seventh grader at Hermon Middle School, spells a word during the Maine State Spelling Bee at Bowdoin College in Brunswick Saturday. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)

“It’s a great way to reinforce academics in the state,” Uzzi said.

A bee afficionado, Singh plans on competing in the Maine State Civics Bee at Colby College in June — that is, after he appears at the nation’s largest spelling competition.

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