Bear and Moose – the Largest Residents of the Maine Woods
The black bear – six feet from nose to tail – and the half-ton plant-eating mammal, the moose, are the biggest animals in Maine’s forests, and they are both featured in the August, 2025 issue of The Maine Sportsman magazine.
A mammoth bear graces our cover this month (photo by Don Jones), while bear-centric features include John LaMarca’s “Guide Talk” column (“Ghosts of the Woods”, p. 11); Staci Warren’s special section focusing on scouting bear with game cameras (p. 20); and Christi Elliott’s “Maine Sportswoman” tale of the double-success of bear hunters Jon Keller and Georgette Tillinghast, who each scored a black bear during a hunt last fall in Zone 2, near Musquacook Lakes.
Our black bear coverage complements the start of Maine’s bear seasons – Youth Bear Day is August 23, and the general hunting season runs August 25 through November 29. Hunting with bait starts August 25, and ends on September 20th. Bear trapping season runs September 1 through October 31, while hunting with dogs starts September 8 and ends October 31.
Moose, Too
In this issue, we also focus on Maine’s majestic moose. Starting on page 23, we detail a brand-new, massive (520-page) report produced for Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, titled “Attitudes Toward Moose Management in Maine.”
Researchers compiled and analyzed the results of hundreds of online and telephone surveys, gathering the views and opinions of in-state and out-of-state hunters, biologists, landowners, guides, wildlife-watchers, wardens, and the owners of businesses that rely on revenue from hunters and tourists. Since the report quotes many commenters verbatim, it makes for surprisingly lively reading.
ATVs, Saltwater Fishing, Stolen Licenses
The balance of the 76-page issue brings readers the informative and entertaining content for which The Sportsman has been famous for nearly 55 years – Jim Andrews’ write-up on Carrabassett Valley’s Narrow Gauge Pathway; ATV updates from Steve Carpenteri; and Bob Humphrey and Scott Oehrlein on coastal striper and groundfish angling. Our firearms writer, Col. J.C. Allard, dons his hunter-orange counseling hat, and helps readers determine whether or not they have too many guns (here’s a hint – there’s no such thing as too many guns); Doug Tibbetts tells the tale of the thief who stole hunting and fishing licenses from a town clerk, reselling them at a discount; Tim Pond Camps staffer Tavish Brodie reports on the history of that classic sporting facility; Mike Lund reveals family confidences in his ”Secrets of No Name Pond”; and we feature several outstanding trophy photos from readers.
All this, plus great letters to the editor, quotable quotes, important where-to, how-to information on the outdoors, and the best jokes and cartoons east of Westbrook and south of Northport.
So find a cool place in the shade, and settle in with the latest issue of The Maine Sportsman magazine. And don’t forget to check out the new and improved digital Maine Sportsman magazine. Click here to order a a full year of 12 issues ($24.95). And remember – your one-year subscription includes full access to a digital library of over ten years of The Maine Sportsman magazine, Maine’s best resource for hunting and fishing information.
