I am going to jump off my steady stream of "what’s new" articles and treat you today to one of my adventures. I have been on many trips, from fishing the waters around the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles into the Pacific off the west coast of Ecuador, to moose hunting in Newfoundland, one and a half Time Zones further northeast. I will preface these stories by saying that I have never received anything from any outfitters, so my opinions are unbiased. I hope you enjoy reading this first one, my bear hunting trip to northern Maine.

Four years ago, I met Edgar Lugdon, the owner of Lugdon Lodge in Eagle Lake, Maine at the Northeast Sportsman's Show in Syracuse. A delightful man to chat with, he gave me all his time and attention. I was working for the Adirondack-Catskill Chapter of Safari Club International (ACSCI) trying to get some vendors interested in attending the annual banquet and possibly donating a trip to help the cause. Ed was very interested in helping out ACSCI and did in fact donate a six-day bear hunt.

Anyhow, Ed has donated year after year and finally I could not resist bidding. After talking with other successful hunters, all had great things to say about the camp, the amount of game, the meals, accommodations and guides. So, after a few emails and phone calls to iron out the details, I was set to go.