The questions began as soon as Maine hockey fans arrived at FleetCenter last week.

What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be out in the woods somewhere?

Seeing as I’m the NEWS outdoors columnist, and my job consists of hunting, fishing, hiking, climbing … and writing about it … they may have had a point.

My stock answer: I’m on the trail of a big story. Someone told me that Black Bears had been spotted in Boston … and since we’ve got a contentious debate brewing on the same matter back home, I thought I should come down and check things out.

Of course, nobody bought that.

The real answer: I headed to Boston as part of a five-man NEWS team in order to cover the UMaine hockey team as they battled for a national title.

The simple, honest answer: Columnists write columns. This was a big event. And adding a column voice to the mix seemed the right thing to do.

As it turned out, the transition back to writing about Black Bears after spending the past 16 months focusing on black bears wasn’t that difficult (though, I found, the blue-and-white, human kind do provide more colorful quotes).

Boston was nice. It was warm. The folks on the subway were friendly … more or less. And the mumbling middle-aged man we encountered late one night … the one with the stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh strapped to his back? He was an interesting fellow, to say the least.

Heck, they even had some (almost) green grass down there in Boston. The sailboats racing on the Charles River each day were a welcome sight.

All in all, it was a productive visit, and we ended up with plenty to write about.

After five hectic days in Beantown, however, I’m happy to be home.

I’m not a city guy (though visits to the big city are always educational and usually enjoyable).

I’m a Maine guy. And this is where I belong … most of the time.

Mud season is nearly over. I saw some (almost) green grass in Bangor today. Trees will bud soon … ice is going out at lakes all over the region.

And you know what that means.

It’s time to go fishing.

While I was away, we made every effort to continue our commitment to covering the outdoors.

The plan: File a week’s columns in advance, then head to Boston and spend the rest of the week covering the Black Bears (as opposed to the more generic black bears).

One problem with that plan: Items for our weekend Outdoor Notebook are e-mailed to me … and I was nowhere to be found.

Here’s a quick update on items that you would have seen last weekend … and which should be dealt with before this Saturday’s editions.

. If you’re a prospective bowhunter, the state requires that you pass a hunter safety course. One such course will be held at Bucks Mills Rod and Gun Club in Bucksport on Friday and Saturday.

The class runs from 6-9 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. Call Roger Spencer at 326-0720 or 667-2511 for information.

. If you want to learn to tie flies, and you live near Greenville, you’ll get that chance Thursday at a workshop sponsored by the Natural Resource Education Center.

The class will be held at the Nickerson Elementary School all-purpose room in Greenville from 6-9 p.m. All equipment and materials will be provided.

Today is the deadline to register. Call Eric Ward at 695-2523.

. The Ancient Ones historical re-enactment group will sponsor its annual Outdoor Sports and Gun Show on Saturday and Sunday at the Augusta Armory.

The event will run from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday.

The entry fee is $5, with kids getting in free. Military personnel with ID (and their families) will get in free. For more information call Ray Hamilton at 897-5058 or e-mail him at smokefromthewoods@yahoo.com.

. The Blue Hill Rifle and Pistol Club will offer an NRA Basic Pistol Course for women only on April 24-26.

The class will be held at the clubhouse on Range Road in Blue Hill.

The cost is $50, which includes all materials. Firearms ownership is not a requirement, but students must be 18 years old. The class size will be limited to 15 students.

The course will cover safe gun-handling and basic marksmanship skills, with a strong emphasis on responsible firearms ownership. It is recommended for any women considering buying, owning, or using a gun for the first time.

For more information, call 537-3560.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.