Grouse enthusiasts from across the state will head to Augusta next weekend for a popular event.

The Ruffed Grouse Society’s Burton L. Spiller Chapter will hold its 23rd annual sportsmen’s banquet at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday.

Tickets are $45 for individuals and $50 for an individual and a guest. Each ticket includes one Ruffed Grouse Society membership.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails and raffle sales. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.

For more information or tickets, contact Russ Dyer at 737-8529 or redyer@gwi.net.

Taxidermy titles up for grabs

The Maine Taxidermy Championships began Friday and will run through Sunday at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport.

The event, sponsored by the Maine Association of Taxidermists, is open to the public for viewing Sunday only from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. There is no charge to attend.

Penobscot Longrifles plan event

The Penobscot Longrifles will hold their monthly black-powder shoot at their range in Stetson on Sunday.

The “novelty shoot” will begin at 10 a.m. The entry fee is $15 for members nad $20 for non-members.

The Penobscot Longrifles site is located on the New Sweden Road, off Route 143, halfway between Stetson and Etna.

For more information contact Evelyn Chase at 672-9210 or crash@midmaine.com.

Canoe poling competition on tap

The 16th Maine Canoe Poling Championships will be held Sunday, May 1, on the Kenduskeag Stream in Bangor.

The all-day event features an instructional workshop in the morning and an afternoon of competition.

Registration for the event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Valley Avenue park near downtown Bangor. There is a $5 registration fee.

For more information contact Warren Cochrane at 695-3668.

To submit an item for publication in the Outdoor Notebook, send e-mail to jholyoke@bangordailynews.net, fax to 990-8092 or mail information to Outdoor Notebook, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor, Maine, 04402-1329.