The more time you spend around hunters, the more you realize that some outdoors enthusiasts are just a bit more productive than others.

And the more stories you hear, the more apparent it becomes that age is not a limiting factor.

Case-in-point: Josh Collins.

The first time I told you about the Hudson youth – back in May of 2004 – he was 12 years old, and had recently completed a string of hunting accomplishments that would do a 40-year-old proud.

He had completed Maine’s hunting “grand slam,” bagging a moose, a deer, a bear and a turkey in consecutive seasons.

On Wednesday, I had the chance to catch up with Collins again. Now a 14-year-old freshman at Central High School in Corinth, Collins has had another busy year.

He completed his second grand slam.

(If you’re like me, and you’re still waiting to shoot your first deer, feel free to skulk back to bed and call it a day).

This year’s grand slam was a bit different, however. While few would debate Collins’ original hunting claim, it did come with a small asterisk attached.

His “slam” consisted of animals taken during four consecutive seasons that spanned two calendar years.

I know. I know. You’d take it … and so would I.

But this time, Collins completed the feat in one calendar year. In fact, he needed only one day of deer season to fill his final tag.

Collins grinned and fidgeted when asked to tell his tales, but he and his mother, Stephanie, were immediately willing to share his secret.

“It’s like she says,” he said, gesturing to his mom. “It depends on who you know.”

In this case, that “who” is Josh’s uncle, Mike Doucette of Ellsworth.

Uncle Mike was in on three of the successful hunts, and also took part in another memorable outdoor excursion.

Collins’ year began with the spring wild turkey hunt, when he bagged an 18-pound tom with an eight-inch beard … with Uncle Mike.

Next came moose season, when Doucette, the actual permit-holder, decided to name Josh his sub-permittee in order to give him another chance at a grand slam.

The hunt was a short one.

“Legal shooting was about 6 o’clock, and we shot it like 6:30, on the first road we were on,” Josh said. “We just went down the road and there were three standing there.”

Josh bagged the largest of the three, a 500-pound bull.

During bear season – also with Uncle Mike – the duo bagged a 120-pounder while hunting over Doucette’s hounds in Aurora and Osborne.

When deer season arrived, grandfather James Doucette pitched in and took Josh hunting.

Josh and his uncle could have completed the grand slam together, but logistics got in the way.

“I was gonna go with [Uncle Mike] but there wasn’t enough room in the tree stand,” Collins said with a laugh.

Again, it didn’t take Collins long to fill his tag, even though he had told his family he was going to hold out for a buck.

That plan changed in a hurry.

“About six does stepped out, so I took the biggest one,” he said.

The doe weighed 140 pounds.

The state’s hunters informally recognize the big game “grand slam,” but Collins actually improved upon it this year, when he and (you guessed it) Uncle Mike went on a long-awaited and thrice-cancelled deep sea fishing trip the week before moose season began.

“They started to say we might not catch many fish,” Collins said.

But the captain of the boat probably didn’t realize Josh’s track record.

Josh ended up catching a 30-pound cod, and Doucette enjoyed a lengthy battle with a 12-foot shark before losing it.

Now, with two grand slams under his belt and three years of high school remaining, Collins is ready for new challenges.

“I’m gonna try to save up money and go after caribou or something like that,” he said.

ATV use topic of discussion

The increasing use of all-terrain vehicles has proven controversial in Maine as landowners and ATV users struggle to avoid or resolve conflicts.

No matter your stance on the complicated issues surrounding ATV use, you may want to attend a meeting in Brewer tonight.

The Forest Resources Association will hold an industrial forestry forum at Jeff’s Catering with a social hour beginning at 5 p.m. and guest speakers starting at 6:15. A buffet dinner will follow at 7.

The meeting will offer the chance to hear three perspectives on the issues facing ATV use. Representatives from the Maine Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands, the Small Woodlot Owners of Maine, and ATVMaine will share viewpoints during the presentation.

Current state policies and pending legislation will be discussed.

The forum is open to everyone and FRA membership is encouraged but not required. Meals can be purchased at the door for $20 per person, or $15 for students with a valid ID. No preregistration is required.

And if you don’t get a chance to stop by, don’t worry; I’m planning on sitting in on the forum and hope to share some the opinions in Saturday’s column.

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