AUGUSTA – Joel Wilkinson of Greenville, a game warden of 11 years, was promoted to the rank of sergeant Tuesday during a ceremony with family and

associates at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department.

As a sergeant in the Warden Service Northern Division, Wilkinson will oversee six district game wardens in a section that includes northern Washington County and southern Aroostook County.

Wilkinson will be based out of the DIF&W Ashland Regional Headquarters, but will also have an office in the Houlton State Police Barracks. There are 14 field sergeants, overseen by two lieutenants, supervising 94 district game wardens within the warden service.

Since joining the Maine Warden Service, Wilkinson has worked as an investigator and a sergeant within the Maine Warden Service.

He received an exemplary service award for his work as in investigator in 2004, and a Colonel’s award in 2001 for his work in locating the body of homicide victim.

He also served as the incident commander for the Maine Warden Service’s Search, Rescue and Recovery team, and currently is the administrative dive team leader. Wilkinson started as a deputy game warden in the Gray-New Gloucester area in 1992, and his first district was patrolling the Rumford area.

Wilkinson grew up in Gray, and graduated in 1990 from Gray-New Gloucester High School. He later received an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Southern Maine Community College.

DIF&W offers gift ideas

If there’s an outdoors enthusiast in your family, you may want to consider a few gift suggestions offered by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

A hunting or fishing license is a sure hit, and the DIF&W has made it simple to buy one. Licenses are available in Augusta and from 1,000 agents statewide, or consumers can check the department’s Web site at www.mefishwildlife.com and buy any of the varied sporting licenses on the Internet.

Another option: The definitive book on Maine’s wildlife species that are at risk of extinction.

Maine’s Endangered and Threatened Wildlife is a 117-page, full-color book available on line or in Augusta for $10.

A variety of informative posters are also available for $3 each.

The Maine Wildlife Park offers family season passes and individual tickets as gifts. The season pass costs $30 for individuals and $50 for families.

And finally, subscriptions to the DIF&W’s Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine can be bought for $14.95 a year.

Slots open for fly-tying course

There are still a few slots open in the always-popular beginning fly-tying course offered by the Penobscot Fly Fishers and the Bangor Parks and Recreation Department.

The class begins Jan. 5, at the Bangor Parks and Recreation community center building on Main Street, and class size will be limited. Class sessions will be held on seven consecutive Thursdays from 6-8:30 p.m. The cost is $30, which includes all materials and equipment.

For more information go to the PFF Web site at www.penobscotflyfishers.com, or contact Don Corey, 843-5634, or don@annikarodandfly.com.

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.