Hunters are an ingenious lot. We endlessly study the habitat and habits of various critters with the hopes our knowledge base will pay off when hunting season arrives.

Of course, there are some out there who are willing to push the envelope a bit, and step across the boundary into conduct that’s unethical, illegal … or both.

Thankfully, most hunters aren’t like that. And thankfully, when they are, we’ve got a bunch of men and women who proudly wear the green uniforms of the Maine Warden Service to help sort things out.

I received a call Thursday from one such warden, who wanted to make sure hunters take care to stay on the right side of the law.

That warden, Jim Fahey, left a phone message detailing the steps he’d taken to respond to a question from an outdoors enthusiast.

Fahey spoke at a recent meeting of the Penobscot County Fish & Game Association, and fielded questions after his prepared remarks.

“One of the members asked why some of the local sporting goods stores sold products that were illegal to use, specifically stuff that would be used to bait deer,” Fahey said.

“My explanation was that unlike lead sinkers [which can no longer be sold in Maine], there’s no prohibition of the sale of those items,” Fahey said.

The products in question are available at a number of stores, and are generally mineral-based deer attractants sold under names like “C’mere Deer,” “Whitetail Addiction,” and “Deer Cane.”

Many hunters realize that putting a salt lick out in the field to draw deer within gun range is against the law. Baiting the deer with mineral mixes sold in stores is equally illegal.

Fahey’s concern is that other hunters may make the mistake of believing that a store wouldn’t sell a product that would be illegal for them to use while hunting.

According to Fahey, the law regarding baiting of deer is quite clear, and is on page 15 of the state’s hunting law book.

On the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Web site, the regulation reads as follows:

“Baiting deer by placing salt or any other bait or food to entice deer or hunting from an observation stand or blind overlooking salt, grain, fruit, nuts or other foods known to be attractive to deer, during any open hunting season on deer is prohibited.”

Back in a 2003 column, I told you about a 1998 memo circulated by then-Warden Col. Tim Peabody, in which he explained the department’s position on baiting deer.

Here are the high points:

. Any product (commercial or homemade) placed in the fields or forest that is consumed by deer will be considered bait.

. Products (commercial or homemade) that attract deer by scent alone and are not consumed will be considered legal.

. Any crop, no matter how large or small, and no matter where it is planted, will be considered legal.

Fahey is concerned some hunters might figure sporting goods stores wouldn’t sell products that are illegal to use.

“I [told the members of the PCCA] that I would go to these stores and ask the managers to put up a disclaimer just to help any sportsmen notice that were thinking of making a purchase,” Fahey said.

Fahey said he did so, and was pleased with the result: The store managers agreed to post a copy of the law where customers could see it.

“Of course, the burden’s on the consumer, but still, [I wanted to] do anything to maybe steer some people on the right side of things,” Fahey said.

Grouse plentiful in spots

After a warm start to the bird-hunting season, hunters were treated to more seasonable weather this week.

Anecdotal reports indicate many are having good luck finding ruffed grouse – “partridge” in the Maine vernacular – especially those who venture to the northern reaches of the state.

One Bangor hunter told me he and a group of friends headed to Allagash last weekend in hopes of finding a few grouse.

They did just that, with each hunter reaching his limit in just a few hours of riding the roads.

Another reader wrote to tell of his excursion in the North Maine Woods, where he also had great luck.

This reader was also in the woods not far from Allagash, in Wildlife Management District 1, north of American Realty Road and west of the Allagash River.

He said he headed back to the area after moose-hunting there a year ago. The moose hunting, he said, was fine – he bagged a bull.

But the bird hunting had been better than that, during what many hunters considered a below-average year.

“The bird hunting was the highlight of the trip,” the hunter wrote. “The best I have ever seen, anywhere in my life.”

This year he returned, and in his first two hours of hunting, he saw eight birds and shot four. The next morning he saw nine more, and shot four more.

That, as you might recognize, put him at his possession limit, so he headed home, satisfied.

With Friday’s wet weather, woodcock hunting will likely improve, according to the guides I’ve talked to.

Last week’s trudge through the woods yielded little in the way of moist ground, and the hardpan must have been tough on the beaks of the fast-flying worm-eaters.

And the accompanying wind won’t hurt conditions, either. Many parts of the state already had plenty of colorful foliage that was great for leaf-peepers, but not-so-good for hunters trying to get a clear shot at a streaking bird.

Come next week, many of those leaves will be off the trees … and it’ll truly be time to get out and try to locate a productive covert or two.

Hunter breakfast info sought

Your summer of scouting is over. Your tree stands are all set up, and your shooting lanes cleared. You’ve got your doe permit in hand. Deer season is nearly here.

There is, of course, a small problem: A hungry hunter needs to eat, after all.

Thankfully, plenty of civic organizations fill that void, and make a few bucks by providing the blaze-orange clan a place to fill up before heading afield.

If you’re a member of one of those organizations, we want to help … but you’ve got to help us, first.

As the season progresses, the BDN will publish a list of hunters breakfasts, either in this column space or in the weekend outdoor notebook.

And if you don’t tell us the details, we can’t pass it along to readers.

Thus far, the response has been a bit slower than in past years.

Junior hunters get their own special day in the woods Oct. 20, while Mainers head afield on residents-only day, Oct. 27.

There promise to be a number of meals on tap across the region, including breakfasts and dinners.

If you’re helping to organize one, drop me a line, either by e-mail at the address listed below, or through the mail at P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, 04402-1329.

Then, in the weeks ahead, we’ll let hunters know where they can go to fuel up before – or after – a day in the woods.

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