The Red Sox are champs. The Pats are undefeated. So are the Celtics. And I still haven’t got my deer.

Three out of four ain’t bad, I suppose.

On a Tuesday morning, it’s time to hop around the horn and take care of some housekeeping chores.

First, let’s start with congratulations to Brent Williams of Clifton.

Williams, who is 15, has completed yet another successful year of hunting.

Yes. Completed.

On Youth Deer Day, Williams – a sophomore at Brewer High – passed up a doe and a four-point buck before bagging a 208-pound buck later in the day with his father’s .44 Desert Eagle handgun.

According to his proud grandfather, Phil McTigue, Williams is now eligible for his second membership in the prestigious “Royal Crown Club,” sponsored by the Maine Antler and Skull Trophy Club.

That membership goes to those hunters who bag a turkey, a bear, a moose and a deer in Maine in the same year.

McTigue said that while riding to a Charleston meat-cutting shop, Williams began browsing the state hunting and trapping laws and saw an article that talked about the Hunters for the Hungry program.

After some discussion, Williams decided to donate the meat from his trophy buck to the program.

Congratulations to Brent, not only for his hunting success but for helping fellow Mainers in need.

Weather fit for ducks, not bucks

For the second week in a row, the state’s deer hunters were “treated” to weather that wasn’t particularly favorable.

Those who rose early and headed into the woods were able to enjoy some decent hunting, but those who had hoped to sneak out after lunch and hunt until sunset were left to make a big decision.

Head afield and get soggy … or stay home and stay dry.

According to prevailing wisdom, the torrential downpours and strong wind likely sent most deer into hiding, and hunters who did brave the conditions may not have ended up with much to show for their efforts.

The good news: The weather has changed … and those who did go hunting Saturday afternoon have probably dried out by now.

As for me, I didn’t get out at all over the weekend, after a miserably wet opening day the week before.

One reader’s comments after the opening day deluge made good sense to me.

The reader pointed out hunting in a rainstorm can make retrieving downed game exceedingly difficult as blood trails rapidly deteriorate.

And as hunters, he pointed out, it’s our responsibility to do everything we can to make sure that game we shoot isn’t abandoned in the field.

With 40 mph winds and rain falling sideways, I decided to listen to his advice and simply stay home.

L..L. Bean plans special event

I’m all for enjoying the seasons as they come, but a bit of advance planning never hurts, either.

With that in mind, I’ll let you know about L.L. Bean’s Winter Sports Expo, which will take place Saturday and Sunday in Freeport.

No, it may not be winter quite yet. But when the folks at L.L. Bean hold a special event, I’m always willing to take a second look.

This weekend’s Expo features family and children’s activities, interactive demonstrations, promotions and snowshoe and product testing.

Among the groups that will have booths are WinterKids, the Maine Winter Sports Center and the Mount Washington Observatory.

Gov. John Baldacci will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday to promote his “Take it Outside” campaign, and Maine’s own Olympic gold medalist, snowboarder Seth Wescott, will attend from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday.

The store will offer 20 percent off all snowshoes and cross country ski equipment, special pricing on winter products and free ice skate sharpening.

The Expo will run from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. For a more complete list of demonstrations and booths, go to www.llbean.com/events.

Waterfalls featured

The Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce and Erik Stumpfel are promoting a product that might be an ideal gift for avid hikers and wildlife lovers.

Called “A Waterfall Guide to Southern Piscataquis County,” the computer CD features a PowerPoint presentation with 60 color photographs of 37 of the region’s waterfalls.

The chamber will unveil Stumpfel’s work Nov. 14. For more information on the CD, call the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce at 564-7533.

LaBare book sales picking up

I’ve been trading e-mails with Dennis LaBare over the past several days and am happy to report that sales of his book, “Tagewahnahn, The Landlocked Salmon of Grand Lake Stream,” have been brisk.

Last week I offered a review in this space, and I’m glad to see that anglers (and relatives of anglers) are scooping up copies.

Just a quick reminder: LaBare had just 1,000 copies of the handsome volume published.

If you’re planning to pick up a copy as a Christmas gift for a special angler, I’ve got some good news – and a warning.

The good news: There are still plenty of books left.

The warning: Don’t count on that trend continuing. The more newspapers and magazines that review his book, the higher sales will go.

Word of mouth (and word-of-computer) is a funny thing, and LaBare said he has received several book orders from across the nation after the review was published and expects that many were a result of someone, somewhere, reading our online BDN and passing word along. So far he has received orders from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina and Georgia.

If you’re interested in learning more about the book, you can do so by checking out LaBare’s Web site at www.glssalmon.com.

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