By the time the maples start to change color, Bangor-area kids will have a place all their own to explore nature and learn about Maine’s wildlife.

Construction began this week on the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association clubhouse, located on the shore of Pickerel Pond, east of Milford in T32 MD.

The clubhouse is the first that Maine has seen in decades.

Dozens of hunting and fishing clubs thrive here, but the idea of an outdoor club for kids died generations ago.

So last year, a group of local sportsmen got together and created a new type of club, where moms and dads and kids can all belong and share outdoor experiences.

About 60 youngsters have already signed up for the group, bringing about half as many adults into membership with them. By next summer, the group is hoping to claim 500 members and give Maine kids a taste of traditional outdoor recreation.

“The young people don’t have others bringing them along,” said Lee Perry, commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

“Fish and wildlife are an important part of Maine – this is strengthening and reviving the tradition, and it’s doing it in a neat way,” Perry said. “Hopefully it will catch on, and we’ll see other clubs.”

Pickerel Pond was an obvious first choice because since 1995 it has been stocked with fish and set aside for children’s use.

The land surrounding the pond is owned by International Paper, which was pleased to allow this use of a property that had become problematic for the company, with constant reports of illegal camping and vandalism.

“We’re really taking it from the abuse of the resource to a benefit,” said Steve Sloan of International Paper.

The building, which is owned by DIF&W, will be completed by mid-September, and events are expected to start immediately.

“There’s no reason why we can’t start right away,” said Matt Dunlap, a state legislator from Old Town, and vice-president of the group. “Every weekend, there will be something to do out here.”

RoboDuck

Duck hunters nationwide are debating whether clever new motion decoys with names like RoboDuck, Mojo Mallard, and Widow Maker are ethical additions to the sport.

The decoys, which are popular in Western states, are sold primarily through catalogs. They’re standard decoys but with wings that spin, creating the illusion of flight.

Several duck hunters have written to DIFW, asking that the devices be banned, said wildlife biologist Brad Allen, the state’s bird expert.

But many duck hunters have defended the devices, saying that they’re three times more likely to get a bird using the RoboDuck, Allen said.

The devices have already been outlawed in Washington, Oregon, California and Pennsylvania.

Allen has some concerns that the decoys could boost the kill of rarer duck species, but does not support a state ban – which hunters fear would give the residents of other states an advantage in shooting these migratory birds.

Rather, the biologist would like to see a regional or national decision made about the decoys’ legality as soon as possible.

“If they’re going to do it, they should ban them before everybody’s got one,” Allen said.

Crab conservation

With summer vacations in full swing, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has launched a campaign opposing the sale of hermit crabs by souvenir shops.

Hermit crabs, the odd little crustaceans that borrow the cast-off shells of other animals, can live as many as 75 years in the wild, but often die in just a few years as pets, according to PETA data.

“Hermit crabs are not disposable – they belong in their seaside homes, and suffer and die in captivity,” PETA said in a news release.

All along the Eastern Seaboard, the group will be distributing stickers with the slogan, “Keep Hermit Crabs Free: Captivity Kills.”

Emergency line

The U.S. Coast Guard wants boaters to know about a new means of reporting maritime emergencies.

Boaters may now use a cellular phone to connect with the nearest Coast Guard Search and Rescue Center simply by dialing “CG.”

Coast Guard officials reminded boaters, however, that while cell phones are convenient, they do not replace VHF-FM radios, which with their powerful signals, can be the most valuable tool for a boater in an emergency.

To submit an item for publication in the Outdoor Notebook, e-mail medgecomb@bangordailynews.net, fax to 941-9476, or mail to Outdoor Notebook, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, Maine 04402-1329.