The loss of Maine’s deer herd in the North Woods is expected to accelerate the steady loss of both resident and nonresident hunters in a state once known for its Whitetails.

The truth is that the big woods still has trophy whitetails, but the overall deer population there is greatly diminished, and other states are now more attractive to deer hunters, including Mainers.

If you aren’t receiving the weekly newsletter of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, or reading it on the agency’s website, you’re missing a lot of interesting and helpful information, much of which can make your outdoor activities more fun. The newsletter is emailed on Tuesdays – coincidentally the same day this blog report is posted each week.

You can get on the email list by contacting Edie Smith, the agency’s Director of Information and Education, at Edith.A.Smith@maine.gov.

You’ve got to give them credit. The Maine League of Conservation Voters (MCV) has stayed the course, issuing its 25th Environmental Scorecard on September 6.

This year MCV has offered a new twist – a free iPhone application, available along with the scorecard itself at 2011Environmental Scorecard. The online version is interactive.