The 28th annual State of Maine Sportsman's Show is this weekend, March 28-30, at the Augusta Civic Center.

On Friday the hours are 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and on Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Your Scribe plans to be there, probably Saturday. I will likely be wearing a disguise, though, so the trappers have no chance of recognizing me. Last year I wrote some compromising words about their booth, and I received close to a dozen cranky comments the next week. Maybe I'll dress up as outdoor journalist and icon Harry Vanderweide. Or perhaps Roxanne Quimby, the land-grabbing founder of Burt's Bees. Just kidding!

On Saturday I plan to go to the "Sandy River Radio Telemetry Project," if I can figure out what it's about. My cabin is on the Sandy River, and hopefully I will be able to define the word "telemetry" by Saturday.

I also want to go to a Maine Bass Fishing clinic, run by LL Bean. Since it's becoming clear I will never land a trout, I believe it's time for Plan B - which is to try for bass.

And I might go to a turkey-calling championship (at 3:30 p.m.). I have plenty of turkeys near my land (doesn't everybody?) and I'd like to get to know some of them better.

There are scores of seminars and classes, ranging from fly-tying to ATV driving. Plus there are plenty of vendors, offering a range of goods in hunting, fishing and upcountry transportation.

The show provides a full day of looking, listening and actually trying out some of the gear. I may play with some of the rods and camping gear, but I doubt if I will practice setting any traps while I'm there. There might be a big bear trap all ready to be sprung if I get too close.

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