Bell's Outdoors

05/25/2026

05/13/2026

We are saddened by the loss of Warden Joshua Tibbetts, our prayers go out to his family, and all who knew him, R.I.P. Warden Tibbets.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is heartbroken to share that Game Warden Pilot Joshua Tibbetts died this morning in a plane crash in Avon, ME.

Game Warden Pilot Tibbetts served the people of Maine as a Maine Game Warden for 18 years, including the last three years as a pilot for Maine Warden Service. In that role, his specialized aviation work supported search and rescue, law enforcement, fisheries and wildlife conservation, and public safety across the state.

This is an incredibly difficult loss for his family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Maine Warden Service. We ask the public to keep his loved ones, his fellow Game Wardens, and all those affected by this tragedy in their thoughts in the days ahead.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing. The Department will cooperate fully with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

We are grateful for the emergency personnel who responded to the scene and for the support already being shown to the Maine Warden Service family.

04/24/2026

Tick Prevention,

It's that time of year again, where were are out exploring, foraging, Spring Turkey Hunting, and just out enjoying our beautiful Maine Outdoors, but along with that, comes the dreaded Tick problem.

We should all take precautions to limit our exposure to Ticks and Tick borne diseases, and thank fully we can, personal go to products for this is Sawyer's products.

The Yellow bottle or spray can of Sawyer's Permethrin is a great easy to use product, that provides weeks of protection, through multiple washes, just give a good spray to your outer layers, and let dry, and you are good to go, please follow application directions for best results, spray Outdoors and away from cats, as wet Permethrin can be harmful or fatal in large doses.

Now that your outer layers are protected, what about your skin? Sawyer's also has topical Picaridin, follow directions and apply to your skin, for that extra layer of protection.

Another tip, is to tuck your pant legs into your socks, then wrap duct tape around the bottom of your legs where meeting your shoes, with the adhesive side outward, this way, if any ticks still manage to crawl up, they get stuck on the tape.

I try to stick with one outfit dedicated for my time afield, coated with Sawyer's, this way I know I always have that layer of protection, and can reapply as needed, Ticks and Tick borne diseases are no joke, but we do have options, and we should use them.

We hope you all can get out and enjoy our great Outdoors, springtime in Maine is a great time to do so.

04/12/2026

How game filming your practice sessions can help.

01/04/2026

A few tips for finding shed antlers

01/02/2026

With Winter in full swing, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has many Winter Outdoor Skills workshops scheduled around the state, from learning how to Ice Fish, Clay Target Shotgun shoots, Snowshoe hikes, Wild Game Cooking and more, check the link below to find a Workshop in your area!

https://www.maine.gov/ifw/programs-resources/educational-programs/outdoor-programs/index.html

01/02/2026

🎯 Start the New Year with New Skills

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01/01/2026

Did you get a new tool under the tree?

Many of you may have received a new Bow or Crossbow under the tree this Christmas, and with those, comes some things you'll need to know, so lets jump right in.

Compound Bows,
Many Compound Bows today, are highly adjustable, even at home, but unless you have experience with these, and even then, I'll always recommend going to a good shop, and having it set up for you as an individual shooter, Compound bows, will only reach peak performance when set up to properly fit the shooter.
You have draw weight and draw length considerations, then arrows that should be cut to fit, then there is tuning, and lots of practice.

There is also a deep rabbit hole to go down when it comes to accessories, like a release aid, stabilizers, Broadheads for hunting and more, and a good shop will help with all of that, also, if you know a shooter, see if they can mentor you, having a mentor, can help with what can be a bit of a learning curve when preparing to hit the woods with a Compound Bow, did I mention practice? In the case of Archery, practice almost never makes perfect, but, with lots of practice, and time in the field, you will become proficient with your new tool.

Crossbows,
Crossbows are abit simpler to get setup to use, they do not require the personalized set up like Compound Bows, but, there are considerations to think about, again, unless experienced, I would recommend a shop to at least get it put together, many do not come completely assembled, and a shop can help with that.
Once assembled, now you can sight in, it is a fairly straight forward process, start out at 10 yards, and work farther out, in 10 yard increments, once you have all your accessories, appropriate bolts, field points, broadheads, its all about practice, and more practice, one thing to consider which is slightly different than Compound Bows, is the associated danger of improper hand/finger placement around the path of the string, so always keep them away.

No matter which tool you use, always practice often, keep safety in mind, learn all you can about your tool of choice, this way, when you buy accessories or make upgrades, you can do so with confidence, oh yeah, did I mention practice?