"Man Shirts" by Duluth Trading Company

Duluth flannel is the quintessential fabric of choice for outdoorsmen, mountain men and mullet sporting rednecks across the entire face of the planet. Whether camped out on the Alaskan tundra, chopping firewood in the remote wilds of Maine or climbing the north face of Mt. Everest, you are sure to find flannel shirts covering the backs of just about every human male with balls enough to call themselves “Man”.

Duluth flannel has long been accepted as the choice fashion statement of discriminating Maine guides. Abused in the most extreme of wilderness climates, flannel provides effective protection from the elements and presents a bold and often difficult to ignore fashion statement. You can hunt or fish in flannel all day, dance in it all night and it still reigns supreme as the definitive “man” fabric of choice. Due to its no nonsense ruggedness, Duluth flannel practically screams, “abuse me with whatever you got tough guy, I can take it”! Though flannel is fairly ineffective at repelling the whirling blade of a chainsaw, gnashing teeth of a rabid coyote or snapping jaws of a crocodile, it will still withstand years of working man abuse, that would leave lesser shirts crying for their mommies.

At the same time, the Duluth flannel fabric possesses a kinder, gentler side, remaining soft against your skin even after a long day of operating the skidder, lobstah boat or hauling hog down I95. Your wife or girlfriend will also certainly appreciate the twice-brushed extra loft when she uses your sweat and diesel soaked “man shirt” as an impromptu “sexy” nightgown.

Duluth’s flannel shirts come in a variety of designs, styles and sizes and are prewashed to resist shrinkage . . . AND TRUST ME NOBODY WANTS TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH SHRINKAGE!

Selecting that perfect flannel shirt is as easy as making a decision about what you want in a flannel shirt and clicking on the corresponding button on the website.

Looking for that perfect flannel shirt to take your lady to the local discotheque this weekend? Go with the slim fitting and lightweight “Trim Fit Free Swinging Flannel Shirt”. This shirt is equipped with a roomy tradesman’s fit and armpit gussets. You will be the object of lustful desire of every woman at “Whiskey Dicks Bar & Grill”, as you bust a move on the dance floor better than John Travolta in Saturday Night Fevah. AND don’t forget the button-down collar on these impressive shirts, means you can wear it under a sport jacket.

Need a shirt to keep you dry and comfortable on the coldest day ice fishing in the Arctic Circle or Northern Maine in June? Go with the wood-choppin', horse-loggin' 8oz 100% cotton burly weight flannel. Heavy, rugged and warm, even Paul Bunyan woulda liked one like this.

No matter what your flannel needs, Duluth Trading Company also on Twitter @DuluthTradingCo, has a shirt fit for your every wanton desire!

Want to see more flannel reviews? Please check out the Virginia Sweet Pea and Bubbly Nerd!

Maine YOUTH Deer Hunters

Congratulations to ALL Maine youth deer hunters! Even if you did not shoot a deer this season spending time outside with your friends and family members is one of the most important components of hunting.

I would love a chance to post some pictures of youth deer hunters on the blog so make sure you get your parents permission first and then send your favorite pictures to me at: rabidoutdoorsman@gmail.com. Once I receive, I will put your pictures up on the blog!

Thanks folks and good luck and be safe throughout the remainder of the hunting season!

My cousin Alex Chaffee with a wicked good deah he shot during the youth opener! Congrats buddy that is a nice one!

Wildlife Quiz - Double Crested Commorant

The Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), a seabird commonly seen along Maine’s inland and coastal waterways, possess gangly, primitive features, making it appear more closely matched to prehistoric times rather than modern day. The double-crest of the Cormorant appears on adults during breeding season. Crests vary in coloration from white to black dependent on geographic location.

Frequently mistaken for geese and loons, a cormorant’s long kinked neck, stocky black body, sea-green eyes, hooked bill and orange-yellow facial skin easily distinguishes it from other aquatic birds. Not possessing as much preen oil as ducks, Cormorant’s feathers absorb rather than shed water. Though appearing a poor evolutionary trait, wet feathers make cormorants more adept at diving and maneuvering underwater, allowing them to hunt prey with great speed and agility. This means cormorants must dry their wings before they are able to fly, making cormorants frequent visitors on docks and rocky outcroppings where they can be seen spreading their wings to dry.

Like Geese, flocks of cormorants travel in V-shaped flocks during October and November, as they migrate from inland lakes and waterways to the coast to escape the deep freeze of the Maine winter. In the spring, Cormorants travel to breeding colonies along the coast as well as on large inland lakes. Nest construction typically occurs on rocky islands, where they are built with whatever materials are readily available. An examination of a cormorant nest will typically find an odd assortment of junk, including discarded fishing line, plastic bottles, rope, Styrofoam, shells and even the bones of birds, fish and animals.

Cormorants are typically very good parents, using their bodies and wings to shading chicks from the direct rays of the sun. The average life expectancy of a double-crested cormorant is around 6 years with the oldest known representative of the species living to be 22 years old.

Wildlife Quiz Questions:
1. When does the double crest appear on the double crested cormorant?
2. What features make the cormorant easy to distinguish it from loons and geese?
3. What do cormorants lack that makes it difficult for them to keep their feathers dry?
4. Do cormorants fly in V-shaped formations?
5. Do cormorants migrate?
6. When do cormorants breed?
7. Cormorant nests are constructed of what materials?
8. What is the average age of a cormorant?
9. What was the age of the oldest know cormorant?

Wildlife Quiz Answers:
1. The crest on the double crested cormorant appears during breeding season.
2. Cormorants are easy to distinguish from loons and geese by their long kinked necks, stocky black bodies, sea-green eyes, hooked bills and orange-yellow facial skin.
3. Cormorant’s glands do not produce large amounts of preening oil like ducks and other aquatic birds.
4. Cormorants do fly in V-shaped formations like geese.
5. Cormorant populations on large inland lakes and river migrate to coastal waters during the winter to escape freeze-up.
6. Cormorants breed in the spring.
7. Cormorant nests are constructed of fishing line, plastic bottles, rope, Styrofoam and shells, and even the bones of birds, fish and animals.
8. Cormorants live to an average age of 6 years.
9. The oldest know cormorant lived to be 22 years old.