You’ve been busy, and haven’t had the chance to spend any time in the woods. Now, here we are a few days before the beginning of deer season, and you realize exactly how far behind the eight ball you are. You haven’t scouted. You don’t have any stands up. You don’t have a plan for Saturday’s residents-only deer season opener.

Written specifically for kids to read and use, “Ten Days in the North Woods: A Kids’ Hiking Guide to the Katahdin Region” blends a fictional story with accurate descriptions of real trails. The book hit shelves earlier this year, and the author, Hope Rowan of Southwest Harbor, hopes it will inspire children to get outside and explore some of Maine’s most treasured natural areas.

The Foxcroft Academy boys soccer team took another huge step in the playoffs by upsetting the second-seeded Winslow Black Raiders 2-1 in a Class B North quarterfinal on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The teams played under the lights at the campus of Thomas College.

Much like a 16th seed in the NCAA basketball tournament, the Dexter boys cross country team is savoring the chance this week to join Maine’s top interscholastic runners at Saturday’s state championship meet. The Tigers aren’t likely to win the Class C state crown after being the sixth of seven teams to qualify at last weekend’s North regional.

The top-seeded and undefeated Foxcroft Academy Ponies knew their neighbors, the Dexter High School Tigers, were going to be troublesome in their Class C North field hockey championship game at Hampden Academy on Wednesday night even though they had beaten the Tigers twice by a combined score of 7-1 during the regular season. And that is how the game played out with the Ponies earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory thanks to senior forward Cassidy Marsh’s penalty stroke 1:59 into the second half

Maine’s moose hunters who headed out during the second six-day season, which was staged in mid-October, reversed the trend seen by September hunters, with about 75 percent filling their tags.

Foxcroft Academy beat Dexter twice during the regular season. The Tigers hope to end that trend on Wednesday. The undefeated and top-seeded Ponies (16-0) and the No. 2 Tigers (13-3) square off in the 7 p.m. Class C North field hockey championship game at Hampden Academy.

Several key weekend results have firmed up the playoff picture for North region high school football in Classes B, C and D beginning this weekend.

Nearly everything went right for Bucksport High School in a 53-0 victory at Foxcroft Academy to close out the regular season on Friday, Oct. 25. The Golden Bucks, the team finishes at 7-0 and earned the top seed for the Class D North football playoffs, scored seven touchdowns in the opening half

The Foxcroft Academy girls soccer made program history by playing at home in the postseason for the very first time on the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 25. Visiting Ellsworth High School, the ninth seed in the Class B North tournament, spoiled the day for the No. 8 Ponies by scoring twice in the first half to win 3-0.

The Foxcroft Academy boys soccer team traveled to Thomas College to face Waterville High School in a Class B North preliminary game on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 26 in a 10-7 seed matchup.

The Dexter Regional High School boys cross country team scored 197 points at the 2019 Class C North championship on Oct. 26 at Troy Howard Middle School. The Tigers finished sixth of 13 teams, earning a berth for the state meet by placing in the top seven.

Two-time defending Class D North champion Foxcroft Academy is fielding a young team this fall. The Ponies’ crossover games produced a 42-19 loss to 7-0 Class C South leader Leavitt of Turner Center and a 69-21 defeat at 6-1 Winslow. But head coach Danny White remains a big believer in tiered scheduling.

Foxcroft Academy field hockey coach Stephanie Smith knew she was going to have a good team team this season. It certainly lived up to her expectations as the top-seeded Ponies prepare for Saturday’s 1 p.m. Class C North semifinal against No. 4 Dirigo High of Dixfield.

Back in 1980, Billy Lander and his brother Tim -- along with more than 36,000 other eager Mainers -- applied for one of 700 permits that were to be handed out in Maine’s first modern moose hunt.

With the state’s firearms hunting season for deer looming, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s deer specialist says he expects plenty of hunters to fill their tags this year after a banner year in 2018.

What activities do you suggest to someone who’s not outdoorsy but wants to be? -- Aspiring Outdoor Person

Lexi Vafiades of the Ridge View Community School in Dexter won the Inland cross country championship on October 21 at Mattanawcook Middle School. Vafiades covered the 1.85 miles in a time of 13 minutes, 11.16 seconds, besting the time of 13:13.36 for Kaylee Johnston of Doughty Middle School in Bangor along with 112 other entrants.