Open Firearms Season Over in Maine-Success???

[Mainehunter]

Well the open firearms season is over here in Maine. What's the run down? How many of us were successful? What's your feeling on the status of the Maine deer herd? What do you think the future holds for hunting in this state?

I ended up with one of the two tags filled having taken that average doe on opening day. I saw several deer after that but none that offered me a clear and safe shot. The public land I hunt was heavily hit and unfortunately after the first day or two the deer made some significant changes to their travelling routes. With the large numbers of hunters this year it was harder to find a good spot within that area (which my family and I have hunted since I was a young boy) without getting too close to another hunter. That pretty much limited each of us to the same spot throughout the season. That only worked out due to the fact that each hunter that did stay in the area seemed to respect the others by trying to stay away from the immediate locations where they had observed other hunters in the first few days. While that allowed us all to safely hunt the area it did keep us from adjusting locations to match the change in deer movement patterns.

One of the big contributors to this cluster situation was the fact that open areas available to hunters have been shrinking over the last 20 years. More and more landowners have posted their property and cut it off to hunters. The lack of hunting land available has caused many dedicated and traditionally very successful hunters to stop hunting all together. Thus hunting itself has suffered. Then with the availability of bonus permits there were greater numbers of hunters out this year which really made the land limitation a problem. Several that came out to "give it another shot" were so downheartened by the available hunting land situation that I don't expect many of them to return to the field next year. This makes me very sad to see it unfold like this. I feel that some of the greatest reward to hunters is the fellowship we enjoy with each other. What a wonderful and devious ploy available to the anti's. If they move into areas like this where hunting and firearm ownership have always been a major part of our way of life, buy up the suitable land and cut it off they have most effectively succeeded in restricting our ability to hunt. To them that is success.

The only viable alternative I see is to hunt some of the more open areas (like the vast paper company land) which although it is open and available for the most part has the deer numbers spread out over a much greater area and thus severely limits the sightings and success rate. I know personally that I travel an hour and a half each way to get to my current location. That would significantly increase if I had to go to the "paper land". It may end up as the only choice in the future which is a scary thing considering that the paper land is private property and could be cut off as easily as any other private land.

Anyway, while I am very happy to have venison in the freezer and having filled one of my two available tags I am also very unhappy at how the future looks for hunters in the State of Maine. The herd itself looks very strong in my area with abundant signs of activity and several sightings. I saw several deer in fact that were very close to residences while I travelled to and from my hunting spot.

For turkey hunters I had three separate sightings of large groups of about one to two dozen each time.

I saw as many as 6 partridge in a given day and provided great entertainment for the local squirrels. I was greatly entertained as well as they would spend several minutes standing about 3 or 4 feet away from me trying to figure out what I was. Until I would move or take a big breath they didn't seem to have a clue.

So how about the rest of you that hunt the Maine Woods? Were you successful this season? What is your assessment of the deer herd and the hunting conditions? What do you think the future holds for hunting in the State of Maine?

Is anyone going to continue with the muzzleloader season?



"We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the 'RIGHT MAJOR CRISES' and the nations
will accept the New World Order." -David Rockefeller.

[janc]

Well my season is over and unfortunately I didn't tag out. I saw 6 deer all season having just fired one shot at a running buck, nailed the birch tree right in front of him though. Tasted a little grainy... I had vacation the 2nd and 3rd weeks of the season and returned to work thanksgiving week. That week my father used my stand and shot a 163lb 8 pointer on Wednesday. Only deer he saw all year. My wife saw three while sitting in our hunting cabin while others were out hunting, but her radio didn't work to let us know that they were standing there for over and hour. I eventually jumped them and they ran off.
Our hunting area was also hunted very hard. Saw many hunters which was discouraging. The area offers various terrains, hardwoods, bogs, brook and some cuttings. As far as I know none of the others around us had any luck either.
I'm worried about what this state has to offer. I don't think the deer herd is as good as the biologists think it is here in central maine. Although I saw many tracks in the snow, I believe most of it was made after dark and by a select group of 3 or 4 deer that traveled the area near our camp. Probably the same three that were seen near the camp.
We don't post our land but might find the need to in the future to ensure that we don't get run out of the area. we don't own much but the few acres we have is very nice hunting, potentially. I always complain about those that post their land and don't use it and don't let others and I'd hate to become a member of that society.
Things are changing and it doesn't appear to be for the better. I digress.
Hope others had good luck and continued success. My season is done, except for cutting up my dads.... Heres thinking of next year...

[PMGHUNTER]

I agree land is scarce everywhere and that is making it harder evey year to find Quality hunting land. I for one was succesful taking a 170lb 7 pt. on 11/5. My dad had a doe permit and didn't see a deer till Friday after thanksgivig 120lb. doe. My techno hunting buddy finally took my advice and sat in my tree for the last afternoon and Harvested a 125lb. doe while a few minutes later on the opposite ridge my wife took her doe about 100lb. Have a cousin that will be useing the smoke pole, he has an anydeer permit, also a friend goodluck guys.

We have alot of deer in the area where we hunt, the problem is this, A public golf course( bought by out of staters) borders private land and a major track of public land. The owners boy friend has advertised in major publications he has over 400 acres of prime hunting. They only have 110! They post their land no hunting or trespassing. To try to keep the locals out while hunting and driving deer off all of the surrounding land. Really making the land owners around them upset having these people park in there driveways with out asking, walk across thier back yards all times of the day and driving Nails into the trees to make steps for tree stands. The land where I have hunted since I was 10 gets smaller each year cause of all the out of staters coming in and staying at this place an not being considerate of the other peoples land, Just because they pay good money to come here for a couple of weeks doesn't give them free run over land that desn't belong to the golf course.
Last year the Wardens had to issue 19 violation tickets to a bunch of them, the major one was Hunting while Intoxicated. Then there was the 10 dead deer we found shoot first and look later was there moto. Gonna shoot it then use it! don't let it rot in the woods!!


For the future of this state and it's hunting I think it has already started to go downhill and will continue till we all stand togther and stop the Intrusion of Flat Landers moving in and trying to make changes. If they don't like our way of life then why did they move here in the first place?

I really don't have any problems with people from other states that come here with respect for the locals and would like to hunt or fish, Hey I make a living on that. But for the big shot city slicker to drive here in his fully loaded cadillac suv, buy all new hunting stuff @ LL Bean on the way up, including a new rifle, with out ever sighting it in, and to go out hunting with it shows disrespect to the animals and should not be allowed to even think about Hunting!! Those are the types of people this golf course allows to hunt on other peoples property with out first getting permission.

I don't know, But that seems to be the biggest problem with the land owners I talk to about posting, disrepect to them and their property, Untill we all try to make things right with respect then I don't see things changing for the better. The next step I think may be leases and I for one don't want that to happen.



Member of PETA (People for the Eating of Tasty Animals) shoot straight and goodluck PMG

[jerseyjoe]

Took an 8pt 19" 175lb on Thanksgiving Day. Our party got 3 bucks and 4 does. A decent week.

[maineboy]

http://www.hunting-pictures.com/memb...uno/index.html

Well...my season ended on Oct.26. Took piebald in Sept. in special zone. Took small 7pt in regular archery. 4 days later headed back to special zone again and took the 6pt. 2-2.5 yr. olds and 1 -1.5yr. I would love to pass on these guys and I just may pass on smaller ones next year...to help the deer herd..BUT we hunt in Maine, tough hunting. If I don't shoot it, someone else will. Would be different if I hunted my own land.

I have been scouting pretty heavily for next year. Have located a BIG deer (probably 4.5-5yr old) Am trying to put the time in so that i can harvest him next year. That would be a dream come true.



Nothing better than the feel of my MQ32 in the palm of my hand.

[Portage]

We went 6 for 6 this year. Actually, there were only 2 of us hunting our traditional Thanksgiving week. All bucks with the biggest a 235 pound 9 pointer followed by a 195 pound 8. I killed a decent 6 pointer. During the season I saw 26 deer hunting 8 different locations. There was only 1 day that I didn't see a deer.

We had ideal conditions and the deer moved continually. I think we need to start killing some does in zones 1, 5 and 6 however. Lots and lots of does. Just hope we have a good winter now as there is already over a foot of snow in spots. Its a given that more will come.