usajag

I just booked a deer hunt for northern Maine next November. I hunted mostly in PA, NY, and WA. Read the Blood and Benoit books but looking to see if anyone else has some advice. I'll be up in the Jackman area. Any thoughts?

patrkyhntr

If you hunt in Pa., you won't think there is anything unusual about Maine except for the fact it might be a tad colder. Deer densities are on a par with those of the northcentral part of the state. Still, you could run across a real boomer. Would I go? You bet. It is big woods hunting at its best.

T_in_PA3

Have hunted bear in the area but have yet to make it for deer. Had an opportunity to go up this year but couldn't make it. Truely some great hunting there and I mean hunting. You think deer numbers are low in PA........ Thing is... there is less hunters too so the deer get older. If you happen to come across a buck he can be a real doosy! Also, pray for snow for tracking.

Champlain Islander

Snow will be the key and you better like to track. The woods are enormous and the bogs are never-ending. Make sure you are good in the woods and can navigate. A GPS really takes some of the pressure off. You won't see many deer but the ones that you do will be larger than you are accustomed to. If you get to go during Thanksgiving week it usually is the best and there is a better chance of snow. Good luck, if you like big woods you’ll love Maine.

usajag

Thanks for your info. I never hunted in Maine but i look forward to it. Some have told me to not expect to see many deer but the ones you see are big. Years ago I did quite a bit of hiking in Baxter State Park and figure it is likley the same kind of terrain. Not to concerned about the navigation part as it can't be any bigger than Alaska of the Cascades of Washington. I've been told that I might want to leave the bolt gun at home, especially if I'm doing a lot of still hunting. It doesn't really matter either way but I would rather use what's best.

Does anyone know where i can download free topos of the Jackman area?

RonM

usajag go to Maineguides.com it's a fun thread has a lot of info. I bear hunted some distance farther North in E. Millinocket near Patton a few years ago, dont know about deer hunting in the cold weather, sometimes PA gets too cold, this year it was too warm.... A friend of mine lives in Jackman , we graduated from H.S. together,, Roland Russell, look him up , he will be in a bar somewhere probably the American Legion.....

salty

you will be in for a huge surprise if you think PA hunting is anything like hunting in northern Maine. It is very thick with new growth from logging and you cannot see 2 feet infront of you. You have to find where the recent logging has occured and hunt that. Bring extremely warm clothes because it was frigid when I was there this season. We went to Moosehead lake in Greenville. Didn't see 1 deer except a monster 10 point that was already dead in the back of a truck. There are miles and miles of logging roads that are fair game for anyone to hunt... Good luck.

Mike Hill

Hi US
I agree the woods are so thick up north it makes for a difficult hunt as its all big pine,and the deer population is pretty low per square mile, this is big wooods so bring a compuss or even better a GPS if you get lost you are really lost. That said I perfer to hunt Sothern Me. and I really love Western Me. Its more open with hard woods where you can see to shoot. In Western Me. the hunting pressure is as low as up north at least where I hunt and its unusul to see another hunter. And the deer can really get big I have seen some monsters going home at night. Good luck to you where ever you choose to go. Mike

BeastTamer

Good job on booking a hunt up north!My family is from the Fort Kent area and we have a place in Wallagrass deep in the woods, lots of moose and bears. Deer arefew are far in between. But the deer that you will seeare usually huge kinda like a Mulie, in Maine patience is the key more than most hunting places.

Good Luck! If you ever need another outfitter to go to let me know. I have a personal friend of the family that owns atop notch outfitting lodge.

jpm8920

I hunt mostly in NY also, but i have hunted in NH and ME, and I loved it. I didn't get anything, but the experience of hunting such huge expanses of land and the knowledge of how big a deer you may see makes it well worth it.