Mr. .45-70

I'm looking for some large wilderness area in Northern Maine to hunt whitetails. I've done some research and have found a place called the Eagle Lake Public Reserve that is 23,000 acres in size. Does anybody know if this place is any good for hunting or should I look elsewhere? Thanks.

Champlain Islander

Brian I think Eagle Lake is right on the border with Quebec. I hunted for two or 3 years at Portage which is just south of where you want to hunt. I saw lots of bears, moose and some deer but didn't score on a racker. The tracks were there but we never had much snow to work with. I would recommend going Thanksgiving week, better chance of snow and the bucks really move then if you go that far up. Portage was about a 10 hour ride for me coming from North Western Vt. They do get some really big deer but it is vast and the bucks don't start to run until the last week in their season. We usually went into the Alagash at the Fish River Check point paid a day tresspass fee and drove 20 to 50 miles on paper co roads. Few other hunters and they keep track of the harvest at the check point. Almost no bucks are taken the week before Thanksgiving then all hell breaks loose and they get a bunch the last few days of the season. The area is really remote but I switched back to areas more to the south. I feel the bucks are just as big and you definitely see more deer and the trip doesn't take a whole day.

vtbuckrulrss

i can't say about that area, but i was just on the maine website. if you look into the part that mentions any-deer permit, i think it was, there are descriptions of the differnt zones within the state, and they tell you how many people per square mile, general things, hunting pressure, but more importantly it mentions how many bucks they figure per square mile. i just watched a video produced entirely in maine, and they show some monster bucks not far from the portland area. their website shows some incredible bucks they took pictures of this summer in that general, heavy and with b&c size racks. look south.
Pat

Mr. .45-70

Thanks for the pointers Frank. Sounds like just what were looking for. How much are the day use fees and what kind of shape are the roads in? Did you get a chance to see the Benoits at the Yankee Classic? That was the first time I've seen them do a seminar. It was definitely entertaining and well worth the drive. I was surprised to see Larry there. I had a chance to talk to the boys at their booth after and even had them sign my book for me(Larry included). They seem like real down to earth guys and I bet it would be a blast to hunt with them. They remind me alot like the group of guys I hunt with. Off to bed.

Mr. .45-70

Pat what is the link to the web site you were at. I'd like to pay a visit to it. Thanks.

vtbuckrulrss

http://www.state.me.us/ifw/wmd/map.htm#top just click on a zone. if it doesn't work, go to www.state.me.us/ifw
Pat

Champlain Islander

Brian, I did get to see the Benoits at the Classic and enjoyed their seminar. Believe me they are the real deal. No smoke and mirrors there just an incredible ability to hunt whitetailed deer. The day fee to enter the Allagash was $7 per day per hunter as of about 4 years ago. I think there was a week permit to the tune of $35. The roads were real good and we were able to go right along at about 40mph. You do need to watch for logger trucks because they won't stop and definely take their share of the road and then some. Like I said we usually rode for about an hour and then hunted when we saw a good looking spot. There are lots of other places to hunt up there not just on the paper lands. We hunted areas closer to Presquile and Caribou to see something different. Lots of really thick moose type terrain with some hardwood ridges and saddles. Not a lot of places to stay up there so start to plan early. We rented a camp on Portage Lake and did all our own cooking etc. There was 1 diner named Dean's with rooms to rent upstairs in town along with a small store. If you do hunt that area be sure to carry an extra gas can. When we go through the Fish River Check we could have gone all the way to Allagash Plantation which is about 100 miles. The main road comes out to the west of Fort Kent. Lots of side roads to explore and easy to get lost in the road system. I talked with a hunter one day and he told me one of the locals found a shed with 9 points on 1 side. They looked for the match but couldn't find it.

T_in_PA2

Champlain,
Bear huntedhe area you described for quite a few years. Stayed at a camp inside the NMW. Would come out to Portage about mid-week to use the phone and buy some snacks. Rarely saw a deer. Saw more moose than deer easily.

Dean's Motel.. all the snowmobilers know about it.

Champlain Islander

T_in_PA2 I agree with you about not many deer. I saw moose every day and quite a few bears especially when the beeches were abundant. There was a place about 10 miles north of town off Rt 11 on the right that was loaded with the nuts. I saw 4 different bears in 1 day. We all agreed that nobody would take a bear because we didn't want to spend valuable hunting time getting them out. A big buck was OK but not a bear. Long and short of it we didn't get anything but had a great time anyway.

DLuke

I don't have any answers for you, as I have hunted Central Maine for 20 years and don't use a guide service. I recommend you stop by www.huntingchat.net , as there is the highest concentration of Maine hunters on the web over there. You'll get a lot of answers from locals and non-residents over there... DL