Region C - Downeast

Except for this week’s attempts at muzzleloading, another deer season has gone by. Most deer hunters are likely pondering their collection of mental notes as to what to do, where to go, what to try, etc., for next season. We had another snow-less season this year in coastal eastern Maine, but the deer kill is up and most hunters are in agreement that before and during the season they saw more deer than previous years. Hunter effort is hard to measure and harder to anticipate; and is always a wild card in predicting and interpreting the results of the deer harvest when it’s all said and done. Likewise, so is trying to gauge what effect high priced fuel has … everyone talks about it but does it change a person’s plans and driving habits? One fact is that the closer to coastal Route 1 you are in this Region, the greater the density of deer. That is also where most of the human population is. By hunting closer to home, you are hunting a larger deer population and the projected deer kill and success rate will increase. But there is a downside … you don’t have the free open expanses of ground to hunt like you do on paper company lands. Instead, you have to deal with posted land, safety zones in residential areas, and more contact with humans, both hunters and non-hunters alike.

Who would of thought twenty years ago that driving around and observing various fields of Washington County would get you observations of Canada geese by the hundreds and wild turkeys in flocks of 10 or more … and even some fields with both. What you don’t usually see are deer, but you may see them on people’s lawns, gardens and under apple trees in the yard. Like the geese and turkeys, the deer have found where the good food is and where there is a relatively safe haven from both two and four-legged predators. Unfortunately, this assumption doesn’t always hold, and often places them in more contact with traffic and its associated dangers.

There is still time to work your bird dog and chase grouse. The birds have changed their habits from early fall and now often utilize the cover of mixed wood stands. So now, instead of leaf cover to contend with you have evergreens. But unlike the early fall, when the bird breaks above or beyond the cover, you may actually have a truly visible target. As the hunting conditions change, so too should the hunter’s armament for best results. Retire that open bored 20 gauge for the year and dig out the old trusty tight bored duck gun for those 35 yard shots with larger shot sizes.

-James Hall, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist