Maine's North Woods : hunting & SD

[AStone]

For both personal and professional reasons, I may - underscore may - be spending some time in Maine during the next few years. Most likely, time spent there will be in summer and fall, less in winter.

Even though I'd most likely be spending most of my time in southern Maine, my friends from there tell me that if I'm looking for big "wild" areas, go to the north woods. There are apparently few to no national forests there, and no designated wilderness areas per se. Instead, most of the land is owned by timber and development companies, but hunting and camping is allowed on most of the 3.5 million acres.

So, I'm starting to do my homework.

I'm hoping to hear from those who live there or have been there about topics including:

* hunting small to medium to large game, including how hard it is to get a deer tag?
(I understand moose is by lottery, but I'm not interested in hunting moose)
* SD against 4-legged critters
* SD against 2-legged critters: is there any crime up there, like meth labs, etc?)
* carry restrictions (CCW? Open Carry? if so, where?)
* pests (mosquitoes, blackflies, etc)
* climatic and ecological considerations
* any special areas - hunting, backpacking and camping especially - that I should know about.

I've searched Hunting for "Maine" and found a few threads about deer and bear, but would like to read more.

I've found several pages outside of THR that have gotten me started.

* This wiki article.
* Something called Maine North Woods, Inc.
* Northwoods Sporting Journal

Thanks for any information.

Nem

 

[AStone]

That this thread so far has zero responses is telling me something about how remote this region is.

 

[villemur]

Maine

I live in New Hampshire, but I've spent a fair amount of time in Maine. I shot my first deer in the Katahdin Ironworks area. Deer hunting in Maine is as easy as buying a license and waiting for the season to roll around. There are some big woods in Maine, but most of it is dissected by logging roads, so it's pretty accessible. It's great country. The deer densities are pretty low compared to a lot of places, but the deer can get really big. There's also fantastic ruffed grouse (locally called partridge) hunting in Maine if you're a shotgunner.

As far as rifles go, almost any deer caliber will work. Because of the thick woods shots will not be that long, so a lot of people still use 30-30's and 35 Remingtons, although there are plenty of more 'modern' calibers too.

Because of the low population densities in northern Maine crime is actually pretty low. Like anywhere else, there might be some meth labs and drug problems, but it is probably not something that's going to affect you if you don't go looking for it. The people that I've met in northern Maine were friendly enough, but like most New Englander's (myself included) they prefer to mind their own business.

Regarding self-defense, I don't know what the Maine carry laws are, although I've been told that they are stricter than neighboring NH and Vermont. Truthfully, I've never felt the need to carry in the northern/backwoods areas. I'm much more concerned with urban areas. With the exception of mosquitoes and black flies, there's no wildlife in the Maine woods that you need protection from. Hypothermia is probably the biggest danger.

If you like hiking and camping you need to make the climb up Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park. It's the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. I've done a lot of hiking, but Katahdin ranks up there as one of the most memorable. It's very steep and rocky, so be prepared.

That's my 2 cents...

 

[andyjason]

as far as a deer tag goes it comes with a license. a non-resident license costs $149. that covers everything from squirrels to deer. bear and turkey cost extra and the moose lottery costs to enter and even more if you get drawn. i may be wrong, but i don't think that you need to worry to much about sd from the 4 legged type. thats as much as i can help. i live in southern maine. keep asking questions and the others on here from maine will help as much as we can. andy


edit. what villemur said covers about everything that i didnt. if you want to cc i would look into the permit.

 

[AStone]

Villemur and Andy, thanks. Very helpful.

Last night, on another network, someone directed me to this page for info about Maine carry laws.

 

[Supertac45]

CCW is by a license and only a few non resident states qualify. Check www.handgunlaw.us for more info. You can get a nonresident license. The North Country is beautiful. I lived in Caribou in the late 1960's and hunted the Allagash a lot. Monster beucks in the back country back then.

 

[qajaq59]

I hunted Maine about 45 years ago and the one thing that sticks in my mind is the advice I got from an old timer. "Be sure you hunt going up hill or you're never going to get him to the truck." They have some very large deer in northern Maine!!!

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

Picture heavy so watch out!!

* hunting small to medium to large game, including how hard it is to get a deer tag?
(I understand moose is by lottery, but I'm not interested in hunting moose)
* SD against 4-legged critters
* SD against 2-legged critters: is there any crime up there, like meth labs, etc?)
* carry restrictions (CCW? Open Carry? if so, where?)
* pests (mosquitoes, blackflies, etc)
* climatic and ecological considerations
* any special areas - hunting, backpacking and camping especially - that I should know about.

I've searched Hunting for "Maine" and found a few threads about deer and bear, but would like to read more.

I've found several pages outside of THR that have gotten me started.
_________________________________________________________________

I live in Downeast Maine. Deer hunting is as easy as buying a license. Deer densities are low but you have a good chance of shooting a buck that dresses out at over 200lbs. You will have to hunt extra hard more so than other places. These are big woods bucks that do not have a specific food source like much of the farmland hunting of the Midwest. A buck might come through an area once a month or more; they don't just go to feeding areas and back to bedding areas. They feed mostly on browse and cover a lot of land. The good thing is that hunting land is very easy to find, except southern Maine where it is mostly private land.

Self defense of the 4-legged critters is pretty nonexistent, but if you feel that you need it a nice .357 mag would be more than enough.

Self defense against 2-legged critters who knows? I carry daily just because I like to but have not had any bad encounters yet. Maine is a shall issue state so if you apply for a permit and you check out you will get one. Maine is also an open carry state, you might run into problems in southern Maine because that is where most of the anti-gunner/tree huggers live, but none the less you are allowed to carry open. If you opened carried a gun in the north woods and most of downeast, (in the small towns and back woods) no one would even look twice other than to see what you are carrying.

Pest: Oh ya didn't you know that we are the BLACKFLY AND MOSQUITOE BREEDING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD! If you journey out into the woods especially in the spring or summer, not so much in the fall, you definitely want to bring some bug repellent.

Spring can be cool and wet but for the most part not too bad. Summers believe it or not can be very muggy and hot so short sleeves and shorts are nice. The fall can be pretty cold so bring good warm clothing. Deer season and the winter can get very cold so dress in layers and bring a variety of clothing for cold and very cold conditions.

As far as special areas - hunting, backpacking and camping especially - that you should know about. There are just too many places for me to even start. You should go to the Maine department of inland fisheries and wildlife website and search around on the site, there is a lot of good information there. You can also buy your hunting and fishing license there. Our hunting and fishing laws are also posted there.

Hope you enjoy Maine! I would have posted sooner but I've been hunting! I've posted them before but I look for any excuse to post them again. These are some of the bucks that have been shot by me, my family and my best friend, just to give you an Idea of what is up here!

Trail camera pictures first; these ones are still out there:

Young one that will be very cool in a few more years

Young one with potential

One of those 200lbs plus dressed out buck if I could every get infront of him

Old 200 lbs plus dressed buck that is still out there, both pics

The one I hunted all season and should of got him but he won:

 

[schlockinz]

So, I'm curious as to how you all hunt maine. From what I've seen from being up there a few times is that the woods are incredibly thick!

Do you all just spot and stock, watch old timber roads, look at clearings etc.

Also, with the trail cam pics, if those are on public lands, how are you narrowing down your hunting area and keeping the camera hidden from the bipeds.

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

We have coyotes too:

Another buck, he is dead know he weighed 249lbs dressed but the game Wardens seized it because the person poached it,

Bucks

My friends smallest buck

A friend of a friend's buck

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

Other bucks my family has shot

235lbs dressed

226 dressed

210 dressed

Guy down the road shot this buck, weighed 213 lbs dressed and scored either 181 bc or 189 bc I can't remember, it had a 30 inch inside spread!

we have Moose,cats and bear;

Bear this is a small one

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

We have great bass fishing and lots of lakes that see very little pressure!

Eagles too

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

Ok I'm done you are probably mad at me by now for overloading the thread with pictures, sorry i just wanted to give you a taste of Maine.
This is the website for the Maine Inland fisheries and wildlife! http://www.state.me.us/ifw/ spend some time there and look around there is a lot of good info there!

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

I do a lot of scouting and then I place my cameras where there is a lot of sign, (a lot of sign for around here). I also go way off the beaten path where other hunters don't venture too often. My friends like to do a lot of still hunting but when you do this there is a lot of jump shooting. I prefer sitting in stands, even though the action is a lot slower. I usually find a good crossing and then sit there day in and day out for the whole season until I finally see him. This was the first season in a long time where I didn't have the patience to sit in one place and guess what I ended up not getting my buck this year. I also put drip bags in front of my trail cameras and that seems to bring the bucks in for a nice picture. A drip bag is a device that you fill with deer scents and it slowly drips out the fluid. Getting them on camera is the easy part, once the season starts its a whole different ball game. I wish I could shoot them as easilly as I get pictures of them.

The woods are thick and so far my longest shot has only been about 55 yards and thats why I prefer using the M94 30-30 with a peep sight.

 

[Visionz45]

So far this winter hasn't been too bad. Lets pray for a light one. The above average number "large" bucks taken is indicative of lowered stock b/c their moving far more than usual to find doe. I live in Raymond and were seeing some monsters, I shot one 130 inches about 80 to 90 yards behind my house, shortest drag ever. Oh yea .30-06 w/180 Gr Nosler Partitions @ 2900(fast).

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

Visionz45 is right don't let my pictures fool you. I took the whole season off this year and I only saw 4 deer, one small buck that I could of shot but I was hoping for one of the bigger ones and the rest were does. If you notice I only get one or a couple of pictures at one time and then they dissappear to only pop up no where near the last place they were seen. Our state is blind and are not doing anything to improve deer numbers. If you are coming here thinking that you are going to bag a big buck let alone just a small buck every year or even to see a lot of deer you might want to hunt some where else.

When you watch a TV hunting show and they say that they hunted hard for 3 days I laugh my ass off, thats not hunting hard. Try four weeks of hard hunting and only see a few deer, if any, and see how much you really love deer hunting.

 

[Visionz45]

+1
Before and after

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

Nice buck Visionz45, did he break that magical number? I would of dropped the hammer on him no problem at all!

 

[AStone]

NeverTMG, thanks so much for your very informative posts. I really appreciate it.

Busy week for me, but I may have some questions for you another time.

Great pics, too. Thanks for sharing. (It's worth waiting for them to download.) Those are indeed big deer.

Clearly looks like if I come up there, I'm going to get back into fishing again, too!

Nice to see that .30-30 lever gun in one of your photos;
tells me that Mainers recognize a fine rnd when they see it.

 

[schlockinz]

I think Maines got the right idea of not improving deer numbers. Once they get improved, it becomes a shooting frenzy to keep them out of everywhere else, then people vote that down, and you end up with places like Dutchess county, NY where there are deer everywhere, and not too many places to hunt them.

 

[Visionz45]

The biologist wouldn't believe me when the taxidermist aged him a 6 1/2 y/o. He weighed 150 wet . The state has half of his jaw and some other samples. He looks like he's 2 1/2, maybe he just chewed on rocks! Ive never broken the magic number in Maine though Ive done so in NW Ontario a couple times, Id post those pics but don't want to get yelled at. Though when I'm out west I hunt for 3 weeks straight all day. If you did so here you'd be ahead of 95% other guys. Ive seen some massive deer Downeast in blueberry country. My mother pulled a moose tag near Lubec and regretted that decision. She saw a lot of deer though.

 

[AStone]

Will someone in Maine please define "downeast"?
Does that mean "southeast"?

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

Yes, but we have the land mass and the big woods to support them! I can understand southern Maine where there are more people, but downeast and the north woods could support a lot more deer without interfering with man too much. It wouldn't be a shooting frenzy either because most people prefer sitting in a stand looking over a food plot with long range shots versus Maines big thick woods with close in shots. Its a lot harder to pattern deer here cause they do cover more woods, thus making them spread out more.

 

[Nevertoomanyguns]

Will someone in Maine please define "downeast"?
Does that mean "southeast"?

Downeast means southeast along the coast and it doesn't start until after Bar Harbor! Of course the people of Bar Harbor would say otherwise. Pretty much all of Washington county.

 

[xcgates]

@Nevertoomanyguns,

Did you haul that one on a bike I see? 'Cause I'd love to tell that to the guys who thought I was strange for showing up at the range on my bike.

I have to say, cars do give a motorcyclist a wider berth when a gun is strapped to the back.