When this publication hits the newsstands, it will be the eve of opening day of the firearms season on deer.
Many reports from people I know say that they aren’t seeing many deer out and about. Well, the reason the deer aren’t out in the fields just before dark is due to the massive amounts of food sources in the woods this year.
We have a bumper crop of acorns and beechnuts coupled with another favorite, which are the leaves of raspberry bushes. When the green stuff in the woods gets a couple good frosts on them, they of course will die-off and then we will start to see some deer coming to a different food source. As a rule, the deer seem to save the acorns for later, eating what’s available and saving the nuts until after the snow flies.
Another factor in the fewer deer sightings in this area was last winters massive snow fall (188 inches on Douglas Mountain), which usually results in some degree of winterkill.
The areas not affected as badly as the Sebago area would be the towns of Gray, Windham, Raymond and parts of Standish, as they just don’t get the snowfall amounts as the hill country does. Hunters that will be hunting these towns should experience great deer hunting as they’ve always been deer rich areas.
For hunters looking for big bucks and beautiful scenery, I can suggest hunting Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton. Once you hike up in the side of the mountain, you shouldn’t run into too many other hunters as it’s not a place for the faint of heart and some seriously good hill country hunting.
If you happen to be lucky enough to take a big deer on the side or top of Pleasant Mountain, the hike up will have been worth it, as the dragging of the deer will be all downhill.
Until next time have a safe and successful deer season.
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