Nonhunters should be mindful and wear orange in the woods starting Saturday, when the firearm season for deer opens for Maine residents.
Last Saturday, Maine kicked off the firearm season with Youth Deer Day. Nonresident hunters will take to the field Monday to hunt Maine’s whitetail herd.
“All non-hunting visitors to Parks and Lands properties should plan to wear appropriate articles of clothing – blaze orange – during open hunting seasons on parks and public lands,” said Ron Hunt, acting director of operations of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Maine has more than 225,000 licensed deer hunters. Last year, 20,325 deer were tagged by hunters. For the past eight years, the annual deer harvest has averaged 20,900, but state biologists believe this year it will be higher.
State deer biologist Kyle Ravana said because of last year’s mild winter, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife increased any-deer permits 58 percent from 28,770 to 45,625. Most were alloted in southern and central Maine between Kittery and Belfast.
Hunting is permitted at some state parks and all Maine Public Lands, according to the Bureau of Parks and Lands, although hunters should check each park for specific rules, such as not discharging a firearm within 300 feet of a developed area or trail.
In addition, many of Maine’s roughly 90 land trusts allow hunting on their conserved land.
Unlike other New England states, Maine does not allow hunting on Sundays, although it is recommended to wear blaze orange in the woods throughout the hunting seasons.
Following the firearm season for deer in November is the muzzleloading season, which is held during the first two weeks of December.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
