Hunting Articles

Maine's unspoiled woods, pristine waters, and abundant game make it a popular hunting destination. From moose and whitetail deer to grouse, turkey, and waterfowl, there's something for every type of sportsman with a shotgun or bow and arrow. There are numerous hunting camps in remote forests, or you can drive just a few miles from the nearest town and be in the woods.

Deer hunting season for firearms is the month of November. Special exceptions include Youth Day in late October, Maine resident only day on the first day of November, and muzzle-loading season in December. For exact dates for the current year, see "Maine Hunting Season Dates" in the "Elsewhere On The Web" linkbox on the right side of this page.

Hunting enthusiasts can find something to hunt in Maine during most seasons. Deer, moose, bear, ruffed grouse, quail, pheasant, turkey, woodcock, snipe, ducks, geese, sea ducks, sora and Virginia rails, crow, gray and red squirrel, rabbit, skunk, bobcat, fox, raccoon, opossum, coyote, woodchuck, and porcupine each have their season.

Hunting licenses and registrations can be obtained from sporting goods stores, convenience stores, and town clerks who are license agents, online from the State of Maine Web site, or by mail from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in Augusta.

If you're not a resident of Maine, you might want to consider hiring a Registered Maine Guide, who have extensive knowledge of the region they operate in. The coveted big bucks can be found all over the state, but northern Maine bucks tend to be older because they're not hunted as much. The trade-off is that deer populations are greater in other parts of the state. Most of the big bucks killed by hunters are in areas close to major river valleys such as the Androscoggin, Kennebec, Allagash, St. John, and Penobscot rivers.

The largest whitetailed buck killed with a firearm ever recorded in Maine weighed in at 355 pounds, the largest killed with a bow and arrow was 259 pounds, and the largest doe was 185 pounds, all field dressed. The largest black bear was 680 pounds live weight, the largest moose was 1,330 pounds, field dressed, and the largest turkey was 23 pounds.

Enjoy the hunt, but remember, it's illegal to hunt on Sunday in Maine and it's illegal to hunt on posted property.