David Astbury of Eddington lowers the 172-pound buck that his wife shot after weighing it at Van Raymond Outfitters in Brewer on Saturday. Buy Photo
Despite a fatal hunting incident on Saturday in which a New Gloucester man shot himself near Greenville, Maine’s firearms deer hunting season wound down Saturday with relatively few mishaps, according to state officials.
Deborah Turcotte, spokeswoman for the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said the firearms season for deer this year has been a relatively safe one. She said that aside from Saturday’s incident, seven or eight hunters have been hurt but most of those incidents were hunters shooting themselves in the foot.
Turcotte said harsh weather conditions last winter led to fewer deer being in the woods this hunting season.
“There haven’t been any deer,” Turcotte said.
Lee Kanter, deer and moose biologist with DIF&W, said Saturday that the department is predicting that the total number of deer taken this year will be about 24,000, or approximately 5,000 fewer than the roughly 29,000 that were shot in Maine in 2007. He said that Maine’s deer population has been shrinking and that last year’s snow cover, which was both deep and prolonged, certainly helped reduce it further. Snow is always more of an issue up north than it is in more southern parts of the state, he said, but the deer population is believed to be reduced statewide.
“Last year’s fawns would have been yearlings this year,” Kanter said. “Yearlings usually make up the majority of the deer harvest.”
Out of Maine’s 29 deer-hunting districts, 18 are bucks-only districts this year, which should protect the herd’s does and encourage a higher reproduction rate, according to Kanter. The lack of drought conditions this year also should help provide the nutrition the deer need to get through this winter, provided the season does not end up being another harsh one, he said.
“There was a lot of forage out there. We had a pretty good apple crop and a very good acorn crop,” Kanter said. “It will depend on this winter.”
He said the results of this year’s deer season largely will be determined by the muzzleloading season, which gets under way today. Muzzleloading will be permitted in all hunting districts through Dec. 6, but will be allowed in only about half of them from Dec. 8 to 13.
Game wardens have been busy, however, issuing citations for violations such as night hunting, not wearing orange safety clothing, illuminating fields and possession of firearms by a felon, officials said.
Sgt. Bill Chandler of the Maine Warden Service said Sunday that the most frequent hunting violation wardens have come across is baiting deer with apples or grain or other food sources.
“They’re basically trying to draw the deer to them,” Chandler said of the offending hunters.
He said the lower numbers of deer has led to fewer hunters in the woods.
“The number of hunters in the field seems to be down statewide as well,” Chandler said.
At approximately noon Saturday, several trucks with drivers wearing hunter orange came and went from the parking lot of the Otis General Store on Route 180, but only one of them had a deer in the back.
Richard Perry of Owls Head said he shot a buck with a .270-caliber rifle around 4 p.m. Friday on land he owns in Mariaville. He said it took him most of Friday evening to get the deer, which he estimated to weigh about 180 pounds, out of the woods.
“He’s an old fella,” Perry said to another hunter who came over to his truck to admire the buck. “He’s only got a few teeth on the bottom.”
Perry said he also hunts by bow and muzzleloader, and so even though it took him until the second-to-last day of firearms season to get a deer, he has not been concerned about missing out. A drywall contractor, Perry said some of his jobs have evaporated this fall due to the economy, leaving him more time to be in the woods.
“I wait all year to go hunting,” Perry said.
He was hesitant to guess whether there have been fewer deer about in the woods this year, however. He said his uncle owns several acres in South Thomaston, but that he had seen only one deer on his uncle’s land this fall.
“Just seeing them sometimes is luck,” Perry said.
Don Holt, owner of Otis General Store, said Saturday that 36 deer have been tagged at his business this month, about the same number as last year. He said that approximate number has been consistent over the past several hunting seasons.
“That’s pretty close to the norm,” Holt said. “It might be down a little bit, but not much.”
He said he has not seen any decline in the number of hunters, which is good for his business.
“I’ve seen quite a few guys out there trying [to get a deer], especially today, the last day,” Holt said. “It helps, especially in this economy.”
On 12/1/08 at 12:48 AM,
matt29 wrote:
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How can spokeswoman for DIFW say there haven't been any deer, when about 24,000 will be taken this year?
On 12/1/08 at 6:58 AM,
Independent wrote:
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I'm not convinced that 24,000 will be taken this year. I think it will be less. I shot a big buck, but the deer activity was strange this year. I saw 2 bucks (including the one I shot) and one deer I couldn't identify what the sex was. Beyond two, tiny yearlings, I saw ZERO adult does in the field. I think the doe numbers are way down. Further, my butcher said all of the bucks that have been coming in look like they've been fighting hard. Some had broken antlers. They're all competing for fewer does. Everyone has been complaining that they haven't seen any sign. Many hunters just stayed home. If this winter is long and tough the deer population is really going to be hurt.
On 12/1/08 at 8:13 AM,
safedman wrote:
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I stayed home. I figured with the luck my friends and relatives were having, the heavy hit the deer took last winter, the deer didn't need me out there too.
I am an avid hunter and fisherman. I live for the hunting season. BUT I think it is time to shut deer season down for 2 years.
Have some State wide competitions that pay out a few cash prizes, free hunting licenses for the future season etc. Give the herd a chance to recover and give the huters something to do.
My $,02
On 12/1/08 at 8:23 AM,
Bangorian wrote:
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Thank God hunting season is over, now I don't have to worry about being shot by some half wit. A 2 year break sounds good - it would nice to be able to hike in the fall for a couple of years.
On 12/1/08 at 8:54 AM,
movethen wrote:
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Bangorian,
Hunting has been part of Maine's heritage since we became a state, hunting is a tradition passed down from generation to generation. Many families enjoy this, kids hunting with there Father and Grandfather, they enjoy this time together. Let these people enjoy there 1 or so months of firearm season together, you have 10 months or so to hike without deer firearm season. Why one person believes there hobby is more important than another is beyond me. You say it would be nice to hike in the fall, how about hunters say it would be nice to hunt the other 10 months. I don't know your feelings on hunting, you may not agree with it, but many people enjoy this just as much as you do your hikes.
On 12/1/08 at 9:36 AM,
David889327 wrote:
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Hunting was originally done for survival. There is something sick, in my humble opinion, in considering it a "sport". There may, on occasion, be justifiable biological reasons for humanely managing an oversized population.
On 12/1/08 at 9:37 AM,
averagejoe wrote:
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Thank god duck hunting runs from October 1st to January 31st, bird shot only stings...
On 12/1/08 at 9:45 AM,
dbaker wrote:
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Correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't Bangorian mentioned before he now lives in NYC? It seems to me the half wit here has a better chance of getting himself shot going to buy a gallon of milk than he does taking a walk thru the woods in Maine!
On 12/1/08 at 10:05 AM,
mariahstorm wrote:
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Hunting is a way of life, to keep your family fed through the winter! Why is it though i find it hard to believe that the deer are down...not so in my back yard, but then they know i won't hunt them, and they are always scarce hunting season. Afterall, they have been hunted for centuries, so i do believe they know the cycle. Man looks at everything as if it were dumb. Sounds more like they have something in the works for the poor deer.
If Wardens are running private poaching operations that may explain certain areas being down in deer count.
On 12/1/08 at 10:07 AM,
movethen wrote:
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David889237,
That is fine, it is your opinion and your right to have that opinion. Hunting is a legal activity, and until that ever changes (Probably not in my children's life time), we will be out there in the woods hunting. Unless people are true vegetarians, I will not even go into the hunting argument with them, because unless a true vegetarian, than they are just hypocrites. That one is too easy to figure out. So I am sure I don't have to explain.
On 12/1/08 at 10:39 AM,
David889327 wrote:
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movethen, I don't think I'm advocating making hunting illegal - I just think that the taking of another creature's life should be a solemn occasion, not party time. To use an admittedly extreme example, consider the "sport" of cockfighting. I think there is something depraved with finding recreational pleasure watching two animals unwillingly injure and kill each other. To establish my credentials, I was born here, used to hunt, and I'm not a vegetarian. I have experiencd first hand many times the enjoyment of hunting.
On 12/1/08 at 10:53 AM,
Bangorian wrote:
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dbaker - you're wrong. I'm a proud year round resident of Bangor.
On 12/1/08 at 10:55 AM,
movethen wrote:
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David889327, Not a problem, I understand you are against hunting and that is fine. But the reason behind why is no worse then you eating beef, and the way these animals are treated and then killed. It is only because you cannot see it happening first hand you are alright with promoting it. You are promoting it by continually eating meat. I also eat meat so I am not trying to just single you out. I guess I am just saying the reason behind some anti hunters arguments just don't hold water. Would it be better to pen these deer up, feed them until they are about to explode, and then try to kill them by shocking them in the head, and then doing it again when this does not work. I guess when we have people doing our 'dirty' work for us, we are ok with it.
On 12/1/08 at 11:37 AM,
Bangorean wrote:
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Bangorian: Movethen. I've spent over 50 years hunting, hiking, fishing and never came close to being shot by "some half wit." I think what IF&W should come up with is a hiking license. So the hiking half-wits have to help foot the bill for wildlife management for a change.
On 12/1/08 at 12:04 PM,
SethFortier wrote:
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David reading through the article and the posts I didn't see anyone refer to hunting as a sport. So I'm not sure why you would bring that up. For most people hunting is a means to put some very delicious meat on the table and in the freezer. As an ex-hunter you know very well that you often times come up empty handed. I think the last sentence of your 10:39 post would sum it up for many hunters. They do it for the enjoyment of the hunt.
On 12/1/08 at 12:21 PM,
movethen wrote:
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Bangorean,
I agree with you. Also, these people have more of a chance getting killed in an automobile accident then a hunting death (or Hiking Death). Actually, I just thought of something. Too bad we did not have the numbers on all the hiking accidents and deaths, they are probably more than hunting deaths.
On 12/1/08 at 12:31 PM,
David889327 wrote:
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Seth, I agree.
On 12/1/08 at 1:32 PM,
JoeSixPack wrote:
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Bangorian, I am an avid hunter and landowner in the Bangor area. As movethen pointed out, hunting is a tradition for me passed down through many generations... I still use my great-grandfather's shotgun. Many other hunters use my land with permission, but the only half wits I run into out there are hikers and mountain bikers who trespass and do not wear blaze orange during hunting season. Still, these folks have a better chance of being attacked by a deer than shot by a hunter. The hunters I know are some of the safest, most responsible, and most respectful people I know.
David, I agree that "sport" is not the best word to describe hunting. For me, it is the experience of getting out in the woods to appreciate nature's beauty, often with friends and family. It is a beautiful sunrise or sunset, close encounter with animals of all sorts, and the anticipation of possibly running into a nice deer. Over 99 percent of hunting has nothing to do with killing animals. It is a humbling experience to get outsmarted by deer a huge majority of the time. If I get the opportunity to take a deer, I consider myself fortunate since venison is truly an excellent meat. I enjoy hiking as well, but hunting really brings the nature experience to a new level as all of the senses are so much keener. I hold the utmost respect for deer and nature in general, but I also enjoy living off the land and continuing to practice the traditional art of hunting.
On 12/1/08 at 2:04 PM,
movethen wrote:
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JoeSixPack,
You have said it perfectly. I always tell my boys that getting a deer is just a bonus.
Thanks
On 12/1/08 at 7:43 PM,
dbaker wrote:
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My apoligies to Bangorian, I must have confused you with another profile.
JoeSixPack, I agree with you...getting a deer is only a bonus to a day spent in the woods. I am an avid bow hunter and this year provided some very memorable moments. First was my first encounter with an albino, well technically a pie-bald deer...it was all white with a brown head. Not only did I have 7-10 minutes to watch it graze, it came within 25 feet of my stand.. I was in awe, in 32 years of hunting I have never encountered the Ghost of the Woods. The second was five Tom turkeys grazing at the fields edge about 30 feet away when they went on full alert. Expecting another hunter I was surprized as a bobcat belly crawled into the field and went on the attack jumping 3-4 feet in the air at the Turkeys as they took flight....it was a true Wild America-Marty Stouffer moment. The third was wy sons big grin when he filled his tag on Youth Day.
I too like the idea of a hiker licence....of course with time Roxanne Quimby will probably start charging gate fees to her property.
On 12/1/08 at 8:00 PM,
jimmyb wrote:
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I'm not a hunter, but I do agree with those that do hunt as far as hikers needing to wear blaze orange when taking their strolls. It's not fair to call hunters the dim wits when they have licenses to hunt and hikers feel they have the right to not follow common sense by letting themselves be known of their presense. Safety has to come from both sides.
On 12/1/08 at 9:33 PM,
wfoote wrote:
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Looking at he caption on the picure, I was surprised that Mrs. Astbury waited to weigh the deer at Van Raymond's before shooting it;-)
On a more serious note, do you suppose the folks who consider hunters to be 'sick" are all vegan, or do they simply hire mercenaries to slaughter meat and put in in the grocery stores. Hunters are sportsmen and conservationists. The conservation movement in this country was started by people who hunted and fished. They did so because they had a greater appreciation for nature than most non-hunters - it was a priority.
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