Maine’s deer season is off to a strong start, with thousands of hunters already tagging deer in the first few days of the firearms season. Many of the bucks weighed more than 200 pounds.
The residents-only day for rifle hunters took place Saturday, followed by the official statewide opener on Monday. Reports from across the state show that the 2025 season is shaping up to be a productive one, with big-bodied deer coming out of the woods from Aroostook to Knox County.
Among the early success stories:
Alex Duguay shot a 250-pound buck with a .308 while sitting on a ridge about an hour north of Eustis at 6:30 a.m. Monday. He tagged the deer at Flagstaff General Store in Stratton.
“Extremely thankful this morning to finally connect with my patch buck,” he said. “Two hundred fifty pounds up in the big woods.”
Jillian Jermyn took a 204-pound buck in Washington using a .243. It was her first time tagging a deer on opening day. Jermyn said her background working with animals helped her develop a keen eye for wildlife.
“I’ve farmed and worked in farming since I was 16,” she said. “Watching animals and understanding how they move is more important than anything. I didn’t grow up hunting. I started after I was 18, but I did grow up with all sorts of animals.”
In the Millinocket area, Eric Childs made the most of opening day while hunting with his 11-year-old son, Emmett, and family friends. After spotting two moose and enjoying a successful bird hunt, Childs capped off the day with a 205-pound, 8-point buck in WMD 9. He took the deer with a Ruger Model 77 chambered in .284 Winchester.
“The day went from an awesome time in the woods with friends and two young hunters into a great day that the four of us will never forget,” he said.
Eric Peltier tagged a 208-pound buck in Franklin on Monday with his .30-06. His deer had 11 or 12 points depending on what you consider a point.
“Either way, I’m very happy,” he said. “It’s early in the season, but I feel very fortunate to have had an encounter with this guy.”
In Aroostook County, 13-year-old Jacob Cote of Connor Township shot a 247-pound, 8-point buck at 7 a.m. Monday while hunting over soybeans with a 6.5 Creedmoor.
“No words can be expressed,” his father said. “We are a hunting family. Soybeans for the win.”
On Saturday in WMD 25, Teanna Woodman tagged a 9-point, 208-pound buck with a .300 Blackout, while her father, Dewey Sproul, took an 8-point, 153-pound deer with a .30-06.
Brandon Burnell also joined the 200-pound club, tagging a 201-pound buck early in the week.