Dawn DeNicola of Newport won this year’s Maine Women Hunters big buck contest after tagging a 213-pound deer, the heaviest entered among the 89 hunters who joined the annual competition.
The contest was open to members of the Maine Women Hunters Facebook group and cost $5 to enter. The largest field-dressed buck taken during rifle season won the cash prize, which totaled $445.
DeNicola harvested her winning 17-point buck in wildlife management district 17 on Nov. 13. Although it was not the largest deer taken by a member of the group, it was the biggest entered into this year’s contest. The deer had 18 points, 17 of which were scorable.
DeNicola said she passed up several smaller deer during the season, hoping for a mature buck. She hunted with a crossbow during the October archery season and kept holding out for the right deer, including an 8-pointer she let walk the day before she shot her winner.
“I’ve been hunting for 32 years since I was 18. I take two weeks off from work for deer season,” she said. “I almost immediately regretted passing that 8-pointer as my vacation was coming to an end.”
On the morning of Nov. 13, DeNicola sat in her blind for three hours without seeing a deer. After a short break at home, she returned around 1:10 p.m. With no wind and quiet woods, she wasn’t expecting much.
Just before 2 p.m. she heard a twig snap.
“I took the safety off my .308 as I saw legs under the branches getting ready to cross the skidder trail,” she said. “I was sure it was a good buck.”
The deer stepped into view 35 yards from her blind. DeNicola fired a single shot and the buck ran only about 30 yards before crashing.
“This big guy was just cruising for does with his nose on the ground,” she said.
At first, DeNicola thought she had shot a 10-pointer she had on camera for years. But when she approached the deer, she realized it was much larger.
“I am still in disbelief that I had the opportunity to take this amazing deer,” she said.
Last year she shot a buck on the same day — a 174-pound 8-pointer that she was very happy with.
Deer entered into the contest had to be legally harvested in Maine between Nov. 1 and Nov. 29. They had to be taken during rifle season but could be shot with any legal method including rifle, shotgun, bow or crossbow. Entrants had to be at least 18 years old and provide photos of themselves with their deer and the scale.
Last year’s winner was Alexandra Bolduc, who shot a 169-pound buck.