Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
First the easy part: The fall deer hunting outlook should be another good one for Maine hunters.
According to Maine’s deer biologist, Nathan Bieber, “I expect a good year for the deer harvest, but I do not expect to see harvest numbers in line with last year, which was by far a record harvest. I’d have to guess that was an outlier. Some of the same elements that led to such a big year last year look like they will be in effect again though, namely another relatively mild winter, lots of opportunity, and droughty conditions impacting green forage and mast availability.”
Now the not-so-easy part: figuring out how many deer you can legally harvest this fall.
It used to be a lot simpler. Not so long ago, you could take just a buck or a doe. Period. Later on, as deer management evolved, you could take a buck and a doe if you had an antlerless deer permit for your Wildlife Management District.
My golly, how time and increased deer numbers have changed all of that. The ins and outs of what you can and cannot legally harvest when it comes to bucks and does are not quite as complicated as Maine’s perplexing patchwork of fishing regulations, but it does take some brain work to break it all down.
Here is the basic system.
During regular archery season, a hunter can take one deer under the authority of a big game hunting license. That deer can be either antlered or antlerless. If a hunter takes an antlerless deer without an antlerless deer permit, that deer counts as the hunter’s one annual deer, and the hunter cannot take another deer later in the year under that license.
An antlerless deer permit changes that equation. A hunter with a big game hunting license and an antlerless deer permit can take an antlerless deer in the WMD or subunit listed on the permit in addition to the deer taken under the hunting license. Each additional antlerless permit allows another antlerless deer. In 2026, hunters are limited to four regular antlerless deer permits.
That means a hunter with a big game hunting license and four regular antlerless permits could take up to five deer.
Then there is Expanded Archery Season.
Expanded Archery is available only in designated areas. A hunter with a valid archery license can purchase one Expanded Archery either-sex permit, which allows one antlered or antlerless deer, but not both. Hunters can also purchase multiple Expanded Archery antlerless permits.
That means a hunter taking advantage of Expanded Archery could take one antlered deer under their big game hunting license and a second antlered deer under the Expanded Archery either-sex permit.
With all these options, it is easy to see how the rules can get confusing.
I am an over-70 licensed resident big game hunter with a lifetime license. My lifetime license includes one Expanded Archery antlerless deer permit and one Expanded Archery either-sex permit. It also includes a muzzleloader permit. I still have to apply for regular antlerless deer permits each year.
So what can I potentially take?
Using the various permits available to me, I could potentially take two bucks and two does, two bucks and three does, or four does over the course of the season.
If you do not take advantage of the Expanded Archery Season, the harvest rules are less complex, but you still need to know the options before you strap yourself into your tree stand or work your way around that cedar bog.
Good hunting. Be safe!