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.
Auburn resident Wyatt Morse has been bowhunting since he was 10. He hasn’t shot a deer with a rifle since.
“Ever since my dad put a bow in my hand, I haven’t looked back,” he said.
Morse, 23, has bowhunted across the country, including in Kansas, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois. But on Saturday, Oct. 10, he achieved a goal he had pursued for years: shooting a Maine deer weighing more than 200 pounds with his bow.
The buck weighed 211 pounds and was taken in Wildlife Management District 21, where 4,372 antlerless permits remained available for purchase as of Oct. 13. The district has high deer numbers, but extensive development and limited public land can make finding places to hunt challenging. For Morse, taking a buck of this size on public land made the accomplishment especially meaningful.
“Every state presents its own challenges,” he said, “but hunting in areas with heavy development and a lot of people can be especially difficult.”
Morse didn’t reach his parking spot until 5 p.m. Saturday, leaving him a mile-long hike to his hunting location as daylight faded.
“I knew where the bucks were likely bedding and feeding in the area, and I figured if I could slip in at the right time and the stars aligned, I might have a chance,” he said.
He climbed into his saddle hunting setup around 6 p.m. and noticed the wind and thermals were working in his favor.
He was hunting along a thick, narrow trail with little room for error. If a buck passed through while he wasn’t paying attention, it could spot him before he had a chance to shoot.
At about 6:05 p.m., he heard what sounded like a tree being thrashed. Moments later, he caught a glimpse of a tail and antlers through the thick cover.
The buck slowly fed closer before moving down the trail toward Morse. When it picked up his ground scent, it froze and stared in his direction.
Morse realized the buck wasn’t going to continue toward him. When it finally turned to head back the way it came, he was already at full draw.
At 6:12 p.m., just 12 minutes after settling into his setup, Morse released an arrow. The buck didn’t make it 10 yards before falling.
“This buck represents so much more than just the weight on a scale,” he said. “It’s the countless miles walked, the hours spent spring scouting, the lessons learned and the dedication to becoming a better bowhunter.”
Recovering the deer took considerably longer than the hunt. With help from a friend, Morse dragged the buck a half-mile uphill and didn’t get home until 1 a.m.
Morse credits his father with playing a major role in his development as a bowhunter. The two have traveled across the country together to pursue whitetails.
His next goal is to harvest a Boone and Crockett-class buck with his bow.
Morse also is part of Maine Whitetail Tactics, a bowhunting group that helps hunters develop their skills and find success in Maine’s woods. The group shares scouting strategies and public-land hunting tactics, with a particular focus on getting more young people involved in the sport.