State: Maine

Maine Agency Information

Maine hunting seasons and species are listed on the Inland Fishing and Hunting web page for the state.

Deer Hunting:

Deer hunting in the Maine big woods is difficult at best. The woods, much of which is open to the public with access via many dirt/logging roads and trails that most of the time will require a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle that has “good ground clearance”. The deer population is not as condensed as states in the southern part of the US. So you have to hunt for them over a large area. ATVs and other off road vehicles are only allowed on marked trails. The areas where they are permitted are likely restricted in the big woods.

Maine has two season for Deer hunting - archery and firearms:

Archery season - See Inland Fisheries and Wildlife web page for special restrictions on archery hunting. This will give you the areas and dates. The woods are thick and difficult to get a good bow shot. The best areas are some of the local farms down in the southern part of the state where the deer population is much better. Stop in and ask some of the land owners for access, and do it well before the season starts.

Firearms season - Deer with firearms is great. Maine is known for large-bodied deer, with some deer in the north weighing over 200 lbs, dressed out. Again, hunting area is open to the public as long as it’s not posted. Access is again on logging/gravel roads which may or may not be maintained by the paper companies that own the land. Still hunting and stand hunting will give the best results, but anyone in these woods must be well familiar with the use of a compass, map, GPS and have good woodsman skills. Cell phones and such don’t always have service when you get into the big woods.  The hunt is very “do able”, without a guide, but keep in mind that you are not in a small area of woods, and it’s difficult to pull a deer out all alone. A great book by the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is: You Alone in the Maine Woods The Lost Hunter’s Guide. You can download this on their web site, or write them for a copy.

Whitetails in the big woods of Maine.

Bear Hunting:

Bear hunting in Maine is good to excellent. Bear range in size with most being in the 130 to 200 lbs with some in the 350 to over 400 lbs range. Most of the hunts are done over bait on private land owned by the large companies. These land owners have a management company handle the distribution of bear bait sites that are commercial and are leased by guides and sporting camps; however, some sites are leased to individuals for private use, but the number of sites is limited. Dogs may also be used to hunt bear, but are governed by different laws. See Inland Fisheries web site for laws and information.

Moose Hunting:

Moose hunting is Maine is one of the most rewarding hunts a hunter can go on. Moose hunting permits are on a lottery system which takes place once a year. The application period is from Jan. to April.  See the Inland Fisheries web site for info on application and fees, open areas and allocations of permits for each area. Again, moose hunting is fun by more work than one might think. A moose is a large animal and does require some heavy duty equipment to remove one from the woods. This is another hunt that you don’t want to do alone…bring plenty of helpers if you get a permit. The seasons are listed on the state web page.

Happy Maine moose hunters.

Turkey Hunting:

Turkey hunting in Maine is much better that many people think. Birds are well populated from the southern part of the state to mid and north part. A listing of zones open to hunting is posted in the states web site. Spring seasons with over the counter permit sales as well as fall archery and firearm season is open to hunters.

Small Game:

Small game in Maine is over looked by many. Ruffed grouse is one of finest in the northeast but again the thick woods make a challenging shot. A dog is helpful, but not required to be successful.

A listing of license fees, permit fees, seasons dates, limits, species and areas open and are listed on the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife web site.