Youth Deer Hunting Day last Saturday kicked off the deer hunting season for the state.
The regular firearm season for deer is open to residents on Saturday, Nov. 1.
Firearms season allows use of bow and arrow, crossbows, firearms or muzzleloaders from November 3, through Saturday, November 29.
During the regular firearms and muzzle-loading seasons, only those hunters possessing a valid Maine Any-Deer permit may hunt antlerless deer and bucks with antlers less than three inches in length. Any-Deer permits are valid only for a specific wildlife management district. A permit holder may kill an antlerless deer in the wildlife management district for which his or her permit is valid. Hunters not possessing an Any-Deer permit may hunt “bucks only” (antlers three inches or longer) anywhere in the state.
Deer
The Expanded Archery Season in designated areas only began September 6 and continues through December 13. Expanded archery permits are required in addition to an archery license to hunt deer during the expanded archery season in the expanded archery areas.
The statewide archery season is October 2 through October 31. An archery license is required to hunt deer during the archery season on deer. New for the 2008 special archery season, bucks only in Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs) 1 through 14, 18, 19, 27, and 28. In WMDs 15 through 17, 20 through 26, and 29, archery hunters are still allowed to harvest one deer of either sex during the archery season.
Muzzleloader
Week one of the statewide muzzleloader season is December 1-6, with week two in WMDs 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 29 from December 8-13. A muzzleloader permit is required in addition to a hunting license to hunt deer during the muzzleloader season on deer.
Bag and Possession Limit:
Only one deer may be taken annually, except additional deer may be taken by participants in the Expanded Archery Season, or by anyone possessing a bonus antlerless deer permit or super pack antlerless deer permit.
Beginning in 2008, the archery season on deer will be bucks only in WMDs that do not have any-deer permits available. In WMDs that have any-deer permits available, archery hunters are still allowed to harvest one deer of either sex during the archery season on deer.
