The deer hunting season allows the department to manage the deer herd and provide wildlife watching and hunting opportunity in much of the state while decreasing the deer population in other areas in order to reduce deer/car collisions and property damage, and prevalence of lyme disease.Īdult bucks by far comprised the vast majority of the harvest, with hunters taking 18,255 antlered bucks. “Hunting also provides many in Maine with a sustainable source of high quality, organic, free-range protein.” Each year, 200,000 hunters head into the woods of Maine,” said Bieber. “Deer hunting is large part of Maine’s cultural heritage. Maine’s junior hunters also were successful on youth day, with 876 youth hunters taking a deer in 2017. Bowhunters took 2,099 deer, and hunters took 970 deer during the muzzleloading season. Most deer are harvested during the general firearms season (23,288), which started on Oct. The 2017 season framework stretched from Sept. Maine’s deer hunt is broken into several seasons for firearm hunters, muzzleloaders and bow hunters.

2017 deer hunting videos