Area hunters take to the woods in force Aug. 28 for the start of bear season.
Local hunters are discovering that southern Maine has a huntable bear population. More and more local sportsmen are choosing to hunt the woods surrounding the Lewiston-Auburn region, rather than sojourn up north. Still, others are getting in on the excitement that bear hunting brings.
An increase in bear sightings in residential areas coupled with the rising popularity of bear hunting has more hunters and archers scouting the hills and valleys that surround this fertile river valley region.
This year, Aug. 28 is the opening day for bear hunters utilizing bait stations, which runs until Sept. 23. The regular firearms season on bear runs from Aug. 28 to Nov. 25. Bait hunters are reminded that they are still required to purchase a permit to hunt bear, which can be obtained from local agents such as your city or town hall. The special permit is not required when hunting bear during the open firearms season for deer.
Bait hunters are allowed to begin setting their lures and morsels on July 29, which is 30 days prior to the start of the season. Although some feel you should begin baiting as soon as possible, it is never too late to start. The smart hunter will be out scouting early, and this region has some hot spots that produce bear every year that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Last year, I set a bait site on Streaked Mountain in Buckfield. My hunting partner and I did our homework and located signs from several good-sized bear that we estimated to be in the 150- to 200-pound range. We weren’t alone as several sportsmen hunt this area, but there are enough woods and ridges to go around.
As opening day drew near, my bait was being visited every day. Judging from the tracks and bite marks left behind, this was a large bear.
As I climbed into my stand on the afternoon of the first day of legal hunting season, thoughts of a massive bruin loomed in my mind. While I sat motionless for what seemed an eternity, each sound I heard sent a chill up my spine. Finally, darkness enveloped the woods and there were no bears to be seen. This scene was repeated several times, and I was forced to use a trail-timer to pattern the bear.
It seems I had placed my stand in the range of a nocturnal bear. I spoke with several of the local experts and tried tricks such as playing a radio at night and skipping a few feedings to no avail. I could not get this bruin to change his habits. Several other hunters took bear from Streaked Mountain, but mine returned up through the last day of the baiting season.
Streaked Mountain has a variety of terrain from gentle wooded hills to steep, rocky cliffs. There are also swampy spots around the base of the mountain that show extensive bear sign. Last year, the acorn crop was fantastic but the beechnut crop was poor on the mountain and from what I saw in the scat, berries were the food choice. If I were hunting Streaked this year, I’d set up in a thick wooded area near a swampy spot that offers the bears refuge from the heat. I’d also look for fruit crops such as raspberries and blackberries and have an alternate site towards the top of the mountain.
While deer hunting in the past few years, several of my companions have seen bear on the mountain near the top, as well as in the swampy areas.
Looking west of Streaked Mountain, the Paris/West Paris area is also home to a fair number of bear. Locations, such as the Spruce Hills and Mount Tom region, are also loaded with thick forest growth that the bruins love. This is a relatively large area with few access trails, which ensures only the most serious of hunters will trek up there.
When traveling to the hills north of L-A, hunters scouting the Hartford/Canton area will also find abundant bears. In fact, Minot taxidermist Dick Sprague took the state record sow in Canton in 1987 that weighed 306 pounds, a true trophy. The aptly named Bear Mountain and Little Bear Mountain are good spots to try as well.
For hunters wishing to stay closer to the city limits, the wise sportsman will do his homework and try and locate bears that have made themselves known to local residents. Many times, the local game warden can put a hunter on to a problem bear. This is especially true in a region where residents are not accustomed to seeing bear and panic when one is spotted.
Most times the bear is just an aimless wanderer who got mixed up in the woods and stumbled out onto someone’s lawn, but other times the bear can be a nuisance. A phone call to the regional warden headquarters in Gray (657-2345 or 1-800-295-2435) can often put hunters in touch with farmers or landowners with such problems.
Another good resource for bear hunters are beekeepers. These professionals can lose a lifetime’s investment in one night when a bear comes looking for honey. The office of State Apiarist Tony Jadczak, 289-3891, may also be of some help. He is the state’s bee inspector and deals directly with local and migrant beekeepers.
For those who don’t have the time to spend tending bait sites or scouting areas before the season, a professional guide is the answer. Although guiding bear hunters is a huge business further north, many local guides cater to sportsmen in this region. The Maine Professional Guides Association can also put you in touch with a guide in this region. They can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
Whether you chose to do the work yourself or hire the services of a professional guide, bear hunting success in this region is rapidly improving. More hunters are discovering the excitement of bear hunting in their own backyard. The Lewiston-Auburn area will never replace areas up north as a Mecca for bear, but they are here, and are likely to stay.
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