For archers, September gives reason to rejoice. Not only do these modern-day William Tells get the first crack at unwary deer, they can buy an unlimited number of permits for the expanded season, and they can take an antlerless deer during the standard archery season.

It makes a gun hunter want to run out and buy a bow, fast.

To top it off, young hunters get first crack at waterfowl during the September youth waterfowl hunt. What a month!

The expanded archery season, which runs from Sept. 9 through Dec. 9, is top news this month for bowhunters. The deer herd around Lewiston-Auburn is growing exponentially, and the built-up areas are seeing more and more deer in close proximity to houses. Just ask residents of any new subdivision in the Twin Cities if they have a deer problem. Deer are browsing on plantings and shrubs, much to the chagrin of homeowners unaccustomed to such intrusion.

Enter the expanded archery season. This early start for bowhunters aims to reduce deer populations in the most densely populated area around L/A. If you look at the map for the expanded Archery zone covering the Lewiston area, you will see that archery hunting is allowed in parts of Turner, Greene, Lewiston, Auburn and Minot. While much of the expanded area covers true urban spots, like the downtown area, the zone also includes such deer hot shots as North Auburn and West Auburn, South Lewiston and Minot by Death Valley. These locales contain both rural areas and suburban areas that are teeming with deer. Getting permission to remove these unwanted pests is typically easier than one might think. The wise hunter starts early lining up potential hunting spots.

Alan Verrill of Auburn recently scouted the woods around South Auburn and reported seeing many signs of deer. Although not a bowhunter, Alan’s regular jaunts through the woods provide a good picture of what the season holds in store for both bow and rifle hunters.

According to Lee Kantar, Wildlife Biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, increased opportunities, like the expanded archery season, allow biologists to “increase the harvest of does and fawns in order to meet population density objectives for areas that are difficult to access for hunting. In the expanded archery zone, deer populations can only be reduced if the limited number of archers that can gain access to huntable land are each able to harvest substantial numbers of deer.”

That explains why the archer, during the expanded season, can purchase one buck tag and an unlimited number of antlerless or doe tags.

Clearly one key to controlling deer populations to levels that provide sport and food to hunters while allowing non-consumptive users to enjoy deer-free gardens and flower beds rests on the shoulders of the archers.

If you haven’t participated in one of the youth hunts that the state has been promoting for the past few years, you are truly missing out on one of sporting’s greatest pleasures – introducing a youngster to hunting. While I have a few more years to wait until my girls are old enough to head to the woods with gun in hand, I have acted as unofficial guide on every youth waterfowl hunt since they began. The sheer excitement on a young hunter’s face when he or she has a duck work the decoys they helped set, or when their well-aimed shot brings down their first duck is a priceless commodity.

This year, the youth waterfowl hunt is scheduled for Sept. 23. Hunters who have reached their 10th birthday and are under 16 can hunt with their junior license and do not require waterfowl stamps. They must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (who must be 18 years of age or older) who holds a Maine hunting license or has attended a hunter safety course.

The Lewiston-Auburn region is full of duck hunting hot shots. The Androscoggin River, especially in the slower stretches around Gulf Island Pond, is a great place to see flock of mallards and early season black ducks. Lake Auburn, the Basin in North Auburn and Sabattus Pond are all traditional waterfowling spots that should provide plenty of opportunities for young hunters to experience their first waterfowl adventure.