The following has been provided by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Region A- Southwestern Maine

Cool, wet and windy weather prevailed in southern Maine during opening day for the firearm season for deer. As expected with these conditions, the success rate was very low. This year, regional staff statewide will be collecting more detailed information on weather and hunting conditions in an effort to make a better assessment of hunter effort and success as it pertains to hunting conditions. When making management prescriptions based upon harvest data, hunter effort in response to hunting conditions is an important consideration. Given the recent mild winters, the deer population within the region is expected to be in a favorable condition.

On Thursday night we held the second informational meeting regarding the proposed expansion of the moose hunt to include WMD’s 15, 16, 23 and 26 in 2008. This meeting was fairly well attended and provided opportunity for public input on this proposed hunt. The current proposal for WMD 15 is for 25 any-moose permits during the November deer season. For further information contact the regional office in Gray at 657-2345 or inquire through our web site www.mefishwildlife.com.

A reminder that a new law prohibits bringing deer into Maine from other states unless the meat has been deboned. This is a precaution that has been adopted to reduce the potential introduction of chronic wasting disease to the Maine deer population. CWD has not been documented in Maine, though staff is continuing in cooperative efforts with other agencies to monitor for any occurrences.

-Scott Lindsay, Regional Wildlife Biologist
Region B – Central Maine

This past weekend marked the 15th anniversary of the Perfect Storm. Mariners and those who earn their living at sea, no doubt remember.

Although I doubt that this past Saturday – the opening day of the regular firearms season for deer – will warrant the making of a Hollywood blockbuster, I do think it will be remembered for many years to come. Only the most dedicated hunters endured the weather event that lived up to its billing. Even Ole Daniel Boone would have sat this one out. By all accounts, it was a bad day for the hunters and a good day for the hunted.

As the wildlife biologist responsible for day-to-day management activities on the Steve Powell Wildlife Management Area (Swan Island), it is a refreshing time when November arrives, signaling the end of island life for another season and the beginning of my mainland responsibilities as one of three wildlife biologists in Region B. Leaving Swan Island on the last boat back to the mainland is always a bittersweet experience; one I have tasted annually for the past 23 years. This year is no exception.

November not only marks the end of the Swan Island season, but also the beginning of the regular firearms season on deer. With the daunting task of collecting biological data from deer harvested during the season, as well as, collecting samples for testing for chronic wasting disease, my annual trek around the southern portions of Region B begins. Specifically, my 220-plus mile route takes me through most of the southern and mid-coast portions of our large region and focuses on Wildlife Management District (WMD) 22.

WMD 22, which is situated in the lower Androscoggin and Kennebec River valleys, is 576 square miles and includes 24 townships. These townships cover Androscoggin, Kennebec, Lincoln and Sagadahoc Counties. WMD 22 has approximately 176 residents per square mile who are widely distributed among small towns, farmland and cities. As is common throughout the region, major land uses in WMD 22 vary from private forest and agriculture to small town and urban development. Wintering deer population’s range from 15-25 deer/sq. mile This fact, coupled with relatively high hunting pressure, resulted in WMD 22 being in the top 5 among all WMD’s for buck and doe harvests in 2005. In total, 1,689 deer were taken – 98 percent by residents.

The prospects for the 2006 season are similar, as long as we do not have to endure another wild weather Saturday.

With the close of the 2006 season, I will have traveled nearly 2,700 miles and checked about 1,000 deer, submitting many of them for cwd testing. As my travels take me along Route 1 and the Atlantic Ocean, I can not help but think of the Andrea Gail. God rest her soul and those who served her.

– Charles D. Dyke, Wildlife Biologist
Region D – Western Mountains

I spent this opening Saturday of deer season sitting in the rain at the game registration station in West Forks Township. It was a raw and rainy day like most other places throughout the state. On any other Saturday during deer season, I would be joining you in the woods, but we have a difficult time collecting the necessary samples from towns in that part of our Region. Mostly, this is because there are relatively few deer killed, and the deer that are harvested in those towns don’t make it to a meat cutter, which is where we collect most of our samples. Despite the weather, I was able to collect a few samples from cooperative hunters who weren’t discouraged by rain and wind.

Fall is also a time when biologists receive a lot of calls from residents who are having problems with a number of wildlife species. Most often the culprit is just preparing for winter. Like many of us scrambling to get our firewood in, the beaver dams as much water as possible to store a food cache for winter, or a skunk becomes very active in your backyard digging for a few more grubs before the ground freezes. Many times, these activities are short-lived and many people choose to ride it out for a few more weeks. Sometimes the problem is more serious and require efforts to help alleviate the problem.

-Bob Cordes, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist