Finally, after more than 20 years of negotiations, there will be a limited, tightly controlled, “experimental” deer hunt allowed on two parcels of land owned by the City of Old Town. In October, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIF&W) and the Advisory Council approved an emergency rule to allow what they are calling “a limited two-week deer reduction season.”

This is especially good news for the 20 or so BLIP-qualified members of the Maine Bowhunters Association (MBA) who will get first dibs at some reportedly mature, well-racked whitetails that have not been hunted for years. From a short-term perspective, it’s not especially good news for other bow hunters who won’t be able to hunt this “new virgin ground.” But taking the long view, it is a beginning, as MBA President Jerome Richard points out.

BLIP, by the way, is an MBA acronym that stands for Bowhunter Landowner Information Program. The operating theory is that if you are going to conduct a deer reduction program in an urban area that is potentially dicey or controversial, you need to make sure that the hunters selected are seasoned, experienced bowman who will perform with professional competence and personal conduct that is above reproach. There are shooting competence tests and other hoops to get through in order to become BLIP qualified.

So we’ll see how it goes in the December hunt.

As is the case with so many undertakings today, the genesis of this limited BLIP hunt on Marsh Island was not without it’s share of politics, pussyfooting and buckpassing. In an apparent attempt to be selectively positive, none of the news reports or MDIF&W press releases have made mention of the fact that the University of Maine still refuses to allow even the limited BLIP hunt on its forest holdings on Marsh Island.

A year ago, I reported as follows:

Just as Commissioner Martin was about to promulgate a rule to allow the hunt, University of Maine President Robert Kennedy wrote a letter strongly opposing a hunt of any kind on University property. Kennedy’s words: “In the absence of compelling evidence that harvesting Marsh Island deer will make these communities better places to live in tangible ways, we are left with a plan that simply creates new recreational opportunities for hunters and threatens the safety of students and others in the University of Maine community.”

My attempts to reach the leader of my alma mater were blocked by a protective secretary and a public relations spokesman who shunted me off to a public safety officer. I had only one question for President Kennedy: “How in the world do bow hunters ‘threaten the safety of students and others in the University of Maine community?'”

Dig deep in Maine hunting safety records, and you will be hard pressed to find one instance of a non-hunter being injured by a bow hunter.

Has anything really changed with regard to the University of Maine’s willingness to allow deer hunters on its taxpayer supported forestlands? I don’t think so. Trying to remain positive, Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Dan Martin in his Department’s press release says that “he is appreciative…of the University of Maine for their collaboration in developing this project.”

About the only concession made by the University of Maine in the BLIP negotiations was that it did not oppose Old Town’s wish to allow a controlled deer hunt on some of its municipal property. How magnanimous of UMO leadership!

Our hats are off, however, to others like the Maine Bowhunters Association, state wildlife biologist Mark Caron and Old Town’s municipal leadership, all of whom worked hard to do bring this hunt to fruition. If the BLIP hunt goes off well – and it wil – perhaps it will pave the way for an eventual expanded archery season that is open to all licensed bow hunters.

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on WVOM-FM 103.9,and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is [email protected].