Maine Outdoor Journal

While reports of the deer harvest are not too bad near coastal areas, they are possibly the worst ever in Aroostook County.

It's not just the past two tough winters that may have hurt the deer herd, says biologist Richard Hoppe. The timber harvesting that took place on deer's wintering habitat during the past 20 years may have seriously shrunk the herd in The County, he said.

REGION A: SOUTHERN MAINE

Biologists in southern Maine, who normally collect samples from 400 to 500 deer, say it's too early to tell how the harvest there will turn out.

However, the good news in southern Maine is the work on New England cottontail rabbit. A land acquisition of a 127-acre parcel could help this endangered species, said biologist Judy Camuso.

The parcel would have walking trails but provide needed cover for the small animal that is making a comeback in Maine.

REGION B: CENTRAL MAINE

Snow in central Maine improved deer hunting conditions, and hunters are having success along the coast tagging big deer, said biologist Jim Connolly.

"We've seen several deer over 200 pounds, including one that was 248 pounds taken last week," Connolly said.

REGION C: DOWN EAST

Biologist Tom Schaeffer said he is cautiously optimistic about the deer harvest along the Down East coast. But he's not surprised.

Schaeffer said after the hard winter two years ago, the number of deer tagged during the following deer season had not dropped as drastically there as it did elsewhere.

"The harvest looks pretty good in places," Schaeffer said. "Nobody is writing records in the books, but the harvest is decent in places, and there is a number of good signs that the number of yearling deer is high."

REGION D: WESTERN MAINE

After two weeks of firearm season, the deer harvest also looks like it will be down in western Maine, said biologist Chuck Hulsey.

"Hunting conditions are good. It seems like the effort is less. I didn't see a lot of people out deer hunting during the weekdays," Hulsey said.

REGION E: MOOSEHEAD LAKE REGION

The deer harvest started slow around Greenville, but snow on Nov. 5 provided good hunting conditions that resulted in a spike in the deer kill, said biologist Doug Kane.

Kane expected an increase in the harvest toward the end of last week as temperatures cooled. "The buck activity seems to be moving," he said.

REGION G: NORTHERN MAINE

The deer herd in Aroostook County may be at an historic low.

While the biologist's assessment of the herd there is not complete, early reports from the hunt are dismal, said Richard Hoppe.

On Tuesday morning, Hoppe called the dozen most-used tagging stations in his region, and the numbers reported for all of deer season so far (bow-hunting and firearm) tell a sad story about deer numbers north.

Those totals were: Allagash with seven deer tagged; Ashland, 12; Presque Isle, 13; Bridgewater and Monticello, eight; Houlton, seven; New Sweden, five; and Eagle Lake and Portage Lake, none.

"Some of these stations for the first week 20 years ago would have had 50 to 80 deer," Hoppe said. "You can see how bleak it is. What's done is done with the landscape. There have been a lot of things done in the past 20 years with the landscape with (timber) harvesting. It's taking away the (deer) wintering habitat."

Staff Writer Deirdre Fleming can be contacted at 791-6452 or at:

dfleming@pressherald.com