Deer season approaching

    AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife conducted its annual Any-Deer Permit Lottery recently and has posted the results on its website, www.mefishwildlife .com.
    The Department is issuing 48,825 any-deer (antlerless) permits this year for Wildlife Management Districts 12, 13, 15-17, 20-26, 29. It is bucks only in all other Wildlife Management Districts.
    This year’s allocation represents 3,340 more permits – a 7.5 percent increase – over last year’s number.
    The permit allocation is: 32,907 for residents; 12,208 for landowners; 2,649 for non-residents; and 1,061 for Superpack holders. (Superpack and landowners must meet certain requirements. See the Department’s website for more information.)
    Deer hunting (with firearms) season begins with “Maine Residents Only Day” on Oct. 30. The season runs Nov. 1 to Nov. 27.
    Youth Deer Hunting Day is Saturday, Oct. 23 and is open to children older than 10 years of age and under 16 years of age. Youth hunters are prohibited from taking does in wildlife management areas that had no antlerless deer permit allocation.
    The Department no longer mails permits or transportation tags to permit winners. Instead, permit winners will need to record their permit number and report the permit number to the registration station when tagging their deer. The Department suggests that permit winners write down their permit number and keep the number with their hunting license so it is readily available when needed at the registration station.