During November each year the cordial greeting between many regional males changes notably. At the post office, gas pump. restaurant, grocery store or just passing on the street, it’s a sure bet someone will start a conversation with “got your buck yet?”
It used to be, “got your deer yet,” but winter weather devastated our whitetail population for a few seasons leading to a bucks-only regulation and the change of sportsmen’s salutation. We are about halfway through deer season if the weeklong muzzleloader hunt in early-December is added in, and more hunters than expected are smiling and answering “yes” to the big question. What’s even more encouraging for those hunters who have yet to fill their tag is the number of deer actually being sighted. Just as an example, I’m still attempting to do a bit of goose and duck hunting despite the abysmal weather arriving far too early. I scouted back roads and farmland around Mars Hill, Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Limestone and Washburn for a couple of hours on three mornings or late afternoons last week. During those outings I spotted 11 whitetails!
Yes, I did have my rifle and other deer paraphernalia along, I learned long ago the “just in case” happens more often than one might think and it’s best to be prepared. Of the 11 deer, only one sported antlers — a small crotch horn from what I could see through binoculars as it bounded back into the wood line. A few of the does stood around a bit, but for the most part they headed for cover despite being 100 or more yards away. Many other hunters who are actually out in the woods concentrating on whitetails rather than waterfowl are spotting quarry regularly, but once again most are without headgear.
One of my close friends spent two hours at daybreak and at least an hour at dusk driving farm field roads and walking around woodlots on various farms during the first week of the season and saw 18 deer. Only four were bucks and he missed one tough opportunity — a long shot at a moving target. He tagged number 19, an eight-point buck, by staking out a line of apple trees just before sundown as temperatures plummeted for a cold, nasty night. Just as my buddy hoped, the hungry buck came looking for an easy food source.
Another friend who is a terrific woodsman and who walks miles in the deep forest of northern Maine woods has actually spotted or jumped 31 whitetails so far this month. He passed up two spike horns and a small four-pointer and had no good shot on a couple of larger bucks, but as with many of us, the preponderance of animals were does. Rather than being discouraged, this guy is actually encouraged and excited about the rest of the month. The rut is getting into full swing and as we all know, that means where there are does the bucks will follow; and many times an amorous deer is a stupid deer!
For most outdoorsmen the final two weeks, especially around Thanksgiving provide the perfect combination of cold weather, the rut, and perhaps a bit of tracking snow. Each of these factors increase a hunter’s opportunities regardless of location — in the big woods, urban edges, or agri-land with small woodlots. I will say that over the last three seasons a surprising number of bragging-size bucks have been seen, and many shot, on the farmland and sparse forest around small towns and villages throughout the Crown of Maine. More accessible food plots, fewer predators, and easier travel all combine to entice and hold deer to rural habitat.
While there are still plenty of whitetail gunners out trailing and tracking Aroostook swamps and ridges, numbers have diminished notably over the last five years, especially out-of-state hunters. This reduced pressure isn’t a bad thing for local sportsmen who often have only so many days to put venison in the freezer. As I mentioned, the last half of November usually yields the best results and often the largest deer, and if the first half is any indication a lot more deer will be tagged.
For those deer devotees preferring the thick forest I’d suggest using trails, tracks, rubs and scrapes to pinpoint a well traveled, often visited area and possibly set up a trail camera. If time is too short to check photos and pinpoint travel times, set up a ground blind or tree stand overlooking an obvious run. Use doe in heat scent, a call and even rattle antlers to lure any resident or traveling buck into view.
If field hunting is more to your liking, drive around until you locate a spot where does feed regularly, then set up a blind along an edge near a well used access trail. Sooner or later a buck is bound to arrive for the food or female companionship. Beech nut ridges and wild apple trees offer two other preferred food locations to stake out. Even if you only have a couple of hours before work, take advantage of it, there’s always a lot of whitetail travel taking place as the sun rises!
I’m not sure if this unexpected early snow and chilly weather has led to more early season deer activity or if there are just more whitetails out there than anticipated. Either way it’s a boon to buck hunters so far and likely to improve as the month winds down. It’s a short season — get out and about while it lasts. Be sure and be safe before you squeeze the trigger!
