The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife latest hunting report for the Aroostook Region is as follows:
“It’s been an unusual start to the season as we are in the 60s today,” said IFW wildlife biologist Rich Hoppe. “I strongly believe there’s more deer on the landscape than the last three or four falls, but they aren’t showing up at the tagging stations yet.”
With the warm weather, and the abundance of food, hunters may not see deer concentrated in areas where they may normally see deer.
“There is so much natural food out on the landscape, you aren’t going to see deer bottlenecked into an area where there is food,” said Hoppe. “They don’t have to be out and about where they are showing themselves since there is food everywhere.” Hoppe added most deer are content to feed and stay in area, not expending any energy.
Grouse hunting is still going strong, albeit a bit spotty. Talk to ten people and five will say it’s great and the other five will say its poor. Some areas contain high concentrations of birds, others not as many. Don’t give up if your first covert is holding birds, they are around, just not as spread out as past years.
Warmer temperatures and plenty of food means that other species are still around. Ducks and geese are still plentiful and feeding in the area and with all the fall foods, bears are still out foraging before they den up for the winter.
