Hunting in Maine - What’s the scoop?

[Deckerp]

Looking to hear some feedback from any Maine natives. I live in and am from Colorado but my wife is keen to move the family to Maine. I am an adult onset hunter but it has now become my number one passion outside family. I Love the steep country here in Colorado and the rest of the Rockies and am a little reluctant to give that up. But maybe you can sell me on Maine? What’s the hunting like and how are draw odds for resident - bear, white tail, moose, turkey? Will I miss Colorado too much? (I would still have to go back for elk hunts once a year as long as the otc tags last anyway). Thanks for any information!

 

[Bullshot]

Not a resident but have visited a few times. You may find NH or VT much more your mountain style. Probably most like Colorado of the east. Still next door to Maine, so you can visit anytime, and closer to a lot of other things. I am pretty sure you will have plenty of room to roam and hunt in either. Maine is a bit of a different world, and interior is much different than the coast. Coastal Maine is great, lots to see and do. Once you get above Acadia NP, its yet another different world. Coastal tourist traffic can be bad in summer and really limited as far as main highways so traffic can be locally significant. Moose tags are gonna be very difficult to draw in any state. Whitetails - you probably would have lots of opportunity in any and all eastern states.

 

[jt4]

Hunting big woods in Maine is definitely a different world of hunting, and often not in a good way. A lot of deer up north are shot by driving around until you cut buck tracks in the snow then tracking them down.

There is no draw for turkey, bear, or deer. Moose is a lottery that you‘re in the single digit % of drawing even as a longtime resident. Most all of Maine is 1 deer (read: buck) only. Parts allow you to get doe tags but they aren’t everywhere.

No Sunday hunting and unless you archery hunt the season is pretty short.

If looking at it in a hunting only vacuum, I would say you’re out of your mind to think that you’ll enjoy hunting in Maine as much as you would in Colorado or pretty much any western state.

 

[Deckerp]

These are both helpful replies. Thank you for your feedback. It's about what I was thinking but wasn't sure how easy or hard tags were. I think most of all I would miss the big open views we have in the west. We lived in New Jersey only for a year or so awhile back and I recall feeling quite hemmed in after awhile. But living on the cost would solve that.

 

[F250]

Buck tags are over the counter for Maine, NH, VT, and NY. Lots of deer opportunities with rifle, muzzle loader, and archery. Doe tags are available with some research. Some are over the counter. Bear tags too are over the counter in Vt. and NY. Haven’t looked in Maine or NH but I believe they are. Great grouse and woodcock hunting in Maine. I’ve hunted sea ducks there with good success. Turkey tags in Vt and NY are over the counter. All four states are within a days drive. Still… not certain I would give up the west for the east unless the family/work situation required it.

 

[Dougfirtree]

The thing that is great about the northeast is the ease of getting deer tags, the diversity of small game hunting, the diversity of fishing, the cheap tags you can get in many different states if you wish, and the long seasons. It's also relatively easy to avoid crowds of other hunters here, compared to Colorado.
But, coming from the west, I'm sure you'd miss elk and pronghorn and the ability to see more than 50 yards. Maine is a funny state because public access to hunting is exceptionally easy and good in the northern 2/3 of the state and can be tough closer to the coast.

 

[coleslaw]

Get into snowmobiling, I hear the trails are quite under-rated.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

Deer hunting Maine is tough. If you move there, I would recommend to head south a few weekends during deer season to hunt different states. Think Jersey or eastern PA for much better deer hunting opportunities than what you can find in Maine.

 

[SC Living Outdoors]

Hunting big woods in Maine is definitely a different world of hunting, and often not in a good way. A lot of deer up north are shot by driving around until you cut buck tracks in the snow then tracking them down.

There is no draw for turkey, bear, or deer. Moose is a lottery that you‘re in the single digit % of drawing even as a longtime resident. Most all of Maine is 1 deer (read: buck) only. Parts allow you to get doe tags but they aren’t everywhere.

No Sunday hunting and unless you archery hunt the season is pretty short.

If looking at it in a hunting only vacuum, I would say you’re out of your mind to think that you’ll enjoy hunting in Maine as much as you would in Colorado or pretty much any western state.

This is a good summary. My mom is from Maine. I spent a lot of summer trips up there fishing and looking at moose. I drew a cow moose tag in 2018. I had a blast. The fishing is great and the moose hunting is too if you can get a tag. The partridge hunting and bear hunting is good. The deer hunting is tough. I’m going to go back one year and try to kill a North Maine woods buck just so I can say I did it. Maine is absolutely great and beautiful but it is a whole different world from Colorado.

 

[Gary]

For some insight into Maine deer hunting, pick up some books by/about the Benoits.

 

[Deckerp]

Thanks for all the feedback. Public v private is another aspect I know nothing about when it comes to eastern hunting.

 

[RemingtonRules]

You can always travel to hunt the west. Hobby to me is secondary to family needs.

 

[Trial153]

Maine and NH private land that isn’t posted against trespassing is open for hunting.
the majority of northern maine is owned by paper companies and unless it’s gated and locked it open for hunting.
finind land to deer hunt in maine is simple, finding land that is worth deer hunting in maine is not so simple.
Bear hunting is very good if you put the effort in or own hounds. Moose hunting in maine is fantastic, getting a tag is the hardest part.

 

[BT_NVhunter]

Thanks for all the feedback. Public v private is another aspect I know nothing about when it comes to eastern hunting.

One thing about Maine (I lived there for about 13yrs) is private land not posted is essentially public. Snow mobile trails cut through the majority of the state providing access with 4 wheel drive. We had the best luck around cattails and finding areas close to agricultural areas apple orchards were my bread and butter. The bucks are big bodied up north but racks aren’t crazy for the most part. It’s not a bad place to live though summertime vacationland as they call it has more people than a city it feels like. There’s a lot of outdoors activity but it’s hard to compare the west to anything you find back east.

 

[MT Bound]

It will be an outdoor culture shock and social culture shock for you, I lived in New England for 22 years, and loathed most of it. Deer hunting will be tough at best, most of the "camps" up there are owned by Mass. and NY guys, and the pressure is reflective of that. NH gets pounded by the non-residents (insert "Massholes"), and VT deer hunting?? that's funny, deer in Vermont!?

Sure you can find a big buck if you work hard enough at it, and that's what you'll find: A big buck, not ALOT of big bucks....don't let others paint a rosy picture, cause it's hard freaking hunting. And comparing the Benoits to the average hunter is like comparing Mike Tyson to a high school brawler. The Benoits have been up there for generations and know every knook and cranny and what the deer do and where they prefer, etc. etc. etc....

If you move you'll have to make the best of things, find other outdoor things that fill the gap. I really got into digging shellfish (quahogs), wish I would've capitalized more on the saltwater fishing. There's also good freshwater fishing in Maine, and grouse hunting. Waterfowl hunting in New England just plain sucks unless you find a localized hot spot.

You WILL miss the open views and vistas of the west and the big wide open, but you can also get up on some mountains to get a view every now and then, but it's New England, not the Rocky Mountain West so yes it will be different.

I love it when guys post sh!t like "I've never lived there but (insert any cliché statement)"...wtf? As soon as the opener on any post starts to that affect I ignore it.

If I had a choice between living in the populated Colorado or in rural remote Maine, I'd choose the West every single time, there are so so many more outdoor opportunities out here in the West compared to the East, but that's just me.

 

[Blackbear53]

Got my degree from UMO and had a great time. Deer hunting was tough in the big timber. As folks have said a lot of the private land is not posted and hunt able as such. The deer density on the arable land is higher but is usually posted. Clubs and leases aren't as big there as other places in the east and sweat equity can get you permission at times even as a flat lander. If you have the time and the desire baiting bears in the early fall can be fun. Now if you like small game its a hole other ball game. Grouse, rabbits, and turkeys are plentiful. The snow shoe hare in early winter are easy to spot with their white coats. Striper fishing in August early September can be lights out also.

 

[Steve16]

Probably very different hunting than out west, but there are a lot of opportunities for deer just different strategy and low density. While moose is a lottery its not unheard of to draw. There are inexpensive license fees and Access to saltwater fishing and recreational lobstering and shellfishing.

 

[EastCoast94]

I’m from NY not Maine but I will say Saltwater fishing is great in the northeast. Striped bass, Fluke, and Sea bass are all great tasting and fun to catch. Bear hunting in Maine is very good. They allow you to bait and their bears do get big. If you can draw a tag moose hunting is another great opportunity.