Chapter 37

Where and When to Go Hunting and Fishing

If you want to go deer hunting in Maine, you will find a map in Chapter 45 of this Book showing where every deer was shot in 1941.

This is the best load of game seen passing through Freeport, ME. (A bear, four deer and a wild cat).

BILL GORMAN > For the 2010 Deer Kill Map see Chapter 45, and for more information get in touch with the State of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: maine.gov/ifw.

Ask the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife when the first snow is expected and be on the spot when it comes. Of course you may miss the snow but at that time of year the leaves are well off and you are almost sure to get rain or snow so that you can get around quietly. The weather will be much better for keeping game than earlier in the season. If you do get a light snow fall, without crust, hunting conditions will be perfect.

BILL GORMAN > Scout areas before deciding where to hunt. Today we often go out pre-season, look for signs of deer activity, and strap a motion-activated game camera to a tree so we know where to set up our tree stand.

If you want to go fishing in Maine, a great deal depends on the time you can get away. As a general rule, the later in the season the farther North you will need to go. For example, Sebago Lake is fair fishing up to July 1st. Moosehead Lake is very fair up to August 1st and Rangeley Lakes are about in between. If you go later than August 1st you should pick your location very carefully. You may find it necessary to go way back on small streams or ponds.

Write the MDIF&W the date you want to go and the makeup of your party. There are a number of places where you can get fair fishing right up until the season closes, but the chances are you will be obliged to do quite a great deal of walking.

When writing the MDIF&W, insist on detail information regarding the section of the State in which you are interested. See maps in Chapter 45.

BILL GORMAN > Today, you can locate detailed fishing reports quickly on the Internet. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has lots of useful information for anglers: maine.gov/ifw/fishing