Hey all,

I made a post awhile back about not many deer surviving the winter here in Maine.  I think once the season is over it will be apparent that I was correct.  Officials are already talking about the deer kill being 50% down from last year.  I hunted very hard over the past 2 weeks and never saw a doe.  I passed on a small buck with a basket rack and thought I was going to be haunted when this guy passed by me at 30 yards and I couldnt get a shot off.  However, after a night of dreaming of what might have been, I took my stand near where I had seen him the day prior.  He was a welcome sight in my scope that morning ( as I didnt get a deer last year ).  Anyhow, I want you all to know that even though I dont post much, I do enjoy reading others.  Thanks for all the stories.

Mike Higgins
V. President
USW Local 449

maineguy68,

Awesome buck and we appreciate the photos!  Looks like patience paid off big time for you this year.  Thanks for posting and keep ‘em coming.

Mike

Nice rack!! Congrats!

you know this is the bragging about that buck section.  well it aint bragging if you can back it up.

awesome and i do mean awesome buck!!!!!!!!!!!  congrats.

Very nice buck! And I think I have a hard time getting them on my ATV. How the heck do you get them in a canoe?

Well Ron, the canoe saves on dragging plus it opens up many more options for me because the stream splits my property.  Its not easy getting them in the canoe but worth the while for sure.  Pictures are nice but they dont always tell the whole story.  Even with the canoe it took me and a buddy 8 hours to get him back to camp.  That stuff that looks like tundra in the pics is so difficult to drag through.  I have tried tying them onto a pole and carrying them but that seems worse.  Once I squeeze on one, the work begins.  I guess thats why I can go a whole season and not see a hunter, nobody else is crazy enough to shoot one in that stuff. LOL

I feel blessed to be able to enjoy the outdoors and to take a nice deer like this from time to time.  The only thing I miss is sharing it with my dad.  He is not able to make it to camp anymore due to his health.  I have included another picture.  It was the first picture taken and you can guess who I am talking to on my cell.

Mike

My dad was my best hunting partner also. I used to call him from the field also. I wish there was a cheap helicopter service to get these deer out. I hunt by myself mostly, and found out cutting them in half makes it a lot easier if they are some where in accessable. From what I understand it’s legal here in Ill., if you call and check them in first. Isn’t it something that a cell phone is one of the things you need to get a deer out of the woods? There probably is a good reason they do this. Maybe they caught one or two poachers doing something wrong and they make it hard on everyone else. Again nice deer!

SUPER JOB!!! That is a beautiful deer. Looks like you received an early xmass present.

Yes I also have heard the deer population in Maine is declining in several counties. How many acres you have? Enough to do some property management and hold a few more on your place?

Happy Holidays,

Beau,

My property is a little over 100 acres and most of it (I would say 65% of it) Is low land with alders, swale grass, blueberry brush, and cranberry brush.  There is a stream that runs right down the middle and another stream that connects at the lower end of the parcel.  These streams that connect are what makes this property so great for hunting.  The deer naturally travel the stream and find sanctuary in the alders.  But, what makes this property so nice can also be what ruins a hunting season.  I have had seasons that I couldnt get to camp because of rain.  The streams flood very easily and take forever to drain out.  The deer just wont go in the alders when they are flooded. 

On one property line, I border a potato farmer who has about 800 acres.  He has a rather large family and allows nobody to hunt.  He has never harvested the trees and I would say that this tract of land holds the majority of the whitetails in the area.  This year he planted corn in his lower field and wasnt able to get it this fall.  I am sure it will be good shed hunting around that field this winter.  On the other side is approxamitely 700 acres.  This owner clearcut his property last fall/winter.  I do venture onto this property ( as I dont post my land ) and Ill tell you his land is a mess.  Its horrific to see what some of these harvesters do to a piece of property.  But, the silver lining for this whole deal is that the deer fed on the tops of the trees all winter and probably saved 50 or more deer.

As far as management of the deer herd….....Im not sure having 100 acres would help?  What kind of things should I be doing?  This property is 3 miles from any road and getting equipment in there would almost be impossible.  I would like to hear anything you could offer for advice.

Thanks,

Mike

By the way…......your deer was very nice also.  What was the spread?