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Hunting in Maine

Hunting in Maine

Jan 2022 3

The buck that completed my grand slam

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 4 Comments | 4 min read

It was 21 degrees when we headed into the woods. I just needed a deer to complete my grand slam. I had a doe tag and was eager to get into my stand. The leaves were crunchy with frost but the woods were calm. I climbed into the Sky Condo and waited for the world to awaken. Almost immediately, animals started moving. I sat perfectly still, my breath hidden by my green fleece balaclava. It was almost an hour before I could see well enough into the woods to know if I was hearing deer or squirrels (it was squirrels). A deer blew from the end of the field. Something must have spooked it. The neighbor? I knew that if I was going to change seats, this would be the time. Nothing had come into the field. I grabbed my gear and walked as...

Nov 2021 18

Redemption during our 2021 Moose Hunt

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 7 Comments | 6 min read

It had been an emotional start for our 2021 Maine moose hunt. But we pushed on and had three more days before the season ended. Wayne was determined to find us a moose somewhere in Zone 2. Thursday It was rainy and cold when we headed out. The two bulls from the day before had not been shot so we planned to head back to that area. We met a red truck parked where we had seen the small spike bull. We drove on to where we had seen the bigger bull. There was a cow in the clear-cut to our right. We parked the truck and Pat and I started walking into the woods. Dad and Wayne walked parallel to us in the road. Moose sign was everywhere. But the moose were not. We left and checked multiple roads where we had previously called...

Nov 2021 12

My 2021 Maine Moose Hunt

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 0 Comments | 5 min read

Antlered. September. Zone 2. That is what popped up with my name as I watched the 2021 Moose Lottery. The excitement was accompanied with an urgency to begin planning. We would need a guide and possibly more gear. I wanted to plan to go for my grand slam and try for all of Maine's big game animals - a bear, moose, turkey and deer. The following three months flew by and before we knew it, Dad and I were making the 5 hour drive up to the Allagash, Zone 2 and Allagash Adventures to meet our guide Wayne Bernier, for our 2021 Maine moose hunt. Monday We left at daybreak to begin searching for moose. As we crested one hill, Wayne stopped the truck and lifted the binoculars. There were two moose on the edge of the road ahead of...

Aug 2021 31

Getting Fit to Hunt

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Hunting Tips and Tricks, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

If you follow me on social, then you know I have been training with Jeremy Koerber at Fit to Hunt to ensure I am ready to hike into a choppin' miles from a dirt road in search of a moose. I know that I don't need to do that. I know that there are people who are overweight that get out of the truck and shoot. That's not the hunt I want - although if the opportunity arises, I will shoot. A moose is a moose and meat fills the freezer. But, I don't want to be physically exhausted and sore after one day of carrying a pack and hunting the North Maine Woods. Jeremy created a program specifically for me that involves rucking (hiking with weights), cardio and free weights. Tim Kjellesvik is coaching me with the nutritional piece of it and...

Jun 2021 27

Going for my grand slam

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 2 Comments | 3 min read

My son’s baseball game ended at 1:30pm. As soon as we got into the car, I clicked the link to watch names being read for the 2021 Maine moose lottery. I had 21 points going into the lottery. I watched Nate Webb, Director of Wildlife, read my brother in laws’s name. I recognized more names of people that I knew. Then, just a few pages into Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody’s list of names, I saw mine. At the bottom of the page and before he read it, I saw my name. I was headed to Zone 2 in September to find a bull moose! It's not time to celebrate Celebratory text messages and social media messages started flooding in. I wasn’t celebrating though, I went into planning mode. We needed an outfitter. The last time that...

Jun 2021 1

Spring Turkey Hunting in Maine

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Outdoors, Turkey Hunting, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 3 min read

I sprayed my clothes with permethrin and packed my bag. Staci and I planned a day in the fields hoping to get a shot at a tom or two. We hadn't been out on an adventures in a while and we needed it. I had turkeys on my trail cameras coming through a certain trail every morning. Staci's husband had seen a flock of them in a field near her home. We made a plan to start there and then head over to the Sky Condo. For May, it was hot and buggy. Temps were going to be in the upper 70s. I had to think about what was worst; sweating while walking, scouting and wearing all of my hunting clothes or black fly bites, ticks and any other crawly critter. I drank a lot of water and looked like a camo-clad Marshmallow Man. In the woods...

May 2021 11

No Change to Sunday Hunting in Maine

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters | 0 Comments | 3 min read

Sunday hunting in Maine is probably the single most debated topic for hunters and nonhunters. During the Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Committee meeting last week, there was a lot of discussion around why Maine needs to join the growing number of states reversing these old blue laws. It was clear that Sunday hunting (in the Committee's minds) is really deer hunting in November and that is what they focused on as they discussed the proposed bills. The Proposed Bills There are three Sunday hunting bills; LD1212, LD1054 and LD1033 currently being discussed in Committee. LD1212 sets geographical boundaries for where Sunday hunting can occur (north of Route 2/Route 9) while LD1054 and LD1033 set the requirement for written...

Jan 2021 17

We Need to Stop Feeding The Deer

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 3 min read

I just hit a deer, do you want it? My neighbor sent me this text during her morning commute to work. Had there been room in my freezer, I might have taken her up on it. I had done it before when I watched another driver hit another doe within 50 feet of where my neighbor was. It was the third deer hit that week in the same stretch of road. Why? A landowner is feeding them. A few years ago, I spoke with Maine IF&W’s then deer biologist about the impacts of feeding deer. We talked about the risk of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease getting into the herd and spreading so rapidly, because of the unnaturally large population being pulled into a small area. We talked about the biological make-up of a deer’s stomach and how the...

Dec 2020 18

From the Heart

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 1 min read

The emotions that go along with this are hard for any nonhunter to understand. There is a literal weight of an organ that earlier in the day, beat inside an animal and the figurative weight of choosing to kill an animal to fill your freezer. There is a dedication of always wanting to be better, to be ready for the right shot at the right moment. It’s spending money on gear, clothing and licenses every year. It’s packing up and heading into the woods, when it’s dark and coming out when it’s dark, day after day, hoping to get your chance. It’s appreciating the animal’s sacrifice and having a moment to give thanks before the work begins. Knowing that this animal will feed your family and friends for the year ahead. It’s not something a...

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Jan 2022 3

The buck that completed my grand slam

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 4 Comments | 4 min read

It was 21 degrees when we headed into the woods. I just needed a deer to complete my grand slam. I had a doe tag and was eager to get into my stand. The leaves were crunchy with frost but the woods were calm. I climbed into the Sky Condo and waited for the world to awaken. Almost immediately, animals started moving. I sat perfectly still, my breath hidden by my green fleece balaclava. It was almost an hour before I could see well enough into the woods to know if I was hearing deer or squirrels (it was squirrels). A deer blew from the end of the field. Something must have spooked it. The neighbor? I knew that if I was going to change seats, this would be the time. Nothing had come into the field. I grabbed my gear and walked as...

Nov 2021 18

Redemption during our 2021 Moose Hunt

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 7 Comments | 6 min read

It had been an emotional start for our 2021 Maine moose hunt. But we pushed on and had three more days before the season ended. Wayne was determined to find us a moose somewhere in Zone 2. Thursday It was rainy and cold when we headed out. The two bulls from the day before had not been shot so we planned to head back to that area. We met a red truck parked where we had seen the small spike bull. We drove on to where we had seen the bigger bull. There was a cow in the clear-cut to our right. We parked the truck and Pat and I started walking into the woods. Dad and Wayne walked parallel to us in the road. Moose sign was everywhere. But the moose were not. We left and checked multiple roads where we had previously called...

Nov 2021 12

My 2021 Maine Moose Hunt

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 0 Comments | 5 min read

Antlered. September. Zone 2. That is what popped up with my name as I watched the 2021 Moose Lottery. The excitement was accompanied with an urgency to begin planning. We would need a guide and possibly more gear. I wanted to plan to go for my grand slam and try for all of Maine's big game animals - a bear, moose, turkey and deer. The following three months flew by and before we knew it, Dad and I were making the 5 hour drive up to the Allagash, Zone 2 and Allagash Adventures to meet our guide Wayne Bernier, for our 2021 Maine moose hunt. Monday We left at daybreak to begin searching for moose. As we crested one hill, Wayne stopped the truck and lifted the binoculars. There were two moose on the edge of the road ahead of...

Aug 2021 31

Getting Fit to Hunt

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Hunting Tips and Tricks, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

If you follow me on social, then you know I have been training with Jeremy Koerber at Fit to Hunt to ensure I am ready to hike into a choppin' miles from a dirt road in search of a moose. I know that I don't need to do that. I know that there are people who are overweight that get out of the truck and shoot. That's not the hunt I want - although if the opportunity arises, I will shoot. A moose is a moose and meat fills the freezer. But, I don't want to be physically exhausted and sore after one day of carrying a pack and hunting the North Maine Woods. Jeremy created a program specifically for me that involves rucking (hiking with weights), cardio and free weights. Tim Kjellesvik is coaching me with the nutritional piece of it and...

Jun 2021 27

Going for my grand slam

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 2 Comments | 3 min read

My son’s baseball game ended at 1:30pm. As soon as we got into the car, I clicked the link to watch names being read for the 2021 Maine moose lottery. I had 21 points going into the lottery. I watched Nate Webb, Director of Wildlife, read my brother in laws’s name. I recognized more names of people that I knew. Then, just a few pages into Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody’s list of names, I saw mine. At the bottom of the page and before he read it, I saw my name. I was headed to Zone 2 in September to find a bull moose! It's not time to celebrate Celebratory text messages and social media messages started flooding in. I wasn’t celebrating though, I went into planning mode. We needed an outfitter. The last time that...

Jun 2021 1

Spring Turkey Hunting in Maine

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Outdoors, Turkey Hunting, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 3 min read

I sprayed my clothes with permethrin and packed my bag. Staci and I planned a day in the fields hoping to get a shot at a tom or two. We hadn't been out on an adventures in a while and we needed it. I had turkeys on my trail cameras coming through a certain trail every morning. Staci's husband had seen a flock of them in a field near her home. We made a plan to start there and then head over to the Sky Condo. For May, it was hot and buggy. Temps were going to be in the upper 70s. I had to think about what was worst; sweating while walking, scouting and wearing all of my hunting clothes or black fly bites, ticks and any other crawly critter. I drank a lot of water and looked like a camo-clad Marshmallow Man. In the woods...

May 2021 11

No Change to Sunday Hunting in Maine

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters | 0 Comments | 3 min read

Sunday hunting in Maine is probably the single most debated topic for hunters and nonhunters. During the Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Committee meeting last week, there was a lot of discussion around why Maine needs to join the growing number of states reversing these old blue laws. It was clear that Sunday hunting (in the Committee's minds) is really deer hunting in November and that is what they focused on as they discussed the proposed bills. The Proposed Bills There are three Sunday hunting bills; LD1212, LD1054 and LD1033 currently being discussed in Committee. LD1212 sets geographical boundaries for where Sunday hunting can occur (north of Route 2/Route 9) while LD1054 and LD1033 set the requirement for written...

Jan 2021 17

We Need to Stop Feeding The Deer

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 3 min read

I just hit a deer, do you want it? My neighbor sent me this text during her morning commute to work. Had there been room in my freezer, I might have taken her up on it. I had done it before when I watched another driver hit another doe within 50 feet of where my neighbor was. It was the third deer hit that week in the same stretch of road. Why? A landowner is feeding them. A few years ago, I spoke with Maine IF&W’s then deer biologist about the impacts of feeding deer. We talked about the risk of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease getting into the herd and spreading so rapidly, because of the unnaturally large population being pulled into a small area. We talked about the biological make-up of a deer’s stomach and how the...

Dec 2020 18

From the Heart

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 1 min read

The emotions that go along with this are hard for any nonhunter to understand. There is a literal weight of an organ that earlier in the day, beat inside an animal and the figurative weight of choosing to kill an animal to fill your freezer. There is a dedication of always wanting to be better, to be ready for the right shot at the right moment. It’s spending money on gear, clothing and licenses every year. It’s packing up and heading into the woods, when it’s dark and coming out when it’s dark, day after day, hoping to get your chance. It’s appreciating the animal’s sacrifice and having a moment to give thanks before the work begins. Knowing that this animal will feed your family and friends for the year ahead. It’s not something a...

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Enjoy these Hunting in Maine articles

Jan 2022 3

The buck that completed my grand slam

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 4 Comments | 4 min read

It was 21 degrees when we headed into the woods. I just needed a deer to complete my grand slam. I had a doe tag and was eager to get into my stand. The leaves were crunchy with frost but the woods were calm. I climbed into the Sky Condo and waited for the world to awaken. Almost immediately, animals started moving. I sat perfectly still, my breath hidden by my green fleece balaclava. It was almost an hour before I could see well enough into the woods to know if I was hearing deer or squirrels (it was squirrels). A deer blew from the end of the field. Something must have spooked it. The neighbor? I knew that if I was going to change seats, this would be the time. Nothing had come into the field. I grabbed my gear and walked as...

Nov 2021 18

Redemption during our 2021 Moose Hunt

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 7 Comments | 6 min read

It had been an emotional start for our 2021 Maine moose hunt. But we pushed on and had three more days before the season ended. Wayne was determined to find us a moose somewhere in Zone 2. Thursday It was rainy and cold when we headed out. The two bulls from the day before had not been shot so we planned to head back to that area. We met a red truck parked where we had seen the small spike bull. We drove on to where we had seen the bigger bull. There was a cow in the clear-cut to our right. We parked the truck and Pat and I started walking into the woods. Dad and Wayne walked parallel to us in the road. Moose sign was everywhere. But the moose were not. We left and checked multiple roads where we had previously called...

Nov 2021 12

My 2021 Maine Moose Hunt

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 0 Comments | 5 min read

Antlered. September. Zone 2. That is what popped up with my name as I watched the 2021 Moose Lottery. The excitement was accompanied with an urgency to begin planning. We would need a guide and possibly more gear. I wanted to plan to go for my grand slam and try for all of Maine's big game animals - a bear, moose, turkey and deer. The following three months flew by and before we knew it, Dad and I were making the 5 hour drive up to the Allagash, Zone 2 and Allagash Adventures to meet our guide Wayne Bernier, for our 2021 Maine moose hunt. Monday We left at daybreak to begin searching for moose. As we crested one hill, Wayne stopped the truck and lifted the binoculars. There were two moose on the edge of the road ahead of...

Aug 2021 31

Getting Fit to Hunt

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Hunting Tips and Tricks, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

If you follow me on social, then you know I have been training with Jeremy Koerber at Fit to Hunt to ensure I am ready to hike into a choppin' miles from a dirt road in search of a moose. I know that I don't need to do that. I know that there are people who are overweight that get out of the truck and shoot. That's not the hunt I want - although if the opportunity arises, I will shoot. A moose is a moose and meat fills the freezer. But, I don't want to be physically exhausted and sore after one day of carrying a pack and hunting the North Maine Woods. Jeremy created a program specifically for me that involves rucking (hiking with weights), cardio and free weights. Tim Kjellesvik is coaching me with the nutritional piece of it and...

Jun 2021 27

Going for my grand slam

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Moose, Women Who Hunt | 2 Comments | 3 min read

My son’s baseball game ended at 1:30pm. As soon as we got into the car, I clicked the link to watch names being read for the 2021 Maine moose lottery. I had 21 points going into the lottery. I watched Nate Webb, Director of Wildlife, read my brother in laws’s name. I recognized more names of people that I knew. Then, just a few pages into Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody’s list of names, I saw mine. At the bottom of the page and before he read it, I saw my name. I was headed to Zone 2 in September to find a bull moose! It's not time to celebrate Celebratory text messages and social media messages started flooding in. I wasn’t celebrating though, I went into planning mode. We needed an outfitter. The last time that...

Jun 2021 1

Spring Turkey Hunting in Maine

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters, Maine Outdoors, Turkey Hunting, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 3 min read

I sprayed my clothes with permethrin and packed my bag. Staci and I planned a day in the fields hoping to get a shot at a tom or two. We hadn't been out on an adventures in a while and we needed it. I had turkeys on my trail cameras coming through a certain trail every morning. Staci's husband had seen a flock of them in a field near her home. We made a plan to start there and then head over to the Sky Condo. For May, it was hot and buggy. Temps were going to be in the upper 70s. I had to think about what was worst; sweating while walking, scouting and wearing all of my hunting clothes or black fly bites, ticks and any other crawly critter. I drank a lot of water and looked like a camo-clad Marshmallow Man. In the woods...

May 2021 11

No Change to Sunday Hunting in Maine

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Hunters | 0 Comments | 3 min read

Sunday hunting in Maine is probably the single most debated topic for hunters and nonhunters. During the Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Committee meeting last week, there was a lot of discussion around why Maine needs to join the growing number of states reversing these old blue laws. It was clear that Sunday hunting (in the Committee's minds) is really deer hunting in November and that is what they focused on as they discussed the proposed bills. The Proposed Bills There are three Sunday hunting bills; LD1212, LD1054 and LD1033 currently being discussed in Committee. LD1212 sets geographical boundaries for where Sunday hunting can occur (north of Route 2/Route 9) while LD1054 and LD1033 set the requirement for written...

Jan 2021 17

We Need to Stop Feeding The Deer

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 3 min read

I just hit a deer, do you want it? My neighbor sent me this text during her morning commute to work. Had there been room in my freezer, I might have taken her up on it. I had done it before when I watched another driver hit another doe within 50 feet of where my neighbor was. It was the third deer hit that week in the same stretch of road. Why? A landowner is feeding them. A few years ago, I spoke with Maine IF&W’s then deer biologist about the impacts of feeding deer. We talked about the risk of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease getting into the herd and spreading so rapidly, because of the unnaturally large population being pulled into a small area. We talked about the biological make-up of a deer’s stomach and how the...

Stop Feeding the Deer

Dec 2020 18

From the Heart

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 1 min read

The emotions that go along with this are hard for any nonhunter to understand. There is a literal weight of an organ that earlier in the day, beat inside an animal and the figurative weight of choosing to kill an animal to fill your freezer. There is a dedication of always wanting to be better, to be ready for the right shot at the right moment. It’s spending money on gear, clothing and licenses every year. It’s packing up and heading into the woods, when it’s dark and coming out when it’s dark, day after day, hoping to get your chance. It’s appreciating the animal’s sacrifice and having a moment to give thanks before the work begins. Knowing that this animal will feed your family and friends for the year ahead. It’s not something a...

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