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Whitetail Deer

Whitetail Deer

Mar 2023 8

The shot that will haunt me

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 2 Comments | 5 min read

In December 2021, my grandfather passed away. Weeks before, I jumped him when I came bursting into his house to tell him and my Grammie that I had shot a buck and had completed my Grand Slam. He laughed at my overzealousness but hugged me and told me how proud he was of me. We made a deal hours before he passed away that he was going to deliver me an 8 point buck since I have yet to shoot one. I held on to that belief all through the year. Dad and I obsessed over trail cam photos throughout the summer and fall, we had three really nice bucks showing up. They all seemed to be nocturnal, but they were around. Fast forward to the start of the season and my morning kicked off pretty well by taking a nice doe in the first hour. I had...

Jan 2023 6

I am done shooting small bucks

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Tree Stand Hunting, Whitetail Deer, Wildlife Conservation, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

It was an emotional rollercoaster of a season. All I wanted was an eight point buck. I will save the story for another time, but it didn’t happen. But what did happen changed my whole perspective on deer hunting. After twenty years of hunting, I am done shooting small bucks. I shot my doe in the first hour of rifle season, so having the ability to shoot a doe AND a buck gave me the opportunity to keep hunting and looking for that big buck. I could sit and watch more of the does and fawns at different spots on the property. One morning, I watched a fisher running around my stand. I enjoyed being in the woods, knowing that I had a specific buck that I was after and that I had already put meat in the freezer. This season was more of...

Dec 2022 22

This is why my land is posted

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Outdoors, Trail Camera Views, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 3 min read

And will stay that way. Years ago, I had my first negative run in with another hunter. Since then, we have posted all of our land and we have added to the number of trail cameras that we have out in the woods. Sometimes we see vehicles driving into our food plot. In that case, I send the photos to a local police officer who finds out who the license plates are registered to. We have seen random people show up on the trail cameras almost every year. This year, we had them again and it’s getting a little old. Trespasser 2022 I sat in my stand at the end of deer season this year with my phone vibrating constantly in my pocket. When I looked, I saw a number of photos of a random person on our property. This was the second time...

Dec 2022 16

Fastest deer tag ever

By Erin M | Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Tree Stand Hunting, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

I was relieved to see my name on the list of people who had received doe tags in the lottery. There were so many doe on our trail cameras that it seemed likely that we would be successful. But, as opening day got closer and closer, illness struck my household and I was the last person standing without a tissue or cough drops in my pocket. In my attempt to ‘quarantine’ myself, I packed up and headed north. My watch read 32 degrees when Dad and I snuck into the woods. At a fork in the trail, Dad paused and waited for me to get into the Sky Condo before he continued on. I flicked off my headlamp and watched his light disappear around the corner. For all I know, the deer stood there and watched us split up because just when Dad started...

Jan 2022 24

Reflecting on my 2021 grand slam

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Black Bear, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 3 min read

When I was drawn for my moose tag, I set the goal of going for my grand slam. I needed a bear, moose, turkey and deer between September and November. Now, the hunting season is over and I find myself reflecting on my 2021 grand slam and the people who helped to make it happen. Mom and Hubs managed childcare/school pick ups and drop offs and sometimes full days of babysitting so that I could be in the woods. Jeremy at Fit To Hunt went to work and helped me customize a training program that would get me into shape for walking through the Maine woods to get my moose. I would load weights into my backpack and walk for miles. Sometimes with the kids and sometimes alone. When it came time to hike those choppin's looking for a moose, I was...

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...

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...

Dec 2020 4

Snow and deer hunting: like peanut butter and jelly

By Erin M | Whitetail Deer, Winters in Maine | 0 Comments | 4 min read

I am a sucker for the snow. If there is a snow storm coming or even the threat of a snow squall, I am in the woods. Two years ago, I stood in a snow storm Dad shot a nice 8 pointer and later that season, I shot my own buck in such a heavy snow squall that we couldn't initially find the buck minutes after I shot him because his tracks were covered in snow. On Wednesday morning, the snow was predicted to arrive between 9am-1pm. I was not moving from my stand. Something would be coming out to eat before the storm. I just had a feeling. The world was quiet when I settled into the Sky Condo. I heard a snap off to my left and while my initial thought was deer, there were no additional steps. As the sky lightened, I heard something...

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Mar 2023 8

The shot that will haunt me

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 2 Comments | 5 min read

In December 2021, my grandfather passed away. Weeks before, I jumped him when I came bursting into his house to tell him and my Grammie that I had shot a buck and had completed my Grand Slam. He laughed at my overzealousness but hugged me and told me how proud he was of me. We made a deal hours before he passed away that he was going to deliver me an 8 point buck since I have yet to shoot one. I held on to that belief all through the year. Dad and I obsessed over trail cam photos throughout the summer and fall, we had three really nice bucks showing up. They all seemed to be nocturnal, but they were around. Fast forward to the start of the season and my morning kicked off pretty well by taking a nice doe in the first hour. I had...

Jan 2023 6

I am done shooting small bucks

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Tree Stand Hunting, Whitetail Deer, Wildlife Conservation, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

It was an emotional rollercoaster of a season. All I wanted was an eight point buck. I will save the story for another time, but it didn’t happen. But what did happen changed my whole perspective on deer hunting. After twenty years of hunting, I am done shooting small bucks. I shot my doe in the first hour of rifle season, so having the ability to shoot a doe AND a buck gave me the opportunity to keep hunting and looking for that big buck. I could sit and watch more of the does and fawns at different spots on the property. One morning, I watched a fisher running around my stand. I enjoyed being in the woods, knowing that I had a specific buck that I was after and that I had already put meat in the freezer. This season was more of...

Dec 2022 22

This is why my land is posted

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Outdoors, Trail Camera Views, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 3 min read

And will stay that way. Years ago, I had my first negative run in with another hunter. Since then, we have posted all of our land and we have added to the number of trail cameras that we have out in the woods. Sometimes we see vehicles driving into our food plot. In that case, I send the photos to a local police officer who finds out who the license plates are registered to. We have seen random people show up on the trail cameras almost every year. This year, we had them again and it’s getting a little old. Trespasser 2022 I sat in my stand at the end of deer season this year with my phone vibrating constantly in my pocket. When I looked, I saw a number of photos of a random person on our property. This was the second time...

Dec 2022 16

Fastest deer tag ever

By Erin M | Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Tree Stand Hunting, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

I was relieved to see my name on the list of people who had received doe tags in the lottery. There were so many doe on our trail cameras that it seemed likely that we would be successful. But, as opening day got closer and closer, illness struck my household and I was the last person standing without a tissue or cough drops in my pocket. In my attempt to ‘quarantine’ myself, I packed up and headed north. My watch read 32 degrees when Dad and I snuck into the woods. At a fork in the trail, Dad paused and waited for me to get into the Sky Condo before he continued on. I flicked off my headlamp and watched his light disappear around the corner. For all I know, the deer stood there and watched us split up because just when Dad started...

Jan 2022 24

Reflecting on my 2021 grand slam

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Black Bear, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 3 min read

When I was drawn for my moose tag, I set the goal of going for my grand slam. I needed a bear, moose, turkey and deer between September and November. Now, the hunting season is over and I find myself reflecting on my 2021 grand slam and the people who helped to make it happen. Mom and Hubs managed childcare/school pick ups and drop offs and sometimes full days of babysitting so that I could be in the woods. Jeremy at Fit To Hunt went to work and helped me customize a training program that would get me into shape for walking through the Maine woods to get my moose. I would load weights into my backpack and walk for miles. Sometimes with the kids and sometimes alone. When it came time to hike those choppin's looking for a moose, I was...

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...

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...

Dec 2020 4

Snow and deer hunting: like peanut butter and jelly

By Erin M | Whitetail Deer, Winters in Maine | 0 Comments | 4 min read

I am a sucker for the snow. If there is a snow storm coming or even the threat of a snow squall, I am in the woods. Two years ago, I stood in a snow storm Dad shot a nice 8 pointer and later that season, I shot my own buck in such a heavy snow squall that we couldn't initially find the buck minutes after I shot him because his tracks were covered in snow. On Wednesday morning, the snow was predicted to arrive between 9am-1pm. I was not moving from my stand. Something would be coming out to eat before the storm. I just had a feeling. The world was quiet when I settled into the Sky Condo. I heard a snap off to my left and while my initial thought was deer, there were no additional steps. As the sky lightened, I heard something...

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Enjoy these Whitetail Deer articles

Mar 2023 8

The shot that will haunt me

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 2 Comments | 5 min read

In December 2021, my grandfather passed away. Weeks before, I jumped him when I came bursting into his house to tell him and my Grammie that I had shot a buck and had completed my Grand Slam. He laughed at my overzealousness but hugged me and told me how proud he was of me. We made a deal hours before he passed away that he was going to deliver me an 8 point buck since I have yet to shoot one. I held on to that belief all through the year. Dad and I obsessed over trail cam photos throughout the summer and fall, we had three really nice bucks showing up. They all seemed to be nocturnal, but they were around. Fast forward to the start of the season and my morning kicked off pretty well by taking a nice doe in the first hour. I had...

Jan 2023 6

I am done shooting small bucks

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Tree Stand Hunting, Whitetail Deer, Wildlife Conservation, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

It was an emotional rollercoaster of a season. All I wanted was an eight point buck. I will save the story for another time, but it didn’t happen. But what did happen changed my whole perspective on deer hunting. After twenty years of hunting, I am done shooting small bucks. I shot my doe in the first hour of rifle season, so having the ability to shoot a doe AND a buck gave me the opportunity to keep hunting and looking for that big buck. I could sit and watch more of the does and fawns at different spots on the property. One morning, I watched a fisher running around my stand. I enjoyed being in the woods, knowing that I had a specific buck that I was after and that I had already put meat in the freezer. This season was more of...

Dec 2022 22

This is why my land is posted

By Erin M | Hunting in Maine, Maine Deer hunting, Maine Outdoors, Trail Camera Views, Whitetail Deer | 0 Comments | 3 min read

And will stay that way. Years ago, I had my first negative run in with another hunter. Since then, we have posted all of our land and we have added to the number of trail cameras that we have out in the woods. Sometimes we see vehicles driving into our food plot. In that case, I send the photos to a local police officer who finds out who the license plates are registered to. We have seen random people show up on the trail cameras almost every year. This year, we had them again and it’s getting a little old. Trespasser 2022 I sat in my stand at the end of deer season this year with my phone vibrating constantly in my pocket. When I looked, I saw a number of photos of a random person on our property. This was the second time...

Dec 2022 16

Fastest deer tag ever

By Erin M | Maine Deer hunting, Maine Hunters, Tree Stand Hunting, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 2 min read

I was relieved to see my name on the list of people who had received doe tags in the lottery. There were so many doe on our trail cameras that it seemed likely that we would be successful. But, as opening day got closer and closer, illness struck my household and I was the last person standing without a tissue or cough drops in my pocket. In my attempt to ‘quarantine’ myself, I packed up and headed north. My watch read 32 degrees when Dad and I snuck into the woods. At a fork in the trail, Dad paused and waited for me to get into the Sky Condo before he continued on. I flicked off my headlamp and watched his light disappear around the corner. For all I know, the deer stood there and watched us split up because just when Dad started...

Jan 2022 24

Reflecting on my 2021 grand slam

By Erin M | Adventures in the Woods, Hunting in Maine, Maine Black Bear, Maine Hunters, Maine Moose, Whitetail Deer, Women Who Hunt | 1 Comment | 3 min read

When I was drawn for my moose tag, I set the goal of going for my grand slam. I needed a bear, moose, turkey and deer between September and November. Now, the hunting season is over and I find myself reflecting on my 2021 grand slam and the people who helped to make it happen. Mom and Hubs managed childcare/school pick ups and drop offs and sometimes full days of babysitting so that I could be in the woods. Jeremy at Fit To Hunt went to work and helped me customize a training program that would get me into shape for walking through the Maine woods to get my moose. I would load weights into my backpack and walk for miles. Sometimes with the kids and sometimes alone. When it came time to hike those choppin's looking for a moose, I was...

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...

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...

Dec 2020 4

Snow and deer hunting: like peanut butter and jelly

By Erin M | Whitetail Deer, Winters in Maine | 0 Comments | 4 min read

I am a sucker for the snow. If there is a snow storm coming or even the threat of a snow squall, I am in the woods. Two years ago, I stood in a snow storm Dad shot a nice 8 pointer and later that season, I shot my own buck in such a heavy snow squall that we couldn't initially find the buck minutes after I shot him because his tracks were covered in snow. On Wednesday morning, the snow was predicted to arrive between 9am-1pm. I was not moving from my stand. Something would be coming out to eat before the storm. I just had a feeling. The world was quiet when I settled into the Sky Condo. I heard a snap off to my left and while my initial thought was deer, there were no additional steps. As the sky lightened, I heard something...

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