I listened to the ravens, crows and turkeys fight over the morning's gut pile. I was still giddy about my success as I climbed into the treestand, almost within sight of the Sky Condo. Motion to my right caught my eye and I saw a deer feeding on acorns. I lifted my rifle and peered through the scope, hopeful that I could punch my doe tag. My heart raced as I saw the antlers. I was looking at a buck as big or bigger than the one I had shot hours earlier. Two big bucks in one day! I calmed myself down and swapped my scope for my binoculars and paused. The buck I was now looking at was a large spikehorn. Where had that big buck gone? Where had this buck come from? Adjusting the binoculars, I saw the smaller buck make a circle and lay...
I have hunted deer for more than half my life. Every season is different and I learn or observe new things all the time. It is how you get better and more proficient. This season, the lesson blew my mind and will stick with me for every hunting season to come. During the 2022 season, I shot a doe on opening morning of rifle season. Maine hunters’ ability to shoot both a buck and a doe has allowed me to be more strategic about how I hunt. I can focus on shooting a doe to put meat in the freezer and then hold out for a big buck. The first two weeks of the 2023 season were fantastic. It was during the third week of the season that I learned something new about my rifle and ammo. I grabbed three new 180 gain bullets as I headed out on...
My phone showed 4am. There were photos from the cell cameras. With one eye open, I started scrolling and saw one of the big bucks. He had been in the same spot days earlier and had made a 5 hour loop. I had 3 hours to get in my stand. I took two steps away from the truck and the world erupted around me. The only thing louder than the crunching of deer running, was the beating of my heart. Several deep breaths later, I started back on the trail to the stand. A few more steps and another deer jumped and ran. Had it been the buck? I wasn't far from where we had been. I passed by my camera at 5:05am; three hours since the buck had been there. Don't Do Rodents There is something about hearing mice scratching inches from my face that...
I skim the hunting Facebook groups for photos of amazing deer during hunting season. My favorite are those of successful female hunters. I love the photos of incredible deer that are what (almost) every hunter’s dreams of taking. This past season, I found a female hunter with an incredible buck and a fantastic name! Erin McGraw grew up fishing and did not start deer hunting until just a few years ago. She shot her first deer, a spikehorn in 2019 but took a year off due to the birth of a baby. In 2021, Erin and her husband hunted but were never able to be in the right place at the right time. “It was a great year to practice still hunting,” Erin exclaimed, “It was a really cool experience to get more familiar with the woods around...
One of the most interesting things that happens after you shoot a bear or moose, is that you are asked to remove a tooth so that the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife can age the moose shot and collect age and health data. It is a part of a decades long effort to better understand the overall health of wildlife in Maine. For hunters, it is always interesting to find out how old the animal was. When I knew it was available, I immediately looked up the age of my 2021 Maine bull moose. 2021's data shows moose shot between the ages of 2.5 years old to 20.5 years old. It is fascinating to think that there are moose in this state that are twenty years old. Any guesses on how old our 2021 Maine bull moose was? Remember, he had...
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...
Last week, I went in front of the joint committee of the Environment and Natural Resources to provide testimony for my nomination to the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund board. The only other time I had done this was when I testified in favor of Judy becoming Commissioner. This time, the Governor was nominating me. One of her representatives introduced me and then I had the opportunity to say a little about me. You can watch the hearing by clicking here. Joe's introduction of me begins around the 7 minute marker. My testimony is below. My Testimony Senator Brenner, Representative Tucker and members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. My name is Erin Merrill and I am here to say a few words about my nomination to the Maine...
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...
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...
