Maine Maryland Massachusetts Whitetail Coues Deer Hunts

The gear is packed. The gun is cleaned and shooting straight. It’s time to head out in pursuit of America’s favorite big game animal – the whitetail deer. Here are a few Maine Deer Hunting tips that may make deer hunting just a bit more successful.

 

Getting to and from your chosen hunting spot should not be like your daily commute. It is not a Point A to Point B endeavor. In fact, some of the best opportunities are presented in between the truck and the stand, if you take your time and pay attention.

Move through the woods with the tactical mindset of a special forces sniper. Move slow. Very slow. Stop often for long periods. Look around. Really scrutinize the details. Deer, like most non-predatory animals, have a much wider field of view than we do and they are especially good at spotting movement. So stop often. Hold still and watch. It may just tip the odds in your favor.

Unless you really are a special forces sniper, you’re probably not used to seeing details at long distances. Our eyes simply are not trained for it. Our focus seldom has to exceed distances longer than the length of our offices. Compare that to the effective range of your favorite deer gun.

Considering the fact you may get to take a shot at a deer once you put yourself within a couple hundred yards of it, you need to be able to spot it well beyond that range. And preferably before it spots you. A good pair of binoculars is essential.

 

When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. At least that’s what they say. And this is never more true than with deer hunting. Put in the time before your hunt to study not only the landscape, but the regulations as well. This is especially important for nonresidents.

Did you know it is illegal to hunt on Sunday in Maine? Or that you must register your harvest at a check station? Luckily for non-Mainers, the info you need is easily accessible online. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife should be your first search.

While we’re on the subject of planning, be sure to share your plan with someone before you head out. Few things can ruin a great deer hunting weekend like getting lost only to realize nobody even knows where to begin looking for you.

There are literally tens of millions of acres of forested lands throughout Maine. Many of which have very few roads, and even fewer cell towers. It’s easy to get turned around. Make sure someone knows where to start looking should you end up needing assistance getting out.

Sure, the law requires you to wear hunter orange at least on your head and body while deer hunting in Maine, but don’t skimp on it. Wear enough to make sure other hunters can see you, and make sure it’s in good condition. Several seasons on a jacket tend to fade it out and reduce its effectiveness as an accident-preventing beacon in the woods.

Contrary to popular belief, deer are not wary of the color. In fact, research indicates deer can’t see the color orange all that well. Their eyes are more adapted to seeing blues and greens and not so much the colors such as orange nearer to the red end of the spectrum. To a deer, hunter orange likely appears drab or brownish. Hardly something worth spooking over.

 

Your blue jeans are another story. To an animal that sees a wider blue spectrum than we do, your jeans glow like a lantern. Considering that fact, you’d be better off wearing orange from head to toe. You’d be more visible to other hunters, and it would be harder for deer to spot you.

Although that is assuming two things: One, that you held still enough for the deer not to spot your movement. And two, that your hunting buddies didn’t laugh you out of camp for dressing up like a pumpkin.

At least they’d be able to find you if you got lost.