Maine deer season opens after record 55,876 harvest
Rifle season begins Saturday as hunters consider how last year's high numbers in specific districts and towns might influence this year's success.
By Camila Herrera ·
Nathan Bieber, the deer biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, expects a good season ahead but does not predict harvest numbers will match the state record set in 2025. Hunters registered 55,876 deer last year, a total that provides a baseline for where success was most common and what factors may persist this fall.
The 2025 harvest represented a 32% increase over the 42,259 deer registered in 2024. Within that total, the number of harvested bucks rose by 16%, while doe harvests climbed by 59%. Bieber noted that conditions such as a mild winter and drought affecting forage and acorn availability likely contributed to the high numbers. These environmental factors can influence deer movement, and favorable weather during hunting periods also plays a role in success rates.
Wildlife Management District 17 recorded the highest statewide harvest with 8,025 deer, up from 5,618 in the previous year. District 23 followed with 5,108 registrations, District 26 reported 4,399, and District 16 logged 4,395. At the municipal level, Buxton led the state with 474 deer registered. Sidney followed with 433, Corinna with 417, St. Albans with 412, and Bucksport with 406.
Bieber advises that high harvest totals do not automatically indicate the best hunting locations for every person. These figures reflect both deer density and the volume of hunters in an area. Southern Maine supports high deer densities, while some coastal islands have substantial populations with fewer residents and hunters. Northern Maine offers large forested areas where deer are more spread out, providing a different experience for those who prefer tracking animals in big woods.
Hunters looking to avoid crowds should allocate more time to scouting. Bieber recommends targeting large public parcels or private land with permission, then moving away from convenient access points that tend to draw heavy traffic. For those seeking mature bucks, age data from the 2025 report offers further guidance. In Region E, 10.8% of sampled adult bucks were at least five years old, compared with 6.9% in Region F and 4% in Region B. Yearlings comprised 62.6% of sampled adult bucks in Region A and 45.7% in Region B, but only 24.5% in Region E.
Maine's resident-only deer hunting day is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31. The regular firearms season runs from Nov. 2 through Nov. 28.
