Hunting in Maine: Top Spots for Hunting in the Pine Tree State

From its deep northern woods to its craggy eastern coast, Maine is a large and varied New England state. Successful hunting in Maine, or anywhere else, requires knowing where to go to seek game. Here are some top spots for finding deer, moose, and sea duck in Maine.

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Deer: Vassalboro, Kennebec County
Southern Maine is generally the best place in the Pine Tree State for hunting deer. Deer thrive in areas with privately owned farmlands and mixed woodlands that are not far from busy communities, according to the Portland Press-Herald. That’s a pretty good description of much of southern Maine. The Press-Herald has counted about 20 deer per square mile in southern Maine, as opposed to three per square mile in northern Maine.

As one top spot, the publication cites Vassalboro, Maine. Located just west of the Kennebec River from Portland, Vassalboro boasts some of the state’s largest deer and wild turkey concentrations, to the point where it often is listed as the top hunting town in Maine.

Moose: Allagash, Aroostook County
Although southern Maine has moose, too, the far north is ideal for this type of big game hunting. Wildlife Management Districts 1 and 2 are thought to hold the largest concentration of moose in the state, with about seven of the animals per square mile, according to Tylor Kellys Camps & Guide Service in Allagash.

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Moose hunting is a specialized sport which, because of Maine’s lottery-based Moose permit system, doesn’t necessarily allow for practice year after year. So if you’re lucky enough to win a permit, you might want stay at a hunting camp that offers guided hunting for hunts ranging from calling moose to “spot and stalk” and hunting by canoe.

Sea Ducks: Casco Bay, Cumberland County
Maine is known worldwide as one of the most bountiful sea duck hunting regions in the United States. Its miles of rocky shores and offshore islands give limitless opportunities for placing decoys. Hunters harvest about 20,000 sea ducks in Maine each year, according to Game and Fishing Magazine.

Casco Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Maine, is one of the top spots for water fowling in the state. In addition to giving great shooting access to any migratory birds that might come flying through, the bay boasts a large native population of the eider breed of sea duck. Harpswell Sound and Yarmouth are particularly well populated with duck. The area also offers clean and beautiful surroundings and some nice amenities, including several local guide services that can supply duck boats, if needed. The L.L. Bean outdoor outfitting company is headquartered in Freeport, too.

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