There's one more week of rifle. Was there last week (Washington/Aroostook cty) about 12 guys, no kills. A couple smaller bucks let go. Camp got 4 the week before, couple spikers and 2 small 8s. I saw one doe in the woods for the week, but had a buck and 3 doe crossing the roads at different times heading back to camp in the evening. Not complaining because I know by experience it's tough hunting up there. Conditions were poor last 3 days crunchy snow, and high water in brooks and swamps and large puddles in the low lying woods areas, but at least with the snow you were able to see tracks. Anybody that's hunted there might swear there are no deer but when you find'em (the hard part) there's tracks everywhere.
Used to hunt Sherman Mills and Patten. A buck from those areas was earned.
My brother and his bride were in Rockwood and she shot a buck and a doe.
My son and I have shot a buck and a doe in the western mountain foothills.
The rut action appears to be very late this year. Myself and a buddy both shot bucks last Wednesday in the snow and both of them were full of fat. That tells me they haven't been chasing hard. This was big woods in the Bingham area.
I work as a forester and quite literally spend 40-50 hours a week in the woods. The rubs and scrapes have been extremely minimal until the last week or so I have noticed. It seems the rut is behind this year. While I know some will scoff at that idea, the evidence speaks for itself.
I won't say I covered miles but I walked some ground and did not see a scrape or rub. But obviously I was in the wrong place, but similar reports from the rest of the camp. Unusually high temps the first 2 weeks of the season may have dampened things down a bit as far as the rut.....maybe.
Someone told me (if it's true) Patten and Sherman Mills area had some bad winter kill 2 years in a row several years back. I did hunt up there in the early 90s.
The rut action appears to be very late this year. Myself and a buddy both shot bucks last Wednesday in the snow and both of them were full of fat. That tells me they haven't been chasing hard. This was big woods in the Bingham area.
I work as a forester and quite literally spend 40-50 hours a week in the woods. The rubs and scrapes have been extremely minimal until the last week or so I have noticed. It seems the rut is behind this year. While I know some will scoff at that idea, the evidence speaks for itself.
The rut happens the same time every year and is the reason fawns are born at the same time every year.
From Wednesday on, northern Maine has been very good. By far the best conditions of the season so far
[quote=GuideGun]The rut action appears to be very late this year. Myself and a buddy both shot bucks last Wednesday in the snow and both of them were full of fat. That tells me they haven't been chasing hard. This was big woods in the Bingham area.
I work as a forester and quite literally spend 40-50 hours a week in the woods. The rubs and scrapes have been extremely minimal until the last week or so I have noticed. It seems the rut is behind this year. While I know some will scoff at that idea, the evidence speaks for itself.
/quote]
What calendar do the deer use? Moon