MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 24, 2021
Maine’s antlerless deer permit system has been in place since 1986. The biologists who manage this valuable resource have done a more than adequate job of keeping the deer population at or near objective levels in southern and central Maine, while trying to increase the population in northern and eastern Maine in the face of winter severity, changing forest management practices and a booming predator population.the system is no longer achieving objectives, even in southern regions. Some of the blame there lies not with the system but the hunters themselves. There’s an adequate number of permits issued each year to potentially reach harvest goals and maintain objective levels. However, a growing number hold onto those permits, hoping for a buck and waiting until the end of season to cash in their tags. Many wait too long. ~ Bob Humphrey