MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • December 19, 2021
This year’s deer harvest is likely to set records, at least for recent years. The biggest contributing factor was the number of any-deer permits handed out by Maine, which was welcomed by many hunters. Time will tell whether this year’s generous prescription of any-deer permits will address perceived problems. The heavy hit that does took will certainly impact reproduction and recruitment. Meanwhile, hunters exacted a heavy toll on bucks as well. Deer are resilient creatures and the herd will recover in time, but hunters should expect to see fewer deer around next fall and for those who championed thinning the doe numbers it may be a case of, “Be careful what you wish for.” ~ Bob Humphrey