Maine moves to expand deer hunting season along the coast

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 18, 2026

The state is considering adding expanded archery season for deer hunting to towns along the coast and some Maine islands. A new proposal would apply to the midcoast and Hancock County, including the islands of Verona and Deer Isle-Stonington. The expanded season starts in mid-September and ends in mid-December, bracketing regular archery season, which lasts through the month of October. The push comes as deer populations have grown along the coast, in some places eating young trees and vegetation before they can regrow and causing problems for people such as car crashes, tick-borne diseases and extensive crop damage.