Well, the first week of open firearms season has come and gone. I always have the whole week off, and usually bag my whitetail. But this year I'll have to wait at least a bit longer.
It was a tale of two Maine's between the high elevations of the Western Mountains and the Central Foothills. Two harsh winters in a row took a tremendous toll on the mountain deer herd. My guestimate would be in the neighborhood of 90% winter kill above the 2000 foot elevation. My cousin and I traveled some great distances to see only one lonely doe and a sporadic old track in the mud and leaves, a marked detraction from the years of mild winters of the past couple of decades.
In contrast, the deer population has seemed to remain stable only thirty miles to the south. Plenty of them were chased, but none of them presented a good shot.
All was not lost, as we had a full week in the woods, tremendous weather and spectacular scenery. Here are a few pics of the wild country of East Madrid, Maine.
It was a tale of two Maine's between the high elevations of the Western Mountains and the Central Foothills. Two harsh winters in a row took a tremendous toll on the mountain deer herd. My guestimate would be in the neighborhood of 90% winter kill above the 2000 foot elevation. My cousin and I traveled some great distances to see only one lonely doe and a sporadic old track in the mud and leaves, a marked detraction from the years of mild winters of the past couple of decades.
In contrast, the deer population has seemed to remain stable only thirty miles to the south. Plenty of them were chased, but none of them presented a good shot.
All was not lost, as we had a full week in the woods, tremendous weather and spectacular scenery. Here are a few pics of the wild country of East Madrid, Maine.
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