Penobscot Valley Hunting Report: December 7, 2007
Week number one of the muzzleloader season for deer featured primarily windy conditions with one day of heavy rains and very little in the way of snowfall in the Region. Hunting conditions were much better during the early weekdays than it was for the latter half of the week and Saturday. Again, cold temperatures and high winds on Friday and Saturday made for difficult days of deer hunting.
We traveled to Page Farm WMA in Drew Plt. early in the week to assess an ongoing field reclamation project. Monies for this work were obtained through a National Wild Turkey Federation Superfund Project. The primary goal of this project is to re-establish some fields at Page Farm that have succumbed to succession and to eventually plant these areas with grasses and clovers to benefit turkeys along with many other species of wildlife. While there, we encountered several deer hunters that were still observing signs of the rut with some scrapes being maintained and new ones being created.
Some other activities that keep us busy this time of year are the wrap-up of deer biological data collection for the regular firearms season and preparing our Winter Severity Stations. Weather stations located throughout the state are monitored through a 20-week period to determine the severity of winter weather on our deer population. At each station, a probe monitors temperatures throughout the winter; snow depths are measured, and the sinking depths of deer are also recorded. From this information we can estimate deer losses from winter weather and, along with many other inputs, determine the allocation of Any-Deer Permits for the next season. Weather stations monitored in the Penobscot Region are located in Stacyville, Bancroft, Howland, and Argyle.
The second week of muzzleloader season for deer occurs in only the southern portion of the Penobscot Region. Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs) open for the second week of muzzleloader season (Dec. 3 — Dec.8) include: 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 29. A significant snowfall is predicted statewide for Monday, which should provide ample tracking snow! Good Luck if your still out there trying to fill that deer tag!
