Perhaps no season gets hunters’ juices flowing like deer season. We scout in the summer, sight our guns in, get in shape for the strenuous hikes and pore over our equipment, checking it all twice. Or maybe you are like this hunter and you blink and suddenly it’s November. Whatever your pre-season game is, deer season is here and that’s good enough for us.

This year, thanks to a bumper acorn crop, I predict the deer will be hard to pattern as there is just so much food in the woods. Apples matured slowly, but I am seeing loads of them on the abandoned trees that dot the landscape of the Lakes Region. Decades ago, every farmhouse had an apple tree or more, usually close to the house. Riding the backroads and scouting old foundations will usually put you close to an ancient apple tree or two. Sometimes farms were set back in the woods on a forgotten road. These spots are best for deer as they feel more secure away from the road. Setting up a vigil over a fruit-laden tree is a productive way to hunt deer, especially right up until dark.

Did I mention acorns? I have two medium-sized oaks on my lawn and I recently picked up two filled wheelbarrow loads of acorns. They were everywhere. This means there are so many in woods, the deer don’t have to concentrate on one area to find them. But I would still plan to hunt the ridges and swamps where they grow.

Two seasons ago, my usual hunting partner, Rene Lavoie, and I had great luck on a sunny November day. We have been hunting the same woods for more than 30 years. We know the woods, we know the deer patterns and we know each other. We leapfrog through the woods, hoping we push a deer toward one another. It’s fun when the deer get hopping around “our” woods. This particular year, Rene pushed a young buck to me and I dropped him cleanly. He said there were more deer in the bunch so I circled back and pushed a fat doe toward him. His deer also fell with one well-placed shot. That’s the first time in over 30 years of hunting that we double-tagged.

Knowing your quarry, the woods you hunt and your hunting partner are paramount to deer hunting success. Sure, we’ve all stumbled onto a deer while walking in the woods, but to even the odds, you need to put in the time. But as you read this, it’s too late, hunting season is fast upon us.

Deer season begins Nov. 2 for residents and runs through Nov. 30. Muzzleloader season follows in this region from Dec. 2-14. Have an enjoyable and safe hunting season.

Tom Roth is a freelance outdoor writer who lives in Raymond on the shore of Sebago Lake. He has been fishing and hunting in this region for more than 30 years and is a Registered Maine Guide.

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