Maine Big Game Harvest Dashboard Shows 2021 Tagging Info By Zone
Curious as to how the fall hunts are going in your area? An online resource breaks down harvest information by town or zone.
While some hunts have come to an end, like turkey, others are in full swing. The fall turkey season ended on November 6. Currently, big game hunters are in the woods in search of bears and deer, with a lucky few pursuing moose. Once a big game animal has been killed in the woods, the hunter is required by law to register it at the nearest tagging station. This information is then reported to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
IFW has an interesting dashboard on their website that will show the user big game harvest information in a town or wildlife management district of interest. As of the publishing of this article, hunters have taken over 25,000 white-tailed deer, nearly 4,000 black bears, and over 2,500 moose since August. Fall turkey harvest info is not available, as wildlife officials did away with fall tagging requirements. As of the 2021 season, hunted fall turkeys do not need to be transport tagged or registered. Harvested spring turkeys are still required to be tagged, and registered, in its entirety.
Check out the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Big Game Harvest Dashboard here.
Maine's fall seasons for moose and bear close on November 27. The deer firearms season also closes on November 27. However, up to two additional weeks in December can be added to a hunter's season with a muzzleloader. Statewide, the muzzleloader season is open November 29 - December 4. An additional week of hunting is permitted from December 6-11, in WMD: 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 29.
A muzzleloader permit is required, as well as a valid big game hunting license. Muzzleloader permits are included in junior hunting licenses and senior lifetime licenses.