Special Archery Deer Season In Eastport

The town of Eastport is being overrun by deer, so the state has approved a special, limited bow season next month to cull the herd.

The small island community is being overrun by deer and that's causing headaches for local residents. One woman told the BDN that she and another driver had to stop on her way to work as 14 deer crossed the road between them. And City Manager Elaine Abbott told the paper that the huge deer population caused 20 accidents last year that resulted in about $40,000 in property damage.

So the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has approved a limited, two-week special deer hunt for the town of Eastport. The original proposal requested that the hunt be held each year for a total of 3 years, but officials decided to approve it for this year, and then reassess in 2017.

30 antlerless deer permits will be given out in a lottery, with 22 going to residents, and 8 awarded to non-residents. The hunt will be held from December 19th to the 31st and is only open to bow hunters. An application can be found on the City of Eastport website and it must be submitted by 4:00 today.