During the last several years, the top five buck-producing wildlife management districts (WMDs) tend to be districts 24, 23, 22, 21 and 17. All lie in central and southern Maine. However, to illustrate the trend of great bucks coming from all parts of the state, notice that the four largest-racked bucks of 2003 came from Penobscot, Piscataquis, Knox and Aroostook counties, and ranged in score from 184 to 238 inches gross B&C. In 2004, those same four counties produced the top bucks, ranging in score from 171 to 183 inches.

In most seasons, rifle hunters take the majority of the monster bucks. In 2005, however, archer Bill Gardner took a 180 7/8-inch, 15-point non-typical with his bow in Cumberland County -- the new archery state-record non-typical buck, according to the NBBC.

For more information, contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Augusta, ME 04333. Call (207) 287-5248, or visit the MDIFW's Web site at www.state.me.us.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
The overall deer harvest was up 5 percent in 2005 (10,595) compared to 10,133 deer in 2004 and 9,492 in 2003. The adult male harvest was also up (6,127), an 11-percent increase from 5,537 in 2004 and from 5,858 the previous year. After the low 2004 total (the lowest since 1998), the increase in 2005 was attributed to limited either-sex deer permits and the relatively mild previous winter.

Your best bet for killing a buck in the Granite State includes opening day of the muzzleloader and firearms seasons and any Saturday. Of course, the majority of the bucks harvested are taken during the firearms season, with archers and muzzleloader hunters accounting for about 35 percent of the buck harvest. WMU J2 (near the southern Maine border) tallied the most bucks for the fourth consecutive year, at 842, followed by Unit M (761) at the southeastern most corner and Unit K (626) to the west.

It's interesting to note that the three WMUs that border Massachusetts are in the top five for buck kills.

New Hampshire's archers and muzzleloader hunters have seen outstanding success in recent years as well. In fact, during the 2003 season, muzzleloader hunters shot two outstanding Boone and Crockett typical bucks -- a 186 7/8-inch 10-pointer from Hillsborough County and a 178 5/8-inch 10-pointer from Rockingham County. During the 2004 season, a new state-record typical archery buck fell to Scot Chevalier in Rockingham County, scoring 183 0/8 as a 12-point typical.

Hunters planning on visiting New Hampshire are encouraged to contact the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 2 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301. Call (603) 271-3421, or visit www.wildlife.state.nh.us.