Thanks to relatively moderate winters in 2006 and 2007, doe harvests will likely continue at present levels to stabilize deer populations and maintain short-term population objectives within most central and southern wildlife management districts.

For more information, contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Augusta, ME 04333. Call (207) 287-8000, or access the MDIFW's Web site at www.mefishwildlife.com.

VERMONT
Vermont's 2006 deer harvests increased significantly over 2005 -- a season that saw the biggest change in Vermont deer seasons in more than 100 years. In 2004, the Vermont General Assembly delegated to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board full authority to manage deer.

This authority was delegated for an experimental period, with a sunset date of June 30, 2008. The board immediately enacted sweeping changes in its deer regulations.

For the first time in more than 100 years, spike-horn bucks (which had averaged 35 percent of the total harvest in most years) were not included in the definition of a "legal" buck.

Instead, the board re-defined a legal buck as any deer having at least one antler with two or more points that are one inch or greater in length.

At the same time, the board reduced the annual bag limit from three deer to two, and halted antlerless deer harvest by archers in some wildlife management units (WMUs).

The board also banned the practices of baiting and feeding of deer.

These changes were made in order to attempt to address declining deer numbers in some WMUs, hunters' desire for larger numbers of older-age bucks -- and to reduce the risk of spreading disease and parasites by feeding and baiting deer.

The results were dramatic. Harvest reductions occurred in 2005, and then there was a dramatic rebound in 2006. The total deer harvest increased 48 percent, from 8,546 in 2005 to 12,682 in 2006 (compared to 11,925 in 2004).

That's still well below the 30-year average of over 14,000 deer. But it seems that the department's policy change has allowed the harvest to remain high, while protecting young bucks.

The antlered buck harvest in all seasons increased by 58 percent, from 4,956 in 2005 to 7,805 in 2006.

Vermont hunters and game wardens reported seeing more deer in 2006 than in 2005, and scientific hunter-survey data also revealed an increase in deer sightings by hunters.

For the fifth year in a row, Franklin County topped the state harvest with 1,887 deer, followed by perennial front-runners Windsor County (1,348) and Rutland County (1,347). Orange County finished fourth, with 1,308 deer harvested.

Grand Isle County produced the second-lowest harvest total statewide, with only 401 deer taken. But it recorded the highest per-square-mile ratio, a whopping 8.8!

By way of comparison, the statewide per-square-mile average was 1.62 deer harvested.

For more information, contact the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 103 South Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671-0501; or call (802) 241-3700.

A printable copy of the state's annual deer report is available at www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

MASSACHUSETTS
Bay State hunters harvested significantly fewer deer last year. Bill Woytek, MassWildlife Deer Project Leader, reported a total of 10,596 deer taken during all seasons, compared to 12,060 in 2005, 12,266 in 2004 and 12,025 in 2003.

The all-time record is 12,417, posted in 2002. The 2006 total was the first significant decline in five years.

Woytek noted that 2006 was another record year for archery hunters, with a 7-percent increase in all but two WMZs.

There was an overall decrease from 2005 during the shotgun and muzzleloader seasons, blamed on poor hunting conditions due to a lack of snow cover throughout the state during those seasons.

In addition, fewer antlerless deer permits were issued in 10 of the 15 wildlife management zones because deer densities in many of these WMZs meet MassWildlife's goals for those zones.