Bushwhacking during the Rifle Season for Deer Hunting.

Bushwhacking during Rifle Season for Deer.

In Maine, Saturday Oct 28th marks the start of Rifle Season for Deer Hunting. While trail hiking I never gave the hunting season a second thought other than to wear something orange. I never felt endangered.

Have you bushwhacked during the Rifle Hunting season? If so, what precautions do you take?

Onestep

Best precaution is not to do it, except for Sundays in ME. I think wacking during rifle season, unless you are in a no hunting area, is not very enjoyable, I have always been super cautious when guys are out and about with deer rifles.

onestep said:

In Maine, Saturday Oct 28th marks the start of Rifle Season for Deer Hunting. While trail hiking I never gave the hunting season a second thought other than to wear something orange. I never felt endangered.

Have you bushwhacked during the Rifle Hunting season? If so, what precautions do you take?

Onestep

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The one time we were out (not bushwhacking) was on a November trip with Bob and Geri and Cantdog. We did Boundary Bald, Coburn, and a couple of peaks in Zec Louis Gosford (Gosford and Boundary). It was also hunting season in Canada.

Our impression was that we were safe once we had gone aboiut 1/4 mile from the road. No deer hunter is going to drag a dead animal much more than that. We had about 6-12 inches of snow on some of the roads in and that also kept the hunters back. We saw tons of hunters in town (both in Jackmnan and Woburn) and on the roads, but nobody was in the back country.

"... your mileage may vary ..."

Years back I remember seeing a hunter on a high perch overlooking a section of the US-Canada border. We were using it as a corridor between a couple of nearby 3000 footers. I'd say he saw us coming up the open border swath before we spotted him.

Dennis, I had a similiar incident in VT on the top of Spruce Mt. Standing right next to the summit register was a vey UNFRIENDLY guy with a deer rifle.

Two of the 5 jars we found this past weekend had entries from Hunters. The jar atop one of the Spotteds had multiple hunter entries.

Maybe I'll just carry a 30/30 with me this November and try to blend in

Onestep

The deer season in NH starts a couple weeks later than ME, go to NH those 2 weeks! And MA starts later yet. No deer hunting is allowed anytime on Mt Desert Island, or Sundays in ME and MA. While I may be especially fortunate that with 2 hours drive I can be in any of 4 states, most people can avoid deer season with a little thought.

I hike through the woods (bushwack) all year long. I wouldn't tell others to not worry, etc., but I don't worry. I wear plenty of orange, including hat, gloves, jacket, and I drape a vest over my backpack. I'm not staying out the forest, especially during what I consider the most beautiful time.

Lately, I've been practicing moose calls, trying to lure bulls in my direction. I'll refrain from making those noises during moose season. Otherwise, wearing lots of orange is about the only way in which the hunt alters my activity.

Happy Trails

forestnome said:

Lately, I've been practicing moose calls, trying to lure bulls in my direction. I'll refrain from making those noises during moose season.

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Just a reminder to quiet down this weekend, forestnome: NH moose season opens Saturday, Oct. 21, ends Oct. 29.

Don't assume that mileage means no hunters. I got my woods start back in the early teens as an avid hunter and fisherman.
We would routinely be back in 3-5 miles from the road. One time my partner and I dragged a deer five miles back to the truck. It took all day and was exhausting, but we did it.
We routinely hunted our way up the mountains, as thats where there are fewer hunters and that equals more deer seeking refuge up high and back in.
The good hunters know this.

On the other hand, the hunters that you need to be concerned about are often the ones down low or near the trailheads. At least that was my experience then and now.

Wear a blaze orange hat, make some noise or carry on a conversation as you walk, and the hunter on watch will hear you coming a hundred yards away. A deer, even running, makes less noise than a trail hiker, and way less than a bushwhacker.

I wouldn't be concerend about it, just wear plenty of orange and you're set. After all, the hunter's don't stay on the trails, they always bushwack.

I also go deep into the woods when hunting, a 3 mile hike back out with a deer isn't a problem with a 'drag', just hop on the nearest deer trail and it's pretty decent going. But, I am most often out in the woods to hunt, not necessarily to kill something. Hunting involves hiking, looking, napping, eating, and joking about it later on with good friends.

Here is some info on Maine hunting, and I am quoting these exerpts as an example. I have no reservations about hiking during hunting season, but I always use precautions and wear orange.

With more than 200,000 hunters fanning out across Maine’s fields and forests in 2003, there were only five hunting incidents and no fatalities. Statistically speaking, nonhunters have even less reason to worry. Since the state started keeping such records in 1966, only 14 nonhunters have been hurt in hunting incidents here. Since 1990, only one nonhunter has been injured, and that injury did not even occur in the woods.

In the state of Maine during the calendar year 2004, there were 194 vehicular fatalities, 19 homicides, 18 fire fatalities, 10 vehicular/pedestrian fatalities, 7 snowmobiling fatalities, 6 boating fatalities, 4 moose/vehicle fatalities and 1 hunting fatality.

In the past ten deer firearm seasons, there has not been one reported instance of a non-hunting person (hiker, jogger, homeowner, etc.) being injured by someone deer hunting.

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The one since 1990 must be the lady killed in her back yard in Bangor.

Lawn Sale said:

With more than 200,000 hunters fanning out across Maine’s fields and forests in 2003, there were only five hunting incidents and no fatalities. Statistically speaking, nonhunters have even less reason to worry. Since the state started keeping such records in 1966, only 14 nonhunters have been hurt in hunting incidents here. Since 1990, only one nonhunter has been injured, and that injury did not even occur in the woods.

In the state of Maine during the calendar year 2004, there were 194 vehicular fatalities, 19 homicides, 18 fire fatalities, 10 vehicular/pedestrian fatalities, 7 snowmobiling fatalities, 6 boating fatalities, 4 moose/vehicle fatalities and 1 hunting fatality.

In the past ten deer firearm seasons, there has not been one reported instance of a non-hunting person (hiker, jogger, homeowner, etc.) being injured by someone deer hunting.

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The thing I remember most about the hunting "accidents", particularly the hunting deaths, was that the ones in the 60's, 70's and 80's seemed to primarily, if not all, be people that were from New York and they were business partners.

Seemed like some people were "accidentally" shooting themselves into full ownership of the buisness in at least some of those cases. At least I know a lot of the residents of the state had that feeling. Most residents were not shy about sharing thier opinion on the subject either. This was mostly Vermont as I remember. They certainly didn't consider the people who shot the other person as stupid. i.e "how could they mistake someone as a deer?" They were fully convinced that no "mistake" occured at all.

Keith

Our impression was that we were safe once we had gone aboiut 1/4 mile from the road. No deer hunter is going to drag a dead animal much more than that. We had about 6-12 inches of snow on some of the roads in and that also kept the hunters back. We saw tons of hunters in town (both in Jackmnan and Woburn) and on the roads, but nobody was in the back country.

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I beg to differ, in most cases this may be true but not always. Most "downstate" hunters that come to the Northwoods don't venture too far from a road or trail, but there are a lot of us who do. I think you have to worry about them, not the backwoods hunters. As Peakbagr and LawnSale mentioned, those of us who hunt the backcountry, miles from roads or trails aren't in most cases the ones to worry about. As far as snow depth, that's in our favor! And quite franlky we never see anyone else, hikers nor other hunters where we are, unless we're actually near a trail.

Seven glorious weekends to take my rifle for a walk starts this weekend in the ADK's!

woof woof!

adkleaddog said:

... As Peakbagr and LawnSale mentioned, those of us who hunt the backcountry, miles from roads or trails aren't in most cases the ones to worry about.
woof woof!

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Interesting that this point was made by several posters. I guess this implies that the "lazy" hunters (including the out-of-staters) are also the careless ones.

Papa Bear said:

Interesting that this point was made by several posters. I guess this implies that the "lazy" hunters (including the out-of-staters) are also the careless ones.

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Not necessarely "lazy" hunters, in most cases, the uneducated or "cowboys" (ie: weekend warriors) who come up to "hunt" are the ones who usually cause issues.

I could start a whole new thread on what I've seen over the years, but I want to stay on topic.

Deer Hunting/Camping

Peakbagr said:

Don't assume that mileage means no hunters. I got my woods start back in the early teens as an avid hunter and fisherman.
We would routinely be back in 3-5 miles from the road

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I agree with Peakbagr. Many years ago (late 50's), I would deer hunt/camp with friends in the Daks, even in deep snow. We would pack the heavy tents available in those ancient times, miles into the backwoods and camp out for several days at a time to hunt undisturbed. We would occasionally see another hunter but not every day for sure.
Orange is GOOD.