Any-deer permits by district

DIF&W has announced this year’s any-deer permit numbers. Here’s the list by WMD, with the agency’s explanation.

The Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is proposing to adopt antlerless deer permit (ADP) numbers for the 2019 regular deer hunting season and special muzzle-loading season by setting specific permit allocations for the 29 Wildlife Management Districts (WMD) as follows:

 

WMD # of Permits    WMD # of Permits

WMD 1 0 permits     WMD 17 8,200 permits

WMD 2 25 permits    WMD 18 125 permits

WMD 3 25 permits    WMD 19 0 permits

WMD 4 0 permits     WMD 20 6,000 permits

WMD 5 0 permits     WMD 21 8,250 permits

WMD 6 100 permits WMD 22 9,700 permits

WMD 7 0 permits     WMD 23 9,750 permits

WMD 8 25 permits   WMD 24 6,400 permits

WMD 9 25 permits   WMD 25 7,900 permits

WMD 10 0 permits Subunit 25a 270 bonus permits

WMD 11 0 permits    WMD 26 325 permits

WMD 12 0 permits Subunit 26a 200 bonus permits

WMD 13 0 permits    WMD 27 25 permits

WMD 14 25 permits   WMD 28 25 permits

WMD 15 3,150 permits WMD 29 1,500 permits

WMD 16 6,100 permits

 

TOTAL PERMITS: 68,145

 

In addition to annual ADP recommendations, the Department is also recommending issuance of bonus antlerless deer permits in two subunits, Subunit 25a and 26a. These additional permits will allow for additional opportunity to harvest deer in areas experiencing elevated levels of Lyme disease, deer-vehicle collisions and public complaints about deer.

 

Any–deer permits (ADP) are adjusted by MDIFW on an annual basis in response to deer population estimates and population goals in each WMD. Department biologists use deer harvest levels and biological data, including estimates of winter severity, to evaluate the status of deer within each WMD. ADP recommendations are based on removal rates of adult does that will stabilize, increase, or decrease deer densities, according to the publicly derived goals in the deer engagement system. The winter of 2018-19 was mild to moderate in central, southern, and coastal Maine and severe to very severe in northern Maine and the western mountains. This resulted in average to above-average estimated survival rates in central, southern, and coastal Maine and below-average survival rates in northern and western Maine. In addition to annual ADP recommendations, we are also recommending issuance of bonus antlerless deer permits in two sub-units.

These permits will allow hunters additional opportunity to harvest deer in areas experiencing elevated levels of Lyme disease, deer-vehicle collisions, and public complaints about deer.

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.