36 • November 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————
It’s Whitetail Time in the North Woods Aroostook’s November hunting options are like a box of assorted donuts – most are good, a couple don’t have a lot of takers, and there’s usually one that‘s pretty much everyone’s favorite. As most readers will have guessed, that favorite flavor in this metaphor is deer hunting. Many Maine outdoorsmen and women spend their entire year anticipating whitetail season, planning vacation time for that special week at deer camp. Throughout The County, November’s most repeated phrase is likely to be, “Gotcha buck yet?” Family Favorite The North Maine Woods draws a lot of hunters to the myriad logging roads and vast timberland in search of a big buck. I visit certain areas myself each fall. There tends
Our County columnist tells you exactly where to find your Aroostook buck – whether you’re in the north woods or heater-hunting – and after you tag out, he’ll put you onto some geese and ducks for your Thanksgiving feast. to be a lot of pressure, however, and for a change of scenery and lighter competition, I head south to Knowles Corner on Route 11, then west toward Bear Mountain on the Aroostook/Penobscot County border. My Uncle Lefty had a camp in this area, where family and friends spent Thanksgiving week every year for over 40 deer seasons. The game pole always held two or three bragging-size bucks taken by those dawn-to-dusk stalkers and woods-walkers. There are numerous beechnut ridges along Mountain Road where whitetails wander and feed, but for
Allagash Lakes Region
hunters who prefer still-hunting, dark growth and cedar swales, travel Retreat Road toward Crystal Lake. Well over a dozen two-tracks with old skidder trails reaching out in all directions will lead to some great lowland covers. These are track-and-trail woodlands, not a great area for hunters who like to sit and watch trails in sparser timber. Check DeLorme’s Atlas Map 52, grid A-2 for an overview of these whitetail woods. Lane Brook Another nearby area I originally explored as a partridge hunting hotspot and where I enjoyed consistent success is near
Lane Brook. I frequently sighted deer, and also observed plenty of tracks, trails, and rubs during October bird hunts, so I decided I will visit it again this month with my favorite deer rifle. Just north of Knowles Corner on Route 11 is the turnoff onto Lane Brook Road, a long, winding gravel byway with many side trails to walk or drive. Bugbee Road, a major offshoot that leads north toward Umcolcus Lake and then bends back to Route 11, has many top-rate side roads and old lumbering cuts and log hauling paths to explore for birds and bucks.
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As hunters travel west on Lane Brook Road, there’s an area designated as Lane Brook Meadows. Between this spot and Weeks Brook, my family has enjoyed productive whitetail gunning. The Wadleigh Bog offers some excellent dark growth, sneakand-peek hunting for sportsmen who prefer short barrels and open sights. These are not heavily hunted sections, and can be checked out on DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 58, E-1 & E-2. Heater Huntin’ I’ll bet it would amaze you how many deer are tagged in Northern Aroostook by drive-and-spot hunters. A lot of us aren’t 30 years old anymore, or even 60! There are injuries, medical conditions and usually plenty of November snow that curtail the brush-busting of our youth. My dear old Dad was still hunting at age 80, but not using the same techniques as he employed in his younger years. I now fully understand and appreciate his explanation, “The mind is willing but the body’s weak.” Up in the North Maine Woods there’s a loop for deer and partridge via 4-wheel drive that will make a nice day-long outing. Motor along Route 11 to Portage, and then turn onto Mill Road to the Fish River Checkpoint. Take Rocky (Continued on next page)
