We only outnumber deer in Maine by 3 to 1.

That seems crazy, right? But it's true. here in the Pine Tree State, there are just over a million people, and around 300,000 deer. Over the years, this has been quite a problem in some areas. Sure, maybe all the way up north, it's not too big a deal, but in southern parts of the state, deer are becoming almost hazardous.

Years ago, on Peaks Island, off the cost of Portland, deer had become so prolific, it was basically legal to hunt them year round, for residents. It leads to tons of car crashes, crop destruction, and frankly.... just a lot of deer. And Maine hunters just can't seem to keep up with the population boom, according to the BDN.

The numbers are crazy.

Maine issued a record number of any-deer permits last year, but Maine hunters only bagged one doe for about every ten permits issued. So local deer herds are ruling the landscape. The Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is hoping to tweak the permitting system to make it easier for hunters to try and get more than one deer, does in particular.

But will it be enough? It's hard to say. At this point, it seems like deer are the new rabbits, so to speak. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of hunters, with all the record setting for permits. So, are deer just getting smarter? Hahaha, probably not. Nor are hunters becoming lousy shots.

But one thing is for sure, Maine's deer are starting to rule the roost in our woods. Really, if you're much into hunting at all, you'd be doing your home state a great service by helping to snag some deer. Otherwise, we'll have to start giving them jobs and apartments, and then next thing you know, they'll be hunting us!

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