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Maine

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Maine WMD Finder

Answer six questions and get Maine wildlife management districts ranked by habitat fit, 2026–27 season dates, public land and MDIFW harvest history.

How the Maine finder works

MDIFW publishes deer, moose, bear and turkey registrations by town. This tool sums each town's 2021–2025 harvest into the Wildlife Management District containing it and scores all 29 WMDs with that harvest, USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as wildlife management areas, public reserved lands and national wildlife refuges.

Season fit uses MDIFW's 2026–2027 season dates and bag limits: archery, firearms and muzzleloader deer seasons, moose weeks by WMD, bear bait, hound and stalking seasons, spring and fall turkey by WMD, upland birds and migratory birds.

Species covered

  • White-tailed deer
  • Moose
  • Black bear
  • Wild turkey

Upland birds (ranked by county)

  • Ring-necked pheasant
  • Forest grouse
  • Quail

Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)

  • Ducks
  • Canada and dark geese
  • Snow and Ross's geese
  • American woodcock

About every species on the species page →

Data sources

Maine hunting FAQ

Which Maine districts have the most deer harvest?

WMDs 17, 23, 16, 25 and 21 in central and southern Maine lead MDIFW's 2021–2025 deer registrations; WMDs 22, 21 and 23 have the most deer per square mile. Maine hunters registered about 55,900 deer in 2025.

When is Maine's 2026 moose season?

Bull-only weeks run Sept. 28–Oct. 3 and Oct. 12–17, and an antlerless week Oct. 26–31, in the WMDs open for each week. Permits are drawn in the annual lottery.

Can I hunt on Sunday in Maine?

No. Maine does not allow hunting on Sundays.

Maine harvest leaders

The wildlife management districts with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.

White-tailed deer (2021–2025 average)

  1. WMD 17 WMD 17: 5,257 per year
  2. WMD 23 WMD 23: 4,440 per year
  3. WMD 16 WMD 16: 4,029 per year
  4. WMD 25 WMD 25: 3,734 per year
  5. WMD 21 WMD 21: 3,513 per year

Moose (2021–2025 average)

  1. WMD 1 WMD 1: 437 per year
  2. WMD 4 WMD 4: 428 per year
  3. WMD 2 WMD 2: 332 per year
  4. WMD 5 WMD 5: 285 per year
  5. WMD 3 WMD 3: 219 per year

Black bear (2021–2025 average)

  1. WMD 8 WMD 8: 320 per year
  2. WMD 11 WMD 11: 254 per year
  3. WMD 4 WMD 4: 226 per year
  4. WMD 12 WMD 12: 225 per year
  5. WMD 6 WMD 6: 219 per year

Wild turkey (2021–2025 average)

  1. WMD 20 WMD 20: 880 per year
  2. WMD 21 WMD 21: 813 per year
  3. WMD 17 WMD 17: 801 per year
  4. WMD 15 WMD 15: 785 per year
  5. WMD 23 WMD 23: 773 per year

Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Cumberland County: 3,743 per year
  2. Aroostook County: 3,213 per year
  3. Penobscot County: 3,123 per year
  4. Sagadahoc County: 2,837 per year
  5. Hancock County: 2,832 per year

Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Aroostook County: 4,651 per year
  2. Somerset County: 1,046 per year
  3. Knox County: 759 per year
  4. Lincoln County: 524 per year
  5. Penobscot County: 457 per year