in numbers. The toll on Maine’s other favorite game animals and birds, not only by coyotes but other varmints, is unknown, but the bottom line is Maine needs more hunters to balance the scales and may very well offer some of the best varmint hunting east of the Mississippi. MAINE AT A GLANCE
In size, Maine covers more than
35,000 square miles, equal to the other five remaining New England states combined. About one-tenth of that area consists of water, lakes, ponds, rivers and such. About 90 percent of the rest is forested and there are some two mil- lion acres of farms. Despite its size, with just over 1.3 million people, or just over 41 people per square mile, Maine is the least densely populated state of any state east of the Mississippi. Most of the popu- lation is found in the central, coastal and southern counties. The Greater Portland metropolitan area along the south coast is home to 20 percent of Maine’s total population alone. Interestingly, there are more than 400 unorganized townships in Maine’s western, central, northern, and eastern counties where there is no local government and all administration, services, licensing, and ordinances are handled by the state. These townships cover slightly more than one-half of Maine’s total land area. Many are unin-
habited or are home to very few people and are one of the largest woodland habitats remaining in the East. Accord- ing to the latest census, the population is about 9,000, just over one percent of the people residing in Maine. In northwest Aroostook County, for example, an area covering more than 2,600 square miles, fewer than 30 people live there, or about one person every 100 square miles! Despite its size, getting around
in Maine is not diffi cult. Interstate 95 enters the state at Kittery in the south and extends north more than 300 miles to Houlton, near the New Brunswick border in Aroostook County. U.S. Route 1 also enters at Kittery and travels along the coast passing through some of the state’s largest cities on the way to East- port, Maine’s easternmost point, where it turns inland and continues northward to Fort Kent, a distance of more than 500 miles. Several other major federal and state highways crisscross the state north and south and east and west, and county and township roads are well es- tablished throughout much of the state. The only exception is in the more remote unorganized townships, many of which are privately owned. These are man- aged as commercial timberlands and here only gravel roads exist. The North Maine Woods Association (NMW), for
example, controls more than 3.5 mil- lion acres. On their property are several popular hunting lodges, camps offering cabin rentals, and several popular camp- grounds … but most can be reached only by gravel road. On the NMW land alone are more than 3,000 miles of permanent dirt roads plus several thousand miles of temporary roads and older roads that are not maintained. Also, many of Maine Public Reserve Lands are accessible only by dirt roads. While much of this vast territory is open to public access and recreation, including hunting, logging roads are the norm throughout Maine’s north country. While many can be safely traveled, visitors should keep in mind logging trucks have the right of way and caution is advised. Keeping in mind the remoteness of this region, vehicles should be in good repair and visitors should go prepared for any emergency. During the winter months, most of these roads are not plowed, although some are, making snowmobiles a practical means of transportation.
www.varminthunter.org
Page 61
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212