Heat, hard roads and hard-won bulls in Maine’s moose hunt
By V. Paul Reynolds
The first of several one-week moose hunting seasons in Maine has come and gone.
Warm, sunny bluebird weather dominated the week — not ideal for hunting these big critters or getting them to the meat processor before the retained heat and blowflies compromise a valuable supply of wild meat.
While doing some advance scouting in the North Woods ahead of my late October cow hunt in Adaptive Unit WMD 4A, my companion and I logged miles on roads ranging from decent to downright punishing in search of fresh sign.
What we saw were a parade of pickup trucks, many so-called heater hunters hoping to get lucky. Once in a while, we came across parked trucks that suggested hunters were in the woods, but they were rare.
BULL MOOSE — Mike Bouffard, second from left, and his crew from Kittery bagged this bull on the first morning of their hunt.
Mike Bouffard of Kittery was one of the lucky ones. His good karma placed a medium-sized bull right in the middle of the North Branch Access Road at first light. Bouffard dropped the animal with an accurate lung shot from his .308. As a bonus, it fell where it stood — no need to track a blood trail or drag out a 600-pound moose or pack out quarters.
When I came along, Bouffard and his hunt crew were engaged in happy hunt chatter. I snapped their picture, shook their hands and moved on.
At about the same time, farther north but in the same WMD, Ryan D’Agostino of Bozeman, Montana — a veteran elk hunter used to 300-yard shots but new to Maine — put down an agitated bull charging him at about 15 yards.
D’Agostino and his crew — HuntingME producer John Altman, cameraman Nik Weikert and guide Josh Leach — had been doing it the hard way: walking, brush raking, calling and playing the wind.
D’Agostino was thrilled, not only with the encounter but also with seeing a completely different kind of hunt country.
“I’m used to long shots and long views in Montana,” he said. “Man, these are some thick woods you got here.”
You’ll soon be able to relive D’Agostino’s hunt on HuntingME’s YouTube channel. While you’re there, check out “The Gift” and “The Dream.” In “The Dream,” bowhunter Altman faces down a massive bull at close range with nothing but his 70-pound compound bow — it’s breathtaking to watch.
Whether you hunt or not, this footage will hold your attention.
As a solitary deer hunter listening to these moose hunt stories, I’m reminded how different Maine’s moose hunt is from deer season — and in a wonderful way.
For many, this hunt is a special occasion, a family affair or at least a group of close friends who share the hard work, the post-hunt celebration and memories that linger for years.
And the 2025 Maine moose hunt isn’t over. There’s another bull season ahead, a conventional late-season cow hunt and the Adaptive Unit cow hunts, which are divided into three one-week segments.
Moose biologist Lee Kantar said the harvest for the first week was slightly below last year’s.
When I asked whether the drought and warmer weather had affected the hunt, he explained that the timing of the rut doesn’t actually change from year to year, since cow estrus and bull testosterone are controlled by the shortening of daylight hours. But he said dry conditions and slightly earlier September dates can influence moose behavior. Some cows have already entered estrus, while many haven’t yet reached that stage. The peak rut typically lasts about two to three weeks, during which cows cycle in and out of estrus and bulls are actively seeking receptive mates.
“No doubt drought conditions and warm weather impact movements and feeding behavior,” Kantar said. “It may imply smaller home range activity during this period, closer to areas with moisture and green growth before things die back in the next few weeks.”
Kantar, like the rest of Maine’s moose hunters, is hoping for cooler days as the October hunt weeks continue.
The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored three books. Online purchase information is available at www.sportingjournal.com, Outdoor Books.