SE Maine anyone?

[Newtosavage]

Considering a move to SE maine. Any thoughts good or bad would be welcome.

 

[grfox92]

Considering a move to SE maine. Any thoughts good or bad would be welcome.

Cant speak for south east, but before I left NY I had 2 people from Portland Maine working for me. I know it's gotten expensive and believe it or not, insanely liberal.

Based on the geographic location of SE Maine, I'd bet there are slob whitetails there. If you wanted to drive a couple hours north you could disappear into some pretty remote back country.

Also, New Brunswick and Novia Scotia are right next door for a guided moose hunt every few years.

Where do you live now? What makes you want to move there ?

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[Newtosavage]

Cant speak for south east, but before I left NY I had 2 people from Portland Maine working for me. I know it's gotten expensive and believe it or not, insanely liberal.

Based on the geographic location of SE Maine, I'd bet there are slob whitetails there. If you wanted to drive a couple hours north you could disappear into some pretty remote back country.

Also, New Brunswick and Novia Scotia are right next door for a guided moose hunt every few years.

Where do you live now? What makes you want to move there ?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

When you're a political moderate, you get good at ignoring both extremes.

Yea, that remote back country really is appealing. I'm sure the numbers are thinner but they have to be huge deer.

In sweltering SE Texas now and looking for a change of scenery. It would be a work-related move.

 

[Rich M]

WT deer, ruffed grouse, sea ducks, lobster, brook trout, landlocked salmon, lake trout. Pine trees mainly. Hunting timber land.

No hunting on sundays.

Thats my experience w maine. Grew up in the part of the country.

 

[summs]

Grew up in NJ, moved to Down East Maine in 2019, moved back to NJ in 2021. The North and West parts are great (not numbers wise, but availability) for hunting and fishing, but I was still driving 2 hours to go hunt, just like in NJ, but I was going double the distance with no traffic. White tails are the bread and butter, but annual harvest rates are usually ~20,000 deer. Last year was one of the highest on record ( I think nearly 40,000. Very mild winter). Only 2-3,000 deer are from bow hunting. It's really a gun game up there, even at 10% success rates. If you have never hunted there, it's super thick, dense, low lying brush. I prefer to track on snow running a Remington 760 with a peep sight, and shooting deer on the run is common practice, it very well might be the only deer you see all week and have a chance at. Usually there's snow and the mindset is a wounded deer dripping blood would be even easier to track.

Good bear season from August to November, pretty much have to bait for them. Lots of bears around, but 300lbs is a big bear there.

Grouse is fun and taste delicious. And the moose lottery is decent to residents, seemed like every 10 years people draw. As a non res, only 20 more years till I draw mine.

I try to go back every year to track deer in snow and wilderness, it's cheap at $130 for a non res license and includes a deer tag, hardest part is getting the time off for work. Fishing is ok, lots of trout and land locked salmon, but I prefer bass fishing. Trout can only hold me over for so long. If you can get close enough to the ocean, sea ducks off the rocks, lobsters right up to shore, striped bass, haddock and cod fishery in Maine bay.

Portland's a strange place, didn't spend much time there. Getting up to Augusta or Waterville put you closer to more hunting ground and have some breathing room.

 

[Dust Rider]

One of my uncles was a commercial fisherman in southern Maine and he lived in Saco. Always a blast to visit there when he was alive. Coastal Maine is beautiful. I could live in Southern Maine if the job and pay was right. Lots of old money in that part of the country and different kind of living.

 

[TxxAgg]

That would be a sight prettier than SE TX.

 

[Newtosavage]

That would be a sight prettier than SE TX.

kind of what I'm thinking. SE Texas has it's moments but they are few and far between.

 

[Newtosavage]

Thanks for all the replies btw. I lived in New England from 84-86 and have fond memories of rural Mass and Southern NH. Lots of places to fish and the hunting was fun if not productive. My few trips to Maine were very memorable. Beautiful country and not that many people to spoil it.

 

[Newtosavage]

Wife and I decided to go visit. She's never been to New England so it was a good excuse to visit. Gorgeous place. Rainy and 60 degrees but when it cleared off wow! Never seen saltwater that clear before. Love the authentic culture of the area. Can't believe how sparsely populated Maine is.

 

[kirk.ringey]

We spend a couple weeks on the coast of Maine every year and love it. Great seafood and the people are friendly. I wouldn't hesitate living there.

 

[chanson_roland]

Lived on the Biddeford/KPBT line for a couple of years. Absolutely loved it. If you're into striper fishing, there are some amazing beaches to surfcast. There are also guides doing sight fishing up in Casco Bay.

Some HUGE deer given the lack of hunting pressure, but you need to be able to hunt marshland, and have access to a boat/kayak. Check out the Realtree "Seabucks" series:

Seabucks

As others have said, deer numbers/harvests are low compared to other parts of the country, but there are some whoppas out there. 200+ pound whitetails.

Winters on the coast aren't actually that bad because of the coastal microclimate.

If you can make the employment situation work out, Maine is a great place to live.

 

[chocolab]

never really heard anyone refer to SE maine. Are you talking "down east" like Machias/Eastport or like southern Maine in the York/Cumberland County/Greater Portland area? They are obviously wildly different. I went to school in central Maine in Orono, and have family and friends in the greater Portland area.

 

[WRM]

If you're into striper fishing, there are some amazing beaches to surfcast.

Wife and I loved feeding french fries to the striper schools that would mob the clam shack on tide change at K'bunk River bridge. Had friends with an old family home on coastal cove up near Pemaquid Point lighthouse. Always loved stopping to see them.

Beautiful state that managed to keep from getting ruined (at least last I was there) with smart development regs. Don't know if the old timers who lived on the coast are still as stingy about selling their property. When/if that ever changes it'll likely change the whole thing.

 

[chanson_roland]

Wife and I loved feeding french fries to the striper schools that would mob the clam shack on tide change at K'bunk River bridge. Had friends with an old family home on coastal cove up near Pemaquid Point lighthouse. Always loved stopping to see them.

Beautiful state that managed to keep from getting ruined (at least last I was there) with smart development regs. Don't know if the old timers who lived on the coast are still as stingy about selling their property. When/if that ever changes it'll likely change the whole thing.

That's exactly how the "McDonald's Clouser" fly pattern came into being....

 

[Newtosavage]

never really heard anyone refer to SE maine. Are you talking "down east" like Machias/Eastport or like southern Maine in the York/Cumberland County/Greater Portland area? They are obviously wildly different. I went to school in central Maine in Orono, and have family and friends in the greater Portland area.

Yea sorry. Like Texas, there is no "Southeast" because it's the ocean. LOL

Yea, Machias/Eastport area.

 

[Newtosavage]

Wife and I loved feeding french fries to the striper schools that would mob the clam shack on tide change at K'bunk River bridge. Had friends with an old family home on coastal cove up near Pemaquid Point lighthouse. Always loved stopping to see them.

Beautiful state that managed to keep from getting ruined (at least last I was there) with smart development regs. Don't know if the old timers who lived on the coast are still as stingy about selling their property. When/if that ever changes it'll likely change the whole thing.

There is some stunningly cheap (compared to Texas prices) land available in downeast Maine.