At the Tremont annual town meeting on May 11, voters will have a historic opportunity to allow regulated deer hunting. If approved, it would reverse Mount Desert Island’s 100-year history of no deer hunting.
Last year at this time, a Down East lawmaker sponsored a bill that would have opened all of Mount Desert Island to regulated deer hunting. That bill, unfortunately, never made it out of legislative committee.
These deer hunting initiatives on the island have been driven by high deer densities, which have led to more deer-vehicle crashes and growing concern among residents about Lyme disease. Even ardent anti-hunters can have a change of heart when their personal lives and property are affected by deer overpopulation.
If passed, the Tremont proposal would allow hunting by archery and shotgun only. Hunters would be required to hunt from tree stands or other fixed positions, and only antlerless deer could be harvested.
My reaction at first blush to this brand of provincial exclusivity was this: “What? How can they do this? The state regulates hunting, and wildlife belongs to the people of Maine, held in trust for all citizens, not a local municipality. Egads, man.”
After all, this seems like a wild precedent that, if extended, could spread to other towns that want to have their own little deer hunting fiefdoms.
Not so, said Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Director Nathan Webb.
Boiled down, any deer hunting ordinance in Tremont must be authorized by the Maine IF&W.
“If Tremont does end up supporting the establishment of a deer hunt, the department would then need to go through our regular rulemaking process in order to legally open the town to hunting,” Webb said.
“This would include a public comment period and a public hearing, allowing anyone to provide input on the hunt framework. The rule would need to be supported by our Advisory Council before it could be adopted.
“I want to stress that the town is not able to open a deer hunt on their own, and they are not able to establish an ordinance that would open deer hunting. Only the department has the authority to establish deer hunting seasons.”
Apparently, because Tremont’s proposal is a time-limited, three-year hunt, its experimental nature could allow the state to authorize a residents-only deer hunt in Tremont, even though it would take place in November.
In the long run, the Tremont proposal — if it passes at the annual town meeting — would represent a positive, long-overdue shift on Mount Desert Island. Hunting is a time-tested method of controlling excessive wildlife populations. With careful regulation and enforcement, these types of controlled hunts can be done safely and could expand Maine’s recreational hunting opportunities.
We’ll keep an eye on the May 11 vote in Tremont, which could mark a turning point for Mount Desert Island.
