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Apply for Your Any Deer Permit Today!
Deer numbers in Maine are high in 2020, particularly in southern and central Maine where deer are as numerous now as they’ve ever been during the past decade. With roughly 110,000 any deer permits recommended for 2020, hunters will have ample opportunities to fill their freezers with venison and enjoy one of Maine’s five regulated deer hunting seasons. Our first deer hunting season kicks off with the expanded archery season opener on September 12, so now is the time to start scouting and for preparatory work for the 2020 seasons.
Here are a few tips and considerations for this year’s deer hunt:
- To ensure you make the most of your opportunities and make a quick, clean kill, it’s important to practice early and often with your weapon. Try different shooting distances, angles, and wearing the same clothing you’ll wear when hunting.
- The best way to up your odds is to know the deer in your hunting area. Spend time scouting for deer sign and getting to know the land and what’s on it. Look for trails, bedding areas, and preferred food sources. Sometimes talking to other locals or your local registration station may yield valuable intel on deer in the area.
- Maine's Wildlife Management Areas offer wonderful hunting opportunity! Find onein your neck of the woods.
- Maine is fortunate to have landowners who offer access to their private property to hunt. Read moreabout exploring private land in Maine and remember, ALWAYS ask for permission.
Don't forget to apply for your any deer permit:
To apply online, visit mefishwildlife.com. Applications must be completed online by 11:59 pm on August 17, 2020. It is free to apply for the any-deer permit lottery. A chance drawing will be held on September 11, 2020 and results will be posted on the Department’s website.
Decide which Wildlife Management Districts (WMD) you would like to apply for by viewing the Wildlife Management District Map or Wildlife Management Districts by Town. Learn more about the any-deer permit lottery.
Application Here
Checking Trees for Invasive Species
During August, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are asking the public to take a couple of minutes to check trees in their communities and forests for invasive insects. August is the peak time of year to see adult wood-boring insects, and the activity of other invasive pests is also visible.
Invasive species are non-native organisms that include plants, animals, and diseases. When introduced to a new environment, they lack natural predators or diseases to keep their populations in check. They are considered invasive when they harm the environment, the economy, and/or human health. Examples of those already impacting Maine's Forests are numerous.
Maine State Forester Patty Cormier recognized the importance of public involvement in protecting our trees from invasive species. Trees play an important role in our state economy and provide environmental benefits, including clean air and water and wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities. The public, our most important partner in detecting invasive species, is our eyes on the ground. We can avoid tree-loss from invasive species by stopping the spread of these pests.
What to look for
State officials urge the public to be especially aware of four invasive species during their tree checks.
- Asian longhorn beetle - this large (>1) black and white beetle has a taste for maples and other hardwood or broad-leaved trees. Look for the oval to round wounds on the bark where the females have chewed out a site to deposit eggs, round holes in the trunks and branches of trees, and piles of coarse sawdust at the base of trees. Learn more
- Emerald ash borer this small (<1/2) metallic green beetle is deadly for ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. Look for small (1/8) D-shaped adult exit holes in the bark, winding frass-filled (sawdust-like waste) feeding galleries under the bark, woodpecker feeding, crown dieback, and epicormic shoots. Emerald ash borer has been found in two parts of Maine: York and Cumberland Counties in the south and northwestern Aroostook County in the north. Learn more
- Oak wilt disease this deadly fungal disease of oaks is found in other parts of the United States, including the closest known infestations in New York State. Look for sudden wilt in red oak group (pointed lobes on leaves) trees during summer months. Learn more
- Spotted lanternfly this colorful planthopper is an expert hitchhiker with a broad appetite. Best known for its impacts on grapes and hops, spotted lanternfly feeds on and can damage a wide variety of plants. Look for the brightly colored nymphs and adults but be aware that this insect hitches a ride most subtly as dull-colored egg masses. Like the infamous gypsy moth, the adult lays its eggs on just about anything that is still long enough. Learn more
Were asking people to take 10 minutes to search the trees in their yards, neighborhoods, and forests, Cormier said. If you find a suspected invasive pest, take a picture and send us information at bugwatch@maine.gov. Its quick and easy and will connect you with an expert who can help.
The photographs should show enough detail that an expert can verify or determine if follow-up is needed. It can be helpful to include an object, such as a coin or pencil, for scale. If it is an insect, try to capture it in case a photo is not enough. Otherwise, make sure you can find the affected tree again if needed. Captured insects can be stored in hard containers in a cool place. Most will survive in the refrigerator long enough to receive a response from the department.
Take Simple Actions to Prevent Spread
There are simple actions that anyone can take to avoid introducing and spreading invasive insects.
- Buy firewood where youll burn it or gather it on site when permitted. When moving firewood, you might also be moving invasive insects and diseases hiding there.
- When traveling locally or moving to a new area, check your bags and boxes to make sure they are insect-free. Invasive species can get in and on bags, boxes, vehicles and other items that have been stored outside or in your garage.
We all have a role to play in preventing invasive species movement, State Horticulturist Fish said. Taking just a few minutes to check the trees in your yard can go a long way to ensuring that the forests and trees we rely on now are here for future generations.
Maine Department of Labor Announces Work Search Requirements Reinstated for Some Claimants Beginning August 9
In light of relatively low rates of COVID-19 transmission in Maine and nearly all businesses open across the state, the Department of Labor is reinstating the work search requirement on Aug. 9 for some individuals receiving unemployment benefits. The requirement, which is mandated by Maine law for all unemployment claimants, had previously been extended under emergency legislation by the state Legislature at the onset of the pandemic.
Individuals who are permanently separated from their employer must engage in work search activities beginning August 9, 2020. Individuals still connected to an employer (which includes self-employed individuals that plan to continue self-employment) are not required to actively search for work until 30 days after the state's Civil Emergency Declaration ends. With the recent extension of the civil emergency, this means that claimants who are still connected to their employer do not need to search for work until after October 3.
Starting with the weekly certification for the week of August 9 (which can be filed starting on August 16), all claimants will need to either provide information on their work search activity, or attest that they are self-employed or still connected with their employer. Prior to the new questions being added to the weekly certification on August 16, the Department will post screenshots of the updated weekly certification pages. In response to the circumstances caused by the pandemic, the Department has expanded possible work search activities to include opportunities to enhance individuals marketability during these challenging economic times. Work search activities are:
- Attending a job fair/virtual job fair hosted by a CareerCenter
- Participating in CareerCenter virtual reemployment services
- Participating in a CareerCenter virtual workshop
- Applying for a job for which you are reasonably qualified
- Interviewing for a job for which you are reasonably qualified
- Contacting an employer to inquire as to whether the employer is hiring
- Participating in professional job-related education or skills development
- Participating in networking events related to a job or occupation for which you are reasonably qualified
All unemployment claimants required to actively search for work must create an account on the Maine JobLink: https://joblink.maine.gov/
JobLink is a free job search tool, where claimants can upload their resumes and employers can post their job openings. In anticipation of this requirement, MDOL is holding virtual JobLink workshops twice a week, at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These workshops walk participants through how to create and use a JobLink account.
The CareerCenters are regularly updating and adding new workshops. Information on how to register for a workshop can be found at https://www.mainecareercenter.com/employment/workshops.shtml .
Those who are still connected to an employer are not required to actively search for other work until after October 3. However, they must still be able and available to work for that employer if recalled. If an employer has offered work to an employee and that employee refused the work, the employer should notify the Department. A fact-finding would be held to determine if there was good cause for the refusal of work. If no good cause is determined, then the claimant would no longer be eligible for unemployment benefits.
Employers can report refusals of work here: https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/ucbr/
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