In The Trophy Departnient ....
Maine Does Produce S01ne Record Antlers!
V
ERY FEW ardent trophy
whitetail buck hunting enthusiasts in North America have any real knowledge of the superb quality of some of the large deer antlers produced in the state of Maine. Our state's geographic location, and the time and manner in which she was settled, seemed to have kept her out of the "mainstream" of change, and out of the "antler limelight ."
Geographically, Maine is bordered on the east, north, and northwest by Canada. The rugged White Mountains (including the Presidential Range and Mount Washington) of New Hampshire pretty much take care of Maine's western boundaries, while most of southern Maine is Atlantic coastline. Only a small portion of extreme southwestern Maine, bordered by New Hampshire, is topo-
by Richard P. Arsenault graphically suited for land access to the state; this route is the one used for the vast majority of travel or transport in or out of The Pine Tree State. Because Maine is a coastal state with several major rivers flowing south into the Atlantic Ocean, it was settled very early in New England history. Much of the southern part of the state was cleared for farms, firewood, and shipbuilding facilities and materials; the invention of the steam engine catapulted wood to a spot high on the list of important Maine resources. This settlement activity led to the demise of Maine's woodland caribou population, and nearly eradicated the moose. At the same time, however, these activities set the stage for the explosive expansion of Maine's whitetail deer herd. They became abundant in Maine by the 1880s, remaining plentiful through the 1950s. From the beginning of the Civil War through the industrial revolution and the Great Depression, many Maine farms,
This 247-pound (dressed) buck (left), sporting 28-inch wide antlers, is the prize of 13-year old Christopher Ramsey. Boone and Crockett gives this rack 184 1/8 points, but MASTC scoring puts this trophy as Maine's state record typical, with 200! Larry Emerson, a MASTC scorer from Ellsworth, discovered and registered this 31-point Maine state record non-typical buck. It was taken in 1910 by Hill Gould. This Washington County trophy scores 259 Boone and Crockett points!