Please Don't Shoot Me! (Portland, Falmouth: fit in, home, living in)

[maja]

Okay. I know I'm probably gonna get a lot of eye rolling or "You don't belong in Maine!" responses, but I have to ask this as we contemplate our move to Maine and keep seeing posts about hunting. Not being a hunter, myself and not having much experience with it living in Southern California, just how does one keep from being shot during hunting season??? I mean other than leaving our Moose Hats at home and not venturing deep into the woods...What do you do? Wooded areas abound. Are the hunting areas clearly delineated? Do we need to wear neon orange all fall & winter? Okay, I'm ready. Take aim & fire your replies...

City Slicker

[Maine Writer]

Nobody's going to fire at you here! You've asked an important question. If you venture into the woods you wear fluorescent orange. We look for it when we're hunting. We need to KNOW it's not behind our target or nearby. Most hunters are in the woods during gun season for white tail - late October/early November to the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

[Maineah]

At least you have the decency to ask and are not demeaning the tradition! Thank you for that! Wearing florescent orange (neon orange as you call it) is by far the safest and easiest way to avoid a problem during hunting season.
In Maine MOST land is not posted. Hunters still are supposed to ask permission of a land owner before hunting on their land though many landowners do not mind hunters and the permission for hunting their land is kind of implicit. You're safe in the city and city owned parks. State parks often allow hunting so orange is necessary in November in some of the State parks.
You're ok all day Sunday as hunting in Maine is illegal on Sunday.

[CoastalMaine]

If I was going into the state parks or woods on a Sunday during hunting season, I would be lit up like a Neon flourescent ORANGE LIGHTBULB!!! Just to safer due to a poacher. Better safe than dead.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

If I was going into the state parks or woods on a Sunday during hunting season, I would be lit up like a Neon flourescent ORANGE LIGHTBULB!!! Just to safer due to a poacher. Better safe than dead.

We just make a habit of wearing orange during November and the first week or two of December (black powder rifle season) even on Sunday. You won't look out of place that's for sure unless you're at the Mall.

[maja]

Originally Posted by Maineah

At least you have the decency to ask and are not demeaning the tradition! Thank you for that! Wearing florescent orange (neon orange as you call it) is by far the safest and easiest way to avoid a problem during hunting season.
In Maine MOST land is not posted. Hunters still are supposed to ask permission of a land owner before hunting on their land though many landowners do not mind hunters and the permission for hunting their land is kind of implicit. You're safe in the city and city owned parks. State parks often allow hunting so orange is necessary in November in some of the State parks.
You're ok all day Sunday as hunting in Maine is illegal on Sunday.

By "city" do you mean Portland proper or does that include surrounding towns like Yarmouth, Falmouth, etc. Also, what do you mean by MOST land is not posted.? Do you mean that hunting is allowed on most land but there are no signs stating that? Or hunting is not allowed on most land? Also, are you saying that if we owned a home with a few acres of woods on it in, say, Yarmouth or Cumberland, that hunters might be hunting on our land, thinking we wouldn't mind; maybe because the previous owners didn't mind? Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to these probably ignorant sounding questions!

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Maineah

We just make a habit of wearing orange during November and the first week or two of December (black powder rifle season) even on Sunday. You won't look out of place that's for sure unless you're at the Mall.

And even then it depends on the mall. The Aroostook Centre Mall you would fit in just fine with hunter orange on .

Good question by the way. I never would have thought of it having grown up around hunting. Just second nature to have the orange hat and cheapy vest tossed in the vehicle during hunting season.

[forest beekeeper]

Yesterday, I observed two different folks going out to their mail boxes wearing orange vests and hats.

[forest beekeeper]

On my land, only one side is paved road. So if I posted along the road it would still be un-posted on the remaining four sides.

The far side of my land is river frontage. We see folks who fish back there, in the spring folks pull up in boats get out and pick fiddleheads on my land, and now they hunt from the river, as well as walking across our land crossing from one side of my land to the other side, avoiding the road entirely.

To try to completely post my land, I would need to hang signs along the entire perimeter.

Every now and again, gun shots do sound like they are getting close by, a few times it has been loud enough that our windows have shook. I just take a handgun outside and fire a round into the air. Just to let folks know that I am here.

[maja]

Wow! This is such good information. Thanks everyone! Guess I better add some orange to the wardrobe!