Before You Hit the Trails: What to Know This Hunting Season
With November soon approaching, cool overnight temperatures aren’t the only change on the way. Firearms season begins on November 3rd for Maine residents and continues until November 29th. Before you leave the house, remember to bring blaze orange if you are visiting a Land Trust trail where hunting is allowed and to leash your dog.
Hunting is allowed on the following properties with public trails – some properties allow bowhunting only, others allow firearms as well. See below for more information.
- Bradley Pond Farm* – The easement landowners of this property hunt using firearms.
- Cathance River Nature Preserve* – The easement landowner of this property works closely with a local hunter to cull the deer population on the property through bowhunting only.
- Chase Reserve* – The easement landowners of this property allow bowhunting as well as hunting with a firearm on this property.
- Crystal Spring Farm – Bowhunting only by permission only is allowed by the Land Trust.
- Maquoit Bay Conservation Lands* – Hunting is allowed by the Town of Brunswick. Visit the Town of Brunswick website for more information.
- Tarbox Preserve – Bowhunting and firearms by permission only is allowed by the Land Trust on the property, with bowhunting only allowed north of Middlesex Road where public trails are present. Waterfowl hunting is also permitted.
- Woodward Cove – Bowhunting only by permission only is allowed by the Land Trust. Waterfowl hunting is also permitted.
- Woodward Point – Owned by Maine Coast Heritage Trust and co-managed with the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust, bowhunting only by permission only is allowed on this property. BTLT staff should be contacted to obtain hunting permission.
Prefer to not visit trails where hunting is allowed this fall? The following properties with public trails do not allow hunting.
- Androscoggin Woods – Hunting is prohibited on the upland portion of the property but note that waterfowl hunting along the Androscoggin River is common.
- Head of Tide Park – Hunting is prohibited.
- Neptune Woods – Hunting is prohibited.
- Skolfield Preserve – Hunting is prohibited but note that waterfowl hunting in Middle Bay is common.
- Smart/Town Landing Trail – Hunting is prohibited but note that waterfowl hunting along the Androscoggin River is common.
*A privately owned property where the Land Trust holds a conservation easement. The landowner of these properties can allow or prohibit hunting in consultation with the Land Trust to ensure that the public can still safely access trails where hunting is allowed. Please note that the Land Trust does not administer hunting permissions on conservation easement properties and only the easement landowner can provide permission to hunt on their property unless otherwise stated.
Interested in hunting on Land Trust properties or learning more about hunting season? Visit btlt.org/itshuntingseason to view a list of the properties where hunting is allowed by permission and learn about our permission process.
The hunting lottery for fall 2025 is closed, but permission request forms can be sent to hunting@btlt.org at any time to be considered for the upcoming hunting season.
