Hi Matt, I felt the same way after just 3 1/2 days in Maine at my camp, only got to see deer on the side of the highway at night on the way up. My buddy from Maine who joined me at camp the 2nd day there either kicked\out and heard deer or sat and watched does at about 35 yards (+/-) with no antlerless tag, at the last minute of legal shooting time they spooked and he did see a LARGE flag to the right of the does in the small clearing he was watching but no shot. I had an antlerless tag and did not see or hear any deer at all while hunting. I hunted in his general direction a couple of times (driving is illegal in Maine) with no luck at all and one time watched about 20 turkeys feed by in a line at the edge of the stream that is my back property line. Fall turkey hunting is only allowed with a bow in Maine otherwise I would have tried to take a head off one with my 45-70 Handi for the Thanksgiving table. I also saw another porcupine in what I refer to "The Porcupine Tree" out towards the NW corner of the property. I have shot 3 in that tree over the last 3-4 years, shot a monster porky last year during deer season, shot it with my 45-70 last year but passed on this one, I now think I should have shot it, they are destructive to trees and kill them with their feeding habits. I did not want to scare any deer in the area since I still had a few hours left that day and the next morning, Thanksgiving day, to hunt. I also found the last bits of a porcupine tail and backbone in another part of my property, no idea how that one died. Oh well, if I get up for ML season I might just shoot the new resident of "The Porcupine Tree" with my TC Renegade 50 caliber. If not perhaps while coyote hunting this winter with my .22 Mag or perhaps my .17 HMR to try it. Anyway Matt, don't give up, stay at it until the last rays of legal light and at least you will have memories, those last forever and are usually the best part of hunting anyway....<><....
P.S. my memories so far this year, with no deer hanging - my buddy from Millinocket did bring some fried backstraps and heart to camp with him from a week ago up at a relatives camp on Mooshead Lake and we had them as appertizers before a spagetti dinner, the stuff we did not finish we put in the garlic and hamburg sauce for the spagetti. The good old times at hunting camp with good old friends, it dosen't get any better than that!!! I was a bit frustrated yesterday as I left camp for the 350 mile ride home but even today, one day later, as I look back at it I am thankful and grateful to God for my time there and am ready to return...memories, like many things, Thanksgiving leftovers for example, are usually better the next day....
