<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2njMKZ_0viBjzKH00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2njMKZ_0viBjzKH00" width="1200" height="800" ></figure>The bull moose that Erik Francis, 28, of Pleasant Point, killed at 7 a.m. in Zone 8 on Passamaquoddy tribal land was killed by him. He was one of many hunters who went into the woods of Maine on the first day of the normal moose season in 2024.This week was only for bulls. That week will be Oct. 14–19 for bulls, and Oct. 28–Nov. 2 for moose without antlers. They will be held from the second half of October to November 2.Aroostook, Washington, and northern Penobscot counties are part of the hunt this week in 12 wildlife management districts for state permits given to people who won the moose draw every year. Not so for the Passamaquoddy. On their land, shooting season began on September 1.Frank caught his third moose of the year. It was 814 pounds and had a 9-point rack. He used a combination bow that belonged to his grandfather and shot it from 30 feet away. He said the moose ran another 200 feet before it stopped moving and died.He killed a second animal with a compound bow. It was a cow moose that weighed 603 pounds and was killed on September 14. He kept it for meat in his home. His family will get the bull he killed on Monday because an elder in the tribe is crippled.He said that he had been bow shooting for over 10 years but had never caught anything until this year.In August, he used a.308-caliber gun to kill his first moose. Francis said that that animal and a buck that weighed more than 100 pounds were killed for the yearly Celebrational Passamaquoddy Days, which is like a powwow.“The idea of killing a big moose with a sharp stick has always interested me.” He said, “Cutting down an animal with a bow makes you feel really close to it.” Also, he talked about how shooting with a bow is related to his tribal background.Francis said he almost didn’t go to the woods today because of the cold, but he knew the animals would be moving because it was that way. The temperature outside his truck said it was 37 degrees Fahrenheit.When he got to the shooting grounds, the fog that had been there in the morning was gone. On Zone 8’s woods roads near Jackman, he drove until he saw the bull about 30 feet into the trees.He got out of his white Ram truck with the Martin compound bow that belonged to his grandfather and was set to 60 years old. He aimed and shot the moose.Francis said that he hunts by himself most of the time and drives around when the animals are moving. He got the moose out of the woods with the help of a friend from Toothy’s Butcher in Jackman. He said that he normally has that butcher process his meat.“I felt lucky to be able to kill a moose.” The man said, “I told the Creator that if I got a bull, I would hunt less.”Francis is going to hunt with his girlfriend at the end of October. She has a state tag for a moose that doesn’t have antlers.It looked like the north of Maine was warmer than the west of the state. Heather White from Gateway Trading Post said that Ashland was 51 degrees this morning. By 4 p.m., she had signed in 26 moose at her station. Brittany Demmons of Windham caught her biggest fish, which weighed 882 pounds.Monday was also a good day for Lento Sporting Camps in Blaine. One big bull had 15 points, weighed 811 pounds, and had antlers that were spread out 47 inches.The bull hunt for this week ends on Saturday.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Monday was opening day for Maine’s regular moose season

The bull moose that Erik Francis, 28, of Pleasant Point, killed at 7 a.m. in Zone 8 on Passamaquoddy tribal land was killed by him. He was one of many hunters who went into the woods of Maine on the first day of the normal moose season in 2024. This...