ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine is facing pressure from hunters and state officials alike over its hunting policy on forested property.
The scrutiny comes after hunters who said they were told they could hunt on select university research farms learned they could not per university policy.
University of Maine spokesperson Samantha Warren said that the employees and members of the public who granted the hunters permission did so in "good faith" despite not being authorized to do so.
This reversal caught the attention of David Trahan, executive director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, who says he and others want the university to revisit its policy.
"We think their policy is a contradiction and really too extreme," Trahan said.
UMaine and the UMaine Foundation collectively manage more than 14,000 acres of forested land. Trahan would like to see more of that land hunting accessible but understands not all land is fit for change.
"Some of those lands could be research areas and well frequented and they may not want hunting there. Again, we are open to all of those discussions," he said.
Warren did say that the university understands that "hunting is an important management tool" and the School of Forest Resources' website shows there are 2,016 acres across four different plots of land available for near campus.
Keith Kanoti, university forest manager, said that permission is needed for tree stands, but otherwise, hunters are free to hunt as the land is not posted.
Not all that have become aware of the university's policy are concerned. Woody Higgins is a lifelong hunter and was the president of the Penobscot County Conservation Association for two years.
He understands that restrictions are sometimes necessary. His association recently limited hunting access on their property after users abused the land.
"People dumped old vehicles. This year, we found two old barrels of gasoline on our property. Things like that," Higgins said.
He also feels there is enough land for people to hunt on and that the university's policy is not his top priority. He notes that even on private land, the key to access is asking.
"A good percentage of those lands that are posted, if you go and politely ask permission, you probably will get permission to hunt because they know who is trying to use it," Higgins said.