It’s a great time to be a hunter here in Maine. Grouse and woodcock and ducks and geese are all in season now, and archery buffs are already sitting in their tree stands, waiting for deer.

The woods will only get busier in the coming weeks – the second week of moose season runs from Oct. 8-13, and the state’s first modern shotgun hunt for turkeys in the fall is approaching.

With all that opportunity, however, comes added responsibility, according to one veteran Maine guide.

“What I want in capital letters is “BE CAREFUL,” said Don Kleiner, a guide and consultant who co-owns Maine Outdoors, and also works as a lobbyist for the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Turkey season is the focus for Kleiner, who wants to make sure hunters know that the fall season will be different than those they’ve experienced during the spring.

“We’re just concerned, because this fall firearms season [for turkeys] is new, and always when something new comes, people are inexperienced, by definition.”

During the spring hunt, which Maine has staged for several years, turkey hunters are essentially enjoying the only game in town.

Not so in the fall.

“Keep in mind the thing that will be different here is this is not a one-off hunt,” Kleiner said. “There are other hunts that are going on at the same time. The bird hunters will be in the woods. Of primary concern to me is that there are bow hunters. [Turkey hunters and bow hunters] are two groups that are going to be in camouflage and sneaking up on something, or in the bow hunters’ situation, sitting and waiting for a deer to come by.”

Kleiner contacted me a couple weeks back, looking to put out a cautionary word to prospective hunters.

“I think this almost goes back to the 10 rules of hunter safety,” he said. “Identifying your target and beyond is paramount [during this season]. Just be doubly sure.”

During the spring season, state wildlife officials discourage hunters from actively stalking birds.

Instead, they are urged to “put the birds to bed” at night, then go back to those roosting spots to hunt the next morning, setting up a blind or sitting against a tree, and calling turkeys into range.

The theory is sound: Spring turkey hunters call birds in, and those who stalk birds by sound may in fact be stalking a fellow hunter with a turkey call.

During the fall, that dynamic changes, Kleiner said.

Birds are not mating and will not respond to the same calls that work in the spring, and there will be more stalking. Hunters need to exercise caution, he said.

“You’re going to be wanting to find that flock and break it up, then call it back together,” Kleiner said. “By definition a fall turkey hunter is moving and looking. It’s a different hunt altogether.”

The fall shotgun season – which coincides with a fall archery season- runs from Oct. 13-19 in Wildlife Management Districts 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25.

In order to take part in the season, a hunter must have a fall wild turkey permit and either a big game license (for shotguns) or archery license.

Those using shotguns must use 10- through 20-guage guns, and must use shot from size 6 to size 4.

Each hunter is allowed to take one turkey of either sex during the six-day season.

“Really, there’s a lot of good news here. Thirty years ago, the first turkeys were introduced into Maine, and here we are hunting in the fall,” Kleiner said.

But along with that good news, Kleiner says, is the need for hunters to be vigilant, and to realize that there are apt to be others in the woods … many of whom might not be readily visible due to their camouflage.

And as always, the burden of responsibility rests among the hunters who are in the woods.

Take advantage of the opportunity, by all means. But take an extra moment to remember that you could be sharing the woods with others.

Moose harvest down in spots

Last week’s six-day moose season – the first of two sessions that will be held this year – was abnormally warm.

According to wildlife biologists in the Penobscot and Aroostook regions, those high temperatures seemed to negatively affect the hunting success rate.

In the most recent weekly wildlife report compiled by the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, regional wildlife biologist Mark Caron said Penobscot Region tagging stations were, “with very little exception,” reporting lower numbers of moose being tagged.

And in Aroostook County, biologist Rich Hoppe had the numbers to back him.

Hoppe reported that temperatures for Monday through Wednesday were 20 to 30 degrees warmer than normal, and during those three days tagging numbers lagged 30 to 40 percent from past years.

Cooler weather pushed through later in the week and conditions improved a bit.

Still, Hoppe reported the week-long totals were lower than expected.

“Actual registration numbers through Saturday evening from Ashland, New Sweden and Fort Kent were 196, 91 and 82 [moose],” Hoppe wrote. “All three stations were down by 11 percent, 30 percent and 9 percent [respectively].”

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.