Where do you walk the dog in Hope after the first Monday in November? Maine's firearms deer season opened November 2 and runs through November 28, 2026, according to the state's deer season dates. A statewide muzzleloader season follows from November 30 through December 5. The two land trust preserves inside Hope's town lines are both open to hunting. For most of the next five weeks, Maine law picks the quietest walking day in town, and that day is Sunday.
Hope's Own Trails Are Hunting Trails
Coastal Mountains Land Trust owns 38 preserves totaling 6,665 acres. Hunting is permitted on 32 of them, more than 6,200 acres. Hatchet Mountain Preserve, at Route 235 and Hatchet Mountain Road, is one of the 32. It's a short, steep climb to views toward Penobscot Bay. Ragged Mountain Preserve is another, including the Thorndike Brook Trailhead at 223 Hope Street. Georges River Land Trust lists Thorndike Brook as one of two western trailheads for Ragged Mountain, both on Hope Street.
The Georges Highland Path, which runs through that same western side of Ragged, comes with one more wrinkle. Part of it crosses privately owned land under conservation easement. On those stretches, the land trust says, hunting is up to each landowner, and an easement marker on a tree doesn't guarantee public access. You could walk the whole path without seeing a sign telling you whose rules you're under at a given moment.
The land trust's guidelines also set limits on hunters. Predator hunting, including bear, fox, bobcat and coyote, is banned on every preserve. Permanent tree stands and game cameras aren't allowed, and land trust boundaries are marked with red blazes. Those red blazes are handy on Hatchet and Ragged too. They show where the preserve stops and a neighbor's land begins, and in November that matters as much as which way you're facing.
The Six Places Where Hunting Isn't Allowed
Six Coastal Mountains preserves don't allow hunting at all: Fernalds Neck, Harkness, Hodson, McPheters, Beauchamp Point and Youngs Neck. The land trust's reason is "original land donor intent." In other words, whoever gave the land decided this long before anyone in Hope planned a November walk.
None of the six are in Hope. The two closest to town with trail pages are:
- Hodson Preserve, Camden. The trailhead is at 310 Molyneaux Road, and the preserve page says "No Hunting." The land trust's group hike there on November 5 covered about 2.4 miles of single-track with some real climbing.
- Fernalds Neck Preserve, Lincolnville. It's also marked "No Hunting" on its own page and appears on the trust-wide list.
Bald Mountain Preserve in Camden isn't on the list, so the general rule applies and hunting is allowed there. Even at Hodson, the Penobscot Bay Pilot reported that the hike organizers still encouraged hunter orange. Some of these preserves share boundaries with private land, where different rules can apply.
Camden Hills State Park has its own rules. The state's park guide says hunting isn't permitted between June 1 and Labor Day, which leaves November outside that window. It bars firing a weapon within 300 feet of marked hiking trails, parking areas, picnic and camping areas. It doesn't allow loaded firearms on hiking trails. It also tells visitors to "Wear blaze orange during hunting season."
Sunday Is the Day the Law Clears
Maine prohibits hunting on Sundays. The state's general hunting laws also say that carrying hunting equipment in fields, forests or on the water on a Sunday can be treated as evidence of a violation, with some exceptions. For anyone who walks Hatchet or the Thorndike Brook side of Ragged, that makes Sunday the only day of the week the law keeps hunting off those trails.
Starting from publish day, here's what the rest of the season looks like:
| Date | Day | What the IF&W calendar shows |
|---|---|---|
| November 15 | Sunday | No hunting, in the middle of firearms season |
| November 22 | Sunday | No hunting, the last Sunday of firearms season |
| November 28 | Saturday | Firearms season ends |
| November 29 | Sunday | No hunting, the only day between the two seasons |
| November 30 to December 5 | Monday to Saturday | Statewide muzzleloader season |
| December 6 | Sunday | No hunting |
On the other six days, legal hunting hours shift a little each day with sunrise and sunset. Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife publishes them in a 2026–27 legal hunting hours chart. The agency notes the chart is based on Bangor's sunrise and sunset and applies statewide. Check that chart before an early-morning or late-afternoon walk on a weekday.
IF&W also recommends hunter orange for people who aren't hunting. Its outdoor safety guide suggests hikers, snowshoers and trail skiers carry an orange vest if their shell isn't brightly colored, so they're easier to spot if they need help. A vest takes up almost no room in a pack, and it works for the dog's walk, too.
This post covers general information about published hunting rules, not legal advice. If you have a specific question, check with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or the land trust directly.
The Rest of the Town Has Gone Indoors
Hope Orchards, bought in 2026 by Kyle and Anna Rittenburg, has finished its first season under the new owners. Their homepage says the orchard is closed for the year. The Rittenburgs have added vegetables, mushrooms and a Summer CSA to the apples, and they describe the farm stand as open May through November. That makes it a spring date on the calendar now.
Hope Library lists its public hours as Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The library adds that it runs on volunteers and hours can change. Thursday's evening hours are the only after-work hours in that week, which counts for something now that it's dark by late afternoon.
The Hope Historical Society has one more program on its 2026 schedule. On Tuesday, November 17, Jody Batchelder will talk about her book "Here First: Samoset and Wawenock of Pemaquid, Maine." The society posts its schedule on its news page.
Back to Thorndike Brook in December
The muzzleloader week ends with a group hike. On Thursday, December 3, at 10 a.m., Coastal Mountains Land Trust and Maine Health's Community Health program will lead a Happy Wanderers hike from the Thorndike Brook Trailhead at 223 Hope Street. It's a 2.5-mile loop on the Round the Mountain Trail and the Georges Highland Path. That Thursday falls during the statewide muzzleloader season, so it's a weekday hike on a preserve where hunting is allowed. Wear orange. The land trust posts details and calendar subscriptions on its events page.
The next day, the holidays take over down the road. Camden's 40th Christmas by the Sea runs December 4 through 6. Plans include a Friday parade and tree lighting, Santa arriving by boat in Camden Harbor on Saturday, and a Holiday Book Fair at Camden Public Library on Sunday. Penobscot Bay Pilot reported in early October that details were still being worked out. That Sunday, December 6, is also a no-hunting day, so you could walk Hatchet in the morning and catch the book fair in the afternoon.
If you'd like a hand finding a quiet place to walk this season, or you just want to talk about what life in Hope looks like through the year, The Uhll Group is always happy to hear from you. Start Your Midcoast Maine Search.
