A more-than-200-pound buck shot by Mike Bennett, center in an orange hat, draws a lot of attention Saturday while he gets it weighed at Audette’s Hardware in Winthrop.

Mike Bennett, left, talks to Scott Struck about the deer Bennett shot as it gets weighed Saturday at Audette’s Hardware in Winthrop.

Edward Ayotte looks up to read the scale as his deer gets weighed Saturday at Audette’s Hardware in Winthrop. Ayotte’s deer, which he took in Mount Vernon, weighed in at 124.8 pounds.

Local hunters Wesley Bowden and Sage Blaschke down a 5 a.m. hunters’ breakfast as the Vassalboro Fire Department on Riverside Drive before heading to the woods for the first day of deer hunting season. Blaschke says hunters don’t often share their preferred spots with each other, even during the pre-dawn breakfast.

Proceeds from the Vassalboro Fire Department’s annual hunters’ breakfast went to help pay for an addition the all-volunteer department’s station on Riverside Drive this year, but the department also accepted donations for the Vassalboro Food Pantry, which is the normal recipient of funds raised by the annual breakfast.

Lt. Russell Peasley prepares sunny-side-up eggs Saturday at the Vassalboro Fire Department’s annual hunters’ breakfast. The head chef at Riverview Psychiatric Center for 30 years and manager of its food-service facilities today, Breton says most hunters this year preferred their eggs either sunny side up or scrambled.

Local hunters down a hearty 5 a.m. breakfast of eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon home fries, beans and toast Saturday at the Vassalboro Fire Department on Riverside Drive before heading to the woods for the first day of deer hunting season. Proceeds from the annual event known as hunters’ breakfast went to help pay for an addition to the all-volunteer fire station.

Kaden Daughty, Kyle Rowe and Firefighter Josh Pomerleau act as servers during the annual Vassalboro Fire Department’s hunters’ breakfast Saturday at the department’s Riverside Drive Station. Pomerleau says the key to deer hunting is “trying to be quiet.”

Vassalboro Fire Department Capt. Benji Rowe and Firefighter John Moshier Jr. tag-team an order at the annual Vassalboro Fire Department’s hunters’ breakfast Saturday at the fire station on Riverside Drive. They typically serve about 125 hunters during the annual event.

Vassalboro Fire Department Capt. Benji Rowe and firefighter John Moshier Jr. tend to an order Saturday during the Vassalboro Fire Department’s annual hunters’ breakfast at the fire station on Riverside Drive. The department typically serves about 125 hunters during the event.

Local hunters down a hearty 5 a.m. breakfast of eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, home fries, beans and toast Saturday at the Vassalboro Fire Department station on Riverside Drive in Vassalboro before heading to the woods for the first day of deer hunting season. Proceeds from the annual hunters’ breakfast went to help pay for an addition to the station.