Maine’s moose permit lottery is projected to receive 65,000 to 70,000 entries before Wednesday’s deadline, according to officials. That's in step with 72,446 entries received for last year’s hunting season.
4,105 moose hunting permits will be issued for this fall — the same number issued last year. Around 8% of resident applicants are given a permit per last year's lottery.
Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) bases the number of permits offered by the lottery on moose population numbers and conservation goals. Mark Latti, the communications director for the IFW, said the number of applicants is on an upward trend:
"Over the last 10 years or so we’ve gone from around 50,000 [entries] up to about the current level of 70,000," said Latti. "It’s down from what it was twenty years ago when we used to be up around 90,000 [entries]. But [the number of entries this year] still shows that interest in moose hunting in Maine [is] still really sky high."
If selected, residents must pay $15 for the license while nonresidents face a fee of $585. 8% of the available permits are reserved for nonresidents.
Moose hunting season generally begins in October depending on the wildlife management district. The drawing will be held in Fort Kent on June 15.
